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Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 05:28:44 pm
We reported earlier this week that "Inside the EPA" claims Republican presidential candidate John McCain will visit Washington (and Oregon) either May 12 or May 13 to talk about the environment. The tip came from a Democrat(ic operative), who skewered McCain for not supporting the Boeing tanker deal and then dished it out to gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi for not believing in global warming. So, is McCain coming? Well, I've got his local campaign contact on speed dial, but he hasn't found time to return my calls over the past two or three days. I Googled it and I found something promising: McCain plans campaign swing to Northwest. The only problem is that this report links back to our blog. So there's your update: I don't know anything more, but now that it's been on the internet three times, it must be true.
Categories: President
Posted by Joe Turner @ 04:21:41 pm
This isn't exactly a vote of confidence in Jean Marie Christenson, who jumped into the race to run against incumbent Rep. Jim McCune, R-Graham, in 2006. The Democrats couldn't find a candidate back then, so they let her run and she gave him a scare by getting more total votes in the closed Democratic primary than McCune got in the closed Republican primary. But now, the House Democrats have found their guy. Chuck Collins, owner of Allied Electric in Bellevue (moving to Yelm), was recruited by Rep. Jeff Morris, D-Mount Vernon, who is part of House leadership. Obviously, House Speaker Frank Chopp and the rest of the Democratic leadership team figure Collins will have a better shot at unseating McCune in the 2nd Legislative District. They've promised him money and good campaign staffers. He's the annointed one. Not her. Maybe the House Democrats were afraid Christenson's being a "Ram-ster" would be a liability in a campaign. She is a student of the Ramtha School of Enlightment, which follows the teachings of a 35,000-year-old warrior, channeled by J.Z. Knight. Notwithstanding that, her platform sounded awfully Democratic last time around. And Christenson is not bowing out. She got a late start in 2006, but she's been campaigning for nearly 2 years.  Here is Collins' announcement:
Categories: Legislature, Campaign news
Posted by Joe Turner @ 02:13:18 pm
You just know the National Reublican Senatorial Committee is loving every minute of comedian-author Al Franken's tribulations with the Internal Revenue Service. He's been a thorn in Republican sides almost since is days on Saturday Night Live. Book like his 1996 "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot" tend to get you there. I've been on the NRSC e-mail list for several years now, and this might be the first news release I've bothered to post. Here's an excerpt:
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 02:07:09 pm
I've spent a lot of time today trying to figure out the best (and most feasible) way to get some of the information and resources I learned last weekend out to everyone. (Background: When my third grade teacher returned from a conference, she was a little nicer and had some new paper craft ideas for the next few weeks, but that was about it. I'm trying not to replicate that.) That said, here's the political equivalent to a woven paper heart: This web site from the Sunlight Foundation allows you to find out what earmarks are coming our way. Type in your ZIP code to find out what bacon is in your neighborhood. Or scroll across the country to see how we rate. You can mouse over each dollar sign to find out the basics – what, where, how much and to whom. Have fun, tell me what you find and stay tuned. Update: If you want to take it a step further, here's your chance! I got an e-mail from Gabriela Schneider, spokeswoman for the Sunlight Foundation. She pointed me to two very cool sites related to earmarks. The first is Earmark Watch, which lists some 3,000 appropriations submitted this year. Create an account, search for earmarks, then help them find out – "Are members using earmarks to meet pressing needs? Reward political supporters? Are they good public policy, or vehicles for pure pork?" The second is this map, aptly titled "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words." It maps earmarks using Google Earth. OK, now tell me what you learn!
Categories: Open Government
• 4 comments
Posted by Joe Turner @ 01:24:05 pm
I know Will Roehl from the Fish and Wildlife Commission, and also because he is husband of state Rep. Kelli Linville, D-Bellingham. If you're going to get appointed to a board or commission in state government, growth management hearings board is the one to get. Not many pay a real salary, and the hearings board jobs pay the most, or close to it. It's more than $95,000 a year.
Posted by Joe Turner @ 12:43:41 pm
I write stories about this every couple years. Last time, we asked our readers to sort out a list of bills that were introduced by the Youth Legislature and their Adult counterparts. It's not as easy as you might think. Check out the list of alumni, further down in the news release.
Categories: State government
• 1 comment
Posted by Joe Turner @ 12:14:52 pm
Simpson's campaign issued this news release:
The story first broke on Horsesass.org, which reported that state Rep. Geoff Simpson, D-Covington, has been arrested on a domestic violence charge. The Web site correctly points out that Simpson is a progressive Democrat (that means really liberal) in a swing district. Legislative races in the 47th District are always pretty close, sometimes cliffhangers. I've left a message for Simpson, but no word back directly from him.
Categories: Legislature, Campaign news
Posted by Joe Turner @ 11:07:26 am
Keep in mind that Sen. Linda Evans Parlette is a Republican from Wenatchee in a Legislature dominated by Democrats. And that isn't likely to change this fall. And Democrats don't like the photo I.D. requirement, even if the Supremes say it's legal to do. Here's the good senator's news release:
Posted by Peter Callaghan @ 10:16:42 am
Initiative guy Tim Eyman has sent out an urgent message to supporters asking for help retiring a loan he took out now that his main backer Mike Dunmire has cut him off. Here's is Tri-City Herald political reporter Chris Mulick's take on the story.
Categories: Initiatives
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
Posted by Joe Turner @ 03:07:12 pm
Former state Rep. Randy Dorn, once a high school principal and now head of the second-largest public school workers' union, is expected to announce this week that he's running for the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. I've got a call into Dorn, who was very busy in Olympia this past session trying to get more money for the kitchen help, bus drivers and computer folks who work for public schools and colleges in Washington. We've been playing telephone tag for the past 5 or 6 days. UPDATE: Dorn never called me back, but here's the announcement on the union's Web site. Dorn has been executive director of the Public School Employees of Washington since December 1999. The union represents 26,000 K-12 and college employees, second to the 81,000-member Washington Education Assocation, which has the teachers and certificated workers in its ranks. PSE is now affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, which makes it part of a pretty large group of public sector workers, and part of a rabble-rousing union. They're even more militant than the WEA. Dorn was a Democrat from Eatonville when he was in the Legislature. He got dumped in the 1994 Republican Revolution. The OSPI race is getting pretty interesting. You have longtime incumbent Terry Bergeson, who is running for a fourth term. You have Rich Semler, superintendent of the Richland School District. And now Dorn. The WEA is backing Semler. Presumably, the PSE will back Dorn. And since OSPI is a non-partisan office, the primary election has been a "Top Two" for a long time. In the past, Bergeson has garnered more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary election, so the race was decided then. That won't happen this time. It probably will be Bergeson and either Dorn or Semler in the November general election. Here's part of the Dorn bio I got from the PSE:
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 12:47:45 pm
Gov. Chris Gregoire visited Community Montessori in Tacoma this morning to receive the endorsement from the SEIU. The event was short and sweet: Gregoire toured the facility, then joined about 30 union members to accept the endorsement. CathyRaye Hyland, director of the childcare center, said they didn't tell the children who was coming to visit today. When Gregoire was there, they didn't bother letting them know who the purple-jacketed visitor was, either. Hyland told me the kids (only the young ones were left at that point) probably wouldn't know what a "governor" is anyway. In Gregoire's brief remarks, she said promised not to let down the childcare and healthcare workers gathered. She also said Washington is "one of the bright stars in early childhood education."
Categories: Governor, Campaign news
Posted by Jason Hagey @ 11:59:09 am
The second-lowest bidder in Tacoma's (second) re-bid of the Broadway Local Improvement District (LID) is protesting the recommended awarding of a contract to the low bidder, Wm. Dickson, Inc. Active Contstruction, Inc. has requested a quasi-judicial hearing before the City Council, according to City Manager Eric Anderson's weekly report to council members. The hearing is scheduled for tonight's City Council meeting. Active Construction argued that Wm. Dickson did not propertly comply with certain electrical construction pre-qualification requirements, and did not meet state law, according to Anderson's report. The city's Contracts and Awards Board disagreed and voted 3-1 in favor of recommending award to the low bidder. If the City Council agrees with the Contracts and Awards board, it can go ahead and approve a $10.9 million purchase resolution at tonight's meeting, clearing the way for construction to begin. The LID -- which has had a difficult history -- will pay for a make-over of streets, sidewalks and utilities, which is aimed at creating a cohesive urban village. UPDATE: After listening to arguments from attorneys representing both Active Construction and Wm. Dickson, as well as an assistant city attorney, the City Council voted unanimously to concur with the Contracts and Awards and awarded the contract to Dickson.
Categories: Tacoma
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 11:48:59 am
I'm back -- I was on vacation, then in L.A. for a fellowship at the Knight Center for Digital Media. I've posted a few things about what I learned, but it would take a few hundred pages to go over everything. Some of what I learned will pop up on the blog and in print in the coming months. Others ... maybe never.
Posted by Jason Hagey @ 06:06:45 am
It wasn't quite a no-confidence vote, but it was close. The Community Council of Tacoma took a vote last week and decided it was "losing confidence" in the ability of Metro Park Tacoma board members to manage the park district. Bill Garl, Community Council chairman, delivered the news to board members in a brief letter yesterday. It read:
The letter doesn't state a reason, but the move was foreshadowed two weeks ago when citizens vented at board members during a meeting where members agreed to accept voted a controversial report outlining potential ways for the district to bring in more money. Ginny Eberhardt, chairwoman of the West End Neighborhood Council, alluded to increasing public interest in either a no-confidence vote in the park board, a recall of the park board commissioners, or a transfer of the park system to the City of Tacoma. Now comes the "losing confidence" vote. The News Tribune's editorial board chided the parks board for not doing more to involve citizens, prompting a reply from park board members Victoria Woodards and Ryan Mello.
Categories: Tacoma
Monday, April 28th, 2008
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 11:44:20 am
Surprising no one, the SEIU has announced it will endorse Gov. Chris Gregoire for governor. She'll meet in Tacoma tomorrow with leaders of the Community Montessori Day Care, then tour the place before the official endorsement press conference at 9:30 a.m. The union represents about 100,000 childcare and healthcare workers across the state.
Categories: Governor
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 11:28:30 am
So I've been gone for a bit, but did everyone else in the world know that John McCain will be visiting the state in two weeks? From "Inside the EPA"
We don't have any more details, but I'll work on it. (Or, if I discover that this is old news, I'll quickly move on to something else.)
Categories: President
Posted by David Wickert @ 09:08:24 am
With Pierce County departments looking to cut 1.5 percent of spending this year and 3 percent next year, County Council spending on a host of community programs and projects is drawing fire. Lumped together in the budget as “miscellaneous current expenses,” these include such items as $5,000 for the African American Oral history Project, $300,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound and $1,310 for the World Affairs Council. The line item also includes some government services, like $665,980 for the Rainier Communications Commission, which broadcasts council meetings and other county programming. Altogether, the county budget includes $6.2 million in miscellaneous current expenses this year. Midland resident Stacy Emerson has posted the complete list here. Sheriff’s Department spokesman Ed Troyer’s pet peeve is the $15,000 for the TCC Friendship Garden. He says it makes no sense to pay for such projects when the Sheriff’s Department may be forced to cut spending on public safety. “Crime victims can go to the garden and meditate and come to peace about being relieved of their worldly possessions,” Troyer said.
Categories: Pierce County
Sunday, April 27th, 2008
Posted by Joe Turner @ 12:43:30 pm
Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, is meeting with constitutents on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Read on:
Categories: Legislature, Campaign news
Friday, April 25th, 2008
Posted by Joe Turner @ 01:52:32 pm
Michael Ennis at the Washington Policy Center (he's the transportation director) brought to my attention these excerpts from the Sound Move plan that was adopted on May 31, 1996:
"I would not only say that Sound Transit must keep their promise, but since this language was part of the plan that was passed by voters, Sound Transit may be legally obligated to abide," Ennis wrote today in an e-mail to me. So, as Sound Transit heads toward another ballot measure, I suppose it's fair to ask "How many defeats does it take to indicate that voter approval is not forthcoming?" Proposition 1's defeat was Strike One. Is this a Three Strikes situation? This next block of type also comes from the 1996 plan:
Posted by Joe Turner @ 12:34:04 pm
James Vaughn, a former Army officer, says he's among a group of veterans who are upset over the war in Iraq and are running for office. He says he's also an ex-Marine, Navy corpsman and theology student. He lives in Orting with his fiancee. Read on:
Posted by David Wickert @ 07:30:00 am
With Pierce County facing a $6 million to $7 million revenue shortfall, next month’s County Council budget retreat is shaping up as a somber affair. The council will meet May 22 to discuss budget priorities for the remainder of 2008 and into 2009. Chairman Terry Lee, R-Gig Harbor, said in past years the council has used the retreat to discuss new spending priorities like opening another jail pod or hiring another Superior Court judge. This year, with revenue running short, Lee said the discussion is likely to be more about where to cut, not where to spend. “There are some departments that we hold sacred, especially those that have to do with public safety,” Lee said. Other departments may not be so lucky.
Categories: Pierce County
• 2 comments
Thursday, April 24th, 2008
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 07:03:13 pm
Today was the first full day of the Knight Digital Media Conference I'm attending. It's centered around how campaigns are using the internet, how reporters can do the same, and how readers can benefit from this. It's not an exaggeration to say that my head hurts from all the information we heard today. In short, there's a whole lot going on out there. (Also, this made my head hurt: The New York Times guy told us they have a staff of 25 people whose sole mission is to moderate comments. Yeah, they're part-time ... but 25?!) On the subject of Congressional race fundraising, Larry Makinson, a campaign finance research consultant, said incumbents usually outspend challengers by 10 to 1. Not so in Washington's 8th Congressional district this year:
Categories: Journalism
• 1 comment
Posted by Jason Hagey @ 11:22:03 am
 Lua Pritchard, executive director of the Korean Women's Association, could not attend Monday's meeting of Tacoma's Neighborhood and Housing Committee. But the city's Ric Teasley passed along some talking points about the organization's efforts to purchase the Olympus Hotel. Here's a summary: • KWA is "about ready" to make a final offer on the building and hopes to close on it as early as this summer, though it might take longer. They hope to begin their project in January. It will include some minor renovations. • Tenants will be screened and whoever is eligible will remain. As units become available, and if there is a need for transitional space for domestic violence victims and the elderly, "so be it." • Quantum Property Management will be hired to manage the project. • KWA hopes to fill the vacant commercial space with an "Asian Cuisine" type restaurant -- "like a 'Dim Sum' type of food." • Tenants will be served daily by KWA for "social and human services."
Categories: Tacoma
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
Posted by David Wickert @ 05:34:15 pm
If you’ve been wondering how far we’ll stretch the definition of “politics” to attract readers, wonder no longer. Our excuse? If it happens at the state capital, we’re all over it.
Categories: Legislature
• 2 comments
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 03:24:10 pm
This week (today through Saturday), I'm in Los Angeles at a Knight Digital Media Center fellowship on political reporting. Read more about it here. My original plan was to share what I learned with the newsroom. But some of you might want to know how campaigns (and reporters) are using the internet, too. So look for updates, story ideas and other tidbits over the next couple of days. There will also be a blog about it here.
Categories: Journalism
• 5 comments
Posted by Joe Turner @ 01:33:49 pm
Brent Champaco, who covers University Place for us, passed on this letter the city wrote to Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, chairman of the Sound Transit board of directors. The UP Council wants to see what a comprehensive transit plan looks like, not the King County-centric plan the board is talking about. The council makes the point that since Proposition 1 included $7 billion for roads in its overall $18 billion package, the plan on the table now goes to the other extreme. Not only does it lop off all the Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID) road projects, it also chops off all the light rail stuff for Pierce County. UP could like to see what an all-transit plan that reaches Tacoma would look like and cost. The board is meeting Thursday in Seattle to talk about what's next for Sound Transit.
Posted by Jason Hagey @ 01:33:28 pm
A California university professor noticed my article Monday about Tacoma City Manager Eric Anderson's ambitious goal of cutting crime in the city by 50 percent in 14 months. He decided to use it as the basis of a class project. Here's what he wrote:
I've already heard from one student. I'll try to find out what they come up with and pass it along. Also, detail about Tacoma's 29 "tactics" for cutting crime and cleaning up the city is available now on the city's Web site. Go to:
Categories: Tacoma
• 2 comments
Posted by Joe Turner @ 10:27:21 am
I was trying find out how much Agriculture Secretary Valoria Loveland was getting paid so I could include her salary in the retirement item I posted earlier this week, and realized I also needed current salaries for the rest of Gov. Chris Gregoire's cabinet. I figured, why not share it? I remember when Victor Moore was paid a meager $95,000 a year when he worked for the state House of Representatives. Next time we have lunch, he's buying. Don't ask me why Liz Luce and Steve Hill make $5 a year more than John Lee, and $1 more than Linda Bremer. Maybe it's merit pay. The figures are directly from the governor's office. The snarky categories are all mine. By the way, the governor's salary this year is $163,618, and it will go up to $166,891 on Sept. 1. And that's how much Dino Rossi would make next year if he happens to become governor. THE "A" TEAM THE "A-" TEAM FAIR TO MIDDLIN' STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET ELIGIBLE FOR FOOD STAMPS PARTTIME WORKER (NO HEALTH COVERAGE)
Categories: Governor, State government
Posted by David Wickert @ 09:43:21 am
An effort to repeal Pierce County’s domestic partner benefits policy has died before it even got started. A group called the Cornerstone Foundation was gathering signatures for a ballot measure overturning the county’s domestic partner benefits policy. But it failed to meet Monday’s deadline for submitting the signatures needed to get the measure on the November ballot. In December the County Council voted to extend health benefits to the domestic partners of county employees. The policy applies both to same-sex and opposite-sex partners.
Categories: Pierce County
• 1 comment
Posted by Jason Hagey @ 06:29:41 am
Point Ruston LLC, the developer planning to build a mix of residential and commercial buildings on the old Asarco smelter site, wants the City of Tacoma to find a way for it to qualify for the city's multi-family tax exemption. Loren Cohen, legal affairs manager for the developer, sent a letter to Tacoma Mayor Bill Baarsma and Councilman Spiro Manthou earlier this month, asking city officials to consider making some changes in the city's code that would allow the project to qualify for the incentive. Specifically, Cohen wants the city to add language making it clear that an area with existing "or previous" businesses would meet the definition of an "urban center." Although it's vacant now, the property has been the site of numerous businesses for over a century, Cohen wrote, including sawmills and the smelter. From the April 11 letter;
At least one council member doesn't support the idea.
Categories: Tacoma
• 3 comments
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008
Posted by Joe Turner @ 04:20:54 pm
Assuming, of course, that Tim Eyman can get his own measure, Initiative 985, onto the November ballot. This is kind of a report from the trenches on ballot measures. After all, Eyman is out there with his fellow signature-gatherers and he can see who else is on the streets. The Death With Dignity people, I-1000, are out there, pushing former Gov. Booth Gardner's assisted suicide measure. The Service Employees International Union is on the streets getting signatures on their proposal for training (believe me, it's about much more than that) because they didn't get their way, even in Frank Chopp's Legislature. The reason Eyman called The News Tribune was to find out what Sound Transit is up to. Will they have a money issue on the ballot in November? We won't find out until July, I told him. True, Sound Transit is meeting Thursday in Seattle to talk whether to keep forging ahead with a smaller version of the $18 billion Proposition 1. You know, the one that went down in flames last November. Seattle wants it. After all, it's Seattle's subway. Back to Eyman. He said the I-985 campaign has raise $290,000, with $220,000 coming from sugar daddy Mike Dunmire. "We're rocking and rollin' and excited about how the initiative is coming along," Eyman said.
Posted by Joe Turner @ 02:14:22 pm
I don't go to fundraisers, so I don't understand the significance of the various tiers. For instance, here's what Gov. Chris Gregoire's campaign sent out for next Monday's fundraiser with Bill Richardson: Silver Level: $125 I suppose it has to do with how close you get to sit to the governor during the rubber chicken meal. I'm guessing the "Silver Level" is either on an entirely different floor of the Westin Hotel, or in the kitchen with the hired help. And "Chris' Crew Member" might be at the very same table. And if you're "Christine's Crew Member" that means you're still working on the 2004 campaign, when our governor went by that name. I'm thinkin' we in the Olympia press corps don't appreciate just how lucky we are at news conferences. Our Associated Press colleagues David Ammons, Rachel La Corte and Curt Woodward are "crew members" because they get to sit right next to her at every news conference. From Christine's campaign:
Posted by David Wickert @ 01:38:24 pm
The outcry you’ll be hearing from the County-City Building soon is from anguished department heads forced to trim budgets as Pierce County struggles with a multi-million dollar revenue shortfall. County Executive John Ladenburg has directed departments to search their budgets for cuts of 1.5 percent this year and 3 percent in 2009. He’ll then prioritize the cuts. Some departments may get cut more, while others may be cut less. Budget director Pat Kenney outlined the county’s troubles in an April 18 memo. The highlights:
Categories: Pierce County
Posted by Jason Hagey @ 06:17:13 am
Just a reminder that Danish architect and lecturer Lars Gemzoe is speaking at today's Tacoma City Council study session. The meeting has been moved from its usual location to the City Council chambers so that TV Tacoma can air it live. It also will be streamed over www.tvtacoma.com. According to the city, the council will hear a presentation and discuss how to develop public spaces within the city into vital community places. That includes the under-used Tollefson Plaza. City Manager Eric Anderson and Councilman Jake Fey met Gemzoe last year when they traveled to Europe and came away impressed. Gemzoe is the co-author of "New City Spaces, Strategies and Projects," and "Public Spaces, Public Life." He is a senior consultant and associate partner of Gehl Architects, and a senior lecturer of urban design at the Center for Public Space Research at the the School of Architecture in Copenhagen. The study session begins at noon.
Categories: Tacoma
Monday, April 21st, 2008
Posted by David Wickert @ 04:06:58 pm
Vincent Stewart, a Democrat running for the Pierce County Council seat held by Republican Dick Muri, will kick off his campaign Wednesday. Details below:
Categories: Pierce County, Campaign news
Posted by Jason Hagey @ 02:56:19 pm
After a spirited discussion, the Tacoma City Council appeared to agree at last week's Committee of the Whole meeting to not mess with the spelling of either Laurel Lane or Laural Lane. It started when a resident of South Laural Lane alerted Mayor Bill Baarsma to the fact that Laurel Lane north of Sixth Avenue is spelled one way, and Laural Lane south of Sixth Avenue is spelled a different way. He wrote:
The author said the difference is "confusing to many" and asked officials to change the spelling of South Laural Lane.
Categories: Tacoma
Posted by Joe Turner @ 02:43:53 pm
Former Democratic Gov. Gary Locke appointed Valoria Loveland to the Agriculture Department not long after she was defeated in her bid for reelection to the state Senate from Pasco. Sen. Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla, the Republican minority leader, is the one who beat her. Loveland had to run for reelection with the record of a downtown Seattle Democrat, which doesn't fly real well in Franklin County. Loveland was chief budget writer for the Senate Democrats when they had the majority and she wrote a budget that Seattle liberals could live with, but not Eastern Washington moderates. Anyway, governors tend to take care of their own, especially after they take one for the team. She got appointed to a high-paying job in Locke's administration (higher than $40,000 a year as a senator) and then reappointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire. Give Loveland credit: She served longer than the minimum of 2 years, which is all you need to have your retirement benefits based on your highest salary in the past 5 years. Even so, her retirement will be based on her final $122,478 a salary. I've got a call into the state Department of Retirement Systems to see how her pension will be computed. Read the full news release from the governor's office.
Posted by Joe Turner @ 02:30:39 pm
Ruben Cedeno has been with the prison system since 1989. He's leaving in June.
Categories: State government
Posted by David Wickert @ 02:03:08 pm
Remember those tough new geoduck regulations the Pierce County Council approved in October? They still haven’t gone into effect. The holdup? The state Department of Ecology. The council unanimously voted to ban geoduck farming in densely populated areas near Gig Harbor and to restrict future geoduck operations in rural areas. In an effort to limit pollution, the council also required growers to pay up to $1 per plastic growing tube to guarantee timely removal of growing gear. But none of that has happened yet because the county must some concerns of the Department of Ecology, which must give its final approval.
Categories: Pierce County
• 1 comment
Posted by Jason Hagey @ 11:45:36 am
The state Department of Ecology will accept public comment through May 20 on Tacoma's proposed building height amendment on the Thea Foss Waterway. In December, the City Council approved proposed changes in shoreline regulations to allow building up to 180 feet. The proposal would allow a tall and skinny approach dubbed a "tower/podium" building form that includes measures designed to preserve "view corridors" between buildings. City officials say it's an attempt at balancing public access to the shoreline with private views, and proponents of the approach say it's necessary for development of land north of the Murray Morgan Bridge. Opponents say that taller buildings on the shoreline will block views of Commencement Bay and Mount Rainier, even with the attempts at providing view corridors between towers. In 2004, the City Council approved a change from 100 to 180 feet at the behest of developers. But the change also needed approval from the state Department of Ecology, and the city withdrew its application after hearing concerns that they didn't spend enough time considering what the project would do to views. From the Department of Ecology:
Categories: Tacoma, State government
Posted by Joe Turner @ 11:11:25 am
The Realtors made their other endorsements for statewide offices last week.
Posted by Peter Callaghan @ 10:41:29 am
Pennsylvania beer drinkers apparently can't decide between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama - sort of the political version of the historic tastes-great/less-filling debate. As part of a phone survey taken before the latest Democratic primary, McClatchy Newspapers, MSNBC and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette asked 625 likely voters what they were going to do Tuesday and why. Overall, Clinton leads 48-43 – within the poll's 4 percent margin of error. But beneath the overall numbers are these little pearls – Clinton leads among women, whites, Catholics and Jews as well as hunters, bowlers and gun owners. Obama leads among blacks, voters under 35, Protestants and those looking for change or honesty. They split the beer-drinker vote 44-44. Here's a longer story about the poll.
Categories: President
Friday, April 18th, 2008
Posted by David Wickert @ 04:49:26 pm
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