Just got a phone call from a woman, a consultant-type, who is working for the LeMay Automobile Museum. She saw the story I wrote about LeMay's presentation to the Tacoma City Council last week, and wanted to know my opinion about the museum. When it became clear that I was going to pass her along to business reporter C.R. Roberts and columnist Dan Voelpel, she asked what opinions I had heard from the man-on-the-street. Again I demurred.

Professionally, it would be what the Buddhists call "un-skillful" to have such opinions.

The LeMay saga started long before I was a reporter here and has been covered in much more depth by business and city hall reporters before I started filling in on the beat a few short weeks ago.

And while I don't have opinions, I certainly have questions (as did the members of the City Council at the meeting):

* How many city-owned parking spaces will be lost during construction, when/how will they be replaced and what will be the impact on traffic/parking in the meantime?

* How much money does the museum need to make from leasing retail space (on land donated by the city) in order to break even or make a profit?

* What are the attendance projections of half a million visitors per year – nearly triple that of the Museum of Glass – based on?

And so on...

But in light of my phone call, I wanted to throw it open to you, dear readers – what questions or opinions do you have for the phone lady?

For those who couldn't attend yesterday's Tacoma City Council study session, here's a copy of the U.S. Amateur slideshow (in .pdf format).

Jim King Jr. gives his take on how state parks fared in the final budget, after Gov. Chris Gregoire vetoed a couple things.

As he notes, that initial list of parks that The Guv wanted to transfer to others remains in play.

Folks:

The work of the 2009 legislative session came to an end yesterday with Governor Gregoire's action on the operating budget and the few remaining bills on her desk.

There were two partial vetoes in the State Parks portion of the operating budget- one regarding moving forward on transfers of state parks, the other regarding a bill that would have provided as much as another $1.5 million for State Parks from leases for telecommunication towers on parklands.

The latter- SHB 2109- never made it out of the House Rules committee, where it had languished from March 2nd until the session adjourned on April 26th. Why it was included in the budget when it wasn't moving- and there was no apparent intent to move it- remains a mystery. The failure to pass the bill lowers the State Parks budget by that $1.5 million.

The final budget for State Parks for 2009-11 is thus $151,981,000, up from $149,908,000 (estimated) for 2007-09, and from a maintenance level (what it would take to run programs at current levels) of $151,201,000. That is a reduction in general fund support of 52.6%- from $98,104,000 down to $46,485,000. The difference is made up from diversions from outdoor recreation capital programs ($19.4 million), car-tab fees ($23 million), and other increased revenues (from camping and the like).

If all revenues emerge, this budget will keep all state parks open. There is little room for shortfalls to be accomodated. A poor camping season- due to a wet summer, for instance- could cause a shortfall. A shortage in anticipated car tab revenue could be disastrous.

=> Read more!

Here's the long and short of it for Referendum 71, the challenge being mounted to the expansion of rights in domestic partnerships:

BALLOT TITLE

Statement of Subject: The legislature passed Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5688 concerning rights and responsibilities of state-registered domestic partners [and voters have filed a sufficient referendum petition on this bill].

Concise Description: This bill would expand the rights, responsibilities, and obligations accorded state-registered same-sex and senior domestic partners to be equivalent to those of married spouses, except that a domestic partnership is not a marriage.

Should this bill be:
Approved ___
Rejected ___

David Ammons at the Secretary of State's office sent us an update on the timeline for challenges, etc.

=> Read more!

Scott Noble will be sentenced on June 19. Conviction of a felony means he has to resign, too.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2009

King County Assessor enters guilty plea

SEATTLE—Today in King County Superior Court, King County Assessor Russell Scott Noble pled guilty to one count of felony vehicular assault under the driving under the influence (DUI) prong. Sentencing has been set for 1 p.m. on June 19 in Superior Court Judge Michael J. Fox’s courtroom, E-815.

The Attorney General’s Office, represented by Assistant Attorney General Melanie Tratnik, on March 6 charged Noble with two counts of vehicular assault, one for each victim in a wrong-way drunken driving accident on Jan. 18. Today the state amended its filings to reflect Noble’s plea.

“Throughout this negotiation, the attorney general’s office insisted on two things: First that Mr. Noble would be charged with a felony and second that he would serve jail time,” said Attorney General Rob McKenna. “He caused a terrible accident that easily could have killed himself and the two victims in the other car. His guilty plea to felony vehicular assault guarantees he will spend several months in jail which is appropriate given the seriousness of this offense.”

The standard sentencing range is three to nine months in jail and the Attorney General’s Office is recommending the maximum.

Per state law governing elected officials convicted of felony crimes, Noble will forfeit his office and will not be eligible for public office in the future.

No picture, but here's audio of Tacoma Mayor Bill Baarsma waxing alliteratively about the farmer's market at last night's City Council meeting.

Hotel rooms in much of Pierce County would cost 50 cents to $1.50 more per night under a proposal to raise money to promote tourism and conventions.

The Pierce County Council next month will hold a public hearing on a request by local hotel owners to impose the new charges. If approved, hotel charges would raise an estimated $1.1 million to $2.7 million annually for tourism promotion.

Local hotel owners have presented the county with a petition requesting the creation of a “tourism promotion area” where the higher fees would be imposed. The area includes unincorporated Pierce County and the cities of Tacoma, DuPont, Fife, Gig Harbor, Lakewood, Sumner and Puyallup. Other cities would not be included.

Under the proposal submitted by hotel owners, the new room charges would vary, ranging from $1.50 a night in Tacoma to 50 cents a night in the county. The charge would apply only to lodging facilities with 40 or more rooms.

The proceeds would help pay for general tourism promotion, marketing of convention and trade shows, marketing Pierce County to the travel industry and recruiting sports events to the area.

“Tourism protection areas” are authorized under state law. Spokane County, Clark County, the Tri-Cities and the City of Yakima already have created such areas. Local hotel owners told the Pierce County Council Tuesday that puts this area at a disadvantage when it comes to attracting tourist dollars.

“We are quickly losing ground to the competition,” Mike Gommi, general manager of the Courtyard by Marriott in Tacoma, told the council.

The hotel group already has the support of representatives of lodging businesses that would pay more than 60 percent of the new charges – the minimum threshold required to establish a tourism protection area under state law.

The County Council will have the final say about whether to establish the area and new charges. The county also would have to negotiate agreements with the cities included in the tourism protection area.

Want more information? Below is a memo on the subject prepared by Hugh Taylor, a senior legislative analyst for the County Council.

MEMORANDUM

TO: Councilmembers

FROM: Hugh Taylor, Senior Legislative Analyst

DATE: May 14, 2009

SUBJECT: Tourism Promotion Areas

This memorandum provides general information regarding Tourism Promotion Areas (TPA) and the steps involved in establishing such areas. This information is intended to assist Councilmembers in their review and deliberations related to Resolution R2009-32, which provides a notice of intent to form a Tourism Promotion Area covering several of Pierce County’s cities and towns and the unincorporated area.

=> Read more!

As lotteries all over the nation struggle to increase sales to help fill budget shortfalls, they are looking out for new and exciting games.

Perhaps they are missing a bet by just giving away money. The national Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has launched another raffle to raise money for campaigns. The prize? A dinner with D.C. bigwigs and a photo session with the President of the United States himself.

All this for the low, introductory price of just $5. And just as with the lottery, your odds increase the more often you play. It's not a night in the Lincoln Bedroom but what do you want for five bucks.

How does meeting President Obama sound? Save the date. Because on June 18, you and a friend could be attending a dinner and having your picture taken with the president!

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is hosting a dinner to celebrate President Obama's plans to bring needed change to our country, and excitement about the evening is growing. We'd like you to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Entering for your chance to win is easy. When you make a donation to the DSCC - the only branch of the Democratic Party solely dedicated to expanding the Democratic majority in the Senate - you will be automatically entered into a contest to win a trip to Washington, D.C., to attend our special dinner. We'll pay for airfare and a hotel. All you'll have to do is decide which friend you would like to bring along and start packing!

On May 8 the national ethics committee of the Society of Professional Journalists took issue with a new technique to judge media ethics – an online poll.

The poll was conducted by the Washington News Council, a self-appointed media watchdog group that receives complaints about TV, newspaper and radio news reports and sometimes hold hearings to decide whether the media acted properly.

The News Council used an online poll to determine whether KIRO TV acted ethically in reporting on Washington voting irregularities.

The Washington Secretary of State had complained to the News Council, a self-appointed watchdog group, about KIRO's pieces on voter registration irregularities. KIRO declined to take part.

"A hearing can be worthwhile if all parties voluntarily participate and work toward a common understanding," the SPJ said in a news release. "The committee strongly objects to having a public online vote, or virtual hearing, on journalism ethics.

“The news council is wrong to emulate the ‘American Idol’ model of voting for a ‘winner,’” said Andy Schotz, chairman of SPJ’s Ethics Committee. “Gimmickry is a major step backward if the council wants to appear professional and credible.

Here is the News Council's detailed response to the SPJ statement.

Pierce County Council Chairman Roger Bush, R-Graham, isn’t the most dynamic public speaker. At one point during yesterday’s council meeting the soft-spoken Bush had to be prompted to speak up so his fellow council members could hear him.

But put the right words in someone’s mouth and perhaps anyone can become an orator for the ages. So it was yesterday when Bush read a resolution encouraging residents to visit neighborhood farmers markets. The resolution’s purple prose seemed to inspire Bush, who read it straight but forcefully. An excerpt:

“Whereas, as we start the farmers market season we are reminded of the sumptuous strawberries, bodacious berries, charming cherries, fragrant flowers, appealing apples, ravishing rhubarb, luscious lettuce, radiant radishes and bountiful baked goods that we haven’t seen since the markets closed last fall; and

“Whereas, school cannot end, summer cannot start, temperatures cannot rise, smiles cannot return to the faces of our fair County until the farmers markets reopen…”

You get the idea. The colorful language prompted a few chuckles from the audience. And Bush may have discovered a hidden talent. Can’t wait for Geoduck Appreciation Week.

This is a full service blog -- vital statistics, weddings, engagements.

Of note here: Rep. Jaime Herrera met her now fiance Daniel Beutler (pronounced "Butler") while both were working for Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers in Washington, D.C.

May 19, 2009 – State Representative Jaime Herrera and Daniel Beutler proudly announce their engagement. Jaime is the daughter of Armando and Candice Herrera of Ridgefield, Washington, and Daniel is the son of Paul and Patti Beutler of Salem, Oregon.

Daniel proposed Sunday, May 17, near the summit of Hamilton Mountain on the Columbia River Gorge after having dated Jaime for three years.

Jaime, 30, said that a date and location was close to finalization, and the wedding would occur this fall. “We are very happy and blessed, and we look forward to a long and joyful life together,” she said.

Jaime is a graduate of the University of Washington, with a degree in Communications, and Prairie High School. She is serving her second term representing the 18th Legislative District in the Washington State House of Representatives. Jaime is Deputy Floor Leader for the House Republican Caucus.

Daniel is a native of the Pratum, Oregon area. He is a graduate of Seattle Pacific University, with a degree in Political Science, and Silverton Union High School. He currently works at SeaPort Airlines as Lead Dispatcher. Daniel plans to attend Lewis & Clark School of Law in Portland beginning in the fall of 2010.

The couple met when both worked in U.S. Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ office in Washington, D.C.

How about nixing the 'pony wall'?

That's what Tacoma City Councilman Mike Lonergan told City Manager Eric Anderson during a Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday.

He was referring to a short wall with several gates that is part of a $30,000 upgrade to the Council Chambers.

"The fence and the gate are really bothersome to me," he said, adding that it made the wrong kind of statement by separating the elected officials and staff from the public.

"Every courtroom has it," Mayor Bill Baarsma said.

"They wear robes," Lonergan retorted.

Other Council members seemed to agree it wasn't necessary and Anderson noted it would be cheaper not to build it.

Lonergan was supportive, however, of moving the speaker's podium from the side of the chambers to the center.

Both of these come from Tuesday's Tacoma City Council Committee of the Whole meeting:

"I think he caught her after he caught me."

"Is that your finger?"