Once again, it's Happy Hour where you - the loyal readers, bloggers and lurkers pipe up.

Today's topic - increased sales tax, bus transit, Ron Sims and Transit Now

Erza already started the bus discussion last week and Ron Sims brings it to the front page of today's Seattle Times:

King County Executive Ron Sims is proposing a sales-tax increase for the November ballot in hopes of buying so many buses that riders won't even need a schedule.

The plan, nicknamed "Transit Now," promises Metro Transit runs between downtown Seattle and West Seattle, Ballard and Aurora Avenue North every 10 minutes, with equally frequent trips from Bellevue to Redmond and along Pacific Highway South.

Sims' office calls it the largest expansion of service in two decades.

So, what do you think? Should the funding come from a sales tax increase? What about a gas tax increase? Should we spend more money on buses or should we look more to light rail? Should we increase the funding even more than Sims wants?

What do you think? The bar is open.

Once again, it's Happy Hour where you - the loyal readers, bloggers and lurkers pipe up. In between the wonderful viaduct debate, I thought I'd briefly turn our attention towards the national spotlight.

Today's topic - Al Gore in '08

No, I'm not the dbag you think I am. The American Prospect sets up the dominos in an article I think everyone should read (especially you wonky technology meets political kids!):

Here’s the scenario: Hillary Clinton continues rolling forward, amassing establishment support and locking down the large donors. Anti-Hillary voters prove unable to coalesce around a single champion, so Clinton is able to suck up all the oxygen but, as with most faits accomplis, attracts little genuine enthusiasm. At the same time, her hawkishness and ostentatious moderation sparks widespread disillusionment among the online activist community. Inevitably, the liberal wing of the party begins calling for a Bigfoot of its own to enter the primary, and the obvious prospect is Gore... The press corps, sensing a Godzilla vs. King Kong battle, begins covering the events. As Marty Peretz, publisher of The New Republic and a longtime friend of Gore, says, “if he were to find that there was some groundswell for him, I think it would be hard to resist.”

But why Gore? I'm as surprised as anyone that I might be landing in the Draft Gore camp. The 2000 Election was the first presidential election of my lifetime, and I voted proudly for Nader. But this ain't the Gore I remember.

Activist films about global warming. Searing indictments against the state of modern journalism. Intelligent foreign policy speeches in which he properly pronounces all nouns and verbs.

Is anyone else taking a second look at Gore?

The bar is open.

I'm interested to hear what you fine folks think about the Conservative Party taking control of Canada's government... is that a reflection of US policies and trends? Are those wacky Canucks just following our lead? Are conservative ideals actually representative of the majority of us West'rn civ'lized cuntries? Is this going to make any difference in the world? At all?

Just curious...

I don't know if I'm allowed to post a happy hour discussion, but damn I do love those. Can I say it? Can I?

The bar is open...

(OMG, that's TOTALLY as much fun as I thought it would be! Whee!!)

Once again, it's Happy Hour where you - the loyal readers, bloggers and lurkers pipe up.

Today's topic - King County & All Mail-In Balloting

The Seattle PI reports:

Possibly as early as next fall, King County would go to an all-mail voting system -- the nation's largest -- under a plan announced by County Executive Ron Sims Tuesday.

"The public has spoken: They like the convenience of all-mail balloting," said Sims, noting that more than 70 percent of the county's voters now cast absentee ballots.

The executive said he has directed elections director Dean Logan to prepare by Jan. 31 a comprehensive plan and timetable for an all-mail ballot system for King County's 1.2 million registered voters. He said it would be in place for the primary election in either 2006 or 2007.

So, what's your opinion? Yes? No? I don't care.

The bar is open...

Related Links:
Seattle PI: Sims seeks all-mail vote

Once again, it's time for Happy Hour where you - the loyal readers, bloggers and lurkers of BetterDonkey pipe up on the issues. Today's Happy Hour .... Straight Edge Seattle.

Seattle PI - At midnight tonight, state smoking ban takes effect - Walk into the Ballard Smoke Shop on any afternoon and you'll see them seated around the rec-tangular bar with Barbara Beck in the center serving stiff drinks -- old fishermen and others for whom the state's new smoking ban will be the end of an era...

When Initiative 901 takes effect Thursday, cigarettes will have to be snuffed out in all bars, public places and card rooms. There are no exceptions in the nation's strictest statewide ban, aside from Indian casinos, because they aren't subject to state law.

But that's not it. Straight on the heels of the smoking ban taking effect, the city of Seattle is discussing widening the Alcohol Impact Area in Seattle to Belltown, Capitol Hill, Judkins Park and the University and International districts.

Seattle PI - City could soon widen alcohol impact areas - The committee approved a plan to ask the state Liquor Control Board to enact an expanded Alcohol Impact Area in Seattle in which the sale of more than two dozen different types of alcohol products would be prohibited. The areas of coverage would include the University District, Capitol Hill, Belltown, Judkins Park and the International District....

In 2003, the Liquor Control Board approved Seattle's request for an alcohol impact area in Pioneer Square, restricting sales of some alcoholic products there. Banned were sales of beer in single cans or bottles, some cheap beers and wines with high alcohol content, and the sale of any liquor between 6 and 9 a.m.

Seattle's got the Straight Edge

So, what's you opinion? Was I-901 the beginning of the much feared nanny state? Should the Alcohol Impact area be widened? Did you vote for I-901, but are against the proposed AIA extension?

The Bar Is Open!

Yo. The Port of Seattle? Really big deal. $3.5 kajilliabillion* flow in and out of the Port every day. If Seattle is the economic engine of Washington State, the Port is, like, the fuel pump. Or is it the camshaft? Anyway, it's an enormous money machine, AND you get taxed to pay for it. The least we can do is vote on the people who run it.

Port Commission: How BetterDonkey is voting

Position 1: Lawrence Malloy-- Ahoy Malloy! Labor loves him, environmentalists love him, and he wants the Port to be accountable and transparent so that we can all once and for all figure out what the heck they do over there. His opponent tries to fool you into thinking he's "progressive," but he's not.

Position 4: Jack Jolley-- Jack's opponent has been on the Commission for 20 YEARS. Enough already! Jack, on the other hand, is about reform, change, new ways of thinking, and environmental responsibility.

Belly up! Hosted bar-- no holds barred.

*estimate

Here's part two! (Visit Amy's Part One for our position on the Seattle City Council) This has certainly been an exciting off year election and we here at BD won't be making a stance on I-336 or I-901. When it comes to I-901, why don't you take a look at our record breaking thread and make your own call!

(We're throwin' the King County Executive race in this thread, too!)

State Initiatives: How BetterDonkey is voting

I-912: VOTE NO! - Duh. This one should be a no brainer for anyone who wants Washington to be a safe and economically viable state. Liberals are against it, Progressives are against it, mainstream Republicans are against it and the business community is against it. We made a neat-o video and made our stance known early. I-912 is one of the worst things that could happen to our state. If you're going to vote for only one thing this election, Vote No on I-912!.

As some of you may have seen, a couple of us have been engaged in a rather heated exchange about the relative strategic value of Eastern Washington. Well, now it's your turn.

Should we give a shit about Idaho-lite? Are we just a bunch of effete intellectual snobs who couldn't deal with life without a latte if we had a gun to our head?

I'll start with something provocative, and maybe y'all will bite:

It seems to me that with 55% of the voters, the Speaker of the House, the trade and economic engine of the state, the three largest revenue and prestige producers (MS, Boeing, Starbucks) and the three major sports teams, that the burden is on Eastern Washington (and Eastern WA Dems) to prove their worth. Not the other way around.

Your thoughts? The Bar is open.

Once again, it's Happy Hour where you the loyal readers, bloggers and lurkers pipe up.

This edition... The Seattle Monorail Project Proposition 1.

This could be it. The monorail is on its last legs.

The Seattle Times revealed today that a report prepared for the city coucil raises more financial concerns for the SMP. The Stranger bucked all trends and held steady with its long time support of the monorail last week, urging readers to vote yes one more time.

How are you going to vote?

Let's get into it!

Once again, it's Happy Hour where you the loyal readers, bloggers and lurkers pipe up. This edition... I-901, the proposed ban on indoor smoking in Washington State.

The other I-901 post seems to have gotten a bit hard to read and it seems everyone wants to talk about.

Let's get into it!

Please, if you're replying to someone else's comment, reply to the actual comment instead of the whole thread. That'll keep the conversation style easy to read and chronologically ordered!

Cheney Keeps Power from being restored to two Louisiana Hospitals in order to keep Pipeline running

It's time again for - The Lame List.

MSNBC reported this evening that shortly after Hurricane Katrina struck South Mississippi knocking out electricity and communication systems, calls came from the Vice President's office ordering power restored to a pipeline that sends fuel to the Northeast.

The Hattiesburg American and a post on Motherjones.com reveal that Jim Compton, general manager of the South Mississippi Electric Power Association, said he "reluctantly agreed to pull half our transmission line crews off other projects" which included restoring water to rural water systems and two rural hospitals - Stone County Hospital in Wiggins and George County Hospital in Lucedale.

"We were led to believe a national emergency was created when the pipelines were shut down," Compton said.

The story gets thicker from there, as The Hattiesburg American reports:

(click read more to continue)

Once again, it's Happy Hour where you the loyal readers, bloggers and lurkers pipe up. This edition... The Monorail.

In a stunning move today, Mayor Nickels announced a September 15th deadline for the Seattle Monorail Project to make a decision about financing the line- or the city would do it for them.

So, what's your feelings about the SMP now? Take the poll below, then discuss in this thread!

Personally, after learning what the monorail would look like, how much it would cost, and the limited number of people it would get off the road, this former hardcore monorail supporter is now jumping off the line.

I've found a new love in the south end- Sound Transit Light Rail. It's cheaper, it's already being built (and showing progress) and it can be (and will be) elevated for a lot cheaper than the Monorail could ever be built.

Backers of the Statewide Road Safety and Repair Program who fear the idiotic I-912 have the monorail marked with a bulls eye.

Keep the dream alive? Jump ship? What's your call?

Once again, it's Happy Hour where you- the loyal readers, bloggers and lurkers of BetterDonkey.org- lead the discussion.

This edition: The Seattle Weekly's Best of Seattle 2005.

What do you think? Of course, we here at BD are more interested in the political, especially the "Critics' Picks" (Dave Reichert as Best Political Rookie? Questionable. Ed Murray as Best Politician... sounds good me).

What's your opinion on the Weekly's Best of 2005?

It's Happy Hour yet again, where you- the loyal readers, bloggers and lurkers of BetterDonkey.org pipe in.

Today's conversation starter- The Washington State Primary System. In case you hadn't heard over the weekend- we're back to square one.

Seattle PI - It's back to pick-a-party primary
Saturday, July 16, 2005

Two years after a federal appeals court declared Washington's popular "blanket" primary unconstitutional, a federal judge yesterday ruled the state's new voter-approved Top Two primary unconstitutional as well, for largely the same reason.

It was a solid victory for the state Republican, Democratic and Libertarian parties, which sued to overturn the Top Two. U.S. District Judge Thomas Zilly said his invalidation of the law means the state reverts to the Montana-style primary, sometimes called the "pick-a-party primary," that Washingtonians first used last year.

That system restricts each voter to a single party's primary ballot, but doesn't require the voter to declare a party affiliation.

So, now where do we go? Did you like the Top Two system? What would you do?

It's Happy Hour. Time for the loyal readers, lurkers and bloggers of BetterDonkey.org to pipe up.

The Supreme Court? Hot Karl Rove undercutting national security?

You decide what you want to talk about... but may I suggest the Monorail again?

From today's Seattle Times:

Seattle could build a monorail without using junk bonds, without paying unusually high interest rates and without taking 40 to 50 years to pay off the debt.

That's the good news. The bad news: According to a Seattle Times analysis of the project's finances, the only way to do that is by paying a lot more in monorail taxes and by scrapping several of the promises monorail backers made to win voter support...

...Seattle voters, who've already given thumbs-up to the monorail concept four times, would have to approve such major changes in the financing. That means that, once more, the city must ask itself just how badly it wants a monorail.

Vote again? Scrap it? Personal Robot Transporters? Jet Packs?

What do you want? (Or, we can talk shit about Karl Rove... either way is cool with me)

It's Happy Hour time again, where you- the readers, bloggers and lurkers of BetterDonkey.org take control of the conversation.

Today conversation starter: Our Fair Monorail.

From today's Seattle Times:

Majority of City Council now troubled by monorail

A majority of the nine City Council members now say they're troubled by the project's finances, and at least three appear to be leaning against it. The shift is even more apparent among challengers seeking council seats, with candidates jockeying for position yesterday on an emerging anti-monorail bandwagon.

"The blood is in the water," City Councilman Jim Compton said. "Our job now is not to panic, but to make sure we have a careful process to make sure [the monorail] gets built if there is any way possible."

How are you feeling about the project? Give us an earfull.

(Don't forget- You can make your voice heard here and at Seattle Monorail Project Public Hearings on July 5th.)

It's Happy Hour.... where you, or loyal readers and bloggers, lead the discussion!

Our long state-wide nightmare is over. Dino Rossi threw in the towel this week. Apparently his reaction to losing the trial was widely reported as such:


So... it's finally over. What's your favorite memory? Most outlandish bullshit statement? Who are the winners? Who are the losers? Will Dino Rossi come back to haunt us in 2006 against Cantwell? In 2008 against Greogire? In 2005 in his own reality TV show?

Your turn...

Our blog has been exploding with activity all week long. I want to thank everyone who's been involved... bloggers, those who comment and all of you who just linger around and aren't ready to pipe up yet.

This is a continuation of the Happy Hour series (see last week's). This week: It's an open thread. You lead the discussion!

The GOP's weak case trying to over turn the governor's election? BetterDonkey.org at the Sound Transit meeting? The week that was "Nuclear Option 2005"? Or, would you like hhz and I to once again throw down in a repeat of yesterdays record breaking thread? (note... just kidding!)

It's open to you... simple introductions for you newbies, Sasquatch, or the sad truth that Grant had already thought about this but didn't have the guts to try it last week (luckily). Hey... it's Friday Afternoon!

What do you want to talk about?

I'm gonna try something new. It's called Happy Hour. Your turn to discuss... and please discuss.

Sometimes it'll be an open thread (ala Daily Kos) and sometimes I'll lead the discussion.

This Edition: The Democratic Primary Schedule

CHICAGO — Democrats, looking to reverse their fortunes after two consecutive White House defeats, met yesterday to hear competing proposals to revamp the election calendar used to choose a presidential nominee every four years.

The three major proposals would focus on regional primaries. Two of those proposals would allow Iowa and New Hampshire to retain their leadoff roles in the candidate selection process.

A third plan, offered by Michigan Democrats, would create a rotating series of six regional primaries. A different region would launch each presidential nominating season.

Full Article here.