Policy & Regulations
Breakdown: Seattle City Council Gets Some Bad Budget News
The new numbers from the City Budget Office suggest there is cause for concern.
This story originally ran on SCC Insight. Earlier this week, the City Council got an update from the City Budget Office on projected revenues and expenses. They werent sounding an alarm yet but the numbers suggest there is cause for concern about 2019 and beyond. The city budget office does a lot of work to…
Anti-Politician Kshama Sawant’s Use of Her ‘Solidarity Fund’ Looks Like the Work of a Self-interested Career Politician
Sawant, whos always claimed she lives on a workers salary" and contributes the rest to a "solidarity fund," is actually donating that money to her own political groups, making her much like any other politician.
This story was originally published at SCC Insight. This week was the deadline for Council members to file their annual financial disclosure forms. Council member Sawants filing this year adds additional information than it did in the past, and in so doing challenges us to follow the money. You wont like where it goes. Here…
What Seattle Businesses Are Saying About the Proposed ‘Head Tax’ and Why the Tax Will Go Forward
Key takeaways and news and notes from the surprisingly frank discussion at the Seattle City Council's extended roundtable session on the employee-hours tax that would pay for homelessness services
This story originally ran on SCC Insight. All photos below by the author. On the afternoon of April 18, the City Council held a three-hour roundtable session with representatives from a variety of Seattle businesses and nonprofits, to hear their thoughts on the recommendations for a new employee-hours tax to pay for homelessness services. It…
Who Killed Bertha? Why the Seattle Tunnel Disaster Isn’t What It Seems, and Why WSDOT Is Making a Dangerous Bet
Two workers, who request anonymity, suggest the tunnel-boring machine was pushed beyond its limit by a foolhardy contractor.
Berthas in heavy rotation (above): A giant red crane slowly rotates the SR 99 tunneling machines front end from a horizontal to a vertical position as it is lowered into the access pit on Aug. 24, 2015, two years after the incident occurred. This story follows our feature story, “Spin Zone,” which appeared in the…
Debate Over ‘Head Tax’ Enters Key Stretch at Seattle City Council
Here's what's happening over the next couple weeks with the proposed new employee-hours tax on Seattle businesses
This article originally ran on SCC Insight. Its going to be a busy couple of weeks for the Council members involved in proposing a new employee-hours tax on Seattle businesses. A logistical note to keep in mind: Council members Gonzalez and Herbold are writing the legislation, but it will be debated and amended in Council…
Analysis: How Much Will the Center City Connector Streetcar Really Cost?
The issue isnt that project costs have overrun the budget; the issue is that no one knows what the project costs are, nor apparently how much funding is available.
This story originally ran on SCC Insight. If you think the Center City Connector streetcar project got put on hold because its over budget, then you misunderstood what just happened. Its on hold because the city doesnt know how much it will cost, either to build it or to run it. It also doesnt seem…
Mayor Durkan Puts Hold on Center City Streetcar Project
A review has founded a $23 million capital shortfall, bringing the total cost for the project over $200 million.
This story was originally published Friday, March 30, on SCC Insight. Mayor Jenny Durkan announced that she has halted all but one of the ongoing projects associated with the Center City Connector streetcar, pending an independent review. Two weeks ago, the Seattle Times published an article claiming that SDOTs estimate of annual operating costs are…
Seeking Direction: Uber and Lyft Are All the Rage to Some and an Outrage to Others. Can Seattle Broker a Deal?
Ride-hail businesses have disrupted the transportation sector so thoroughly that cities like Seattle are forced to play catch-up with inadequate information as they try to regulate the new players while keeping legacy taxi companies viable.
This article appears in print in the April 2018 issue. Click here for a free subscription. Don Creery is one of more than 14,000 people who drive for Uber in the Seattle area. He drives 40 to 55 hours a week. Its his only job. I was looking for something else to do a few…
Why Seattle’s Attempt to Grant Collective-Bargaining Rights to Uber and Lyft Drivers Is Likely Headed to the Supreme Court
The ordinance that was passed by the Seattle City Council in 2015 is currently in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
This article appears in print in the April 2018 issue. Click here for a free subscription. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is contemplating the fate of Seattles ordinance granting TNC drivers collective bargaining rights. That ordinance, passed in 2015, allows drivers to elect to be represented by a qualified driver representative. If a representative…
The China Challenge: Washington Would Be a Major Casualty in a Trump Trade War
Washington state waits with bated breath as trade relations between the United States and China ride an unpredictable roller coaster.
This article appears in print in the January 2018 issue. Click here for a free subscription. Washington state has long benefited from its close business ties to China. Companies like Starbucks and Boeing depend on the Asian giant for major portions of their revenue growth. China is Washingtons No. 1 export market, accounting for $16…
Washington Leads State-Level Fight To Protect Net Neutrality
A day before the FCC voted to undo net neutrality rules, Gov. Jay Inslee and state leaders announced a plan to "preserve an open internet and protect Washington consumers." Now, Bob Ferguson is announcing plans to file suit challenging the decision.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Attorney General Bob Ferguson and other state legislators and business leaders announced that Washington would seek to preserve an open internet on the state level if the Federal Communications Commission votes to undo the nations net neutrality rules. This would make Washington state the first in the nation to pursue a…
Washington State Has Some Of The Worst Drivers in America
In a new study, Washington has the 5th-worst drivers in the U.S. California ranked as the worst state for drivers.
Washington state is home to the 5th worst drivers in the nation, according to a new study by Seattle-based QuoteWizard. California ranks as the worst driving state for 2017, and Rhode Island ranks as the best. The only other states ranking worse than Washington are Minnesota, Utah and South Carolina. The study said: Washington: Is…
Seattle City Council Sets New Airbnb Rules
The council passed three changes in its short-term rental regulatory structure that applies to Airbnb.
This story originally ran on SCC Insight. The Seattle City Council voted to approve the third piece of the short-term rental (i.e. AirBnB) regulatory structure, completing the councils work on regulating the nascent but quickly growing market. In the last few weeks, the Council passed the first two pieces: a tax on short-term rentals, and…