quoted from the Seattle Times article referenced above concerning the bear attack…
“The bear had a regular circuit on Lakeshore Drive, where it foraged in unsecured garbage cans for food, officials said. Chelminiak walked right into its path.”
This is a case of people creating dangerous circumstances and then blaming the bear…
There is a real need for education :(
JoB:
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you start off by worrying about binge drinkers being given new opportunities to hurt themselves? Now you’re talking about people getting hammered downtown and driving over to Magnolia so they can run amok.
;-)
Ok, I kid . . . But I still detect a whiff of Big Nanny* in some of these arguments against I-1100.
“Raise taxes to pay for increased public alcohol-related costs”? Hell yes, I’d vote for that. — As long as the taxes are put right where they belong: on alcohol.
And since you’ve raised the issue, how much of the hundreds of millions of dollars the state currently reaps in liquor proceeds goes towards alcohol abatement programs, do you suppose? Somewhat less than 100%, I’ll wager.
–David
*Big Nanny is like Big Brother, only with a skirt.
Yeah, you’re right redblack. Let’s pull back the curtain on those subsidies.
Another thing to consider, while I’m still in devil’s advocate mode, is that Big Pharma also takes big risks when they develop a new product. Not only in terms of R & D costs, but in terms of liability.
Whenever somebody sues them, the sky’s the limit. So, while we’re cutting their subsidies and profits down to size — which I’m for — we should also shield them somewhat from liability, shouldn’t we?
Prepare for the sight of many ex-lawyers standing around outside Home Depot.
WOW … the ordinance just passed on an 8 to 1 vote with NO public comments and NO Council discussion. I’m shocked at the way this was handled, with absolutely no public process.
To summarize: Metro’s Regional Reduced Fare Permit cash fare for seniors and persons with disabilities will remain at 75 cents; effective Jan 1, 2011, Metro’s RRFP monthly pass price will be $27. The pass will be good for the base reduced fare on the other Puget Sound transit agencies that participate in the PugetPass program. There will be no annual pass.
It may be worth calling Metro Customer Service in late Nov. to see whether Metro will honor a $99 RRFP annual pass bought in December 2010 through November 2011 without paying for an upgrade.
In addition, all the Metro-only passes mentioned in my first post will go away on Dec. 31, 2010.
One of the benefits from the pumpkin scrub is softer skin from the exfoliating properties of the glycolic acid in pumpkin. There are also antioxidents in the pumpkin scrub that nourish and cleanse the skin.
This pedicure includes a foot soak, pumpkin scrub, massage, toenail and cuticle care, and polish of your choice.
Just got a news release about this. Cannot read it in full right now, gotta rush off to check something out but for those of you following this here – this is the news release in its entirety (from KC Council):
>>County Council eliminates 2011 transit fare
increase for seniors
Adopted legislation also approves creation of a senior regional transit pass
The Metropolitan King County Council today adopted legislation canceling the 25-cent fare increase for senior bus riders slated to occur in 2011. The legislation also begins the transition of replacing the Metro senior pass with an ORCA card, providing seniors with the ease of using one card for their public transportation needs throughout the region.
“Freezing senior fares and creating a regional senior pass should make riding the bus easier for seniors,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips, chair of the Council’s Environment and Transportation Committee. “This action keeps senior fares affordable and ends the confusion for seniors who use both local and regional transit services. They will now be able to use one pass whether riding on Metro, Sound Transit, Community Transit, or Pierce Transit.”
Senior/disabled ridership represents approximately 9 million of Metro Transit’s 107 million annual trips. In 2009, the Council adopted legislation approving a 25-cent increase in senior fares starting in 2011 to help fill the revenue shortfall in the Metro Transit Budget.
Today’s legislation repeals the fare increase, leaving the cost of a bus ride for seniors and passengers with disabilities at 75 cents. The legislation does increase the cost of a monthly pass from $18 to $27, but that monthly pass can now be used on any transit system in the region as part of the overall regional fare coordination effort. Consistent with other ORCA passes, yearly passes for seniors are also eliminated.
The adopted ordinance advances the Council’s priorities of Mobility for Goods, People and Services, Financial Stewardship and Equity and Social Justice. See the Council’s Priorities Scorecard at:
http://www.kingcounty.gov/council/issues/council_priorities.aspx
<<
SBAB 10/6/10
– Walk/Bike/Ride program goal is to make these methods an easy way to get around; save money, healthier, less infrastructure needed for single occupancy vehicles. Draft of new projects to be funded by car tab increase and parking tax increases. Most new projects are pedestrian related, not bike related. The new car tab increase seems to fund NO new bike projects. Core services come first, street cleaning, road maintenance, etc. Parking tax would provide primary funding for pedestrian and bike projects. But bike projects are first in line to be cut. If new funding is not found, the Walk/Bike/Ride group will exist in name only. No new funding for these modes of travel will be available and all projects will stop.
– SR520 reconfiguration taking cycling into account better. SBAB has been attending meetings and giving input and WADOT seems to be taking in into consideration.
– There was a GIS Bikeability Assessment of Seattle recently (by an independent party at no cost to Seattle). The finding was that Seattle is a more challenging city to navigate by bicycle than other cities known for cycling, like Portland. The top reason in terrain (hills), context of neighborhoods (how friendly they are to cyclists)/connectivity between neighborhoods, and downtown (challenge of traffic & need of infrastructure). Neighborhoods are often located on tops of hills surrounded by slopes of 15% or greater. Ballard/Crown Hill is the exception which looks more like Portland.
*Note that poor facilities was noted as high in downtown and second highest heading to West Seattle from E. Marginal/Spokane Street to Spokane/Delridge intersection.
*Major barriers were also noted at deterrants (freeways, major boulevards to cross, bridges, etc). Outside of downtown the next area full of major barriers was West Seattle.
– South tunnel planning along E. Marginal has updated the bike infrastructure near the Atlantic overpass. The alignment has changed to a wider 16′ path (rather than 12′) traveling under the overpass which could eliminate a problematic intersection crossing. Then the Multiple Use Path (MUP) will transition to bike lanes similar to how they are configured now along E. Marginal.
– the north end has a new bike signal. this makes three in the north end.
SBAB meeting 8/4/10
– Big discussion about the new Dexter bike lane configuration; bus bulbs, fencing, sharrows, bike boulevard plans.
– The new north tunnel portal plans were discussed. 3 lanes each way on Mercer underway, Valley will become 2 lanes and bike lanes each way. Mercer West/Roy will become 2 lanes each way. Planning for bicycles is limited to wide sidewalks right now, which mixes them with peds, hardly ideal. Seems to be way SDOT is dealing with cyclists.
– Gates Foundation plans for 5th to be extended through the campus. No real issues for cyclists other than opportunity to upgrade cycling system through the area. Prefer cyclists not be routed to link up with Mercer Street since there would be a very problematic and dangerous left turn involved. 6th to Harrison then to 5th a better route.
Compassion for all humans and nature is what we should seeking. No one has said to kill the coyotes. In these changing times we should develop a co-existence strategy
Once we chose, as a community to populate this area a problem was created. There have been pets here for over 100 years, but the coyote presence has only become noticeable in the past couple of years. Ask any West Seattle old timer.
This is now coyote problem. We have taken over the territory, and have wiped out the natural predators for the coyotes. And for anyone to think that once the cats and small dogs are gone the problem would go away is very naive. Coyotes will work their way up the food source and will develop new methods of attaining what they want. They have already killed at least one human in Canada recently, and have attacked small children in the east. This issue will likely get some compassion / attention once a child is hurt or killed in out community. Note that coyotes tend to roam in pairs and can run as fast as 43 mph. Once they are set on something, getting out of their way is very difficult. These are very fit and potentially aggressive animals.
There are humane ways of controlling their territories, which cause them to live with limitations. No one is saying to kill them, maybe trapping and relocating is an alternative. But we as a community must express the will to make change happen. We should support programs that allow us to live in our community and co-exist with nature.
By the way, a full grown man was attacked by a bear on the east side last week in a residential area. Times are changing, maybe our strategy to co-exist with nature needs to as well.
What are the benefits of this type of procedure and what does it include.
I do use the RRFP. I’m semi-retired and can’t afford a car. I still work part-time, and rely on the pass to get to work, shop, go to medical appointments, etc. In January 2010 the monthly pass fee (formerly a sticker) was raised from $9 to $18 per month – a 100% increase. Now, the smallest proposed increase will raise that price to $24, nearly triple the cost in just over a year. Even if Metro’s subsidized fares for seniors are below the national – or even regional average, this is still a tremendous blow. Are regular fares rising as well? Why pick on those on fixed incomes and least able to defend themselves?
There will be no COLA increase for the second year in a row. Utility costs are rising at the same astronomical rate as Metro’s. Food costs will soar this winter due to poor crops. Now, senior & disabled people will find it even more difficult to get to an essential medical appointment. Oh, wait – they probably don’t have health insurance, either.
So sorry about your cat, that had to have been very difficult for you. Addressing your question about what to do, have you contacted animal control or any other city agencies with your questions? I would assume that they would have some input for you (hopefully) or you could give them your input. Coyotes are notoriously smart and adaptable to their environments. If wild animals become a problem some cities have instituted birth control methods, like for deer in an east coast area if I remember right. That way they aren’t outright shot but their numbers are in control…just brainstorming here…
Solomon’s version of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” is my favorite, altho they are all good. Solomon died Sunday, Oct. 10 on his way to performing a concert in Europe. If you’ve never heard this, you’re in for a treat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5e4FKK8KrA
(btw, I posted this in ‘Politics’ as the message in the song seems to apply to many of the discussions out here.)
jiggers..
you will have to correct me if i am wrong..
but I am pretty sure that social security disability payments are state specific.
COLA isn’t.
and your disability payment is based on your income average for the past (?) quarters you worked…. not your lifetime earnings.
so.. if you are disabled and don’t file immediately or try to work part time and fail.. your disability payments will be substantially lower than if you were working full time right up to the time of filing :(
even then.. you can count on anywhere from 6 months to several years for your claim to be processed….
and if you have to hire an atty to get benefits.. they get a hefty percentage of everything you hadn’t been paid yet.
not the best system :(
I use 7th Generation and add baking soda – I put the detergent in the covered detergent dispenser cup-thingy and the soda in the open one. We also pre-rinse our dishes. Seems to work well.
I am pretty sure Dow would rather be juggling chainsaws than making the cuts he has to in the county budget. He was pretty upset last year when the school system decided to push most of the former school bus riders onto the metro transferring the cost out of their own budget.
As long as it stays a better deal than the fed requirements, I can see how it is one of many increments in the “spread the pain” budget.
btw I am eligible for RRFP but since I have no commute, and it takes me nearly an hour to walk from the express stop, I use metro rarely and have not used the RRFP.
“The COLA calculations for a national program such as Social Security really should be regionalized so that local costs can be considered.”
Same with minimum wage.
Earlier this year, the King County Council approved raising Metro’s Regional Reduced Fare Permit cash and pass prices effective Jan. 1, 2011 (the RRFP is for seniors and persons with disabilities.) The RRFP cash fare was increased to $1 from 75 cents; the monthly Metro-only pass to $24 from $18 and the annual pass from $99 to $150 (essentially buy 6 months, get 6 months free). However, County Executive Constantine has transmitted an ordinance to Council to “eliminate non-regional passes and modify senior and persons with disabilities transit fares.” Ordinance 2010-4098.2, if approved as amended, would eliminate the Metro-only RRFP monthly and annual passes as well as the Weekend/Holiday All Day Pass, Sunday/Holiday Family Fare, and the Weekday All Day Pass. The reason given for this change is to “further fare simplification and [regional fare] integration”; with this change, “seniors and persons with disabilities will pay a single cash fare or a single pass price to cover all of the bus and light rail transit trips they take in King County regardless of which service they use.”
The ordinance would repeal the earlier changes and the RRFP cash fare would remain at 75 cents. However, with the elimination of the Metro-only RRFP monthly and annual passes, RRFP holders would need to buy the $27 PugetPass (face value of 75 cents.) There would be no annual RRFP pass. Therefore, the cost of buying passes for a year would rise from the current $99 to $324. You do the math.
The County Executive requested that this be considered outside the budget process so that the changes could be approved prior to October 1, the deadline for submitting fare information to the printer for the January 2011 passes (the only reason I was tipped off to this change was a comment after a WSB article and a similar comment on the P-I transpo blog.) The Council was scheduled to approve this on October 4th; a public hearing was held, but no one testified. The public hearing was held open for the Oct 11th meeting; there was no Council discussion and no Metro presentation. Other than the publication of the mandatory hearing notice in the local papers, there appears to have been little or no public process surrounding this change (or the earlier increase, for that matter) and virtually no televised Council discussion. Hopefully, there will be a presentation by Metro staff at the Oct. 11th Council meeting, although this may be a done deal.
For details, see
http://kingcounty.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=766514&GUID=8EF41A3C-1A7D-454A-B34F-32CA408FFC64
As a side note, Meto has historically subsidized the RRFP fare well beyond the federal maximum (same fares during peak hours; off-peak fares to be half the average peak hour fare) and well beyond fares charged by other local transit agencies as well as at a national level. With this change, RRFP fares would still be well below the federal requirement.
The COLA calculations for a national program such as Social Security really should be regionalized so that local costs can be considered. During these Republican-sponsored tough economic times, I’m not sure that would be much help; my state pension went up less than 0.5%
As far as the increased transportation cost referenced by anonyme, the King County Council is considering a change to the approved change to increase the Regional Reduced Fare Permit cash and monthly and annual passes for seniors and persons with disabilities (I have posted the details in a separate thread.)
handy test for the difference between merging and cutting…
if anyone has to put on their brakes for you to merge… you are cutting in line.
it really is that simple.
Dave: Here’s a list of natural dishwashing detergents:
http://www.greenyour.com/home/kitchen-cooking/dishwashing/tips/choose-natural-dishwashing-soap
I currently use Seventh Generation, but I’m not thrilled with it. Would also love to know if someone has found a really effective natural detergent for the dishwasher–thanks for asking the question.
I’m trying to find our gardener and I’ve lost the card. NOT looking for a new recommendation — just a pointer to our current service: Seattle Pro ? (I think we got the original rec here but we can’t find ’em.)
Thanks for any help — WSB forums out perform Google and Bing put together :-)
Since we started using non-phosphate detergent the dishes are not clean. We have started rinsing but some things still require a hand wash after.
Two questions:
1. Are there any additives I can use that will help clean dishes until we use up the current detergent? After some online research, I found suggestions to add borax (which I tried, it helped a little) or baking soda (haven’t tried it yet).
2. Any recommended non-phosphate brands that do a good job of cleaning? Since phosphates are going away, it makes sense to seek out non-phosphate products that work well.
I don’t want this post to become a discussion (pro or con) of this change, just looking for ideas.
Thanks.
Try some of these…
http://www.ci.bainbridge-isl.wa.us/documents/Mooring_buoy_hd.pdf
yes, it’s about Bainbridge, but I would assume that these entities would have info about near the Fauntleroy Ferry Dock , too.
That place by Lien Animal Clinic is Westside Import Repair. I don’t know what kind of customer service you’re looking for; Gary and Carl won’t kowtow, but they will be genial. And they’ll take good care of your car.
