Disqus - Latest Comments for CharlesRedell

Re: Democracy Vouchers -- off to a slow start

Charles — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 14:23:30 -0000

I know exactly where mine are. And I know they won't get used until much later this year. Any candidate that thinks they're gonna get them with the field as unknown as it is now is nuts.

Re: Queen Anne Residents Are Defiantly Challenging the City's Plan to Make Seattle Denser | News & City Life | Seattle Met

Charles — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 17:51:04 -0000

"That's interesting that the guy says car ownership decreases as houses get smaller. Drive by any apartment or multi unit building in ballard- even if it's along one of the new bike sharrows (the roads with speed bumps on them for bikes). You will see the roads around multi family and apartment houses are lined with parked cars. The street outside any ballard condo - lined with parked cars. All these places are walkable and bikeable but people who live there still own cars. We could at least have more room on the streets if all buildings would require parking."

Well, that completely unscientific and anecdotal evidence settles it for me then. Forget what the professional planners said based on evidence of actual lived experiences. Smaller units=more cars, obviously.

Re: Data Defies Anger Over I-405 Tolling | Seattle Met

Charles — Thu, 19 May 2016 16:46:03 -0000

Sigh. Data. It only shows what's actually going on, not what I thought I was going to experience so it can't possibly have a bearing on this argument.

Re: PredictIt | Who will be Obama's next Supreme Court nominee?

Charles — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 21:16:32 -0000

Click on his name. Click on the flag. Report him for making a discussion where people don't feel welcome or safe. Use this link as an example:
https://disqus.com/home/dis...

Re: Republicans Vote to Fire WSDOT Director Lynn Peterson | Seattle Met

Charles — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 23:41:01 -0000

According to most of the people here, this was the right move because WSDOT instituted "regressive" tolling on I-405 that hit poor people harder. Many of the same commenters are also saying that, "Washington State Democrats are no less regressive than Republicans," and "Peterson, and the tolling, are typical of the fake Democrats in Washington State. The Democrats in our State work only for the wealthy, and despise the non-wealthy. Hence the regressive tolling, and Washington State being the most regressively taxed State in the United States."

So does that mean the Republicans in the state are now firmly in favor of ending our regressive tax structure by eliminating the sales tax and moving to a much more equitable State Income Tax?

I didn't think so.

Re: The Long, Regulatory Road to America's First Cat Cafe

Charles — Tue, 28 Jan 2014 17:39:52 -0000

Not really sure what the big deal is. Here in Seattle we've got a few bars that let people bring their dogs in every time the health inspector comes, the bar management knows that they're going to get one ding against hem for having animals in the establishment, so they make sure everything else is perfect. There's no fine involved for just one or two marks against a business, especially something this minor, so no harm to the business. And since people who don't like dogs simply don't go there, the public is not harmed either.

And to the person below who thinks that everyone has to be allowed into every business, until cat allergies become listed as a disability under the ADA, I think businesses that allow pets in might be okay. Or do vets, or pet stores, have to make sure the cat allergic can come in?

Re: Kamloops, BC is Great, but Confused — Zolo Neurotico Goes to Canada

Charles — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 13:13:41 -0000

Glad you liked it Lisa! If you're so inclined, please share our posts or site with folks who might also be interested.

Re: First Trip in Vanny — Zolo Neurotico Goes to Canada

Charles — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 18:20:56 -0000

Thanks Bruce! Glad you like.

Re: Zolo Neurotico Goes to Canada

Charles — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 18:20:08 -0000

Brother was so noble

Re: Is Google Skynet?

Charles — Sun, 27 May 2012 14:34:10 -0000

It would be better if the author conjugated verbs correctly. Google is singular, not plural so Google is working on something, not are working on something.

Re: Help build a new off-leash area for Magnolia’s furry friends

Charles — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:05:47 -0000

To those having a problem with the donate link on the COLA website: I had that issue the other day when I tried to give. I contacted the COLA webmaster and got the below response in about 10 minutes. I just tried donating again and it worked. So do try again!
"We have been having intermittent problems with the PayPal donations page, for no reason anybody can seem to figure out. As you noted, it complains about the the "email address supplied by the seller". However,m hat address (treasurer@coladog.org) hasn't changed in years. And the PayPal donation form _usually_ works - some other people have donated even today. Very frustrating - for our donors even more than for COLA.You may try the same thing again and find it works.Or, you can snail-mail a paper check to COLA at the address listed at the very bottom of every COLA web page: P.O. Box 17469 . Seattle, WA 98127-7469Thank you very much for your donation - and for your patience. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Re: Greater Greater Washington: “Fifteen is Serene”

Charles — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:29:30 -0000

"A separate proposal would mandate that if one car is stopped at a pedestrian crossing, any cars coming up behind it should also have to stop, rather than coming around and passing them, ..."

That's not a law already? So let me get this straight: A car is stopped at a pedestrian crossing and another car travelling in the same direction of the first comes up behind it while the first car is stopped and it's legal for the driver of the second car to swing out and pass the first car?

In what world does that make sense?

Re: Greater Greater Washington: “Fifteen is Serene”

Charles — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:28:03 -0000

Ah, but then that evidence would have to exist.

Re: Gregoire Recommends $2 Billion in Cuts, Revenues on Table for Legislative Session

Charles — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:46:42 -0000

Do you ever think? You're not taxed on the trade in, you're taxed on the purchase of the new car. You should be taxed on the price you pay for that car, not for the price you pay for the car minus the value of the trade in. IF the car costs $20k and your trade is valued at $5k and you PAY $15k, then ok, pay taxes on $15k. But as I understand it, thanks to this loophole, you pay taxes on $10k.

Re: Gregoire Recommends $2 Billion in Cuts, Revenues on Table for Legislative Session

Charles — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:30:24 -0000

True. But she's the one that proposed this travesty and she's the effective head of the Ds in state government so I reserve my right to be angry at her. That said, I'll be letting my reps/senators know my feelings as well. I promise.

Re: Gregoire Recommends $2 Billion in Cuts, Revenues on Table for Legislative Session

Charles — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:33:10 -0000

Here's a great loophole to close: $450 million loophole on trade-in cars.
http://daily.sightline.org/...

Gregoire is a sham and I can't wait for her to go. She won't even seriously consider closing any loopholes. She can go to hell.

Re: City Refunds Target After Occupy Protests Displace Westlake Promo

Charles — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:36:35 -0000

I'm with Cary N. Target may have low prices that attract most of us in the 99%, but they also can get there by offering products made with cheap labor on the backs of those with the least in this world, and that's definitely not the vast majority of the OWS protesters.

I'm not against all corporations or even against capitalism in general. But just because the hoi polloi shops at Target (or banks at BoA) doesn't mean that the company is good for the 99%.

Re: City Employee Sanctioned in Wii Heist

Charles — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:59:41 -0000

You try running a teen drop-in program without having a decent video game system. You'll be programming all those non-video game activities (like trips, cooking classes and other opportunities that help keep kids safe) for crickets.

Re: Licata v. Fox on $60 Car Tabs

Charles — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 23:18:12 -0000

Or you know, not.

http://www.treehugger.com/f...
http://www.startribune.com/...
http://seattlebikeblog.com/...
http://seattlebikeblog.com/...
http://seattlebikeblog.com/...
http://seattlebikeblog.com/...

Shall I continue or is it obvious that bike riders need more safety protections out there because, you know, we're people too.

Re: Licata v. Fox on $60 Car Tabs

Charles — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:19:03 -0000

I am so sick of this trope that somehow choosing to ride a bike on city streets means that I deserve less in the way of infrastructure. Besides the rash of deaths we've seen recently around here (some might call them killings or at least manslaughter) making clear the fact that something has to be done to improve safety for citizens who don't or can't drive for any particular trip, it's just patently untrue that I don't pay my fair share for roads.

I know Publicola has written to debunk the lies that gas taxes pay for roads and that licensing bike riders or bikes would solve all our problems, but maybe it's time for a refresher?

Re: Bikes Don\'t Like Mike\'s Lake City Road Diet

Charles — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:22:52 -0000

Yeah, cause adding in a landscaped median is affordable and useful. </sarcasm>

Re: Bikes Don\'t Like Mike\'s Lake City Road Diet

Charles — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:43:51 -0000

First of all, road diets do aim to increase safety for all users, not just bike riders. Why? When roads are made safer to use, all users are safer as a result. This includes drivers. In fact, it makes drivers safer first since there are more cars on the road and hence, they're more likely to be considered unsafe.

A more fair and accurate measure of whether or not the road diet on 125th was worth the money would be to take statistics related to safety for ALL users from before the work and compare it with stats from after the work. At the worst you'll find it was a wash. Likely you'll find fewer accidents thanks to the slightly slower speeds on the now right-sized road (right sized for the amount of traffic it carries).

But, since you want to try and perpetuate the false meme that it's bikes vs. cars, there's a more accurate (and *gasp*) more fair way to determine if it was worth adding a bike lane to this road. The road diet was just completed so it would be more fair to count users after people have a chance to get used to it being there. Additionally, you have to count for more than one day and for more than just three hours on the days you do count. Your sample size is WAY too small. That's why SDOT puts out those little hoses on streets. It counts ALL the vehicles (including bikes).

Finally, your dig on the $60 car tab is unjustified since bike projects actually receive the smallest share of funding from that source of revenue (if it's passed). Transit gets the largest share followed by....wait for it... fixing streets (read: potholes and other crumbling infrastructure). So, sorry to point out facts that ruin your attempt to mislead your readers into believing that all projects that happen to benefit bike riders are done BECAUSE they benefit bike riders.

Re: Campaign Fizz: Mike McGinn Loses 2013 Election

Charles — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:48:11 -0000

I'm with ya oiseaux. In is interview with the PI today, McGinn made it clear that he's done on the tunnel. Yet every piece I've read today is all about how McGinn won't shut up about the tunnel and how he needs to move on. All in the present tense.

Meanwhile, as written here, he's been talking less and less about the tunnel in recent weeks if not months. He's got a new communications person helping re-focus his image and we've got other fish to fry. If it's time for him to drop the tunnel, it's also time for his opponents to drop the tunnel.

Re: Work to start on Magnolia portion of bike trail

Charles — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:23:02 -0000

Thank goodness. I rode on the flyover this morning and wondered if we'd ever see this connection happen. Wonderful news!

Re: Council Puts $60 Transportation Fee on Ballot

Charles — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:25:55 -0000

Obviously it's still early and I obviously don't have all the details clear in my head yet, but I'm basing my current opinion on this information from the post above.

Conlin’s fee does not go as far as a proposal by council member Nick Licata to prohibit any spending on extending the South Lake Union streetcar to Ballard, but it does refocus streetcar spending in the center city.Am I misunderstanding it or you? Hopefully you're right that focusing on the center-city streetcar improvements, buses in the north and south ends will be more efficient and faster, but I'd like to see a study that says that's likely. Is there one?