Disqus - Latest Comments for SmallTownBoy

Re: Black Lives Matters protesters were (mostly) right

SmallTownBoy — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 02:07:24 -0000

Great article, Mr. Fenton. I am sorry to hear that you have to repeat their basic message, because apparently we white liberals were only listening to ourselves react to Johnson and Willaford's tactics. IMHO, BLM is a far more important movement than the last one that rocked this town (Occupy), because it gets to the very core of injustice in our society and economy. Occupy's critique of power was easier to hear - it was about a growing economic elite calling the shots and rigging the game against the rest of us. BLM's message is about the complicity of everyone, especially white liberals, in systemic oppression of people of color. Ouch. It is not a new message. If white liberals had been listening at all, we would have heard long ago and done something about it. I applaud the two incredibly brave people who took on a presidential candidate, leading Seattle progressives and a large crowd to demand a hearing for their message. The two people who arguably have the most to fear from institutional racism in that crowd took huge personal risks with their act of resistance and civil disobedience. And I also thank you for speaking your mind to Crosscut readers, which judging from the comments, may still be seeking "refuge in the safe and secure arms of white privilege by critiquing the activists' political approach, avoiding their message altogether."

Re: Fizz for April 21

SmallTownBoy — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 13:38:50 -0000

You make a great point here about why tipping is problematic. Restaurants can dodge a large portion of local and state taxes through a tip system. Workers still have to pay income taxes on their tips, but restaurants don't have to contribute as much to local infrastructure, public safety and public health as other service sector businesses do. And this in a state with the most regressive tax system in the country that socks it to low-income households. Bottom line - our tipping system is better for restaurants than workers.

Re: Roosevelt Neighbors Face Off Against Density

SmallTownBoy — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:05:34 -0000

Valdez plays fast and loose with economics and facts. Here's one - the Goodwill site (Dearborn Project) was not tanked by opposition. A broad coalition came to an agreement with the developer and the project was on its way through Council. The problem was timing - Target pulled the plug on several new stores in the Western US as the recession hit in late 2008 and without the Target as the anchor store, the project was dead in the water. That Target is now going to be downtown, in a smaller, less expensive shell. You can read about the agreement here: http://www.nwasianweekly.co....

Re: “Mike McGinn Up to his Old Tricks.”

SmallTownBoy — Fri, 06 May 2011 12:34:40 -0000

McKenna continues to show leadership on public health issues. I am thinking he's in the wrong line of business. Maybe head of State DOH? Surgeon General?

Re: Truth-Stretching a New Tactic for Palin

SmallTownBoy — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:58:54 -0000

The portrait of Governor Palin emerging since the GOP convention has actually eased my fears of her becoming a formidable Vice President. I feared she was a a right-wing, religious fanatic with Machiavellian designs to grab power and impose her values on mainstream American. I gave her far too much credit.

While she is intensely ambitious, with the chutzpah to jump into deep water unprepared, I think her skills as a politician are fairly limited to the basic maneuvering it takes to win office. Her easy shift from evasion and dodging, a time-honored political tactic, to outright lying and counter-factual assertions certainly raises questions about her ethics and lack of integrity. But her bungling of the TV interviews, lack of nuance in addressing her well-known weaknesses and the inept handling of her Governorship reveal to me someone who wants power but doesn't really know what to do with it. In this sense, she reminds me of George Bush, although she is much more ferocious and fierce. It is clear that she lacks the genius and the empire-building political designs of Dick Cheney. If she becomes the VP, I am confident that she will continue the shroud of secrecy that Cheney created in the VP office, but largely to avoid looking like she is out of her depth. At the end of the day, she won't have much affect on the White House at all.

And even if she were to become President, by McCain's untimely death or after her own shot for the Presidency, she will likely let others call the shots so she can stay in power - just as she now does to make sure she wins the VP office. The quote Ms. McGann got from Art Hackney says it all, to me. Her agenda, capacity to abuse power and political craft no longer scare me. What scares me is who will stand behind her, in the curtains, what their agenda will be and how far will they be willing to undermine our democratic institutions.

Keep up the great reporting, Laura!