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Get ready for a drug war over next year's city budget: There are two proposals on the table for combating street-level drug dealing. One, from the mayor, would put drug offenders into jail, while the other, from lefty activists, would help them get treatment.

The mayor proposes funding the renewal of a controversial early-'90s anti-drug-dealing program called SODA, or Stay Out of Drug Areas. Defendants in drug court are issued an order to stay away from certain geographic zones (like downtown's Second Avenue and Pike Street). Critics point out that defendants under SODA orders can then be arrested simply for being in the area, even if they aren't involved in drug dealing at the time.

Meanwhile, cop-reform activists are asking the city council to divert $3 million from "buy-bust" programs where undercover officers solicit drugs--another controversial policing tactic that critics say disproportionately targets blacks--into more progressive options, like drug treatment and housing programs. The "Budget for Justice" campaign kicked off last week with letter writing to the mayor and city council members. Expect a showdown at the October 14 budget public hearing. AMY JENNIGES

Photos

Yes, it's budget-cutting season at city hall again and a few preemptive cuts have already gone through. To the joy of Kinko's, Mayor Nickels iced the city's in-house Design, Print, & Copy Division design last week, laying off around 25 employees.

The $3.5 million division included Ian Edelstein, the city's staff photographer. Documenting the city's major projects with photos is a service the city has maintained for nearly 100 years with an archive of over 80,000 digital images and 65,000 negatives.

Edelstein, who's held the gig for seven years, worries that without a dedicated photographer now, departments will have a random approach to documentation. "We're not going to realize the error in our ways until years down the road," he laments.

Photographic documentation provides more than sentimental value. It's also legally important in instances when the city is sued over construction issues. JOSH FEIT

Confusion

A routine discussion over the reappointment of Clise Properties head Richard Stevenson to the Seattle Monorail Project board devolved into mass confusion at a city council meeting Monday. Council member Richard McIver demanded a delay of the nomination, noting that Stevenson's name had been substituted at the last minute for that of the council's original nominee, current board member Paul Toliver. Thanks to what council president Jan Drago called a "convoluted" process mandated by voters in 2002, the mayor's original nominee--Stevenson--is now the council's nominee, and the council's original nominee--Toliver--is now the mayor's. Earlier this month, the mayor sent out a call for new monorail board nominations. The upshot? The renomination of Toliver, the only minority on the board, is now up in the air. "If we don't have a guarantee from the mayor that Paul will be reappointed, then we're at risk of lacking in diversity," council member David Della said. A council majority, including Della, voted to delay Stevenson's nomination. ERICA C. BARNETT