News

In Other News...

For people who feel unduly oppressed by the $400 spending limit imposed on city council elections, there's always "Independent Expenditures," a loophole that allows big donors to pump cash into campaigns after they've topped out to their favorite candidates. The first financial reports are in on "Safe Streets and Parks for All" -- the committee that plans to spend big dollars electing pro-Sidran candidates and opposing strong civil liberties candidates ("Sidran's Minions," Oct 14) -- and boy are they sidestepping the law. Real estate developer Ken Alhadeff, for example, who already gave maximum donations to Sidran minions Cheryl Chow and Margaret Pageler, kicked in $1,000 for ads that will surely trash their respective opponents Judy Nicastro and Curt Firestone. -- JOSH FEIT

Fighting Teachers

A part-time teacher and dissenter on the executive board of the Seattle Community Colleges Federation of Teachers claims that his so-called comrades are trying to stifle internal dissent as the union tries to negotiate a new contract. Doug Collins says there were seven nays and one aye (his own) on a motion to allow critics "ample and equal time and space" to argue against the contract, once it comes to a vote. Collins is worried that the contract may screw over part-timers on job security and wage issues ("Learning Their Lesson," Sept 30).

Lynne Dodson, executive board chair, says Collins' move is ludicrous. "That motion was presented as a hostile motion against the negotiating team," she replies. "Whether or not the motion passed, we're still going to have a pro and con discussion."

Collins wonders why he was met with so much hostility. "You can commit to a democratic process at any point, and you should do it as early as possible," he says. -- PHIL CAMPBELL

Tenant Setback

Two of the four renters in the Eileen Court case ("Landlord Retaliation," Sept 9) suffered a setback on October 18 when city attorneys couldn't prove that the tenants were victims of retaliation.

The attorneys are arguing that landlord Reyn Yates jacked up rents after tenants told officials at the Department of Design, Construction, and Land Use that Yates had illegally tried to evict them. When DCLU directed Yates to rescind the eviction orders, he raised the rents by up to 191 percent. However, in order for the city to prove that Yates' rent increases were retaliatory, the plaintiffs must show that Yates was aware of formal complaints.

Unfortunately, DCLU only kept records of the complaints made by two of the tenants. The city is still pursuing those counts of retaliation. -- ALEXANDRA HOLLY-GOTTLIEB