Lousy Service

Seattle's Olympia Democrats like Rep. Ed Murray (43rd District) and Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos (37th District) teamed up with the Washington Restaurant Association (WRA) to push House Bill 1973, which would have frozen the minimum wage at $6.72 for waiters.

The WRA handed out maximum $600 campaign contributions to both Dems. Perhaps this explains why a pro-labor guy like Murray would desert the 2,000 servers in his district, which includes Capitol Hill and the U-District. MATTHEW PREUSCH


Down & Out

King County Council guy and mayoral hopeful Greg Nickels may be far ahead of opponent Mayor Paul Schell in fundraising--Nickels has out-raised Schell $83K to $31K--but the majority of Nickels' money (39 percent) comes from outside Seattle.

Schell's biggest source? Downtown money accounts for 30 percent of his booty. JOSH FEIT


Needle Exchange

In case you didn't notice, there was a huge Microsoft flag on top of the Space Needle last week. Microsoft rented the real estate for three days (for an undisclosed sum) to promote its new software.

"We're not a stranger to business partnerships," says Space Needle spokesperson Dave Mandapat. Last year, Eddie Bauer put up a 50-foot inflatable goose. PAT KEARNEY


Beware!

Last week, top city officials called a press conference to brag about the city's low crime rate. But apparently there's more work to be done... on Capitol Hill!

This wayward reporter--after crossing an empty intersection at 11th and Pine--was warned by a cop that "East Precinct officers" have been specifically instructed to "crack down on jaywalkers." NANCY DREW


Let There Be Light

This week, over the objections of neighborhood activists who simply won't admit that Seattle is a city (as opposed to a suburb), the city council wisely voted to ease playground light restrictions. JOSH FEIT


Richter Scale

While all the predictable suspects (all men) are busy lining up for the mayor's race, an unknown has declared her candidacy for 2001's city council contest. Sonja Richter, 56, a 13-year Seattle Police Department employee (she does outreach for the department's Block Watch program), says she has an insider's view of how difficult it is for communities to get adequate services.

Richter's inside information has led her to the following conclusions: Parks should be open after school, while neighborhoods should be better prepared for fires and earthquakes! JOSH FEIT