End of an Era: Workers cleared and closed off the illegal dump on the site of a failed subdivision in Skyway this week. Were they shamed into action by its inclusion in last Saturday’s edition of this post?
On Second Thought: The state put out a call for unions to return to the bargaining table in the aftermath of the news of the projected $1.2 billion revenue shortfall in the near future. Happy campers or happiest campers?
A Peek at CD-3: Congresswoman-elect Jaime Herrera got lucky in the lottery for Capitol Hill office spots, leading to two incredibly dopey photos. Retiring incumbent Brian Baird is moving to CD-1 in Edmonds with $450,000 still left in his campaign piggy bank. Remember, that’s the seat Rep. Jay Inslee might vacate to run for governor in 2012.
My Sympathy is Broken: The Air Force shared secret info with Boeing and Airbus about each others’ bids. Poor contractors, I hope it won’t muck up your chance to suck $40 billion from the federal teat! Oh, and Air Force—you must think we’re really stupid if you think we’re buying the clerical error story.
Jail to Close: The state is closing the McNeil Island Corrections Center, the only island prison in the country. Maybe they can just arrest fewer people now.
Steampunk in SeaTac: Paul already plugged it yesterday, but this weekend is the second-annual Steamcon. Crowds might reach as high as 5,000 on Sunday. It could be worse—it could be anime.
Thinking Outside the Welfare Box: Canada bats around proposals for a guaranteed minimum income of NSA cash transfers to the poor.
American Teens to Keep Dying, Killing in Afghanistan: NATO has set a target date of 2014 for its withdrawal from Afghanistan. If you were one of the dupes who still believed in Nobel laureate Obama’s timeline, welcome to reality.
Military Coup Quashed: In Madagascar.
Mine Rescue on Hold: 29 miners remain trapped in New Zealand. Gas levels are too high for authorities to attempt anything. Here’s hoping it ends as well as the Chilean situation.
All my son ever needed to know about Madagascar, he learned from Katzenberg, Spielberg and Geffen. The educational CEOs of Dreamworks, together with Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales (please answer his personal appeal for donations), know what to do with your money better than you.
excerpt from “Bullies” -an upcoming cartoon musical:
Life is wonderful
in front of a screen. Sing a song.
Military coup, be gone! Poof!
Learn 3-d animation.
Online, in a film.
Peace and harmony,
Nothing is wrong!
except sexting. That’s a no-no, children.
Maybe other stuff too, but get back to the
Happiness dreamwork, fast, now.
What nasty misanthrope wrote the morning news today? Oh, look, it’s…
@2 – I had exactly the same reaction. Who pissed in the Morning News’ Cheerios?
Then I remembered that the Unpaid Intern agreed to be a strikebreaker yesterday, so maybe he’s nursing a massive hangover from last night’s guilt drinking?
Good morning SCAB.
May your day suck, as you truly deserve.
So when does the next unpaid intern start?
yay for jails closing! mcneil island is going to make a great state park. eventually. unless the state doesn’t sell it to rich fucks or weyerhauser for a short term gap-filler.
Unpaid Intern has a thankless job, but at least the wages make up for it…
@4 – I have some sympathy for Matt having just gotten a job after 16 months of temping and living off savings for a grand total $12,000 income from January – October when my mortgage was $15,000 for the same period. And since I’m self-employed there was no unemployment for me. Business has done a great job creating an economy that pits workers against each other, driving down wages and making it easy to find people who are willing to help break a union in order to keep food on the table and a roof overhead.
I disagree with Matt’s decision because some lines (including pickets) shouldn’t be crossed. But I can understand why he feels like he doesn’t have much choice.
Wait, but IS there a strike?
No strike yet, but there could be anytime after midnight tonight at QFC, Safeway, Fred Meyer and Albertson’s. 94% of the grocery workers voted against the proposed contract, so it looks like a real possibility.
@ Max Solomon — Agreed. Very refreshing to see a jail close. Especially when you consider how long people in our hometown of Cincinnati have lobbied for another jail, as if that would solve any of the town’s myriad problems.
@ Canuck — This made me grin.
@ 9, 10 — No updates so far. I am on UFCW’s text message alert system. Last night, they were saying things would run late into the night, but there’s been no update this morning.
And as far as striking goes, either said has to give 72 hours notice if they are going to cease to abide by the terms of the previous contract–e.g. strike or lockout.
Fuck you, SCAB! This is the badge you get to carry with you for life unless you do a complete, unconditional retraction of your agreement to cross the UFCW’s picket line. What you said is unforgivable.
Since there’s technically no picket line is he just some sort of scab-in-waiting, since he could still come to his senses? All he’s done so far is promise management he’d scab, and then publicize his promise.
I’ve wondered ever since commenter DOUG’s remark from last night’s thread.
http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archive…
It is true that the unpaid intern is not a scab until something actually happens. (Though if a strike happens I doubt he will actually have the balls to cross the picket line)
But he will be in good company. Remember that both Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert (members of the WGA) crossed the picket lines a couple of years ago and are also scabs.
Good morning, Scab wannabee, I see you’re still a horrible person this day.
@ Last of the Time Lords, was that during the Writers strike of 2006/7?
I saw lots of signs asking people to interview at Fred Meyer.
@14, while it’s true that Stewart and Colbert (and Leno and Conan) crossed the picket line during the writer’s strike, they were in a totally different position from anyone who signs up to become a strikebreaker.
IMHO yes, they shoulda refused, but those hosts all had signed contracts with the networks that required them absolutely to cross those picket lines. FWIW they issued statements in support of their writers, and Stewart and Leno paid out of pocket a good chunk of what the writers were losing by being on strike. (As an aside, only Letterman, who owned his own show, was able to broadcast uninterruptedly – he struck his own bargain with the writers’ union immediately.)
I remember fondly Stewart and Colbert’s statement:
I can see why Stewart & Colbert did what they did, but I skipped their shows during the strike.
And god, I hope Baird doesn’t try to run for the 1st District slot when Inslee leaves to run for governor. Those of us in the 1st district deserve better.
UPDATE: UFCW 21 just texted to say negotiations will continue today.
About the guaranteed minimum income, that’s an issue that gives policy types headaches. On the one hand it sounds good and has a pleasing ring of common sense and compassion. On the other hand many believe establishing a guaranteed income would backfire because other needed programs would be defunded to pay for it.
If I understand the people who study this stuff correctly, a guaranteed income could work in theory as part of a very well-funded social safety net. But in reality, there’s no chance of that happening politically. Ever. Guaranteed minimum income would realistically end up being a simplistic, brainlessly libertarian one-size-fits-all approach to social policy that treats everybody who’s poor like a well-adjusted middle class person who’s just down on their luck.
And so the lefty Canadians I know view things like this with extreme mistrust.
Also, I hope unpaid intern doesn’t cross the picket line but understand the dilemma.
@11: Should’ve known you’re from Cincinnati (hometown of Kroger too, of course). I have to live here for the time being, but at least I can say my formative years weren’t spent here.
Fuck you, scab.
@ 18
Baird said he had to be more centrist due to his district, not that he wanted to be, I’m in the 1st and would be fine with Baird.
Fuck you, Luby, you litle scab prick.
Dear Stranger staff:
If the Unpaid Intern becomes a scab, then he should be fired from your publication.
I believe that it would be the same as if he started working for N.O.M., in which case I’m sure you would have deep philosophical differences with him and he would be let go.
Supporting scabs does not mesh with your publication’s philosophy.
Brian Baird should stay the fuck out of my CD. We need to move people up, not recycle the old ones (what are we, Republicans?)
Is Matt Luby a ‘Scab’ if the strike hasn’t happend? Or a “Platelet’ ?
And after reading his articles I hope his internship is over soon. Not for their obvious opinions but for his lack of analytical facts and a journalistic voice.
O Dear Lord!! Matt, Darling!! I just saw your picture on facebook……please cut the hair and shave the beard.