Who's Afraid of Judy Nicastro?

Earlier this month, former mayor and current slumlord Wes Uhlman sent out a fundraising letter on behalf of city council candidate Cheryl Chow. The letter labels Chow's main opponent Judy Nicastro a "passionate renters' rights activist." Uhlman writes, "There is a real danger that the Seattle City Council will be dominated by members who do not understand that the rights of both renters and housing owners must be protected."

It's not clear from Uhlman's letter—addressed explicitly to "Rental Housing Owner(s)"—how renters' rights will be squashed under the Nicastro boot heel. For crying out loud, the woman's campaign stump speech calls for "mobile credit checks" and a renter's right to renew leases.

However, it's a speech that obviously makes landlords like Uhlman nervous. Fellow property owners are asked to contribute the maximum $400 to Chow, something Uhlman has already done. JOSH FEIT

Divest from Seattle Now!

According to a rabble rousing petition circulating on Capitol Hill, "On August 10, 1999 the Seattle Police Department announced that in the future, any citizen handing out any leaflet on any street corner in the City of Seattle would be arrested for impeding pedestrian traffic."

Unfortunately, nobody in City Hall knows what the hell the petition is referring to. If there's a new policy, it's news to the cops; if there's a new law, it's news to the city council; and if someone was arrested for leafleting on August 10, there's no report of it.

The people who wrote the petition failed to leave so much as a contact number at City Hall. They have, however, called for immediate economic divestment from all businesses within city limits. Citizens are asked to protect free speech by "making every purchase… outside the city limits of Seattle." BEN JACKLET

Another Initiative to the People

Seattle activist David Olsen isn't impressed with Mayor Schell's big plans to clean up the police department. Olsen's counter-proposal was approved by the City Clerk on August 19. The initiative calls for a five-member board, elected by Seattle voters every two years, with full subpoena power. It also calls for a special prosecutor to investigate and prosecute cops for misdeeds from1980 to the present.

Now all Olsen needs to do is collect about 20,000 signatures by February.