Liquor Board Issues Asian Alert

Last week, the state Liquor Control Board leaned on the Kalakala Foundation to call off a fundraiser because they thought too many people would show up. This may sound like a strange concern for a benefit, but it made sense to liquor board agents who thought too many of the wrong kind of people would come: Asians. Agent Mike Murphy was alarmed that the benefit was listed on an Asian music website, urbanasian.com. (Which the board apparently monitors??) Murphy seemed to think the website would draw a violent crowd, so he warned the head of the Kalakala "for security purposes." The head of Seattle's pet ferry called off the jazz-funk show, which was supposed to take place on April 7 and 8 and draw about 1,000 people. Brian DeWaide, the local promoter who booked bands for the show, moved it downtown to a secret after-hours club, the Superhighway. "They thought there would be gang activity," says DeWaide. "They couldn't have made a bigger mistake. There were a bunch of hippies." ALLIE HOLLY-GOTTLIEB

We Miss Norm

Herb Johnson, the Seattle Police Department's interim chief, is quickly establishing himself as a cop's cop, vastly different in style than his community-sensitive predecessor, Norm Stamper.

Asserting himself at a recent press conference, Johnson characterized the WTO protests in straightforward terms, breaking down the players into "heroes," "villains," and "victims." The heroes, obviously, were the police officers who were only doing their duty. The villains were the black-masked anarchists who only wanted to destroy property. The victims? Mass consumers who only wanted to shop and the downtown retailers who only wanted to serve them.

Johnson never mentioned the tens of thousands of non-violent demonstrators who only wanted to exercise their First Amendment rights. PHIL CAMPBELL

Toothless in Seattle

Late last month, the Seattle Office for Civil Rights accused the rent-jacking landlords at Capitol Hill's Eileen Court apartments of unfair housing practices. Sadly, SOCR staffers, who filed the claim after city attorneys lost their case against the landlords last October, say even if the landlord is found guilty this time, they don't have the power to enforce punishment. Thankfully, Renters Liberation Commando Judy Nicastro is trying to change Seattle's renter laws to make it easier for the oppressed to sue abusive landlords in court. ALLIE HOLLY-GOTTLIEB