News Nov 5, 2014 at 4:00 am

What Everyone Who Runs City Hall Secretly Thinks

What a Year Stalking Our Local Leaders Taught Me About the Way They Exercise Power

Anna Minard
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Comments

1
Another woman leaving the Stranger?!
pkbrown on November 4, 2014 at 6:21 PM Report this
2
Nice piece of fiction.

Seattle's leaders don't think.

At all.
Slam1263 on November 5, 2014 at 10:07 AM Report this
3
Best of luck in the real world, Anna. It's not always as much fun, but it's almost never as miserable.
Goldy on November 5, 2014 at 11:09 AM Report this
4
Shoot, I guess this confirms the rumors. Thanks for this, hope your successor on this beat absorbs it and appreciates the resilient good humor it took to amass this wisdom.

Successor. Shit. Worst case, someone Ansel-y. Best case, someone MInardian or Madriddish.
TomJohnsonJr on November 5, 2014 at 12:27 PM Report this
5
I wonder how much of the wait is inexperience with running a civil service office, and how much it is that she is probably one of the few councilors normal people, with all of their normal problems that get ignored, know.
guerre on November 5, 2014 at 12:59 PM Report this
6
geez. good riddance.

her analysis of City Hall is just as bad as her review of old LPs...
south downtown on November 5, 2014 at 1:47 PM Report this
7
Maaaan. I was just thinking about the many Stranger writers I miss, but was cheering myself with the fact that you were a newish writer who seemed to be going from strength to strength. Anyway, best of luck!
on November 5, 2014 at 2:31 PM Report this
8
What the hell is going on at The Stranger for everyone to be jumping ship?
Mad Drunk Genius on November 5, 2014 at 3:09 PM Report this
9
Geez. @strangerslog, you're not actually Apple or Microsoft, and the continued silence on the mass exodus is increasingly bizarre. It's high time Frizzelle or Keck or "I love New York" Dan Savage addressed the issue—is it a conflict between editorial and advertisers, the overall business model, all just an awkward coincidence, what? Are you getting ready to sell or just fold your tent?

The chemistry between a publication/website and its adherents is a fragile thing and needs occasional strokes or nurturing or honesty, whether you realize it or not.
rob! on November 5, 2014 at 3:11 PM Report this
10
You'll be missed, Anna, you were great. And I think your City Hall profiles are spot on. Best of luck.
M. Wells on November 5, 2014 at 4:41 PM Report this
11
Kshama Sawant running for prez?
5th Columnist on November 5, 2014 at 5:31 PM Report this
12
Best of luck Anna, and I loved your column!!
pat L on November 5, 2014 at 7:26 PM Report this
13
I liked your City Hall coverage and always enjoyed "Never Heard of 'em." I'll miss your writing.

And I want to add my voice to the chorus of what the fuck, Stranger? Why all the departures?
LMcGuff on November 5, 2014 at 7:54 PM Report this
14
Bah one less good reporter left, I guess this means more old man paul articles.....
j2patter on November 5, 2014 at 8:33 PM Report this
15
Good luck, Anna. Glad you are getting out of that cesspool called City Hall.
on November 5, 2014 at 9:26 PM Report this
16
Spot on! I hope the Stranger will have enough sense to find someone else who is a quick enough study to call it on City Hall. Love the brevity and accuracy of this piece.
Yeah You on November 5, 2014 at 11:18 PM Report this
17
Really great characterization of councilmembers and staff. You got the human side. Agreeing with rob! about the Strangrr not drawing out the mystery. Finally, to the commenting readership: could you stop saying "spot on"? Are you British? No, I didn't think so.
earwig on November 6, 2014 at 12:34 AM Report this
18
Anna dear, I am happy for you, but sad for us. Your city government reporting was probably the best in the area. You were uniquely able to separate the wheat from the chaff, and I appreciate that.
Catalina Vel-DuRay on November 6, 2014 at 6:51 AM Report this
19
It's possible that for Index LLC management, he cost and space of hard news like City Hall reporting can always and probably will be taken up by advertisement of fresh new condos for even higher population density, nice shiny studios starting at $400K which the advertisers could afford. And advertisers appear to be directing content anyway.
on November 6, 2014 at 9:43 AM Report this
20
Absolutely wonderful story and right on descriptions, but I do have to add a little of what I visualize when I see Mike O'Brien, whether in action or not. I see a charmer, kind of a mixture of the old TV series Dennis The Menace and Mayberry's Opie Taylor.
on November 7, 2014 at 11:17 AM Report this
21
This was a really good article, perhaps one of the best I've read here.



Good luck with your future plans.
El Matardillo on November 7, 2014 at 2:27 PM Report this
22
.. Anna - I too, regularly attend meetings, and your candid reviews could not be more spot on. I've made note of a few of your unique points.

Namaste,
Anthony Vincent
avincent98122 on November 7, 2014 at 6:01 PM Report this
23
@8,
didn't you hear ? They're considering moving their offices.... even off the Hill. Probably a really good time to shop around to see if you can sell off an alternative fishwrap for more than the SeattleTimes's operation.

http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2014/1…
ChefJoe on November 9, 2014 at 10:59 AM Report this
24
@23 Yeah, I'm getting a would the last one out please turn off the lights vibe.
fletc3her on November 10, 2014 at 11:26 AM Report this
25
What the fuck is going on over at the stranger? Turnover is ridiculous lately, and the Slog is 50% filler nonsense.
Rotten666 on November 10, 2014 at 11:46 AM Report this
26
I came here to make almost the exact same comment as @24: would the last news reporter to leave The Stranger please turn out the lights.

But, hey, maybe we won't notice if only The Stranger can throw in a few more music and other lifestyle pieces, photograph and interview more oddballs on the street, perv over more bartenders, and give more space for Mudede to contemplate his navel. Sure beats serving the community through journalism!
Warren Terra on November 10, 2014 at 11:48 AM Report this
27
Yeah, wow, suck. I think it speaks volumes that I thoroughly enjoy your pieces, even while (as a Portlander) having very little vested interest in what you're covering. Also, what rob! said, of course.

Seems to be something of a disrepect to the readership to not address this issue, as well as to all the changes in the slog. The absence of the weekend news pieces is gonna be even more striking once we're all hunkered indoors for months of cold, nasty weather.

Good luck, Anna! And say hi to that wonderful chap Sam Bellomio for me next time you see him...
mikethehammer on November 10, 2014 at 12:01 PM Report this
28
Good luck with your new endeavor, Anna! & I agree with @9 all the way.
6 on November 10, 2014 at 12:08 PM Report this
29
Like Keck told the CHS blog, loud mouth opinions are a dime a dozen. That shows what little respect he had for such great reporters as Holden, Goldy, and Minard.

Good luck in your new endeavours.
LMcGuff on November 10, 2014 at 12:17 PM Report this
30
Nice work, Tim K.

The Stranger is now officially (unless you count jerking off about bands nobody cares about and more overpriced stupid hipster restaurants) content-free.

Once upon a time you guys had way more cred than Fairview Fanny (not that hard, but a good counter-establishment accomplishment).

Couldn't take the heat could you...too fucking bad for us readers, right?
Rujax! on November 10, 2014 at 1:10 PM Report this
31
R.I.P. Slog. What the hell happened?
Joe Szilagyi on November 10, 2014 at 1:28 PM Report this
32
Yeah, what IS going on over there? Rats fleeing the sinking ship.
Escapee from S. Idaho on November 10, 2014 at 1:51 PM Report this
33
We could see the slide happening in the months before Goldy left, when Slog posts started getting replaced by Stranger articles.



I liked Anna's work; best of luck to her.
seatackled on November 10, 2014 at 1:52 PM Report this
34
Now that the female feminists' numbers are dwindling, maybe we can get more reports from Trent Moorman about sexually harassing women at their places of work.
seatackled on November 10, 2014 at 1:57 PM Report this
35
Personally I hope this means we will be hearing more about Nipper's record collection.

Bye Anna! As a fellow TCS Dragon, always enjoyed seeing your posts.
robroc on November 10, 2014 at 2:27 PM Report this
36
Hey, maybe the Grande Plan is to make Charles Muede the new Holden/Goldy/Minard.



#winningstrategyhahahahahaha
Roses on November 10, 2014 at 2:28 PM Report this
37
Joining the crowd in wishing you well Anna and really mourning the death by myriad cuts of Slog.
gnossos on November 10, 2014 at 3:26 PM Report this
38
Anna--Your comment on O'Brien indicates that you have not learned much about Seattle's (or San Francisco's) urban political economy. First you say "his values line up exactly with where Seattle should be heading over the next few years." You mean like when he was listening to Roger Valdez until he wasn't? Or do you mean like after he realized how crappy City land use planning, policy decisions, and implementation are when "a bunch of insane old white homeowners" started to unload on him? Or do you think it might be when he starts making better connections between his social justice values and land use, like trying to increase Vulcan's cost of doing business (i.e., pay for at least a smidgeon of the gentrification it causes)? Can you even articulate what O'Brien's values are?
TobyinFremont on November 10, 2014 at 4:47 PM Report this
39
"No true Seattleite," sayeth Toby!
on November 10, 2014 at 5:56 PM Report this
41
Hah. Anyone else not surprised in the least that Sawant's staff is the least diverse? Just a bunch of white upper class hipsters in Che shirts drinking PBR while thinking they're the fucking "proletariat masses".
collectivism_sucks on November 10, 2014 at 7:10 PM Report this
42
Kuow has become crap. Slog is becoming crap. I blame gentrification.
on November 10, 2014 at 10:17 PM Report this
43
News we can use. Thanks, Anna.
on November 11, 2014 at 8:53 AM Report this
44
Just want to second what @9 and @14 said.

Seattle's only newspaper will soon have no actual news or political content outside of biennial Frank Chopp endorsements.
JPDarche on November 11, 2014 at 1:38 PM Report this
45
So is the paper going to keep being backfilled by dumbasses like Herz and rambling academics?
The CHZA on November 11, 2014 at 3:51 PM Report this
46
Great article. However, all the "y-alls" really made me angry. I can't imagine a phrase less PNW-ish and spoken mostly by people who are on the nadir of everything Seattle. Say it three times, and George W. Bush or Rick Perry will probably appear on your screen.
shotsix on November 12, 2014 at 11:23 AM Report this
47
This piece was nothing but puerile, ad hominem snark attacks with no real content. Too bad Anna can't pass on anything of substance having covered City Council all this time. Stranger, do you always hire juvenile high school kids as your writers? Truly, you think this is what passes for journalism?
Snogwangler on November 12, 2014 at 1:26 PM Report this

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