⢠In a recent Stranger Election Control Board meeting for mayoral candidates, Seattle City Council member Bruce Harrell dodged a question on whether he's ever smoked marijuana, instead informing the room, "I am naturally high all the time." Every other candidate in the roomâEd Murray, Mike McGinn, and Peter Steinbrueckâanswered with a decisive "yes."
⢠After watching their efforts to draft legislation to repeal a controversial 9.5 percent tax on ticket sales and cover charges for live music and DJ sets (really, any event that promoted dancing) stall in Olympia this year, Seattle club owners have reason to celebrate: Legislators included a so-called dance tax exemption as one of 15 exemptions drafted into their biennial budget deal. Taken altogether, the exemptions are expected to cost the state an estimated $13.5 million annually in lost revenue. Unfortunately, the deal comes too late for Century Ballroom, Neighbours, and the Tractor Tavern, all of which were charged thousands of dollars in back taxes for providing dance floors for their patrons.
⢠"When a bridge is out, it's out for Republicans and Democrats alike," a somewhat testy Governor Jay Inslee pointed out at a post-session press conference, in which he squarely laid the blame on senate majority leader Rodney Tom and his Majority Coalition Caucus for failing to pass a transportation funding package by "nail[ing] the door shut to bipartisanship."
⢠As thousands of LGBT-loving people flooded the streets of downtown Seattle, dancing, drinking, hugging, and celebrating Washington's first post-gay-marriage Pride weekend in 90-plus-degree weather, Seattle City Council president and noted dyke on bike Sally Clark tweeted this message to her 2,000 followers on June 30: "Confession: just spent 20 mins in a line I thought was for monorail. Was for ATM near monorail entry. I need lunch."
