Morning! Low chance of rain this morning before 2 pm, and the National Weather Service expected today to start cloudy and then turn sunny, with a high near 57. Looking outside right now, just appears to start sunny. Grab some sunscreen and hit the streets!
Seattle Police Officers contract cost released: City Council central staff released the cost of the 2020-2023 Seattle Police Officer’s Guild (SPOG) contract and the cops absolutely hustled us. This year, the City plans to pay officers an additional $96 million in back pay and raises. The contract adds about $40 million in additional spending to the 2025 budget, a year in which the City expects a $240 million budget deficit. The contract heads to full Council vote next Tuesday.
Looks like the new SPOG contract will go directly to Full Council for a final vote on Tuesday, 5/14. Seattle will be paying $57.1 million in backpay to SPOG members for 2021, 2022, and 2023. Accounting for the raises, officer pay will then cost about $40 million more per year.
— Amy Sundberg (@amysundberg) May 6, 2024
Very related… Here are all the council members’ email addresses:
rob.saka@seattle.gov
tammy.morales@seattle.gov
joy.hollingsworth@seattle.gov
maritza.rivera@seattle.gov
cathy.moore@seattle.gov
dan.strauss@seattle.gov
robert.kettle@seattle.gov
tanya.woo@seattle.gov
sara.nelson@seattle.gov
Speaking of Seattle Police Department Officers: SPD Officer Ryan Rose challenged another officer to a fight after the officer went to talk to him about how Rose had ruined a potential drug bust, causing the suspects to scatter, according to DivestSPD. Officers said Rose had “Leeroy Jenkins’d” the drug bust. When Officer Seth Romeo tried to speak to Rose about it, Rose became angry and called Romeo a “pussy.” Rose later told another officer that Romeo was “lucky that I am not off duty. I would drag him out the car and beat him to death.” Anyway, no increased accountability measures in the new SPOG contract that gives this cop a raise.
Speaking of raising wages: The King County Council plans to vote Tuesday on whether to increase the County’s minimum wage to more than $20 an hour, according to the Seattle Times. The bill has some caveats: it only applies to unincorporated King County and has some different minimums for small-to-mid-sized businesses, so it really only applies to three businesses. Still, that’s probably good. The bill looks likely to pass, with five out of nine council members already voicing their support.
University of Washington has no plans to cut ties with Boeing: Through a spokesperson Friday, UW President Ana Mari Cauce maintained that the University had no plans to meet student protestors’ demands that UW end its relationship with the weapons manufacturer, according to the Seattle Times. Cauce stands with a long list of college presidents who continue to say, “Nom nom nom, we love blood money.”
Israel seizes border crossing as it prepares to invade Rafah: Israel’s preparations for a “limited” ground incursion into Rafah has “choked off” aid to Gaza as it closes a crucial border crossing, according to NBC News. The cutting of aid comes as the people of northern Gaza deal with a “full-blown famine.” More than a million Palestinians fled to Rafah after Israel began raining airstrikes down on Gaza. Now, Israel has asked 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate eastern Rafah. Hamas agreed to a cease-fire proposal, and yet Israel has said it plans to continue its invasion. More than 34,700 Palestinians have died in the conflict so far, according to the Associated Press, and other outlets acknowledge that’s likely an incomplete count.
HIND’S HALL. Once it’s up on streaming all proceeds to UNRWA. pic.twitter.com/QqZEKmzwZI
— Macklemore (@macklemore) May 6, 2024
[Eds note: Macklemore’s past taste in, uh, “disguises” may open him up to criticism.]
Customers launch fundraiser for Ballard market: An explosion engulfed Take 5 Urban Market in Ballard in flames early Thursday. The building itself survived, but the accidental natural gas explosion destroyed everything inside. Customers want to make sure the market can bounce back and have launched a fundraiser— MyBallard has more.
Republican City Attorney Ann Davison kind of sucks at her job: Between February 2022 and August 2023, Davison’s office has taken 36 cases to trial and secured a guilty verdict in exactly eight. I have to dive into these numbers a little more, but the lack of convictions out of her office, and lack of trials, seems about right for a candidate with limited trial experience.
Repubican City Attorney Ann Davison’s Office literally can’t win at trial. Between February 2022 and August 2023, her office took 36 cases to trial, and she only won 8. Her conviction rate at trial is 22%.
— Ashley Nerbovig (@AshleyNerbovig) May 6, 2024
Former Bothell City Council member remains in jail on murder charge: James McNeal, 58, faces second-degree murder charges for the death of 20-year-old Liliya Guyvoronsky. Prosecutors say McNeal met Guyvoronsky while she worked as a dancer, but then began seeing her and financially supporting her after she left the adult entertainment industry, according to the Everett Herald. The charging documents say Guyvoronsky tried to break up with McNeal, and wrote herself a note: “Do not interact w/James today.” Authorities have not yet released a cause of death.
Trump’s hush money trial continues: Prosecutors called Stormy Daniels to the stand Tuesday to testify about her sexual encounter with the former president in 2006, which she says she was paid to keep silent about, according to the Associated Press. Should be interesting reading. This is more of an aside, but I think we should start calling it “Shush money.”
Mayor plans to move some refugees: Mayor Bruce Harrell said his office plans to move some families with kids out of Powell Barnett Park, saying they’ve identified some other shelter. Lilly Ana Fowler has more:
Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office plans to clear Powell Barnett Park in the Central District where 100s of asylum seekers — mostly from Venezuela & Angola — have been camping. They say they’ve identified other shelter. Response comes after some raised questions about conditions. pic.twitter.com/dvZ439EdlC
— Lilly Ana Fowler (@LillyAFowler) May 6, 2024
“Tried to talk to God/But He said sort yourself out”: Pillow Queens’ new album Name Your Sorrow is a beautiful, lyrical piece of art. Highly recommend listening on a long, sunny walk.
Yes, Hamas accepted a new ceasefire proposal. That wasn’t negotiated with Israel. That doesn’t change the 2 demands that have prevented any agreement for 2 months: permanent end to the fighting and IDF withdrawal.
Meanwhile, the people they govern are starving, but Hamas’ focus is on their survival and control of Gaza.
Absolutely ridiculous expectation that UW would divest from Boeing so some UW students don’t feel complicit. If you’re an American, you’re complicit. Your university’s purity won’t change that.
“Rose later told another officer that Romeo was “lucky that I am not off duty. I would drag him out the car and beat him to death.”
Personally, I’m impressed that he demonstrated the restraint to not kill the guy while on duty. He deserves a raise!
“Very related…
Here are all the council
members’ email addresses:”
well well well
welcome to
Activism
@ tS!
fucking
BRAVO.
KeepitUp!
Raindrop, “Hinds Hall” is the title of the new track. Sorry to disturb.
WSJ ran a story late last week about the website CrimethINC, claiming it has become an important node for protesters to share their experiences and exchange “trade craft.” After perusing the site over morning coffee, it did provide some clarity over what one reads, hears and sees from many of those out on the streets, though not in a good way. Credit CrimethInc to reduce a near century old, complex conflict into a Manichean meme that would fit into a fortune cookie.
Bukowski said, “The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.”
CrimethINC clearly prefers confidence, with its necessary attendent condition.
@2: Why, it’s almost as if Hamas wanted the border crossing closed, thus providing images of trapped, desperate, and starving civilians, which the Stranger (and others here) could then cite as proof of Israel’s savage desire to kill civilians. But that can’t be right, because then the Stranger would have fallen for an obviously manipulative trick by Hamas.
Wait, what?
@3: But Hamas accepted a ceasefire! They accepted! No backsies!
UW won’t cut ties with Boeing? Wow, what a shocker!
Here’s the thing about academia: Students come and go, but endowments are forever.
UW cutting ties with Boeing?
Har, har, har!
Like any of living in Seattle are going to refuse to fly Alaska Airlines from now on as a protest!
@12 – I trust that the wiser-than-all-the-rest-of-us students making demands on campus have already sworn off flying Alaska Airlines for life. Alaska fuels their planes with the blood of Palestinian children, of course.
And none of them will ever ever invest in any defense contractor again, right? They have all withdrawn every cent from any index funds which they or their parents hold as investments to help pay for their tuition, I am sure, as any such funds hold Boeing stock as well as any number of other defense contractors.
Nor will they ever buy a gallon of gasoline again (the world oil market benefits Iran, which is contributing to the bloodshed). No? I’m wrong? They are not willing to make the changes that they insist the UW do? Who would have thought?
The difference is there is zero sacrifice to divestment because the university loses nothing by changing where it puts its money. It’s not a comprehensive fix but it’s a step in the right direction with zero collateral costs (it’s also pure speculation to say none of the protesters are taking other actions but that’s beside the point — it doesn’t matter).
This is like saying there is no point in buying an electric car or taking the bus if the food you eat is transported on diesel fuel. People can do their part, however small, without completely upending their lifestyle. Calling people hypocrites for taking incremental steps to do better is a nihilistic excuse for never trying and dismissing those who do.
ACAP
So basically everything that happened during the summer of 2020 has resulted in absolutely nothing changing and cops doubling down and getting paid more. I guess we can look forward to more and more murders of Black people by cops while more and more people remain on the streets with no place to live. This country won’t be happy until everyone is either enslaved (to capitalism) or dead – all so a few white guys can have more money than they could spend in 100 lifetimes.
So no commentary on the thousands of people in the streets of Israel (Israelis) demanding the slaughter be stopped and Netanyahu be removed? Guess those Israelis are all anti-Semites now, too, huh? If you’re not willing to be a member and/or support the current Nazi regime, you’re just another person to vilify.
Finally, I don’t know why I am surprised, but people sure are happy to defend universities being private equity firms that care more about money than they ever will about education. Why should anyone be required to have a piece of paper from any of these institutions?
Alaska is the only airline I have status on, and like hell am I giving that up just because 10% of college students are uppity about many of the buildings, amenities, and services they so enjoy are being funded by that. Back of the line, plebs.
‘ Officer Seth Romeo tried to speak to Rose about it, Rose became angry and called Romeo a “pussy.” Rose later told another officer that Romeo was “lucky that I am not off duty. I would drag him out the car and beat him to death.” ‘
at that point
All the other Officers
Jumped ontopa Rose
& Kicked the Holy FUCK
Outta him told him to keep
His Big Mouth the fuck SHUT
There wasn’t gonna BE
ANY ‘Paid Vaction’& if
He Wanted to be a
Po-Po in Seattle
he’d hafta say
he’d Tripped
over ‘is own
Stupidity.
now
There’s a
Happy ending!
say that reminds me
has the City Council
Banned steroid use
in its Po-po?
@17
we cede to them OUR
Power because they can
and Do employ boatlods
of Wormtongues to Sell to
us our ‘freedom’ to become
enslavened to corporate Masters
And we do it
Willingly like
Lams To the
Schlaughter
sorry!
that shouldda been
we cede to them OUR
Power because they can
and Do employ shitloads
of Wormtongues to Sell to
us our ‘freedom’ to become
enslavened to corporate Masters
[wanted:
proofreader]
[no Experience
is even necessary].
This what the LAPD’s police officers union had to say about proposing 24 call types for civilian response (more than this contract allows):
“Police officers are not psychologists. We are not psychiatrists. We are not mental health experts. We are not social workers, doctors, nurses or waste management experts…I do believe that many people think we should be all those things but we are not. We should be focused on responding to emergencies, saving lives (and) property, and of course, engaging in community policing.”
I understand there are folks who will read this who simply “don’t want cops” at all, but if you’re concerned about crime and think we still need some the contract as it stands will kneecap our ability to hire the cops we want – those who read this and nod their heads because that’s why the chose the job, not doing wellness checks or taking burgled bike reports. Freeing up officer time has nothing to do with defund, it’s been bog standard police administration for a long time. Departments like LA, San Jose, and Denver are lapping Seattle at it and will have first pick of officers who want to do more than phone it if this contract passes as it stands.
‘defund’
is an exemplary
movement to co-opt
for reactionaries but not
while also being intellectually
Honest — ‘honesty’ can be Fluid
not This:
This what the LAPD’s police officers union had to say about proposing 24 call types for civilian response (more than this contract allows):
“Police officers are not psychologists. We are not psychiatrists. We are not mental health experts. We are not social workers, doctors, nurses or waste management experts…
I do believe that many people think we should be all those things but we are not. We should be focused on responding to emergencies, saving lives (and) property, and of course, engaging in community policing.”
and thanks, BK!
and BRAVO
LAPD AND
BRAVO TO
YOUR UN-
ION too!
Hey
Seattle
City Cancel:
can You
guys make
that Happen
here?
omg!
think
of the
$avings!
@25
I know
I know but
Whattabout
the Reactionaries?
Idaho
Beckons!
women as
Chattel! what’s
Not to Love? go!
@15: “The difference is there is zero sacrifice to divestment because the university loses nothing by changing where it puts its money.”
That’s pure speculation. Different investments produce different returns at different times. You have no way of knowing what financial sacrifices UW might make in future by divesting from Boeing (or any other company) right now.
@17: “So basically everything that happened during the summer of 2020 has resulted in absolutely nothing changing and cops doubling down and getting paid more.”
Yep. Between young Black men dying violently from lack of police protection in the CHOP, and the Seattle City Council driving the SPD’s only-ever female BIPOC Chief out of office via their unpopular “defund” policy, the entire impetus for police reform was completely wasted. Yay Progressive City Council!! (Please feel free to contact CM Morales and tell her what a great job she got done.)
@18: “So no commentary on the thousands of people in the streets of Israel (Israelis) demanding the slaughter be stopped and Netanyahu be removed? Guess those Israelis are all anti-Semites now, too, huh?”
If they’re not chanting, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine shall be Arab,” then the Stranger just doesn’t support them. Hence no mention here.
On the flip side, I’m pretty sure those demonstrators you mentioned don’t agree with your eliminationist hate rhetoric against their country:
“If the world had any balls it would eliminate Israel (since it isn’t a real country, it’s an occupation of Palestine).”
(https://www.thestranger.com/elections-2024/2024/03/15/79427944/university-of-washington-students-bemoan-choices-for-president-contemplate-not-voting/comments/21)
@27: “Between young Black men dying violently from lack of police protection in the CHOP, and the Seattle City Council driving the SPD’s only-ever female BIPOC Chief out of office”
So you are saying that the proximate cause of young Black men dying violently was the police walking off the job in the CHOP, and the chief on whose watch is happened leaving is somehow a bad thing?
Interesting take.
I also have no way of knowing what UW is losing by not investing in anything else besides Boeing, or any other arms dealers they may have a stake in. It’s all speculative, but the point still stands that the students aren’t hypocrites for asking the university to put their money elsewhere.
@28: No, I mean the CHOP had no police presence; the reason was not important. Surprise, surprise, persons who tend to use violence against other persons somehow become more likely to act violently in the absence of police. (Nobody could have predicted, eh?)
The City Council then attempted to implement “defund,” but all they did was get the Chief to quit, followed by lots of other officers thereafter. Hence the focus on hiring more police now, a policy the Stranger opposes. Yay Progressive Council!
@3): If indeed the “Progressive Council” caused officers to leave, they did us taxpayers a solid. All Chief Diaz and Mayor Harrell his boss have to do is start ramping up on civilian staffing using the funds already allocated for sworn staff – and we’ll get more bang for our buck. (Max pay for the CSOs in the San Jose PD who’ve handling low priority calls for a decade there, for example, is 55% that of a sworn officer there). Ball’s in Diaz’ and Harrell’s court.
Carmen Best is lucky she’s not on trial for destroying evidence. Durkan too.
Gotta love Macklemore! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyy27x50SXU
@33 — kids’re about to
Inherit a burning Planet
fascism writ Large & end-
stage Capitalism — every One
& Everything For Sale on Sale get
’em while they’re HOTT — another great
Soundtrack for the soon-to-be Revolution
I do Now.
thnx!
@33 — kids’re about to
Inherit a burning Planet
fascism writ Large & end-
stage Capitalism — every One
& Everything For Sale on Sale get
’em while they’re HOTT — another great
Soundtrack for the soon-to-be Revolution
I do Now.
thnx!
fkn daily
double
let me
Fix it
tS!
I’m amazed that anyone is still defending Carmen Best. When push came to shove, she proved seriously deficient in both professionalism and integrity (as did the mayor). Her departure was a positive development, no matter who “caused” it. Can’t we all agree on at least that much?
It looks like Netanyahu is aiming to outwit Biden (or else give him an excuse for continued passivity in the face of Israel’s ongoing wholesale destruction of Gaza’s cultural heritage and civic infrastructure) by employing the classic “camel’s nose” strategy in Rafah. Sad to say, it’ll probably work. He’s one slick operator, I’ll give him that much.
@36: I’m not defending Carmen Best. I’m recounting how she left her job as Chief of SPD, and it had absolutely nothing to do with her job performance. How was that just, or fair, or a “positive development”? Is SPD run a whole lot better now?
Also, to get American assent for invasion of Rafah, why would anyone need to “outwit” Biden?
“…the poll also found support for Israel to continue its military operation into the city of Rafah, where many Palestinian civilians have fled to after Israel’s offensive began. Israeli leaders have said that Hamas militants are in the city.
“More than 70 percent of respondents said Israel should move forward with the operation,”
(https://thehill.com/policy/international/4629597-americans-israel-hamas-gaza-student-protests-poll/amp/)
While we tsk-tsk over Boeing’s status as an arms manufacturer, we conveniently ignore the fact that a huge part of the Puget Sound economy is tied to the US Military: JBLM, Bangor, Bremerton, Keyport, PNNL, etc. For as liberal as we our, much of our prosperity is tied to war – and the UW has ties to all of those agencies and bases. Military funded grants extend that connection into the biotech sector which inhabits SLU and the UW Medicine consortium.
That should read “For as liberal as we are….”
Mrs. Vel-DuRay regrets the error.
@11, @39 and @40 Catalina Vel-DuRay, @12 pat L, @13 dvs99, @17, @18 and @19 xina: +8 for the WIN!!!
@25 and @26 kristofarian: Idaho? YUCK! You won’t see me and my beloved VW heading east of the Cascades to any blood red neofascist MAGAt state of confusion any time soon. I’m wondering if Germany will accept us–at least I’ve got an appropriate car. We’re trying to leave as small of carbon footprints and tire tracks as possible…
Thank you again for sending the precious VW book. It’s a classic! 😉
@39&40 😀
oh!
you Heard me!
fucking FINALLY:
nyt: Biden Puts
Arms Shipment to Israel
on Hold Amid Dispute Over Rafah Attack
The United States withheld 3,500 bombs last week out of concern that they might be used in a major assault against the southern Gaza city, officials said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/07/us/politics/israel-biden-arms.html
@41 da Nada
auntie Gee! so glad
you Liked ze Beetle Book!
the Nazis
in Ideeho’d
likely think you
a Fellow Traveler
if you showed up
in ‘the People’s car’
tho I should think
you’d quell that
Notion quite
Quickly.
“A
Gazan
doesn’t
care if the
bomb that kills
them is procured from the U.S.”
nonsense cap’n.
if That were True then
why’d Boeing write ‘Proudly
Made in the USofA!’ and Gazans
collect their shards (in myraid ways!)
and build little Shrines in honor of CEO
David R. Calhoun? nah, whom it Is what
Kills you is Important to Most Genocidees
hell they even sing the
Boeing Ditty* when they hear
the screams of the rockets & then of
their Children, buried under the rubble
“That counter-intuitively may mean more violence and intensive combat in the short run, to spare more non-combatants in the long run.”
well
then
let’s Nuke
’em and put
’em outta their
Misery — that’d be
the Humane Thing to Do
right?
*with the IDF Chiming in
harmoniously as they
shoo their Parents
far, far Away
it’s
quite
Heart-
warming
wrenching
whatevertf.
“Progressive Council causes crummy police chief to leave, giving Mayor a free hand to pick a better police chief.
“Mayor chooses another crummy police chief.”
Progressive Council 1, Mayor 0
@46: Yes, but Progressive Council wasn’t doing it because of her job performance. They were doing it in their failed attempt to implement their unpopular “defund” policy.
If you repeatedly and randomly discharge a firearm up into the air, then eventually you’ll kill A Bad Person. Does that make it alright?
@47: I think the Council pretty clearly didn’t think Best was the bee’s knees: “The Seattle City Council voted unanimously to ban police from using chokeholds, tear gas, pepper spray and several other crowd control devices after officers repeatedly used them on mostly peaceful demonstrators protesting racism and police brutality….The 9-0 vote Monday came amid frustration with the Seattle Police Department, which used tear gas to disperse protesters in the city’s densest neighborhood, Capitol Hill, just days after Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best promised not to. “
@48: First, they didn’t remove Best from office, they goaded her into quitting by reducing her pay. That’s low class, passive-aggressive behavior in any management situation. Seattle deserved better.
Second, they did this not because of her job performance, but because they were trying to “defund” the SPD. As Our Very Own Dear Divine Mrs. Vel-DuRay had explicitly told them, they could not alter union contracts unilaterally, so they could not reduce the pay of most SPD officers. Thus, they were pretending to defund by reducing the Chief’s pay, which they could do. They wound up doing that because they’d utterly failed to understand the limits of their powers. Renegade, arbitrary, and dishonest actions are not outcomes of good governance.
Third, even if they had actually canned the Chief over one incident, then they’re not very good at the oversight thing, and that’s hardly an endorsement of them.
But hey, if you still think there’s a way to spin this which doesn’t make the Council look worse than Best (ha!), then please feel free to continue your attempts at diddling that chicken. Meanwhile, I’ll go grab some more popcorn.
@49: If you tell a bad person to stop being bad, and then you fine that bad person, and then the bad person goes away and leaves you and everyone else around alone, does that make you good?
100%