Comments

1

Four more years of Mullet, not six. This is the WA Senate, not the US Senate.

2

@1 I just caught that + updated

3

I remember being on the beach in Atlantic City the night the TP opened! Fireworks!! Very fancy at the time. I also remember riding the glass elevator all the way up to the top. And passing through the lobby on my way from the OceanONE mall to being picked up from work. ONCE, I put a quarter in a slot machine and won 100 bucks. Fun memories just based on the photo alone!

4

Census Bureau survey doesn't say what's wrong with the other half of Seattle.

My advice? Remember what they say: "It's always darkest before the dawn."

And do your best to ignore the fact that - as in most things - "they" couldn't be more completely wrong about the dark, and the dawn, and everything.

5

November was rough in Seattle. Now imagine if Trump had won.

6

Last time I checked the Dems have a super majority in both the WA House and Senate. If one Senator from Issaquah is enough to quash whatever fevered tax plans they are hatching up for next year then the plans are probably pretty shitty to begin with. I honestly don't understand the Strangers saltiness over this election. The SEIU did the damndest to buy this seat and send a message that those who refuse to bend the knee would face their wrath. To me it's a great thing that voters rejected their veiled coup and shows that big money has no place in elections whether its Amazon or the SEIU.

8

@6- huh?
No, all politics is local. Mullet is a dick, most all the 5th Dems wanted him out. Look at his record. Opposition to Mullet was from grassroots, not top-down as you are characterizing it.
A lot of my neighbors had both Culp and Mullet signs in their yards, that should tell you something right there.

10

@7, the last casino owner who did that was Bugsy Siegel. It didn't end well for him.

11

Thank you @9. I get so tired of people comparing political contributions from Unions to that of big business. They are not the same. Unions are grassroots, people-first organizations by definition. That said, I look forward to a day when all campaigns are publicly funded and all other political contributions are prohibited--Unions and big business alike.

12

@11: "Unions are grassroots, people-first organizations by definition."

Indeed they are. That goes for SPOG too.

14

COVID-19 cases are not "down" they just aren't up.

DO NOT HOLD WINTER PARTIES. If you must gather, which you shouldn't, wear masks, wash hands before and after handling food, do not share utensils INCLUDING SERVING IMPLEMENTS (have one person serve the plates and use gloves or towels to deliver them), and avoid alchohol consumption during shared meals AS IT WILL IMPAIR YOUR JUDGEMENT as to how risky things are.

If you can hold it outdoors, don't use a tent with more than two sides (canopies are better), and keep physical distancing. But minimize the size and try not to hold any such gatherings if you can avoid them.

It's ok to have Zoom or FaceTime parties or gatherings. Those are good.

There should be vaccines for critical staff for most required retail soon. Think Jan-Feb. Right now it's medical staff handling COVID and next is rest homes. Don't be the guy who got COVID because he couldn't wait for Real President's Day to get his/her shots.

15

@9/11 Unions are grassroots? That is one of the most ridiculous things that have been written in these pages and there is a lot of nonsense that goes on here. Unions advocate for their members (as they should) however its not like their members have a choice of who unions are supporting. If you are going to try and insinuate that 100% of union membership supports the overall political leanings of their union you are either crazy, a liar or both. It really requires a high level of cognitive dissonance to argue that money from business is bad and unions is good in elections. In both cases they are contributing to representatives in order to advance their own agendas. Either you support big money in elections and if that is the case then let business argue their case or you don't and if that's the case then unions shouldn't be exempt from criticism for trying to influence the outcome.

16

One story SLOG AM missed:

Alexa, pay him back: Federal labor board sides with NYC worker who said Amazon fired him for protesting COVID conditions

The National Labor Relations Board said Gerald Bryson’s unfair labor practices complaint against the behemoth delivery business had merit — and that now it’s up to Amazon to determine whether to reinstate Bryson, settle with him or appeal to an administrative judge.

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-amazon-covid-complaint-worker-labor-board-20201217-j4txnqngenfqzjlmymflztmmbm-story.html

17

District13 Funny, you always scream about labor and progressive left wing movements making any inroads. You don't want us to have anything do you? Nothing about the corporate rich that have taken over the economy by any means necessary. Who are you? We know you are on the bandwagon to recall Sawant. We voted her in and we want our votes respected NOW. You are a brown noser for the elite and you should be ashamed of your attacks on District 13 people.

The status quo kills and we will continue to fight back.

18

12 BUT there is a big difference isn't there?

19

15 You are ridiculous with your right wing bullshit. As I former union activist I can see right through it.

Unemployment benefits, the weekend, the eight hour day, stopping child labor here, work for decent wages, social security benefits, ETC. All done by the labor movements and their UNIONS!!!!

Your side has done everything to kill us but history tells us that IT WILL NOT WORK.

20

@18: Yes, as I recall there's some political correctness brouhaha resulting in some feathers ruffled in Seattle's progressive elite circles over SPOG.

21

9 You nailed it.

22

@15 "its not like their members have a choice of who unions are supporting"

Yes they do. If they don't like what leadership is doing, they vote for someone else. In contrast, if you don't like your boss, the only option is to quit. And if you don't like what that rich guy is doing with his money -- tough shit. In America anyone can buy an election -- all you need is the cash.

23

20 Are you another pompous ass raindrop or are you just lying? People, especially Black people, are being murdered now, also in the past, by police thugs. So you don't know why people are upset? It appears you have no shame and just want to snark.

24

@19 I'm not saying corporations are good nor that unions are bad and I readily acknowledge that unions have provided a ton of benefits to the working class including myself. That doesn't mean we should pretend they are some benevolent organization who only act in the interest of the greater good. They are biased toward their membership just as business is biased toward their shareholders. I don't know how you can argue allowing one organization to pour money into our election system in an attempt to influence that system to their benefit is bad and yet for another organization to do so is good. That smacks of hypocrisy.

25

ole raincloud's just here
to piss on the parade and
tell you it's sure sunny, eh?
'what the Hell is that, sweat?'

26

yeah, well does the Teacher's Union
gotta provide Cover for teachers that
kill their kids? how 'bout them Plumbers?

27

'1.5 million adults in the Seattle area felt down, depressed, or hopeless'

So, just the homeless?

28

@23: Police thugs huh. You dispariage an entire organization of Seattle public employees. You're the one who should be ashamed.

29

@15:

Political endorsements by union locals are generally made by a majority of members who attend meetings held for that specific purpose. Sure, a lot of people don't bother to show up or vote or even express an opinion, but that's no different from any other democratic institution; if you don't participate your opinion/vote doesn't count. Those local endorsements are then taken to county or regional councils where delegates representing locals vote again on the endorsements, after which they go to state councils (for state-wide races), and to the national AFL-CIO or applicable body where they're voted on again. If anything union political endorsements are about the most specific examples of grass-roots representative democratic engagement one can point to - unlike corporations where employees, let alone shareholders, never get to vote on who their boards endorse.

30

@23: But yeah, I need to dial my snark down - after all 'tis the season.

31

@28: Oh really? Please, raindrop, enlighten us: when was the last time the Department of Justice had to step in to enforce oversight on librarians, nurses, or teachers from regularly violating the civil rights of citizens and blocking ensuing investigations? And since when did the Seattle Police Officer's Guild have anything to do with any other public profession?

You keep rattling off these comments without giving them any thought, people around here - besides just me - are going to think you're a part-time troll and full-time idiot.

32

@31: Yes knit, really.

33

@29 I see no fundamental difference in shareholders and union members. They both vote for leadership who then creates and implements strategy on their behalf. It's not like every member of SEUI is voting on where they are going to allocate funds in each race and how much. But that's not my point. The point is why are they endorsing any candidate much less spending millions of dollars to try and elect a representative from a small suburb in Seattle? They are doing it to influence legislation that is beneficial to their members whether that be in the form of pay raises or increased benefits. They are not spending all of that money because they think having a new representative in District 5 will benefit the greater good of every person in the state of WA. The posters in this thread keep trying to split hairs and imply spending that they agree with should be allowed (unions) and spending they disagree with should be outlawed (business). Spending to influence elections for the sole benefit of a special interest is either good or bad so if you support union spending than you should have no problem with Amazon throwing their millions around and if you think Amazon is bad than you should expect similar restrictions on unions.

35

@34 it’s getting hard to hear you. Can you speak louder or maybe you can take a few minutes to step down from your high horse? Special interests are special interests. Unions don’t care about the non members any more than Amazon shareholders care about non shareholders. So I’ll put you down for supporting special interest money in elections.

37

@36 That’s awesome. Much more creative than your usual trite insults. Unions don’t represent the rest of America. They represent their members nothing more.

38

@37 -- they used to represent a third of America when most of America's wages reflected Union workers' wages. And we had the Hugest Middle Class the Planet's ever known. now look where we are: thee Sole Industrialized Country -- also the Richest -- just us, without Fucking Healthcare for everyone. other than the Emergency Room, duh, eh?

39

also -- say, you're not Ronny Raygun Redux are ya?

40

oh, and have ya noticed those GINORMOUS Food Lines?
it's like The Depression only Worse
yeah, we don't need no
Stinkin' Unions.

41

@38 that may be but none of that has anything to do with the premise of a special interest group using their financial resources to influence voters. I still have yet to see anyone address why one group should be allowed to do this while another should not outside of political ideology.

42

Corps are Undemocratic fictions of personhood
representing Shareholders and Beholden
to Profiteering at all Costs

why should we give them Any say?
they respect neither Planet nor Citizenry
and with Amy COVID Barrett et al on the USSC
and KkKonnell in the Senate they're about to stage
a Coup d'Ă©tat. and to think, it all started with the Powell Memo:

The America I knew has almost disappeared
What’s left of our democratic institutions are under siege
By Thom Hartmann

https://www.salon.com/2017/10/17/thom-hartmann-the-america-i-knew-has-almost-disappeared_partner/

43

from @42

Like an alcoholic family that won’t discuss alcoholism (proving Don Quixote’s warning never to mention rope in the home of a man who’s been hanged), far too many Americans are unwilling to acknowledge or even discuss the ongoing collapse of democracy in the United States.

President Jimmy Carter took it head on when he told me on my radio program that the Citizen’s United decision:

“[V]iolates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system.

Now it’s just an oligarchy, with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or to elect the president. And the same thing applies to governors and U.S. senators and congress members.

So now we’ve just seen a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors, who want and expect and sometimes get favors for themselves after the election’s over.”

This “complete subversion of our political system” grew, in large part, out of Richard Nixon’s 1972 appointment of Lewis Powell to the Supreme Court.

Powell, in 1971, had authored the infamous Powell Memo to the US Chamber of Commerce, strongly suggesting that corporate leaders needed to get politically involved and, essentially, take over everything from academia to our court system to our political system.

44

oh and ya Don’t gotta Live like a refugee

‘cause there’s more than plenty enough to go ‘round ‘cept when it gets Hoarded it makes it too Fucking HARD on the rest of US. Concentrated and Inherited Wealth mean the Death of the Middle Class. Do you support that?

or are you more into the Theoretical
the Principle of the thing...

45

ah -- calling soulless Corps 'special interests' allows
you to equate them with actual Human Beings -- Unions.

Well.
Played.

gotta be a Fran
Kluntz play that one
a Magician if there ever was
kudos

46

@6, @15, @24, @33, @35, @37, & @41 DilutedMAGArefugee: So you're out desperately fahtin' fer your Free Dumbs? Trumpty Dumpty and its henchmen are laughing at you. Begone, lil sock puppet, before you draw more of Pence's flies.

Professor_Hiztory and kristofarian for the WIN, BAYBEE!! :)

47

@8 kallipugos: Exactly. Mullet is the same slimy asserole (thank the brilliance of Dan Savage for the newfound term) as Rodney Tom and Tim Sheldon--DINO. They really should cop to it and admit they're really Republikkkans in sheep's clothing. Mullet's cowardly yellow tie only confirms it.

Never mind the casino---let's blow up Trumpty Dumpty and all its henchmen instead!


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