Thomas Jefferson declared that “to preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our selection between economy and liberty or profusion and servitude.” A growing number of states are choosing economy and liberty and suffering the indignities of the bureaucrats and special interests whose privileges are threatened. Florida is the latest state to reject the high-speed rail money pit while Washington begs for another opportunity to waste transportation dollars.
A week has passed since King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg announced no charges would be filed against Seattle Police Officer Ian Birk in the shooting death of John T. Williams. Looking back, several points come clear. •State law protects police in the use of deadly force, stating it’s OK if the officer believes his or her life is in danger and acts without malice and in “good faith.” For the rest of us, “a person is guilty of manslaughter in the second degree when, with criminal negligence, he causes the death of another person.” The law needs to be changed. We empathize with the police officers given the pressures they are under. However, in a case like this, there is no excuse for legal impotence in the face of criminal negligence. •The Seattle Police Department’s (SPD) Firearms Review Board, in its findings on the shooting, laid out in no uncertain terms the egregious failures of Birk’s conduct, concluding the shooting lie “outside of [the police department’s] policy, tactics and training.” An obviously well-coached Birk stuck to his story on the stand: that he felt threatened.
Seattle homicide detectives and members of the U.S. Marshall’s Fugitive Task Force have arrested Gary Anthony Wade, 40, in connection with the murder of Belltown resident Michelle Thornton.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all foods is projected to increase this year by 2 to 3 percent. If that doesn’t sound particularly alarming to you, consider this: While the average costs for processed foods continue to remain relatively stable, fresh food items, like meat, dairy products, eggs, vegetables and fruits are all much more expensive now than they were a year ago.
Sustainable Magnolia’s Steering Committee has announced the selection of Site Workshop, LLC, a Seattle firm, to be the landscape architect for the Manor Park project.
Aging parents, friends or spouses often require accommodation as they begin to experience decreased mobility, lower mental acuity and general health concerns. As family members and friends, we may be asked to be care advocates for those we love and, for many of us, this will be our first time in this role.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced in early March that they would not change policies to allow planes to fly lower over Magnolia, Queen Anne and south Ballard. The FAA said that after considering all the public input regarking the issue, officials decided to re-evaluate the proposal.
Despite the lawsuit filed against the city of Seattle, director of the Seattle Department of Transportation, director of Seattle Center, and chairperson of the Seattle Special Events Committee, Seattle Hempfest President Vivian McPeak says the famous celebration will happen one way or another.
When it rains in Magnolia, residents living near a steep slope always have to be wary. That was the case Monday when the recent unrelenting rainstorms hit some Magnolia neighborhoods hard and caused an estimated 20 yards of mud to slide off of a hillside and smash two cars.