Bruce Ramsey writes in today's Seattle Times that the recent strip club campaign finance "scandal" was really no big deal
Is it a rip-off of the public?On the other hand,Actually, no. It is a request by a company to park eight cars on its own property.
What is outrageous ... is that a matter as trivial as a zoning waiver for this dinky piece of land becomes the biggest election issue in a city of 550,000 people.The main reason this became the biggest election issue is that the agenda-setting Seattle Times has kept the story on its front page since early June. Credit is due to the Times for printing a self-critical editorial, however oblique it might be.
Meanwhile, the front page of today's Seattle Times trivializes what really is a big deal. The nominal big deal is that
Seattle City Councilman Jim Compton acknowledged yesterday that he flew on a private jet owned by Paul Allen and that the free flight and complimentary ticket to an NBA game "may have created an unfortunate impression."But this isn't the real big deal. The really, really big deal is buried on page 2:
[Paul Allen's company] owns almost 50 acres in South Lake Union and hopes to develop a biotechnology hub and housing in the area. It is seeking city improvements to roads, electricity, transit and sewers that could cost taxpayers over $500 millionJim Compton has come out in favor of the boondoggle, which the Seattle Times pretends I'm not going to have to pay for.
Much of the money would likely come from regional, state and federal sources, not Seattle taxpayersI'm relieved to learn that as a Seattle taxpayer none of my money goes toward regional, state or federal sources.
Hopefully, the Times reporters will take a clue from Bruce Ramsey and change the subject from trivial non-issues like basketball tickets, and start asking the really important questions -- like where will the $500 million come from, what will it be spent on, and what are the people of Seattle going to get out of it?
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at August 27, 2003 12:14 PMIts hilarious to think that the Seattle Times is asking why certain issues aren't more of a big deal and dismissing others. They must not understand their function.
It reminds me of an exchange last night between Arron Brown of CNN and Al Franken. Brown asked Franken if he thought Bush lied regarding WMD when making the case for the Iraqi war. Franken responded that their are questions around that very issue--and Brown had this look on his face that suggested he didn't understand why Franken didn't know the answers. Brown asked, what type of questions did Franken have. All the while I'm asking myself, doesn't the guy from CNN see the irony that he is asking a comedian for answers to questions he own news organization doesn't seem willing to pursue with any diligence?
Sounds like things are going well in WA. Say 'hello' to Irene, David and Oliva.
ciao,
d
The Seattle P-I took a long step downhill when Bruce Ransey moved to the Times. He frequently injects some realism into current events, regardless of the current fashions in editorial bias. A valuable guy.
Posted by: Insufficiently Sensitive on August 27, 2003 09:00 PM