David Brewster, a founding member of Post Alley, has a long career in publishing, having founded Seattle Weekly, Sasquatch Books, and Crosscut.com. His civic ventures have been Town Hall Seattle and FolioSeattle.
How we can tame this beast, and (if it comes to this) what might be a better use of the convention center 3, now one-third built and facing a serious financing problem?
The big political question is whether the new progressive majority on the Seattle City Council can adjust to the new economic realities and find the coherence to actually get something done.
Old institutions in Seattle never die, they just fade and fade. So hats off to the Port for agreeing to "delay" its misbegotten plans for a giant new cruise ship terminal in south Downtown. And while we're at it...
And what would a city-state of Seattle look like? It would be a progressive bloc, quite unified in its politics, particularly over the environment, social justice (attention Amazon!), and climate issues. It would be diverse, welcoming to migrants, globally open.
Ultimately, the advocates ran out of time, the complicated house of cards toppled, and the first appearance of the coronavirus crisis distracted everybody.
It was a moment of emergence for the the region, though it may not have momentum. I count at least four areas where these new leaders have impressively stepped up, often leading the nation in pandemic responses.
Start with realizing that the big bridge is going to be out of service for probably 5-10 more years, so West Seattle is effectively marooned. How about making the best of it by developing it as an independent city, with more jobs, affordable housing, lots of Capitol Hill-style shops and cafes and cultural vibe?
This live discussion draws together four of the political writers and experts on the Post Alley team. The discussion lays out the extent of the problem with the closure...
Already, attractive small cities such as Bellingham, Port Townsend, and Anacortes are drawing people who want more natural beauty, small-town friendliness, and affordable housing--all while holding stimulating jobs.
Leaders of endangered arts groups and their boards are busy mulling possibilities. Here are some of the leading ideas, as well as the debate about them, not arranged in any order of preference.