PI – Page 248 – Wallyhood

District 6 Wonkathon: Improving Housing Affordability

Post author:Eric
Post published:June 10, 2015
Post category:District 6 PI Wallingford, Seattle

The Question: The rising tide of income inequality and homelessness is well documented and easy to see, particularly as camper vans move into our neighborhoods, yet Seattle has been hapless to address the problem. Programs like low income housing and Conservation Corps with Seattle Parks help with individual cases, but the 10 year plan to end homelessness in Seattle resulted in more homeless people than ever. Options like rent control and income taxes are not legal in our state. Raising building heights…

District 6 Wonkathon: Cycle Tracks on Green Lake Way N

Post author:Eric
Post published:June 9, 2015
Post category:District 6 Move Seattle Levy PI Wallingford, Seattle

The Question: The Move Seattle Levy includes adding cycle tracks on N 50th and Green Lake Way N. Those cycle tracks are in the Move Levy according to SDOT director Scott Kubly because we are paving those roads, and the bike master plan has cycle tracks on those roads. Unfortunately, those cycle tracks are already obsolete, having been designed to connect to a planned cycle track on Stone Way N that was removed from the Bike Master Plan at the last…

District 6 Wonkathon: Connecting Tangletown to City Hall

Post author:Eric
Post published:June 8, 2015
Post category:District 6 PI Wallingford, Seattle

As we did for City Council District 4, we are now quizzing the candidates for City Council District 6. District 6 includes Wallingford north of 50th (Tangletown), Green Lake, Fremont, Phinney and areas to the West. Mike O'Brien, who lives in Fremont and is currently on city council, is looking to hold onto his seat from challengers Catherine Weatbrook and Jon Lisbin. I have asked the candidates to follow the comments for each post, so hopefully they will will engage with you…

Transportation Alternative Mode Wars: Fight!

Post author:Eric
Post published:June 2, 2015
Post category:PI Wallingford, Seattle

Traffic is why we vote for transit. If it weren't for traffic we would cut pollution by focusing on mileage standards, we would offer free Car2Go passes for people who can't afford a car, we would offer accessible van services for people that can't drive. A lot fewer buses and no trains would be needed if it weren't for traffic. If the main goal for transit boils down to coaxing people out of their cars during rush hour, what's the cost / benefit ratio…

District 4 Wonkathon: Fixing the Move Seattle Levy

Post author:Eric
Post published:May 22, 2015
Post category:Candidate interview Move Seattle Levy PI Wallingford, Seattle

If you read the blog then I'm sure you saw this candidate question coming. Also, to keep the train rolling on these questions I'm skipping a separate calendar post this week, check out our calendar page for what's going on in Wallingford over the next week. The Question: 45th street over I-5 is one of the most congested, dangerous roadways in the city for pedestrians and cyclists, yet the Move Seattle Levy does nothing to help connect Wallingford pedestrians or cyclists to light rail…

District 4 Wonkathon: Camper Vans and Homelessness

Post author:Eric
Post published:May 21, 2015
Post category:Candidate interview PI Wallingford, Seattle

As a preface, here is an interactive map that the Northlake Safety and Security Team put together of the camper problem down on Northlake way. They state that in addition to the increasing numbers of vehicles, there are "numerous bags of garbage and debris" plus "12 unusually large piles of dog poop/human feces (?) in just a small section of the walking path". Also, I apologize for pairing homelessness with property crime in the question. I was trying to boil the questions…

District 4 Wonkathon: Low Income Supports

Post author:Eric
Post published:May 20, 2015
Post category:Candidate interview PI Wallingford, Seattle

As a preface, the podcast Planet Money from NPR is a great listen, and they do a good job of covering the gap between rich and poor and the difference between handouts and redistribution. The Question: Seattle has a myriad of programs for people that are low income that must be opted into through a complex set of lotteries and qualifying paperwork. People in low income brackets are deterred from rising across income cut off lines for fear of losing their benefits, while others…

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Larry Bush
Elizabeth Connolly
Jack McLaughlin
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