Persuasive journalism weaves together narrative and the visceral. Sunday's Seattle Times offered capsule portraits of the city's 21 homicide victims. Absorbed collectively, they carry an emotive punch reminiscent of Rick Anderson's Seattle Weekly biographies of Washington's post-9/11 war dead. Name after name, the concussion of violence and the mystery of death.
"Of the 21 victims, five were women and 16 were men. Several were parents. The oldest was 59; the youngest 21. Police are still searching for suspects in at least seven of the cases," the Seattle Times reports. "Beyond the numbers are the lives cut short. A young woman who moved to Seattle with dreams of becoming a chef and a Navy petty officer in town celebrating a promotion. Two close friends and musicians who were well-known performers in the local vaudeville scene."
Partisan conventions represent a form of bloodless violence (that doesn't mean they don't sting, however). A party's imprimatur isn't necessary for a candidate to win, but no one wants to feel the boot of his or her co-religionists. Former Seattle mayor Greg Nickels, in the tradition of ex-mayors such as Norm Rice and Charley Royer, is not feeling the love.
"Ex-Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, making a political comeback bid for Washington Secretary of State, was clobbered on Saturday as Washington State Democrats gave its official 'nomination' to one of his August primary opponents, the Seattlepi.com's Joel Connelly writes. "The vote at the party’s state convention was 598 votes for former State Sen. Kathleen Drew, just 144 for Nickels and 44 for state Sen. Jim Kastama, one of the Democrats who made common cause with Senate Republicans in the closing days of the Legislature."
The takeaway story from the Democratic convention was the inability of delegates to coalesce around a single candidate in the newly redrawn 1st congressional district. (Republican John Koster was likely delighted.)
The Seattle Police Department is either plagued with bad luck or a systemic lack of judgment (or both.) For example, it's unwise to appoint an officer to the department's reform effort when the officer may require reforms himself. Donnie R. Lowe, an acting police captain, was arrested for domestic violence on Sunday (Lowe is part of the department's 20/20 plan to address issues of excessive force). An aberration? The department knew Lowe's background.
As the Seattle Times' Steve Miletich writes, "Lowe, 45, has a checkered history with the department, including an arrest in 2008 on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI). He has received internal reprimands for inappropriate dealings with his son in a holding cell and over his effort to retrieve nude photographs of a relative."
Portland's not-so-popular mayor, Sam Adams, has crafted a dang-popular budget. How did Adams manage to placate so many different constituencies? Creative accounting. As the Oregonian's Beth Slovic writes, "To come up with money for schools, Adams delayed cost-of-living increases and got rid of merit increases for about 1,400 non-union employees. He also took $900,000 from the budget office reserves — one of the rainy day funds — and pledged money from a tax amnesty program that doesn't end until July. City officials estimate that will bring in about $400,000, but it's not clear yet whether that's accurate."
Lastly, there is finally a Puget Sound museum that will keep your Texas uncle entertained (not that Chihuly Garden and Glass with its Houston-like ostentation). No, the world's biggest car museum, "LeMay-America's Car Museum" just opened in Tacoma. Once again, the city of destiny leads the way.
Link Summary
Seattle Times, "Victims of violence: the homicide victims in Seattle this year"
Seattlepi.com, "Starting his comeback, Greg Nickels gets clobbered"
Seattle Times, "SPD officlal involved in reform arrested in alleged domestic violence"
Oregonian, "How did Mayor Sam Adams balance the budget?"
The News Tribune, "New LeMay car museum off and running"
