The state, city, and county have narrowed the options for replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct to two: a six-lane surface/transit plan, and a new elevated viaduct.

I'll have more to say about these options tomorrow, but it's worth noting now that House speaker Frank Chopp's proposal—a six-lane elevated highway enclosed by walls and flanked by (unfunded, hypothetical) shops, windows, and facades—isn't off the table. The options announced tonight are only advisory, and the state legislature (of which Chopp is perhaps the most powerful member) can still revisit them, adding or eliminating options. Given Chopp's determination to have his proposal taken seriously despite business, governmental, and environmental-community opposition, I think it's safe to say it's far from dead.

Seattle VICE detectives—apparently more determined than ever to rub out prostitution—have busted another massage parlor for allegedly promoting prostitution.

On November 5th, Police raided the Global Health Center—at 3316 NE 125th St—and seized appointment books and several business licenses. Police also arrested the business's manager, Haoran Pu.

In July, police received a tip about possible prostitution at the Global Healing Center. Officers searched Craigslist for ads related to the business and found two, promising "The #1 Asian Angel Massage."

Undercover VICE detectives began visiting the business in August and, according to an affidavit, one detective was offered a $60 massage and told that he could get a handjob from a 47-year-old Asian woman working at the business for an additional $30.

Police kept the business under surveillance until November when an undercover officer returned to the Global center and asked for a massage and a handjob. Global's owner told the officer that the "masseuse" who gives handjobs was unavailable, but noted that the business takes L&I Claims.

L&I says they have not received any requests for payment from the Global Health Center.

Last month, SPD VICE detectives raided a Madison Park spa and federal charges were brought against the owners of several Seattle-area tanning salons for allegedly running a prostitution ring. In September, Police also raided a spa on Aurora Avenue which was allegedly being run as a brothel.

SPD spokesman Sean Whitcomb says despite the apparent focus on spas, tanning salons and massage parlors for prostitution investigations, the department isn't specifically targeting any one type of business. "I don’t think it’s necessarily fair to say there’s an emphasis on one particular brand of prostitution," he says. "We look for where crime is. If we have any reports about where crime is, we’re certainly going to check it out."

Look out, massage parlors of ill repute. SPD is on to you and you may not be in for a happy ending.

As the Seattle Times reported this morning, the city council is cool to Mayor Greg Nickels's proposal to bump up the pay ranges of the city's top executives, increasing their top potential pay much as 37 percent—an increase Nickels says is necessary to keep them from leaving for other jobs.

"In both good and bad economic times, taxpayers expect city government to be well run," said Karin Zaugg Black, a spokeswoman for the mayor. "Part of having a well-run city government is attracting and retaining top-quality directors."

The council's culture, civil rights, personnel and health committee declined to even consider the proposal, citing the bad economy and the fact that many at the bottom of the city's pay scale can barely afford to pay the rent. The mayor's proposal would have increased Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske's and utilities director Chuck Clarke's salaries from $188,315 and $187,314, respectively, to a maximum of $232,213, and would have increased City Light director Jorge Carrasco's salary, already the highest in the city, from $225,000 to a maximum of $308,888. The council has twice rejected similar increases, in 2006 and 2007.

Most city staff are getting a 4.5 percent raise in 2009.

Despite my own vast wealth, I'm certainly sympathetic to the plight of those at the bottom of the pay scale. However, Nickels has a point. Top officials can be recruited away from their government jobs by other cities or by opportunities in the private sector; if they're doing a good job (a question I'm not getting into here—except to say that if they aren't earning it, the council and mayor ought to show them the door), then they need to receive a competitive salary. In Chicago, the police chief makes $300,000, while in San Francisco, the assistant police chief makes $257,000. Overall, the mayor's office estimates that all three positions are underpaid by 8 to 13 percent compared to similar positions in other cities; the mayor's office says they'll provide more details on how they arrived at that number later this afternoon. If that is true, there's certainly a compelling argument for raising top executives' pay ranges to be in line with what their counterparts are making in other cities.

As it happens, I'm currently reading the book "Sleepwalking Through History: America In the Reagan Years" by Haynes Johnson. As salaries fell and workers were told to "do more with less," he writes,

The value of public service was further lowered. Not only were the burdens of the job greater, but the rewards were diminishing. By Reagan's last year in office, rank-and-file pay had fallen 24 percent behind the private sector. It was even more severe at the highest ranks of the career service, where pay lagged 40 percent behind comparable private renumeration. ...

Within federal ranks the turnover rate increased rapidly. Of the Senior Executive Service (SES), which comprises the highest-ranking federal managers, 40 percent ended their government careers between 197 and 1983. In four more years those numbers had nearly doubled. The civil service Merit Systems Protection Board, concerned over the numbers of top people leaving the federal government, surveyed 1,500 members of SES who had resigned rather than retire in that first four-year period. Of these, 90 percent said they left federal service for higher-paying private sector jobs. Of those responding to another survey, 80 percent were concerned to a "great" or "considerable" extent about morale among career employees. Toward the end of the Reagan administration a survey of 1,364 senior federal managers still working in the government... found that 61 percent would not recommend a federal career for young people.

I'm not suggesting that recently recruited police officers should pity Gil Kerlikowske for having to tighten his sizable belt; nor am I suggesting that Nick Licata, who heads the personnel committee that rejected the mayor's proposal, is Ronald Reagan. But the city does need to consider that part of attracting and retaining the best talent is paying them enough that they aren't tempted to abandon ship, because uncommitted leaders at the top produce bad morale in the ranks.