Slog
News & ArtsThursday, February 11, 2010
City The Inputtiest Mayor of All Time
Posted by Dominic Holden on Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 11:01 AM
On the heels of recently released video and court records allegedly detailing a teenage girl beating another teenage girl in the downtown transit tunnel—after the victim reportedly warned security, who looked on during the attack—Mayor Mike McGinn posted a video announcing plans for his Youth and Families Initiative. We need to "ask people what needs to be done and what we need to do differently," he says.
Among the steps in the process: Five town halls where people break into groups and elect delegates, 50 to 100 community caucuses, where more delegates will be elected, and finally a a congress later this year.
Meanwhile, public hearings for the police chief are underway, but the first one drew small audience.
1
Let's have a town hall on how to respond to the need for police in the Metro tunnels instead of private security.
2
Although, I have to admit, the long-term potential of this--giving control of the city to regular people instead of useless insiders and the traditional power players like the property owners--is appealing, if the theory works out.
3
I spent two minutes trying to figure out what "unputtiest" might possibly mean until I figured it out. I amb dumb.
If he wants to know what people think, why is he holding these meetings where only kooks and drones show up? He should already know what people want.
If he wants to know what people think, why is he holding these meetings where only kooks and drones show up? He should already know what people want.
4
Can we have a series of town halls to discuss the necessity of town halls for the purpose of governing?
5
The Mayor has quickly fallen into the same old silly solution pit "Let's hold hands and get along." No Mayor the problem is not Youth nor Families. The problem is security. Let families deal with families. And let youth deal with youth (But when youth and families start beating each other in Public, use the police). This is a no brainer Mayor.
8
Since I'm sure Mayor Mike, Aaron, or both are going to be reading this--how about also doing something online? The in-person stuff will get you one class and grade of people, but there are a lot of people that may or may not have the time to come out physically.
E-polls are often stupid, but if you guys did something like
1) setup a **SIMPLE** online form that required no registration--you click on the URL, and get to list out the top 5 things you need the city to address, change or institute. Email, name/phone etc. are all optional. Keep it vanilla, and you'll get more takers.
2) Someone goes through and goes through all the submissions, tabulating them. You'll get some overlap, and some doofus stuff--"Free weed for all the visitors to the zoo" or some nonsense--but narrow it down to all the stuff that the city legally can do.
3) Now do a count for which has the most support from the submissions under #1. Even if it's potentially politically unpopular stuff with us lefties.
4) Put up a simple online poll (and for the love of God, talk to actual 3rd party IT people that know how to secure these things from being gamed without making them restrictive--it can be done). Limit the poll to the Top 5-10 items overall from all the suggestions, by pure voter feedback/count. Every person gets to choose 3 items from the list only--what are your priorities as a Seattle citizen or area resident? You'd probably be unable to limit it to just Seattle residents from a technical standpoint, the same as you can't keep a Kirkland guy out of your physical town halls.
5) Unleash that poll on Seattle.
6) The top 3 by numerical result? There's your legislative agenda.
If done right, formatted/advertisted right--Facebook, twitter, newspaper, TV/radio/these various blogs--you'd get a SIGNIFICANTLY broader amount of input than any number of physical meetings. We're a heavily wired city. Use that.
More...
E-polls are often stupid, but if you guys did something like
1) setup a **SIMPLE** online form that required no registration--you click on the URL, and get to list out the top 5 things you need the city to address, change or institute. Email, name/phone etc. are all optional. Keep it vanilla, and you'll get more takers.
2) Someone goes through and goes through all the submissions, tabulating them. You'll get some overlap, and some doofus stuff--"Free weed for all the visitors to the zoo" or some nonsense--but narrow it down to all the stuff that the city legally can do.
3) Now do a count for which has the most support from the submissions under #1. Even if it's potentially politically unpopular stuff with us lefties.
4) Put up a simple online poll (and for the love of God, talk to actual 3rd party IT people that know how to secure these things from being gamed without making them restrictive--it can be done). Limit the poll to the Top 5-10 items overall from all the suggestions, by pure voter feedback/count. Every person gets to choose 3 items from the list only--what are your priorities as a Seattle citizen or area resident? You'd probably be unable to limit it to just Seattle residents from a technical standpoint, the same as you can't keep a Kirkland guy out of your physical town halls.
5) Unleash that poll on Seattle.
6) The top 3 by numerical result? There's your legislative agenda.
If done right, formatted/advertisted right--Facebook, twitter, newspaper, TV/radio/these various blogs--you'd get a SIGNIFICANTLY broader amount of input than any number of physical meetings. We're a heavily wired city. Use that.
9
Oh yeah, the property owners are the "power players"...
Meanwhile its the RENTERS who love saying yes to all levies that raise the property taxes!
Meanwhile its the RENTERS who love saying yes to all levies that raise the property taxes!
10
Oh, and the suggestion collection and actual poll phases, for duration:
Suggestions: 2 weeks at least, but any longer and like most internet things, people will forget it. Most action will come in the opening days. Pimp the hell out of it in the beginning and 24-48 hours before the end.
Polling: 1 week, tops--this is a direct democracy event; hype it that way and people will participate, since people love to vote on online stuff. Just look at the onslaught of stupid personality polls we all do on Facebook and wherever else. Now the MAYOR is offering one where YOU can influence the FATE of the ENTIRE CITY? You'll get eyes on it. The polling especially should be pimped for the duration.
Suggestions: 2 weeks at least, but any longer and like most internet things, people will forget it. Most action will come in the opening days. Pimp the hell out of it in the beginning and 24-48 hours before the end.
Polling: 1 week, tops--this is a direct democracy event; hype it that way and people will participate, since people love to vote on online stuff. Just look at the onslaught of stupid personality polls we all do on Facebook and wherever else. Now the MAYOR is offering one where YOU can influence the FATE of the ENTIRE CITY? You'll get eyes on it. The polling especially should be pimped for the duration.
11
@8 -
OR, he can do what he was elected to do, and govern. If his proposals don't pass muster with the Council (who were all elected by much wider margins), then those don't happen. If they do, they do.
OR, he can do what he was elected to do, and govern. If his proposals don't pass muster with the Council (who were all elected by much wider margins), then those don't happen. If they do, they do.
12
@9 Property owners = wealthy = able to contribute more financially to politics = more direct access to government = power.
Renters = mathematical majority = why shouldn't they have the voting power? That's sort of how America on paper is supposed to be, with the constraint against abuse being the Constitution.
Or are you actually implying that property owners deserve more rights and authority than non-property owners?
Renters = mathematical majority = why shouldn't they have the voting power? That's sort of how America on paper is supposed to be, with the constraint against abuse being the Constitution.
Or are you actually implying that property owners deserve more rights and authority than non-property owners?
13
@11 or that, yes. My point is simply that if McGinn really wants tons of direct input and suggestions for the agenda and direction of the city--that's a good thing, by the way--then limiting it to just who shows up physically is a pedestrian and 20th century way of thinking.
14
Can we have a town-hall about all the town-halls? Man, I am beginning to feel like I am in the movie Groundhog's day. Every day the "People's mayor" has some great town-hall, where he takes everyone's input, with no action.
Is this guy just going to obstruct regional government and talk to hipsters his whole time in office? Probably.
Is this guy just going to obstruct regional government and talk to hipsters his whole time in office? Probably.
15
The poor dear. Mike fires Painter from heading Human Services and offers no replacement, and last week Dow hires Painter as his head Human Services advisor. Mike demotes Dively from heading Budget, and today Dow hires Dively away to head Budget for the County.
And then Mike's hair starts looking like that. He's had a rough February in some ways.
And then Mike's hair starts looking like that. He's had a rough February in some ways.
16
This is going to be a clusterf*ck of confusion with the caucuses the Democrats are holding this spring with their legislative districts to elect delegates to the state convention. yay.
17
I'm sorry, last time I checked I'm far from wealthy. I just work my fucking ass off and therefore am able to afford a home. Not saying property owners deserve anymore rights than renters, but your assumption makes you a total douche. What makes you think only the wealthy own homes? What about the hard workers who do the extra work to make the money they need to afford a home? Maybe try working your ass off too and perhaps one day it will pay off. Sorry I can't sit and argue this all day with you, but I am running off to work - you know, to make money - so I can support my family and pay my property taxes so people like you can enjoy the pleasures of this great city that MY property taxes make possible. Enjoy your afternoon on Slog!
18
@4 Sure, but first we need to have a series of town hall meetings to plan out and discuss how the series of town hall meetings to discuss the necessity of town hall meetings for governing will empower and mobilize city government to effectively address public security concerns using the town hall meeting format. God damn, I'm good. Someone get me a job in the McGinn administration!
19
Yeah and you get to deduct every single penny from your income tax (as well as all interest).
Home owners = largest single subsidized housing group in the country.
Home owners = largest single subsidized housing group in the country.
20
@17 and your answer paints you as the douche, because that assumes my rental payments don't go right back into the same levies. Last time I checked, my rental costs go up annually.
And as a former property owner, I had absolutely no problem paying for schooling levies, even though I don't have any kids.
My comment was aimed more at the commercial property owners, anyway. The Seligs, Freemans, and the Vulcans of the world.
And as a former property owner, I had absolutely no problem paying for schooling levies, even though I don't have any kids.
My comment was aimed more at the commercial property owners, anyway. The Seligs, Freemans, and the Vulcans of the world.
21
As If! - Do you think landlords don't pass on property tax to their renters? Do you think any landlords will rent at a loss? Home-owners and renters all pay property tax - just some pay directly to the gov't and others pay via their landlords.
22
@18 -
Touche. However, we could, instead, negate the need for the town halls to plan the town halls that discuss the need of town halls by doing some sort of internet based thing, wherein we can vote on dates, places, times, and the specific part of security issues and governance issues, with comments regarding empowerment. Of course, if we did this, we would need to add at least three, if not six, additional town halls to make up for the lack of town halls to discuss the town halls, and to ensure we are accommodating people who lack access to the internet, or don't have super duper fast broadband, just super fast broadband, and therefore cannot be expected to wait for the internet page to open for the pre-planning.
Touche. However, we could, instead, negate the need for the town halls to plan the town halls that discuss the need of town halls by doing some sort of internet based thing, wherein we can vote on dates, places, times, and the specific part of security issues and governance issues, with comments regarding empowerment. Of course, if we did this, we would need to add at least three, if not six, additional town halls to make up for the lack of town halls to discuss the town halls, and to ensure we are accommodating people who lack access to the internet, or don't have super duper fast broadband, just super fast broadband, and therefore cannot be expected to wait for the internet page to open for the pre-planning.
23
Nickels was hated because he didn't listen to the citizens, McGinn is hated because he listens to the citizens.
The happy medium is clearly a mayor that does nothing.
The happy medium is clearly a mayor that does nothing.
24
kumbaiya fest 2010!
Surely, this will solve all of the City's problems as monkeys fly out of Our ass. It will work because those monkeys will be designated neighborhood delegates.
Surely, this will solve all of the City's problems as monkeys fly out of Our ass. It will work because those monkeys will be designated neighborhood delegates.
25
ah hahahahaha
hahaha
hoho
hee hee hee....
this is a joke, right?
...isn't it?
the mayor isn't Really proposing
Five town halls (where people break into groups and elect delegates)
50 to 100 community caucuses (where MORE delegates will be elected)
and,
finally-
a congress.
later this year.
is he?....
hahaha
hoho
hee hee hee....
this is a joke, right?
...isn't it?
the mayor isn't Really proposing
Five town halls (where people break into groups and elect delegates)
50 to 100 community caucuses (where MORE delegates will be elected)
and,
finally-
a congress.
later this year.
is he?....
26
@23 Hey, come on. Good-natured mockery is not the same thing as hate. As long as this town hall meeting bonanza actually produce results (and I'm willing to be patient and give it some time), I'll be satisfied.
27
@26
I suggest we have a town hall to determine if, in fact, good-natured mockery is the same thing as hate. While I agree with your assumption that it is not, all voices should be heard on this topic in an open setting where ideas can flow back and forth, and we can come to a final conclusion.
I suggest we have a town hall to determine if, in fact, good-natured mockery is the same thing as hate. While I agree with your assumption that it is not, all voices should be heard on this topic in an open setting where ideas can flow back and forth, and we can come to a final conclusion.
28
@3
I just got what "Inputtiest" meant. I was pronouncing is wrong in my brain. And I've already commented multiple times...goddamn I'm slow.
I just got what "Inputtiest" meant. I was pronouncing is wrong in my brain. And I've already commented multiple times...goddamn I'm slow.
29
Remember, if you're not a Corporation, the US Supreme Court says you are either a Serf or Chattel.
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
Hating People Doesn't Make Them Thinner by Jen Graves
-
Los Angeles Gay Bar Bans Bachelorette Parties Until Marriage Equality Is Attained by David Schmader
-
Fill in the Blank by Grant Brissey
-
This Reminds Me of the Great Calculator Scare of the Late '70s/Early '80s by David Schmader
-
Idiot Tries to Defend Bigoted Anti-Gay-Marriage Preacher on Anderson Cooper by Paul Constant
-
Six Moms with Too Much Time on Their Hands and a Shitty Website Decide to Fight Gay Superheroes by Paul Constant
-
What the Hell Is Wrong With Seattle's Pride Parade? by Dominic Holden
-
The Saturday Morning News by Unpaid Intern
-
Why Mayor McGinn's Wife Canceled Her Family's Seattle Times Subscription by Eli Sanders
-
NYC Man Ticketed for Not Riding in the Bike Lane by Jonathan Golob
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (30) RSS