Political Brief: 3/20/13

by Michael Sarko
- The Capitol Hill Times -

For 27 years, Seattle Public Utilities has been tricking citizens into doing dirty jobs for free by enticing them into service with the allure of free garbage bags, gloves, and safety vests. Sure, they call it Spring Clean and try to frame it as a shining example of Seattle’s dedication to mindful environmental stewardship, but we’re onto them. Only some kind of volunteering nut would line up to remove graffiti, clear invasive plants, clean up litter, and plant trees on their own, precious free time. Spring Clean starts in April and runs the entire month, if you’re into that sort of thing.

It just got harder to spy on people in Seattle. City Council unanimously passed Council Bill 117730, an intentional tangle of red tape that requires City departments to submit a thorough statement of purpose before acquiring and implementing surveillance equipment. With the exception of police operations that already have a warrant, any department seeking surveillance equipment for any purpose will have to explain what equipment is being used, what it’s for, where it’s going, who will use it, and many other aspects of observation and data retention. City Council may then approve or deny the application.

Washington said goodbye to one of its governors last week. Booth Gardner, who served in the seat for two terms between 1985 and 1993, passed away on March 15. He was 76. Gardner was a Democrat best known to extending Washington’s medical assistance to the poor and helping establish growth management policies with a focus on environmental impact. There will be a memorial service for Booth Gardner on March 30 at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma.