This seems like a thing some people I know (such as @tonydowler.bsky.social) would be into for its own sake as well as potential RPG use/inspiration. It might go well with the Stonetop RPG to help flesh out what daily life is like, since my impression is its (fantasy) culture has some similarities.

Better than totally empty space. Now add a daily hot dog, snack, and refreshment cart on the mezz. 😎

It sure would be something to have a competent, sensible, pro-transit person as the chair of the transportation committee. We haven’t tried that in YEARS.

Turns out we were right not to let Amazon be the fourth branch of our government!

My latest on how the 2026 Seattle budget (final Council vote on Friday) is not setting Katie Wilson up for success, between its accounting tricks, one-time funding, and CM provisos. Also some details about the federal Continuum of Care changes, which I know many of you have been concerned about.

At first glance, I read that as “pizza lane”, and while that’s not correct, I’m also not wrong.

When you ask voters to choose between corporate profits and protecting our neighbors – it’s not even close. This year, Seattle voters chose the tax corporations to fund social housing (63%) and to pass the Seattle Shield Initiative to protect our neighbors (71%). Let’s keep it going!

With GIG and other one-way car-sharing services gone, scooter/bike share is now filling some gaps for me. Some people will always treat them carelessly, but I think providing corrals and enforcing use through the app would help a lot to make shared use of public space better for everyone.

🤝 #thisisyourcity

So funny story: AAA owned GIG Car Share, which was the last one-way car-sharing service in Seattle. When GIG shut down a year ago, I had to at least briefly consider whether buying a car would be useful, but concluded since owning meant round trips, it was still cheaper to use Zipcar for that.

POLITICIANS: Here is how you answer that question: "King County sets the gold standard for ballot access, security and accuracy. The process includes multiple layers of quality control, tracking, and voter feedback to ensure every ballot is counted and the will of the people is upheld."

🤝

Contrary to what some people *cough* the lame duck mayor and the still-in power police guild president *cough* say, there was nothing wrong with the Seattle election: www.thestranger.com/news/2025/11...

Yeah to be fair to @wilsonforseattle.bsky.social, I agree that in her speech she’s just trying to make this point, which is similar to my own. I’m sure she understands this is not a new change for Seattle. It’s just infuriating that we still have to deal with this reactionary suburban mindset.

Watching now, @wilsonforseattle.bsky.social just said “and we are now a big city, with big city problems” and I am *enraged*. SEATTLE HAS BEEN IN THE TOP 25 US CITIES FOR DECADES. I swear the biggest problem in Seattle is this fucking pernicious pervasive mindset that somehow it’s not a big city!!!

Not to bring down the hopeful mood, but this is one of the things I was already concerned about. The current council’s already shown they won’t be any more responsible by reining the budget in, and undermining Wilson’s potential now sets up Seattle to be dragged back into the do-nothing mire.

OH MY GOD, HE KNOWS AND CAN SAY HER NAME. Who knew?!?

This did in fact age well.

Wonderful news! 💙✊

The Pike Place Market Historical Commission is actively harmful to the long-term health of the market and Seattle, and should be abolished.

Wilson Wins In a Squeaker (That Should Not Have Been This Close) Wonder if incumbent Bruce Harrell will call her "Mayor-Elect Wilson" or if he'll keep referring to his successor as "this person" and "she." publicola.com/2025/11/12/w...

I literally could not be the expert editor that I am today if I’d learned the skill of reading through the “three cueing” method—at best, I’d still have had to learn phonics to move beyond its simplistic take and gain the advanced reading, writing, and editing skills I have.

I expect the council’s majority to still be obstructive and incompetent, but Rinck plus Foster on the council and Wilson as mayor means more hope and better things for Seattle!

HYPE!! (In the “very excited” sense, not the “this is fake enthusiasm for marketing purposes” sense.)

This is great news, but yes, with the count so close, it’s important to be sure your vote was included. Go to info.kingcounty.gov/kcelections/... and verify whether your ballot was counted, and get it cured if not!

I did vote for Balducci because I felt she had more experience and stronger skills at this time for the job, but I believe Zahilay will do fine and I’m happy that for once the problem was choosing between two good candidates—it’s rare! Plus we still get Balducci continuing to do good work for us!

With most ballots in, it is clear my colleague Girmay Zahilay has been elected as the next Exec. I called to congratulate and wish him all the best as he begins to transition into this important role. The success of KC depends on his success as Exec, and as a continuing CM I am committed to both.

LET’S GO!

Wondering why no one likes your posts anymore, even among your friends? It's because @jay.bsky.team and team have decided to hide a huge amount of content from all of our feeds by default. Here's how to turn it off. First go to the hamburger menu in the upper left corner

It’s true! We’ve announced our dates and location for 2026! Spread the news, mark your calendars, and make your plans now! We look forward to seeing you next summer!

Okay, I just checked to make sure, and I’m relieved on that count. I sure hope the usual trend—or even more than the usual trend—toward more progressive votes coming in later holds true this time, because we really need it!

My latest about contingency plans (or lack of them) for increased ICE enforcement and/or National Guard deployment in Seattle. If you've been hoping SPD might intervene on behalf of Seattle residents, you might want to read until the end.

Okay, a thing I dislike about Bluesky: the original thread by Ryan, whom I follow, WAS in my timeline, but now that the Urbanist, whom I also follow, has reposted selections from the thread, I can no longer see the original directly. I don’t want reposts by others I follow supplanting the original.

Definitely DO NOT LIKE this, but I should hold my fury and disgust in reserve as it’s still possible for Wilson to make up the difference in time—and she did so in the primary. Also the other results for Seattle are all great and I can hope that’s a good sign for Wilson’s prospects.

Still two hours left, Seattle, to get your ballots into a collection box and help remove Harrell—the out-of-touch, shortsighted, reactionary tool of big business and the wealthy—from office. Vote for Katie Wilson for mayor!

I’ve known & worked with Katie for almost a decade. I’ve watched her unfailingly fight for the needs & rights of working class people in Seattle. I’ve found Katie next to me at canvasses, at picket lines, & at City Hall, & always on the right side of things. Vote Katie Wilson. She’ll fight for YOU.

It’s not ever about the numbers—you can bring insane audience engagement, views, eyeballs to your verticals, shape the conversation in wonderful ways, win awards and on and on And they still will nuke your job and your entire desk in the name of capital consolidation and kissing the fucking ring

Considering our elections in the 23 years I’ve lived here, it’s hard to argue against that being the city’s natural resting state. But Ryan makes a solid point—the established pundits, leadership, and “business advocates” sure do try hard to ignore and deny any evidence to the contrary.

I love how Rep. Joe Neguse reframed this question.

If you’re unfamiliar with Ursula’s genesis as an artist with a delightfully peculiar outlook, this is an excellent review of Ursula Being Ursula. Come for the odd non sequiturs, stay for the kinds of sketches they inspire and are inspired by.

[spluttering awake a full year after Agatha All Along went off the air] They should have called that show The Deft Hand of Harkness

And this is why electing Foster to position 9 and re-electing Rinck to her first full term in position 8 will be just starting the necessary process of clearing out the useless mess of this council.

Big news: Alexis Rinck's Better Bus Lanes budget amendment officially has five co-sponsors, giving it majority support on the city council.

It's worth noting that the legislation isn't retroactive to existing restrictive covenants and agreements and is prospective in nature only, so it has very little practical immediate effect when food access is a problem today in many areas of the city. seattle.legistar.com/LegislationD...

Allow small apartment buildings everywhere. Yes, everywhere. www.sightline.org/2025/10/28/t...

They can't help themselves.

ICYMI: Katie Wilson responds to Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell's latest attack. Harrell, whose net worth is over $15 million and whose résumé shows he hasn't had to apply for a job since 1990, accused Wilson of being rich because her parents have helped her pay for child care in unaffordable Seattle.

I’m not just yelling a lot on Bluesky, I did my civic duty yesterday: filled out my ballot and dropped it off. VOTE: Wilson for mayor Evans for city attorney Rinck for council position 8 Foster for council position 9 Also vote yes for Seattle Props 1 & 2, King County Prop 1, and State Measure 8201!

As long as the Yale Ave onramp to I-5 is open, no full fix for the 8 is possible; even rerouted to Mercer-Harrison, it still has to go through the Stewart & Denny intersection to head up Capitol Hill. And given the half-assed plan for Mercer-Harrison, we might as well do what we can with Denny.