12 thoughts on “Weekend Question Thread”

  1. Yeah, the mayor. Adrastos might have a different opinion based on some comments just after the storm and flood in 2005 — more on that in a second — but Melvin “Kip” Holden is a very good mayor and damn nice guy. He’s actually managing to make something of a city out of BR, despite the screaming and kicking of those who view as profligate librul wasteful spendthrift anything beyond a trailer park/convenience store with a portable flashing arrow sign.
    The controversy in 2005 was something that occurred in the midst of the crisis. While BR was trying to deal with a huge number of evacuees, there were reports — false, it turned out — of riots. Kip publicly threatened to arrest anyone rioting and added, “this isn’t New Orleans,” which a lot of folks thought was a slap at the big city…and hell, maybe it was. It was also something that, if he hadn’t said it, would have likely ended his political career. Lots of small minded BR residents were/are deathly afraid of “those people” coming up from the big city. And those small minded BR residents won’t be swayed by the actual facts when they cast their vote.
    Am I glad Kip said what he did. No. But I’m not taking it as a deal breaker…otherwise, he’s been great for BR.

  3. “Do you have a great state rep, senator, councilman?”
    No. They’re all right-wing fundie horrors. *sigh*

  4. Waht montag said. If they’re not fundie horrors, they’re free-market horrors. And they’re all micromanaging assholes.
    The city council recently turned down the hiring of 4 new police officers. Two officer’s salaries were 70% paid for by the school district, but because, “response times were adequate”, and the Chief didn’t answer the questions of what the other two liaison officers were going to do to lower response times further, the council denied the hires.

  5. Hon. Rep. Mike Honda, D CA 17
    Stalwart liberal, from the democratic wing of the Democratic Party
    Japanese-American, spent the first part of his life in a WWII internment camp.
    Then a strawberry sharecropper.
    Then 30 years as a science teacher.
    Libertarian jackasses in Silicon Valley claim that he insufficiently worships the Invisible Hand.
    Anna Eshoo, another good liberal, is right next door.

  6. None here, alas. @Michael: Actually, I knew Kip back in the day. We had a couple of close mutual friends. Always liked him as a person.

  7. Chris Beutler, the mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska, is my current favorite. He’s a perfect Midwestern interpretation of Kyle MacLachlan’s Mayor of Portlandia.

  8. Raul Grijalva. Unfortunately, he isn’t my rep, just the best one in the state.

  10. Well, I only recently moved to Seattle and on my City Council we have Kshama Sawant, who I think might be the only Socialist in the history of this city. Anyway, she’s talking about stuff that no one talks about and is pushing for a $15 minimum wage. So far, I’m impressed.
    Rgds,
    Tengrain

  11. To quote one of my favorite movies, “The Commitments”–“They’re all shite.”

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