It has been a big week for debates in the races for King County Executive and Seattle's Mayor. Both races are close and none of the campaigns have a lot, if any, money for television ads. As a result, these televised debates are seen as high stakes, with candidates trying [...]
This has been a bad year for workers. The obvious: unemployment is high. Wages are frozen or shrinking. And as far as organized labor was concerned, the 2009 legislative session was a disaster. It was supposed to marry the control of the Democratic party with the agenda of Democrats traditional [...]
Author Matt Miller says America is being held captive by dead ideas. He says these dead ideas, like local control of schools and employer provided benefits no longer work. Among his targets: school standards need more federal control; employers need to get out of the health care and retirement business; [...]
Congress is in so-called recess, Members are facing voters on a number of issues but especially health care reform. President Obama is also taking time in August to make his pitch for changing the health care system and including a public option in the final package. The public option is [...]
The agreement to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a deep bore tunnel is a complicated project. Multiple governments are participating and most are relying on multiple sources of funding to pay their share. The project is also a lot more than just a tunnel. It includes replacement of Seattle's' [...]
In the August primary, Seattle voters get a chance to weigh in on a proposal to place a 20 cent fee on disposable paper and plastic bags. This is Seattle's attempt to reduce the number of disposable bags people use and encourage them to grocery shop with reusable bags. Disposable [...]
Susan Hutchison is a newcomer to politics but she is way ahead in the polls in the race for King County Executive. Hutchison's long history as a news anchor on KIRO TV gives her a big advantage in name recognition. Here are the results of the latest KING 5 News [...]
Initiative 1033 is Eyman's new initiative. Although it hasn't been certified, it clearly seems to have enough signatures and to be headed to the November ballot. It would tie the growth of property taxes to inflation plus population growth. Eyman seems to be selling this initiative softly right now. Critics' [...]
This coming week we expect to get more details about Obama's healthcare plan. He's pushing for a so-called public option that would compete with private insurance plans. House Speaker Pelosi wants to pass legislation by July 31, so in theory, healthcare reform is on the fast track. The broad outlines [...]
How concerned are you about King County's handling of your tax dollars? The Washington State Auditor's office released a scathing report on King County's finances this week. The audit was cut short because records could not be found to complete it. Here's a short excerpt from the report: "In response" [...]
The rumors have been flying this year that Boeing will locate a second production line for the 787 in another state. The suggestion has even been made that Boeing will gradually phase out its production in this state and locate in areas it considers more friendly to its business model. [...]
It's clear now that the race is on to see which candidate for King County Executive gets second place in the August primary. Susan Hutchison is polling way ahead of her opponents and it would take a miracle for any of them to make up roughly 20 points or more [...]
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is proud of his record during his eight years as mayor now he wants four more years in office. Nickels admits mistakes and says he'll make more in the future, but promises they won't be the same mistakes. Seattle voters are not lining up behind him [...]
It's six years and counting since the US occupied Iraq. Military author Thomas Ricks thinks President Obama's administration may preside longer over the Iraq war than President Bush's. What do you think? Are we there for an unlimited stay -- like in Germany or Korea? Or can you see light' [...]
The Obama administration hopes to pass a health care reform bill by the end of this year. Almost everyone agrees "something" has to be done about its cost. Healthcare takes an increasing proportion of our national wealth, our tax dollars and our personal budgets. What no one agrees on is [...]
The big snow storm melted away five months ago, but it's still making news. Reports indicate the Department of Transportation or SDOT has had internal problems dating back years. The city has spent more than 500 thousand dollars trying to figure out what to do about them and plans [...]
It's no surprise this bad economy is hurting the arts because so far it has spared nothing. But how important do you think it is to help out art organizations that are struggling? Would you consider making a donation? Let us know what you think?
The Washington State legislature has finished the hard work of creating a balanced budget after starting the session with a self-described nine billion dollar deficit. The price of the budget: deep cuts to healthcare programs and to education, especially higher education. Critics also say the budget is unsustainable, because one-time [...]
The legislature has removed the caps on tuition hikes and that means students at the University of Washington and Washington State University will likely face 14 percent tuition hikes in each of the next two years. The state's budget crisis seems to be accelerating a change that both university presidents [...]
Is it time Sonics and NBA fans to give up it up? Here's what KING 5's Chris Daniels reported this past week:
Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairwoman Margarita Prentice, (D) Renton, says SB 6116, which would allow King County to use certain tax streams to fund projects like a Key [...]
State Representative Hans Dunshee, a Democrat from Snohomish, has proposed spending three billion dollars on school construction and school renovation. He says his plan would create 90,000 jobs and cure some of the problems old schools have like energy inefficiency and bad plumbing. The three billon would come in the [...]
Author Matt Miller says America is being held captive by dead ideas. He says these dead ideas, like local control of schools and employer provided benefits no longer work. Among his targets: school standards need more federal control; employers need to get out of the health care and retirement business; [...]
It might be hard to imagine that bottoming out would be a positive sign, but, for an economy that has been in a free fall, it is. Bellevue researcher Jim Hebert says all signs point to consumer confidence in our region having hit bottom about two months ago. Still, he [...]
The short answer is yes. Yet, while it may not be unconstitutional for the state to run up a debt, it may be impractical. Up Front spoke to state treasurer Jim McIntire, and he said any debt has to be paid back within twelve months and cannot be rolled over [...]
This past week, the state's budget deficit reach nine billion dollars according to the state economist. To balance the budget, the governor is suggesting draconian cuts to safety net programs like adult day health and general assistance unemployable. Some suggest it's a matter of prioritizing the budget, trimming down costs [...]
Everything but marriage is how the latest expansion of domestic partnership law in Washington state is being touted. When the Washington State Supreme Court upheld the state's Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 2006 it upheld a ban on gay marriage. But supporters of gay marriage vowed to use other [...]
Although we're told we're living in the information age, one source of information is having a lot of trouble these days: the daily newspaper. Every medium that relies on advertising is trying to keep its head above water during this tough economy, but daily newspapers seem to be sinking at [...]
Voters passed Initiative 1000 last fall by a margin of 58 to 42 percent. That law takes effect on Thursday, March 5th, with the official name: The Death With Dignity Act. It allows people who are terminally ill with a prognosis of less than six months to live to get [...]
Representative Dave Reichert, who represents the 8th Congressional District, voted no on the stimulus package. In fact, not one Republican in the House voted for the package. Reichert says the House Democratic leadership did not allow House Republicans to participate in shaping the stimulus package. He says, the only input [...]
King County Executive Ron Sims is leaving office to take a job as the number two person in charge of the department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). One of the Seattle area's most popular politicians, Sims has never been able to extend his popularity statewide, failing in bids to [...]
Washington State Representative Frank Chopp is considered one of the most powerful politicians in the state. His salary is relatively little at $50,000 a year and he is elected by just one of 49 legislative districts. Still, as speaker, he controls the flow of legislation during the session. Bills don't' [...]
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[...]University of Washington President Mark Emmert says the revenue stream the university hopes will finance about half the 300 million dollar Husky Stadium renovation has nothing to do with the state's or the UW's current budget problems. The so-called tourism tax on rental cars and hotel rooms is being used [...]
The Washington Assessment of Student learning, or WASL, received a death sentence this week. Newly elected Superintendent of Public Instruction, Randy Dorn, announced that 2009 would be the WASL's last year. Next year there will be a new test. The WASL has been controversial from the beginning. Parents and teachers [...]
The decision to replace the Alaskan Way viaduct with a tunnel caught a lot of people by surprise. Twenty-two months ago, Seattle voters said by a vote of 70 percent to 30 percent they did not want a tunnel. Of course, it was only an advisory vote. Governor Gregoire says [...]
No doubt the big snow storm in December caused a lot of frustration for people who needed to get from one place to another. A news report this past week suggests that impassable streets may have even played a part in one person's death. Does that mean the city [...]
Lawmakers say the legislature has its work cut out for it simply trying to balance the budget this year. Still, hundreds of new laws will be proposed. Will we see another proposal to allow dogs in taverns? What about another attempt to outlaw off-road vehicles on state land or allow [...]
Obviously most of us won't forget the snow storm of 2008 any time soon. The presidential election and the shrinking economy are also going to be vivid memories for many if not all of us. Members of the news media have watched the shrinking newspaper business with horror. No doubt [...]
A fire training center where training has to be limited because of water run-off concerns; sewage and solid waste stations adorned with expensive artwork; a garbage truck that never gets used; and bus drivers who make six figure incomes after overtime. These are all examples of your tax dollars at [...]
Police say there's a gang war going on and that's why we're seeing shootings in malls, clubs and on our streets. Recently the Seattle City Council passed a youth violence initiative to address gang problems. Only a relatively small amount of the money was directed toward police work, and that [...]
All the news about the state budget seems bad. The shortfall is estimated at 5.8 billion dollars and likely to continue growing. Governor Gregoire has floated the possibility of 20 percent cuts to higher education. Openings for new enrollees to the Basic Health Plan are being cut in half. Cuts [...]
Michael Medved criticizes our misreading of history. He says the United States was founded as a Christian nation by Christians, was not uniquely guilty of slavery, and that corporations help enrich Americans -- they don't impoverish them. Medved thinks wrong-headed ideas about American history are pervasive in schools and government. [...]
Bellevue researcher Jim Hebert says business leaders in the Seattle area think the downturn will last , on average, about 19 to 20 months. They also believe the turnaround will begin on Main Street before it begins on Wall Street. That means, according to Hebert, that jobs and business investment [...]
Bill Fleckenstein has been saying for years a day of economic reckoning was in our future. Fleckenstein blames the low interest rate policies of the federal reserve under Alan Greenspan for the economic bubble that is now bursting. He says credit should have been tightened to try and avoid some [...]
It has been a long campaign season. The presidential candidates have been at it for more than a year and hundreds of millions of dollars. Democrat Christine Gregoire and Republican DIno Rossi arguably have been running since 2004. They are breaking spending records too. It's deja vu in the 8th [...]
Initiative 1000 would allow people diagnosed with only six months to live to obtain a lethal prescription from a doctor. Oregon has had this law on the books for ten years. The number who have used it has grown slowly over that period to 49 last year. Proponents say it [...]
When you ask people, they say they don't care for negative ads, but political strategists say they work. Very few -- if any of these ads -- tell the whole story. They insinuate, they spin, and in some cases they are simply wrong. Millions of dollars are being spent on [...]
Rob McKenna is the incumbent Republican Washington State Attorney General. He is considered a rising star in the Republican party, a candidate with bi-partisan appeal who has been mentioned as a likely candidate for governor. His challenger is Democrat John Ladenburg. Ladenburg has been the Pierce County Executive and the [...]
The Sound Transit Board has placed another light rail measure on this fall's ballot. It's called Proposition One and it would create another 34 miles of light rail from Lynnwood to Federal Way to Redmond. It would also increase commuter rail (Sounder) between Seattle and Tacoma and add express bus [...]
Initiative 985 is Tim Eyman's latest initiative. It would open up HOV lanes in certain off-peak commute periods, require cities and counties to synchronize stop lights, put more money into emergency roadside service, and fund all of this with money taken from certain fines, penalties and tolls. None of this [...]
Although the Republican and Democratic candidates for president get almost all the media coverage, third party presidential candidates have often tipped the balance to one candidate or another on election day. Remember Ralph Nader in 2000 or Ross Perot in 1992? This year there are a number of alternatives to [...]
Seattle author and historian RIck Shenkman has a written a book that says American voters are ill-informed. He says good democratic government depends on informed voters and Americans are not living up to their responsibility. What really animates Shenkman is misconceptions about Saddam Hussein's connection to the 9/11 attacks. Here's [...]
In 2006, Darcy Burner ran as the Democratic candidate in the 8th Congressional District against incumbent Dave Reichert. Burner linked Reichert to President Bush and his Iraq policies. Reichert's campaign challenged Burner's lack of public service experience. In the end, Reichert won a close race. Now, two years later, Burner [...]
Rep. Dave Reichert is running for a third term in the 8th Congressional District. Critics say Reichert's views on Iraq are not a good fit for the district. What do you think?
Christine Gregoire is seeking another four year term. Gregoire points to her expansion of children's healthcare and education as two key accomplishments. She also says that, despite the down turn of the national economy, Washington state is doing relatively well. She answers questions about a budget shortfall, by saying she [...]
One of the goals of campaign finance laws is to make the process transparent. Voters should know which campaigns and candidates are getting money, who's giving them money, and how much money is exchanging hands. What do you think? Is the system working? Is it clear to you which interest [...]
In the primary on August 19th, King County voters will be asked to take the first steps toward a non-partisan county government. It's called Initiative 26 and it would turn the King County Executive, Prosecutor, Assessor and Council offices into non-partisan positions. Supporters say parties get in the way of [...]
The Sound Transit board voted unanimously to place a 15-year, $17.6 billion measure on the November ballot. It would entail a .05 cent sales tax increase. In return voters get, among other things, 34 new miles of light rail. What do you think? Are voters in the mood to increase [...]
In 2004 Dino Rossi lost a disputed and highly publicized election to Christine Gregoire. Now he's back and most polls show the race is once again very close. Rossi is very critical of Gregoire's record and tout's his own accomplishments in the state legislature as evidence he can do a [...]
Thousands of convicted sex offenders in Washington State don't have a place to live after serving their prison sentences. They live under bridges, on streets and in impromptu campgrounds. Is the Department of Corrections doing a good enough job keeping track of these felons? What do you think of using [...]
Local author Paul Roberts in his book, The End of Food, suggests the end of food -- at least as we know it -- is on the horizon. After decades of increased crop production and declining levels of hunger, Roberts says, increases in food borne illnesses, rising petroleum prices, and [...]
After the first week of the Sonics trial, Seattle attorney Randy Aliment says he is optimistic that Seattle will end up hosting an NBA team in the future. He says the city has made its case that the contract with the team must be fulfilled.
What do [...]
We recently witnessed Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain tramping through a soggy Pacific Northwest forest, calling global warming a national security issue.
We also caught a glimpse of Republican Congressman Dave Reichert opening up the Mount Rainier National Park after windstorm damage in 2007.
And just [...]
From education to the viaduct, from business to health care, we have tried each week to tackle issues that matter to our community. Sometimes, it's not the most flashy television, but we're proud that over the past seven years, the number of people watching KING 5 News Up [...]
As land gets more scarce and expensive, developers are being forced to put more homes on smaller lots. The net result is we're living closer together than ever before. Are you willing to trade some privacy for an urban village and a planned community?
Oregon's Death with Dignity Act is ten years old and now, Washington state is the next battleground. Supporters say Initiative 1000 will have the signatures to get on the November ballot, forcing voters to think about the end of life. If you're terminally ill, should you be able [...]
Taxpayers always suspect the government is wasting money. Now, the Washington Policy Center has published its "piglet" book, claiming to identify some easy cuts. But just how easy is it to trim state government? With Washington state facing a $2.4 billion shortfall, we took a half-dozen examples from [...]
Here's an interesting Web site from the state Public Disclosure Commission. It tracks county-by-county the fundraising by gubernatorial candidates. A few interesting observations...
A new initiative is aimed at making the King County Council and Executive positions non-partisan; candidates would run without a party affiliation. If it makes the ballot, a new KING 5/Survey USA poll finds 53% would support the idea, 27% would not (600 King County registered voters, margin [...]
From a new tunnel to replace the viaduct to a new, eight-lane 520 bridge, Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi says he has a $15 billion transportation plan. And Rossi says, he can pay for it all with no new taxes and on 520, a toll of only $1.50. [...]
They are tiny microchips that could revolutionize business--everything from retail stores to health care. As the cost of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) comes down, the technology is showing up everywhere. But is this a threat to your privacy?
We are rebroadcasting this segment on April 6, 2008.
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The 1811 Eastlake building is attracting visitors from New York to New Zealand, who are coming to see Seattle's new way of fighting homelessness. It's an 11-million dollar project, giving apartments to the most troublesome alcoholics on the streets--and not forcing them to give up alcohol. Two years [...]
NBA Commissioner David Stern blames Seattle's mayor for the Sonics leaving town, to which Mayor Greg Nickels quickly fired back: "This is not a government problem. This is an NBA business model that's broken."
A new KING 5 poll finds the vast majority of people believe Sonics owner Clay [...]
Most Washington voters never liked having to "pick a party" and to stick with candidates from only one party. For 70 years, they enjoyed the state's so-called "blanket primary" which allowed voters to pick candidates from any party. When the state political parties challenged the blanket primary in court, voters [...]
Last fall, voters approved stiffer penalties for insurance companies if they unreasonably deny or delay a claim. So is the problem solved? The industry says there wasn't a problem to begin with. Critics say, the problem still exists, that the pressure on profits means companies are paying out [...]
Oklahoma City voters go to the polls on Tuesday. If they approve a sales tax hike to remodel their Ford Center, will that pave the way for the Sonics to relocate? OKC's mayor says, it's his city's opportunity to become a big-league city...
The 1811 Eastlake building is attracting visitors from New York to New Zealand, who are coming to see Seattle's new way of fighting homelessness. It's an 11-million dollar project, giving apartments to the most troublesome alcoholics on the streets--and not forcing them to give up alcohol. Two years [...]
A music video for Hillary Clinton (click to view) is making the rounds of the blog world. Quite a number of Clinton supporters have posted music videos to support their candidate, but so far, none of them has made the splash that will.i.am's video for Barack Obama [...]
They are tiny microchips that could revolutionize business--everything from retail stores to health care. As the cost of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) comes down, the technology is showing up everywhere. But is this a threat to your privacy?
Washington Republican Party Chair Luke Esser admits mistakes were made in tallying results from Saturday's caucus. The party acknowledged the errors after KING 5 News reported Monday at 5:00 that inconsistencies in the party's reporting system raised serious questions about the results.
[...]
In a Democratic caucus with record turnout, Barack Obama won with a two-to-one margin over Hillary Clinton. On the Republican side, John McCain is the leader but not far ahead of Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul. So with the Washington caucuses over, who gets your vote now? Have [...]
They've cut the leg room. They've cut out the meals and the drinks. Now, in the ongoing quest to cut costs and stay afloat financially, United Airlines is targeting luggage. If you've bought a non-refundable ticket and you aren't a Mileage Plus member, that second bag will cost [...]
They've cut the leg room. They've cut out the meals and the drinks. Now, in the ongoing quest to cut costs and stay afloat financially, United Airlines is targeting luggage. If you've bought a non-refundable ticket and you aren't a Mileage Plus member, that second bag will cost [...]
It's caucus time. Who has the advantage in a caucus? Obama, Clinton, McCain, Romney, Huckabee, Paul? And what do you think of having both a caucus and primary in Washington State?
It's caucus time. Who has the advantage in a caucus? Obama, Clinton, McCain, Romney, Huckabee, Paul? And what do you think of having both a caucus and primary in Washington State?
The University of Washington says it is not giving up on its request for a $150 million in taxpayer assistance to renovate Husky Stadium. The proposal got an initial warm reception in Olympia, but by the end of the week, lawmakers were more luke warm. The UW says, [...]
The University of Washington says it is not giving up on its request for a $150 million in taxpayer assistance to renovate Husky Stadium. The proposal got an initial warm reception in Olympia, but by the end of the week, lawmakers were more luke warm. The UW says, [...]
He wants to get out of Iraq. Abolish the federal income tax. Abolish the Federal Reserve. Phase out Social Security. And make massive cuts to government spending. What do you think of Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul's ideas?
He wants to get out of Iraq. Abolish the federal income tax. Abolish the Federal Reserve. Phase out Social Security. And make massive cuts to government spending. What do you think of Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul's ideas?
It's Democrats everywhere you turn--in the state house, the state senate, and in the governor's mansion. So what's happening? Is this really good news for Democrats? And where'd the Republicans go? Can Dino Rossi lead a comeback?
It's Democrats everywhere you turn--in the state house, the state senate, and in the governor's mansion. So what's happening? Is this really good news for Democrats? And where'd the Republicans go? Can Dino Rossi lead a comeback?
Governor Christine Gregoire says, it's a small inconvenience to save lives. She's pushing to institute sobriety checkpoints in Washington State. But critics say, it's a violation of your Constitutional rights...
Governor Christine Gregoire says, it's a small inconvenience to save lives. She's pushing to institute sobriety checkpoints in Washington State. But critics say, it's a violation of your Constitutional rights...
She has not officially announced her candidacy, but everyone knows she's running. As the legislature arrives back in Olympia, Governor Christine Gregoire has a chance to add a few more bullet points before the campaign begins...
She has not officially announced her candidacy, but everyone knows she's running. As the legislature arrives back in Olympia, Governor Christine Gregoire has a chance to add a few more bullet points before the campaign begins...
Paula Hammond, the state's new transportation secretary, says the DOT is studying the possibility of making changes to I-5 through downtown Seattle. As more people lean toward replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a surface street, the state is looking for ways to move more traffic through the [...]
Paula Hammond, the state's new transportation secretary, says the DOT is studying the possibility of making changes to I-5 through downtown Seattle. As more people lean toward replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a surface street, the state is looking for ways to move more traffic through the [...]
Another year flies by. Now, what are your predictions for next year? Who will be governor-elect? Who will be president-elect? Will the housing market make a comeback? Any prediction is fair game...
Another year flies by. Now, what are your predictions for next year? Who will be governor-elect? Who will be president-elect? Will the housing market make a comeback? Any prediction is fair game...
