With recent budget cuts and dour economic forecasts, the Seattle school district has been scrambling to reduce a $37.1 million budget gap next year. This has lead to drastic solutions including the call to close schools, move programs, reduce busing, and freeze hiring.

Seattle School Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson broke the news on 11/25 that in order to operate on their projected budget, seven schools would be forced to move to other premises and their buildings would be closed as a way to save money. Then on 12/03 Goodloe-Johnson upped the number to nine including Rainer Beach High School, the first high school on the list. The updated plans also formally considered the option of permanently closing some of more unique school programs like the Summit K-12 program (the only one in the district), and the African-American Academy. Other money saving cuts included a hiring freeze and cuts to the district busing program.

While the term “closing schools” inspires a special sort of panic, the reality is much different. Seattle city school district currently has more seats than actual students. The reported numbers vary from 7,000-9,000 seats, but still enough to warrant some consolidation. The reason for most of the specific closures – mainly moving programs in North Seattle to South Seattle is manifest in the socio-economic divide between the two areas. Lower-income families in South Seattle have taken to busing their children to better funded schools in North Seattle to get a better education, creating a perverse imbalance of students. Many of the schools in North Seattle are overcrowded, where as South Seattle schools are struggling to teach full classrooms. These movements are all intended to correct these imbalances, and save cost on maintaining extraneous buildings.

However, public discussion of these matters has been less than flattering. Some racist remarks have been bandied about – giving programs back to the poor – and those schools who have made great strides in the wake of the flawed No Child Left Behind Act are crying foul. Another concern specific to Rainer Beach High School is an escalation in gang violence. Under the current plan, Rainer Beach would be merged with rival school Cleveland High School. There is some animosity between the schools and parents are concerned that these feelings would escalate if the schools were to be combined.

Currently there are many public hearings scheduled for individual schools prior to the final recommendations being released on January 6^th. For a full list go here.

A week ago, I helped change the world. I, like so many others, came out in force to propel a young senator from Illinois to the most powerful position in the free world. After the election had been called, the citizens of Seattle took to the streets in joy. From 9:00pm to 2:00am, happy voters partied peacefully as Seattle Police watched from the perimeter. There was no vandalism, no arrests, only a palpable sense of joy. There were similar outbursts in cities like New York and Chicago, although few as peaceful, as mind boggling as the one in Seattle.

This historic win may not just lift the first African-American to the highest publicly elected in the country. Should Obama deliver on even half of his proposed changes and rollbacks of the past years, he will reinvigorated the political spirit of America laid low when beloved president John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and when Richard M. Nixon besmirched the White House with his lies. Since these tragic strikes against the American dream, politics has been treated as a dirty word, something most would choose to willfully ignore despite the potential for benefit. It has even been suggested that Obama’s presidency could begin the fourth republic in America.

But what the future holds remains to be seen. As it stands now, there is much work to do. Despite the landslide of electoral votes and surprising separation by the popular vote, 46% of the country voted for John McCain. Despite our joy, there is still sorrow there. There is confusion, anger, and also curiosity. Today, I did not change history, but hopefully I changed one girl’s perspective.

One of my co-workers, the only one my own age, asked me what I thought about Obama’s win. I explained to her my elation about his win, and the hopeful new age in American politics, when I was met with a strange collection of questions. Was Obama a naturalized citizen? Would he repeal the constitution? Would he take away the second amendment? Who was this Joe Biden character?

For the next half an hour, I gave her a crash course education in the requirements to be president, what it takes to pass or repeal an amendment, who Joe Biden was, why he as a good candidate for Vice President, and the responsibilities of the Vice President. I explained to her the vast insufficiencies of Sarah Palin as a vice presidential candidate, and why Obama’s tax plan would be a benefit to the country at large.

In his concession speech. John McCain proved that deep beneath the image he spent cultivating over his campaign, the relic of the 2000 campaign still lurked there with dignity and compassion. But McCain’s followers are not the forgiving and knowledgeable man he is, and part of responsibility of an informed voter is informing others. Do not shy away from this task because in the coming days it will be one of the most important ones we undertake. An informed yet disagreeable voter is a much larger asset to this country than an uninformed one. President-elect Barack Obama has given us hope in our political system, let us take that hope and give it to our countrymen. It is the least we can do.

Photo credit to current.tv

I don’t think of myself as a political person. I know political people – they work in Washington DC, and love to govern. They have been career student government representatives, they believe in the system. My friend Sam is political. He loves arguing, hob-nobbing, and legislating. He’s a rare creature that despite some close calls, has always managed to be a part of the political sphere.

I’m more of an idealist. The government takes taxes and turns them in to opportunities and services for the whole country. I accept this fact and move on. I have given much consideration to hot button issues like abortion, gay rights, our foreign policy, and our defense spending. When the time comes, I will vote upon these policies because I have been researching them, and been considering my options. I am an informed voter, or at least I like to think so. But am I a political person? I don’t believe myself to be.

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6:30 - Due to technical difficulties, no posts by the author were allowed. Hopefully things are better now.

6:25 - Moderator makes an excellent remark regarding negative ads. Both candidates dodge the question. McCain plays the victim card, Obama says he’s not attacking. Both lies.

6:30 - Who is this joe the plumber?

6:32  -McCain keeps playing victim, Obama says that he’s been focused on differences.

6:33 - Oooh, they’re arguing at one another.

6:34 - McCain playing the “better man card” whilst complaining about t-shirt slogans. Obama curiously not addressing the behavior of his occasionally fanatic fans.

6:45 - More unforeseeable technical problems plague the author. Meanwhile, the debate veers towards the VP comment, but Obama doesn’t unload in Palin. Not sure why so few big politicians are willing to blast her as idiotic.

6:46 - Energy and Climate Change. Moderator wants specific numbers. Neither candidate apparently has a stats report or any plan.

6:50 - McCain pinpoints Obama’s eloquence, muddles own answer.

6:53 - Hey an untouched topic! Columbia! A totally corrupt government! A scary prelude to our own?

6:54 - Obama: The way of the future? For the auto industry, maybe. Brining back jobs to America that left in the early 90’s for foreign countries.

6:56 - McCain says Obama is lying to everyone, and the Moderator promptly changes the topic. Nice.

6:57 - Back to the insurance plan. Obama’s rhetoric has not changed one iota.

7:02 - Obama actually providing details on the insurance plan, making good points combating McCain.

7:04 - McCain: Willing to pay for, well…eh…most of your insurance. On Average.

7:05 - Ari sez:  Remember back in the primary when Obama was attacked by Hillary for not having a mandate? I I do.

7:06 - Now it’s time for abortion! Moderator asks an extremely pertinent question about Supreme Court appointments. McCain says he would never appoint a judge that would overturn Roe v. Wade. Obama says he wouldn’t provide litmus test, but counters McCain on his federalist stance. Good counter.

7:11 - McCain wants to change the culture of America. To what? To applesauce eating war veterans? No thanks.

7:13 - Obama doing a very good job countering and explaining during the later half of this debate. Really impressive actually. Playing it concise and explanatory.

7:15 - Oh -ho, education! A good selection of questions for (finally!) a good debate between the candidates.

7:18 - Education is the civil rights issue of the 21st century? What the hell does that mean?

7:20 - Chris sez (disagreeing with the author): 

The education question is loaded and fraudulent. The US does not have a math/science problem. we continue to lead the world in tech innovations, medical achievement and new consumer products. These tests serve no purpose other than to undermine education.

7:21 - Obama for more education funding, a no brainer.

7:23 - No Child Left Behind (which most teachers loathe) is not a good idea. By re-authorize, I hope you mean gut the stupid thing and make better changes.

7:25 - Obama takes McCain to task for vouchers. McCain gives a naked mole rat smile.

7:27 - Closing remarks.

McCain: I’m for change. I’m a Maverick! I’m a friend! I’m you’re drunk maverick friend who comes up with wacky ideas to solve common problems! We need change! I’ll be humble!

Obama: McCain is a tool. A big fat tool. I’ll bring the change you so desperately desire, but you have to play too.

Well, that’s the end folks. Sorry about the technical difficulties that prevented the smooth posting of this debate. We’ll keep providing plenty of coverage of the campaigns in the upcoming weeks.

For those in the mood for daring live theatre, the Book-It Repertory Theatre’s production of “Even Cowgirls Get The Blues” fills the niche for theatre that still pushes the envelope.

Based on the 1976 Tom Robbins novel, “Cowgirls” follows the hitchhiking travels of Sissy Hankshaw and all the vibrant characters she finds along the way.

Blessed with abnormally large thumbs from birth, Sissy is “the one great passenger” for all the great drivers in the world. From New York City to North Dakota, Sissy roams earning money when she needs it by modeling for The Countess (Brian Thompson), a transvestite tycoon of vaginal perfumes. It’s The Countess who steers Sissy towards Julian (Chris Maslen) a full blooded Indian, though he doesn’t look it. Here, Sissy faces her first real dilemma. She’s enchanted with the freedom the American Indian represents, but her own personal Indian becomes a shut in, unwilling to show Sissy’s huge thumbs in public. Through the rest of the play, Sissy continues to fight for her right to live the way she wants, despite all efforts to get her to conform.

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Zoning laws are belaboring many Seattle residents, as the city struggles with urban planning in Washington State’s largest city.

Since 2000, the City of Seattle has grown by 30,000 in the city proper, and even more in the greater Seattle area, making the Emerald City the third fastest growing city in Washington state.

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Robert Hill, aka Jesse Hill, ended his campaign for Sheriff yesterday with a guilty plea to a forgery conviction, The Tacoma News Tribune reported. Hill admitted to forging District Court Judge David Kenworthy’s signature on a temporary anti-harassment order. With a felony conviction on his record, Hill is ineligible to run for Sheriff, or the Democratic Precinct Committee Officer, which he was also up for.

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