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• bongo
  What bugs me about this is they now have a way to to just raise more money without needing to put forth a good case for asking for it. I hate that they can just say oops we spent all our money lets just push the button that raise parking fees. This just leads to even more opaque government.
• Ben
  I doubt that anyone considers an extra $0.50 when deciding where to shop. I would just take the bus, of course that also costs $2 unless you have a bus pass.
• elenchos
  Opaque? A legislative body debated a proposal from the executive to raise a fee in open session. They voted to pass it. This was all over the news. You can see who voted to raise it and vote against them when they're up for reelection if you like.
  
  I'm not sure what more information one needs to make it less opaque, or what other system you'd want to decide how to pay the bills.
  
  (I would question the wisdom of the city providing parking at below-market rates, but that's a different issue...)
• 50intheclip
  boo hooo
• Grubby Ballard
  A good case to ask for it? Ask and the yuppies here will vote yes for it everytime, they love raising your taxes! They love to raise taxes on us working stiffs so they can build fancy trains and give bums apartments for free. Did I mention the bag tax? Why not just tax yuppies?
• opaque
  grumby ballard loves yuppies
• Ballardog
  It's not about the people of Seattle anymore, it's about the government of Seattle. Local businesses and the community should have the final say but the city is acting unilaterally (sound familiar?) to pad the general fund in a self serving manner. They need to be reigned in. What would it take to disincorporate? What about some more downsizing of the council?
• mickey
  Ballardog, I believe the answer lies in districting all city council seats. True representation from neighborhood to neighborhood. Accountability to a defined constituency. Less money spent on council campaigns. Community leaders who actually live in -- and care about -- different neighborhoods would get to serve.
• Tom
  Nice job on fcking Ballard up a little more. This town is turning to stone.
• Grubby Ballard
  I hear you Tom, I preferred Ballard when it was the kind of sh*t hole yuppies avoided and my home was only worth $75K.
• elenchos
  It breaks my heart every time I see anyone whose home value increased from 75k to 300k or more. How are you coping?
• tom
  elenchos, I myself don't own a home. Unless you plan to borrow against your home or sell it when the market is greedy, your home rising in value only raises your taxes and the costs of living in your town. I can't afford to buy here, so you can all enjoy your eight story eyesores and your screeching yuppie skunks. I'm moving away from here soon enough.
• elenchos
  It really makes no sense what the motive is for the daily dose hate. Nobody is going to apologize for earning a decent living. You can whine about it five times a day for the rest of your life and nobody is going to apologize It isn't interesting to anyone that you can't stand what brand of car or shoes or beer the "yuppies" prefer.
  
  Nobody wants to trade Seattle's healthy economy for collapsing home values and disappearing jobs. I feel a lot more sorry for people in Flint or Detroit, Michigan than for someone who dreamed of a city that would never change.
  
  Cities change. That's what cities do. A city that isn't changing is dying. Want things to stay the same? Stay far, far away from any city.
• Grubby Ballard
  I'm with you Tom! Those yuppies in their fancy condos looking down their noses at us working stiffs make me sick. Any house with more floors than a bungalow gives me a nose bleed.
  
  Maybe I'll join you in Kent, no enviro-yuppies there kicking the working man.