Hella News Flash

Do the knowledge.

• This year officially sucks. The House and Senate rolled out their budget proposals this week, and everybody was hurting. The Senate version was especially hard to stomach, with huge cuts to health care and education. The House version was only slightly better, with a smaller bite into K-12 education funding – “smaller” being relative. Ouch.
• To quote Mr. T, “be somebody, or be somebody’s fool!” And definitely don’t be fooled by the many scams popping up as a result of the bad economy. Be smart with your money, people!
• A house divided… well, you know the rest. Looks like the unprecedented budget year is driving some fissures in the usually united House Democrats. If it’s going to happen, this is the year.

New Wale

Hipster? Hip? Too many options...

You like Wale? You should. Or heck, maybe you shouldn’t. Wale walks that fine line between pushing hip hop beyond its too-often-staid confines (see: taking go-go more mainstream than anyone since Chuck Brown), and falling into the shiny jackets and streetwear-obsessed land of hipster hop.

Ah, so it goes. How about this: download the mixtape (he wants you to, really), and decide for yourself.

Pow Pow PowerCorps!

The Bus is thrilled to announce the launch of PowerCorps, our ten-week political fellowship!

Intensive? Yes. Hands-on? But of course. Like any other program in Washington? No.

PowerCorps is unique in Washington. PowerCorps Fellows work for 10 weeks in the summer, building and refining key grassroots organizing skills, from campaign planning, to volunteer management to public policy formulation.

Graduating Fellows will have the skills needed to manage a campaign from start to finish, and win it. Whether you want to run for office, run a campaign or just plain run the world, PowerCorps is your first step.

The Fellowship runs from mid-June to late August, and is open to all people ages 15 to 25. If you’re a tad out of the age range, nominate a young person to be a Fellow – just contact the Bus (206-325-1889).

The Bus engages tomorrow’s leaders today, and PowerCorps builds the most effective cadre of young leaders in Washington. Put the power in your hands, apply now.

That’s right people. PowerCorps has arrived.

I employ thee

Mr. Good Advice says don't smoke. I'm actually 32.

Oh hey there, it’s me, Mr. Good Advice. You in high school? And looking for a job? Sure you are.

I, Mr. Good Advice, know these things. Just like I know we all need a job, internship, or something generally useful to do during the summer. Well, good news. Not only can you apply to be a PowerCorps Fellow (what, you haven’t heard?), but our friends over at the Seattle Youth Employment Program are here to help.

They’re having a career fair this Thursday, and since it’s spring break and cetera, it is most highly advised that you check check it out. It’s going down 10am – 2pm at the Rainier Community Center (4600 38th Ave S), and I, Mr. Good Advice, highly recommend it.

Plus, the Bus will be there recruiting for PowerCorps. Come through and let us know what’s really good!

New Camp Lo

If you’re not up on your Camp Lo, get up on it. Take two of the most unitelligible/over-this-Bus’s-head emcees ever to touch a mic, mix thoroughly with quality musical production, and boom, you’ve got yourself some classic material. Camp Lo radio on Pandora is a huge win, and now there’s new material to enjoy… and now you can understand them. Uff da, as they say in Ballard, it’s the goodness.

h/t to Raindrop Hustla.

Schools not jails

Jail, notably not school.

There are good ideas, and then there are bad ideas. Good ideas include (but are not limited to): taco trucks, Trick or Vote, and the beach in the summer. In terms of bad ideas, well, there are a lot, more than we could list here (sigh).

Luckily, there’s good news about one very good idea. It’s called I-100, and it’s a Seattle initiative with a very basic premise: before the City builds a new $226 million jail facility, make sure we’re examining all the options on the table. Let’s take a look at treatment and rehabilitation, and let’s make sure that we’re not disproportionately locking away people of color.

That’s it. That’s all. Make sure we know what we’re getting into before we’re into it, and make sure our system is fair.

It’s a compelling idea, and it’s popping up all over the country. In fact, I-100 is the local manifestation of what’s rapidly becoming a national movement to re-examine how we approach incarceration and criminal justice. One of the vocal supporters on this issues is Virginia Senator Jim Webb, who’s taking a national leadership role using the bully pulpit that being a prominent elected official provides.

The concept is straightforward, but it’s a big idea, so here’s what the good folks at I-100 have to say about it:

• Initiative 100 says the City must negotiate the contract, which already exists, with King County to keep room for municipal arrests in the County jail.
• Initiative 100 mandates the city to look into its local communities and the upstream programs that are helping build futures, not undermine them. It forces the city to examine alternatives to incarceration.
• Initiative 100 mandates the City of Seattle examine the disparity in arrests and the over-representation of people of color in Seattle’s jails.
• Finally, and most importantly, Initiative 100 will put the question of this costly new jail on the ballot for a public vote.

See? All good stuff. The Bus approves.

We like Initiative 100, and we’re going to be working on it in the weeks and months to come. Want to jump on? Contact the Bus (info(at)washingtonbus(dot)org), or sign up at the I-100 website. Seriously, it’s just plain a good idea.

Your existential monday video

There are few things in life that are truly better than Hall & Oates when they’re on the top of their game. And yes, this video is the very tip-top. One of the Bus’s NYC contacts sent it our direction, and it’s been in constant rotation ever since.

Items of note in this video:
1) The devil
2) Money in the air
3) Sleeveless tuxedo jackets
4) Inexplicable guitar solos

Just watch it. It will change your life.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Your existential monday video“, posted with vodpod

Budget, monday, ouch

Today’s a big day. And tomorrow’s going to be another big one. The Senate is due to release their budget proposal in a matter of hours, and the House is putting its out tomorrow. In case you didn’t see our Live from Oly video, the budget (and what is/isn’t included in it) is pretty much driving every legislator mad.

And while the budget might not be the sexiest of sexy times, it puts into place the structural underpinnings that run our entire state. The Seattle Times got some early words on where the cuts are likely to come from, and all we have to say is “ouch.” For all you public employees out there, the next couple of months are likely to be nail-biters. Here’s some of the estimated damage: 12,000 public employees cut, 3,000 teachers gone, and 3,000 college faculty losing their jobs.

To be perfectly honest, the Bus didn’t even know there were 3,000 college faculty in Washington, much less enough that that many could lose their positions and we could still have colleges and universities. Go figure.

Bottom line, today is going to hurt. Keep your eyes on these here prizes.

If you’re no longer in the P-I…

…where are you?

Photo by Seattle Times, which is ironic.

Turns out you’re very quickly becoming part of this whole blogosphere/internet/new media community (which still hasn’t officially admitted us. All we want is the secret handshake!). Somewhat ironically, the Times has a story today about the many web ventures P-I alumni are launching left and right.

We actually saw this list last week, on the blog of former P-Ier (which we’re now having trouble tracking down, but will post when we find it). It’s a pretty extensive list, ranging from the very specific (Regina Hacket’s art coverage) to the highly ambitious (an entirely new online publication, staff-run, and sustained with a membership service, much like public radio).

While we still have to check ourselves everytime we start saying “Seattle’s dailies,” it’s actually pretty exciting to see what folks are coming up with. They say crisis presents opportunity (they being the homie Rahm), and if that’s the case then the local media opportunities must be limitless right about now.

Pharrell can’t buy a Big Mac

No, really, he literally can’t buy a Big Mac. Even though he sings, dances, and implores. Actually, kind of makes us feel a little more equal versus celebrities. Good times.