Sure, I picked some easy ones, but I never claimed to be Nostradamus.
#1: Unemployment will rise in Washington State in 2009.
Pagliacci Pizza will begin paying its delivery drivers and food servers nearly 50 cents an hour more today as part of a mandatory adjustment for minimum-wage workers in Washington state. While that might not sound like much, it adds up when you consider that Pagliacci employs 600 people at 21 locations throughout the Seattle area.
Co-owner Matt Galvin estimates the minimum-wage increase will add at least $100,000 to Pagliacci’s 2009 payroll costs.
“Our business model is predicated on the fact that the minimum wage will continue to rise and be the highest in the nation,” Galvin said, explaining that he takes it into account when setting prices and evaluating other costs annually.
“I can complain about it, but it is what it is. As long as our business holds up, we’ll be OK,” he added.
An increase in Washington state’s minimum wage no doubt pleases thousands of workers who will see their pay go up to $8.55 an hour — the highest in the United States. That’s 48 cents an hour more than they had been making, representing their single biggest pay raise in nine years.
But will the increase ultimately hurt minimum-wage workers?
Yes. Minimum wage increases do that, even in times of an economic upswing (which is what was happening when the Legislature decided on these idiotic increases for unskilled labor). Minimum wage is supposed to be an incentive for workers to gain skills, not be a “livable wage”.
#2: Washington’s government will continue to be inept.
Heavy snow and avalanche danger shut down all three major passes over the Cascades on Thursday, with two expected to remain closed into this morning.
Snoqualmie Pass — where about 18 inches of snow fell Wednesday night and into Thursday evening — reopened about 8 p.m. Thursday. Stevens and White passes remained closed overnight.
An additional 18 inches of snow was expected to fall in the Snoqualmie Pass area through today, according to the National Weather Service.
The state Department of Transportation said Thursday night that it would reevaluate Stevens and White passes today, and decide when they could reopen.
We went through this exact sequence of events last year and those who run “the show” didn’t learn a damn thing from it. Thanks to a lazy and easily misguided electorate, the ding dongs have been re-elected.
Whole lotta change going on!
#3: Seattle’s government will be even more inept than the politicians in our state capital
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels announced this morning that the city will reverse its decade-old policy and use road salt to melt ice in future storms.
The mayor set certain conditions for using salt: on hills, arterials or snow bus routes, and on routes to hospitals and other emergency facilities when at least 4 inches of snow is predicted, if ice is predicted, or if extreme cold is expected to last more than three days.
Otherwise, you’re all pretty much fucked. Notice that they didn’t even keep the emergency paths cleared before. The main hospital in King County, Harborview Medical Center, sits two-thirds of the way up what is locally known as “First Hill” (aka: Pill Hill because that is where 75% of the medical facilities are located). Yes, they were walking the gurneys to the hospital for nearly two days before the city got enough sand on it to make it passable.
We got a light dusting of the powder last night. The rain isn’t getting rid of it as yet. If temps don’t rise, it’ll be an ice rink out there tonight. But it isn’t four inches, so no salt. Enjoy!
#4: The local media will question the Seattle Police Department when they have to shoot an obviously (to thinking people) dangerous suspect.
Seattle police shot and killed a University of Washington senior who was dressed in a World War II-era German uniform and who officers say was brandishing a long rifle with a bayonet early Thursday in his University District apartment.
The student, identified by friends as Miles Allen Murphy, was well-known on campus as a smart, eccentric history buff who loved to participate in WWII re-enactments and would even show up to class, at times, dressed in a historic uniform.
Friends said Murphy, 22, would entertain at parties by playing everything from old German folk songs to Britney Spears tunes on his accordion.
Murphy was killed about 2 a.m. Thursday when police responded to neighbors’ complaints that several men were shooting vintage, military-style rifles and shotguns into a dark alley near the 5200 block of 17th Avenue Northeast, police spokesman Jeff Kappel said.
When police were called, Kappel said, neighbors pointed out an apartment in a large white house. When police knocked on the door, one of the suspects opened the door brandishing a long rifle with a large bayonet attached.
Uniformed police officers warned the man several times to drop his weapon. He didn’t, Kappel said, and he pointed it at one of the officers. Two officers shot him several times. He died at a hospital Thursday morning, Kappel said.
Yeah, he “only” had a 50 inch long Mauser with a 12 inch long bayonet attached. They should have just Tazered him.
I could write these same predictions every year. The only variation would be that the person shot by SPD was dressed as a Nazi.
Due to institutional risk aversion, the Oregon DOT will not open US Hwy 26, the direct route from Portland over Mount Hood, and the major route to 90% of the ski areas in the state.
A moderate landslide covered the road last night, trapping two vehicles, and it wasn’t more than about a thousand cubic yards, but the 4-hour clearing job was postponed for 48 hours while “observations” took place to see if the hillside has stabilized.
If this is such great policy, how come it wasn’t done for the first 90 years on Federal Highways?
I love Hattie Taylor’s comment in the P-I article about Murphy, wondering why police shot him so many times (three, from what I’ve read).
I wonder how many shots Ms Taylor feels are appropriate when confronted by a drunk man who was illegally shooting rifles in an alley and is now pointing a loaded rifle w/ bayonet in your face while dressed as a Nazi? What the hell else did he have to do, short of actually killing someone?
When the names of the officers involved are released, I’m sending a thank-you note. Maybe your readers could, too?
All of the above with the exception of the SPD cleaning out the gene pool, brings to mind an old sayint:
“Because a thing is stupid, does not mean that Government will not do it.”
Gerry N.
A witness told the police before they shot Murphy that Murphy’s rifle was loaded only with blanks.
So they shot the drunk kid three times because he didn’t immediately comply with their demands.
If the DA doesn’t charge the officers with murder then there is no justice.
They will need to prove that Murphy had intent to cause them harm. If they can’t prove that, such as his finger on the trigger, or he charged them with the bayonet, then they need to go to jail where they can be ass raped.
Jim,
So the next time so guy sticks a gun in your face while drunk, and his friends tell you to not worry because the gun only has blanks, are you gonna take them at their word and hope they are right? Are you going to be calm and rational enough? Or are you going to have the adrenaline pumping hard enough for your heartbeat to be drumming in your ears and a nasty case of tunnel vision?
You think cops, despite the minimal training they get for such situations, are going to react any different?
I’ll happily hammer on the SPD when they get all Jack-booted and stupid, but in this case, they were very right. If this guys friends were so sure their buddy had blanks, why didn’t they go in and disarm him?
Madrocketscientist,
If I have to be able to demonstrate that someone I kill is in fact a threat, then it stands to reason that the police should be held to the same if not higher standard.
Adrenaline is no excuse for a poor judgement. I would rather a cop or soldier die from showing restraint than murder people by pulling the trigger. If the kid wasn’t trying to shoot them or stab them with the bayonet then they committed murder plain and simple.
If you don’t think so, that is fine.
Hey Jim, let us assume they DID believe the gun was loaded with blanks. Big fuckin’ hairy deal? If you don’t think a bayonet on the end of a 4.5ft long rifle is enough of a threat, I’d like to see the body armor you wear at your job.
Sorry guy, but a jury informed about the failings of body armor to edged weaponry would never convict these guys unless someone comes forward with footage of them putting the rifle in the guy’s hands after the shots were fired.
You’re all wet on this.
“If I have to be able to demonstrate that someone I kill is in fact a threat, then it stands to reason that the police should be held to the same if not higher standard.”
And what is the standard you believe is adequate to prove the existence of a lethal threat? Last time I checked, in the state of WA, a person pulls a gun on me, or any device a normal person would reasonably believe to be a deadly weapon (which includes a BB Gun or an Airsoft Gun), and I am within my right to fire without being fired upon. I don’t have to pull my gun and ask them to disarm, or tell them I am going to shoot.
The police in this case showed restraint by asking the guy to lower the weapon and surrender more than once, which he initially did, before he raised it again. Once he started to raise it again, any reasonable person would take that to mean he was preparing to fire.
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