Seattle Mayor: Hey, You Know What? Maybe Next Time It Snows We'll Use Salt
Ace of Spades
Apparently Puget Sound isn't that sensitive to salt after all. Or at least it's not as sensitive as thousands of downtown retailers whose stores were made inaccessible by this absurd policy, nor as sensitive to hundreds of people who crashed their cars driving on the packed snow the roads were deliberately turned into.
>>>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.
The city earlier refused to use salt, saying it's bad for the environment, and instead spread sand over the roads.
"In normal Seattle winters, this practice has served us well," Nickels said in a City Hall news conference today. "This time, liquid de-icers were not enough. People were frustrated, and so was I."
Nickels has faced criticism over the city's reaction to back-to-back snowstorms over the past two weeks. Buses could not run in many parts of the city and roads remained icy and rutted days after snow had fallen.<<<
Thanks to jenjhis.
Mr. Burris Sues To Go To Washington
After Blago made his appointment of Roland Burris to replace Obama in the Senate, the Illinois Secretary of State said he would not sign the Certificate of Appointment. At first it looked like that was pretty much an empty threat but it turns out that Senate rules do may require a Secretary's signature (see Gabe's analysis in the comments).
Now Burris has filed suit in the Illinois Supreme Court to force Secretary of State White to sign the paperwork.
>>> "The secretary of state cannot veto an action by simply not signing the document," Burris said. "He doesn't have that authority. He must do his job."
Justices on Illinois' highest court gave no indication when the court will take up the issue. If Burris prevails, it could allow him to present valid paperwork to the U.S. Senate, and perhaps give leaders one less reason to reject him.<<<
And what happens if Burris shows up next week looking to take his seat with or without a fully filled out Certificate of Appointment? Fun, fun, fun!
>>> Should Burris appear in Washington without that certification, armed police officers stand ready to bar him from the Senate floor, said a Democratic official briefed on Senate leaders' plans.
Leadership also is considering the possibility of Blagojevich appearing in person to escort Burris. Ironically, the scandal-plagued governor would be allowed onto the Senate floor, because sitting governors are allowed floor privileges, while Burris would not without certification. Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero said the governor had not decided whether he will appear in Washington next week with Burris.
...Senate Democrats also have a follow-up plan (should White sign the certificate): Refusing to seat Burris until the Senate Rules Committee completes an investigation into whether the appointment process was tainted by corruption. Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 on federal charges that he tried to sell the Senate seat."
Normally I am absolutely appalled by the race baiting crap Bobby Rush has been spewing the last few days. Honestly though, I can't wait to see him and the Black Congressional Caucus unload on Senate Democrats next week if they 'stand in the Senate doorway' to exclude Burris. Something about reaping what you sow.
At least the reduced Republican Senate caucus will have something to laugh about next week.
minx.cc |
