"Let's hear it for the politics of cleavage"

The shield

Seattle's mean streets need a few good cops

Editor, The Times:

Monday's rush-hour shooting in downtown Seattle illustrates once again the fragility and vulnerability of life in the midst of some of downtown's key intersections and streets ["Busy downtown corner is a 'hot spot' for crime," Times page one, Aug. 1]. The area is a violent background to street gangs, lawlessness and the noxious presence of too many guns used to settle drug-related and similar disputes.

The fact that all of this went down in one of the busiest intersections of the city (Third Avenue and Pine Street) and close to some of Seattle's busiest shopping and tourist attractions should give us all pause for concern.

My hope would be not just for the police to assume a much higher walking presence in the busiest parts of our city, but also for those currently constructing beautiful hotels and condos to come together to think at least about creating some sort of community-healing fund to address many of the problems — littering, graffiti and hopelessness — that currently prevail.

I have long felt after walks in communities like Belltown, South Lake Union and downtown that these areas will never fulfill their potential so long as little that is imaginative or creative is done to address the crime, societal drift and lawlessness. These threaten the dark and often rundown shadows between each new gleaming symbol of light and hope.

-- Tim Whittome, North Bend

Tuned to the Sound

We aren't deadwood that can just settle outside a ghost town

Editor, The Times:

Let me get this straight. Seattle is going to be hit with a planned traffic outage that will be beyond disruptive to everyone who lives and works here and the mayor's advice is: "If you've got vacation, take it." ['Seattle takes steps to prepare for I-5 closures and massive backups," Local News, Aug. 1.]

Great.

That's what I call "inspired leadership." Mr. Mayor, you've had plenty of time to help the citizens of the city and those of us who commute into the city from afar prepare for this event, and you are saying "fill up, log in, and chill out" at a coffee house?

How about working with local employers to provide tax breaks to offset something along the lines of paid time off? What about shutting down the city's nonessential services during the Interstate 5 maintenance? For those who might need those services during that time, forgive late fees and offer extensions.

There are a number of things you and the City Council could have done. Instead, you have the option of working as you please. The rest of us aren't as lucky.

So what if companies (and the city) lose revenue for a while. "We the people" should not be considered profits; rather, we are the life of this city. As we keep the city moving, in spite of the I-5 construction, we'll have to avoid stepping in the "inspired leadership."

-- Stephen Cole, Bellevue

Who wants to pay a millionaire?

Regarding "Bennett, Nickels won't play ball" [Local News, Aug. 3]: I think it is time for Sonics owner Clay Bennett to get the message — that this city values other things far more than building a new arena just so rich people can have a nice place to watch the Sonics and the Storm.

Most of us can't even afford the ticket prices now — to say nothing of what they would become if there is a new arena.

I heartily back Mayor Greg Nickels in his decisions regarding KeyArena. Hold Bennett and his rich pals to the lease contract.

This city has already been stuck with Safeco Field and Seahawks Stadium because of the wants of a few rich people. It is time to fund our schools, our teachers, our law enforcement, our infrastructure and other areas that sorely need money.

-- Marian Ely, Renton

King of beans

Newcastle City Councilman Sonny Putter's spiel about an urban village ["Focus is on Downtown Newcastle," Local News, July 27] sounds good, but here's the reality. Newcastle may have grown rapidly in recent years, but the mitigation fees that the council wasted on consultants to study whether we have a "sense of place" are drying up.

Even if increasing the density of downtown brought in new money, most of the city's crime happens in the downtown apartments. Adding to that will not make this a "vibrant, pedestrian-friendly center."

Financial analysis shows we can't afford to build the final phase of Coal Creek Parkway until we get a fair share of the cost from the county or state. Ninety percent of the traffic just uses that thoroughfare to avoid congestion on Interstate 405. Why is Putter in such a hurry to put Newcastle in financial jeopardy to pave two more lanes for their use?

Putter's drive to urbanize our small-scale residential town with an oversized new City Hall nearly cost us our new library. It's time to end his long reign on the council and get back to city government that practices true fiscal responsibility by using the community's resources for the benefit of its citizens.

-- Susan Beverly, Newcastle

Prime-time special

I was dismayed to read John Moe's rather mean-spirited "Where's the soul?" [Northwest Life, July 22]. Obviously, his perception of Federal Way was filtered through a prism of his personality. You get what you seek.

The thrust of the article was Federal Way then and now, yet The Times included a nine-year-old picture, which could be easily perceived as a current view of downtown.

Federal Way is a young city. Since we wrested control of our civic destiny from King County 17 years ago, the city has undergone a beautification program. That "tangled streetscape" was eliminated five years ago. On the opposite corner is a waterfall and art work. (And what city doesn't have a busy intersection?)

Federal Way has added a performing-arts theater, a ballpark, and is in the process of building a new civic center.

When you combine these improvements with an abundance of parks and nature trails, two libraries, affordable housing and million-dollar homes, an excellent transportation system and, yes, plenty of retail, Federal Way is a nice place to live.

-- Lisa Johnson, Federal Way

Rescue money

Now that the regional Growth Management Hearings Board has made its decision, hopefully King County Parks can now proceed without hindrance in upgrading the Burke-Gilman Trail through the city of Lake Forest Park ["Burke-Gilman Trail given right of way in Lake Forest Park," Local News, July 26].

Enough time and money has been wasted by the city (and by the county in legal costs defending its plans) in trying to stop sorely needed trail improvements.

Let's get on with it, and not waste more time and money in an appeal by the city. The city has already spent nearly $100,000 in such costs, and, unfortunately, a similar amount was spent by King County in defending its plans.

The worst part is that the county legal costs come out of the money originally budgeted to improve the trail, thus limiting the work to be done.

-- Jeff Altman, Lake Forest Park

Heart and soul

Missed a few notes

Seattle City Councilman Peter Steinbrueck wrote a glowing opinion ["Seattle's heart and soul," guest commentary, July 29], about the Pike Market District and Association, until his ulterior motive of destroying the Alaskan Way Viaduct came into play.

I have a question for all of the "surface street" and "open space" people who gush about the waterfront being opened up and blah blah blah if the viaduct is destroyed:

The so-called "open space" will only be as wide as the viaduct. So, where are you going to stick the surface-street options, transit improvements, more traffic than I-5 and the park-like whatevers that keep coming up?

And where are you going to put the thousands of people who park under the viaduct and spend their money at the market? Isn't that the money that pays for the renovations and repairs so badly needed at the market and market buildings?

I'm becoming suspicious that a lot of these "tear down the viaduct" people have the new Four Seasons Hotel that is being built behind the viaduct in mind. Maybe even the million-dollar condo projects in the market district in mind.

It certainly doesn't seem like they really have the Pike Market District and Association's best interests in mind.

-- Pamela Buxton, Seattle

This time with feeling

Pike Place Market is indeed a Seattle treasure! For more than 100 years, the market has been a daily hub of activity with a wide variety of foods, street musicians, many different peoples, cultures and lifestyles.

May the market always exist!

I firmly believe that there should be a special observance and celebration for one of Seattle's best-kept secrets!

-- Stace Webb, Wenatchee

Top contender

Victorious secret

Let's hear it for the politics of cleavage. It is a refreshing change. ["Clinton capitalizes on cleavage coverage," News, July 29.]

For seven years, our current president has rarely strayed from the comfortable confines of hand-chosen audiences as he sells his policies, including the disastrous war in Iraq — for which he has never come clean nor accepted responsibility.

Now he hides behind executive privilege as Congress demands answers for an illegal domestic-spying program and a demoralized Justice Department.

The list of George Bush's covert subversions of public will and trust is endless.

So if Hillary Clinton's recent fashion statement is a sign of a more open and accessible form of leadership, that is fine with me.

I'll take a senator who is not afraid to show some cleavage over a president who doesn't show any [spine].

-- Bruce Johnson, Seattle