Owen
@owenpick.bsky.social
890 followers 860 following 5.2K posts
Seattle based, (mostly) earnest poster.
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owenpick.bsky.social
It's an especially appropriate response to reporting methods that are actively hostile to a functional democracy.
Reposted by Owen
theurbanist.org
A major intersection redesign near Seward Park was ready to go to construction with a Mayor's Office review the only impediment, records show. The exchanges reveal what was happening behind the scenes as the public was kept in the dark about the upgrades.

Story: www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/07/l...
Lake Washington Boulevard Safety Upgrades Fully Designed Before Mayor Pulled Plug » The Urbanist
# A major intersection redesign near Seward Park was ready to go to construction with a Mayor's Office review the only impediment, records show. The exchanges reveal what was happening behind the scen...
www.theurbanist.org
owenpick.bsky.social
Every time a driver has almost killed me they've also been furious at me. Sure, they're not thinking clearly because of adrenaline. But this also clarifies how many people should not be driving.

Responding to stress with aggression should disqualify people from holding a license.
robsonfletcher.com
Police in Airdrie, Alberta (just north of Calgary) say this driver hit a 17-year-old girl in a marked crosswalk, got out of the vehicle, and appeared to get upset at the teenager before driving away.

They released this video and are now trying to identify the driver.
owenpick.bsky.social
I'm not sure how this plays generally but it surprises me how many people have been hammering the "drop-out" message.

My strong suspicion is that they deeply misunderstand what that signals to the median voter. And instead they're just revealing a bit of their own biases.
owenpick.bsky.social
Regulate externalities not building forms.
Reposted by Owen
perrybaconjr.bsky.social
In reading this @anatosaurus.bsky.social piece, it's worth thinking about what strategies/tactics can be used by ALL Democratic candidates. Many successful candidates in red areas (like Jared Golden) succeed by bashing the party. Everyone can't do that. www.weekendreading.net/p/bringing-a...
Bringing a Survey to a Gun Fight
“Pollingism” Has Failed Democrats and Voters. Here’s Why, and What to Do Instead.
www.weekendreading.net
Reposted by Owen
Reposted by Owen
katemacfarlane.bsky.social
Oh look, another example of Harrell’s terrible management skills

Tiffany Washington, Deputy Mayor for Homelessness, refused to fill hotel rooms that the city paid for. Reason? She doesn’t like the program lead

Not the first time Washington has acted in favor of more homelessness, either
propublica.org
NEW: After paying for hotel rooms to shelter homeless people, Seattle deliberately left them vacant.

By the end of 2024, taxpayers were spending $4,200 a month per empty room at a time when thousands of residents were without a roof over their heads.
Seattle Spent Millions on Hotel Rooms to Shelter Unhoused People. Then It Stopped Filling Them.
Early last year, the city signed a $2.7 million lease extension to continue using a hotel’s rooms as shelter space. Yet despite committing to pay the rent, the city stopped sending people there.
www.propublica.org
Reposted by Owen
typewriteralley.bsky.social
Listening to Federal Way's traffic engineer explain why a speed limit reduction isn't likely on a street next to a school after a serious crash - on a street where drivers are exceeding the 35 mph limit.

"It was a tragic situation that occurred out there...but realistically it's an outlier."
owenpick.bsky.social
Which way western man?
Iconic photo of Breezewood Pennsylvania with gas stations, fast food, etc
owenpick.bsky.social
Right. Homicides are decreasing from the peak reached in Harrell's term and still above where they were before he entered office.

Like setting all time losing streaks one year and then only having the second worst record ever the following year.
owenpick.bsky.social
The answer is McGinn. And it's an obvious answer.
owenpick.bsky.social
Homicides are still higher than when Harrell entered office.
owenpick.bsky.social
It's also internally incoherent.

Being the executive of a large volunteer org? Not qualifying.

Being a legislator with like two staff? Totally qualifying.
owenpick.bsky.social
Of Seattle's last 4 mayors, which one was the best in your opinion?
owenpick.bsky.social
Every social platform has two competing goals:

1) Elevating content that people want
2) Creating a para-social space

It seems pretty obvious that number one is much more desired overall. But of course everyone on the forums and micro blogging sites are obsessed with two.
owenpick.bsky.social
It's been a joy giving you examples only for you to completely ignore them and restate your priors.

Enjoy your evening.
owenpick.bsky.social
Fox news is doing respectable work then huh?
owenpick.bsky.social
The evidence is very strong that political experience has much less correlation with success than virtually any other job.

In fact there are lots of structural reasons why experience correlates with bad political leadership, which is why this style of reporting blows.
owenpick.bsky.social
Cool. We are disagreeing on whether this style of reporting is "reasonable." And I've given you examples for why it's not.

If you'd like to engage in that question, rather than simply asserting differently, no one is stopping you.
owenpick.bsky.social
Also sick of the "did you read the article" pushback on this type of criticism.

My friend yes, we read the piece. Why are you implying we didn't?