SeattleIAM Daily Blog Report: Crime Lower in Western Seattle, Sonics Lawyers Receive Death Threats, Microsoft key to real estate

This is a selection of recent popular blog articles from SeattleIAM where you will find the best blogs from Seattle, Washington as well as video uploads, social networking, rumors, and blog authoring.

Crime Down in Western Seattle Despite Recent Shooting

The latest post from the West Seattle Blog is focused on two recent police reports announced at meetings of the West Side Seattle Community Safety Partnership and the Delridge District Council. A recent shooting at 59th and Admiral had many residents of Western Seattle concerned about a possible increase in gang activity spreading into their neighborhood. However, police reassured citizens that “the 59th/Admiral shooting is believed to have been drug-related and that neither suspect nor victim lived in West Seattle.” The post also reports that the medical examiner is still yet to reveal the name of the victim who was killed in a black Nissan on October 13 near the Schmitz Park area.

The second police report, decidedly more positive, asserts that “crime stats in WS (western Seattle) are at a two-year low.” West Seattle Blog stated that many people in attendance at the meeting had expressed concern at the recent rise in thefts in the WestCrest Park Area. Recently, KOMO 4 News documented the increasing public concern surrounding a rise in “public sex” happening in the woods at WestCrest Park, which happens to be Western Seattle's only off-leash area for dog walkers. According to the post, “police said at the meetings there is no current plan to change the level of patrol at Westcrest.”

Sonics Lawyers Receive Threats

According to the latest post from Supersonicsoul, the American Arbitration Association has handed down a decision stating that “any arbitration hearings would be held in Seattle instead of Denver, as the Sonics had requested.” Additionally, recent filings to the AAA from the Sonics lawyers declared that they had received several death threats since getting involved in the dispute between the city of Seattle and the Sonics' management over the leasing of the KeyArena. The Sonics Lawyers claim to have received numerous “threats and other highly charged communications.” The total recorded threats amount to “two anonymous e-mails from the same address.”

The author of the Supersonicsoul post was initially intrigued when finding out about the threats directed at the Sonics lawyers. Supersonicsoul was prepared for something heavy like “threatening calls in the middle of the night (or) a flaming effigy of Slick Watts?” However, when finding out the true nature of the threats, the post observed that “I don't mean to make light of threatening emails, but C'MON! Nussbaum received more than that after making fun of Steve Nash! These scumbags are trying to steal our freaking team, and they only get TWO NASTY EMAILS... Where's your passion, Seattle? ”

Microsoft Propping up King County Real Estate

Redfin Seattle, a blog focused on the local real estate market, has commented on a recent article in the Seattle Times titled “As Microsoft Goes, so Does Seattle.” The article asserts that “the buoyancy of the Seattle housing market rests in the hands of a single company, Microsoft.” Apparently, the house that Gates built was “single-handedly responsible for half of King County’s employment increases from 1990 to 2004.” Many people were incensed at the behavior of “Microsofties” during the late 90s tech bubble when overnight, on-paper millionaires were bidding up Seattle real-estate to unprecedented levels. However, the Seattle Times witer pointed out that, “now the tables have turned.”

While noting that “Microsoft may not be minting millionaires anymore,” it is becoming more and more obvious that Microsoft is helping to insulate Seattle's real estate market from many of the problems being seen across the country. Recent data states that 233,220 in the state of Washington directly depend on Microsoft for income. The post expressed concern at the increasing dependence on one company to maintain retail stability, especially since Microsoft was chosen to open their latest R&D center north of the border. “to a certain extent, it concerns me to think that so much of what we have depends upon this one company. Particularly one who seems to think that snot green and Hello Kitty pink are cool colors for the Zune.”

Bill Sherman Boasts Narrow Lead

The Daily Weekly, a blog from Seattle Weekly, has reported that Democract Bill Sherman has edged just ahead of his Republican counterpart Dan Satterberg in the race to become King County's new prosecutor. The post declared that this narrow margin served as proof, once again, that “the fate of democracy lies in the hands of people who can't make up their minds.” According to data from a new King-5 poll, “the deputy prosecutor leads his boss the interim prosecutor 49 percent to 43 percent, with eight percent undecided.” It was also noted that the poll contains a 4.4 margin of error. Leaving Sherman with “the slimmest of leads.”

There is a clear separation of support between men and women according to the King-5 poll. This led the author of the post to declare that “Satterberg's biggest hope may be to woo the female vote: the poll also found that women favor Sherman by 34 percent.” The King-5 data also stated that Satterberg had clear support from 91% of registered Republicans, but due to the fact that King County tends to lean democratic, it may not be enough to get Satterberg elected prosecutor.

About SeattleIAM

SeattleIAM is part of a groundbreaking network of city-focused blog aggregation, user generated media and social networking websites currently rolling out across North America. Each IAM website filters and organizes blog content as well as offering video upload capabilities, social networking, blog authoring, favourites lists and rumours. The IAM Network is a division of SoMedia Networks Inc which also operates Inveslogic.com, Greenedia.com, Healthedia.com and Blabaloo.com. For more information or to register an account, visit SeattleIAM.com.