WA Republicans Blast Wildlife Protection Bill, Sad State of Affairs for Sonics: SeattleIAM

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

Unexpected Clash in Senate over Wildlife Corridor Protection Bill

A recent post by Rich on Eye on Olympia reports that a “dogfight” broke out in the Senate around Bill5318, which requires state fish and wildlife officials “to work with their American and Canadian counterparts to protect a massive wildlife corridor known as the Yellowstone to Yukon Eco-Region.” The bill was passed Wednesday by the Washington State Senate. The 2000-mile-long stretch of land, referred to as Y2Y, “includes the northeast corner of Washington, much of Montana and most of Idaho.” The U.S. “capital” of the region will be Spokane states Rich in his post.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Ken Jacobsen, considered it a “modest proposal,” and didn’t anticipate the “clash on the Senate floor.” Critics of the bill suggest that “Northeastern Washington is being set up for more land-use restrictions.” Jacobson told the Senate that the Y2Y is “the world's second-largest animal migration corridor... It's a unique area, and all this says is we should participate in helping it.” Supporters want to “foster the coexistence of humans and the ecosystem and hope to see land-use decisions in the region based primarily on ecological principles.” Critics, including every Republican in the Senate, “blasted the idea,” claiming is will lead to road closures and bring more grizzly bears and wolves to the region. “The measure passed, 30-19, and now goes to the House of Representatives.”

Alaska Airlines Announces New Non-stop Flights to Northern BC

Bradley Meacham of Cascadia Report announces that Seattle “is about to get its first nonstop flights to northern British Columbia -- another step toward integrating Cascadia.” Alaska Airlines will be the first Seattle airline to fly direct to Prince George, which is 500 miles north of Vancouver and “at the heart of the timber and mining industry.” Currently, aside from a very long drive, “the only way to get there now is on the three daily Air Canada flights from Vancouver.”

Meacham jokes in his post that the “convenience” almost makes him “pine for the days” he was a reporter “covering Weyerhaueser and the cross-border timber industry.” This news suggests that “there's demand for this sort of regional travel.” The news comes as nonstops have been announced from Seattle to China, Germany, Mexico and France.

Audrey at the Seattlest invites readers

Homeless Advocates Demand to Speak to Representatives

Josh Feit blogs on Slog today about the invasion on Olympia of advocates for the homeless for Homeless Advocacy Day (February 14). “About 450 low-income Washingtonians - dressed in loud red slickers… jammed into the legislative building… demanding to meet their representatives.” On Olympia’s agenda today are legislation “to prevent cities from outlawing special-needs housing (passed the state house, currently in the senate)… [and] a bill to prevent discrimination against Section 8 tenants (passed the house, in trouble in the senate… thanks to Senator Rodney Tom). But the top priority is adding “$100 million to the housing trust fund,” which many support, but may be in danger due to revenue drops.

In addition, writes Feit in his post, the crowd also wants action on a bill that would put “$7.5 million, into a low-income-housing voucher program to cover rent in transitional housing.” Feit spoke to a group of Section 8 tenants “who praised the housing trust fund for saving their low-income building.” The fund was used “to leverage money from a private donor who helped the low-income tenants buy their building.” The tenants were “in danger of being kicked out because the owner was planning to sell to a private developer.”

Time for Sonics to Reflect on Calamity of 2007-2008 Season

Today on Super Sonic Soul, PN takes a look at the sad state of Sonic affairs. Coach Jerry Sloan ignored the wisdom of resting his five starters, and “the Sonics wound up falling to the Jazz last night at the Key, before an announced crowd of about 10,000.” Now at the All-Star break, the Sonics will have a chance to “pause alongside the calamity that is the 2007-08 season.”  Percy Allen of the Seattle Times writes that Coach P.J. Carlesimo will be evaluating players “such as C Robert Swift, C Johan Petro, G Luke Ridnour, swingman Delonte West and Gelebale at the expense of others, including starters.”

The conclusions “to be drawn from the expected changes,” our blogger surmises in the post, are that “if the Sonics are one of the worst teams in basketball when they give their best players the most minutes, to what unforeseen levels will they sink when they start playing the guys who aren't as good?” Are the Sonics the Titanic of basketball teams?

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