JR Mayer
@jrmayer.bsky.social
Starry-eyed realist, anti-racist, transportation policy wonk, Mom to 2 boys, wife to an amazing woman.
Another perspective on former police chief Shon Barnes: www.theurbanist.org/op-ed-police...
Op-Ed: Chief Shon Barnes Wasn’t a Martyr; He Was the Status Quo
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes wasn’t a martyr; he embodied the status quo, and Mayor Katie Wilson was right to oust him and push for true police accountability, argues Cliff Cawthon, a longtime com...
theurbanist.org
My $0.02 if you're voting in Seattle today: I found The Stranger and the Washington Progressive Voters Guide to be, at best, center-left and, at worst, moderate, in some of their choices. If you want a true progressive voting guide, I recommend the Lefty Cheat Sheet: electioncheatsheet.org
Lefty Cheat Sheet — Aug 2026 Primary
A quick guide on how to vote lefty using sources YOU trust!
electioncheatsheet.org
Going through my political mailers and Rep. Santos in #waleg sent one out claiming her priorities include “public transit & pedestrian street safety". Here is what she was primary sponsor of in 2025-26 session which does not show that focus: app.leg.wa.gov/bi/report/Bi...
Bills by sponsor - Washington Legislature
app.leg.wa.gov
Now this is an excellent, fair, independent story covering the events this week in a way that is comprehensive and informative. TV and corporate media could learn something from this!
The Urbanist@theurbanist.org · 4w agoNEW STORY// Wilson and Council Clash after Seattle Police Chief's Resignation By Amy Sundberg via @theurbanist.org
Danny Westneat joins the Seattle Times in full scale war against Mayor Katie Wilson, which is no surprise but another example of the Brandi Kruse-ification of local establishment media. They've gone from providing independent reporting and analysis to using their perches for a partisan agenda.
Seattle City Hall rarely runs smoothly. This week it hit new lows
The spectacle of the neophyte mayor and the frequent flyer police chief, both failing at their jobs when they were needed most, is not going to pass lightly.
seattletimes.com
(Free access) Many of the workers voted for Donald Trump, believing his vow to halt offshoring of U.S. manufacturing. But billionaire hedge-fund owner John Paulson — a Trump adviser and one of his biggest fundraisers — had other ideas, closing the Ohio facility and moving its operations to China.
The last day of an American factory
A Trump donor called for an end to offshoring. Then his company moved much of this plant’s work to China.
wapo.st
Shrinking it to save $12 a year in sales tax, meaning no new transit service and thus costing people hundreds of dollars a year or more in gas, would be a genuine act of madness by the Seattle City Council.
The Urbanist@theurbanist.org · 2mo agoNEW OP-ED// Op-Ed: We Can’t Afford to Shrink the Seattle Transit Measure By Katy Ricchiuto via @theurbanist.org
RIP Bonnie Tyler. And RIP Tandi Iman Dupree. This remains the best stage entrance by a drag queen of all time, even some 25 years later, and the best use of Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero” ever. youtu.be/IHQA5vqn6rw?...
GET A GRIP Ireland is building a battery that contains no lithium. No cobalt. No rare-earth metals. Instead, it stores energy using carbon dioxide. The project is designed to hold 200 megawatt-hours of electricity, making it one of Europe’s largest long-duration energy storage systems.
Seattle was electric during the World Cup. To support 750,000 visitors, the city pedestrianized streets, activated public spaces, and removed parking. Rather than revert these changes, city leaders should identify what worked and make those changes permanent. seattletransitblog.com/2026/07/09/s...
Seattle won the World Cup, what did we learn?
Waterfront Park was a popular destination over the past month, especially on July 6. (Michael Smith) Over the past four weeks, Seattle hosted six World Cup matches featuring teams from eight differ…
seattletransitblog.com
Why did Greenwich Village become the heart of New York City's bohemia? Because it was home to a woman's court and prison, which brought gender non-conforming women - many of them queer and/or trans - to the Village from every other corner of the city www.gothamcenter.org/blog/village...
How Greenwich Village Became America’s Bohemia — The Gotham Center for New York City History
How Greenwich Village Became America’s Bohemia By Hugh Ryan These women’s prisons believed there were only three legitimate jobs a woman could have: wife, maid, or nursemaid. For any of those jobs...
gothamcenter.org
What a great idea!
Joyce White Vance@joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 2mo agoIt's still our country. If you were disgusted by the way Trump tried to make 250 about him, not about America, join me in planning a Celebrate Your Vote party for November. Let's make sure we keep the Republic. joycevance.substack.com/p/its-our-co...
What could you create/make by next summer to lessen suffering in some part of your world? Let that question be your guide and hold yourself to making something of whatever size and impact by that time. Hold yourself to the commitment. No one else needs to know but you will.
Incredible moment where Fox News puts up a graphic with all the reasons it opposes the DSA and why people should be afraid of them
Anyway, if you'd like to read a story actually providing some context to the claims raised at the hearing, I have you covered. www.theurbanist.org/misinformati...
Misinformation Runs Rampant as Seattle Council Considers SEPA Appeal Changes
A public hearing on a proposal to remove an avenue to appeal land use changes that has significantly delayed past Seattle zoning updates drew around 75 people to City Hall Wednesday. Opponents are rai...
theurbanist.org
Folarin Balogun, who is a US citizen because he was born here, scores a go-ahead goal for the US team in a knockout game. Score one for birthright citizenship.
We got a big bump in traffic yesterday when people learned about us on NPR. Thank you to @npr.org for covering our launch and bringing our story to people's attention! And thank you to all our new followers. We can do this together! 🌍️🧪💪 #ClimateAction #ClimateForUs #ProtectScience
“I will be one of the Jewish members of Congress most willing to stand up for Palestinian human rights. And I will stand firmly against bigotry aimed at Jews. Those are not two different jobs. They are the same job,” Brad Lander said.
What is a street? A place for cars, parking, and traffic? Or a place for children, greenery, and civic life?
I keep being reminded of this question and answer: "What is the problem that AI services are being built to solve?" "Wages."
Pope Leo: "Every boat that arrives does not bring only migrants; it brings with it a question: what world have we built, if so many brothers must risk death to seek life?"
Democrats should be the party of the Statue of Liberty. Open the golden door. If Americans want to vote for xenophobia there’s already a party for that. Xenophobia lite has no constituency.
Antifascist Militant@antifasictmilatant.bsky.social · 3mo agoWe need amnesty for everyone here and an easy path for immigration for everyone else. Democrats need to remove the legal fig leaf the right uses to hide their racisim. Everyone who wants to be an American should have a chance.
Anyway, "didn't want to offend QTS" They already built the data center. It's THERE. What are they gonna do, pick up and spend millions more to move it because of a fine? FINE THEM.
A new @pewresearch.org study finds that infill housing near jobs, stores, and transit costs governments ~$21,000 less per home to serve, cuts long term infrastructure maintenance costs in half, and generates 13% more in annual property tax revenue per acre than sprawl.
Europeans: *Dining by canals Americans:
Jim Kogutkiewicz@jimmyfk.bsky.social · 3mo agoThe pure majesty of it.
If you're a wheelchair user or someone with a disability, come join this inclusive roll event in Seward Park on Sunday! rollingwashington.org/roll-the-par...
