The Threshold

R-71
Ehhhhlection '09


The campaign that gathered signatures to get Referendum 71 on the ballot has been the winner in court so far in its effort to withhold names of people who signed the referendum petition.

When should a group be allowed to withhold names? There is a local precedent that sets a threshold. The Seattle Ethics and Elections gave the Freedom Socialists a pass on disclosing supporter names because they were able to show disclosure would have subjected them to threats, intimidation and harassment.

As we can see today, Freedom Socialists are not the only ones with good reason to be afraid of the right wing. Threats based on politics target the center and left; Beckbots are willing to go after anyone even slightly liberal.

The case for withholding names of R-71 signers does not rise to this threshold. Opponents of gay civil rights have no safety concerns from loss of anonymity, because liberals don't threaten, intimidate and harrass. We do criticize, mock and boycott -- but those are legal and nonviolent expression. Shielding someone from legal and nonviolent expression is not sufficient reason for exemption from public disclosure.

Birds On the Wires

'Found music' by Jarbas Agnelli

No problem after Viaduct shuts down

A miles-long oil slick on the Alaskan Way viaduct this morning caused southbound lanes on the elevated roadway to be shut down from 4am until 8:30ish.

Traffic diverted elsewhere. No lightning flashed, no toads rained from the sky.

Are a SURE we need to replace it with a tunnel???

A Ginormous Tragedy

While you wouldn't think the health insurance reform debate ventures into green territory, a current experience of mine does exactly that.

• My health insurance company took away my choice of pharmacy. I usually go to Bartell, but for one particular drug I need, my insurance made me choose between two national mail order pharmacies. This is being done for excellence in service and for your convenience, the letter read. In reality I tried both companies, and one was incompetent and the other one involved a lengthy intake interview. Like they think they're my doctor. And they'll be calling me every month when I need a refill for another friendly chat. Yessss, much more excellent and convenient. With Bartell (which is located right down the street) I can call the automated refill line and be done in less than a minute.

• Of course the real reason my insurance has taken away my choice is because it saves money, i.e. it allows them to make more money (because it is one of the Blues, they put the money into their ginormous reserve and give their executives massive salaries).

• The green connection involves the way the mail order pharmacies send me my prescription: with massive amounts of styrofoam packaging. It has to be refrigerated, so what UPS drops on my porch is a massive box containing a ginormous styrofoam vault as well as gel cold packs.

• I get to throw all that packaging away. More precisely, I get to pay to throw it away, either via municipal trash pickup or by transporting it 23 miles to Ikea.

It's a clear, compelling example of The Tragedy of the Commons. My insurance company is saving money, savings physically represented by petroleum-based material that ends up in the landfill. The mail-order pharmacies don't offer styrofoam mailback.

Maron subbing on "Ring Of Fire"

Marc Maron has Tweeted that he's filling in for Papantonio and RFK Jr. this weekend on Air America. Check with your local station.

Air America does it to me AGAIN

Break Room Live's last show:

Maron Down Under

I was trying to find a video for the Australia Channel 10 show "Good News Week," and look what I found instead: a clip of Marc Maron competing on one of the show's silly game segments.