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

Ferry Problems Escalate

Blogger John Gillie over at Biz Buzz asks readers if the latest ferry problems will slow down or speed up new ferry construction. The four ferries pulled from service last night by the Department of Transportation are badly in need of replacement. “The Legislature and the department have been trying for four years to build four new ferries to replace the 80-year-old Steel Electric class boats.” The issue has been caught up in politics, though, between the state and Tacoma's Martinac Shipbuilding.

Gillie explains in his post that the state “tried to award the contract to Seattle's Todd Shipyards two years ago… saying Martinac was unqualified financially.” Martinac appealed the decision, essentially blocking the award. Then, early this fall, the department and shipyards involved “reached a deal in which all three shipyards would share in the construction.” But in light of the urgency to get the boats back in service, will the state chose “make-do” repairs and build new boats or will it take another option, “replacing the hulls of the old ferries instead of building new ones?” To complicate it all, one of the shipyards, Nichols Brothers, “has filed for bankruptcy, putting its participation in the new ferry deal in limbo.”

Peripheral Art

A recent post in Slog, The Stranger’s blog, Jen Graves announces a unique art installation, and collaboration between Seattle artists Thom Heileson and Wyndel Hunt, “in which buildings—and sounds—stretch to the point of disappearance.” Appearing at SOIL, Free Dissociation combines Hunt’s sound art with Heileson’s imagery of construction sites around Seattle.

The post describes the piece, explaining that “by the time Heileson’s photographs make it to the screen, their surroundings have been washed out.” The half-constructed buildings are barely intelligible as they “float by, on the wave of Hunt’s heavy drone composition.” The projections appear on three sides, creating a sense of “constantly missing something that’s being projected right in front of you.” The exhibit is open at SOIL (open noon-5 Thur-Sun) through November 30th.

Texas to Test Dawgs Tonight

The Seattlest brings us an update on the tonight's NIT semifinal between the Huskies and Texas A&M. Blogger Seth reminds us that the Aggies are still a little steamed due to “that whole Seahawks/12th man dispute. (Texas A&M has a 12th man tradition too, they said the Hawks were infringing on it).” Tonight’s game will be a good test for Jon Brockman, Husky forward, “who's dominated against both small… and unathletic… front lines this season.” The Aggie’s front line is neither small nor unathletic with All-American candidate Joseph Jones and future NBA lottery pick DeAndre Jordan up front.

The blogger’s post also states that “the backcourt is a bigger question,” with the Aggies loss of point guard Acie Law to the NBA, replaced by “lockdown defender Dominique Kirk,” who’s, fortunately, not the scorer Law was, although “wing Josh Carter has picked up the scoring slack… averaging 16 points a game.” A&M also has a new coach, Mark Turgeon. “Hopefully the Dawgs can exploit any growing pains that go along with learning a new offense.” Still, they’re a solid team, a great barometer for the Huskies.

I-601 Constitutionality Side-Stepped Again

From Postman on Politics most recent blog, David Postman informs that “the state Supreme Court agreed unanimously this morning to uphold increases in tobacco and alcohol taxes approved by the 2005 Legislature.” The problem, however, is that the court side-stepped important constitutional issues, specifically whether the 1993 voter-approved Initiative 601 was constitutional. “In 1994 the court declined to rule on a challenge to implementation of the law, saying the plaintiffs could not yet show any harm from the measure.” Currently, two justices wrote clearly that they think I-601 is unconstitutional, while two others disagree.

The post reports that “Chambers and Alexander say that 1993's I-601 violates the state Constitution because it requires a public vote for the Legislature to raise taxes above limits set by the initiative,” an intrusion, they claim, into the Legislature's constitutional powers. We can avoid dealing with the question, states Postman, but we do have the power to make a decision, and “answering the underlying question is principled, is definitive, and will serve the public good.”

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