Seattle Politics: The New Chicago
I normally cover only Tacoma issues, and lately I’ve been wrapped up with our personal situation and this neighborhood to write much of anything…but I am compelled to write this post because of the level of disgust I feel toward Seattle’s mayor’s office.
The situation is this: Sakara Remmu, who blogs under the name Sable Verity, lost her job last month because of pressure by Seattle’s deputy mayor. She worked for a non-profit that has a small contract with the City. Apparently the deputy mayor felt uncomfortable with speaking where a blogger might be present, especially one who has at times been critical of the mayor. (So much for transparency in government, eh?)
Regardless of his reasons, and regardless of the spin that’s been done, she lost her job as a direct result of his influence after he and others called her employer to discuss this.
That’s bad enough.
But then a complaint was lodged with the Seattle Ethics and Elections Committee, and its findings were published a few days ago on September 30th. The findings, in part, were that all City employees involved denied issuing any threats (as if they would admit to it), and no ethics violations occurred because no one privately benefited from her firing.
Apparently it’s ethical to use your coordinated influence wrongly to protect your mayor from being criticized…as long as there is no private benefit. It’s ethical to trample someone else’s First Amendment rights and take away their livelihood as long as the loopholes were jumped through correctly.
It might be “ethical”, but it is utterly and completely wrong and revolting.
Read more on the story below:
Real Change News: Sable Verity Loses Job for Blogging
Nonprofit Newswire: Blogger Fired from Nonprofit When City Puts on Pressure
I normally cover only Tacoma issues, and lately I’ve been wrapped up with our personal situation and this neighborhood to write much of anything…but I am compelled to write this post because of the level of disgust I feel toward Seattle’s mayor’s office. The situation is this: Sakara Remmu, who blogs under the name Sable…