This is one of the sources I use most frequenly. And as you, the citizens of OlyBlog & her environs, oft remind me: what's not there is as important as what is. (I'll share a meditation on reliability versus validity of public data depending upon use and discourse some other time).  

Washington State Data Book

• Population
• Economy
• State Government Finance
• Human Services
• Criminal Justice
• Education
• Natural Resources
• Environment
• Energy
• Transportation
• Local Government and Special Districts

The Data Book is published every couple of years and contains summary and trend data for the gamut of public, state-gathered stats. It's got a decent download function for quick analyses.

Merry Christmas

Lived in this town a while and never been involved in a legislative issue?

The Washington State House and Senate just finished a week of pre-session committee meetings this week. Next Monday they'll start prefiling bills. Now's a great time to start getting familiar with the issues and forums in which you want your voice heard.

Step 1: Learn to navigate the environment - committees, worksessions, bills, hearings, TVW, and on and on. The Leg home page is a good place to start. http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/. Do a search on a subject that's important to you and see what you find (I seached for "beer").

Stay tuned, next DIY @ the Legislature will address cyberstalking great testimony on TVW.

In the midst of anger & frustration over Olympia's City Council decision to move the civility ordinance forward, the story below offers inspiration for some additonal action. Last summer's nazi activity turned the community to take counter action in a way that benefits groups targeted by hate (some of you were surely involved in these efforts, thank you). In response to the city's move re: sidewalks, I personally pledge to donate money to groups that assist the populations and values impacted by the ordinance...

So help me out - name the organizations I should donate to.

And, if you're so inclined, join me in getting some extra cash into the hands of those who help people and protect rights (or, into the hands of those who occupy the sidewalks).

(as with my bumper sticker entry of earlier this month, I know, too, that getting out my checkbook is not the only form of activism...)

 "if no one seems to understand, start your own revolution, cut out the middleman...so join the struggle why you may, the revolution is just a t-shirt away." billy bragg

Published November 29, 2006 Money handed out to neo-Nazi opponents

BY CHRISTIAN HILL, THE OLYMPIAN

Five groups received an equal share Tuesday of the nearly $6,800 raised during a pledge drive that coincided with the July 3 neo-Nazi rally on Capitol Campus.

Residents and community groups pledged money for each hour of the rally organized by the National Socialist Movement Northwest. The money would benefit South Sound groups that help individuals targeted by the neo-Nazis.

Unity in the Community, a coalition of human rights and diversity groups that united to oppose the neo-Nazis' presence in the community, organized the pledges. It dubbed the drive the "lemonade brigade project" after the old saying, "If you have a lemon, make lemonade."

"It's a very positive use of a negative incident," said Reiko Callner, the coalition's co-founder.

OperaGirl's post re: avocados prompts me to post this update for hyperlocal foodies: I just had the most devine sesame bagel from San Fran Stree Bakery with Tierra Bonita-Amando's Garlic Cilatro Sauce (the container has a sticker on it proclaiming: "A product for people who are not afraid to be alone (for two days!)"). Delish. Steer clear of goecono for the next 2 days. 

Note: Neither products are vegan...I rarely eat bread or dairy, but am indulging tonight.

Really, if you see a blog entry from me, just assume it's a nerd alert.

Inspired by recent posts re: why Lacey isn't a good role model for its neighbors, here's a good data source if you're just dying to get your hands on local tax info. The Washington Department of Revenue has a fairly good little report tool that you can use to get information like local retail sales, tax rates, comparative taxation, and tax distribution by city. Look for the "Create Report" button on the left hand side of the page.

I sleep better at night knowing these data are just a few clicks away.

(But in all seriousness, this is the kind of information city councils and boards of county commissioners look at to know how the budget is doing...We need to be savvy information handlers, don't we?)

Nerd alert! I'm an information junkie, and I've worked inside agencies that produce an abundance of regional, local and state data and information. Now there are certainly constraints to the information published by agencies like regional planning councils, state data affiliates, economic development councils, the census, and etc. So, my question to you is: Where do you get local information that helps you assemble snapshots of reality, facts, cases for the issues you support?

• Newspaper
• Administrative data
• Local/regional government
• Anecdotes
• Life experience
• ???

It's so important that we know the information sources used by elected officials and other decision makers and, if there are shortcomings in the sources, we find ways to supplement them. Here's an example of a local data source that is heavily used by local elected officials - The Profile of Thurston County. Have you seen or used it? How do you get your information?

http://www.kuow.org/programs/theconversation.asp

Tuesday on The Conversation

Olympia Considers Civility Laws - Do They Work In Seattle?

Audio available at 2:05 p.m.

Tonight the Olympia City Council is holding a hearing on a proposed law to make it a crime to sit down on the sidewalk. Fierce opposition is expected. These so-called civility statutes are designed to get homeless people to move along. Do they work? Or do they just harm the homeless? Seattle already has civility statutes, pushed by former City Attorney Mark Sidran. What lessons does the Seattle experience have for Olympia and other cities enacting civility laws?

Also today, a new study called Engines of Inequality says there’s less opportunity at the nation’s premier public universities for low income and minority students. The study, which includes the University of Washington, says major public university policies contribute to inequality. UW recently proposed free tuition for five thousand needy students. Does that fix the inequality problem?

Call The Conversation feedback line, (206) 221-3663 or
email conversation@kuow.org during air time,
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (PT)

At present my car is adorned with only one sticker of social commentary (see below).  It's the short form of an earnest question that I believe we should ask as a matter of daily engagement in community and country. It helps me check in with the rights & liberties I take for granted and the steps I can take to make sure my own and those of others are protected. (And no, it's not the only way I keep my conscious engaged - I know stickers aren't "action"). Since I put the sticker on my car about a year ago, I've noticed the following: 1) dried spit (think: phlegm globber) over top of the sticker; 2) Sticky substance attracting bees (think: pop (or soda if you're from back east)) over top of the sticker; and 3) another globber dried over top of the sticker.

Many of you are civil activists or otherwise employed to protect rights, and fall across the spectrum of political perspectives. Can you please help me understand why this question might be distastful or threatening? For me, this particular sticker poses a simple question that should by all means evoke vastly different responses depending where upon the continuum (or circle) one sits, but disgust? (and in case we want discourse on distinguishing liberties from rights: http://www.auburn.edu/~johnspm/gloss/civil_rights_civil_liberties).

I  was elated when KUOW purchased KVSN-AM (1340) for rebroadcasting in the Oly area (see the Seattle Times radio beat). And I wasn't at all bummed that the signal would be over AM waves (see ibid, headline concludes "but on AM").

I enjoy listening to AM radio when the content is as good as what KUOW generally delivers (I even like it when the content isn't so good, but that's personal). I like the sound quality, which for me is the quality of being in a little one room cabin on a stormy night or camping out in the backyard as a kid and keeping company with the radio so I wouldn't get freaked out by the quiet.

I've been perplexed and a little worried this week (and parts of last) to hear no signal (just static) from my radio each morning and evening I tune to 1340. What happened? Is this a repeat of KEXPs cruel toying with us when they used the old Bates Technical College signal and then, bam, walked away?

One simple check of KUOW's site quelled my worries:

Due to power-outages in Tumwater, KUOW 1340 AM is off the air.

OlyBloggers in Tumwater (TumBloggers?) - is the power back on yet? What's the forecast?