Erica C. Barnett
@ericacbarnett.bsky.social
Seattle-based reporter, cofounder (with @joshfeit.bsky.social) and editor of PubliCola.com, and author of Quitter: A Memoir of Drinking, Relapse, and Recovery
She/her, Latina, Texan
She/her, Latina, Texan
how many times has the Seattle Times run a "compassion is great, but" editorial arguing for a lack of compassion at this point? we get it, you think homelessness should be illegal, find literally anything else to talk about. (Also, no Seattle neighborhood has been "destroyed," good god.)
November 29, 2025 at 5:27 PM
how many times has the Seattle Times run a "compassion is great, but" editorial arguing for a lack of compassion at this point? we get it, you think homelessness should be illegal, find literally anything else to talk about. (Also, no Seattle neighborhood has been "destroyed," good god.)
New Gallup poll shows that just 54% of Americans say they drink alcohol—"the lowest Gallup has recorded since first measuring alcohol use in 1939," per a press release. The trend coincides with growing understanding that even moderate drinking is unhealthy.
November 25, 2025 at 4:26 PM
New Gallup poll shows that just 54% of Americans say they drink alcohol—"the lowest Gallup has recorded since first measuring alcohol use in 1939," per a press release. The trend coincides with growing understanding that even moderate drinking is unhealthy.
Elsewhere on the page: Video of a group of men doing jiu jitsu, including a guy with a gun tattoo on his chest
November 24, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Elsewhere on the page: Video of a group of men doing jiu jitsu, including a guy with a gun tattoo on his chest
How's that 30 by 30 goal going, guys?
(30 by 30: A police department goal of having a recruit class that's 30 percent women by 2030)
(30 by 30: A police department goal of having a recruit class that's 30 percent women by 2030)
November 24, 2025 at 4:49 PM
How's that 30 by 30 goal going, guys?
(30 by 30: A police department goal of having a recruit class that's 30 percent women by 2030)
(30 by 30: A police department goal of having a recruit class that's 30 percent women by 2030)
"Reducing drunk driving won't solve the problem," says Republican whose campaign the alcohol industry helped fund. Funny how, for bought and paid for poltiicans, the solution is always solving problems after the fact instead of trying to prevent them. www.seattletimes.com/opinion/lets...
November 23, 2025 at 5:11 PM
"Reducing drunk driving won't solve the problem," says Republican whose campaign the alcohol industry helped fund. Funny how, for bought and paid for poltiicans, the solution is always solving problems after the fact instead of trying to prevent them. www.seattletimes.com/opinion/lets...
what a framing choice by the NYT, centering the future reputation of the terrible man
November 20, 2025 at 6:03 PM
what a framing choice by the NYT, centering the future reputation of the terrible man
I wrote earlier this week about the new federal rules that will guide funding that flows to local nonprofits providing housing and services to people experiencing homelessness. Here's a slide from @naehomelessness.bsky.social laying out the batshit new "public safety" criteria for recipients.
November 19, 2025 at 9:01 PM
I wrote earlier this week about the new federal rules that will guide funding that flows to local nonprofits providing housing and services to people experiencing homelessness. Here's a slide from @naehomelessness.bsky.social laying out the batshit new "public safety" criteria for recipients.
The disingenuous whiners at the Seattle Times ed board actually suggested that Katie Wilson—mayor-elect and the founder of the Transit Riders Union (who used to do outreach at the bus stop on Third and Union)—doesn't know that the county, not the city, runs the buses. Cry harder, losers
November 17, 2025 at 4:51 PM
The disingenuous whiners at the Seattle Times ed board actually suggested that Katie Wilson—mayor-elect and the founder of the Transit Riders Union (who used to do outreach at the bus stop on Third and Union)—doesn't know that the county, not the city, runs the buses. Cry harder, losers
clearly doing this while I'm out of town on purpose 😅
November 12, 2025 at 11:37 PM
clearly doing this while I'm out of town on purpose 😅
Seattle Times' business columnist is having a normal one. (From comments on a gracious post about a potential Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson by former mayor Greg Nickels).
November 11, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Seattle Times' business columnist is having a normal one. (From comments on a gracious post about a potential Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson by former mayor Greg Nickels).
"Are we sacrificing our American quality of life" by caring about immigrants, asks this piece the Seattle Times decided was worth running. I was curious if the authors actually live in Seattle and they do—in neighborhoods that are more than 80 percent white. www.seattletimes.com/opinion/king...
November 7, 2025 at 4:45 PM
"Are we sacrificing our American quality of life" by caring about immigrants, asks this piece the Seattle Times decided was worth running. I was curious if the authors actually live in Seattle and they do—in neighborhoods that are more than 80 percent white. www.seattletimes.com/opinion/king...
Harrell, speaking before walking offstage to wait for results.
November 5, 2025 at 4:03 AM
Harrell, speaking before walking offstage to wait for results.
Crowd shot at Harrell's party, shortly before results come in.
November 5, 2025 at 3:59 AM
Crowd shot at Harrell's party, shortly before results come in.
Katie Wilson's party is "absolutely packed," @andyengelson.bsky.social reports.
November 5, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Katie Wilson's party is "absolutely packed," @andyengelson.bsky.social reports.
Got to Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell's election night party a little early; here's what it looked like a few minutes after 7, an hour before the first results come in. Photos by Josh Feit and me.
November 5, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Got to Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell's election night party a little early; here's what it looked like a few minutes after 7, an hour before the first results come in. Photos by Josh Feit and me.
It's funny to me that his "older voter" is basically just his caricature of Kshama Sawant
November 1, 2025 at 12:20 AM
It's funny to me that his "older voter" is basically just his caricature of Kshama Sawant
The Seattle Times ed board, in its enthusiasm to promote City Councilmember Sara Nelson's doomed reelection campaign, misstates the amount of the new sales tax going toward recovery services. It's $5.8 million, of which $1.8 million is explicitly one-time, in a $2 billion general budget.
October 29, 2025 at 4:18 PM
The Seattle Times ed board, in its enthusiasm to promote City Councilmember Sara Nelson's doomed reelection campaign, misstates the amount of the new sales tax going toward recovery services. It's $5.8 million, of which $1.8 million is explicitly one-time, in a $2 billion general budget.
To be charitable, it's possible that Jonathan Choe literally does not know about candidate disclosure forms. But most likely, he's lying his dumb ass off like he always does. (Also, how does ME paying someone else bias me TOWARD them?)
October 29, 2025 at 3:51 PM
To be charitable, it's possible that Jonathan Choe literally does not know about candidate disclosure forms. But most likely, he's lying his dumb ass off like he always does. (Also, how does ME paying someone else bias me TOWARD them?)
Here's the top of the (again, extremely long) Harrell campaign mailing; remember that whenever he uses the awkward "candidate," he's referring to his opponent, Katie Wilson, continuing his habit of refusing to use her name.
October 20, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Here's the top of the (again, extremely long) Harrell campaign mailing; remember that whenever he uses the awkward "candidate," he's referring to his opponent, Katie Wilson, continuing his habit of refusing to use her name.
In addition to considering a direct purchase of the Lake City QFC that's closing, Harrell's proposal sounds similar to Wilson's, except that it includes pointed references to "the private sector":
October 20, 2025 at 7:05 PM
In addition to considering a direct purchase of the Lake City QFC that's closing, Harrell's proposal sounds similar to Wilson's, except that it includes pointed references to "the private sector":
The revenue forecast is based in part on stock prices for tech companies, particularly those in the AI sector (bubble if you're skeptical).
October 20, 2025 at 5:27 PM
The revenue forecast is based in part on stock prices for tech companies, particularly those in the AI sector (bubble if you're skeptical).
I was trying to recall an anecdote about the Stranger's 2007 endorsement meeting with Bruce Harrell in a thread with @goldy.horsesass.org. Here's a snippet that is interesting in retrospect.
www.thestranger.com/news/2007/10...
www.thestranger.com/news/2007/10...
October 17, 2025 at 9:07 PM
I was trying to recall an anecdote about the Stranger's 2007 endorsement meeting with Bruce Harrell in a thread with @goldy.horsesass.org. Here's a snippet that is interesting in retrospect.
www.thestranger.com/news/2007/10...
www.thestranger.com/news/2007/10...
It's actually on the flip side of the mailer (which I should probably add to my post about this). Indicates that he hasn't applied for a regular job since 1990 at the latest.
October 17, 2025 at 8:02 PM
It's actually on the flip side of the mailer (which I should probably add to my post about this). Indicates that he hasn't applied for a regular job since 1990 at the latest.
The pro-Bruce Harrell PAC sent out a mailer suggesting Katie Wilson has no experience. VERY odd that they only include her resume through 2015. Wonder if Harrell would consider it fair to exclude mayor and two council terms from his resume? Yes they included her old address for some fucking reason.
October 16, 2025 at 11:46 PM
The pro-Bruce Harrell PAC sent out a mailer suggesting Katie Wilson has no experience. VERY odd that they only include her resume through 2015. Wonder if Harrell would consider it fair to exclude mayor and two council terms from his resume? Yes they included her old address for some fucking reason.
Apparently, as mayor, you can hold a rally at City Hall on the day ballots drop AND invite City employees to take time off work to attend your party.
At least, that seems to be the assumption behind the "rally and march" Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell is leading, nominally for the Mariners, today.
At least, that seems to be the assumption behind the "rally and march" Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell is leading, nominally for the Mariners, today.
October 16, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Apparently, as mayor, you can hold a rally at City Hall on the day ballots drop AND invite City employees to take time off work to attend your party.
At least, that seems to be the assumption behind the "rally and march" Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell is leading, nominally for the Mariners, today.
At least, that seems to be the assumption behind the "rally and march" Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell is leading, nominally for the Mariners, today.