Dori has at least two friends in Seattle city government

Jayapal was in the right

I just saw the exchange you referred to with Rep. Jayapal. The man was horrible, rude, and disrespectful. He was there in an official capacity as a former ICE employee to report on his work, so his comment that “you work for me” was illogical. He was there to report on his work life. Her job is to look into that, because she really does work for us. She was trying to hold him accountable on our behalf. You really misunderstood the entire thing. On a brighter note, I always love the interviews with Pete Carroll; you ask good questions.

– Ellen in Bellevue

Seattle city budget massively higher than other cities’ budgets

FLeeing WA

Hi Dori. In June I had enough. I had enough with the traffic. I had enough with the cost of housing. I had enough of the out-of-their-gourds city council, and I landed a dream job with Disney World and moved myself to Orlando. I still check in with KIRO every few days to see what’s going on. Your take on vaping was right on point. The news in Orlando? A Florida State Trooper was killed in an accident the other night. Florida’s leadership response? Praise and condolences. Seattle? I think we know what the council would have said. Sales tax here? It’s 6.5 percent. Gas is $1 per gallon cheaper. There is no sugar tax. Our car tabs are $40. There are no homeless camps. I have a beautiful apartment for the same price I was paying for a room in Seattle. Our roads are fantastic. As for traffic? It’s nothing compared to Seattle, and it is at least predictable. They are completely rebuilding I-4 through Orlando — not from higher car tabs or new taxes, just from general fund spending. Turnpikes have tolls. But they are 50 cents to $1, not $10. I spend maybe $10 a month on tolls.

Instead of rent control, we have lower taxes, lower fees, and lower regulatory costs in general to keep the cost of housing low. Drugs? Here they actually publish the booking photos and charges of people they arrest for drug-related charges. You never see stories about toddlers with coffee tossed in their face or parking enforcement officers attacked with a sunroof — in my opinion, it’s because they actually enforce laws. And I have yet to see a story about our A.G. suing anyone.

Your post about the spending per capita really should be an eye-opener for people. I can have natural gas. I can drink sugary soda. I could vape if I wanted, and instead of ignoring homeless and low-level criminal activity, it is all actively pursued and prosecuted. I love Washington — it is my home and I grew up there. But I have a much higher quality of life now that I got away from the nanny city. Keep up the pressure on local leaders to actually lead and not just play with their pet beliefs and ideas. I miss listening to your show while driving.

– Ken in Orlando

City budget comparison not apples-to-apples

Dori, your comparison of Seattle’s budget compared to other cities is flawed. Seattle’s budget includes money from their utilities like Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities, which is substantial. Other cities you have mentioned do not have municipal utilities, and so those monies are not included in their budget. A true apples-to-apples comparison would account for that.

– Dave in Renton

Local teens die of fentanyl overdose

Hi Dori, I’m sure you remember the story about the guy in Maple Valley who was dealing drugs to kids out of the smoke shop, and who was released without bail after being arrested. Tonight on the news I was so saddened and angry to see the story about five young people (including three in local high schools) who have died from overdoses of fentanyl in King County in the past month. The kids are being sold what is being peddled as oxycodone, when it’s actually fentanyl mixed with Tylenol. This fentanyl is deadly and could kill a dozen people, let alone one. Do you see the disconnect here? We have children dying, and yet the courts are turning loose a person who dealt drugs to kids less than two weeks before? This is outrageous and totally unacceptable.

– Lisa in Maple Valley

Dori does have friends in Seattle government

Just walked by two Seattle Parks and Recreation trucks, both blaring the Dori Monson Show.

– The 360

Cliff Mass bullied by UW for personal blog

Re: Cliff Mass. It’s flipping outrageous. The deans of his college should be fired. What about the HR representative who should have allowed him to speak? That person should also be fired. Others should be kicked out of the school or censured for their attacks. If he were a liberal and had been treated like this, there would be public outcry — it would be all over the media.

– Dave in Gig Harbor — had to get away from Seattle

Dori the commute comedian

Keep up the good work. You make me laugh and cry on my way home from work every day.

– Paul in Issaquah

Vape ban could lead to more cigarette smokers

I quit a two-pack-a-day smoking habit by vaping, so it’s not really all that silly. What you should research is the big tobacco settlement, payments to the state(s) because of that settlement, and the bonds that are being defaulted on because of the state(s) losing money due to a significant reduction in smokers (and, consequently, an increase in vapers). The state(s) will do anything to keep their income streaming in, even if it means forcing every vaper to return to the much more hazardous habit of smoking.

– Jeff in Mountlake Terrace

Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from 12-3 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.