This data has been available for years. The University of Washington created an application called Busview over 7 years ago. If you want to read the history of the project, it is available here.
This is the same data that Microsoft and Google use to feed their bus route and bus mapping systems.
And why in the world would King County need to be publishing restaurant reviews? How about they review some of their bus stops. We’ve got a couple of locations in mind that could use some sprucing up.
by TERESA YUAN / KING5 News
KING5.com
Posted on June 29, 2010 at 7:53 AM at King5.com
SEATTLE - These days it seems like there’s an app for everything. Now, King County is considering using new apps to give residents access to public information via the Web or mobile applications.
For Jen Joyce of Seattle, getting ready for work revolves around her smart phone.
“It’s pretty sad to say it (smart phone) has my life on it,” Joyce told KING 5.
Every day, Jen saves ten minutes with one mobile app in particular — One Bus Away.
Thanks to Judith White for bringing this to our attention.
Public Notice: King County Assessor Town Hall meetings in Auburn, June 22, 2010 and Federal Way, June 23, 2010.
KING COUNTY, WA - “Wondering where your property tax dollars go?” and “Seeking property tax relief and answers on your property valuations?”King County Assessor Lloyd Haraand King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer (District 7) will be co-hosting Town Hall meetings with representatives from the Board of Equalization, King County Treasury and King County Tax Advisor Office on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 and Wednesday, June 23, 2010 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. to discuss property valuations and the services that the Department of Assessments provides to assist property owners in light of the current economic downturn.
WHO: King County Assessor, Lloyd Hara
King County Councilmember, Pete von Reichbauer (District 7)
King County Board of Equalization
King County Treasury
King County Tax Advisor Office
WHAT: Town Hall Meeting on Understanding Property Valuations
WHEN: Tuesday, June 22, 2010 *Auburn
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 *Federal Way
TIME: 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
WHERE: Auburn High School - Library Room
800 4th Street Northeast, Auburn, WA 98002-5078
Federal Way 320th Library - Conference Room 1 & 2
848 320th Street, Federal Way, WA 98003-5346
Thanks to Dori Monson over at KIRO people are now taking note that there are way to many government “officials” making over $100,000.
Dori even was kind enough to provide a link to an Excel spreadsheet with the salaries listed.
This nonsense needs to stop. Starting voting these clowns out of office so we can reduce government and save some money.
We’ve posted Renton’s salaries from 2007 here on our site as well. Take a look here. There’s lots of folks here in Renton making over $100,000 working for the City of Renton as well.
And our new King County Executive wants to increase the sewer tax by 10%. You’ve got to be kidding. It’s staring to sound like Tax to the Max Sims is back in office.
The state Democrats and Governor Gregoire are doing it to us again.
They passed a bill that will allow the Renton School District to increase our property taxes once again through levies.
There’s also a dirty little secret that the Renton School District does not want you to know. What is it? We’ll let the cat out of the bag in a future post. Stay tuned.
Many people that vote for these levies may not realize that it directly affects their rent. Just because you live in an apartment or rental home, the property taxes for that building will go up. You may not see the increase until your lease is up, but you will feel the impact.
Maybe the Renton School District should figure it out that building new schools does not always improve test scores.
The Renton School District needs to get a backbone and start disciplining kids that act up in class. They should ban cell phones from being used during class and be thankful to the parents of private and home school kids that are paying for education TWICE! Once through their property taxes and again through their tuition and school supplies they must purchase. They are literally giving the Renton School District thousands of dollars per month for services they don’t use.
Renton used to have good schools. Many families in the late 60’s and early 70’s moved here to get away from the Seattle school district. A trend that continues today. Just look at the enrollment numbers for the Seattle School district.
Back in 80’s the Renton School District even closed some neighborhood schools due to declining enrollment.
They have now replaced just about every elementary school in the City of Renton but yet the test scores don’t seem to show any improvement. Where’s the problem?
The problem is we have a group of people running the City of Renton and the Renton School District that don’t care about the people, they only care about their power.
Remember this when the next election rolls around. Do your homework. Be certain you understand where your elected officials stand on issues important to you and don’t simply vote for them because “things seem to be going okay”.
Look at your property taxes. They’ve gone up. Have you services improved that much?
Look at your sales tax. It’s gone up. Do you get more out of the City of Renton with each tax increase?
Look at your income tax. Oh wait, we’re not all paying that yet…but we will.
Look at your cell phone tax. It’s gone up. Does you cell phone work better?
Look atyour utility tax. It’s gone up. And don’t forget there are additional taxes buried in there you don’t even see. Now we collect garbage every other week but yet we pay more.
Bottom line is the City of Renton, the Renton School District, King County and the State of Washington need to figure it out that businesses are leaving and will continue to until we get control of the spending in this state. That means jobs go away and the people start to follow.
They can’t keep sucking the taxpayers dry. Eventually enough people will wake up and realize they are being shammed.
Off our soap box. Here’s the story that put us over the edge.
Legislature OKs schools raise more through levies
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - State lawmakers passed a bundle of major education reforms Thursday, including a plan that should help the state compete for the Obama administration’s $4.35 billion Race to the Top program.
The education bills were the last major measures approved by the Democrat-led House and Senate on the final day of the 60-day regular session. They will be returning Monday for a special session to finish work on the state budget, but lawmakers were trumpeted the education agenda as a significant step forward.
Over the past week we’ve recevied e-mails from a majority of citizens that oppose annexing the Renton Public Library into King County.
We believe you can come to your own conclusions, but please examine both sides. Please take a look at the endorsements on both sites. Do you notice anything?
With the recent debacle of the Green River and the Howard Hanson Dam, do we really want to hand over a City of Renton asset to King County? Fortunately it will be up to the voters to decide. Maybe we can move the library over to the former King County Elections Headquarters on Grady? We hear the building is vacant.
If you would like to view the video from the Renton City Council Meeting on January 11, 2010 where the Library was discussed, it is available here: renton.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=3&clip_id=404. If you want to jump directly to the library presentations, select “Public Meeting” on the dropdown list directly below the video.
In the next few weeks — around January 18, ballots will be mailed to everyone for the upcoming election. There are a number of issues that will effect this area.
The Issaquah School District will have a 3 issues requiring voter approval — a Maintenance and Operations Levy, a proposal to buy new buses and a Technology Levy.
The King County Library System will have a levy issue asking for more money from taxpayers. In addition, those of you who reside in the City of Renton, you will be asked if you want to annex to the KCLS or do you want to keep the current city library system.
In addition, two local areas will be asked if they want to annex to Renton — the Sunset East Annexation area and the Honey Creek Annexation area.
Another issue that I told you about before — guardian abuse. If any of you have had a bad experience with a guardian and a vulnerable adult, the legislature wants to hear from you. Someone I know is collecting stories to pass onto legislators in order to help pass legislation protecting our seniors. Let me know if you have any
questions.
Also in the same venue. Two ladies I know, plus myself, will be meeting with a University of Washington Provost on February 23 to discuss the University’s hiring practices regarding corrupt guardians teaching at the UW. If you have any comments/questions, let me know.
Keep you eyes open for receiving your ballots in the mail. They are to be postmarked by February 9.
The Associated PressSEATTLE - Six local governments and utilities have formed a partnership to preserve a 42-mile rail corridor between Snohomish and Renton.
The Port of Seattle says the agreement signed Thursday will preserve the line for transportation and recreation uses. The port’s acquisition is scheduled to close Dec. 15.
The partners are King County, Sound Transit, city of Redmond, Puget Sound Energy and Cascade Water Alliance.
Make you wonder if it would have been cheaper to simply do the same thing around the King County Elections building on Grady. If Boeing believes they can get people in and out, why can’t King County.
With ballots already arriving in mailboxes throughout the county and only a few weeks left until election day, the candidates for King County executive took on a bit sharper tone on Saturday.
Susan Hutchison and Dow Constantine took part in a debate at KOMO 4, moderated by Kathi Goertzen and Dan Lewis, and were asked about benefits for county employees, environmental issues and the recent negative campaigning, among other topics.
