The Urbanist The Urbanist

Every one knows there are two things you can't escape in life, death and taxes. While I'd add a few more items to that list, it seems that with Washington State having such an, ahem, unique tax system, the time had come for us to tackle the topic of taxes on The Urbanist podcast.

So in this episode, Ray and I talk about Washington State's tax system -- the agrarian origins of how we became one of a select few U.S. states without an income tax, what it means to be one of these states, and what efforts have been under way to make Washington's tax system fairer. We also share our "dream" taxes and cover the wealth tax that was proposed in the state legislature this year. 

Also, if it sounds like I was abducted and had to call into the podcast from a 1950's AM radio frequency, don't worry, I'm fine and 100% in 2023. And by next week I'll have the right adapter on hand for my microphone. Ham radios are really cool, but sounding like you're on a ham radio on a podcast is not. Apologies. 

As always, we love to hear from you. Tell us anything you’ve heard from the podcast that you’d like an update about, questions, or ideas for future episodes. Reach out to us at podcast [at] theurbanist.org. 
You can find The Urbanist podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and other major platforms. And if you are enjoying the podcast, be sure to offer a “like” or “thumbs up” on your favorite platform. It’s a great way to spread the word to new listeners.

Thank you for contacting The Urbanist Podcast. It is Spring Break, so co-hosts Ray Dubicki and Natalie Argerious are out of the office this week. So please enjoy a couple of unaired clips and updates from earlier stores we covered. We assure you that tiki shirts are being worn. 

As always, we love to hear from you. Tell us anything you've heard from the podcast that you'd like an update about, or any of the weird into-the-ether conversations Ray has with his computer while clicking on things. Reach out to us at podcast [at] theurbanist.org. 

You can find The Urbanist podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and other major platforms. And if you are enjoying the podcast, be sure to offer a “like” or “thumbs up” on your favorite platform. It’s a great way to spread the word to new listeners.

In this episode, co-hosts Natalie Argerious and Ray Dubicki welcome Ron Davis to talk about a proposed Jump Start Tax Holiday in the city of Seattle. Ron last joined the pod to talk about how the city's comprehensive planning was lacking a level of seriousness. This tax holiday idea is not all that different.

The Jump Start tax was passed by Seattle's City Council in 2020 after years of attempting to find a progressive revenue stream tapping into the biggest earners and businesses in the city. Surviving a number of challenges, the tax raised enough revenue to plug the city's budget hole. Now, interests are arguing that the city's recovery requires businesses secure a holiday from this tax.

It is also time for The Urbanist’s Spring Subscriber Drive. If you enjoy this podcast or the reporting and advocacy we do, please consider becoming a subscriber. Details are at the urbanist.org/donate.

As always, we love to hear from you. Tell us your expectations for the future of light rail in Seattle, and what you want to see from new stations. Reach out to us at podcast [at] theurbanist.org. 

You can find The Urbanist podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and other major platforms. And if you are enjoying the podcast, be sure to offer a “like” or “thumbs up” on your favorite platform. It’s a great way to spread the word to new listeners.

It is simultaneously exciting and trying times for transit in Seattle. Over the next few years, dozens of new stops will open in Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Federal Way. At the same time, future extensions are facing dual headwinds of being overly complex and lightly understood, even by elected officials tasked with deciding their locations. On Thursday, the Sound Transit executive board heard testimony from the community about where to identify as preferred station locations in the Chinatown International District and downtown. The meeting was long.

Co-hosts Natalie Argerious and Ray Dubicki talk with The Urbanist's senior reporter Stephen Fesler about the comings and goings of light rail in the city, what exciting things are coming and the difficult issues facing future development of the system.

It is also time for The Urbanist's Spring Subscriber Drive. If you enjoy this podcast or the reporting and advocacy we do, please consider becoming a subscriber. Details are at the urbanist [dot] org [slash] donate.

As always, we love to hear from you. Tell us your expectations for the future of light rail in Seattle, and what you want to see from new stations. Reach out to us at podcast [at] theurbanist.org. 
You can find The Urbanist podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and other major platforms. And if you are enjoying the podcast, be sure to offer a “like” or “thumbs up” on your favorite platform. It’s a great way to spread the word to new listeners.

It is spring of 8th Grade in the Dubicki household, so we have been investigating options on where to attend high schools. Seattle Public Schools offers schools in a home attendance area as well as option schools, allowing families to choose whether a school outside the neighborhood is a better fit. We looked at a few.

Host Natalie Argerious questions co-host Ray Dubicki about whether the choices made about school were bad or worse for living and raising kids in an urban place, and Ray's overall sense of failure as a parent. Whether detaching a school from a neighborhood is a good thing and continuing fallout from pandemic teaching leads us to wonder what an ideal school district would look like, it all ends up being judgment on parenting and *SOB*.

What has been your experience with schools around Seattle? Reach out to us at podcast [at] theurbanist.org. 

As always, you can find The Urbanist podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and other major platforms. And if you are enjoying the podcast, be sure to offer a “like” or “thumbs up” on your favorite platform. It’s a great way to spread the word to new listeners.

In this week's episode, co-hosts Natalie Argerious and Ray Dubicki are joined by conservation educators Hanae Bettencourt, Josh Morris, and Kate Lanier from Seattle Audubon. We get to talk about birds! The good news: it's fun to get into birding and Seattle's a great place to do it. Unfortunately, there is some bad news too. The region's birds face a number of threats, including window strikes and our resident "adorable murder machines" -- cats.
Come to find out that, due to its location between mountains and water, Seattle is home to a wonderful array of bird species. From the to the super smart crows of Bothell to the migrating Rufous hummingbird, the region does well for spotting all sorts of interesting species. And getting into the habit is easy, regardless of the stereotypes that hang on bird watching. Here's a link to the Merlin bird identifying app we talk about in the show. But really, the only thing it takes to watch birds is getting outside and giving them a little attention. Which is good for us too.
Is there a fantastic bird you've seen or a place you enjoy listening to our winged residents? Reach out to us at podcast [at] theurbanist.org.  
As always, you can find The Urbanist podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and other major platforms. And if you are enjoying the podcast, be sure to offer a “like” or “thumbs up” on your favorite platform. It’s a great way to spread the word to new listeners.