Letters

I have to thank you for putting why this year's music sucked ["2000 Meltdown: The year music flickered," 12/21] in the Weekly. I have only been alive for 14.5 years, and I've watched music go downhill. We are full of mindless teen pop puppets who can't even write their own songs. I hope that in the year 2001 we will see music get better. I want my generation to be known for good music—not for Britney Spears and the controversy over whether or not her boobs are real.

Paul Allen's rec room

Geeky rock correction: In the Year in Music issue, Arlie Carstens of Juno was quoted as saying the high point of the year was watching Tom Verlaine and Lenny Kaye score short experimental films at EMP ["Thanks for the memories," 12/21]. While I agree it was amazing, that was not Lenny Kaye. Perhaps Arlie slipped that in knowing no one in the Weekly music
department would know better, Lenny being most distinctly not involved and bearing no physical resemblance to Tom Verlaine's friend Jimmy. If, for some reason, Arlie genuinely thought that was Mr. Kaye, I hope it doesn't dampen the memory to know there was only one certified legend playing in Paul Allen's rec room that night.

Murderer(s)!

I was wondering if Seattle Weekly had hired a new film reviewer(s)? Within the last three to six months, the quality of your film reviews has turned very sour and negative. Did you hire the Grinch? Whoever is doing the movie reviews does not enjoy their job or does not have a happy home life, because he/she just murders films he/she doesn't like.

In addition, your choice of "star" films has deviated from what it consistently was for years. I would brag to people that if the Weekly gave it a "star" it was guaranteed to be well worth your hard-earned seven dollars and a Saturday evening. Now the "star" system seems to be random and way off base. (Did the Weekly star any of the movies that are being rumored for Oscar contention?? How could the Weekly not star Pay It Forward? The whole audience was an emotional mess at the end!?) I can't rely on the Weekly's movie reviews anymore, and that is a huge disappointment, as I am an avid moviegoer.
What's up?

LISA M. THENELL
VIA E-MAIL

Notnecessarily do-nothing

Geov Parrish misses a very important point in his article about the state legislature in Olympia [Impolitics, "And then there's Olympia," 12/14]. While the situation was very similar during the last legislature, with a 49-49 tie in the House, a number of groundbreaking initiatives were instituted—initiatives that mean a lot to working families in our state.

Three stand out: 1.) Washington is now the first state in the nation to provide a permanent funding source for unemployed workers to cover their living expenses while they are in training and retraining to gain new skills and move back into work. 2.) The state found a solution to the child care crisis by implementing a groundbreaking early childhood education career and wage ladder program for child care workers. By linking wage increments to education, training, and experience, the state is keeping child care affordable, reducing astronomically high turnover rates, and improving the quality of care for our youngest children. 3.) The state expanded and enhanced the first and largest public-private waged work welfare-to-work program in the country, namely Community Jobs, by which people move into work and off welfare. Over 4,000 participants have benefited from this program, which opens up economic opportunity with greatly increased wages and career development.

These are only some of the results created under the leadership of Democratic Speaker Chopp and Governor Locke. They set a standard for productive work in 2001 with another evenly divided House. It does not have to be a do-nothing session!

JOHN R. BURBANK
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY INSTITUTE, SEATTLE

A volunteer

Let me get this straight. Light rail [see "This time, with feeling," 12/21] will take 4,000 cars off the road at rush hour, for only $2 billion plus overruns, but we must wait until 2009.

We can do better! Paying half a million dollars for each car removed from rush hour is a little high, but the big problem is that the time frame is wrong. For only $300,000, I will keep my car completely out of Seattle, and I'm willing to start
today!

As a BONUS, if Sound Transit sends me a check within four to six weeks, I'll stay completely out of the Eastside for free. I urge the ST board to act now to take advantage of this amazing offer!

RANDY WINN
MERCER ISLAND