I'm usually right there with you, Rick, but the records you discussed in your article told us nothing about mayoral gas efficiency. Yes, they showed an increase in gasoline expenses, but without knowing the number of miles traveled, not to mention whether they were city or highway miles, we have no way of knowing whether the mayor is traveling in a fuel efficient manor.

Perhaps you are arguing that the mayor is making unnecessary trips? Well, I kind of doubt it, and your article didn't present any facts that might answer that question either.

Rick, I agree with Sean. Your article takes a sigular view without covering both sides of the issue. You have no idea on the miles traveled, whether they were city or highway. The hybrid is just average on the highway. It's very beneficial for city driving only when you are under 40mph. I see your article's focus is on the money spent on gasoline, however, you failed to mention the increase in price of the last few years. You failed to mention that the Mayor is constantly traveling around the city. He also travels to Olympia and the Seattle City Light's station well outside the city as well. It's obvious you have an axe to grind with the Mayor and your weak article displays such. If the Mayor of our city is out doing our city's business, it's obvious that he will be using quite a bit of gasoline that's understandable. Some would say he should use public transportation. I believe a person with such a demanding schedule would get little done. A reasonable person would agree. He doesnt have the luxury to sit behind his desk all day and concoct toothless storys. Your article states that the Mayor's advisor wrote that you are a "Nit-Wit" I disagree. Disingenious, yes!

Isn't it apparent the Mayor is less than candid and more than hypocritical? He don't keep some records becasue of what they might show. Yet what's available confirms he is using more gas while telling the rest of us to take a hike. And when someone asks about this, the mayor's office resorts to name calling. It makes you wonder what else they're hiding.

The story isn't about miles traveled or gas efficiency (the city doesn't keep such records for the mayor's cars, as we report). It's about the mayor telling us one thing - use our cars less - while he does another. - uses his more. He also consumes more natural resources with his lean green gas-and-battery machine than with his Caddy.

Greg is the Mayor of Seattle; he is also a fat-ass and could walk to appointments or take a bus when in Seattle. Yet, when I called and asked his office if Greg ever takes a bus to meetings his phone-slave said, 'you ARE kidding, right? He's the Mayor." Bloomberg takes the subway and he? sort of a Mayor as well. Greg wants people like me —busy people with business to do— to take a bus. So, GREG: I'll take a bus to meetings when you do.

Yeah Todd, I agree with you! Mayor Nickels absolutely reeks of elitism. "You lowly masses take public transit and keep the road clear for my vehicle because I'm a VIP & only I deserve what's most convenient."

Your mention of Marianne Bichel brought back fond memories of time spent at the mayor's office. Several years ago when I encountered repeated incidents of poor city/citizen communications I did what I thought all good citizens should do - I sat down and put together a short five item list of steps I thought the city and the mayor's office could do to improve communications with the citizens. I sent it to the mayor and of course got no reply. For several months I called and wrote to the city asking for some sort of response. No luck. Finally I just went down to the mayor's office and when told that there was no one available to talk to me I sat down and waited. Finally, after several hours, Ms. Bichel and another staffer came out and said they could see me for a few minutes. After we sat down the first thing she told me was that I needed to understand that they didn't HAVE to talk to me, they were only doing it at their pleasure. She went on to explain that I needed to understand that the mayor and his staff were only accountable to the public on one day every four years - election day. The rest of the time, she said, they could do whatever they wanted and speak or not speak to whomever they wanted. We then briefly discussed my list of suggestions (she indicated they were already doing and excellent job of communicating with the public) and she promised she would get back to me regarding them within two weeks. Of course I heard nothing from her. Four months later, after numerous inquiries from me I got a meaningles letter telling me how the city always appreciated input from citizens, goodbye and thank you. So, I'm certainly not surprised that she thinks you are a nitwit. After all, you are a citizen seeking information and respect. Only a nitwit would expect that of the mayor's office.

Your mention of Marianne Bichel brought back fond memories of time spent at the mayor's office. Several years ago when I encountered repeated incidents of poor city/citizen communications I did what I thought all good citizens should do - I sat down and put together a short five item list of steps I thought the city and the mayor's office could do to improve communications with the citizens. I sent it to the mayor and of course got no reply. For several months I called and wrote to the city asking for some sort of response. No luck. Finally I just went down to the mayor's office and when told that there was no one available to talk to me I sat down and waited. Finally, after several hours, Ms. Bichel and another staffer came out and said they could see me for a few minutes. After we sat down the first thing she told me was that I needed to understand that they didn't HAVE to talk to me, they were only doing it at their pleasure. She went on to explain that I needed to understand that the mayor and his staff were only accountable to the public on one day every four years - election day. The rest of the time, she said, they could do whatever they wanted and speak or not speak to whomever they wanted. We then briefly discussed my list of suggestions (she indicated they were already doing and excellent job of communicating with the public) and she promised she would get back to me regarding them within two weeks. Of course I heard nothing from her. Four months later, after numerous inquiries from me I got a meaningles letter telling me how the city always appreciated input from citizens, goodbye and thank you. So, I'm certainly not surprised that she thinks you are a nitwit. After all, you are a citizen seeking information and respect. Only a nitwit would expect that of the mayor's office.

Rick,
You might want to check your own spelling. You got Marianne's last name spelled wrong.

Now how long will it take for you to check and get it right?

Tick, tick, tick....

(In response to Sean & Rod)
Yea, Rick, I can't believe you'd question the Mayor's gas use! If he wants to go on a joy ride all over hither and yon then it is his right to do so (and our money)! I mean, come on, that's like questioning Al Gore's use of energy. His house is bigger than the average American's and he NEEDS to run his three computers 24 hours a day.

Bichsel's name is spelled right (you can tell because it looks like it's spelled wrong). The mayor's website describes her as "the lead spokesperson to the media" and gives this alternate spelling, Marainne Nocomment.

This will teach you liberals not to attack other liberals:
From the Sound Politics site, commenting on this story:

"I love it! After decades of The Weekly pandering to the liberal establishment of downtown and Capitol Hill, its new editorial management is Republican and finally giving some fair and balanced reporting in the Seattle urban scene."

Brewster's old Weekly, Republican? Say it ain't so!

I have no problem with Rick or anyone else investigating the mayor's gas use. It just wasn't clear to me what Rick thinks he has uncovered in his article, or why he has a problem with the mayor purchasing a hybrid vehicle.

Apparently, the article is "about the mayor telling us one thing - use our cars less - while he does another. - uses his more." If that's the case, Rick, you're beating up a straw man. Obviously, the mayor is not telling anyone to reduce driving at all costs, even if it means being unable to perform your job. He's suggesting, quite reasonably, that we drive fuel efficient vehicles and eliminate unnecessary trips.

Rick,
Fess up!
somebody went back into your story and changed marianne's last name so it's now spelled correctly.
How lame! Admit you had her name wrong!

For proof of your petty offense, here's what google had cached on this item:
"... Hall regarding the mayor's penchant for guzzling gas was this two-word message that had been written by the mayor's political advisor Marianne Bichel: ..."

Busted!

There goes your Pulitzer for gas-gate.

To "A copy editor you need":
A good therapist might be able to help you with that pathological spelling obsession.

Gee, Sean: You're missing the humor in this.
The explanation: Rick says Marianne can't spell while himself mispelling Marianne's last name. Get it?

Oh, my apologies. If you happened to miss Rick's comment about poor spelling like I did, you just seemed like someone who cared way too much about spelling.

Will someone tell that expert "copy editor you need" that Google is capitalized, as is the first word in a sentence and the name Marianne. Please "Preview" your rants for errors first.

And tell him "mispelling" has two s's.

Still silence from Rick on Spellgate!
And thanks to fellow editors.

Guess I should read comments more often - of course we corrected the spelling yesterday, Copy Ed. And to Not Al Gore, I doubt SW is any less liberal today - we've dropped political commentary and I'm among those who disagree with that decision. But as a reporter I've never been told, from Brewster to present day, that anyone's off limits. Without fellow liberals to deflate, what fun would life be?

Oh brother. I don't know what's worse, you making too much out of someone calling you a nitwit (so what?) and requesting e-mails from people, or the City's lame response, or this entire story. It is all just petty BS masking as news.

If your mayor was really going to go green, why didn't he get a Prius to maximize efficiency?

You wrote: "Besides poor spelling and lousy public relations, the incidents indicate the mayor's office considers Nickels' considerable use of natural resources a touchy issue." The correct form is "Nickels's." The rule is that a PLURAL noun ending in "s" gets a simple apostrophe for the possessive, while a singular noun ending in "s" requires an apostrophe-s. Thus, "The Joneses' house has three bedrooms," and, "Jones's apartment is a studio," both are correct.

I beg to differ Charlie - the single apostrophe use is ACCEPTABLE. It could also be the paper's in-house style. That said, I hope you aren't one of those punctuation Nazis (or badly in need of pills, like the Copy Editor) because you could drive yourself nuts reading today's papers.

You can't figure out how much gas the Mayor uses by looking at what he spends. The city has contracts for gas from a station at about 10th and James. Run by there sometime; the gas used to always 20+ cents higher per gallon than anywhere else. I don't know if they get a special price but the log I signed didn't seem to suggest so. That should be the story; its like having taxpayers spend $700 for a toilet seat - when you figure how many city cars got gas there everyday!

If the worst Nickels does is be a hypocrite on public transportation, he's probably not that bad as a mayor.

Anyone care about Sound Transit floating 50 year bonds to pay for the latest plan, not 2 years after the gang in charge said the Monorail was bad for wanting to do the same thing?