(Staff writer Debbie Cafazzo contributed to this blog post)

A Seattle Public Schools’ financial scandal that has prompted an ongoing criminal investigation has indirect ties to a longtime City of Tacoma employee, records and interviews show.

No one is accusing city employee Percy F. Jones, Jr of wrongdoing.

But state records show Jones, who coordinates the city’s Historically Underutilized Business Program, is listed as a registered agent and one of three governing members of the nonprofit at the center of the scandal: the Regional Small Business Development Program.

Public funds diverted into the private nonprofit’s bank account triggered a state audit last year, after Seattle school officials questioned a $35,000 check that Tacoma Public Schools wrote to the Seattle School District.

Seattle officials wondered why the Tacoma schools’ check – intended as payment for training provided to potential women- and minority-owned business contractors – was deposited with the private group instead of with the school district, interviews and records show.
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President Barack Obama is in Seattle tonight and Thursday for a campaign stop for Sen. Patty Murray. Whether you want to see him or avoid the traffic mess, here’s what you need to know:

RALLY INFO: President Obama will appear at the Hec Edmundson Pavilion, 3870 Montlake Blvd NE, on the University of Washington campus at 11 a.m. Thursday. The rally is free and open to the public. Admittance to will be on a first-come, first-served basis; overflow space will be provided. To RSVP, click here. With parking limited and thousands expected, participants are encouraged to take King …

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Over at Crosscut, architect Mark Hinshaw writes about a so-far under-the-radar move by some Seattle bureaucrats to legalize building-top billboards.

The pathway would be an amendment to the city sign code that was slowed down only when an activist noticed and started sounding the alarm.

This little amendment would allow any commercial tenant to affix four lighted signs, each 350 square feet (roughly the size of two parking stalls) to the top of its building. City staff estimate there are 10 buildings with tenants large enough to qualify. And get this: the City has issued a statement declaring there

…

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On Sunday I take a look at one of Tacoma’s first public relations efforts to entice people and business from Seattle.

It happened in and around the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition that opened 100 years ago this week on what is now the University of Washington’s main campus. Tacoma boosters used the fair to make a pitch for Tacoma – even though the fair itself was a celebration of Seattle’s dominance in the battle to dominate the Puget Sound economy.

Even though it happened 100 years ago, the competition exists today from the rivalry between the ports of Tacoma and

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I thought Gov. Chris Gregoire might veto the provision in the bill that lays any cost overruns for the tunnel in the lap of downtown Seattle businesses that benefit from having the viaduct removed from the Seattle waterfront. But I’m told there was a deal to keep House Speaker Frank Chopp‘s language in the bill.

I’m also told that provision probably can’t be enforced anyway, so it might as well stay in. Senate Bill 5768 says others have to pay for cost overruns, but when push comes to shove, the state will be signing to contract with whatever company does the work. I think everyone is hoping — as DOT Secretary Paula Hammond promised — that there will be no cost overruns.

The amendment gave some promise that taxpayers statewide would not have to pay for any cost overruns beyond the $2.8 billion the state is sorta committing. (The state budget says $2.4 billion, and there MIGHT be another $400 million from tolls. But who do you think will pay that $400 million if DOT decides not to put tolls on the tunnel? State taxpayers.)

I’m not sure what Chopp’s motives are by putting the cost-overrun language in. Maybe he really is looking out for taxpayers across the state. Maybe he’s afraid the viaduct replacement will suck up so much state money that there won’t be enough left to pay for the Highway 520 project, which connects his Seattle district to King County’s Eastside.

Alaskan Way is a $4.24 billion project. Highway 520 is at least a $4.65 billion project. If they both cost that much, how much money is left for project in the rest of the state.

By signing the bill, The Guv clears the way for DOT go out out an order a drill bit about the size of a three-story house.

Oh yeah, tolls aren’t a done deal on the project. There’s still another study to see how much money could be raised from tolls. The report is due next year.

Gov. Gregoire Signs SR 99 Bored Tunnel Bill

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The Oklahoma Thunder (formerly Seattle Sonics, formerly Seattle SUPERSonics) would have owed Seattle an additional $30 million if the Legislature had given Seattle the means to pay for a $75 million NBA arena.

But that bill failed to pass the Legislature. Seattle still has until the end of the year to persuade the Legislature to do something, and it might be a candidate for a special session. If there is a special session.

There was more in the bill, SB 6116, — money for Husky Stadium, for Pioneer Square, Seattle’s International District, low-income housing — but I’ll have to get to that later. In the meantime, here’s an update from a couple of the principals.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 26, 2009
Statement from Sen. Ed Murray and Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles on Senate Bill 6116, authorizing the extension of local taxes for the arts, affordable housing, KeyArena renovations and other community projects

OLYMPIA — Sen. Ed Murray and Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles released the following statement on the failure of the Senate to bring Senate Bill 6116, excise taxes in a county with a population of one million five hundred thousand or more, to a vote.

"The Senate Sunday night was unable to move forward on Senate Bill 6116. After a long session and scheduled sine die this Sunday, no action was taken.

"Widely misperceived as ‘the Stadium Bill,’ SB 6116 would have authorized King County to provide support to a variety of programs that would benefit our communities, such as low-income housing, arts, heritage and cultural programs, and tourism promotion. These funds could have helped programs throughout King County.

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House Bill 2281: Relating to the visitor destination campus act of 2009.

That’s what they call a “title-only bill.” Please read it. It says almost nothing. It’s what lawmakers do when they can’t reach agreement about what to do about something, but they know they just might reach agreement later on. And just in case they do reach agreement, they pass a bill that has only a title to meet some self-imposed deadline for taking acting. It makes things easier down the line. (They basically write the rest of the bill (under the title) later on.)

Anyway,

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I don’t usually write about Seattle city politics, but what the heck. It’s a regional world. Besides, Seattle council members have a lot to say about what happens down in T-town, Olympia, Pierce County and South King County. For example, Sound Transit, Puget Sound Regional Council, etc.

It’s Official: Sally Bagshaw Files for Seat Being Vacated by Retiring Jan Drago

Former Chief Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, transportation leader and small business advocate, thanks Drago for tenure of service, moves forward with fast starting campaign that has raised more than $30,000 in first months of campaigning.

SEATTLE—Sally Bagshaw, the former head of the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Civil Division, leader on transportation and transit issues and advocate for small business has formally announced that she will seek position #4 on the council—the seat currently held by retiring council member Jan Drago.

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