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They Recruit

ETS!,

First, thanks to Maria Tomchick for her article about the anti-nuclear/anti-military movement in Washington state. In addition to the retreat at Bangor which she helpfully mentions, another germane event is scheduled during that same time period.

The U.S. Blue Angels (always a Seattle favorite!) will be sending sent one of their pilots to South Seattle Community College to recruit students there on August 7, beginning either at 8:00 or 8:30 AM (accounts vary). The location will be the Brockey Student Center at the SSCC campus (the address: 6000 16th Ave. SW, in West Seattle--for more details, please see Jean Buskin's calendar). Some concerned Seattle Community Colleges District folks are planning to counter this recruiting appearance with informational leaflets, and they could use help from other interested folks.

This, apparently, will be the first time a Blue Angels pilot has recruited on a Seattle Community College campus. A fairly significant flap over this has arisen throughout the Seattle Community College workforce (at least, among those who are working this summer and who have access to computer email). Unfortunately (though not surprisingly), the vast majority of those who've contributed to an increasingly harsh computer debate have been very much in favor of the Angels' appearance.

--Dick Burton, Seattle Central Community College

A Lot Less

ETS!,

How about doing a story on the salaries of Seattle Public Schools principals, who are described by the district itself in less than glowing terms. I have heard that a "weak" principal is paid about $96,000. How much is a good one paid?

--John L., via e-mail

How To Sell Yourself

Dear Mr. Johnson,

I learned yesterday that the University has sold the "naming rights" for Hec Ed Pavilion to Seafirst Bank, and that it will now be called Seafirst Ed Pavilion.

In light of the University's approval of corporate sponsorship of University resources in order to raise additional funds, I am delighted to announce that I have contracted with McDonald's Corporation, in order to lighten my own personal financial burden. Starting Monday, McDonalds will pay me $25 per week to wear a brown McDonalds uniform, including the stylish hat, here in the Student ID Card Center and to answer the phones with "McDonalds Student ID Card Center--did somebody say McDonald's?" We will also begin issuing Beanie Babies to all students who purchase at least four replacement student ID cards.

In addition, my office assistant has signed a similar corporate sponsorship agreement with Walt Disney, Inc., and beginning Wednesday, he will earn $4 per day for wearing a Disney sweatshirt and a Mickey Mouse Mousketeer Ear Hat for at least six hours per day. They've also expressed interest in having him wear a Jiminy Cricket costume for $6 per day, but he is reluctant to do so for fear of chafing from rubbing his knees together for any duration. He is also not too thrilled with their requirement that he stay "in character" throughout the day, including the Metro bus ride to and from the office. However, being a flexible sort, he has expressed a willingness to compromise with Disney by allowing that he could sing "When You Wish Upon a Star" while he assembles ID cards, for an extra $1 per day.

In the same spirit, my office is currently in contract negotiations with Value Village, who will provide public address speakers in the ID Center on which Value Village radio advertisements will play during all business hours. I hope to get at least $75 per week for the sponsorship. I am also pursuing discussions with the Provost's office to gain approval to allow one or two racks of used clothing in the office, to be sold to students along with ID card replacements. While the direct profits of the actual clothing sales will not come to us, Value Village has indicated they would be willing to pay a further sponsorship fee of $50 per week for use of our floor space and public exposure.

Also, the Miller Brewing Corporation has expressed an interest in using our front wall, which is currently just a 12' x 8' blank white area, as billboard space for their ads.

Still in the planning stages are negotiations with Nordstrom's to have their ads play over our telephone system whenever we put someone on hold. If we agree to keep all callers on hold for a minimum of five minutes they have indicated they would be willing to provide us with $1 per call, although we are currently holding out for $1.50 per single call and $2.75 for transfer calls that get placed on a second hold. In fact, they've hinted that they could even go as high as $4.25 per call if we can guarantee that we would transfer all incoming calls at least four times (and put on hold each time). At first blush this seems like a very good idea, although in fairness to our students and other callers we are insisting that at least one of those four hold messages include a brief announcement that "your call is important to us."

All these are quite delightful developments, and it warms the cockles of my heart (and my atrophied wallet) to see that the University has now assuaged my earlier concerns that such corporate sposorship on campus demeans the dignity of our institution in any way, and is now openly permissable. It clears the way for so many wonderful opportunities.

In closing, I should mention that although President McCormick repeatedly denies that Jim Beam Bagley Hall is in the works (as he did most recently in his State of the University memo to the Home Depot Chemistry Department), reliable sources indicate that these are simply ritual denials quite common during the early stages of any renaming process, and that a work order for the new building signs have already been placed with the Famous Amos Physical Plant.

--Steve LaMantia, Seattle

Pat's Answers

While making the cogent point that the media is biased neither to the left or to the right so much as it is biased toward power, Geov Parrish said this in the current Eat the State!:

"General Motors is more powerful than the UAW--so we've heard virtually nothing about why those pesky workers are striking in Flint. That would still be the case if the workers' platform were "conservative," e.g., virulently xenophobic a la Buchanan."

There is a third category trying to poke its head up through the rubble of this ancient and ruinous dualism...populism. Populism is, roughly speaking, economically radical and socially-culturally conservative, the polar opposite of establishment liberalism. I am exploring the possibilities of populism because I am sick unto death of the liberal-conservative straightjacket.

Populism is economically nationalist in that it is opposed to NAFTA, GATT, MAI, and all other aspects of economic globalization, as well as being pro-union. But it is also culturally consevative, like most of the people in this country.

Buchanan has called himself an economic nationalist, and I think that's a good label for his position. But I think identifying Buchanan's position with virulent xenophobia is a bad rap. It is more a US-based transnational corporat-o-phobia, if you must have a phobia.

Personally, I'll take the trade-off. I will put up with a bit of Bible-thumping & homophobia in return for some serious resistance to corporate power. But if I were gay, I might think differently.

--Mike Murphy, Seattle

G.P. replies: Building and arming a wall on the Mexican border to keep all those nasty brown people out isn't "virulently xenophobic?! Seems like a pretty accurate rap to me. Buchanan has many good things to say on issues like free trade--but he's still a dangerous bigot. And a man with a natural limit to his appeal, given that many of the people he despises culturally are the same folks most victimized by the policies he criticizes. A truly broad-based populism should include, not exclude, people of different religions, races, and (yes) sexual orientations.

Public Safety

ETS!,

With the terrible event that happened in the Capitol building last week, and the knowledge that the person who did it is bi-polar, I hope that the people who are in charge of public safety would consider making a law that would not allow sick people to roam the country.

I happen to know people who are bi-polar and they believe they are NOT ill. Their families cannot do anything for or with them. They refuse to take their medication and are a constant problem. They are destroying their families` resources.

Several years ago, just such a person killed his case worker and a policeman who had come to help the case worker take the bi-polar person to be medicated. These people should be behind bars until they can be proven to be on their medication.

Sincerely,

--Lola Carlile, via e-mail

G.P. replies: I'd prefer a law that would not allow elected officials to roam the country. I know people who are elected officials and they believe they are NOT ill. Their constituents cannot do anything for or with them. They refuse to limit their campaign contributions and are a constant problem. They are destroying our entire nation's resources.

For a number of years, just such people have been responsible for the needless deaths of thousands, perhaps millions, through pointless wars, enforced poverty, gutted social problems, avarice, and sheer thuggery. There is no known cure short of revolution. Let's give them their medication.