Jeff Jacobs | Emerald City Journal

USPS Wants More Money Now

Published on September 25, 2013

USPS Raising Rates Mailings

The black hole of a business, USPS, has requested to raise the rates again. Sure, it’s not much (3 cents) but it seems every few months now they are asking for another nickel or dime. It’s a sound strategy asking for a little at time. Obviously if they just asked for a .50 cents per piece of mail they would be denied, however, small increases get approved. This increase will put us as .49 to mail one piece of mail. I have talked about the United States Postal Service before and how they basically are killing themselves by not changing with the times. The reality is this will most likely get approved. However, they are going to learn quickly that physical mail is a black hole. It may help in the short term but people are just about done with them raising the rates and playing these games. More and more each day are giving up on the mail service and moving entirely digital. Almost every company offers paperless services now (except your sewer bill which is another topic). If they really want to alienate people, they are going down the right path with these constant raises. Time will tell I guess.

I sure find it interesting that they have the money for paying all the executives 200K to 500K per year. I see them advertising at the Tour De France and NASCAR. Their top executives make more than the Vice President of the United States. Last Summer they got busted for spending $400K on sporting tickets, booze, and fancy meals. Where do we draw the line and say make it work or even bring in a new company? I sure there are a lot of companies who would be more than happy to make this work for much less. It’s time for a change that is for sure.

Washington State Affordable Healthcare Rates

Published on September 24, 2013

Affordable Healthcare Act Seattle

The time is coming in just a matter of days when you can do the “right thing” and purchase Obamacare (Affordable Healthcare). As you know, I strongly didn’t support Obama or the Affordable Healthcare Act. I liked the idea, however, it doesn’t really correct the real issue and that is overpricing and ripping people off. A better solution would have been for the Government to say “no” to all the bills and overpriced items. Breaking an arm and going to the ER shouldn’t cost a family $5,000 dollars – when nothing is done with the broken arm except x-rays and an arm sling to go home with. This is where the problem is and not enough was done to correct this. None the less, we are here now with Affordable Healthcare Act and the supporters are going to have a shock and awe when they see the prices. I can’t help but laugh each time I do a search online at the fees and really just wonder how everyone is going to pay for this? They don’t have money now what makes you think this is “affordable”. Most live paycheck to paycheck with just a few dollars left over each month. I suspect everyone will just be supported by the Government or go into debt to the IRS over the fees of not getting it. If you don’t have a job, you’ll pretty much be supported by the Government – what else are you going to do to participate into the program. It’s a requirement so if you’re unemployed, you must get it through claiming poverty (applying) or paying the IRS fees.

I have looked at many comparison websites now. For Washington State, this appears to be the main one: wahealthplanfinder.org. Out of curiosity, I ran a basic search. Husband (35 years old) and Wife (29 years old) making $45,00o per year with one child under 21 years of age. The total came to a laughable $687 per month. This maybe reduced to $346 per month with a Government subsidy (however that works) who knows when or how the check comes in the mail. How about another you ask… OK how about a single male (35 years old) not married and no kids. Lets say he makes $30,000 per year. This basic search comes to $282 per month. There is a subsidy of $73 dollars of that. Who thinks these numbers up? Out of the 314 million people in America paying for these high rates now you would think it would be more realistic wouldn’t you? By the way, these numbers are from the exchange so they’re going to be higher through an insurance company. It’s just laughable to me that people are just going to support this and pay it each month.

The next few months should be interesting to say the least.

Seattle Home Prices On The Rise

Published on September 24, 2013

Seattle Home Prices Going Up
There has been lots of news recently about home values increasing. I know some have increased in my area. The Seattle Times is reporting this as well. According to the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city home-price index, Seattle jumped 1.9% in July. Of course very few mention that the market is down 18% from 2007. I guess by not mentioning that it builds customer confidence. Also according to S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city home-price index, there were only 3 large metro cities that made gains. These were Seattle, Tampa Florida, and Washington DC.

If you read the Emerald City Journal, you probably know I’m not a fan of buying a home. I just don’t understand how someone could pay $250K for a home and another $350K in just interests and think they are going to make a profit on that. Add in the property taxes and it’s just ridiculous the amount you pay in the end. The “American Dream” is alive and well I guess. I’m happy people are still falling for this because these are suckers paying for all the roads, schools, and city expenses. America needs you to believe.

Wikipedia – You’re Fired!!

Published on August 31, 2013

Wikipedia is a rip off

After several attempts to be included into the Seattle media section on Wikipedia, it’s time to throw in that towel. Wikipedia a “non profit” website which is visitor edited and claims to be the source for much of the World’s information, has failed us here at the Emerald City Journal. No only have they failed us but they have failed you our readers. It is true we are smaller publication. True we are the one and only Seattle newspaper which is open to all opinions and topics. Whether you agree with the topics or not on our paper, you surely understand that this paper is by and for he people. There is no other news source like ours and that should honestly be respected. Sure, we are no Seattle Times or Tacoma New Tribune. Our content, reader, and news is very different. With that being said, we certainly deserve to be recognized in the community and in the Seattle media group acknowledged by Wikipedia.com. We are unique and can’t be compared to the others “media” news sites listed. Lets go over a few of those “media companies” listed on Wikipedia and really not going to spend to much of my time on this.

Here is the page in question if you would like to take a look:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_in_Seattle

First lets take a look at the community websites listed. They are all the same company and look the same! Unlike the Emerald City Journal, all most all their content/news is syndicated. Copy and pasted from other sources. They display content from the Times and many other newspapers. These group of newspapers are all the same.. nothing original and the same old garage. To lazy to create their own news and topics. To scared to share the truth and the reality of World. It’s all about scraping news from other sources and capitalizing the ad revenue they generate by the volume of pages they display. Honestly, this deserves to be listed and we don’t Wikipedia?

Let’s look at another – how about “Seattle Gay News”. This media company doesn’t even have news, stories, topics on their website. Their website is 3 pages and looks like it was put together by a 3 year old. Seriously, what is this garbage. Take it off Wikipedia and put up quality news websites who produce real content that is unique. We have 100’s of topics on the Emerald City Journal! Yes, every article and post is original also.

Here is another one called the “Seattle Press” another horrible looking website. It provides no value to anyone in Seattle or the rest of the country. The news content and stories are not unique at all. If you actually try to read one of their news or topics I think their biggest article is 3 or 4 sentences in total. Does this deserve to be called “media”? Is that what people want to read and think about? Seriously, this is a joke.

After discussing with Wikipedia and their gatekeeper (who is ego driven to say the least). We are done with them. We don’t need them and we’ll be just fine without them. Share you thoughts and tell the World.

Peace and Love.

Mark Hurd: The Importance of Growth

Published on July 29, 2013

Mark Hurd has been the head of several successful technology corporations. Each of these corporations has increased in size and profits during Mark Hurd’s tenure, all while increasing efficiency. In fact, increasing efficiency has become one of Mark Hurd’s trademarks: During his 25 year tenure at NCR, he was noted for increasing operational efficiency in the Teradata Division, of which he was first vice president and then COO. As President, COO, and CEO of the entire corporation for 4 years, Mark Hurd was once again noted for increasing the company’s operational efficiency.

When he was hired as President and CEO of Hewlett-Packard in 2005, he was immediately recognized for his improvement of the company’s operational efficiency. By the time he left HP, they were number one in laptop and desktop computer sales for most of his tenure, and the price of stocks had doubled.

Now, as President of Oracle Corporation, Mark Hurd is standing by his mantra of increasing efficiency and continual growth. In all business, growth is important for a company’s survival. In the field of technology, where rapid industry-wide developments can take place in single 24 hour period, standing still can be fatal. Mark Hurd is well aware that a company must always be moving forward, always innovating, and always striving to produce better products.

For Mark Hurd, one of the best ways to grow is to focus on customers. In his keynote speech at Oracle OpenWorld 2013, Mark Hurd stressed two issues. Firstly the importance of recognizing value in big data, and secondly the importance of customer service. Big data is something that all companies have to deal with as levels of technology users grow exponentially larger. Customer service is an issue that companies have had to deal with since the beginning of business.

Mark Hurd at Oracle's OpenWorld giving a speech — Mark Hurd at Oracle’s OpenWorld giving a speech

For Mark Hurd, customer service is about relationships. He makes it a priority to visit with and answer the questions of his customers. He wants potential clients to understand that he cares about them and their business, and that by working with him and Oracle, a mutually beneficial partnership will emerge.

In every transaction, there must be a level of trust. In technology, that trust is based upon the assumption that the product or service will work as advertised, and that if there are glitches they will be fixed. Mark Hurd goes out of his way to show customers why doing business with the Oracle Corporation is the best choice for them.

For the Oracle Corporation to grow, Mark Hurd needs to find new customers, and to find ways to network with existing customers to generate profit for both parties. That is why Oracles’ goal is to spend 5 weeks of every quarter, 3 days a week, talking with and building relationships with customers. The goal is to talk to 50 customers a day. While this may sound ambitious, Mark Hurd recognizes that it is necessary for a company to grow.

Mr. Hurd understand the importance of a customer relationship and always building upon that. Every customer should be talked to in the loop about new services or even helping them with training.

The Bellevue office just east of Seattle was created just for that. They call it the Oracle Training University and it helps educate and train their employees for current and future Oracle products. Oracle not only builds and invests into their employees, they want to have the sharpest and most educated team in the Seattle area.

If you like to get a feel for Mr. Hurd, his experience, and leadership, be sure to watch his speech below at Oracle’s OpenWorld event.

Mark Hurd Discusses The Cloud

Published on July 29, 2013

Oracle, with offices in Seattle (Bellevue Washington area), recently announced with the help of Mark Hurd the potential of the cloud service. Mr Hurd is a passionate President of Oracle and being second in the space just isn’t good enough. During is talks about the service, he laid out a plan to be the number one company and the overall potential for Oracle and the industry in general.

Watching many of the speeches by Mark Hurd, you truly can feel his leadership and potential for the company. His years of experience are really impressive.

As Mr. Hurd, discussed the potential of the cloud service, he stated that he could easily see Oracle doing $10 billion dollars which just their customer base right now. He mentioned as of right now Oracle has only used about 5% of that customer base. He also believes the market for the cloud to be around $74 billon dollars.

There other opportunities coming down the road, he explained, such as marketing and services related to the cloud service as well.

Oracles cloud staff is about 19,000 strong. These individuals are certified for Oracle’s cloud products.

In short, Oracle is working hard in this area and see’s big opportunities in the cloud future. Recently, they increased their language support for the service. 13 new languages were added bringing the total to 33 now. All the language support covers about 98% of Oracles revenue base.

Oracle Seattle office:
Address: 411 108th Avenue NE Suite 900. Bellevue, WA 98004
Phone: (425) 945-8200
Bellevue Washington is located approx. 16 minutes east of Seattle Washington. The office is mostly for training and developer/programmer type work.

Mark Vincent Hurd summary:
Mr. Hurd is the co-president of the Oracle Corporation. He is also a board member and director of the company. His previous experience and leadership was for HP (Hewlett-Packard). He left that position in Aug. 2010. He was born Jan. 1st 1957. He actively supports his graduating college Baylor University. Mr. Hurd currently lives with this wife, Paula Kalupa, in Palo Alto, California.

Mark Hurd Seattle

Obamacare Running Wild On You! (Opinion)

Published on July 8, 2013

Better start saving those penny rolls because the required Affordable Health Care Act is coming your way. I’ve been reading more and more about the rules but mostly the fees involved. At this point, It’s going to happen it’s just a matter of how much it’s going to set me back each month. Monday, Vermont released their health insurance exchange program rates for individuals. It reads:

Rates being offered for the benchmark so-called “silver plan” for individuals will be a bit less than $395 per month for individuals buying a Blue Cross Blue Shield product, and $410 a month for those buying a similar policy form MVP Health Care. Those prices are similar to what an individual pays now for a similar suite of coverage options, Goddard said.

Lower-income Vermonters will get federal tax credits and state premium subsidies to cover some of the costs. For someone making the median individual income of about $34,000 a year, that will reduce the cost of the Blue Cross plan to about $230 a month, and the MVP plan to $252.

The Blue Cross family plan will cost $1,111 a month through Vermont Health Connect. For MVP it will be $1,151.

Well.. that sure sounds cheap only $395 per month in Vermont. What is affordable about that? This of course shouldn’t come to a surprise to most of you since I have been preaching about this for a longtime now. What truly is amazing is the amount of people supporting this corruption and they simply are sheep in the wind. The only one who will benefit from this is the government who just got 300 million people to buy a monthly health insurance plan (or have a business pay it for them). It’s going to be a big shock for many Americans when they start shopping for health care at one of these state “affordable” health care exchanges.

If you don’t know by now the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has the rates, however, they are keeping their mouths shut until September to break all these “affordable” monthly rates to the people. Yes, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services knows the rates because they got the filings from all the insurance companies already. In September, you can start buying – that’s only a month away!!

One slick strategy the administration is going to take with Obamacare is with regard to it’s low-income credits program. As you know if you’re broke, you can signup similar to welfare and get credits to lower your health care costs. You still need to have health care and purchase it, however, it’s much cheaper. The move they are making, however, is really slick like I said and let me explain that now. In the first year, if you apply for low income credits, they will just take your word for it that you’re broke/low income. In short, they are going to let you get in cheap (turn their heads and not look the first year) then in the second year, it will be fully audited. Wow!! isn’t that slick. It’s slick because when the rates are finally released they are going to be HIGH. It’s going to scare people and they are going to say “forget this I’m not participating”. However, with an option to get in easily the first year (with no problems no reviews of financials) and just taking your word or testimony for it that you’re low income – you just signed up and are part of the system. In the end, that is all that matters. They just want you to be part of the health care system, signed up, and willing to participate even if the first year is a freebie. I applaud them on this slick move – most Americans will never get that concept. It’s the same concept as paying taxes. It’s not about the amount of taxes you owe that gets you in trouble, it’s when you don’t participate or say “forget this program”. That is when Uncle Sam lays the smackdown on you.

If you work for a company who is going to (you think) have to pay for health care coverage, you may have another thing coming. For businesses, the choice is clear. Limit the hours their employees work and you’re fine. That essentially means you’re going to have cover that health care expense each month on your own…. or get another job.

Honestly, folks I really would like an Affordable Health Care Program and I think everyone would agree with that. The truth is that it’s not going to happen and we’re fools to believe it was/is going to happen. I knew it and you’re going to soon find out it’s not what is cracked up to be. If the program was $100 bucks per month, I would be on-board. I would support it completely. That is what my prescriptions cost each month so it is a good deal for me personally; however, that numbers won’t work like that. We are a country of greed and insurance companies and governments need their cuts. If Obama really wanted to fix the health care system for the people, he would fix our broken system by simply saying that the government isn’t going to pay $500 for one night in the hospital. The government isn’t going to pay $300 for a shot that costs the hospital $6 bucks. Seniors are getting screwed and I’m getting screwed. The fees are way overvalued and even with Obamacare in place – they will continue to be because the system doesn’t get fixed.

Obamacare is a system to increase revenue without actually saying it. It adds lots of money in the system (businesses & individuals all paying), producing massive tax revenue. Obamacare is about adding more money in the system that is and continues to be broken. It also creates penalties which are administered through the IRS if you decide not to participate. We’re not saving money with this in place – the citizens are losing more money. You really think they care if you go the hospital with a broken leg and can’t pay the bill? How much do you think the government is losing by you not paying the hospital their enormous fees to look at your broken leg? Think about it. Sorry folks, it’s not the rainbow you were looking for when you elected President Obama. This pot of gold is empty.

Update: Unfortunately, Obamacare continues to be unaffordable to most people who actually pay for it. The people who can barely afford it are paying the full price while everyone who doesn’t work or want to get a job gets healthcare for free (or very low rates). The program is an example of how socialism works and obviously the way the Democrats are moving this country. Many are without insurance and are risking their lives without it while others stay home and abuse the system. Prescriptions continue to be unmanageable.

Obamacare continues to be a topic of substantial debate since its implementation in 2010.

Recognized Successes:

Increased Coverage:
- Millions of previously uninsured Americans gained access to healthcare coverage.
- The act allowed young adults to remain on their parents’ insurance plans up to age 26.
Pre-existing Conditions:
- Insurers can no longer deny coverage or charge more due to pre-existing conditions.
Medicaid Expansion:
- Many states expanded Medicaid, providing healthcare access to more low-income individuals and families.
Healthcare Marketplaces:
- The creation of healthcare marketplaces provided a platform for Americans to shop for and purchase insurance.
Premium Subsidies:
- Federal subsidies made insurance premiums more affordable for many households.
Improvement in Healthcare Quality:
- Focus on quality over quantity in healthcare provision aimed to improve outcomes and patient experiences.

Recognized Challenges:

Premium Increases:
- Many Americans experienced significant increases in health insurance premiums.
Limited Options in Some Areas:
- In some geographic locations, options for insurance carriers became limited.
Mandate Controversy:
- The individual mandate, which penalized people for not having health insurance, was a point of contention (note: the penalty was effectively eliminated in 2019).
Complexity and Bureaucracy:
- Some critics argue that the ACA introduced additional complexity and bureaucracy into the healthcare system.
Employer Mandate Issues:
- Some small businesses reported challenges in navigating and affording the employer mandate to provide healthcare.
Access to Care:
- Despite having insurance, some individuals found accessing care challenging due to factors like narrow networks and high deductibles.

Perspective Matters:

For proponents, the ACA is often seen as a landmark act that expanded and improved healthcare access and enacted crucial protections for consumers.
For critics, it represents governmental overreach and is seen as responsible for various issues in the healthcare system, such as rising costs and limited options in certain areas.

Mark Hurd: Tips for a Master Salesman

Published on June 24, 2013

Mark Hurd has shown the world time and again that he knows how to run a business. While President and CEO of NCR Corp, Mark Hurd improved the company’s operating efficiency, set up a strong panel of leaders, and enhanced product quality. In 2004, NCR showed a net income jump of nearly fivefold from the previous year, and the amount of total revenue generated increased by 7%.

As CEO and Chairman of the Board at HP, Mark Hurd led the company through a difficult period following the much criticized merger with Compaq three years earlier. Along with successfully executing the combined company, Mark Hurd was able to lead HP into 22 consecutive quarters of increased profits, and a total revenue increase of 63%.

Now, as the President of Oracle Corporation, Mark Hurd hopes to continue his string of successes. Despite these successes and his 30 years of experience in the technical business field, however, Mark Hurd began his career not as a CEO or even a high level manager. Mark began like most businessmen: as a junior salesman for NCR Corp. He worked his way up through the company for the next 14 years in various management, sales and marketing positions before becoming the successful CEO and President he is today.

What Mark Hurd’s journey taught him was how the different facets of business operate, from the level of salesman on up to CEO. He never forgot the lessons he learned as a junior salesman, and the customers with whom he built relationships. That is why Mark Hurd understands even now the importance of customers, and why he has made customer service a priority at every company he has worked for.

Below are some of Mark Hurd’s tips on being a master salesman and building a company with a strong and loyal customer base.
• Be open. Don’t try to trick your customers, and don’t mislead them. Share your vision and your strategies with your customers, your investors, and anyone else who is interested in doing business with your company. If you include your customers in your dreams, then you show your trust in them. In turn, you will earn their trust and they will support your business for as long as they can.

• Be relational. Meet with potential customers face to face, and give them your time. Nothing is more important to the success of your business than having a strong client base, and every possible client deserves your time and respect. At the same, time, customers understand that businessmen are busy, and so they will be grateful for any time you spend with them and will respect your company all the more for it.

• Become a customer-experience evangelist. This is a term that Mark Hurd uses to show companies how important it is to satisfy customers. Many corporations consider a 95 percent customer satisfaction rating to be the highest they can expect, and that satisfying the final 5 percent won’t be worth the effort. Mark Hurd strongly disagrees, and considers every customer problem worth handling personally.

“We are living in an interconnected world, and because of the internet every customer can affect 100 other customers,” says Mark Hurd. “We need to make sure that every customer has a good experience so that they can become ambassadors for our company.”

Seattle Space Needle

Published on June 3, 2013

The Seattle Space Needle is one of the most amazing icons in Seattle. It’s considered an official historic landmark. Visitors from all over the World come to see the Space Needle. It weighs approximately 9, 550 tons. Going up the Elevator (605 ft up!) you will find the observation deck and restaurant. The elevator takes you to the top in about 41 seconds. The speed varies depending on the amount of wind as they purposely slow it down for safety sometimes. The observation deck allows you to go travel all around the top outside overlooking the City of Seattle (360 degrees). You can pretty much see everything in the city and take your best photos. Mountains visible on a clear day include Rainier, Cascade, Olympic, and Baker. The Space needle was actually finished back in Dec. 1961 and opened officially the first day of the Seattle’s World Fair (April 21st, 1962). The Needle brought in a lot of visitors in fact over 20,000 people used it a day back then during the Fair. The World’s Fair had an estimated 2.3 million visitors. Having visited the Space Needle myself on many occasions, I can tell you it’s an amazing architectural structure and a must see if you’re in Seattle, Washington. When designing the Space Needle, they even considered how it would do with earthquakes and high winds. They say it can take up to 200 mph of wind and a 9.1 earthquake. A 6.8 earthquake in 2001 tested the Needle and no serious damage was reported. The structure can even withstand lightning due to the lightning rods installed to protect it from lightening.

On the bottom floor of the Space Needle, you can valet your car and enter the free gift store. It’s official name is the SeattleBase Retail Store. They have all kinds of gifts, gadgets, and collectibles available. Many unique stuff is inside which is not sold in regular stores. You can even purchase a gift certificate for a friend.

Going up the elevator you’ll run into the SkyCity Restaurant. At one time in history, there were two restaurants in the Space Needle but they were eventually closed (in 2000) to make room for the now larger SkyCity Restaurant. The Restaurant is pretty expensive in my opinion so it’s used by many customers for special occasions or visitors wanting to truly experience the Needle. The minimum charge is $35 per person so you have to spend at least that. As of 2014, dinner entrees range from $38-$60. The SkyCity Restaurant rotates 360 degrees while you’re eating. You make a full circle rotation around the city every 47 minutes. The restaurant is family friendly but does have a dress code. Visitors wearing tank tops or muscle shirts will not be admitted. They recommend casual attire that is neat and presentable. They have one desert called the Lunar Orbiter that has been served since 1962. SkyCity has many events during the month which keeps it pretty busy. You can make a reservation at the restaurant and it can accommodate up to 10 guests. A side banquet room is available for parties of more than 10 guests. It can hold 20-360 people if needed.

The idea for the design of the Space Needle came from two businessman named Edward Carlson and John Graham Jr. They both actually had their own separate concepts but came together and decided on one final concept 13 months before the fair opening. The idea was a futuristic attraction for the World’s Fair actually. It was a way to bring more visitors to Seattle and a way to bring more people into the Fair. Mr. Edward Carlson had a concept of a giant balloon attached to the ground with a sloping base. Mr. John Graham Jr. concept was more of a flying saucer which became the top section of the architecture. Later, Victor Steinbrueck suggested more of an hourglass design which was accepted and combined with the other two ideas. The men involved were businessman for the World Fair (not the City of Seattle) so there was an agenda to push the local fair. The Seattle Space Needle was not financed by the City of Seattle in fact it had no land it could be built on except inside the Fair. A plot was later discovered which was measured at 120 x 120 ft. They almost gave up finding a lot available. The land sold for $75,000. Since the City of Seattle was not involved financially, it was by the Pentagram Corporation. The team consisted of Bagley Wright, Howard Wright, John Graham, Ned Skinner, and Norton Clapp. Later in 1977, Bagley Skinner and Norton Clapp sold their interest to Howard Wright. Mr. Howard Wright is the current owner under the company named the Space Needle Corporation. The cost to build the Seattle Space Needle in 1962 was $4.5 million dollars. The first cleaning of the Space Needle didn’t happen until 2008 which was a pressure washing cleaning. It was blasted with an estimated 2,900 psi of water pressure. No cleaning supplies or detergents were used while pressure washing it.

A little history lesson for you, the foundation of the Space Needle is pretty amazing as it measured 30 ft deep and 120 ft wide. The hole was filled with concrete which took 467 dump trucks. Rumor is, the continuous concrete pour lasted only one day and was the biggest pour ever attempted in the West back then. Once the foundation was complete, it weighed as much as the entire Space Needle.

On New Years Eve (1999) a beam of light was revealed as a new feature. The Skybeam is displayed on special occasions during the year like national holidays. On average, it comes on about 12 times per year but that does vary. After Sept. 11 2001 is was turned on for 11 days. The idea for the Skybeam was suggested from an old World’s Fair poster. It didn’t actually have the beam of light back then but graphic design of the poster made it look like it was beaming with light. Each year on New Years the Space Needle has a celebration. There is usually a black and white party that many Seattle residents visits. It’s one of the higher end new years celebrations in Seattle. The Needle also has lots of fireworks which shoot out the top of the Space Needle. Oddly, the 2007 (going on 2008) new years celebration had to be stopped and restarted due to some pyrotechnics issues. It was fixed and the rest of the fireworks had to be denoted by hand. The company providing the pyrotechnics that year blamed the issue on a corrupted file which control the detonations.

In 2000, the Space Needle got a $20 million dollar update. They added all the features we have today such as the Pavilion Level, SpaceBase Retail Store, The SkyCity Restaurant, O Deck updates, exterior lighting additions/updates, Legacy Light installations, exterior painting and many more new features.

In May 2007, the Space Needle celebrated it’s 45 millionth guest. The man’s name was Greg Novoa and he was from San Francisco. He got 2 free tickets to Paris and a VIP dinner at the Eiffel Tower.

Over the years, the Space Needle has experienced some controversy. These include Base jumpers, illegal photography, and labor disputes. Since it’s opening in 1962, 6 base jumpers has jumped off the top of the Space Needle illegally. Out of the 6 jumpers, 2 have been arrested for their jumps and caught. In 2013, a mystery person has been scaling buildings all over Seattle, Washington and taking photography. There is a website dedicated to the activities and personally the photography is absolutely amazing pieces of art. There is video of this person on top of the Space Needle sitting back and enjoying the skyline. Between 2012-2013, union workers and owners of the Space Needle have had some disagreements with the contracts. Mediation is still be worked out between the workers and owners to this date today.

Most recently in April 2012, the Space Needle celebrated its 50th anniversary. The top of the Space Needle was painted a Galaxy Gold color. It’s the same color used when it was originally developed and constructed back in 1962 at the World’s Fair. Over the years, the Space Needle has experienced many makeovers and colors including the celebration of UW Huskies winning the Rose Bowl back in 1992 or when it was colored with the Seattle SuperSonics.

As Seattle continues to grow with more and more buildings. There has been constant debates regarding the views of the skyline, the Space Needle, parks, and water. The City Council makes those decisions and the debate continues today. Areas and views from I5, Lake Union, and Mercer st are some of the hot topics regarding this issue. Many believe areas from Seattle public parks which have a view of the Space Needle should be protected to preserve it’s views. However, protecting these views also diminishes the value of private property which can create jobs and provide public housing.

As of 2013, ticket prices are $19 dollars to ride up the Space Needle to the observation deck. There is no charge to use the elevator if you’re visiting the restaurant. Senior discounts are available include youth and bulk rates (15 people or more) if you’re going as a group. The group discounts saves you only a few dollars on each ticket. As of today, the Space Needle is still the #1 attraction in Seattle.

Seattle Space Needle view from across the street

Space Needle In Seattle — Looking up from the bottom of the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington.

Mike McGinn News

Published on June 1, 2013

This is our hot topics page regarding the Seattle, Washington Mayor Mike McGinn. Below you’ll find are hottest news articles that everyone is reading at this time. We have covered a lot of stories here involving the Major and there will be many more to come. Mayor Mike McGinn was elected the Mayor of Seattle in November 2009. He is also a lawyer and a former Sierra Club state chair member. One of his most controversial stands was for his opposition to the tunnel replacement project. Mike McGinn was born on Dec. 17, 1959 and his political party is Democratic.

The Seattle Mayor is married to Peggy Lynch and has 3 children (Jack, Miyo, and Cian). He grew up with a family of 8 and got his BA in economics from Williams College (Massachusetts) in 1982. He also attended UW School of Law. Mayor Mike McGinn lives in the Greenwood area of Seattle.

News topics on the Emerald City Journal related to Mike McGinn:

Mayor Mike McGinn’s response to the Supremes Court ruling regarding 2/3 voting is an interesting article about the Seattle Mayor and how he basically applauded the decision of the Supreme Court for ignoring the voters who wanted it to happen. Requiring a 2/3 vote would help all the out of control spending we have in Seattle. He says now Olympia can invest more in our transportation system but he doesn’t understand we pay all that in our taxes. If the spending was made public and very itemized, he could easily ask for more money. I believe Seattle residents just want to know that their money is all being used correctly. If the taxes are being used up efficiently now, then there will be no problem asking for more taxes to repair important transportation matters.

Seattle’s $10 million dollar streetcar project is a construction project that our Mayor Mike McGinn is supporting. We feel quite different about spending so much money and honestly find it wasteful. By the way, the $10 million dollars is just for planning that doesn’t even include the construction aspect. The big project would create just 3 street cars – who cares but read the full news story here on the Emerald City Journal.

The Waste Management garbage strike in Seattle which basically shut down the collection of garbage for 8 days are going to be fined $1.24 million dollars. Mayor Mike McGinn made the announcement back in Sept. 2012. The settlement was 1/3 of the amount set in the contract breaching terms. The amount was far less than expected considering the Agreement the City of Seattle had with Waste Management.

Mike McGinn’s support for new NBA team is a news article about the Mayor’s secret NBA contract and support for the cause to making this happen in Seattle. As you know the City of Seattle is constantly talking about slashing and cutting police and fireman and how we have no money for the streets, however, a new NBA deal would be OK. It turns out the Mayor has a fund of $250,000 that he can use without even telling the City of Seattle council about it!

Mayor Mike McGinn opposes the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement provided by the Emerald City Journal newspaper the Mayor responds via email for his views of why the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement (Tunnel) is a bad idea. He simply feels it’s not the best option available to repair it. Read the email now and consider his view of why replacing the viaduct is not the best option for Seattle residents.

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