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This episode is a compilation of all the Angle of Attack segments from DGP Episodes 33 to 41. Golf coach Andrew Lewis and Jim discuss a wide-range of topics around junior and amateur golf development.0:08:07 - Impact of Roster Changes0:23:02 - Andrew Lewis, Coach of the Year Reflection0:37:16 - Juniors Going Pro0:49:16 - Handling Crummy Winter Conditions1:02:27 - Wholesale Swing Changes1:15:39 - Earning AJGA Stars1:30:24 - Too Many Tournaments?1:44:31 - Playing High School Golf1:57:39 - Rookie MistakesThe Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books.@flagbaggolf on Instagramhttps://flagbaggolfco.com/Mention 'Driven Golf' to receive a free custom headcover with any order of a golf bag.https://strackaline.com/Enter code 'DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine Yardage Books & Greens Guides.Subscribe to the Andrew Lewis Golf YouTube channel for more content: https://www.youtube.com/@alewisgolfResources:Andrew Lewis Golf: @andrewlewisgolf on Instagram@drivengolfanalytics on Instagram; @golfdriven on TwitterHost: Jim Colton (@jcolton31)Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay)Music: "Hungry & Humble" by (@dgbeatlab)Angle of Attack Standalone Podcast:SpotifyApple Podcasts
In this episode, Jim Colton continues his conversation with Vanderbilt Men's Golf Head Coach Scott Limbaugh in part two of their in-depth interview. They discuss the unique journeys of Vanderbilt captains Gordon Sargent and Jackson Van Paris, highlighting how their contrasting paths through college golf have shaped them as leaders. Coach Limbaugh reflects on the importance of perseverance, trust, and maintaining a growth mindset in both sports and life.Coach Limbaugh also shares insights into the development of key players like Wells Williams and John Broderick, explaining how they have risen from supporting roles to pivotal contributors through hard work and consistency. The episode touches on the program's approach to balancing team culture with individual growth, emphasizing the value of humility and continual improvement.The conversation shifts to recent Vanderbilt graduates making their mark in professional golf, including Cole Sherwood, Matthew Riedel, and William Moll. Coach Limbaugh shares the behind-the-scenes stories of their journeys, including Riedel's dramatic finish at Q-School to secure his PGA Tour card, and reflects on the pride he feels watching his former players succeed.In Angle of Attack, Andrew & Jim talk about leveling up, and the pitfalls that can occur at all levels of the amateur and professional game when golfers first enter a new level of competition. Andrew has some great practical suggestions for combating these potential pitfalls.Check out producer Joseph Kay's broadcast debut in Fried Egg Golf's latest "Digging Into Design", caddying alongside Jim "Bones" Mackay. https://youtu.be/NN8oBXSAHnY?si=7j6bWYglRZDaY-GaThe Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code ‘DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention ‘Driven Golf' when ordering a FlagBag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order.@flagbaggolf on InstagramFlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.comResources:Join the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook for more discussions.Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel.Check out Andrew Lewis's YouTube channel for more content.DRVN.Golf: "WAGR Files: The WAGR Unicorn"Guest: Coach Scott Limbaugh (@vandymgolf)Hosts: Jim Colton & Andrew LewisProducer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay)Music: “Boom Force Anthem” by DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab).
In this episode, Jim sits down with Vanderbilt Men's Golf Head Coach Scott Limbaugh for an in-depth discussion on his journey into coaching, his competitive mindset, and the 'soul' he's helped bring to Vanderbilt. Part one of this two-part episode explores Limbaugh's roots in Childersburg, Alabama, his early playing days, and how he transitioned into coaching.Coach Limbaugh shares his experience as an assistant coach at Alabama, where he played a key role in recruiting Justin Thomas. He dives into the mentality and work ethic that set Thomas apart, as well as the recruiting philosophies that helped shape Alabama's national title teams.The episode also covers Limbaugh's pursuit of the Vanderbilt head coaching job and how he helped transform the Commodores into an SEC powerhouse. He explains the importance of culture, accountability, and competitiveness in building a sustainable winning program.In Angle of Attack with Andrew Lewis, Jim and Andrew discuss the pros and cons of high-school golf. They discuss both how an elite player can benefit from high-school golf and also the reasons why a golfer might want to avoid high-school golf altogether. At the end of the episode, stick around for a creative look into the life and career of 12-time PGA Tour winner Calvin Peete, with a 5-song hip-hop musical from DGBeatlab.The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code ‘DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention ‘Driven Golf' when ordering a FlagBag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order.@flagbaggolf on InstagramFlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.comResources:Join the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook for more discussions.Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel.Check out Andrew Lewis's YouTube channel for more content.DRVN.Golf: "WAGR Files: The WAGR Unicorn"Guest: Coach Scott Limbaugh (@vandymgolf)Host: Jim ColtonProducer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay)Music: “Xerox: The Calvin Peete Story” by DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab). YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/b8PmQUDPmek?si=LKjN0fzRgiwhlJwU
Jim welcomes back Ryan Frazer, founder of Agora Golf, to share his insights on junior golf tournaments and navigating the increasingly competitive junior golf landscape. Jim and Ryan conduct what might be the first-ever fantasy draft of elite junior golf tournaments, analyzing key events such as theU.S. Junior Amateur,Junior Invitational at Sage Valley,Ping Invitational, andWestern Junior Championship. They discuss ranking points, tournament prestige, and how these events impact a player's recruitment and future prospects.Andrew Lewis joins the Angle of Attack segment (this time at the start of the episode) to chat about the challenges of earning AJGA Performance Stars. Both Jim and Andrew discuss strategies and recommendations for making efficient use of tournament entries and experiences to improve chances of getting into AJGA events down the road. The segment touches on the recent "Starbitrage" blog post on DRVN.GolfThe Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code ‘DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention ‘Driven Golf' when ordering a FlagBag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order.@flagbaggolf on InstagramFlagBag Golf:https://flagbaggolfco.com/StrackaLine:https://www.strackaline.comResources:Join theDriven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook for more discussions.Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel:Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel.Check outAndrew Lewis's YouTube channel for more content.Guest: Ryan Frazer (@agoragolf on Twitter)Host: Jim Colton (@drivengolfanalytics)Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay)Music: "Rise Up, Pt 2" by DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab)
Jim sits down with Lawrence Donegan, golf journalist and co-founder of McKellar, a golf magazine celebrated for its thoughtful storytelling and focus on the soul of the game. They discuss the magazine's origins, its commitment to high editorial standards, and the unique stories it brings to light in the golf world. The conversation explores Lawrence's submission from the latest issue (No. 8) of the magazine: Fred Solomon's legacy with his Scratch Players World Amateur Ranking, a pioneering amateur ranking system that once rivaled WAGR. Lawrence reflects on Solomon's obsessive pursuit of perfection and lasting contributions to the amateur game. In addition, Lawrence discusses his son Niall's unconventional journey in junior and amateur golf, emphasizing the benefits of international competition on historic links courses in the U.K. The episode touches on the upcoming Walker Cup at Cypress Point and offers insights into GB&I team preparation, player development, and amateur golf's broader landscape. Order Issue 8 of McKellar here: https://www.mckellarmagazine.com/product/issue-8/ In Angle of Attack with Andrew Lewis, Andrew & Jim discuss making broad scale swing changes in the offseason, referencing recent insights shared by Rory McIlroy. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code ‘DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention ‘Driven Golf' when ordering a FlagBag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order. @flagbaggolf on Instagram FlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.com Resources: Join the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook for more discussions. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel. Check out Andrew Lewis's YouTube channel for more content. DRVN.Golf: "WAGR Files: WAGR Whac-A-Mole (Part I: Getting Ranked)" Guest: Lawrence Donegan (Twitter: @lawrencedonegan; @mckellarmagazine) Host: Jim Colton (@drivengolfanalytics) & Andrew Lewis (@andrewlewisgolf) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay) Music: "A Perfect Golf Companion" by DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab)
Jim sits down with Coach Ryan Hybl, the head coach of the University of Oklahoma Men's Golf team and recent inductee into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame. Coach Hybl shares his journey through junior golf as a top ranked played, playing collegiately and starting coaching at the University of Georgia and eventually coming to Norman in 2009. We discuss how he rebuilt the Sooners' program from the ground up, eventually leading to a NCAA Championship in 2017. Coach Hybl discusses his philosophy on player development, recruiting overlooked talent, and fostering a team-first culture. He highlights stories of standout players like Max McGreevy, Quade Cummins, and Chris Gotterup, emphasizing how belief, hard work, and leadership have shaped the program's sustained excellence. In the Opening Tee Shot, Jim is joined by Justin Bardgett from the PGA Tour Pathways to discuss the recently announced changes to the PGA Tour University and Accelerated system, further strengthening the links between high-level college golf and playing professionally. In Angle of Attack with Andrew Lewis, Andrew discusses techniques, strategies and mindset for managing tough conditions (turf, wind and temperature) that are typical in many parts of the country during the winter months. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code ‘DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention ‘Driven Golf' when ordering a FlagBag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order. @flagbaggolf on Instagram FlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.com Resources: Join the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook for more discussions. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel. Check out Andrew Lewis's YouTube channel for more content. DRVN.Golf: "WAGR Files: WAGR Whac-A-Mole (Part I: Getting Ranked)" Guest: Ryan Hybl (@ou_mgolf) Host: Jim Colton (@drivengolfanalytics) & Andrew Lewis (@andrewlewisgolf) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay) Music: "It Only Takes One" by DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab)
In this episode of the Driven Golf Podcast, Jim sits down with Mike Carroll, the creator of the Fit for Golf app, to discuss how strength training can transform golf performance. Mike shares his journey from Ireland to California, where he developed the app that provides tailored programs to help golfers of all levels improve their clubhead speed and overall physical preparation. The episode also dives into Mike's personal transformation, going from a 5-handicap to scratch golfer in under a year through improved driving accuracy, wedge play, and meteoric rise in swing speed through his programming and The Stack System. In Angle of Attack, Andrew provides his view on Blades Brown's recent decision to turn professional. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code ‘DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention ‘Driven Golf' when ordering a FlagBag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order of one of their golf bags. @flagbaggolf on Instagram FlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.com Resources: Engage with hosts and followers on the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel for more content: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel. Check out Mike Carroll on Twitter at @fit_for_golf for more insights and training tips! Guest: Mike Carroll (Twitter: @fit_for_golf) Host: Jim Colton (@drivengolfanalytics); Andrew Lewis (@andrewlewisgolf) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay) Music by: DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab)
Inspiring People & Places: Architecture, Engineering, And Construction
What does it take to excel in architecture and engineering leadership? Andrew Lewis, principal architect at NK Architects and manager of their Philadelphia office, shares his journey from an ambitious architecture student to leading in one of the industry's most respected firms. Reflecting on his formative years, Andrew highlights how serendipity and initiative shaped his career, from pivotal moments like building connections at unexpected places to spearheading large-scale projects early in his tenure. Andrew also discusses the importance of curiosity, a willingness to step outside comfort zones, and fostering a workplace culture that embraces trust and autonomy. He provides insights into NK Architects' entrepreneurial spirit, the feedback loops that propelled his rapid growth, and the firm's adoption of the EOS system to guide their next phase of development. Tune in for valuable lessons on balancing ambition with humility, creating environments for leadership to thrive, and staying curious in a fast-evolving industry! Key Points From This Episode:• Andrew's journey to becoming an architect and joining NK Architects.• Reflections on how the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry is evolving.• The importance of having a willingness to grow, especially as you start your career.• Andrew's insights on nurturing leadership within your organizations. Quotes:“Graduating into the bottom of a recession isn't really so bad, because you don't really have anything to lose. It's not like when you start working for a couple years and you get comfortable and then all of a sudden the industry just completely shuts down.” — Andrew Lewis “The feedback loop opportunity that I was getting was so tight and so condensed that I was like, ‘I'm advancing at a really fast rate here, and if I just keep at this, who knows where it's going to go'. And 14 years later, I feel like that feedback loop is still active – I'm still really learning and growing daily.” — Andrew Lewis “It was really rapid growth for where I [was] in my career. And I can't say that was because of me. That was really because of the environment that I was placed in.” — Andrew Lewis “This knowledge of when to speak up and when to say something and when to take action – I can't say that anyone taught me that. I think that's that's just a thing [where] maybe there's a bit of it inside of you, and then there's a bit of nurture as well.” — Andrew Lewis Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:Andrew Lewis on LinkedInNK ArchitectsAIANCARBFitwelTractionPhishTrey AnastasioThe Prof G Pod with Scott GallowayCherelle ParkerLeadership Blueprints PodcastMCFAMCFA CareersBJ Kraemer on LinkedIn
In this episode of the Driven Golf Podcast, Jim sits down with Mike McGraw, the Hall of Fame coach of Baylor Men's Golf and host of the "Better Than I Found It" podcast. Coach McGraw shares stories from his legendary coaching career, including his involvement with national title teams at Oklahoma State and Alabama, as well as coaching and recruiting stars like Rickie Fowler, Charles Howell III and Wyndham Clark. He dives into the lessons learned from career setbacks, rekindling his love of coaching at Alabama, and building a successful program at Baylor. Coach McGraw discusses what he looks for in recruits, the evolving college golf landscape, and offers advice for juniors, parents, and coaches navigating the challenges of today's game. We also explore the origins of his book and podcast, "Better Than I Found It," and his focus on servant leadership and mentorship. In Angle of Attack with Andrew Lewis, Andrew reflects on his recent honor of being named the 2024 North Texas PGA Teacher of the Year. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code ‘DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention ‘Driven Golf' when ordering a FlagBag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order of one of their golf bags. @flagbaggolf on Instagram FlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.com Resources: Engage with hosts and followers on the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel for more content: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel. Check out Andrew Lewis's YouTube channel and subscribe! Latest article on DRVN.Golf: "Move Over FedEx Cup Points: it's UPS (Universal Points System) Time" Guest: Mike McGraw (@baylormgolf) Host: Jim Colton (@drivengolfanalytics) & Andrew Lewis (@andrewlewisgolf) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay) Music by: DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab)
In this episode of the Driven Golf Podcast, Jim sits down with Shane Bacon, renowned national broadcaster, podcaster, and writer, to discuss his journey through the world of golf media and his passion for the game. They dive into Shane's multi-faceted career, from hosting the popular "Get a Grip" podcast to broadcasting the Masters and other golf events, to creating golf logos through his business, Ground Under Repair. We also discuss his involvement in sponsoring a AJGA tournament last summer in Texas. In Angle of Attack with Andrew Lewis, Andrew & Jim discuss the ramifications of signing day and the pending roster limits on existing college players, recent commits and future recruits. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code ‘DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention ‘Driven Golf' when ordering a FlagBag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order of one of their golf bags. @flagbaggolf on Instagram FlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.com Resources: Engage with hosts and followers on the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel for more content: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel. Check out Andrew Lewis's YouTube channel and subscribe! Latest article on DRVN.Golf: "WAGR Files: WAGR Whac-A-Mole (Part III: U.S. Junior Exemption Impact)" Shameless Plug: "Elf in the City" on YouTube Guest: Shane Bacon (@shanebacon) Host: Jim Colton (@drivengolfanalytics) & Andrew Lewis (@andrewlewisgolf) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay) Music by: DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab)
From Spider-Noir Actor Andrew Lewis Caldwell full 801 Fri, 15 Nov 2024 15:28:34 +0000 zZVltD9xDkR526zfooufsZKlN1tG7y9w society & culture Janet and Nick Podcast society & culture From Spider-Noir Actor Andrew Lewis Caldwell Join Janet and Nick as they wake up Western New York every morning! They bring great interviews, celebrity gossib and much more! Don't miss out on what Western New York is going to talk about today! 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. Society & Culture False https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?feed-link
This episode is a compilation of all the Angle of Attack segments from DGP Episodes 22 to 29. Golf coach Andrew Lewis and Jim discuss the lowest hanging fruit items for whittling down your scoring average over time. They also take on hot-button topics in junior golf such as the impact of NCAA roster limits and rise of players withdrawing in tournaments. 10:43 74 to 72: Match Play Mindset 25:12 74 to 72: Ball Control / Swing Blueprint 39:54 74 to 72: Recovery Shots / Scoring with C-Game 54:46 AoA Volume 3 Mailbag 1:08:34 72 to 70: Conviction & Discipline 1:18:05 72 to 70: Elite Course Management & Strategy 1:31:51 Impact of NCAA Roster Limits 1:45:45 The WD Epidemic The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. @flagbaggolf on Instagram https://flagbaggolfco.com/ Mention 'Driven Golf' to receive a free custom headcover with any order of a golf bag. https://strackaline.com/ Enter code 'DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine Yardage Books & Greens Guides. Subscribe to the Andrew Lewis Golf YouTube channel for more content: https://www.youtube.com/@alewisgolf Resources: Andrew Lewis Golf: @andrewlewisgolf on Instagram @drivengolfanalytics on Instagram; @golfdriven on Twitter Host: Jim Colton (@jcolton31) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay) Angle of Attack Standalone Podcast: Spotify Apple Podcasts
In this episode of the Driven Golf Podcast, Jim speaks with Josh Jacobs, founder and CEO of College Golf Experience (CGX). They discuss how CGX is helping to bridge the gap between junior golfers and college coaches through its golf camps, giving players and parents critical insight into the college recruiting process. The conversation dives into CGX's unique camp structure, including seminars on college golf and recruiting, hands-on practice sessions, and on-course engagement with coaches. Jacobs shares the importance of these camps in providing juniors and their families with a roadmap for success, whether they aim to play at a D1 powerhouse or find their fit at the D2 or D3 level. In Angle of Attack with Andrew Lewis, Andrew & Jim take on a growing epidemic in the junior golf world: WD's at golf tournaments. Hopefully this AoA episode will serve as public service announcement to junior players and parents. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code ‘DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention ‘Driven Golf' when ordering a FlagBag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order of one of their golf bags. @flagbaggolf on Instagram FlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.com Resources: Engage with hosts and followers on the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel for more content: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel. Check out Andrew Lewis's YouTube channel and subscribe! Latest article on DRVN.Golf: "Deep Dives: Potential Impact of 8-Player Roster Limits on SEC Schools" Shameless Plug: "Franklin: The Musical" on Spotify Guest: Josh Jacobs, CGX Founder and CEO (@collegegolfx); Special Guest: 2026 Stone Fancher (@stonefancher) Host: Andrew Lewis (@andrewlewisgolf) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay) Music by: DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab)
Andrew Lewis is the President and CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation. Key to Winning PA Voters
In this episode of the Driven Golf Podcast, Andrew speaks with Auburn head coach Nick Clinard and star sophomore Jackson Koivun. The conversation dives deep into Auburn's historic 2023-24 season, where the Tigers won 10 tournaments, including the SEC Championship and the program's first-ever national title. The discussion covers Koivun's historic season, where he swept the player of the year award as a freshman. He reflects on how he handled the pressures of transitioning from junior golf to college golf and shares insights on staying focused and consistent through routines and mental preparation. Coach Clinard offers his perspective on building team culture, emphasizing the importance of moving forward and not defending last year's championship. He also discusses the changing recruiting landscape in college golf In Angle of Attack with Andrew Lewis, Andrew & Jim go deeper into the changes in the college golf recruiting landscape and how it can influence decisions on what schools to look at and what tournaments to play in. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code ‘DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention ‘Driven Golf' when ordering a FlagBag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order of one of their golf bags. @flagbaggolf on Instagram FlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.com Resources: Engage with hosts and followers on the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel for more content: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel. Check out Andrew Lewis's YouTube channel and subscribe! Shameless Plug: "Franklin: The Musical" on Spotify Guests: Nick Clinard, Auburn Golf Coach (@aucoachclinard); Jackson Koivun (@jackson_koivun) Host: Andrew Lewis (@andrewlewisgolf) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay) Music by: DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab)
Andrew Lewis, a former Pennsylvania state representative, is the new president at the Commonwealth Foundation, the state's premier public policy organization. He stepped into the job in September, just as America turned its attention to the Keystone State, which will play a decisive role in the 2024 election. In an interview with The Daily Signal, Lewis pinpointed the key issues facing Pennsylvania voters, starting with the higher prices they're paying for gas, groceries, and housing. "The big issue on everybody's mind is inflation and the cost of living," Lewis said. "Over the last few years, voters and citizens have been given what's tantamount to a 20% tax hike ... and not being able to afford what they used to be able to afford just a few years ago." As a near-lifelong Pennsylvanian, Lewis shared his aspirations for the state, faulting poor leadership as an impediment hampering the Keystone State. He cited Pennsylvania's strategic location and natural resources as key advantages, but blamed high taxes and regulations as reasons why its residents are fleeing for other states. "We're the Keystone State. We're the epicenter of the East Coast. We've got great competitive advantages here," Lewis explained. "We should be leading economically, we should be adding to our population base. We've got so much potential, but unfortunately, a lot of leftist policies have held the state back for years." Lewis plans to use his experience in the state legislature to guide the Commonwealth Foundation's efforts and help Pennsylvania achieve its true potential. He cited the energy sector as crucial to Pennsylvania's economy, warning that restrictive government policies could undermine its competitive advantage. "If you were to rank Pennsylvania as its own nation, you would see we're in the top of exporters globally," Lewis said. "We have this massive opportunity." Education reform is another priority for Lewis. As a lawmaker, he championed parental rights and the need for school choice. "Parents know best what their kids need for their educational journey," he said. "And it's not always the government school." The Lifeline Scholarship Program, which would provide educational opportunities for students in underperforming schools, was a step away from becoming law until Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro issued a line-item veto in 2023. Shapiro, who touted his support for the idea during his 2022 campaign for governor, flip-flopped when faced with pressure from teachers unions. Looking ahead to the future, Lewis outlined his vision for the Commonwealth Foundation, promising to maximize the organization's impact through policy development, government affairs, and storytelling. "We transform free-market ideas into actionable public policies so that all Pennsylvanians can flourish," he said.
Andrew Lewis, a former Pennsylvania state representative, is the new president at the Commonwealth Foundation, the state’s premier public policy organization. He stepped into the job in September, just as America turned its attention to the Keystone State, which will play a decisive role in the 2024 election. In an interview with The Daily Signal, […]
In this episode of the Driven Golf Podcast, Jim speaks with Jeff Bullock, co-founder of The Universal Golf Ranking (TUGR.org), an innovative golf ranking system that aims to bring accuracy and fairness to the professional and junior golf landscapes. The conversation dives into the creation of TUGR and the motivation behind developing an alternative to traditional point-based ranking systems, like the OGWR and WAGR. The conversation transitions to TUGR's impact on junior golf, where the system has expanded to eliminate inefficiencies and counterintuitive incentives that exist in the current junior golf landscape. Jeff and Jim discuss how the system can provide insights for both players and coaches, allowing both to make more informed decisions based on players' performance data. In Angle of Attack with Andrew Lewis, Andrew and Jim continue their series looking into the factors that differentiate a 72 vs. 70 golfer. In this episode they focus on course management and decision making that can really separate between the elite and hyper-elite. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code ‘DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention ‘Driven Golf' when ordering a FlagBag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order of one of their golf bags. @flagbaggolf on Instagram FlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.com Resources: Engage with hosts and followers on the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel for more content: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel. Check out Andrew Lewis's YouTube channel and subscribe! Shameless Plug: "Franklin: The Musical" on Spotify Guest: Jeff Bullock, TUGR (@tugrgolf) Host: Andrew Lewis (@andrewlewisgolf); Jim Colton (@drvn.golf) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay) Music by: DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab)
The Royal Society recently announced the shortlist for their annual Science Book Prize – and nominated is science writer and journalist Tom Chivers, author of the book Everything is Predictable. He tells us how statistics impact every aspect of our lives, and joins Marnie as a studio guest throughout the show.A drug – lecanemab – that can slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease has recently been approved for use in the UK, but the healthcare regulator NICE has said that it won't be available on the NHS. But what is behind this decision, and what makes creating an Alzheimer's drug so difficult? Professor Tara Spires-Jones from the University of Edinburgh talks us through the science.And could ‘smart paint' supersize our fruit and veg? Reporter Roland Pease heads over to the experimental greenhouses of Cranfield University's crop science unit to see if the technology works.Thee Paralympic Games are now underway in Paris, with athletes competing across 22 different events. But as competitors have a range of different impairments, how is it ensured that there's a level playing field? Professor Sean Tweedy from the University of Queensland calls in from Paris to explain how athletes are sorted into categories for competition.Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producers: Sophie Ormiston and Ella Hubber Editor: Martin Smith Production Co-ordinator: Andrew Lewis
In this episode of the Driven Golf Podcast, Andrew interviews Bobby Massa, a Mid-Am golfer and recent U.S. Amateur quarterfinalist, who opens up about his journey through the ups and downs of competitive golf. From his humble beginnings in junior golf to navigating the intense pressures of college and professional competition, Bobby offers listeners a candid look at the mental and physical demands of golf at the highest level. In Angle of Attack with Andrew Lewis, Andrew and Jim start the first of their multi-series look into the factors that differentiate a 72 vs. 70 golfer (i.e. the elite vs. hyper-elite). In this episode they talk about the conviction, commitment and dedicated use of statistics as a key for golfers looking to climb the mountain. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code ‘DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention ‘Driven Golf' when ordering a FlagBag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order of one of their golf bags. @flagbaggolf on Instagram FlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.com Resources: Engage with hosts and followers on the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel for more content: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel. Check out Andrew Lewis's YouTube channel and subscribe! Shameless Plug: "Franklin: The Musical" on Spotify Guest: Bobby Massa (@bobbymassa3) Host: Andrew Lewis (@andrewlewisgolf); Jim Colton (@drvn.golf) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay) Music by: DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab)
In this episode of the Driven Golf Podcast, Jim interviews Mason Carmel, the tournament director of the Elite Invitational Junior Golf Tournament. Carmel shares the journey of creating one of the most prestigious junior golf events in the U.S., from its humble beginnings to becoming a top-ranked tournament attracting elite junior golfers worldwide. Listeners will hear how Carmel's lifelong connection to golf, deeply influenced by his father, shaped his career and eventually led him to found the Elite Invitational during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mason also shares unique stories, including his memorable “Bottomless Bogey” incident, where his determination to retrieve a golf ball from an alligator-infested creek became a legendary moment. His insights into the challenges of running a world-class tournament, the importance of creating opportunities for young players, and the role of character in selecting participants highlight his dedication to junior golf. In Angle of Attack with Andrew Lewis (@andrewlewisgolf), Andrew & Jim answer listener-submitted questions on communicating with college coaches and what is "typical" for junior golf development from ages 12 to 16. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code ‘DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention ‘Driven Golf' when ordering a FlagBag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order of one of their golf bags. @flagbaggolf on Instagram FlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.com Resources: Engage with hosts and followers on the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel for more content: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel. Check out Andrew Lewis's YouTube channel and subscribe! DRVN.Golf Blog Post: "WAGR Files: Junior Golf in Jordan" Guest: Mason Carmel (@theeliteinvitational) Host: Jim Colton (@drivengolfanalytics) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay) Music by: DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab)
In this episode of the Driven Golf Podcast, Andrew Lewis interviews Bill Allcorn (@TCUCoachBill), the Men's Golf Coach at Texas Christian University. Allcorn shares insights into the busy summer recruiting season, the qualities that college coaches look for in recruits, and the importance of communication and social media in the recruiting process. Listeners will gain valuable knowledge about the differences between junior and college golfers, the significance of course management and golf IQ, and the transition challenges that freshmen face when entering college golf. Allcorn also discusses the strategies TCU employs to prepare their team for the fall season, including team retreats, qualifying rounds, and setting goals for the year. The episode offers a deep dive into the demands of collegiate golf, from understanding one's strengths to minimizing errors during play. Allcorn emphasizes that players must be genuine in their aspirations, whether aiming for a career on the PGA Tour or balancing academics and golf at a high level. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code 'DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention 'Driven Golf' when ordering a FlagBag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order of one of their golf bags. @flagbaggolf on Instagram FlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.com Resources: Engage with hosts and followers on the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel for more content: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel. Check out Andrew Lewis's YouTube channel and subscribe! Guest: Bill Alcorn (@TCUCoachBill) Host: Andrew Lewis (@andrewlewisgolf); Jim Colton (@jcolton31); Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay) Music by: DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab)
Recruiting in 2024 and Beyond featuring Andrew Lewis | Jess Get Hired Podcast (87) Recruiting in 2024 and Beyond featuring Andrew Lewis | Jess Get Hired Podcast (87) Episode Overview: In this episode of Jess Get Hired, Jessica Fiesta George welcomes Andrew Lewis, a seasoned talent acquisition professional with nearly a decade of experience. Andrew has worked across various roles, from building a $2 million staffing agency to leading talent acquisition functions at startups. He currently heads the talent operations at Worldly, a B2B climate tech company, and is the founder of the Talent Operator Newsletter. The conversation dives into the evolution of talent acquisition, the impact of AI and technology, and the emerging challenges that recruiters face today. Andrew shares insights from his career journey, the shifts in recruitment dynamics, and his thoughts on the future of the industry. Takeaways: Talent acquisition professionals are facing challenges such as lack of bandwidth and under-resourcing. Technology and AI have transformed talent acquisition, making it more efficient and creating new opportunities. The role of recruiters is evolving, requiring a dynamic skill set that includes marketing, research, sales, and tech proficiency. The future of talent acquisition is exciting, with the potential for better human interactions, improved efficiency, and new deployment strategies. The human touch and connection will always be essential in talent acquisition, even with advancements in technology. Ways to connect with us: Andrew Lewis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-l-31104559/ Twitter: @talentoperator Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gdWvN2iQ Jessica Fiesta George: Website: www.jessgethired.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jessgethired Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Guest's Career Journey 06:08 The Evolution of Talent Acquisition 08:24 The Impact of Technology on Talent Acquisition 12:39 Challenges in Talent Acquisition 15:34 Exciting Future of Talent Acquisition 17:36 Guest's Projects and Conclusion
In this episode of the Driven Golf Podcast, host Jim Colton interviews Chandler Withington (@chandlerwithington), a longtime head professional at Hazeltine National and founder of Archive 22. Withington shares his inspiring path from his early days in golf to his career as a PGA professional at Seminole, Merion, and eventually at Hazeltine (site of the 2024 U.S. Amateur). Listeners will gain insight into the importance of family and faith in Withington's life, his transition from golf to his artistic venture, and his dedication to preserving golf history through his hand-drawn artwork at Archive 22. Withington's anecdotes about significant moments, such as working with Davis Love III during the Ryder Cup, emphasize the impact of mentorship and the lasting relationships formed in the golf community. In Angle of Attack with Andrew Lewis (1:11:55), Andrew & Jim discuss the concept of ball control and having a swing blueprint as being a key differentiating factor between golfers averaging 74 and those averaging 72. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code 'DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention 'Driven Golf' when ordering a Flag Bag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order of one of their golf bags. @flagbaggolf on Instagram FlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.com Resources: "WAGR Files: The Curious Case of Trevor Gutschewski's 3570 WAGR" on DRVN.GOLF Engage with hosts and followers on the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel for more content: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel. Check out Andrew Lewis's YouTube channel and subscribe! Guest: Chandler Withington (@chandlerwithington) Archive 22: https://archive22.com Host: Jim Colton (@jcolton31) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay) Music by: DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab on Instagram)
In this episode of the Driven Golf Podcast, host Jim Colton interviews Justin Bardgett, the Director of Player Relations for PGA Tour Pathways. Bardgett, who has deep Midwest roots and a background in college golf, shares insights into his journey from St. Louis to Champaign and now to Ponte Vedra, Florida. He discusses the significance of PGA Tour U, the evolving landscape of professional golf, and the critical role of mentors and coaches in shaping young golfers' careers. Listeners will gain an understanding of the strategic pathways available for aspiring professional golfers, including the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Americas, and PGA Tour University. Bardgett's personal anecdotes and professional experiences provide a comprehensive view of the dedication, hard work, and focus required to succeed in the competitive golf landscape. In Angle of Attack with Andrew Lewis (1:11:55), Andrew & Jim and discuss strategies and mindset for match play success, designed to help those competing at the U.S. Junior and other match play events in the future. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code 'DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention 'Driven Golf' when ordering a Flag Bag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order of one of their golf bags. @flagbaggolf on Instagram FlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.com Resources: Engage with hosts and followers on the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel for more content: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel. Check out Andrew Lewis's YouTube channel and subscribe! Guest: Justin Bardgett (@jbardgett3) PGA Tour University (@pgatouru) Host: Jim Colton (@jcolton31) Producer: Joseph Kay Music by: DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab on Instagram)
In this episode of the Driven Golf Podcast, first Jim, Andrew and Joseph reflect and follow-up on the topics covered in Volume 2 of Angle of Attack. Then Andrew interviews Matthias Tayala, a former NCAA-champion track star who has shifted his focus on golf content and golf improvement. Matthias started @GolfProWannabes which has grown to over 135,000 followers and recently launched the Golf Challenge Book to gamify golf improvement. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code 'DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention 'Driven Golf' when ordering a Flag Bag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order of one of their golf bags. @flagbaggolf on Instagram FlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.com Resources: Engage with hosts and followers on the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel for more content: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel. Check out Andrew Lewis's YouTube channel and subscribe! Guest: Matthias Tayala (@GolfProWannabes) Hosts: Jim Colton (@jcolton31), Andrew Lewis (@andrewlewisgolf) Producer: Joseph Kay Music by: DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab on Instagram)
This episode is a compilation of all the Angle of Attack segments from DGP Episodes 12 to 19. Golf coach Andrew Lewis and Jim discuss the lowest hanging fruit items for whittling down your scoring average (from 80 to 78, 78 to 76 and 76 to 74) over time. Even if you aren't a junior golfer or parent of one, I truly believe there is something there for everyone to help in your golf journey. 08:40 From 80 to 78: Decision Making / Avoiding Big Numbers 29:55 From 80 to 78: Short Game Keys 51:05 From 78 to 76: Putting Inside 10 Feet/Aimpoint 1:07:40 From 78 to 76: Driving Distance / Swing Speed 1:27:40 From 78 to 76: Worst Ball Scramble 1:33:26 From 76 to 74: Qualifier Mindset 1:47:05 From 76 to 74: Breaking Par / Going Low 1:58:41 From 76 to 74: Bogey Avoidance 2:11:15 DG Beat Lab The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. @flagbaggolf on Instagram https://flagbaggolfco.com/ Mention 'Driven Golf' to receive a free custom headcover with any order of a golf bag. https://strackaline.com/ Enter code 'DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine Yardage Books & Greens Guides. Subscribe to the Andrew Lewis Golf YouTube channel for more content: https://www.youtube.com/@alewisgolf Resources: Andrew Lewis Golf: @andrewlewisgolf on Instagram @drivengolfanalytics on Instagram; @golfdriven on Twitter Host: Jim Colton (@jcolton31) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay)
Have you ever wondered how some recruiters manage to make a significant impact across both agency and in-house roles? In this thrilling episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, host Benjamin Mena sits down with Andrew Lewis to unravel the secrets behind becoming a high-impact recruiter. Andrew, who transitioned from starting a successful branch in an agency to leading a talent acquisition team in the tech industry, provides invaluable insights into mastering the art of recruitment. Given the current dynamic landscape of recruitment, where skills in both agency and in-house roles are highly valued, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to elevate their career and make a marked difference in the industry. Andrew shares his fascinating journey, beginning with his unexpected start in an agency to his accomplished role in managing talent acquisition for a B2B SaaS company focused on climate tech. Here's what you can expect from this captivating discussion: 1. **Mastering Dual Recruitment Roles**: - **Versatile Skill Set**: Andrew explains the benefits of transitioning between agency and in-house roles, highlighting how understanding both perspectives can make you a more effective recruiter. This dual experience allows you to serve clients and organizations better by bridging gaps and offering comprehensive solutions. - **Strategic Role Alignment**: By leveraging his personal career transitions, Andrew provides practical advice on how recruiters can align their talents with strategic roles that match their skills and values. 2. **Building a Robust Social Media Presence**: - **Engagement and Personal Branding**: Andrew emphasizes the importance of a strong social media presence, particularly on LinkedIn. Learn how to build a meaningful and engaged audience, use creative positioning and messaging, and develop a personal brand that resonates with job seekers and professionals alike. - **Content Strategy**: He discusses strategies for crafting compelling content that not only grows your network but also establishes you as a thought leader in the recruitment industry. 3. **Leveraging AI and Technological Innovations**: - **Efficiency through AI Tools**: Discover the transformative power of AI in recruitment with tools like Speak and Juice Box AI. Andrew details how these technologies can streamline your recruitment processes, save you time, and enhance your productivity. - **Future-Proofing Recruitment Strategies**: Learn about the latest trends and advancements in AI that can help you stay ahead of the curve and maintain a competitive edge in a rapidly changing industry. Don't miss this opportunity to gain the knowledge and tools necessary to revolutionize your recruitment strategies. Listen now, and take the first step toward becoming a high-impact recruiter! Signup for future emails from The Elite Recruiter Podcast: https://eliterecruiterpodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube: https://youtu.be/0dXQ0NmKQio Andrew Lewis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-l-31104559/ Talent Operator: https://talentoperator.beehiiv.com With your Host Benjamin Mena with Select Source Solutions: http://www.selectsourcesolutions.com/ Benjamin Mena LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminmena/ Benjamin Mena Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benlmena/ Benjamin Mena TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benjaminlmena
In this episode of the Driven Golf Podcast, Jim and Joseph are joined by Hall of Fame caddie, Thomas Trinchitella (@ThomasAtNo2), known for his deep insights and long tenure at Pinehurst. Trinchitella shares stories from his career, including his experiences caddying for golf greats like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Trinchitella discusses the unique aspects of Pinehurst, its history, and its preparation for the upcoming U.S. Open. He provides a detailed analysis of the course's conditions and the strategic challenges players are likely to encounter later this month. The conversation also covers the recent renovations at Pinehurst and how they will influence play during the U.S. Open. In the "Angle of Attack" segment, Jim and Andrew dive into strategies for lowering scores for those in the 76 range trying to get to 74. They discuss the technical shortfalls in par 3 scoring, chipping and lag putting that are the three largest contributors to making bogeys in this scoring range. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. Use code 'DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine yardage book order or mention 'Driven Golf' when ordering a Flag Bag golf bag to receive a free custom headcover with your order of one of their golf bags. @flagbaggolf on Instagram FlagBag Golf: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ StrackaLine: https://www.strackaline.com Resources: Engage with hosts and followers on the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel for more content: Driven Golf Analytics YouTube Channel. Check out Andrew Lewis's YouTube channel and subscribe! Guest: Thomas Trinchitella (@ThomasAtNo2) Hosts: Jim Colton (@jcolton31), Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay), Andrew Lewis (@andrewlewisgolf) Producer: Joseph Kay Music by: DG Beat Labs (@dgbeatlab on Instagram) Also mentioned in this episode: - Support the Hike at East Potomac, June 10th: https://www.nationallinkstrust.org/the-hike - Check out the Dye Junior Invitational: https://www.dyejuniorinvitational.com/
Andrew Lewis, Head of Talent at Wordly, shares insights on the psychology of interviewing. He highlights common psychological pitfalls for candidates during interviews, such as overthinking and lack of preparation, and provides advice on how to avoid them. Andrew also addresses unconscious bias in hiring as well as the actionable tips to make a great first impression during your next interview. He truly unpacks the psychological factors that can impact interview performance and what to do to get out of your own head.
November 5, 1774, at Fort Gower on the Ohio River, Virginia militiamen vowed that their" Love of Liberty, and Attachment to the real Interests and just Rights of America outweigh every other Consideration," and resolved to use "every Power within us for the Defence of American Liberty, and for the Support of her just Rights and Privileges; not in any precipitate, riotous, or tumultous Manner, but when regularly called forth by the unanimous Voice of our Countrymen." We talk with Chris Matheny, Historic Site Manager at Ohio's Statehouse, about this important event and its impact on the future of Ohio and of the American people.
Andrew Lewis chats with Chris Mayson, one of Golf Digest's Top 50 Best Teachers in America, and instructor to many top amateur and professional players. Chris discusses his start in the game as an elite junior player in the UK, how that led to opportunities to play college golf in the U.S. and eventually led to a professional and coaching career. Chris has some great stories about when he knew his professional playing days were up and the highlight of being on the bag caddying for his player Brendan Steele for his first tour win. In Angle of Attack, Andrew and Jim start a series designed to help junior golfers (and really any golfer) bring down their scoring average over time. In this episode, we focus on the mental and emotional stumbling blocks that often make the difference between shooting 80 and breaking 80. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. @flagbaggolf on Instagram https://flagbaggolfco.com/ Mention 'Driven Golf' to receive a free custom headcover with any order of a golf bag. https://strackaline.com/ Enter code 'DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine Yardage Books & Greens Guides. Engage with hosts and followers on the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel for more content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw8EZuxfLOC4X3v7yzNz2Ow Resources: Guest: Chris Mayson (@chrismaysongolf) Chris Mayson Website: https://www.chrismaysongolf.com/ Flag Bag Golf Company: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ Andrew Lewis Golf: @andrewlewisgolf on Instagram @drivengolfanalytics on Instagram; @golfdriven on Twitter Host: Jim Colton (@jcolton31) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay) Music by: DG Beat Labs
Tonight on NJ Spotlight News: Representative Andy Kim and First Lady Tammy Murphy square off in their first debate ahead of the Democratic primaries in June; Republican strategist Chris Russell joins NJ Spotlight News to discuss the debate and how Republicans plan to counter the early momentum from Democrats; Paterson's mayor joins with local leaders to push President Biden to call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas; NJ Spotlight News contributor Andrew Lewis joins the show to discuss the growing population of bald eagles in NJ and future conservation efforts; A new Rutgers-Eagleton poll finds the state is divided when it comes to the governor's electric vehicle mandate; NJ Spotlight News producer Harrison Malkin talks to Raven Santana about his new travel and culture podcast: Off Exit.
This episode is a compilation of all the Angle of Attack segments from DGP Episodes 2 to 9. Golf coach Andrew Lewis and I cover the whole spectrum from getting your junior golfer started in tournament golf to how to best prepare leading up to an event. Even if you aren't a junior golfer or parent of one, I truly believe there is something there for everyone to help in your golf journey. 01:13 Starting Juniors in Tournament Golf 08:56 Specializing vs. Multi-Sport Athletes 21:49 Using Stats for Golf Development 39:18 Offseason Development Plans 56:08 Tournament Selection 1:19:02 Tournament Prep: Weeks Leading up to Event 1:35:07 Tournament Prep: The Practice Round 1:53:05 Tournament Prep: During the Event The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. @flagbaggolf on Instagram https://flagbaggolfco.com/ Mention 'Driven Golf' to receive a free custom headcover with any order of a golf bag. https://strackaline.com/ Enter code 'DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine Yardage Books & Greens Guides. Engage with hosts and followers on the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel for more content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw8EZuxfLOC4X3v7yzNz2Ow Resources: Andrew Lewis Golf: @andrewlewisgolf on Instagram @drivengolfanalytics on Instagram; @golfdriven on Twitter Host: Jim Colton (@jcolton31) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay)
Welcome to this special one-off collab with the Non-toxic Podcast! Huge thanks to Daniel Penny for inviting Matti & I on the show!From the manosphere to the atmosphere, Non-toxic is a podcast devoted to understanding the ways masculinity and the climate crisis intersect. Join us for conversations with experts, journalists, and regular guys on topics ranging from how to blow up a pipeline to why incels are obsessed with alphas to why you should consider getting buried in a mycelium coffin. Hosted by critic and journalist Daniel Waite Penny and environmental reporter Andrew Lewis.In this episode of Non-toxic, we're talking with activist Amanda Sukenick and philosopher Matti Häyry about the state of antinatalist thinking, exploring the arguments about risk and the potential for suffering that have come to animate a certain corner of the "doomer" climate conversation.This is the second in a two part series on climate babies. Last week, we talked to Sian Norris about far-right efforts to roll back women's bodily autonomy in order to increase populations of white Americans and Europeans and keep out people from the Global South. This week, we're thinking about the other side of the climate baby coin—from pronatalists to antinatalists—who argue humanity should cease to exist completely.To hear a slightly longer version of this episode, click here!: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5fhI0Blk2theof0zHS5HoeNon-toxic Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1b8PBJq92Hhex0Ig6iUaSeNon-toxic apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/non-toxic/id1689965252Non-toxic substack is:https://nontoxicpodcast.substack.comNon-toxic patreon is: patreon.com/nontoxicpodcastNon-toxic IG is:@nontoxic_podcastNon-toxic X: https://twitter.com/nontoxicpodcast
This week on Mechanical Freak we've got Hannah Krieg from The Stranger to help us say our farewells to Andrew Lewis, the wettest council member ever to lose reelection.
It's easy to get caught up in doing a project and to forget about protecting yourself. Whether that means putting on a mask to reduce dust intake, wearing your knee pads all the time, or even getting the proper tool for the job when another "will do", we only get one body and need to make it count. Andrew Lewis of 2 Ezy Tiling in Victoria, Australia has been in the tile industry for nearly 20 years. Starting an apprenticeship after grade 12 and 4 years later he was out on his own being his own boss. With so much experience he is no stranger to knowing he needs to take care of himself with the right investments in to his health which can easily affect his wealth. Join Andrew and I on this week's episode of the Floor Academy Podcast as we discuss some simple ways to keep yourself healthy, be more efficient, and put more money in your pocket at the end of the day.Check out our sponsorsKronus SoftJohns ManvilleThe International Surfaces EventIQ Power ToolsCheck out our website and storeSupport the show
Josh Smith is a golf superintendent, renowned oil painter of golf course landscapes and founder of the Flag Bag Golf Company. He is truly one of the most interesting and talented people in golf. He discusses his junior golf background in Portland, college golf at St. Mary's, his work in golf course construction, oil painting, his career path in turfgrass at Cal Club and now Orinda Country Club in Northern Califonia. And more recently, we discuss the idea of Flag Bag Golf and he launched the company with his brother Matt. In Angle of Attack w/ Andrew Lewis (1:13:50), Andrew & I talk about tournament selection and how to line up events with the goals and objectives we discussed in Episode 6. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. @flagbaggolf on Instagram https://flagbaggolfco.com/ Josh Smith Fine Art: https://www.joshuasmithart.com/ Mention 'Driven Golf' to receive a free custom headcover with any order of a golf bag. https://strackaline.com/ Enter code 'DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine Yardage Books & Greens Guides. Engage with hosts and followers on the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Subscribe to the Driven Golf Analytics YouTube channel for more content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw8EZuxfLOC4X3v7yzNz2Ow Resources: Flag Bag Golf Company: https://flagbaggolfco.com/ Andrew Lewis Golf: @andrewlewisgolf on Instagram @drivengolfanalytics on Instagram; @golfdriven on Twitter Host: Jim Colton (@jcolton31) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay)
On this Friday show, we present Part 2 of the Hacks & Wonks 2023 Post-Election Roundtable which was live-streamed on November 13, 2023 with special guests Katie Wilson, Andrew Villeneuve, and Robert Cruickshank. In Part 2, the panel breaks down results for Seattle City Council District 7 and reflects on the implications of Seattle's elections on progressive priorities. For those disappointed in the results, encouragement is given to remain engaged after the election, re-evaluate strategy and messaging, and work on building relationships around issues everyone supports. The conversation then moves outside of Seattle to encouraging results from around the region - a more progressive and more diverse King County Council, success for initiatives addressing cost-of-living concerns in Tacoma and Bellingham, promising municipal election outcomes in Bothell, Spokane, Tacoma, Bellevue, and Redmond, as well as defeat of a right wing incumbent in the Snohomish County Sheriff race. Plus, a discussion of the exciting upcoming move to even-year elections for King County races and the need to address an unintended consequence this turnout-boosting change has on citizen initiatives! As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find guest panelists, Katie Wilson at @WilsonKatieB, Robert Cruickshank at @cruickshank, and Andrew Villeneuve at https://www.nwprogressive.org. More info is available at officialhacksandwonks.com. Katie Wilson Katie Wilson is the general secretary of the Transit Riders Union and was the campaign coordinator for the wildly successful Raise the Wage Tukwila initiative last November. Andrew Villeneuve Andrew Villeneuve is the founder of the Northwest Progressive Institute (NPI) and its sibling, the Northwest Progressive Foundation. He has worked to advance progressive causes for over two decades as a strategist, speaker, author, and organizer. Robert Cruickshank Robert is the Director of Digital Strategy at California YIMBY and Chair of Sierra Club Seattle. A long time communications and political strategist, he was Senior Communications Advisor to Mike McGinn from 2011-2013. Resources Hacks & Wonks 2023 Post-Election Roundtable Livestream | November 13th, 2023 Transcript [00:00:00] Shannon Cheng: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Shannon Cheng, Producer for the show. You're listening to Part 2 of our 2023 Post-Election Roundtable, with guest panelists Katie Wilson, Andrew Villeneuve and Robert Cruickshank, that was originally aired live on Monday, November 13th. Part 1 was our last episode – you can find it in your podcast feed or on our website officialhacksandwonks.com. You can also go to the site for full video from the event and a full text transcript of the show. Thanks for tuning in! [00:00:44] Crystal Fincher: We'll transition to District 7, which we saw the third incumbent running for Seattle City Council, who - this is a very, very close race still, but it looks like Andrew Lewis may have run out of runway to come back in this race. What was your view of this, Robert? [00:01:03] Robert Cruickshank: Yeah, I mean, Andrew Lewis won a close election in 2019 and he appears to have lost a close election here in 2023. I know that there is - we'll see the spending slide in a moment, but there's more spending certainly against him than his colleague Dan Strauss saw. I think that looking at the map - and there it is, I mean, it's almost 2:1. Similar to Davis, Andrew Lewis got nearly half a million dollars spent against him. If you look at the precinct map so far and compare it to 2019 - in 2019, Andrew Lewis held his own on Queen Anne, on the top of Queen Anne - that sort of island up in the sky of privilege and prosperity. Andrew did pretty well, won a bare majority in Queen Anne, just like he won in the district as a whole. If you look at the map from 2023, Queen Anne almost uniformly going to Bob Kettle. Now again, not all ballots are in, but I think you see - another thing that stood out to me is downtown. Downtown Seattle, Belltown - a lot of renters, also a lot of condo owners - that also seems to have gone to Bob Kettle. So I think that the narrative about public safety probably tripped up Andrew Lewis here. And I think Andrew Lewis - he voted against the drug ordinance in June when it first came up, but I think that was the right thing to do from a policy perspective. And then he wound up voting for it after working out a deal with the mayor's office to improve the ordinance. Voters may not have liked that, and certainly Bob Kettle ran pretty hard against that - putting out campaign messaging saying that Lewis was waffling, which is never a thing you wanna have said about you. I think that this is one where Strauss made the pivot that Lewis didn't really wanna make. And I think we, again, as progressives, gotta look at this and think - Lewis stood where we wanted him to stand, especially in that vote in June. And I think figuring out how to support candidates when they do things like that is going to be really important. This is another one obviously where turnout was different - a significant drop-off of turnout from 50% turnout in 2019 to 40% turnout in 2023. Again, you don't need much shift in turnout - especially if it comes among younger voters, renters, people living in dense communities - giving the victory, potentially to Lewis had they shown up. So this is where I feel like we can talk about Lewis - what Lewis should have done. I also look at the progressive movement as a whole and think - what did we all need to do differently in this election? I think finding ways to really fight for someone like Lewis, who's with us on most things, and certainly took up what I thought was a courageous vote in June - We've gotta reflect on that and think how we do better next time in these types of close races. [00:03:55] Crystal Fincher: What did you think, Andrew? [00:03:57] Andrew Villeneuve: Well, I think District 7 is the most conservative of the seven districts. And so the deck was kind of stacked against Andrew Lewis to start out with. And then as Robert said, the public safety piece was kind of big here. How much did voters see and hear about why Andrew Lewis was taking the votes and the actions that he did? Because for those of us who follow politics closely, we are interested in what happens at council, we're interested in the votes, and we pay an inordinate amount of attention and consume a lot more information. We might've been able to follow what Andrew Lewis was saying a lot more easily about why he voted the way he did in June, and then what he did in the fall - the late summer and fall - that caused him to take a vote that many people might've thought was contradictory to the vote that he took in June. And so I'm not sure how many voters were able to follow what was happening there. And it might've looked like, to use the old political cliche, flip-flopping. And if that's the case, if that's how voters perceived that, that could have been a negative. And Bob Kettle certainly being able to capitalize on that - that could be a very powerful thing if people are already feeling a little unhappy, disenchanted. We saw at the beginning of this year - we did a citywide poll right before the election that was for the initiative, the social housing initiative - we had the special election, we did a poll before that. And pretty much everyone in the council got a negative job performance rating, except for Sara Nelson, who had a slightly positive one. And I looked at that and went - Hmm - 'cause we weren't just assessing, how do you feel about the council as an institution? 'Cause that's a separate question. It's possible to like your member of the institution and dislike the institution - we see that dynamic with Congress. But here, people actually - we had in the poll, we had people rate each councilmember and the ratings were not good for most of the incumbent councilmembers. Sara Nelson being the exception, as I mentioned. So people were already unhappy, and then you take this public safety dynamic and this confusing position-taking that is going on, I think for many voters, and it becomes something that leaves you feeling not confident about voting for the incumbent. And I know Andrew Lewis worked really hard. I know he did a lot of door knocking, that I think they did try to leave it all out there in the field. But when you put together the low turnout, the money that was spent against Andrew Lewis, you put in the fact that it's a very conservative district out of the seven to start with, then you have the recipe for a Bob Kettle victory. Bob Kettle had a lot working for him. I don't think he ran the strongest campaign we've ever seen in Seattle city elections history. I think he just was lucky. He was a beneficiary of circumstances. So I'm gonna miss Andrew Lewis on the council - One of our board members is on his staff and I just think he brought a lot to the council. And I hope he runs for something else or stays involved in politics because I appreciate his vision. [00:07:01] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, I do appreciate his vision. And I think you're onto something with the confusing. It's confusing to be able to explain that, and I think that wasn't the only set of confusing votes that he took. There was a notable one last year, early this year - time doesn't mean much to me anymore - that he took there, and while that does happen and while there are certainly justifications, that's a hard thing to explain. And when you do, you better be clear and hope it cuts through to the voters. And I think that's a really hard thing to do for the general public, particularly when you have hundreds of thousands of dollars painting some of your votes in a different light. We saw in one of those ads with Bob Kettle - Sara Nelson blaming deaths on Andrew Lewis, which I think was disingenuous. But it just showed the amount of spending, the type of rhetoric that was in this race and that they really felt he was vulnerable on public safety and they certainly took advantage of that. I wanna shift a little bit and talk about what this means moving forward for the city of Seattle. What does this council mean for the city? I wanna start with Katie. What are we likely to see? [00:08:25] Katie Wilson: [baby crying] Can you come back to me? [00:08:25] Crystal Fincher: I sure can. We'll start with Robert. [00:08:30] Robert Cruickshank: Yeah. I share the baby's thoughts on this. It's not good, folks. I think what this election will have done is turn the 2020s into a lost decade for Seattle. I think we're going to spend the next four years until 2028, when a new council is inaugurated, playing defense. I think it's going to be very difficult to advance new policies, especially around housing, transportation, and climate. I think that especially for the next year or so, some of the most regressive forces in the city are going to feel emboldened. People who don't want new housing, people who want a transportation policy centered around cars and nothing else are gonna feel really like the wind is in their backs and they can really push harder than they might otherwise have pushed. I think there's going to be big fights over a comprehensive plan that's supposed to be approved next year. And this incoming council may not be as friendly to dense urban housing that we need to tackle the climate crisis and the affordability crisis as some of the other candidates would have been. We have to renew a transportation levy next year. Is that going to be focusing on a new sustainable transportation plan that focuses on transit, people who walk, people who bike, or is it gonna be tripling down on cars? Those are some of the things that come to mind. The fight over JumpStart and taxing corporations is going to be significant. It's quite possible that this election turns out to foretell a significant decline in the quality of life in Seattle - if we see budget cuts to major public services, to libraries, parks, and certainly human services, I'd worry a lot about that. It's also possible that we don't see an incoming council that's really focused on building enough housing, especially affordable housing, and transportation options to make it easier for people to live and work here - that we become even more polarized into a city of the very rich and the very poor. So I think we gotta be clear right here as progressives. The messaging we had on public safety, on homelessness wasn't working. Again, I don't think we should throw out our core values, but we've got a lot to learn from here. And the messaging that does work for us - housing, that people want people to fight for their rights as renters, wanna fight for affordability - we didn't do enough of that, I don't think. And finally, we need to figure out what pulls our people out to the polls. Do we need to start running ballot initiatives at the same time as mayoral elections, as city council elections in November? I think we should very seriously start considering that. But we're in for four years of playing a lot of defense and we're gonna lose a decade when we really can't afford to lose it to tackle affordability, racial justice, police reform and climate. [00:11:11] Crystal Fincher: What are your thoughts, Andrew? [00:11:13] Andrew Villeneuve: Well, I like to be hopeful and optimistic about the future. And I think that there's an opportunity to persuade the council to be progressive. And I think that we can see a lot of great things happen with this council if people put in the work to create the relationships and to connect with folks - I'm someone who believes you create the future you wanna see. And I'm not a huge fan of predictions either because I think it's really hard to make them and they're so often wrong. So my advice to those who are concerned about the outcome of this election is it's time to dig in and to build the relationships with those new councilmembers and to talk to them now before they get sworn in and to create that connectivity - that connective tissue - that should exist and make sure that again, people have had a chance to hear what it is we're looking for. There's a lot of research, including NPI's research that shows people want the things that progressives in Seattle have been campaigning for. We want, for example, a more pedestrian-friendly city. We want a city that's not so car-centric. We want a city that has better transit. We want more housing. We want to make sure that as we're building the housing, we're not also losing our tree canopy because that is a critical tool in the fight against climate damage. So there's a lot that can be done, I think, by the council. And the mayor and the council need to hear from people now and not after they make a decision that people are unhappy with. It's not just the public testimony that matters, but it's also the work that's being done in between. I like to think of the holiday season as a time for catch up and preparing for what comes next. And my suggestion to those who are listening is - okay, yes, celebrate the holidays - whatever you celebrate, do it. Don't lose out on your holiday traditions. But while you're preparing your plan for Thanksgiving, send off a note - find the information for the people who won their council races and send them a note and tell them what you're looking forward to in the next council and the policies you're hoping that they'll champion - and see what happens. I think that we don't put enough value on what we do after the election. There needs to be activism that comes after the voting has stopped and the counting is done - and before people take office and start governing - that in-between time to me is a critical time to get opinions shared with people who are coming in. So that's what I would encourage folks to do. [00:13:44] Crystal Fincher: I want to strongly second that encouragement. I think that there is a lot of opportunity and whether you're happy with the results or not, I think it's really important to remain engaged after the election and to push for what you want whether it's a progressive or a moderate council. I also think that there is value in building relationships and there's value in starting a dialogue. Everything that we do is a result of coalitions and sometimes those coalitions don't look exactly like we expect them to. There are several issues that are very, very popular among Seattle residents that you look at what the council ran on and it may seem opposed - maybe that's the opportunity for some dialogue and some movement there. Looking at setting up alternative response - that may be a little - I think most people have something more comprehensive in mind than the trial that just started, getting that spun out in all neighborhoods in a more comprehensive way 24/7 certainly is really popular - one of the highest polling issues in Seattle, there's opportunity there. Progressive revenue polls really high in the city as we head into this time of a pretty significant deficit in the City's budget. There's opportunity for dialogue to say this is absolutely critically important to me, my neighborhood, my neighbors and to make sure that councilmembers understand the impact that Seattle programs, that different things in your community have on your life. This is really a time to get engaged - to let the councilmembers, incoming councilmembers, know it's important. And the existing councilmembers - who knows what they're liable to do. Now, some of them don't have to worry about what voters might think - that may have been part of their equation before. So there may be an opportunity for some bold action even before some of the existing ones end up going. So I just really do second that and point out that there are still some things that are really popular among residents in Seattle that I think they're looking to see these candidates deliver on. Katie, did you wanna add anything? [00:16:00] Katie Wilson: Yeah, and I apologize if this is repetitive since I wasn't listening for a little bit, but yeah, I mean, the thing that is foremost in my mind is progressive revenue in the City budget. Knowing that the city is going into a situation where there's a more than $200 million a year shortfall starting in 2025. And I think there will continue to be efforts to basically repurpose the revenue from the JumpStart corporate tax to fill that gap. And so my kind of worst nightmare - well, maybe not worst nightmare, but one of the bad nightmares for what could happen with the new council aligned with the mayor and kind of pressured by the Chamber of Commerce and similar interests - is that they basically just gut JumpStart, take all of that money away from affordable housing, away from Green New Deal, away from equitable development. And basically it just becomes a general fund slush fund for the police budget. And I could totally see that happening. So that is, I think, something that will be a big issue next year, assuming that the economy doesn't just totally turn around and suddenly the shortfall evaporates. So yeah, I mean, and I think that to what Crystal just said - given that the councilmembers will have an opportunity in the coming weeks as they complete the budget process to vote on potential revenue proposals. I know Councilmember Sawant every year proposes some massive increase to JumpStart, like doubling it or something. So, you know, maybe on their way out, some of the outgoing councilmembers will just say, f--- it and we'll do that. But I'm sure the new council would reverse it right quick, but it would be fun anyway. [00:17:47] Crystal Fincher: Well, and one thing I do wanna add - another thing that is very popular and necessary in the city, and that seeing you with your baby there reminds us all of, is the importance of childcare and how critical it is that the council play an active role on making it more accessible and affordable to the residents of Seattle and how important that is to Seattle's economy. So look forward to seeing what plans and action they have there. I wanna switch gears a little bit. We have talked a lot about Seattle for all this time, but let's talk about some of the other races. Let's talk about the King County Council races. So the first one up was Jorge Barón versus Sarah Reyneveld. We also saw Teresa Mosqueda versus Sofia Aragon. I think with Jorge Barón, we saw him do one of the things that's relatively rare in Seattle politics - and that was lock down both The Stranger and The Seattle Times endorsement, which usually equates to a pretty comfortable victory and I think we saw that here. But we also saw a race with Teresa Mosqueda and Sofia Aragon that was a little closer than some people anticipated. Why do you think that was, Robert? [00:19:03] Robert Cruickshank: So I think that that district includes a fair amount of Burien. And I think Burien's politics this year were very polarized around - you might say The Seattle Times, Brandi Kruse narrative of, we gotta crackdown on visible homelessness in ways that are really just appalling and honestly dishonest. Sofia Aragon had been mayor of Burien and sort of leader in that effort. And so people who were invested in that narrative, whether they're in West Seattle or in Burien portions of the district, had a champion. That said, Teresa Mosqueda is an incredibly effective politician and legislator. I wanna give a shout out to Kamau, @Kamaumaumau on Twitter, who's got a Mosqueda theory of politics - talk about popular stuff, pick a few strategic fights and highlight them, get elected, pass a bunch of taxes to solve people's problems, and then talk about it. The fact that Mosqueda was a very effective and visibly effective leader on the Seattle City Council, I think, helped insulate her a little bit from some of the criticisms that that council got. Those criticisms never really seemed to stick to Teresa Mosqueda - while Lorena González was going down to defeat, and Ann Davison was being elected our city attorney, and Sara Nelson getting elected citywide seat in 2021 - Mosqueda won with 20-point victory citywide that same year. And so I think Mosqueda, you have to give your hat off, take your hat off to Mosqueda for running a smart campaign, being a smart politician, showing that she's engaged on the issues, but also championing some really popular things and making sure voters know about it. So I think there's a lot to learn from Teresa Mosqueda and how she was able to pull out this victory, which was a close one, obviously. They threw everything they had at her and she prevailed. And I think that's a big kudos to the type of campaign she ran. [00:21:02] Crystal Fincher: Do you think the electoral theory of Mosqueda holds up, Andrew? [00:21:07] Andrew Villeneuve: I think so. I mean, Teresa Mosqueda is one of the people who's impressed me the most in local politics the last few years. I've had her at one of the NPI events, speaking about issues that are important. She is someone who understands data and she's very quick to realize - okay, this is the policy that will help us in 20 years. And so I really appreciate that about her. She's very passionate about even-year elections, which I hope we'll say a couple more words about, 'cause I think that is a remedy for some of the things that we've been talking about this past hour. But when you look at her performance on the electoral map, Teresa Mosqueda doing well in places like Georgetown, performing well on Vashon. People sometimes forget that Vashon is a part of King County - it's a critical part of that district, the 8th District. So I see Sofia doing well in some parts of West Seattle. Robert mentioned Burien, another critical place. But that Vashon performance - that is an orange island on the general elections dashboard for Teresa Mosqueda. And looking at some of the precincts - I see 64% here, 73% over there. I mean, those kinds of margins matter. And I think that's how Teresa Mosqueda was able to build that majority. And of course, when you start - maybe it's a close race on Election Night. But when you start in a better position than your opponent, that late progressive ballots are just gonna lift you much higher. So the race - when that certification arrives, it's not gonna appear as close as it was on Election Night. So I do applaud Teresa Mosqueda for running a good campaign for the County Council. And I think, with both Jorge and Teresa coming in, the County Council is getting more diverse. I think it's gonna get more progressive. I think we're gonna see some exciting new policies coming out of the Council. This is what we need. We're at a critical time. King County is on some very steep fiscal shoals, and we need the Legislature to step in, and we need progressive tax revenue options for King County like yesterday. And I'm hopeful that Teresa and Jorge will go down and advocate for that in the Legislature. And knowing them, I believe they're well-positioned to do that and bring that fresh energy that King County needs to the legislative delegation and say - Look, folks, this can't be something we punt and just don't do this year and just leave it to next year, and then it's the same story next year. We've gotta change and break out of that cycle. [00:23:33] Crystal Fincher: Completely agree. And I know Mosqueda put in a ton of time on Vashon, which makes a difference. You have to show up. She's incredibly effective in what she does. She's a budget expert. And I'm excited to see what she does on the King County Council. There's an interesting dynamic that we don't see a lot of times. We saw Seattle move in a more moderate direction, but we saw the King County Council move in what looks to be a more progressive direction. What do you think accounts for that? I'll open it up to anyone. [00:24:05] Katie Wilson: Well, I'll just say one thing about the Mosqueda race. I mean, I don't know - I think, Crystal, you said it was pretty close. But in the end, I don't think it is that close - it's like a 10-point margin, so it's actually kind of a pretty big, major, major victory for Mosqueda. And I just looked up the PDC numbers - I don't think that Sofia Aragon ran that much of a campaign, so I think that's something to consider. Mosqueda, I think around $150,000 for Mosqueda's campaign, around $100,000 for Aragon. So it doesn't surprise me too much that she won by that much, even though so much of the district is outside of Seattle. But yeah, I mean, I think it's super interesting that the King County Council looks like arguably a place where a lot more interesting progressive stuff could happen in the next four years than the Seattle City Council. [00:24:52] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely. I'll interject really quick. The same thing that we talked about with engaging, building relationships, holding these electeds accountable to what they said they would do in the election and to what your neighborhoods need are just as important in cities like Burien with the results that we saw as they are in Seattle. What do you think we are going to see from the King County Council moving forward with the addition of Jorge Barón and Teresa Mosqueda? [00:25:20] Robert Cruickshank: I mean, I think that there's certainly an opportunity for some more progressive policy, certainly around housing. They're gonna have to solve, as Andrew mentioned, the revenue issue. And that becomes particularly important with King County Metro, which is making a comeback from certainly the pandemic lows, but with a still slightly smaller route network than it had going in. And so a little bit less ridership than it had going in. There's been recovery, I think, on a lot of routes that don't necessarily serve downtown Seattle - there's been recovery on those too. But the way people get around has shifted a little bit, and the system does need to catch up to that and then go ahead. Like Metro and transit are so essential to our ability to tackle the climate crisis. And King County is squarely in the middle of that. So one thing that I think Barón and Mosqueda are going to be confronted with immediately is a need to tackle that question. There's been talk that the county may put as much as a billion dollar ballot measure on the ballot in 2024 to tackle climate issues, potentially including transit. And I think that that's ambitious. That's, I think, correctly ambitious - we need to see what the actual details of the proposal look like. But that's something where Barón and Mosqueda are going to have to take a close look. And certainly they're going to have to advocate the Legislature because, as Andrew mentioned, the Legislature since the mid-2000s has really undermined the ability of local governments, including counties, to raise their own revenue and stay fiscally afloat. And that's catching up to King County real fast. And so they're going to need to lead on that. [00:26:56] Crystal Fincher: What are your thoughts, Andrew? [00:26:58] Andrew Villeneuve: I agree. I think we have to deal with the Metro issues, but we also have rural roads problems in King County that haven't been addressed. And the previous council of the last 20 years had kind of let these issues fester. My councilmember used to be Kathy Lambert and Kathy cared a lot about rural roads, or so she said, but then the rural roads just weren't getting funded. And I think, you know, here's part of the problem with being a Republican in today's environment - and this is setting aside a lot of the Trump cult stuff - but what we see from a lot of Republican elected officials is they're willing to spend money that's already there, but they want to spend it in ways that actually don't help anybody. So like, for example, just canceling certain taxes and sending the money back to taxpayers. Well, you can't fix the potholes over there on the road with your tax refund. So when rural residents, you know - and Skykomish comes to mind, that's a place that many people might think is not in King County, but it actually is. It's part of Kathy Lambert's old district, now represented by Sarah Perry, my councilmember. And, you know, you think about - okay, what's it going to take to repair some of these rural roads? And it's going to take money. And some of the roads are in terrible shape 'cause they haven't been maintained. And when you don't maintain your roads, you know, they fall apart. It's the same thing with bus service. Like if you're not investing in your bus service and, you know, you're not providing like really reliable, consistently good experience for people, people are going to stop riding. They're going to go back to their car if they have one, because they're, you know, those choice riders can choose not to take the bus. And we don't want choice riders to go back to driving their car because that makes traffic congestion a lot worse. So we need to both address the rural roads, we need to address Metro. There's other public services as well that people don't even know the county does that we need to have elevated. What I'm really excited about though is in the next few years, King County Elections, thanks to the work of the Northwest Progressive Institute and all of our partners and allies - we're moving county elections to even years. So that means that starting in 2026, we're going to elect Teresa Mosqueda and Councilmember Balducci and Councilmember Zahilay and of course, new Councilmember Barón - they're all going to be coming up in 2026. That's their next election - that's three years from now, not four years. And of course, that's also when Julie Wise and John Arthur Wilson's seats come up as well. And then in 2025, we elect the executive and five other council positions for three-year terms - that's the last odd-year election for those. And then those come up in a presidential year. And I just can't wait to see how much higher the turnout is and how many more people discover that county government is a thing - and it does things that are really important and meaningful to their lives. And I hope that they start to realize - okay, now I get to help pick these people - because they are even-year voters, and now they're going to have a say in how King County is run and who represents it. So I just think that that is a tremendously positive change that we're doing for King County. We also now need to do that for our cities. [00:29:53] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely agree. And I hope that we see legislation at the state level. I know Representative Mia Gregerson had a bill there to bring even-year elections, which just increased turnout and participation, which is good for everyone. And would love to see it in all of our elections here. Other cities are doing it and we should also do it here in Washington State. I want to, with a little bit of time that we have left, move out a little bit - and I'll go to Katie to start out with. Looking wider in the region, wider across the state - thinking Tacoma, Spokane, Bellingham - there was actually a lot to be excited about and a lot of progressive victories. What did you see around the state that you found encouraging or exciting? [00:30:44] Katie Wilson: Well, the Spokane mayor race, obviously the outcome was encouraging. But the thing that I've paid the closest attention to and that I think is just very, very heartening is the result of a few initiatives on issues. So down in Tacoma, there was a very ambitious renter protections initiative, which will bring Tacoma's renter protections up to, and in some cases beyond, what we have here in Seattle. And that initiative was outspent massively. I think it was like three to one and the opposition - very, very well funded by real estate and landlord interests - with TV ads, mailers, just like everything. They just went balls to the walls on that. And the initiative is winning. And I think that's just like - really, really speaks to the way that the rent increases of the last few years have shifted public opinion and to just the popularity of renter protections. This is something that the Transit Riders Union and lots of other organizations in King County have been working a lot on over the last few years here. And the other couple initiatives were up in Bellingham. There's a renter protections initiative up there that would also do basically landlord-paid relocation assistance for rent increases greater than 8% and more, requirements for more notice of rent increases. And then also a minimum wage initiative that will raise Bellingham's minimum wage to $2 above the state minimum wage. And those both passed by large margins - I believe somewhere around 60% or even more. And I don't think those face any opposition. So that again, just gives you the sense of this kind of like native support for kind of cost of living kind of issues. So that's super heartening. And then one thing I wanted to point out, which is - and I think that also, we're gonna see next February - it looks like we're gonna have in Renton, the Raise the Wage Renton will be on the ballot for people to vote on. So hopefully that also passes with flying colors, although obviously February election is a little bit more challenging. And the one thing I wanted to say in connection to what Andrew brought up about even-year elections, just 'cause it's been on my mind - at least for Seattle and King County, this isn't, it's not the same for code cities, but for Seattle and King County, one unintended consequence of moving to even-year elections will be that it will become harder to run citizens' initiatives because the number of signatures that you need to gather depends on the number of votes cast in the last election for mayor or county executive. And so if we're switching to even years, many more people are voting, which is great. Suddenly you're gonna need to gather a lot more signatures in Seattle or countywide in order to run an initiative. So I hope that alongside those changes, we can try to push for lowering the signature threshold for ballot initiatives in those jurisdictions. Yeah, I'll stop there. [00:33:46] Crystal Fincher: I think that's an excellent point. I will also throw in as we're talking about elections and when they are being so important, we have a King Conservation District election coming up in January, I believe. It would be great to get that onto a regular ballot - that's going to take some legislative action. That would be great to push for, but in the meantime, make sure that you engage in that election, which will be coming up also. Robert, what did you see that excited you throughout this? [00:34:16] Robert Cruickshank: You know, I think that we saw on the Eastside of Lake Washington, a lot of victories for more progressive candidates. In Bellevue, we certainly saw that. Big shout out to Bothell - Bothell elected a bunch of urbanists. They, Mason Thompson, who's the mayor of Bothell, won his election four years ago by five votes. He got 60% this year. So did the other folks running with him - Amanda Dodd and Carston Curd got around 60%. This is Bothell, which is a great city, and I think it's going to become even better, you know, now that they've got some really urbanist folks there. They also have one of the only Palestinian Americans on their city council. So Bothell, you look at - there's some good folks in Redmond. There's definitely some good folks in, I mentioned, bellevue. Tacoma - not only did Tacoma for all pass, but Jamika Scott won, Olgy Diaz is leading. So those are really great, great signs out there. And I think what that shows is that there are lessons that Seattle can learn from other parts of the region. There are also differences. Those races don't have sort of the obsessive Seattle Times, Brandi Kruse eye on them, which changes things. And those races in those more suburban communities also didn't have the avalanche of corporate money, although certainly the Tacoma for All initiative did. But I still think there may be things we can learn about how to turn out voters and how to win some persuadable voters from those. But overall, that's really positive signs to take from around the state, even as we who are in Seattle - we'll gnash our teeth a little bit about how some of these races turned out. [00:35:53] Crystal Fincher: And I'll give you the closing word, Andrew. [00:35:55] Andrew Villeneuve: Well, thank you. It has been a pleasure to share this evening with all of you. I think this has been a great discussion. I want to encourage you to look at all the different election results from the different cities and other jurisdictions, because it is - in a local election cycle, you have this amazing patchwork quilt of elections. And some jurisdictions are dealing with issues that are specific to those jurisdictions, and that really causes their elections to go in a certain direction. But others, you know, don't have those. And what we saw this year in places like Spokane was a really progressive result. Not only did Lisa Brown win a convincing victory, and I hope folks will look at the amount of money that was spent against Lisa Brown - it was enormous. You know, we're talking about the Tacoma tenant rights initiative, which is a huge victory - kudos to those folks. But Lisa Brown also overcame an avalanche of money and of opposition money. And that was a really big deal that she was able to do that. And then of course, for Spokane City Council President, we have a woman of color winning that race. The council in Spokane is gonna stay progressive. You know, that is a really encouraging sign. There's been 12 years of Republican rule in Spokane, and that's coming to an end. And Lisa Brown is gonna be in a position to do some great things for Spokane, and people in Seattle should track what's happening over there. Spokane has fortunately a fairly vibrant media ecosystem - I've been reading all of the reports that their TV stations have been doing for this election. And it's just interesting to see how they covered the mayor's race over there. There were a lot of forums and debates and articles and the controversy over, you know, the Matt Shea appearance that Nadine Woodward, Lisa Brown's opponent had - that was very well covered. People definitely heard about that. So that gives me some confidence. You know, when we're looking at news deserts - and my hometown of Redmond is one - you know, there's not enough information for voters. And Spokane is big enough that it has that media ecosystem that really helps. For me, the most important race this year is the defeat of Adam Fortney. He is the former, soon-to-be former, Snohomish County Sheriff. And he was one of the most right-wing sheriffs this state has ever seen. He had Mark Lamb up here for a fundraiser recently - Mark Lamb is that really scary guy in Arizona who's also a sheriff, and he has some really horrible views that are extremely extreme. I mean, we're talking like more extreme, I think, than people in Washington have ever seen in a candidate around here, perhaps, with the exception maybe of folks like Matt Shea. But this was a guy who really speaks for a fringe, and he came here and he made, you know, merry with Adam Fortney. And that sort of speaks to who Adam Fortney is. He was becoming a favorite of the Washington State Republican Party - he was appearing at like every event they had, talking about rolling back police reform laws. He had done some really terrible things as sheriff, like taking the measuring devices out of police cars that were tracking police officers' driving. He rehired deputies who've been fired by his predecessor for misconduct. He lost the accreditation that had been so hard won under his predecessor. So he was really awful. And Susanna Johnson, who is his opponent, launched a campaign a year ago and just spent a whole year working, working, working, canvassing, canvassing, canvassing, doorbelling, doorbelling, doorbelling. And we did research in this race. And what we found is that, you know, if people knew about Fortney's bad record, they'd vote for Susanna Johnson. And that's what we saw in the election. So my hat is off to all the Stohomish County progressives who worked so hard to get that big victory. Congratulations to you - I think you set the tone for this election. [00:39:23] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. And congratulations to all of the campaign staff that worked. It is a hard and often thankless job. And we appreciate that you were willing to put yourselves out there and support your candidates. And with that, the roundtable comes to a close. I wanna thank our panelists, Katie Wilson, Andrew Villeneuve, and Robert Cruickshank for their insight and making this an engaging and informative event. To those watching online, thanks so much for tuning in. If you missed any of the discussion tonight, you can catch up on the Hacks & Wonks Facebook page, YouTube channel, or on Twitter where we're @HacksWonks. Special thanks to essential member of the Hacks & Wonks team and coordinator for this evening, Dr. Shannon Cheng. And if you have not listened to the show that she guest hosted about the Seattle budget, you need to. If you missed voting in the election or know someone who did, make sure to register to vote, update your registration, or find information on the next election at MyVote.wa.gov. And as a reminder, even if you've been previously incarcerated, your right to vote is restored and you can re-register to vote immediately upon your release, even if you are still under community supervision. Be sure to tune into Hacks & Wonks on your favorite podcast app for our midweek shows and our Friday week-in-review shows, or at officialhacksandwonks.com. I've been your host, Crystal Fincher. See you next time.
Brian Hilko is a PGA professional and owner of The Golf Factory, a new indoor golf facility outside of Chicago. Brian takes us through his life in the game, from his work with junior golfers to most recently becoming a small business owner. Brian also provides some great insights for anybody looking to invest in a launch monitor or build out a simulator space in your home. In Angle of Attack w/ Andrew Lewis (1:08:25), Andrew & I talk about the offseason development plans and setting your junior golfer up for success in 2024 and beyond. And Peter Flory is back to help me discuss a Big Idea (1:25:45) for using Artificial Intelligence to develop golf courses. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Company and StrackaLine yardage books. @flagbaggolf on Instagram https://flagbaggolfco.com/ Mention 'Driven Golf' to receive a free custom headcover with any order of a golf bag. https://strackaline.com/ Enter code 'DRIVEN' to receive 20% off your StrackaLine Yardage Books & Greens Guides. Engage with hosts and followers on the the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Resources: The Golf Factory: https://www.golffactory.golf/ @golf_factory_chicago on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/golf_factory_chicago/) Andrew Lewis Golf: @andrewlewisgolf on Instagram @drivengolfanalytics on Instagram; @golfdriven on Twitter Host: Jim Colton (@jcolton31) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay) Show Notes: 01:30 Interview with Brian Hilko 05:48 Brian's Golf Journey and Obsession 07:35 Brian's Professional Golf Career 09:21 Brian's Love for Golf Architecture 12:21 Exploring Hidden Golf Gems 25:07 Brian's Experience with Junior Golfers 31:24 Transition from Professional Golf to Business 32:37 The Birth of the Golf Factory 36:04 Creating a Unique Indoor Golf Experience 49:00 The Role of TrackMan IO in Golf Factory 01:02:37 Advice for Building Your Own Golf Space 01:07:51 Introducing a New Sponsor: Straka Line Yardage Books 01:08:23 The Angle of Attack with Andrew Lewis: Off-Season Planning 01:25:47 The Big Idea: Artificial Intelligence in Golf Course Design
On this week-in-review, Crystal is joined by Seattle political reporter and editor of PubliCola, Erica Barnett! First up, for those looking to supercharge their engagement in Washington State policymaking or advocacy, Crystal gives a shout-out for the Washington State Institute for a Democratic Future program. Applications for their 2024 class are open and due by November 20th for early applicants (there is also an extended “late application period” until November 27th but with an increased application fee). Check out the program that launched Crystal's career in politics and see if it's right for you! Crystal and Erica then dive into a roundup of election news starting with how the Seattle City Council is losing institutional knowledge with its makeup shifting after last week's election results, meaning the new council will need to get up to speed on many complex upcoming issues such as the City budget, the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) contract, and the Comprehensive Plan. Contributing to this loss of experience is Teresa Mosqueda moving over to the King County Council and how speculation has begun over who her appointed replacement will be. The election news wraps up with two snafus - the King County website breaking on Election Night and USPS finally delivering missing ballots from an unchecked mailbox. Moving on from elections, they discuss Seattle budget news - a $20 million increase in the JumpStart Tax to fund student mental health care programs, narrow passage of controversial ShotSpotter surveillance technology, continued struggle to fund City employee pay increases, and a spotty outlook for much-needed progressive revenue solutions. Delving further into City worker wage issues, the City sent an oblivious email to workers providing financial tips whilst asking them to accept a sub-inflationary pay increase and the tentative firefighters' union contract also doesn't keep up with cost of living. Finally, Crystal and Erica revisit the saga unfolding in Burien with a looming deadline to accept $1 million to address their homelessness crisis and Sound Transit resumes fare enforcement. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, Erica Barnett, at @ericacbarnett. Resources WAIDF - Washington State Institute for a Democratic Future “Morales Surges While Other Progressives Flail in Latest Election Results; Mosqueda Explains Why She'll Stay Through the End of This Year” from PubliCola “Who Will Replace Teresa Mosqueda?” by Hannah Krieg from The Stranger “County Website Failed on Election Night Due to “Traffic Issue”” by Erica C. Barnett from PubliCola “USPS failed to deliver ballots from one Seattle mail drop box” by Sarah Grace Taylor from The Seattle Times “City Budget Will Fund Shotspotter—But Also Significant Progressive Priorities, Including $20 Million for Student Mental Health” by Erica C. Barnett from PubliCola “A Mixed Seattle Budget, While a $221 Million Deficit Still Looms” by Amy Sundberg from Notes from the Emerald City “City Employees Seeking Wage Increase Advised to “Avoid Impulse Buys”” by Erica C. Barnett from PubliCola “Firefighters' Tentative Contract Could be Bad News for Other City Workers Seeking Pay Increases” by Erica C. Barnett from PubliCola “As Deadline to Use or Lose $1 Million in Shelter Funding Looms, Top Burien Official Offers New Explanation for Failing to Inform Some on Council” by Erica C. Barnett from PubliCola “King County gives Burien deadline to take $1 million for homeless shelter” by Greg Kim from The Seattle Times “Sound Transit to start issuing citations today to riders who don't pay” by David Kroman from The Seattle Times “Seattle light rail is about to get heavy for those who don't pay the fare” by Joshua McNichols from KUOW Find stories that Crystal is reading here Listen on your favorite podcast app to all our episodes here Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington State through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Tuesday topical shows and our Friday week-in-reviews delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. If you missed our 2023 Post-Election Roundtable on Monday night, you can catch the recording on our YouTube channel, or Facebook, or Twitter feeds. We'll also be releasing the roundtable next week as podcast episodes. Tune in for our breakdown of last week's election results with guest panelists Katie Wilson, Andrew Villeneuve and Robert Cruikshank. Also wanna make sure if you can't listen to the Post-Election Roundtable, it will be available on the website with a full text transcript. Today, we are continuing our Friday week-in-review shows where we review the news of the week with a co-host. Welcome back to the program, friend of the show, today's co-host: Seattle political reporter and editor of PubliCola, Erica Barnett. [00:01:38] Erica Barnett: It's great to be here. [00:01:40] Crystal Fincher: Great to have you back as always. It's the time of year where I get to talk about the Washington Institute for a Democratic Future. It is that time again and seeing as how this is Hacks & Wonks and a lot of you are hacks and wonks who are listening, the Washington Institute for a Democratic Future is really ideal for people who may be interested in looking at working in policy or politics, getting more involved in their community and activism. It is a six-month fellowship that runs from January to June that has 10 intensive weekends plus an optional week in Washington, DC. And each of these weekends is in a different place geographically across the state. And it gives you the opportunity to do a deep dive on policy, how that policy is impacting people on the ground from a variety of different perspectives - so, you know, there's a huge network of legislators, policy experts, advocacy organizations, unions, business owners, different people. So you may go to Kitsap County and explore the economy in Bremerton and issues that are happening there. In Central Washington, issues that are important there and talking about legislation that impacts migrant workers and immigration - from a policy perspective - but also talking to workers and representatives for themselves, talking to farmers and business owners there to see how they're being impacted and what their feedback is and what they feel the most prevalent issues that they have. So it's getting a really comprehensive view of what people are facing on the ground throughout the state and how policy is impacting that and has a potential to impact that. So just really important - that is absolutely what I credit for me working in politics. I started my political career after doing IDF - just a really powerful network and a really powerful policy education in ways that really matter and getting to see that a lot of times the situations aren't simple, different people have different perspectives, policy impacts people in different ways. Few things are 100% good and positive and 100% bad or negative. It's really understanding how things impact people differently and trying to do the most good as possible, particularly considering sometimes what's politically possible, different types of activism - whether you're working legislatively, electorally, just more on the ground in community, mutual aid, just a lot of different things. So I recommend this. The early application deadline is Monday, November 20th - so coming up. There's an extended late application period that continues through Monday, November 27th. The website is democraticfuture.org. There's more information about it there, but definitely encourage anyone who may be considering working in politics or who's interested in that - who wants to understand how they can more deeply impact policy in their community and state - to do that. I do want to underscore that you don't have to already be an insider. You don't have to have any idea of what's going on, really. This is a Democratic organization - it is not catering to Republicans, I can tell you that - but looking at people with a variety of experience from diverse backgrounds across the state. It's just a program that I heartily recommend, and I believe most people who go through it come out on the other end more able to impact change in the world around them. So apply to the Institute for a Democratic Future. Well, we think we have a pretty good view of what actually happened with the election now. It's taken a while to count, but what are your takeaways from the general election that we just had? [00:05:39] Erica Barnett: Well, I mean - as others have said, and as I've said in other venues - obviously we are, the City we, are going in a more centrist direction with the city council. From Position 7 - electing Bob Kettle over Andrew Lewis - kicking out a couple other councilmembers. So politically, I think the direction is going to be a little less progressive generally, a little more in the sort of Sara Nelson centrist direction. And I think - big picture - the council is going to be made up primarily of new people and people without a whole lot of experience. The most experienced councilmember, I believe, will be Tammy Morales, who just narrowly got reelected - correct me if I'm wrong on that. But not a lot of institutional memory and knowledge on the council, which I think is going to be - it's always problematic when you lose the majority of an institution all at once, right? And when you're talking about staff who have been there for a long time, as well as councilmembers who maybe have a few terms under their belt - so people are going to be learning on the job and they're gonna be doing it in a year when there's a massive looming budget crisis, when there is the Seattle Police Officers Guild contract on the table, and just lots of other things that the new council is going to have to grapple with - that are really, really big problems and big questions - and they'll be doing it, sort of coming in with virtually no City experience in almost every single seat. [00:07:23] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, that is - it's a really big deal. And we talked about this kind of in the beginning when people were filing or announcing that they weren't running for re-election - kind of hitting a lot of people going - we're losing a ton of institutional knowledge. And just the work that it takes to get up to speed, it's not just what do you wanna do with issues, with - and even with that, a number of the new councilmembers on the campaign trail had a lot of questions, had a lot of things that they wanted to find out and investigate and get to the bottom of, but maybe not as many new ideas. And they're gonna have to understand just procedurally how do things work. Legislation is a weird thing - crafting legislation, working it through the process is not an intuitive endeavor. And it does take institutional knowledge. There's so many reports, committees, just things to digest when you're getting in - even if you've held office before. If you haven't, that's just a big mountain to climb to get your feet underneath you as far as how to understand what's happening from all of the different information sources, advocates, departments, but also how to then enact and respond to the challenges that are happening. I think in this situation, it actually passes a big advantage to the mayor's office. The mayor's office does have a lot of institutional knowledge. The mayor's office does have an agenda that they wanna enact. And right now the council - the new council - is not going to really be in a position to ask questions based on historical knowledge, to investigate or interrogate what expenditures may be, what proposals may be, if there is precedent for something, if there isn't, how something fared before when it was proposed or when it was enacted. There are a lot of things that we do and undo in government and understanding the history of that - how it worked out - is actually really useful so we can learn from what we did before and do better next time, particularly when implementation with a lot of programs has been a major issue. So I am concerned for what this is going to look like in practice with a council that just is really inexperienced. [00:09:41] Erica Barnett: Yeah, I mean, and I just was thinking as you're talking - just kind of going through all the different folks that have been elected and thinking about how - on the current council, I would lift up Lisa Herbold as an example of somebody who's been there 25 years in various roles. And she is the person, particularly like during budget, who brings up things that have happened in the past or says - Well, we actually discussed this six years ago and this was the discussion then, or there's a proviso on this money that says this. And you need someone who is able to do that, whether it's a staff member or a number of staff members or a councilmember, not just during budget time, but during - for example, the SPOG contract. Five members of the council sit on the Labor Relations Policy Committee and they're going to be bargaining with the police guild and Mayor Harrell's office. And if you are talking about people that don't have a lot of institutional knowledge of what came before, I mean - like you, I'm concerned that they're just going to get steamrolled by whatever the mayor's office and SPOG decide that they want or that they can agree to. And I also thought of another thing that they're going to be doing next year, which is the Comprehensive Plan. There's a major update every 10 years and that's happening next year. And that's the document that guides planning and development and zoning for the entire city. And during the campaign, this was a question that came up - which Comp Plan option do you support? And everybody said Comp Plan 5 - for the most part. And I think that without getting into the details of what that even means, I would be really curious to ask every single person who was elected - So what's in Comp Plan 5? Because I think that sometimes campaigns deal with surface level issues, but the Comprehensive Plan is a massively complex document that they're going to be discussing over the course of a year now - starting in January, February - and it's really consequential. So that's just another example of a complex decision that this council is going to have to be making - again, without a lot of institutional knowledge. And I will say just to mention one idea that got squashed this year, Teresa Mosqueda, who is one of the councilmembers who's leaving to go serve on King County Council, brought up the idea of doing staggered elections so that instead of electing all 7 district city council seats all at once, like we did this year, we would do 4 one year and then 3 two years from then. And the idea is that even if you elect a completely new council every four years, at least people have a couple of years of experience under their belts. And that idea just got quashed, and I think it's very unlikely to happen - but that would have made a little bit of difference. [00:12:51] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, and I thought that was an excellent idea - was sad to see that not be able to move forward. Now, speaking of Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, who was just elected to the King County Council - this now brings up an issue of there being a vacancy timing around when she can choose to go or not. Evidently there's been some calls - maybe people looking at the Supreme Court or Congress, different things, and then looking at the Seattle Council and going - Well, hey, if there's an opportunity to get another progressive in, maybe you should leave early. Why did she appear to decide against that? [00:13:31] Erica Barnett: Yeah, I mean, Teresa Mosqueda is not Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And one big difference is that she is not independently wealthy and - nor is her staff. And so I think that just as a practical matter - and this was my immediate reaction actually when I started seeing calls for her to step down and just kind of not have a job for a couple months, was - well, like normal people can't do that. And even if you're making $130,000 a year, or whatever it currently is at the city council, it is hard when - she has a little kid. And her staff, some of whom may go over with her to King County Council, still need to make a living. So there's a very practical consideration. And the other thing is, I think it's a bit of sour grapes. I mean, the voters have spoken and I think it would be a bit of sour grapes to say - Well, we're gonna shove a progressive onto the council under the wire. But more importantly, I don't think that it would probably work. I don't think it would be successful to try to get - for Teresa Mosqueda to try to appoint another Teresa Mosqueda-type to the council because you have to get the support of your colleagues. And I don't know that the current council would be willing to sort of subvert the process. I mean, it wouldn't be subverting the process, it would just be rushing it a bit. But to do that at this point, when we have a new council coming in, it just - there's a sense of fairness about that, that I think would strike some of the current council the wrong way, even if they are more progressive people who are leaving. [00:15:17] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, and it's not like there's a situation now, or upcoming with the new council, where there is a one-member majority and this one change is going to tip the balance of decisions that are made. I think with looking at some of the budget action, which we'll talk about shortly, earlier this week - we can see that's not the case. And there's also just the responsibilities of the job, which I think Teresa Mosqueda takes seriously. The City of Seattle is heading into a pretty significant budget deficit - hundreds of millions of dollars budget deficit. And I think most people consider her to be the foremost budget expert on the council - particularly with so many new people coming into the council and so much work to do on the budget, the more work she can do to help prepare this next council for what's gonna happen, to help usher in what hopefully will be sustainable changes to the budget, the better for everyone and for the city, I believe. So that's gonna be interesting. I did see Hannah Krieg report on rumors that Tanya Woo is either angling for, or people are angling for her, to be appointed to that position when that does happen. Tanya just lost a very narrow election to Tammy Morales in Seattle's District 2. What do you think the prospects for that would be, or what that would mean? [00:16:45] Erica Barnett: Well, I mean, I would be completely speculating, but it does seem - and segue to completely speculate about that - I mean, it does seem sort of unlikely, you know, just looking at historical appointments for the council to appoint somebody who ran against one of the people that won. Historically what the council has done is either appoint sort of placeholder people who have said they're not going to run for re-election, because remember - this is just a temporary position until the next election, which in this case would actually be in 2024. Because of the way it works, it would be the next state election since there's not another city election until '25. So you're talking about a very temporary seat. I don't know. At this point, my gut would be that they wouldn't do that. But again, that is just speculation. I know Brianna Thomas, who ran for council a couple of times and now works in the mayor's office in labor relations, is another potential person who is definitely angling for that position. So she seems like another possibility, but again, that's somebody who really wants to stay on the council and maybe perceived as progressive, or a member of the kind of progressive wing of the council - she worked for Lorena González, who's quite progressive, before joining the mayor's office. So I'm not following that super, super closely yet, but yeah - it'll be interesting, but perhaps not hugely consequential, except for 2024, who ends up getting that position. [00:18:36] Crystal Fincher: I wanna talk about another Election Night story, or one that was really made plain on Election Night. And that was King County's elections website and its performance or lack thereof on Election Day. What happened? [00:18:50] Erica Barnett: Yeah, so I've been wanting to write about the King County website and it's not just the elections website, but we'll talk about that specifically. But I would encourage people to go to kingcounty.gov and just check it out. See what you think. They did a big website redesign, revamp. And one of the consequences of that revamp is that it's really hard apparently to load sort of new information into the website for just kind of regular County departments. And so on Election Night, if you are an election watcher, what ordinarily happens is that you start refreshing the webpage around 8:10p. The results usually go up right around 8:15p. And so on Election Night, people were refreshing, refreshing, refreshing, but there were no results for at least 15 minutes. I actually gave up and got the results from King 5, which apparently got them because the elections people had to post the results on Twitter. I'm not really on Twitter that much anymore, so I didn't see this, but they had to create essentially a workaround for this website that is - it's not only does it look like something from - I don't know, 1999, maybe that's a little mean, 2003 we'll say - but it doesn't function very well and a lot of stuff is broken, and links don't work, and all the photos are gone, and it's just a mess. And yeah, it was really consequential on Election Night when people were trying to find out who won and couldn't get this information for 15, 20 minutes, which I know might not sound like much, but it is hugely consequential if you are a campaign or if you are somebody interested in the results, like I was as a reporter. So man, it was just a mess. [00:20:54] Crystal Fincher: It was a mess. I was at KIRO doing Election Night coverage and it was a big challenge. Fortunately, their team was able to get the results from the alternate posts, so we had them before they were live on the website. But it's really a challenge. And especially at this point in time where there is so much bad faith information, misinformation about elections, the integrity of our elections, and what's happening. Unfortunately, that means that we need to do as great a job as possible at being transparent, at making sure that things work as expected, that we can explain what's happening and why it's happening, and provide some predictability and transparency in the process. And having that happen on Election Night is very suboptimal. We'll see what improvements they make to it. And we've seen rollouts of websites - these things are hard. It is not like you flip a switch and everything works. So I don't wanna devalue the work involved, but I do hope they reflect on the timing of this, the type of testing and rigor that they use to test this - especially for the kind of strain that is expected on a night like Election Night. I think we heard some of the reasoning was that - Well, you know, it just had a lot of traffic and that contributed to the collapse. Well, yeah, that's gonna be expected on Election Night. And I hope they are able to do a better job in the future - making sure that it can accommodate the infrequent but predictable heavy loads that the website is going to experience. [00:22:40] Erica Barnett: Well, I think in one way it was actually optimal - possibly - because I think it, you know, people have been complaining about this website for a while. I mean, when I first went to it - and I don't know, it's probably been a month or two now - I truly thought, and again, it's kingcounty.gov. I truly thought it was a, like a test website. Like it was sort of the interim version between the old website and the new one, and this was just like temporary. And then called and found out - no, this is the website. And I think there are just - there are so many things that are suboptimal and just bad about it. And I think that sometimes in my experience, the tech side of things tend to, you know, say things like - Well, it's just, you know, it's not the design, it's that you're just not used to using it, or you're not using it right, or there's nothing wrong, there's nothing to see here. And I think a website falling apart on Election Night that just really like pissed off a number of people outside the county might impel them to actually take some action on this thing, because it is infuriating to use. I mean, it is - just one quick example that, you know, that's emblematic - is you go to the website now, and one of the, it's sort of like "the top things people need." And one of them is like animal control. Another is a camera in rural King County that like is on some road in rural King County - I don't know who needs that, but I wouldn't put it in the top, you know, 10,000 things on that website that people are looking for. So hopefully this will bring some sanity back, 'cause I use that website pretty frequently and it is very frustrating to use. [00:24:35] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, and I also use it frequently. And we didn't talk about this part before, but yeah - I had the same thought as you. I thought it was an interim site that - okay, well, they - my read was - well, they were hoping to do some upgrades, but clearly they couldn't get them done in time. So this is the, you know, meantime, they just stripped it down to bare bones and just want to make sure it's functional. That was my read, my assumption - I didn't look very deeply into it besides just being frustrated that everything was hard to find and wasn't where it was before. But yeah, it was a challenge, these things often are. But that would also make me want to keep it as, these things happening as far away from elections as possible. Like, you know, let's implement changes in January or February instead of later in the year, you know, closer to the primary or general election if we're doing these things. And yes, it may be a bigger site-wide thing, but my goodness - if you're hoping that things land well with the public, this is certainly - elections are one of the most visible things that the county does. I would be surprised if there was something that generated more traffic to the website than the election site around election time. But we will see how that continues and hopefully they're able to get that together soon. Also want to talk about another elections-related story, and that was the story of the post office missing pickups from a ballot box that contained ballots in some races - one of them still is too close to officially call. What happened here? [00:26:21] Erica Barnett: Well, from what I understand, the post office just didn't pick up any mail from this one site - or sorry, from this one box for like a month. And I just read about it in The Seattle Times, probably like you did. And I got a tip about it and was gonna look into it, but you know, a one-person website, so I didn't get around to it - Times did. And yeah, it just sounds like they somehow messed up and didn't pick up any mail at this box. So there are 85 ballots, I believe, that are being counted now. Not enough to turn around Ron Davis's election prospects against Maritza Rivera in District 4, but still - 85 ballots is 85 ballots. When you're talking about margins of like 300 votes, every little bit counts. So this was pretty significant to find out about at the, you know, at the 13th hour, really. [00:27:31] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely. And then just reading about the process that occurs when this does happen. It looks like they were able to follow the process and get these ballots counted by verifying the dates and signatures on them, but certainly a conundrum here, and would love to see what's put in place to make sure that this doesn't happen again. Yeah, will be interesting to see. And the last thing I'll just say about these elections is - you alluded to a little bit earlier with talking about Teresa Mosqueda - it's not just her, but it's her staff. And in big cities - smaller cities and suburbs don't have council staff, but in Seattle, they do. And the role of staff is really important. It's going to be even more important because they're gonna hold the institutional knowledge. They do a lot of the policy work, preparation work, doing the research, interacting with community, doing constituent service. And a lot of them have been there for a while. They are absolutely valuable resources. Sometimes bureaucrats get a bad name for working in government service, but I just - seeing the work that they do, how instrumental they are to the process, particularly in support of elected officials who oftentimes just need good information and assistance to get stuff through the system. It's really important to have capable and competent bureaucrats. I think the City does have a number of them, and I think we're gonna see how important they are in the coming year. [00:29:04] Erica Barnett: Yeah, the City couldn't run without the deep state. I mean, truly. You need those people who've been there 20 years who like know Robert's Rules of Order in and out, and can write a script and, you know, for a city councilmember to read, and can write legislation and just do all the sort of grunt work that keeps things running. I mean, they, you know, staff gets maligned and they're always sort of subject to budget cuts because - who needs all these administrative people? But in a lot of cases, you really do need the administrative people because they're the ones that make the council meeting not look like chaos. [00:29:41] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. And who help make legislation stand up to legal challenges and get things implemented in the way they were intended. It is really important and just wanted to say that I see them. And when - I'm thinking about Andrew Lewis, who was not reelected - that means that his staff has a lot of question marks too. And in a city as expensive to live in in Seattle, that is a harrowing thing. So elections do impact lots of people in lots of different ways. I do wanna talk about the budget, and action this week with the council pertaining to the budget. What did they do? [00:30:21] Erica Barnett: Well, they are still continuing to sort of hack away at Mayor Bruce Harrell's 2024 budget. And they have voted on a whole slew of amendments. I would say the headline, and surprisingly it has not been a huge headline, is that Kshama Sawant - outgoing councilmember, often does a lot of kind of performative stunty stuff that doesn't actually result in legislation - but she won on a big issue this week. She got $20 million - a very, very tiny increase, I think it was 0.01%. So 0.0001 to the JumpStart Tax to fund mental health care and mental health programs for students. And $20 million is a really big deal at a time when the City is anticipating big budget decisions next year, potentially budget cuts. And when a lot of these debates in the City budget are over $300,000 or $1.5 million, just these very tiny increments. So to me, that is the huge headline is that Kshama Sawant sort of won the budget as she is walking out the door. But other stuff in the budget this year includes ShotSpotter, which is the controversial proposal that Mayor Bruce Harrell has made for a couple of years running to put surveillance systems in neighborhoods to detect gunshots or things that sound like gunshots. A lot of criticism of that system, but it sounds like the council is going to finally give in - on a 5-4 vote most likely - and fund that. And City pay increases are still sort of outstanding because that work is happening in the background, but there's gonna need to be money for City employees to get pay increases. And there's a lot of other stuff kind of around the margins - Sara Nelson is getting some money for the City to subsidize private drug treatment for some folks. And then kind of looming in the background after they pass this budget - and this is another reason Teresa Mosqueda, as you mentioned, is sticking around - They've got to figure out some revenue solutions for next year, 2025, and beyond. So they're looking at other increases to JumpStart, a capital gains tax, and there was talk of a CEO excess compensation tax but it seems like that's not gonna raise very much money - so it's off the table for now. [00:33:14] Crystal Fincher: Well, it certainly is gonna be interesting to see how those conversations play out as this year progresses, this next year progresses. I know several of the candidates who were elected expressed curiosity at some of the revenue options but were notoriously hesitant to commit to supporting any particular option. And knowing that so much of the outside spending that came into these races during the campaign was fundamentally about resisting taxation and some of those efforts and proposals, it's gonna be interesting to see what actually does wind up passing, if anything. [00:33:58] Erica Barnett: Yeah, I - on that note, I will just say that a lot of candidates said that the City doesn't have a budget problem, it has a spending problem. And I think they're going to realize that the City actually does have a budget problem when they have to get in and actually deal with the budget. I don't think that - there's a lot of talk of, We're gonna audit the whole system and I wanna look at the whole budget. Well, good luck, that's not really possible. I mean, you have entire departments each with their own budget division - hashing out the budget, looking at the actual budget documents for any one department could be a job for a person for a year. So I think they're going to be, they're in for a bit of a rough awakening if they think that they can't raise any new revenues and that they can accomplish $250 million in budget reductions through cuts alone. So we'll see when that awakening takes place, but I think it will. [00:34:58] Crystal Fincher: Oh, I absolutely think it will. It is certainly one thing to have catchy and simple slogans and taglines and soundbites when you're running for office, but governing is a serious thing. It is actually harder than running the campaign. So we will see how this progresses. Now I also want to talk about this week - a couple of things when it does come to the potential raises for City workers - that they've been saying, Hey, it's really expensive to live in Seattle. We count on cost of living adjustments to help keep up, but even that is hard with inflation, the cost of living. We aren't making enough in the first place. We need more money. This is teeing up to become a major confrontation, really, with the mayor's office signaling that they're hesitant to give raises anywhere close to what workers are asking for. There may be labor actions taken. We will see what happens. But this week, one interesting thing came out in an email from the mayor's office. What did they send? [00:36:16] Erica Barnett: So an email went out to most City employees this week. And what it said was - I think the subject line was "Financial Self-care," something related to that. And what it said was basically - if you are struggling with money, maybe you should look at your spending. And it gave some examples of things that you can do to sort of reduce your costs in your day-to-day life. And one was pay yourself first, which is this sort of very - I would say for a normal person - very unrealistic idea that before you pay your bills, you should put money in savings or in investments. And I think it's self-explanatory why most people can't do that. People living paycheck to paycheck need to keep the lights on, need to pay their rent. And then another suggestion was that people consider - when making purchases, whether something is a want or a need - which again, I mean, there's just something so condescending about that and so out of touch with the way normal people make spending decisions. And like, sure, like, do I make impulse buys? Does everybody sometimes? Yes. But the advice in this email - not to sort of waste your money on frivolous stuff - hits really poorly at a time when City employees are saying, Look, we're not asking for raises, we're asking for a cost of living adjustment to deal with the fact that inflation went up 8% last year and continues to rise. And what that means is a dollar buys less. So it's just - it was very, very, very poorly worded and poorly timed, considering that City employees are literally talking about striking right now. And so I just, I was sort of blown away by it. And one of the reactions - it got a lot of reaction when I posted about this. And one of the most common reactions was - huh, this is interesting because Mayor Harrell is saying that we all need to work from the office at least three days a week as part of his downtown revitalization plan. And part of that plan is that we're gonna go out to eat at lunch, and we're gonna go out to get drinks after work. And I don't know - is that a want or need, Mayor Harrell? So it's - I think it hit really poorly with a lot of City employees. And I've gotten a lot of reaction from folks who received it, sort of saying - Thanks for pointing this out, this is ridiculous. [00:38:54] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely. I've also seen a lot of reaction to that. When you're saying - Hey, help me, I'm struggling, and it's, you know, the cost of living, inflation is just unreasonable - it's hard to keep up with. And when the cost of rent is going up, and childcare is going up, and groceries are going up, and people are feeling this in every way - to have the person who does have the power and authority to say, You know what, we will ease this a little bit. We will grant your cost of living adjustment. We already know that you have shortages, and we're burning you out with the amount of work that we're placing on you and the amount that we're not paying you. So we're going to ease that burden and address some of these work shortages, some of these staff shortages in areas that are critical to delivering essential services for residents of Seattle. Seems like there's precedent for thinking that way - we've talked about financial solutions with the police department to help address retention and staffing. Seems like that should apply to other departments, but somehow it doesn't here. And just doesn't seem to be landing with people very well. And just to be clear, right - it's not like financial education and financial planning tips are never warranted. But they are not an intervention or response to poverty. The problem with poverty is not poor people making bad decisions and that's why they're poor. It's that they don't have enough money. And wow, we just got a whole lot of new data on how effective giving people in poverty more money is, as opposed to all of these extra things that are not more money. If you want to reduce poverty, invest in the people who are experiencing it. And if we want a city that is resilient moving forward, if we want a city where we do take pride in paying people a living wage - meaning a wage where they can live in the city - we're gonna have to do better than this for City employees, certainly. Now I also wanna talk about what the prospect is, and what the outlook is for this pay increase. And there was something that happens that maybe makes that cost of living adjustment look a little questionable. What was that? [00:41:11] Erica Barnett: I believe you're talking about the firefighters' contract, which was sent to firefighters - members of the Fire Department - last week. And the votes on that are gonna be tallied soon. But basically what it said was the firefighters, if they vote on this, will agree to a sort of maximum annual wage increase of 4%, a minimum of 2%, which is quite a bit less than the other City workers were asking for, the Coalition of City Unions. And the sort of compromise or payback for that is that if inflation is above 4%, then the money that would be paid to workers getting an inflationary increase is gonna go into what's called a COLA bank. And so - like say inflation 6%, your wage increase is 4% - you get 2% in the COLA bank. If next year inflation is 1%, you can get some of that back. So your minimum increase will always be 2% for the life of the contract. So that's still 2% to 4%, which is not a whole lot of increase, particularly for workers whose pay has been falling further and further behind under their existing contract. But the thinking is that this could be sort of a foreshadowing of what Harrell is going to ultimately offer the rest of the city. So I think there's quite a bit of discontent around that. And again, there is talk of some sort of action. There have been practice pickets happening. And I don't have any special insight into whether the City workers would strike, but I know it's being discussed. They are not technically allowed to do that under their contract. So again, not sure what sort of action they're going to take, but I know that there is a lot of discontent with the idea of settling for a 2% to 4% wage increase at this point. [00:43:16] Crystal Fincher: I wanna shift a little bit and really talk about a story that you broke - a couple weeks ago, I feel like it was - that we also saw reported at The Seattle Times as new this week. What is going on in the City of Burien right now? [00:43:33] Erica Barnett: Oh man, the - well, I mean, just a very, very quick background - the City of Burien passed a ban on sleeping in public at night. And has meanwhile, been sort of pushing around this group of unsheltered people from place to place - And now has the legal authority to use the Sheriff's Office to do so. They have meanwhile, been sort of sitting on an offer of a million dollars from King County, which originally proposed sort of a land swap deal where a Pallet shelter could be built in downtown Burien. But of course the city rejected that, I think, primarily because it would be in sort of a visible location. They've been sort of hemming and hawing on what to do with this million dollars ever since. And we're talking about, I think that was over the summer - I believe in June or July - that they, it was in July, that they voted against using it for that shelter. And so now it's November and King County has said - Look, we have to use this money. Or you have to use this money or we're going to put it out for bid. And so they have until November 27th to do that. The City Manager, Adolfo Bailon - apologies if I am mispronouncing his name - but he essentially sat on this information for a week and did not tell most of the council that this sort of deadline had come up until a week into the four weeks that they have to figure out a new location. So meanwhile, I think the council has one more meeting before this deadline passes. And my guess is they're not going to come up with a solution since they haven't done so so far. And this money is just going to go back into King County and then they'll put it out for bid for other South King County cities to use. [00:45:45] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, I think - if people do want to catch up on what's happened, there has been no one following what's been happening in Burien with more rigor than you and PubliCola. So I would encourage people to catch up on what you have already covered. But just a little more context - this is happening with a very polarized council. There is a 4-3 moderate conservative council majority. The three members in the minority have been very vocally opposed to the way things have gone. This all kicked off because the county basically - they were trying to figure out how to deal with this as a city, were looking like they were going to embark on some illegal sweeps. The county executive's office basically said - Hey, looks like you're about to embark on illegal sweeps. Since you contract your police department through the Sheriff's department, we're just letting you know that the sheriffs cannot participate in an illegal sweep. This kicked off a lot of hemming and hawing by the council - ended up coming to what, I think, the county viewed as a reasonable compromise and offer for help that lots of cities would love to have. And they said - Okay, you're trying to deal with this. We'll help you with a million dollars, some Pallet shelters. You talked about the land swap deal - there's publicly owned land that is being leased to a car dealership, we'll accommodate for that. And basically you have land available to make this happen. We know you need more resources to adequately address this. We will help you with that. And the council majority basically refused to engage with that for a long time. So the county finally has gotten around to saying - Okay, this isn't just an offer out there forever. We need to put this money to good use, so do you wanna take it? And the city manager in Burien initially said, Hey, I didn't even see it. I had no idea this was happening. Turns out he did, he actually responded to the email. But it has been quite a trial and tribulation there, and so we'll have to see what's gonna happen. But it does look like basically an effort to sabotage any attempt to do anything but criminalize homelessness, which just feels so out of joint from where most people are on this topic. Even people who feel that - hey, eventually sweeps are justified, almost uniformly feel like, but we need to do all we can to make sure that we do transition people into housing if possible, that offers of shelter are made, that we don't just move the problem from one place to another. City is not engaged with that at all. They seem perfectly satisfied to just sweep people from one place to another, as has been documented by the sweeps that they did of one location - seeing the people just move to another location. Homelessness is a problem about the lack of housing. If you aren't doing anything to provide housing, you aren't doing anything to solve homelessness, unless you feel the visibility of it, and not the people who actually don't have homes and are dealing with everything associated with that, which is just a very, very, very hard way to live. So we'll see what continues to happen. What are the prospects for them taking this up? Do they still have the option to ignore it? [00:49:14] Erica Barnett: Well, do you mean taking up the offer for a million dollars? Well, I mean, certainly they have the option to ignore it. I mean, it will go away. I mean, I think that - I'm perhaps a little bit less charitable than you are in my assessment of what people want, just having watched all these meetings of people sort of screaming that these are - Seattle people are sending mobs of homeless people down to Burien and just this kind of very unrealistic, fantastical stuff that people say. But I think there's some magical thinking going on on the council as well. The city has just hired, just signed a contract - a no-bid contract - with a group called The More We Love that's run by one individual, a Kirkland mortgage broker named Kristine Moreland. And she has said that she has access to special resources that no one else does, and she can easily house and shelter people. And that it's just that all these other experienced homeless outreach providers have failed. And I think that is a fantastical notion because, as you said, there is not enough housing, there is not enough shelter. And generally what she does is put people into detox, which is a three to five day program that doesn't include any housing or treatment, or takes people to Seattle and puts them into Union Gospel Mission shelters. Those are two of the things that I am aware of her doing, neither of which is a solution. And one of which is just moving people out of Burien and into Seattle, which is not housing them. So I think that there's just, there's a lot of unrealistic thinking going on. And of course, there was an election in Burien as well. And two of the more progressive members will no longer be on the council next year - they've been replaced by people who agree more on this issue with the conservative council majority. So yeah, it's, you know, I don't expect the situation there to get any better on this issue, nor do I think that this new council is going to have more realistic notions of what's possible without additional resources. [00:51:35] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, certainly the election results there were definitely a move in the other direction. We saw King County GOP endorsed candidates like Kevin Schilling handily winning his race there. Now, some of the opponents were pretty new, didn't have many resources, but can pretty much see a continuation and perhaps even an acceleration of these policies that are very punitive and hostile towards the unhoused population. The last thing I wanna talk about today is an update on Sound Transit's fare enforcement policies and processes. We've talked about this before, you have covered this for quite some time. So now they're coming out with a new fare enforcement system. What are they going to do now? [00:52:32] Erica Barnett: Well, as far as I can tell, the main difference - they're going to be enforcing fares and this has been covered in the past, but there will be more opportunities for people to get warnings and things like that - the initial fines will be lower. But the main difference is that the fare enforcement people are now called fare ambassadors and they are not in security uniforms, which Sound Transit is saying is a significant change. I mean, I guess it does make things feel different if you have a person who is not in a uniform, but an orange vest, checking your fare. But ultimately, I mean, that's the big substantive difference. They say that this is gonna be more equitable, they're gonna check everybody on the train, but as you mentioned, I've been covering this for a long time and for years, they've been saying that their process is completely equitable and that they - it is essentially impossible for them to discriminate against anybody or target anybody because of their race or perceived socioeconomic status because they start at both ends of the train and they move to the middle. And there was a slide that they showed so many times that I started kind of making fun of it on PubliCola because, you know, it was just this very, you know, sort of bored recitation at every council, or sorry, at every Sound Transit meeting where they would say - You know, we start at both ends of the train, we work our way to the middle, it's completely equitable. So, you know, they're saying this is gonna be completely equitable too. I don't think that it is possible to have an equitable fare enforcement policy because I think fare enforcement hits different people differently. And if you can't pay it, eventually, you could go to court and get a misdemeanor on your record. So fare enforcement inherently and fares inherently are not equitable. So we'll see how it plays out in practice, but once you start enforcing fares, you have instituted an inequitable process because poor people are less likely to be able to pay fares, more likely to get caught without having paid their fare, and then more likely to be unable to pay the fines that will eventually start accruing. [00:54:50] Crystal Fincher: I have a major pet peeve - pet peeve is too minor a way to say it, but it probably comes through and I haven't overtly articulated it, but you know, in lots of things that I talk about - but people just taking action to take action, that is not a serious attempt to fix the problem that they say they're trying to fix. Whether I agree with what they're stating is a problem or their way that they're going about it - even if you take everything at face value, their solutions are not in any way adequate enough to address what they're saying is a problem. And so the momentum - we've heard Sound Transit board members talk about how important fare enforcement is - people are getting away with it and we need to collect these fares for our system. We - our budget depends on fare box recovery and if people aren't paying, then that's throwing our finances and our system into chaos. Which would make most people reasonably think - Okay, so if they're doing fare enforcement action and spending all of this money on these fare enforcement people, and instituting this basically entire administration dedicated to fare enforcement - one would think that the fines that they issue would be collected by Sound Transit. I was surprised to learn from your reporting before that that wasn't the case. And it seems like it still isn't the case under this new system, is that correct? [00:56:24] Erica Barnett: My understanding is - yes, that the fines go to the, go into the administration, into the court system, but, you know, I am not 100%, I have not looked into this. So please don't, please do some fact checking on this for me, 'cause I - maybe you can look into it, Crystal - but I'm pretty sure that, yeah, the fines don't go to Sound Transit. I mean, I think like big picture, Sound Transit does have some financial problems. A lot of them are related to the fact that they continue to provide service that is suboptimal for a lot of people. A lot of times trains are stopped because of incidents, escalators very often don't work. And the trains are running a lot slower now, they're more crowded because there's not enough cars and they're not running as frequently. And so the service has really suffered. And so - number one, it's not a great product right now. It could be a great product again, but you're sort of instituting fare enforcement at a time when the product itself is suboptimal. And second, they're planning the next expansion of the light rail system and a lot of the stuff they're doing, you know, in particularly in South Lake Union, for example, to appease Amazon and other companies in that area is moving stations around and making big changes that are going to cost money. And then on the flip side, eliminating stations like the Midtown Station that have huge constituencies, like all the people on First Hill that got robbed of a station in Sound Transit 1 when they cut the station there. So you're sort of putting the squeeze on people who might be your riders in the future and moving things around to appease big companies. So I don't know - I think a lot of people are frustrated with Sound Transit right now and focusing on, Oh my God, it's those damn, you know, fare evaders, as they call people who don't pay, they're the problem - just feels really off point right now. And, you know, I mean, I'm sure you've ridden light rail. It's noticeably slower recently because people, the drivers for one - I mean, one reason for that is that the drivers are slowing down in the Rainier Valley to avoid hitting people because Sound Transit put the trains at grade in the first segment of light rail. So yeah, it's just - it's not a great look. [00:59:05] Crystal Fincher: It's not a great look. And yes, I have ridden light rail recently. I've also ridden BART recently and LA Metro trains recently. And my goodness, is it just noticeable? If you know me, you've heard this rant, but Los Angeles, the car capital of the world, and Seattle actually started planning their light rail systems at the same time. And Seattle has wound up with a partial line that still has end points getting pushed off for decades, it seems like. And LA has built this vast network of multiple lines and everything in a city where it's not easy to get stuff done, where people have more of a connection to their cars, where it's harder to get around in other areas - so the lift of getting people to make that change seems heavier down there. And wow, we've just gotten bogged down in the Seattle process, it seems. But it seems like the main problem, what's underlying everything else, is that their - the people in charge of this system, the Sound Transit Board, are not regular transit riders. They don't seem to use the product that they're responsible for. And listening to them talk - most of them are, predominantly drive cars, they don't take transit often. And you can hear that in their comments, you can see that in how they are planning, or not planning, or the things that they're missing, as we progress here. So I certainly hope that we see more of a focus on appointing leaders to that board who understand the system and use it, and understand how important it is to their community and the relevance of their community, and how it needs to adapt to other communities. Yeah, it's really interesting. I'm thinking of a number of suburban leaders, whether it's Bothell or Covington - people wanting to improve the service, make it relevant for their community, but it is just been a big challenge. With that, I thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks on this Friday, November 17th, 2023. The producer of Hacks & Wonks is Shannon Cheng. Our insightful co-host today was Seattle political reporter and editor of PubliCola, Erica Barnett. You can find Erica on Twitter @ericacbarnett and on multiple platforms now - just search Erica and on PubliCola.com. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks and soon you'll be able to follow it on other platforms. You can find me on most platforms as @finchfrii. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar, be sure to subscribe and leave a review if you're able - to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review shows and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the podcast episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.
Will Smith is the co-founder of National Links Trust, a non-profit organization focused on reinvigorating the three municipal golf courses in Washington D.C. and advocating for muni golf courses across the country. Will and his co-founder Mike McCartin have leveraged their experience and expertise in golf course architecture and deep relationships in the game of golf to strengthen the bond between municipal golf courses and the surrounding communities. In "Angle of Attack with Andrew Lewis" (1:07:45), Andrew & I discuss the importance of tracking stats and using statistical analysis to help optimize golf performance. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Co. @flagbaggolf on Instagram https://flagbaggolfco.com/ Engage with hosts and followers on the the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook. Resources: National Links Trust: https://www.nationallinkstrust.org/ @nationallinkstrust on Instagram; @links_national on Twitter Andrew Lewis Golf: @andrewlewisgolf on Instagram @drivengolfanalytics on Instagram; @golfdriven on Twitter Host: Jim Colton (@jcolton31) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay)
What’s Trending: The left would rather ban guns than address mental health crisis and parent from a Bellingham school wins a battle they should not have to fight. LongForm: Betsi Hummer hopes to keep Seattle problems out of Bellevue. She’s running for city council. Quick Hit: Challenger Bob Kettle calls out Andrew Lewis' weak on drugs stance.
Jarrett Phillips is a strength coach and owner of TrainPMT in Southlake, Texas. Jarrett's tireless work and growth mindset has put TrainPMT at the cutting edge for developing speed and strength for golfers and baseball players. Jarrett discusses the data-driven approach using the latest technology to create positive outcomes for the athletes he trains. In "Angle of Attack with Andrew Lewis" (1:08:00), Andrew discusses the pros and cons of raising a multi-sport athlete and knowing when is the right time to specialize in golf. And Joseph and Jim discuss a Big Idea (1:21:45) for the Official World Golf Ranking to provide pathways for deserving LIV golfers to get into the 2024 majors. The Driven Golf Podcast is brought to you by FlagBag Golf Co. @flagbaggolf on Instagram https://flagbaggolfco.com/ Engage with hosts and followers on the the Driven Golf Podcast Group on Facebook : Resources: TrainPMT: https://trainpmt.com @trainpmt_southlake on Instagram Andrew Lewis Golf: @andrewlewisgolf on Instagram @drivengolfanalytics on Instagram; @golfdriven on Twitter Host: Jim Colton (@jcolton31) Producer: Joseph Kay (@joseph_kay) Strength/Fitness resources mentioned in the episode: Driveline Baseball: https://www.drivelinebaseball.com @drivelinebaseball Titleist Performance Institute (TPI): https://www.mytpi.com @mytpi Proteus: https://proteusmotion.com @proteusmotion Trackman: https://www.trackman.com @trackmangolf Kvest: https://www.k-motion.com @kmotion3d K-pulley (kbox): https://exxentric.com @go_exxentric Ancore pulley: https://ancoretraining.com @ancoretraining What's That Strap 3D Strap: https://whatsthatstrap.com @whatsthatstrap Regen Trainer: https://functionalpatterns.com/collections/regen-trainer @functionalpatterns SuperSpeed stick: https://superspeedgolf.com @superspeedgolf The Stack: https://www.thestacksystem.com @thestacksystem RypStick: https://rypstick.com @ryp_performance Mach 3: https://mach3speedtraining.com @mach3speedtraining
What's Trending: Lake City car lot is facing repeated theft, Alki residents concerned about safety and it rain a little bit today.LongForm: Aaron Marshall (Seattle cop who is running against Andrew Lewis for city council) tackles the SPD staffing crisis and how he'd handle the tree occupiers in Wedgwood. Quick Hit: RFK Jr. says he takes more heat in the media than Trump.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Democrats, media seek to silence concerned parents by vilifying them. Early attacks paint Dave Reichert as either too far right, or not right enough. The other ‘unBelievable' extreme in abortion debate. Andrew Lewis, selective tree hugger.
Ray Gillenwater talks to the owner of Starting Strength Indianapolis, Andrew Lewis, about upcoming gym updates, insights from his training logbooks, and how training helped tremendously with his depression. 01:14 - Logbooks from Starting Strength Coaches 02:58 - Starting Strength Indianapolis updates 08:42 - Client stories 11:14 - Andrew's PRs 13:04 - Back to day one 18:55 - After LP 23:32 - Olympic lifting 27:11 - Failing the opt-in during the seminar 31:06 - Insights from training and life 36:32 - Motivation for training 40:11 - Training to help depression 47:05 - Current programming 49:39 - Blackmetal Strength to SS Indianapolis 53:02 - Can you think for yourself? 56:15 - What would you do differently if you could do this again?
The Monologue: South Lake Union encampment causing more problems. The Interview: Sen Chris Gildon (R-Puyallup) says Republicans are pushing to let you opt-out, at any time, of the long term care trust tax.The Interview: Olga Sagan (city council candidate) reacts to Andrew Lewis continuing to use an endorsement he doesn't have and explains whether or not she thinks the homeless will return post-All Star Game. LongForm: Dave Workman (Second Amendment Foundation) notes we're seeing gun crimes go up despite all those anti-gun laws that were supposed to lead to fewer homicides.Quick Hit: An LA Business owner is cited for having a sign on the sidewalk but homeless people go unpunished.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What's Trending: Drug task force funding is decreasing in Washington, Mariners fan want Shohei Ohtani and Andrew Lewis won't address endorsement fraud on his voter pamphlets. Big Local: Pride flags stolen 10+ times from an Everett home, Vancouver has RV age limits and SeaTac was crowded post All-Star game. You Pick: A TN Congressman says we can't handle aliens if they exist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Monologue: Search for Oceangate submarine is intensifying. The Interview: State Rep. Ed Orcutt (R-Kalama) says he needs voter support to tackle the housing affordability issue.The Monologue: A person fell asleep in a car and was found with pounds of illegal substances. The Interview: Emma Camp (assistant editor at Reason Magazine) details the Republican plan to tackle student loan debt -- at the root cause. LongForm: Aaron Marshall is a Seattle police officer who decided to throw his name in the campaign for district 7, taking on incumbent Andrew Lewis. He has some ideas around public safety and the homeless. Quick Hit: Seattle struggles to clear a homeless encampment in BallardSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.