Why I no longer buy the Seattle Times

OK, I'd been leery of the Times for many years, but the first big turn-off came in 2007 when I visited the Times' editorial board to talk up the Mental Health/Substance Abuse Sales Tax. The tax - at a cost of less than $100 per household per year - would provide $48 million/year to fight the causes of homelessness in our county. Well, the Times editorial board asked all the wrong questions, then wrote a very pointed editorial against the tax. This even though there was no organized opposition to the effort. Well, the tax passed overwhelmingly in spite of the Times' opposition.

Then there were Lance Dickey's anti-tent city editorials.

But the final straw was the editorial board's endorsement of Dino Rossi for governor. Gregoire won 64 to 36%. The Times was obviously way out of step with its context - King County.

And here's the latest: the Times' campaign for salt on Seattle streets. As usual, Slog was the most eloquent: Seattle Times 1, Truth 0 and Times to Puget Sound: Drop Dead. Sand works fine. It just has to be applied after a street is plowed. Our problem is lack of plowing and sanding. Let's not punish Puget Sound for our lack of snow plows.

Just seems odd to me that such a progressive city would have such a backward major daily. Maybe I'm not the only one who's tired of the Times' backward attitudes - the paper's cutting back and laying off staff. Feels to me like the price of ideology over truth in journalism.

So yeah, you won't see me with a copy of the Times by my morning muffin and decaf. I'm readin' the P-I.