Something I'd love to see from local journalism going into Seattle City Council's fall budget session is more context, by which I mean: what percentage of SPD's budget is being cut? How much has it increased relative to the City budget in the last ten years?

What percentage is being proposed compared to other department cuts? The library? Human Services? But also, say, to SDOT, home of deferred maintenance? For example I think my dept was asked to look for 8%, but uh... don't quote me on that I'm off the clock.

The budget, while v confusing, is also extremely online. Past budgets are here: https://www.seattle.gov/city-budget-office/budget-archives. $$ are moved around via Council Budget Actions uploaded here: http://seattle.legistar.com/Legislation.aspx. & you can sign up for Budget Committee Agendas here: http://www.seattle.gov/council/committees/agenda-sign-up

Budget agendas are long & fascinating, they give you about two days notice of the meeting & they include the details about remote public comment. Please get involved in local budgets & legislation as close to the beginning as possible. Final vote is too late for big change.

This is all good to know in general, but also you know what the SPD cut was? The one that they fought & the Mayor fought & what made the Chief quit & emboldened SPD to harass & attack demonstrators? $3 million out of a $400+ million budget. That's it. That's the cut.

I dunno guys. This is the thing I can do. If you find budget confusing I am sorry to tell you that this will be my seventh budget & I'm still confused. I'm also sorry to tell you that Council can say money must be spent a certain way & the Mayor can just decide to... not do it.

And the answer to THAT is voting in local elections + ongoing public pressure. Okay I will stop now before I get myself fired.

So back to the trashy Twitter already in progress, and a blessed return to 140 character tweets amen.