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Dr. Robi Ludwig

drrobiludwigbook

Dr. Robi S Ludwig is a nationally renowned modern psychoanalytically trained psychotherapist, award winning author and a reporter. Being a well-known psychotherapist, she deals with both adults’ and couples’ issues. She is inspiring directing people to find their personal life goals and to grow emotionally. She treats for wide range of issues including relationship problems, addiction issues, transitional problems, as well as mood, depression, thought and character disorders. You’ll commonly see her on TV shows such as CNN, Entertainment Tonight, and The Bill Cunningham Show just to name a few. She has been appearing on the broadcasting mass media since 1997 and has contributed a lot in communicating current psychological insights on broad range of topics. Her advice and tips are highly valued in the media and by the public who trust her and her education.

The goal is to help provide you with the insights and tools you need to move beyond old, limiting beliefs and behaviors. Through a combination of therapeutic techniques, she can help you identify limiting beliefs and outmoded coping mechanisms that may be standing in your way. Her advice has help many understand their problems more clearly which in the end helps them overcome their issue/s. Many clients report rapid progress due to the effective approaches she employs.

She is currently a relationship contributor for Investigation Discovery Network’s Scorned, which presents reenactment and analysis of marital homicide stories. Dr. Robi has also hosted her own show including two seasons of TLC’s reality show, “One Week to Save Your Marriage” as well as GSN’s reality game show, “Without Prejudice?”

DR. Ludwig is making lot of guest appearances on popular TV shows. As noted above, Dr. Ludwig is a regular on CNN, Headline News and The Fox News Channel where she talks about psychological, lifestyle, and sociocultural issues as well as the criminal mind. She also appears on national shows such as: ET, TODAY, 20/20, ABC World News, The View, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, Wendy Williams, The Bill Cunningham Show, Neil Cavuto, Hannity and Lou Dobbs helping audiences and guests alike to understand the complexities of the human mind.

Her book, ’Till Death Do Us Part: Love, Marriage and the Mind of the Killer Spouse, written with journalist Matt Birkbeck was published with Atria books. It came out March in 2006. Every day six people in the United States are murdered by spouses or intimate partners. That is truly a shocking number. The stories of killer spouses tend to captivate us, as they beg the question of how so many seemingly normal and happy people manage to go over the edge. Indeed, every relationship presents “extreme moments” where scary feelings surface, yet what happens when those feelings turn to action? That was the core concern of Ludwig’s book.

Till Death Do Us Part presents the psychological profiles of notorious killer spouses — from Scott Peterson and Clara Harris to Rabbi Fred Neulander and Betty Broderick. Ludwig reveals ten killer personality categories. These ten personality types are defined in detail and illustrated with examples from high-profile cases along with in-depth analyses of the motivations behind the murders. The ten types range from the Betrayal/Abandonment Killer (who loses control and kills from a broken heart) to the Control Killer (who micromanages every aspect of the spouse’s life) and the Black Widow/Profit Killer (who kills for money).

Her book is a masterpiece in psychology category. It has received so many top class reviews and ratings. I thought it’s noteworthy to bring some of them here.

“…Through Robi’s valuable insight, she has helped us all to understand the violent actions and dark logic behind these murders, particularly since these cases appear to involve seemingly normal people.”
Larry King
CNN’s Larry King Live.

“Dr. Ludwig casts light on the formerly taboo subjects of marital strife and homicide. She enlightens us all!”
Nancy Grace
Court TV’s Closing Arguments & Headline News

“…Till Death Do Us Part is an invaluable resource. It offers an expert’s analysis of the psychological factors that oftentimes coalesce and are expressed violently.”
Robert K. Tanenbaum
Former homicide bureau chief for the Manhattan DA’s office and New York Times bestselling author of Fury

Authors Ludwig and Birkbeck examine the concept of peaceful versus violent resolution and why certain spouses believe murder is the best and only response in their great piece of work. In the book they sit down and evaluate the situations so you can better understand the couple. You get an inside look of what they may have been thinking and what some of their highly rooted issues may have been.

Apart from the TV programs, Robi is now doing regular “Ask Dr. Robi” Segments every Wednesday morning for Magic Variety Radio on Magic 100.1 in New Jersey. On the show, their audience can ask them about their social and mental problems directly to Dr. Robi Ludwig. Most of the topics covered by her included sexual aspects, depressions, couple problems, teenage mind, parenting issues, divorces and so on.

In the late 1990’s she worked as a psychology reporter for WETM-TV, the NBC affiliate in Elmira, New York. She wrote, produced and hosted Real Talk, a weekly live call-in show covering psychological and self-help topics. Everyday people would call in and she would help them live on the show. It covered a variety of topics and emotions from serious problems to questions which turned out pretty funny. The show was an immediate hit and talked about all the time in the media.

Her practical experience as a psychotherapist began in 1988 when she worked as a counselor for patients with severe psychiatric disorders. In both clinical settings and in her private practice, she has treated all forms of mental illness, substance abuse, grieving, sexual identity issues, job stress, anxiety emotional and sexual abuse problems as well as the more common social and parenting issues.

Dr. Ludwig’s academic credentials include a doctorate in psychology (Psy.D) from California Southern University; she holds a post-masters certificate in advanced clinical work from Hunter College, a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Cedar Crest College.

In addition to the mass media programs held by her, she voluntarily helps those who need counseling via social media networks. In her profile, there are lot of people asking different types of psychological issues. Everyone who expects some mental and spiritual relief are welcome to her profiles. She has asked her fans to be forward and to participate in those little activities that she recommends on her social sites. She believes that those activities (I may say fun activities) would lessen the heavy weight that people keep in their heads.

DR. Robi Ludwig is not just a professional counselor or a psychologist. But she is a famous star who has helped people to resolve their mental dilemmas. Her solutions to mental problems are simple, practicable, and obviously very effective.

She currently resides in New York. She has two children and her husband in her family.

There are several good videos of featuring her on her YouTube Channel. Here is one where she covers her highlight reel like her appearances on Fox News, The Bill Cunningham Show, and CNN.

If you want to contact this award winning psychologist, here are the contact information of DR. Ludwig.
Dr. Robi Ludwig (email: drrobi@drrobiludwig.com)
212-472-2027

There currently are no tours in the Seattle, Washington area at this time for this celebrity, however, if one comes up in the area the Emerald City Journal will be the first to report on it. This isn’t her first article with us, she wrote an exclusive article for the Emerald City Journal newspaper about a month ago entitled Killer Lovers. Dr. Ludwig provides us insight into lovers and why they sometimes feel the need to kill each over as lovers.

Dr Robi Ludwig Photo

Reducing Your Energy Bills At Home

Reducing Energy Bills At Home

Reducing your energy bills is a big issue for many these days. This is especially true because Seattle Utilities and Puget Sound Energy just keeps raising their rates on us. What are we going to do except continue to play their game and pay the increases each month and year. As a city, there isn’t much we can do about this. They have a monopoly on the energy so we are stuck. Below you’ll find some of the most recommended tips you can use to help reduce your energy bills.

First, it’s highly recommend to unplug devices if they are not being used. The Department of Energy as stated that 85% of our energy costs are from devices/appliances which are not being used. In short, if it’s plugged into the wall there still is a cost associated with that. Now obviously you don’t want to be unplugging your refrigerator but how about that toaster you never use or that lamp across the room? If you’re not using it or rarely use it, keep it unplugged and you’ll save money on your energy bills.

Second, if an appliance breaks or you’re looking to update your kitchen make sure you’re using Energy Star appliances. These appliances use 10-50% less energy and water compared to their counterparts. You’ll most likely have to pay a little more to get your hands on them but in the long run your monthly bill will be less. We are actually seeing more and more Energy Star appliances on the market and less of the old so just take your time and investigate that purchase. Educating yourself and looking a little bit longer can save your money and energy.

Third, get a good thermostat. You want one that is programmable so you can adjust it to during the day. You can make it more comfortable only when you need it. Some may want it turned down dramatically during the day then up a little more at night for example. The point is that you can control it easier to reduce your heating and cooling energy costs.

Fourth, consider talking to a energy solutions company like Smart Energy Today Inc. They offer a lot of products and solutions they can dramatically help reduce your energy bills. Plus, it helps with our environment. They also have dinner events you can attend (which are free) and they will just educate you about becoming more energy independent. Don’t even need to bring your money to the event. Did I mention it’s free? It’s a win/win.

Fifth, with all this great weather we are having try to use more fans instead of the AC. Fans are way less compared to AC energy costs.

Sixth, an easy fix everyone can do is make sure you home is air sealed. Just go through your home and make sure you don’t have an leaks where air can get in. Check around the edges of your doors and sliders. If there are holes or gaps, you’ll want to get that fixed or at a minimum put insulation in there so all your heat isn’t being wasted.

Seventh, the final tip we can give you is try to conserve water. Water heating is actually the third largest when it comes to your energy bill. Some tips you can implement are taking faster showers and just being alert when using water (dishes, clothing, cars, ect). Another great tip is to reduce your hot water temperature. It will save you a lot and you probably won’t even notice the change throughout the house.

There you have it readers. Take the first steps and start to reduce your energy footprint.

Randy Jokela Back On The Job Writing Pot Tickets

Seattle Police Force Photo

Just a quick follow-up on the article about Randy Jokela who is the top pot ticket writer on the Seattle police force. The police force didn’t see the value in having him sit on the sidelines while he was being investigated by the Office of Professional Accountability so they put him back to work.

If you don’t remember Randy Jokela actually wrote 80 percent of the marijuana tickets at the beginning of the year (63 of 80 tickets). Turns out Mr. Jokela is bicycle officer in downtown Seattle.

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Seattle Utility Rates Increasing

Seattle Utility Rates Increasing

It’s that time of year. The time of year the Seattle council and utility companies claim poverty or increased inflation to demand rate increases. Now it’s a done deal because the Seattle Council just approved the increase on your utility rates. Isn’t that just great? It of course will start small and increase from there. They obviously like to do this so the public doesn’t throw a tantrum and will just accept the rate increase. The small rate increases seems to be the popular method these days. Look at the stamp and how it slowly increased 2 cents at a time. Now it’s way to expensive to send a letter! Since 2004 the average family of 4 has seen an increase of 96%. Over the next 6 years you should expect to see an increase of 4.6% each year. The increase is about $90 on top of your current bill. On a side note, you should know that from 2008 to now 2014 we’ve experienced a 7% increase.

In short, expect to spend more money and get less service. I’m not sure where the notion that everything needs to increase each year comes from. Everyone claims inflation….Does rent really need to go up each year? Do utilities really need to increase each year? It’s not like you’re making more money each year or putting more in the bank right? It’s an excuse unfortunately that people can say to justify their increase. It’s about more money in there pockets and that’s it.

We have to get out of this mindset that everything can increase in price just because it’s a new year. We can’t support it as a society and this is exactly why we have bubbles in our markets. When the people don’t make more and everything just increases in price (just because it’s that time of year) we are all doomed to fail.

The Major Issue With Healthcare

Affordable Healthcare Issues

As you know there are a lot of issues with Obamacare (affordable healthcare act). The biggest issue being the monthly fees and deductibles. I truly believe most people want to be healthy and have the luxury of a good healthcare program, however, the fees are just un-realistic. With a deducible starting at 5,000++, most couldn’t afford it anyway should something serious happen to them. One positive I like about Obamacare is that there are options available (healthcare exchanges). Again, they are all un-realistic like I said, however, so what’s the point. The thought of it is a good thing I believe.

I’ve said it a few times on the Emerald City Journal and that is related to the root of the issue with healthcare. The costs/fees hospitals are charging. Going to the ER for a broken arm and getting a 6,000 dollar bill in the mail is extremely unfair. It cost them about $100 dollars for that visit (including the x-ray). It’s the issue that everyone feels their time is worth a million dollars and they can charge 1000% interest on items. This includes medication as well. American is way over priced compared to Canada or Mexico medicine. The Government is to blame as well for not correcting this issue. They could simply say they are not going to pay them more than 2x cost and that would correct the issue. It would bring everything down when it comes to cost. The Government continues to turn a blind eye to that solution because they love the taxes and revenue it creates. It generates a massive amount of revenue for the hospitals and also the insurance companies. Sad but 100% true. Instead of Obamacare we should have just reviewed the fees and regulated them to a reasonable level. The people would have them been able to get an affordable healthcare program and also feel confident with going to a physician or ER trip without going into bankruptcy after each visit.

There was recently a story of a NJ man named Baer Hanusz-Rajkowski. He went to a local NJ ER hospital to get his cut finger checked. The man hit is finger with the claw side of the hammer and after a couple days of it not healing he went in to see if stiches would be needed. It turns out no stiches were needed nor was an x-ray. Overall, Hanusz-Rajkowsk got hit with an $8,200 bill for the emergency room visit. The Bayonne Medical Center also charged him $180 for a tetanus shot, $242 for sterile supplies, and $8 for some antibacterial ointment. With everything the bill came to nearly $9,000 dollars. This happen just last August and was featured on many news channels across the nation. When Bayonne Medical Center was questioned over the incident by the news ect they blamed the insurance company. This is exactly what I’m talking about. They feel they can just charge whatever they want because the “insurance company” will cover it. It’s the industry standard these days. People should be able to visit a doctor and make a ER visitor (cuts, broken arms, check-ups) out of pocket. No insurance should be needed for these minor issues. However, our system is setup to encourage these high mark ups which cost the hospital little to nothing to take care of or even look at. It’s all about money hungry hospitals, insurance companies, and our government wanting their “fair” share of the profits.

What we need to correct the healthcare problems is transparency and rules. We also need to kick out the leaders who are supporting this scandal behavior. Just as Obama promised in everything that he would do for us – Transparency. We need a public database or source where all the costs are displayed and their markup. This would eliminate all the overcharges and keep people honest. It would also keep the cost regulated to a fair level so the hospitals (medical industry) can make their fair share. However, looking a finger (who probably was a volunteer or intern) and wrapping it up with some ointment for $9,000 is simply unforgiving.

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Smart Energy Today – Olympia Washington

Saving Energy And Money

With all the news of energy costs going up in the Seattle area and the Pacific Northwest, we need solutions to combat this. Being a homeowner, I know my rates are constantly increasing yet I’ve done nothing to move into using more smart energy solutions. This week I’ve really been looking at my options. I called a few energy companies but one that really stood out was Smart Energy Today in Olympia. I spoke to one of their representatives about my home and some of the custom energy saving solutions they can do for me (see below). The gentleman I spoke with was extremely knowledgeable about the smart energy space and knew exactly what I was looking to do with my home. I was basically open to all ideas and solutions to save me money in the long run. The reality is that energy costs are just going to keep going up and we all need to be more independent when it comes to this. If not, we are all just going to continue to accept and agree to the constant increasing we all face. Being independent and saving money is something we all can do. Not only will it save us money but it will help the environment.

Smart Energy Today, Inc is headquartered in Olympia Washington. What I really liked about them was that they only recommend and use the best durable products on the market. Each one has its benefits and will save you money and energy in the long run. I could tell that the Smart Energy Today representative as passionate about helping me. I was educated not only on the financial savings but also about the products and the environment. They certainly are experts when it comes to energy solutions. I actually thought I knew a lot about energy and saving money but this guy was extremely educated. I felt like he could easily answer all my questions.

Smart Energy Today, Inc
Website: http://www.smartenergytoday.net
Employees: 60+ (2014)
Phone Number: (888) 405-8689
Address: 1001 Cooper Point Rd SW, Suite 140-290, Olympia, Washington 98502
Google Map Directions

Company Mission Statement:

Smart Energy Today Mission Statement

Types of energy solutions / products they recommend and support:
Solar Energy, Insulation, Maintaining your home, and Lighting

Types of branded energy solutions available:
Clean Energy Guard™
Instant Connect™ Photovoltaic Solar System
Smart Air Ventilation™
Smart Light Series™
Sol Blanket Insulation™
Sol-Coating™

Smart Energy Dinners
One important thing about this process is learning about the energy products and solutions that are going to work best for you personally. All our homes and/or businesses are setup differently so they’ll want to get some info from you as well. Smart Energy Today, will help you every step of the way to setting up your home or business so it’s more energy friendly, however, I highly recommend attending one of their dinner events. They cover their products and solutions so you know exactly what your getting. Then they will connect with you to talk about any specific energy solution if wanted. Even if you don’t buy anything at their Smart Energy Dinners events, you’ll be highly educated about saving money on your energy bills and what you can do in the future. It’s really a fun event plus you get to eat!! If you go to the dinner, you won’t need to even bring a checkbook because they are not there to sell you anything. It’s more of a way to connect to the community and educate you about energy. Researching online and there is a lot of positive feedback about the experience. It’s not some cheap food or restaurant either. They go to places like The Ram, Dolce Carini, and Anthony’s Homeport. Dinner last about an hour or so and you get 2 tickets so you can bring your spouse as well. The company discusses ways you can save energy at home (or office) as well as tax saving opportunities. The Smart Energy Dinners events are invite only so give them a call first.

Customer Approval Rating:
Smart Energy Today, Inc has a A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau. They have been an accredited Business since 08/02/2012 (established in 2008). On their website they also have lots of testimonials and customer reviews should you need to review more information. They are truly a leader in the Seattle and Puget Sound areas.

Smart Energy Today Better Business

Free in-home analysis
One thing I really like about this company is that they will come to you for no charge and evaluation what you need to be more energy independent. A lot of companies charge to come to you and some charge as high as $85 dollars! It just shows you how much they believe in their solutions, team, and customer service. There is no risk or terms associated with this visit. You just give them a call and they’ll come out to look at everything for you. They are trained to listen and ask the right questions to make sure you’re getting the best solution/s available on the market. If you live or work outside of Washington State, they may have representatives available in your area as well so just call or email them to find out. They’ve satisfied 1000’s of customers.

Solar power is American power!
The time has come for Seattle to help lead the United States into a 21st century full of hope and bright ideas, rather than global wars and national insecurity. Energy independence through renewables and conservation is one hopeful avenue down which very few of our national leaders are proudly marching. Yet here in the Northwest we already have resources, opportunities, and leaders with which to realize renewable energy innovations. We live in a region notorious for cloudiness and are heavily dependent on cheap, salmon-exterminating hydropower. If we can demonstrate that solar powered technologies work here — both economically and environmentally, then the rest of the country will clearly see that they should follow!

This web site constitutes an initial effort to showcase local good works and resources that lead towards the solar future.

The first rooftop solar house in Seattle!
Located in the Roosevelt neighborhood, Thomas Allsopp’s home suports the first photovoltaic, grid-intertied, rooftop solar power system in Seattle. Along with the company that installed the system ( Puget Sound Solar), Thomas has set an excellent example of how to reduce one’s demand for electricity and then generate enough energy in the long summer days to last one through the winter. Rather than struggling with a storage method, he takes advantage of an on-going agreement with the local electric utility: you can run your meter backwards, thereby gaining credit for cloudier days! • 2001 open house slide show

• Seattle Times story (Oct 12, 2001): Homemade energy sparks savings and juices power grid, by Lynda V. Mapes
• Net metering for customer owned generation Practical information from Seattle City Light

Local organizations
Solar Washington Local non-profit promoting the development and effective use of solar and renewable energy and the related arts, sciences, and technologies with concern for the economic, environmental, and social fabric of Washington State through education and training. Northwest EcoBuilding Guild Association of builders, designers, home-owners, and others concerned with ecological building. Central Puget Sound chapter offers monthly meetings in Phinney Ridge neighborhood emphasizing educational themes.

Local solar designers, contractors, builders, and the like
Puget Sound Solar Winter Sun Design Sun Wind Concepts Western Sun Coop (Solar Utility Network) helps its members acquire and implement renewable energy technologies at the lowest possible cost through market aggregation. Our members are electric cooperatives, public utility districts, and municipal utilities. The Co-op purchases solar-electric technology directly from manufacturers and resells to members for resale to end use customers. The Co-op provides educational resources, training, marketing to its’ membership and their customers.

Recent local news coverage
• Dec 15, 2014: Smart Energy Today
• May 29, 2002: Nuclear power plant tries solar approach, Seattle Times, by Linda Ashton
• Oct 12, 2001: Homemade energy sparks savings and juices power grid, Seattle Times, by Lynda V. Mapes
• Apr 25, 2000: Solar power in the spotlight, Seattle Times, by Susan Jankowski

Seattle Cop Doesn’t Like Pot!

Seattle Police Smoking Pot Tickets

As you know Washington State continues to delay the full release of the new marijuana laws. Slowly we are making steps in the right direction when it comes to the licenses and retail stores being allowed to sell it. It’s just taking forever and the state has lost millions in the process already. The hype is slowly going away and when they finally figure it out the public will care much less (thus less sales and taxes). Washington State is so worried they are going to miss so much tax revenue they are sitting around thinking of all the possibilities before making it official.

With that being said, there is a Seattle cop who doesn’t like pot. In fact, it is believed that 80% of all the consuming marijuana in public tickets were giving out by this officer. Even though they are trying to keep it on the down low is name is in fact Randy Jokela (52). He is a veteran office who joined the Seattle Police Department back in 1990. He wrote 66 of the 83 tickets given for consuming marijuana in public and it is believed in one instance he flipped a coin to see who would be getting the ticket.

Ron Smith who is the president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild wouldn’t release his full name (like we did) but said in a statement, “The involved officer is by far the hardest-working officer on this department I have known in my 20 years. Whether it was working in the Rainier Valley in a patrol car, or since he’s been downtown on bikes, nobody can hold a fiddle to his work ethic. However, I cannot defend the comments that he allegedly made on the backs of the tickets.”

I’m sure he is Ron Smith – Obviously, spending a lot of his “hard working” time going around ticketing the little guy for smoking some legal pot. It saddens me when I see an officer obviously with an ego and puts his position of power on the pedestal like this individual has. A person who would “bust” two individuals and then flips a coin to see who gets the ticket has a big ego and is overusing his power. That alone is justification to show this and other officers the door. Don’t let the door hit you where God split you!

To many red flags here in abusing his power so it’s time to go.

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A Well-Rounded Life: Mark Hurd

Often the media puts a famous celebrity or successful businessman under the spotlight, and the world is treated to a view of that person for a short while before they are passed over for a new story. In these cases, only one aspect of the person of interest is ever shown. For example, a movie star is only ever considered in the light of their career as a movie star. A businessman is considered purely in light of their business or their fame and notoriety because of their success in business.

The truth that is universally understood but seems to be ignored is that these people are far more than the caricatures that the media portrays. They are fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, brothers and sisters, artists and painters, lovers, thinkers, and doers. There is more than meets the eye to every person who has ever existed, and sometimes looking for that something else is worth the time.

Mark Hurd is known as a successful businessman. He has worked for NCR Corp, HP, and now Oracle Corp. His time as CEO and President at each of these companies has always led to increased profit, higher efficiency, and improved customer service. In addition, he has overseen each of the companies growth while maintaining efficient operations.

Follow Mark Hurd on his Twitter @MarkVHurd

While Mark Hurd was CEO of NCR, the company’s net profits increased fivefold, and total revenue increased by 7 percent in one year. When HP hired Mark Hurd as their CEO and President in 2005, positive changes were seen almost immediately. Within a year he brought HP to number one in laptop sales, and the year after, desktop sales hit number one as well. His 4 year tenure with the corporation yielded 22 years of consistent increase in profits, and a total revenue increase of 63%.

Now that Mark Hurd is President at Oracle Corporation, his emphasis on customer service and increased efficiency is as pronounced as ever, and the company looks to grow just as his previous businesses thrived. But in his spare time, Mark Hurd is much more than just a successful businessman.

Mark Hurd is a husband, and a father to two daughters. He is devoted to his Alma Mater, Baylor University, where he played tennis and where his oldest daughter attends. Who would have imagined the successful businessman of three computer companies was once the president of a fraternity and a tennis star? It’s a big load to carry, and having so many responsibilities requires some incredible time management skills, but Mark Hurd excelled while at Baylor.

He still goes to Baylor football games, and has donated generously to the Baylor tennis program. His philanthropy made possible a renovation of the entire tennis facility, renamed the Hurd Tennis Center. The Hurd family also donates to the Baylor Bear Foundation and to the Men’s Tennis Excellence Fund. Mark Hurd will always have a place in his heart for the national championship Baylor tennis program, which helped him grow so much during his collegiate years.

Mark Hurd Tennis Center Photo

Oracle’s Bellevue location:
Bellevue is located just east of Seattle, Washington. The drive time is about 16 minutes. Seattle is constantly growing in the technical space and was one of the reasons Oracle moved to Seattle. They have a training center here and are constantly hiring developers and programmers in the Seattle area. Phone: (425) 945-8200

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Prop. 1, Seattle Park District Measure

Seattle Park Measure

DO NOT TAKE POWER AWAY FROM THE VOTERS!!!!!!! This is a terrible way to fund parks. Every one loves a park. Voters have generously passed a parks levy every six years. Seattle is pro-parks. Prop 1 isn’t a replacement of the existing parks levy. With the support of Mayor Ed Murray, Proposition 1 proposes a new PERMANENT taxing authority controlled by the City Council. We now pay 20 cents per thousand dollars on assessed amount. This would go to 33 cents and could be UPPED anytime with no way for taxpayers/property owners to control it. They could fund anything they wanted to.

Red flag comes up here. Under state law this new district cannot be dissolved by a public vote. Neither would citizens be able to file initiatives against decisions they disagree with. WOW that is plain and simple handing the City Council and Mayor a blank check.

This takes all the power away from the voters. Do you want to give the City Council a blank check after the City Light CEO pay raise screw up. Only two Council Members, Nick Licata and Sawant Kshama voted against giving the raise. I hope the rest of the council members are enjoying eating crow but I don’t think it bothers them one bit. One Council Member emailed that she realized it was hard for “US” to understand the huge salaries but they have to do it to get the best talented help. (yes it is a little hard for me to understand since I live on $20,000/year What you got was a little “liar”. City Light has not been that great. The amount of money does not guarantee good leadership. To even think you would consider giving the head of city light (paid from our light bills) a $120,000 raise is almost beyond my imagination. Shame on you guys. The whole city is top heavy. The Mayor has big dreams, you have a rubber stamp. What we need is to get all of you that voted for the raise booted out. Property taxes are way way to high. To many people getting freebies and the ones of us left paying are on overload. Evidently the CEO wasn’t pressuring much to get a raise of that proportion because he says now he is content to stay at his old salary. He should be fired. This proves the city council did not give it any thought. Just wanted to back the Mayor and brag how great the salaries are for city workers. Hopeful that will all start to go down hill and we will get a new crop of council members that remember they work for the people, not the other way around. Your heads got way way to big.
Lilly

Letter To Seattle Council City Light CEO

Seattle City Lights

My letter to the Seattle council….

Sounds like someone got their wires crossed at City Light. Please delay your vote on the stupid stupid raise for the CEO of City Light. He was already getting a whopping 245,000. He is the highest paid city employee. What on earth can make him worth that? Now you want to give him a raise of almost $120,000. What are you thinking about, when we have no money for things the city needs you raise his pay to $364,000. That was all the information I have read or heard about and it was a shock. Completely out of line. He could fall off a light pole tomorrow and city light would go on just fine without him. Of course he doesn’t climb poles, or change bulbs or do anything we really need. He spins tales for the city and the Mayor. If he can go someplace for more pay, we city light customers will come help him pack. Remember you are representing the people of Seattle and there is no way you can think this is right or fair.

That was bad enough, but thank goodness for the Times article today (Sunday June 15) by Jim Brunner we learned there is something very wrong going on. People can stand to be screwed over, they can stand to be taxed unfairly, but one thing almost NO ONE can stand is a liar. Then top it off with a cover up. Have you taken some lessons from Susan Rice? She is the second best liar I have ever heard of. Obama is the number one. They sent her out to spin the tale of a video causing the Benghazi disaster AFTER it was well known by everyone that it was a terrorist attack. But wanted to keep it covered up so Obama could win a second term. Now she was back telling more lies that the deserter had served with dignity and distinction. She is trying to make Obama look good and facts or the truth has nothing to do with what she says. So City Lights Chief of Staff Sephir Hamilton hired a firm Brand.com to clean up the CEO’s image online. The only thing that should be online about Jorge Carrasco should be the TRUTH. Nothing taken away, nothing added. They call it a reputation-management service. The clear negatives by blanketing search results with positive content. In other words if the CEO has done some things he would like to keep covered up, just write something positive instead. If Mayor Murray is so hell bent on quality leadership he should not even be considering someone who is trying to cover their tracks.

Wait on your vote until you are sure (not just what the Mayor tells you) what it is he is trying to quash. Or is he being given a whopping raise a/k/a a pay off to promote the City’s green program. If the green program is so good it will make it by showing the people its good, not paying a CEO bribe money or pay off to promote it for you. The more lies and cover up’s the worse it will get. So don’t vote on the raise this morning.
Thank you
Lilly

Councilmember Nick Licata responds and does a very good job of explaining his point….

I too am troubled by the City Light CEO salary hike approved by the Council majority and have shared my concerns on the my Urban Politics blog and below.

To recap, the City Council voted 6-2 (Myself and Sawant opposed and Harrell was absent) last week to raise the City Light General Manager and CEO salary range by 45 percent, setting a new maximum of $364,481-per-year up from a $250,750 top-end salary. The Council vote paves the way for the Mayor to pay the highest paid Seattle city employee even more. The Mayor has said he will give General Manager and CEO Jorge Carrasco a 24 percent bump from his current salary of $244,954 up to $305,000.

Council proponents argued that Carrasco is underpaid in comparison to leaders of other publically owned utilities. Their conclusion originates from city staff analysis showing we pay our top City Light post less than other governments pay their utility heads. Past city staff studies reached the same conclusion. However, the relatability of the other salaries has been challenged because some utilities included as comparables in the staff analysis oversee multiple utility services, like water, while City Light just handles electricity. Regardless, on the surface, it would seem that one could justify the raise—albeit a very large raise on top of a very large salary when compared to what Seattle pays other city employees.

Councilmember Sawant and I raised objections of two kinds. First, and most obvious, is that in comparison to other City Light employees’ salaries, the General Manager and CEO’s new salary is out of line and sends the wrong message to our employees and the public. The big ticket salary basically says that CEOs of large corporations deserve a salary commensurate with whatever the market will bear, and that City Light must be a large corporation with its over 2,000 employees and budget of more than $1 billion. In other words, if other CEOs receive huge salaries, the City must offer the same to attract top talent.

Unfortunately, this trend has gone on for some time. In 1965, CEOs made more than 20 times what an average worker was paid. By 2012, that ratio was more than 10 times as skewed: CEOs made 273 times the average worker that year. I don’t believe that the Council, representing taxpayers, must conform to this pattern. By doing so, we contribute to the very problem of income and wealth inequality that now plagues our nation and undermines our economic stability. As workers are paid less and less, they have less to spend to keep our economy functioning smoothly. What’s more, workers are being pushed out of Seattle. Relative to wages, housing costs have become unaffordable. The irony is that since President Ronald Reagan embarked on a philosophy of letting the unfettered market determine what is fair in the 1980s, laborers have enjoyed an ever smaller share of the productivity gains their hard work produced. American workers are not being adequately compensated for their efforts.

The second objection raised is more to the point here in Seattle. Our city government has kept a tight lid on wages for average city employees. How can we fairly bargain with our employees after giving such an ostentatious salary increase to one individual? The Council and Mayor’s pay hike for the City Light General Manager and CEO justifiably creates hard feelings among our employees and sets up a very poor example for evaluating and rewarding performance.
It’s this last point that I most underscored during the meeting Monday. First, a little background—Carraso was confirmed in February 2004, and, that spring, a survey was conducted of City Light employees. It had been scheduled before Carrasco became the head of City Light. A report was issued on the findings, and four significant problems were identified:

• A troubling lack of confidence in the executive management
• Poor communication among the various levels within the utility
• Lack of adequate staffing to provide high-quality service
• A sense that quality and process improvements were not a priority

Another survey was taken in 2007 to see if these problems had been addressed during the first three years of Carrasco’s leadership. To assure that the survey was measuring the same concerns, 29 of the 50 questions asked were pulled from the 2004 survey, either exactly or using very similar language. More than three-quarters of City Light’s workforce responded to the survey, roughly the same rate as in 2004. The Council’s Central Staff reviewed the survey and concluded that the 2007 survey averages were statistically indistinguishable from those of the 2004 survey.

A staff report to the Council concluded, “ …the most striking conclusion to be drawn from the new survey is how little things have improved in the three-plus years since the first survey was done. In key areas – leadership, communication, and staffing – in which City Light did poorly in 2004, there has been no improvement.” Though some improvements were noted, the report said scores for key areas remained “at a level the survey developer would describe as a failing grade.”

The Council acts as the board of City Light, and I believe that we (and I include myself) should have required—at a minimum—that another survey be taken. We did not. There has not been another survey conducted since 2007. I asked the Superintendent at a June 9, 2014 meeting when another employee survey would be done. He said one will be done this year. However, our Central Staff know of no such effort.

So the bottom line is: why are we boosting the pay range for the City Light CEO when we have no evidence comparable to a survey showing employees believe that there has been improvement under Carrasco’s leadership? Carrasco has told me that he solicited input from employees when drafting a new City Light strategic plan City Light. I’m glad, they certainly should be involved. But that is not the same as a thorough review; that is not a survey showing how things have gone since 2007.

Unfortunately, we heard news recently that raises concerns things may not being going so smoothly at the utility. Thanks to the investigative reporting of Seattle Times reporter Jim Brunner, it was revealed to the Council and the public that City Light entered into a $47,500 contract with marketing firm Brand.com to engage in an “action plan” that included creating positive blog items and stories about City Light’s green image.

City Light has made strides with its sustainability programs—that is not to be challenged. But isn’t it more important to spend funds to assure that we have a well-run, efficient and responsive public utility? The money would have been much better spent on addressing the problems that were identified 10 years ago, reiterated in the 2007 employee survey and, for all we know, might still exist.

Thank you for taking an interest in our city and for taking a moment to share your thoughts with me.

Sincerely,

Nick

Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata
206-684-8803

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