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Nanny 911: We'll tell you what to do
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Seattle won a dubious "nanny state" distinction from the libertarian Reason Magazine, which ranked the nation's 35 largest cities on how pervasively they regulate issues of personal choice.
Seattle ranks #2 among the most restrictive cities—just after Chicago.
As the article says, "Two decades of healthy economies and dropping crime rates have given many city councils the luxury of worrying about less urgent issues, from the last wisps of secondhand smoke to the discomfort of fatted geese."
The Reason writers poke fun at Seattle's selective nannyism, saying "Seattle has always had an identity conflict." For example, they say, it is easier to smoke a joint in open than to smoke a cigarette in a bar.
The city's deep embrace of environmentalism and "sustainability" rhetoric also has a nanny odor to it. This year, for example, Mayor Nickels pushed the state legislature to enact an excise tax on cars based on their fuel efficiency. (For a change, the idea met with a significant public backlash and died.) But one enviro law did expand local freedom a bit. City Council Member Richard Conlin last year proposed that the city license pygmy goats as pets, partly so that residents can process their yard waste in a more eco-friendly manner. The proposal became law by a unanimous vote.
Take a look at the full list. For another interesting read, check out this column from Seattle Times opinion editor Jim Vesely.
UPDATE: I posted this story and then saw this item minutes later. Seattle is now one of the first cities to "discourage the use" of paper and plastic shopping bags by charging a 20-cent-per-bag fee. "We have to change our habits and our lifestyle a little," said Councilman Tom Rasmussen. Nannyism, or good stewardship? You tell me.
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