How did you spend your democracy voucher?

March 11, 2021 / 5:17 pm

caption: Shaun Scott (left) and Alex Pedersen are among dozens of Seattle City Council candidates collecting democracy vouchers.

Are democracy vouchers a coupon, a ballot, or an ad? It's none of those -- it's free money to give to a Seattle candidate. Also, we ask about the ethics of a potential vaccine passport. Then, we check in with Seattle Councilmember Kshama Sawant about the potential for municipal broadband. And lastly, our weekly conversation with Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan.

Individual segments are available in our podcast stream or at www.kuow.org/record

Democracy vouchers have been around for a couple of years. Just how useful have they been?

Democracy vouchers allow you to dedicate chunks of small funding for Seattle candidates in local elections. Although they've been used in elections for a couple of years, their utility and purpose can be confusing. KUOW's Amy Radil joins Bill Radke to discuss just how vouchers work and who they've benefited.

Can I please see your ID, your boarding pass, and your vaccine passport?

You might have heard the term 'vaccine passport' in the news as of late. This would be a certificate letting those who are vaccinated do things that unvaccinated people can't — fly in a plane, go to a concert, maybe go into your workplace. But how feasible is that kind of identification? Dr. Patricia Kuszler, professor of law at the University of Washington, rejoins The Record to talk about what concerns we should and shouldn't have when it comes to a vaccinated world.

How would municipal broadband change the way Seattle uses the internet?

The last year of online school and work has reminded us of the importance of quality internet service. But is it important enough to be a public service, or utility? Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant talks with Bill Radke about the necessity for municipal broadband.

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan 3.11.21

Mayor Durkan rejoins The Record for our weekly conversation, discussing equity and municipal broadband while taking your calls.

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Bill Radke
Host

Bill hosts Week In Review and Words in Review. After starting with KUOW as a University of Washington student in 1985, Bill was KUOW's morning host in the '90s and the creator of past show, Rewind, a news-satire show heard on KUOW and nationwide on NPR. Bill moved away to Southern California to host American Public Media's Weekend America and Marketplace Morning Report and returned to KUOW in 2012.
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