This week in politics: The political implications of severe weather

The Seattle City Council is discussing additional trims to the Seattle Police Department budget — cuts of perhaps $5.4 million.

This is part of the council’s ongoing effort to re-direct police money toward more community led efforts to re-envision public safety. But the federal judge overseeing the consent decree process for the Seattle Police Department is pumping the brakes on this idea.

So, why is the council still working on cutting police department funding?

Many people thought that the debate ended with the final budget approved in the fall. But the big news in politics is a little, shall we say, fluffier.

A light blanket of snow has fallen over Seattle with more on the way this weekend. In years past, snow politics actually dominated and even determined mayoral contests.

Joni Balter, host of Civic Cocktail on the Seattle Channel, reminds us what happened around Christmas 2008, eight months before a mayoral primary: Old Man Winter dumped snow on the area, and as it turned out, snow removal was best in front of former Mayor Greg Nickels' house.

"A lot of people wanted to send a message that snow removal elsewhere was insufficient," Balter says.

And they did: Nickels lost the primary and a potential third term.

"Think about it," Balter argues, "most people connect directly to city government only a few times a year if that. And snow removal is right in their faces."

She joined KUOW's Angela King and and Brian Callanan, host and producer, also at the Seattle Channel, to talk about this week in politics.