Mayor Wilson’s Budget Explained, Seattle’s Neon Sign Past and Present, and Boeing’s Grunge Influence

Today on the podcast, Jane is joined by two first-timers to City Cast Seattle, Amy Sundberg, reporter at The Urbanist, and Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, business reporter at The Seattle Times. First, Amy, Megan, and Jane break down what’s in Katie Wilson’s budget for 2027, including questions about the lack of revenue options and the increase in the police budget. Then, Megan talks about the history and craft of Seattle’s neon signs, why they could go away, and why Seattle is a neon sign town. After Megan and Amy head back to their newsrooms, Jane is joined by UW Professor and Imperialist Realism author Daniel Bessner, who is writing about the connections between grunge music and Boeing in his series Empire of Grunge. Daniel and Jane connect the history of Boeing to what’s happening in Seattle right now.

That’s all for this week! Unless you’re a City Cast Neighbor, in which case you can hear Liam, Jane, and Ashley talk about adult hobbies and why Seattle is a good place to learn to do new things! Like… Gaelic football? New Ashley fact just dropped.

Learn more about the sponsors of this September 25th episode:

Seattle Restored

Northwest Film Forum

Grand Central Bakery

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