Do you think the current Washington State tax system is fair? Does Washington State need new tax revenue to fund current services adequately? What is your top priority for government spending? Do you support Initiative 1098?

These are the questions you'll find on our poll - and the questions we'll be discussing on Thursday, September 30th during our next (free!) Seattle Speaks program, "Income Tax in Washington State?"

So far we have confirmed for the conversation: William H. Gates Sr. and Matt McIlwain, Managing Director of Madrona Venture Group. More to come!

Check it out:

This fall Washington State voters will be asked to approve a state income tax on top earners. Initiative 1098 would impose an income tax on couples earning more than $400,000, and individuals earning more than $200,000 a year. The estimated $1 billion generated annually would be restricted by law to education and public health services. Proponents say this funding is needed to maintain the integrity of vital services, while opponents argue it opens the door for more taxation and hurts small businesses.

And more about Seattle Speaks:

Join us for Seattle Speaks: Income Tax in Washington State either at Town Hall or online. Audience members will participate with instant polling devices. Online viewers can also take the polls and voice opinions via emails, Twitter and Facebook.  

Did I mention this event is FREE to attend? We do, however, require advance registration, so click here to sign up! Town Hall is only so big, so don't miss out.

(And don't forget to take the poll! Weigh in on this important issue!)

Tuesday's panel ("The Race to Reach Voters") really was incredible (if I do say so myself). For those who weren't there: we're hoping to make you feel like you were. We've got live tweets of the action, we've got photos on Facebook, and (perhaps most importantly) we've got video: broadcast dates and times, courtesy of The Seattle Channel, are below (they'll have video online soon!).

Upcoming Broadcast Times:
Monday, August 23, 2010 - 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 - 11:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 4:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Friday, August 27, 2010 - 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.
Saturday, August 28, 2010-  2:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 29, 2010 - 12:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 6:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Monday, August 30, 2010 - 2:30 a.m., 7:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010-  6:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 1:00 a.m., 6:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Thursday, September 02, 2010 - 4:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Friday, September 03, 2010 - 6:30 a.m.
Saturday, September 04, 2010 - 5:00 a.m.

CityClub's 2008 panel conversation "The Making of a Candidate"

In 2008, CityClub hosted a conversation as part of our Law & Politics Series called "The Making of a Candidate". We asked our panelists questions like: do people choose to run for office, or do interest groups choose them? How do candidates reach the point where they can successfully run for major state and national public office? What role do parties and consultants play in terms of messaging, and how concerted are their efforts?

Next month, we're picking up that conversation with new panelists in a new discussion. Our new question: Once a candidate is in the running, how do they win? Our panelists represent four different organizational structures in the campaigning process: grassroots, youth focused and driven, private consultants and the state party structure.

You can watch our previous event, "The Making of a Candidate", online in full thanks to The Seattle Channel - click here to see what we learned!

Then, learn more about our upcoming program "The Race to Reach Voters", including our panelists and more questions we'll be asking. What are your questions? Click here to register today!

Join CityClub and learn something new this summer - like a summer reading list, only more interactive and with food, drinks and networking perks! Free for lunch? Happy hour more your speed? We've got you covered.

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Have you been changing your behavior as a consumer of news? Would you pay per story? Do you trust your neighborhood blog to give you the most accurate information? Join us for happy hour and learn about different ways local news outlets large and small are making their bottom line.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010
RAPID RESPONSE: REVENUE MODELS IN THE CHANGING MEDIA LANDSCAPE

Featuring:
Pat Balles, Seattle PI
David Boardman, Seattle Times
Cory Bergman, Next Door Media
David Brewster, Crosscut
Josh Feit, Publicola
Rita Hibbard, Investigate West
Greg Huang, Xconomy
Moderator: Hanson Hosein, Director, UW Digital Media

Do you think there's more to be done to reform the health care system? Want to know what the heads of some local hospital systems have to say? Join us for lunch and bring your own questions as we hear expert opinions on how we can redesign the delivery of care - both here and across the nation.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010
HEALTH CARE SERIES:
REDESIGNING THE DELIVERY OF CARE – A CONVERSATION WITH HEALTH CARE CEOS

Featuring:
Gary S. Kaplan, MD, FACP, FACMPE, FACPE; Chairman and CEO; Virginia Mason
Scott Armstrong, President and CEO, Group Health Cooperative
Paul G. Ramsey, MD; CEO, UW Medicine; Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, Dean of the School of     Medicine; University of Washington
Rick Cooper, CEO, The Everett Clinic

What do you think we should ask our panelists at these forums? Send us your ideas!

Mayor Michael McGinn's first Ask the Mayor is tonight at 7:00 p.m. Seattle Channel's press release reminds us: "Nearing his 100-day mark, McGinn will take live questions from Seattle Channel viewers on any topic."

HOW IT WORKS: Ask the Mayor is a call-in show. If you're watching tonight at 7:00 p.m., you can call 206-684-8821. if you prefer to submit your question in advance, you have two choices: the above phone number will prerecord your question any time before 7:00 p.m., or you can submit it via email.

And of course, if your question isn't answered tonight, there's still the chance to see Mayor McGinn, along with Bellevue Mayor Don Davidson and King County Executive Dow Constantine at CityClub's Annual Meeting - "A Conversation with Regional Leaders" - on Wednesday, March 31. It's a luncheon, but if your focus is more on content and less on food, don't forget the coffee&dessert only option, which is only $18 for the general public (cheaper for CityClub members!). Online registration, despite what our website may have tried to tell you yesterday, is 100% live, so register today!