City of Tacoma has announced renewed vigor for its plan to regulate improperly parked vehicles in residential areas. Tacomans witnessing vehicles blocking public rights of way, obstructing traffic, parked in one spot for more than seven days, parked against traffic, vehicles that are unlicensed, inoperable, abandoned, dissembled or just plain ugly can call the Abandoned Autos Hotline at 253.591.5926. Car snitches should include the following when reporting: the location, description of the vehicle, the license plate number, and if it’s rockin’. PLUS 1



The LeMay Museum board of directors has finally approved a financing plan and elected to move forward with a fall ground breaking for construction of LeMay — America’s Car Museum in Tacoma. Financing is expected to be secured in the next couple of months, with a $58 million funding campaign coming along nicely. The board Tweets: LOL!! PLUS 1



State officials, facing declining budget projections for June and September, may be forced to head back to Olympia to tinker with the 2009-11 budget. Monthly revenue collections for April were down $41 million following a $50 million drop in March. If needed, there is still $570 million in the state’s reserve fund and another $260 in the state’s Rainy Day Fund if legislators can’t come to agreement on adjustments. Overall, things aren’t looking good folks. MINUS 3



Tacoma firefighters told The News Tribune that they’ve been responding to more kitchen fires than usual in the past two and a half weeks, most involving cooking with grease or oil. They also said that the bacon has been very crispy, which they adore. MINUS 2



Oh man. It’s a new dog park. Pierce County officials have agreed to provide an off-leash area at Chambers Creek Properties for dogs and their owners to run free. A local group of volunteer dog lovers will pay for the improvements to the area at the property’s Central Meadow. The site, just shy of an acre, will remain a dog haven until 2015. On a side note: Out of work dog catchers are accidentally catching their kitchens on fire while cooking breakfast drunk. EVEN



Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the transportation budget for the 2009-2011 biennium — which includes the largest two-year construction budget ever for the Washington State Department of Transportation — yesterday at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center. She wanted to sign it at The Inn at Gig Harbor, but there’s that nasty bridge toll to deal with. PLUS 2



Total Pluses:  4           



Total Minuses: 5



This Week’s Total:  MINUS 1       



Last Week’s Total: MINUS 2