SEATTLE'S GOING TO POT

Wake up and smell the coffee, Seattle. You don't need another addiction.

You sun-deprived hordes in Western Washington are famous for your java
jones. No one in the Emerald City can walk from Seahawks Stadium to Safeco
Field without stopping for a latte.

We're OK with that. It's even cute the way you cup one hand over your
double-talls to keep the rain from diluting the froth.

But the results of this week's citywide initiatives have us worried. Sure,
rejecting the 10-cent-per-cup espresso tax was inevitable. You have to draw
the line at a $4 cup of coffee.

It's that other Seattle initiative -- the one that tells police to make
marijuana busts the department's lowest priority -- that's the cause for
concern.

The espresso tax failed by a 2-to-1 margin. The winking-at-marijuana
initiative passed by 59 percent.

The new law probably doesn't change anything, other than sending a message
to Seattle's kids that no one particularly cares who smokes pot.

That's not good policy for any town, but especially not Seattle.

You're already home to the Seahawks and grunge music. The rain that started
this week? It won't stop until June. And your traffic, don't even get us
started.

Face it Seattle, you've got more than enough reasons to get depressed.
Stick to the caffeine.