The police have enough sense to let them party, and if they get out of line, they get to sit in the back of the paddy wagon for 10 hours, handcuffed and hog-tied with all the other idiots who can't hold their booze. We can all point at WTO or whatever we choose as the scapegoat, but the truth is this city is like one big spoiled rich kid with too much money and not enough common sense. I have worked in Pioneer square for 10 years now and have watched it grow into a family of friends who all take pride in the culture and history of Pioneer Square. To some frat boys it may be just another pissing ground to display testosterone, but to us, it's our past, present and future. The historic Capitol building sustained significant damage, rendering it unsafe.
Repair is complex and expensive.
Plumbing repairs costs should be recovered quickly with the installation of pay toilets. An advisory poll of selected Washington citizens and California tourists who have visited the state within the last 10 years indicates that a new Capitol building is necessary for the state's economic growth. One hopes not. Violence marked the first two nights of the Mardi Gras celebration, and Hizzoner Paul Schell threatened to cancel the operation, but not unsurprisingly reneged. Kerlikowske beefed up the police presence, but when trouble hit, he ordered his troops to stand down.