Blue House, Olympia |
According to various counts, the number of statehouse reporters at Olympia, which numbered close to three dozen only a few years ago, now is down to seven.
That's down from nine, with the department of Adam Wilson from the Olympian (to work as a speechwriter for Governor Chris Gregoire) and Rich Roesler of the Spokane Spokesman-Review. They've been helpful and enjoyable Blue House visits on runs to Olympia; we'll miss them there, and in their papers.
Those reporting spots may be filled (we're told they probably will). But the situation is bleak. Reporter Andrew Garber of the Seattle Times, one of the few left, writes, "The survivors can now fit comfortably in my one-room office overlooking the Capitol. . . . This is a story not so much about the loss of reporters as a loss of information. Rich and Adam have been covering state government for years. They know the players, understand the budget and, most importantly, can separate spin from reality."
Fewer and fewer such.