I have a vision for this city – a grand one that soon will be freed from a crumbling Viaduct that fenced us from the world’s sweetest deep-water harbor. I see a city that finally will be framed by a wonderful nine-acre parkland, an exciting whirlwind of activity, a skein of green pathways and trails. A waterfront for all of us, not just for cars, buses and trucks.

Last week, 30 Seattleites, visited Portland, touring the region’s transit system in a two-day blitz. The trip was valuable as a learning investment as Portland has been successful in developing transit ridership and using transit as a tool in land use development.

Legislators have been unbelievably stressed by twin budget traumas. In the short term they have to trim hundreds of millions from this year’s budget. And, in the long term, they have to get started crafting a two-year budget that weathers the toughest years that Olympia has faced since the Great Depression.

It is, without a doubt, the worst of times: so many needs and so little revenue. But it also is the best of times to share the heavy fiscal burden. And, indeed, about 50 of the 46th District’s constituents showed up, eager to help, despite icy driving conditions and a last minute change of venue.

The Association of Washington Cities (AWC) held its annual Legislative Committee Meeting at the Doubletree Hotel in SeaTac Tuesday morning. Gov. Christine Gregoire’s legislative director, offering the governor’s perspective on the 2011 Legislative Session, presented not just a gloomy picture, but a dismal one.

There was standing room only at the Greenwood Senior Center Monday afternoon as a broad coalition of retirees, social activists and labor organizations joined together to sing “happy birthday” to Social Security. The program – rightly heralded as “the nation’s best federal program” – was signed into law 75 years ago by then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

This year’s “dear mayor,” sent on Friday the Thirteenth, acknowledged a host of challenges the city is facing. The local economy remains weak and recovery appears to be slower and weaker than anticipated. Furthermore, it is clear the city cannot count on receiving help from the state in this dark hour.

The board of the Seattle City Employees Retirement System (SCERS) last week received its regular evaluation of the retirement system’s finance from the actuaries, Milliman, Inc. The news was disconcerting, but not unexpected.

Yesterday I went on a walking tour with Vancouver, Washington’s assistant city manager Eric Holmes. And forgive me if I report in cliché: It was a mind-blowing experience.

Seattle is taking home an award, presented at the Association of Washington Cities conference in Vancouver Thursday. The prize is a “Judges Merit Award” from the Governor’s Smart Communities Awards for the Department of Neighborhoods updating of its neighborhood plans.