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Tom Ostrom

@st-ingenting.bsky.social
145 followers 547 following 85 posts

Sounders, Wilderness, Urbanism Retired Ecologist Former Peace Corps Volunteer - Lesotho Husband, Father, Grandfather

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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Lol, Atlanta and Charlotte are under the same ownership as the Falcons and Panthers. AH should have bought the ‘hawks! The dream scenario was the Khoslas acquiring both the Allen Estate share and the 20% on the market. The Sounders are worth much more with a large Seahawk stake in the ownership.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Socialist mayors are doing alright. Three of the Top 5 cities ranked by Oxford Economics are led by socialist mayors: #1 New York (Zohran Mamdani), #3 Paris (Emmanuel Grégoire), and #4 Seattle (Katie Wilson). www.oxfordeconomics.com/global-citie...
oxfordeconomics.com
2026 Global Cities Index
The Oxford Economics Global Cities Index ranks the world’s 1,000 largest cities, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses and future potential.
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Reposted by Tom Ostrom
Emmett O'Connell @emmettoconnell.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The Washington state uber moderate governor never existed. At least in Republican form. Conjuring him in our current politics gives us the wrong frame. Framing Dan Evans – Olympia Time olympiatime.com/2026/09/26/f...
olympiatime.com
Framing Dan Evans – Olympia Time
One of my least favorite acts in political commentary is when someone tries to solve Washington State’s politics by invoking Dan Evans.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
And Juarez and 6 of her colleagues just voted for a sole source contract to develop and implement a plan to provide this same department with focused “levers”, barely a year after coming off a decade long consent decree with DOJ for excessive force and biased policing. Wild.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
The rhetoric is so wild and false, it feels like she’s running for mayor.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
The hostility directed at the mayor from some of the council (particularly Kettle, Juarez, and Rivera) goes way beyond policy differences. It seems visceral and vindictive. Are they still butthurt that she won the election? Where is the hatred coming from?
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Loved the Sounders coverage of Josh Mayers, Matt Pentz, and most recently Jayda Evans. Those are bylines I’ve looked for after every Sounders match for the past 17 years. Big loss, and big mistake by @seattletimes-rss.bsky.social, but TBH, it never felt like the ST mgt was committed to the beat.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
No disagreement there.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
In the 1980s, these states finally became concerned about the rapid conversion of ag lands to suburban sprawl. The worry wasn’t that ag lands would be hoarded, it was that they would be sold to developers and converted.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
But across the U.S., states tax ag lands at a much lower rate than residential, commercial, or industrial lands. If that’s not incentive enough, western states (WA, OR, CA) all have laws making it difficult to convert ag and forest lands to other uses.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
White people own most property everywhere in the U.S., no? And the fed tax advantages are extremely beneficial in urban (non-ag) areas too. You don’t pay capital gains on inherited property, and you get a step up in basis so that when you do sell it, you only pay tax on the incremental gain.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
I believe the term is enshittification.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
This was a CM Deborah Juarez boondoggle - without her advocacy it wouldn’t have happened. Most of the ridership will pull from (very) nearby stations rather than adding riders. The surrounding SFH residential area doesn’t even have sidewalks. Long promised up zones have not happened. Such a waste.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
The city’s epa-designated sole source aquifer designation does a lot of work for the island’s nimbys (the city’s hydrogeology is very similar to the rest of Kitsap County’s). And the CARA argument for restricting density in Winslow is just laughable - it’s already almost entirely paved over.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
The club legend.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Since Roth left as owner in 2019, there have been 6 foreign signings not through Tacoma or MLS: Ryan Kent & Kim Kee-hee (2025), PDLV (2024), Leo Chu (2021), and JP & Yeimar (2019). Am I missing some? That’s not many.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
But my sense is that MLS is very diverse in its international player representation. Liga MX is too, but so many more of their internationals come from central and South America than from Asia, Africa, or Europe. Top leagues are the richest and attract the best players, no?
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
France Ligue 1 and 2 especially - that’s historical. There are one or two each playing in other top leagues like La Liga and EPL. No doubt the top European leagues (and Saudi Pro league) attract top talent from around the world, including CAF. I don’t think anyone is arguing that’s not the case.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Maybe I am missing the point too, but didn’t MLS players (eg Nouhou) also miss the World Cup because their national team didn’t qualify out of Africa or Europe?
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Here it is:
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
I need to see the “chip in the ball” data. #WorldCup
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
In 11 WC opening matches, the USMNT has 3 wins, 6 losses and 2 draws. In 2022, they drew to Wales, 1-1. This is only the second time in history they have faced a non-European opponent to open a WC (the other being Ghana in 2014. #USMNT #WC2026
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
RIP David Hockney
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Fifa typically has tight security for entry to its WC matches. Gate breaking (and worse) by ticketless fans is notorious with soccer fans at international events. The Copa America final in Miami a few years ago experienced significant breaching of gates (some through AC vents!) by ticketless fans.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
So true!
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
As you rightly mention, Liga Mx is sending fewer participants to the 2026 World Cup. There will be just 15 from Liga Mx and all of them will represent Mexico.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Saudi
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
He and Roldan are the only current or former Sounders on an official 26-man roster for the 2026 WC. This is down from 5 who made rosters in Qatar (Morris, Roldan, Yedlin, Nouhou, and Arreaga). Nouhou had a particularly memorable WC playing the full 90 of the Indomitable Lions’ 1-0 win over Brazil.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Alejandro Zendajas was part of the squad for Chivas Guadalajara in the 2018 Club World Cup, but did not see the pitch.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Sounders FC’s Cristian Roldan is one of 3 players on the USMNT 26-man World Cup roster to have played in a Club World Cup (2025). The others are Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie (Juventus, 2025). Pulisic played in the final for the eventual champions, Chelsea in 2022.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
This would be bad for Sounders, fans, Seahawks/1st & Goal inc, the PSA, downtown businesses, etc, not to mention the site impacts at Longacres, the terrible location from a transit/traffic perspective. The benefits for all of the Sounders playing in DT far exceed those of moving.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Airline and credit card lounges aren’t that great and probably not, by themselves, worth the annual fees: they are too often over crowded or have long lines to get in. Especially true post pandemic. Combined, the other perks probably make it worthwhile, at least for me.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Not only were Hardin’s views deeply disturbing, but the whole concept of a “tragedy of the commons” and decades of references to it, are fundamentally flawed.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Public torture.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Why has no one written the South Pacific companion to Ed Rickett’s classic, Between Pacific Tides? Project Idea? #MarineEcology #intertidal #Chile #Enoplochitons #kelp #WesternFlyer #EdRicketts
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Snow-capped Andes from Cerro Santa Lucia today in Santiago.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
and I think carbon prices should reflect the social cost of carbon. But I think a *significant* portion of the CCA revenue should address their regressive nature/effects and the low-income tax credit is a good vehicle to do that. I’ve not been a big fan of the governor, but this debate is healthy.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
The CCA’s pollution allowance auctions generated $1.7 billion in revenue in 2025 ($4.3B overall). They also create significant and regressive shadow taxes on the state’s residents, especially burdening the state’s low income workers. I want more investment in clean energy infrastructure,
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
I’ve always thought that one of the most progressive and legitimate uses of CCA revenues is the working families tax credit, since it directly helps those most impacted by higher energy costs that result from the CCA and assists those that will be hurt most by climate change.
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Reposted by Tom Ostrom
Washington State Standard @washingtonstatestandard.com · 26/12/2025
In early August, the leader of Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife had become so concerned with alleged behaviors of the citizen panel that he answers to that he asked Gov. Bob Ferguson to investigate. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/12/26/p...
washingtonstatestandard.com
Probe of WA Fish and Wildlife Commission to stretch into 2026 • Washington State Standard
An investigation sought by Gov. Bob Ferguson into the conduct of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission may not be done until next year.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
“If SPU determines…the surplus property is needed for other City purposes [SPU] will provide public notice, conduct community outreach to nearby residents, property owners, and community groups. SPU will also conduct public hearings pursuant to RCW 35.94.040” The outcome is baked in.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
Using SPU to avoid making land use decisions that anger wealthy neighbors is maybe not the greatest? Clearly SPU should restore the creek, but that requires only an easement sufficient to daylight it and provide a functional riparian corridor. This is veiled, and heavy-handed NIMBYism.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Interesting coincidence. #WorldCup #SeattlePride www.nysun.com/article/worl...
nysun.com
World Cup ‘Pride Match’ at Seattle To Feature Teams From Two Countries That Outlaw Homosexuality
An advisory committee says the match between Egypt and Iran will continue and is intended to reflect the city's commitment to a 'welcoming and inclusive…
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Saw his last 3 games - during the ‘95 ALDS in the Kingdome. Game 3 was brutal for Mattingly. Struck out 3 times to the Unit and was subjected to taunts of “Donnie strikeout” throughout. He struck out again against Johnson in the 10th inning of Game 5, the last AB of his career.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
VWFC’s biggest mistake was not having Rothrock; always have Paul Rothrock when playing a cup final against Messi! #MLSCup #SSTID #EBFG #SeattleLove
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Although he has no COTY honors, Schmetzer has won 2 MLS Cups, 4 Conference Championships, a Leagues Cup, and a CCL Championship in his nearly 10 years as Sounders HC. #EBFG #SSTID
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
With the Crew and CF Montreal, Wilfried Nancy won an MLS Cup, Conference Championship, Leagues Cup, and a Canadian Championship. He won COTY in 2024.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Jim Curtin coached the Union over much of that same period and won 2 COTY awards (2020 and 2022), but only a single Supporter’s Shield and a Conference Championship.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Vanney won 2 MLS cups, 4 conference championships, 1 supporter’s shield and 3 Canadian Championships. He won COTY in 2017.
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Tom Ostrom @st-ingenting.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Brian Schmetzer just completed his 10th season as Sounders HC (though 2016 was a partial season). I’m struggling to name another MLS coach who has been better over the last decade. Greg Vanney maybe comes closest in terms of club achievements (for TFC and LAG). #Sounders #MLS
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