Story Structure

I. THE BEGINNING
- Greg Nickels announces 30 layoffs, and plans to close the library for a week during summer, due to budget cuts.
- Nickels announced plans to cut $13.3 million out of the 2009 general-fund budget.

II. STRUCTURE AND BODY
- "It's no secret that we are in the worst economic crisis in decades here in Seattle"
- Why this is happening - lower-than-expected tax revenue.
- Nickels' planned budget cuts.

III. SUPPORTING MATERIAL
- Examples on what exactly will be getting cut.
- Most city departments will take between a 1 and 3 percent cut.
- The Seattle Public Library initially proposed shorter branch hours, but the mayor reinstated $500,000 to its budget to allow it to keep its regular hours and avoid layoffs.


IV. KICKER - REACTION AND RESPONSE
- City Employees are planning to picket.
- Public Hearing.
- "The city's budget cuts won't be over then. Budget director Dwight Dively projects the city will be about $40 million short in 2010. There is still $25 million in the rainy-day fund to help close that gap."