I also agree with most of the above. I wrote a critical piece about Folklife for the Victory Review a few years ago. I tried to be very civil about it, but got a rude response from the then executive director.
In the past I had to plead for parking permits - "I'm bringing Paddy Graber, a 83-year-old Irish trad singer from Vancouver, B.C." But this year I was pleasantly surprised by receiving free parking passes without any plea. Still the festival's cut of my CD sales doesn't please me.
What if all or a good portion of the musicians went on strike for better appreciation and conditions? They'd be left high and dry without their free musicians. Probably wouldn't work, but just a thought.
Yes, a small, musician-friendly festival in Seattle would be a nice alternative, but where, when, and organization? Perhaps the Pacific Northwest Folklore Society could help sponsor it, but still there are a lot of problems and work involved. If you have any ideas, let me know.