| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2010 2:26 am |
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Local News 
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Rural Snohomish County voters largely rejected Referendum 71 You can pretty much draw a line through Snohomish County to see where Referendum 71 went from winning to losing among a majority of voters.Start in Tulalip and follow I-5 south to the King County border and you'll find most voters approving the law that will expand rights of same-sex couples when the election is certified next month. In Marysville and communities north and east of there, the electorate rejected it — with the exceptions of Snohomish and Index — according to a breakdown of ballot results by precinct. Overall, Referendum 71 is being approved in Snohomish County 51.2 percent to 48.8 percent, a smaller margin of success than it is enjoying statewide. Referendum 71 let voters approve or reject the law that puts those in registered domestic partnerships on par with married couples in the eyes of the state. The law covers same-sex couples and senior couples in which one partner is at least 62 years old. County residents won't be surprised by the way they break down. Historically, more socially conservative voters reside in the rural areas while those in and near the most populated cities — especially King County emigres settling in South County — display liberal tendencies. Rep. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, who actively campaigned for the ballot measure's approval, said this urban-rural schism is evident throughout the state. “There are some lessons you can draw from our county that will help to understand what is happening across the state,” he said. It means those who want to make marriage legal for gay and lesbian couples will need to do a better job explaining why to those living in less populated communities throughout Washington where the referendum is losing, he said. Liias doesn't have a concern in his hometown. Edmonds proved to be one of the strongest cells of support for Referendum 71. The latest results show it ahead in all 52 precincts with 9,034 voters approving it and 5,566 rejecting it. It is being approved in Mukilteo, Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood, too. Everett voters also are behind the law, though it is getting rejected in roughly 40 percent of the city's 95 precincts. Last week's vote tally showed it ahead 10,248 to 8,897. Just north, in Marysville, voters are turning it down by the largest margin, 4,579 to 3,605. It is not passing in Lake Stevens, Monroe and Sultan. In Arlington, which was the epicenter of the campaign against the referendum, voters were rejecting it, too. The city is home to Larry Stickney, a leader of Protect Marriage Washington, the group that sponsored the ballot measure in order to put the fate of the law in the hands of the electorate. Roughly 58 percent of voters in the city rejected the new law. Stickney said north Snohomish County is populated with conservatives who attend “Bible believing churches” and that they proved a fount of support. He also said the campaign ran ads on cable television stations in the area, which might have boosted their effort. “They are holding onto a way of life they believe is right,” he said. “The battle is not over. There are those of us licking our wounds who will be back again as the fight goes on.” Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623, jcornfield@heraldnet.com. |
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COMMENTS
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Has it every occurred to any of you idealist that passage of this measure costs money and that the state is 2 billion in the tank? Apparently you will just wave your magic wand to generate the funds to pay for this. Oh yea, we'll just tax the crap out of the hard working, hate filled, rednecks.
People are tired of having their money taken away to pay for crap like this. How about getting a job and paying for your own benefits?
Ron Collins | Nov 21, 2009 9:16 am | 4 replies | Request removal
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By your comments, boy are you just as bigoted as you claim we (the 'rednecks' and 'backwoods' 'last to change') people are! The saddest part is that you don't take use seriously, and you expect us 'to change/get progressive'.. and the articles says it this way: explain it (this issue) better.. well to counter all your stereotypes, I will use me as an example:
1. I am not a 'country boy'.. for one I grew up just like most of you did.. in the equivalent of a Lynnwood or Edmonds.. and I'm VERY glad to be out of there, because of the muzzle you see in this article, being effectively applied to those that speak out against the agenda.. Out here in Monroe, at least I know that I can express what I know is right, and not get the looks from neighbors of "he's a fundamentalist".. which I'm not..
2. I know what you mean, and want me to accept.. I've heard it all my life.. and I know I won't 'change' because it's 'explained' better.. because I REJECT YOUR REASONING AND YOUR EXPLANATION.. you will label me (conveniently) as a 'hater', which is fine, but what you fail to consider is MY REASONING for what I believe.. which is, in a nutshell, that this harms people (so called 'gay' marriage) and doesn't really help them..
3. Consider me, and a few others I know out here, as convert AWAY from your base-less and me-centered thinking.
Proudly, a recent transplant TO Monroe, who voted to reject Ref 71, and would have even if his address was Redmond, Kirkland, or Everett (which it has been all of those)
Paul
Paul P | Nov 21, 2009 11:13 am | 1 replies | Request removal
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While the story was accurate in stating that Lake Stevens overall voted to reject 71, I would like to point out that the Frontier Village and Soper Hill areas of Lake Stevens (the newer parts of the city) voted to APPROVE 71 by 55% (all five precincts voted to approve), while the older parts of the city voted to approve at only 46%-- that's a nearly 10% gap. Obviously there are more progressive folks living in the western part of the city, while the more traditional voters are in the older parts of town.
udub LS | Nov 22, 2009 7:56 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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Again sir, you have no answer to pay for your view of the "civilized" world. We have a 2 billion dollar deficit, which is a direct result of civilized programs like this. California is so "civilized" they managed to accumulate a 60 billion dollar deficit. There just are not enough resources in the world to pay everything for everyone, especially when the government takes your money, wastes 1/3 of it, then re-allocates the rest. And, for the record, I don't care what you do within the confines of your home, I just don't want to pay for it. So, if being fiscally responsible is being cheap, then yes, I'm cheap.
Ron Collins | Nov 22, 2009 7:34 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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and that little world you live in where bigotry is just fine as long as it saves you a dollar.
If you don't like the way your taxes are spent run for office in your area (anything has to be better than John Koster). The majority (who pay just as much - often more - taxes than you do) have spoken our mind on whether people or money should be the priority.
"Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society" is etched into the stonework at the headquaters of the Internal Revenue Service. You're statement infers that you don't need civilization as much as the rest of us; Either that or you just a cheap SOB.
Jeff Craig | Nov 21, 2009 12:11 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
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As a homeowner in north Everett, I can say difinitively that those who live in the areas north and east of here are mostly poor *************, survivalist-types and your hard-core racist xenophobes. They believe that judgement day is coming soon and they are going to be beamed up, hence the reason they have decided to live in the sticks and away from civilization. They are a waste of skin, so, we simply tolerate them. To try to explain gay rights to them is like speaking Chinese. The only solution is to wait for them to die off...
Anthony Vicari | Nov 21, 2009 11:17 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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I care because??
Its passed into law, they need to get over their bad selves.
Mike Flavin | Nov 21, 2009 1:30 am | 1 replies | Request removal
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You'd think rednecks would know how to let people live their own lives. There's a reason I drive straight through these dumps when trying to get somewhere. I won't spend any money in any place that tolerates hate.
R N | Nov 21, 2009 8:11 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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This is no surprise. Rural area's are ALWAYS the last place to change.
Like an Ostrich, with head in hole in ground, as it rains. It's always been that way.
They're probably all still for slavery too.
As Ron White says about his own kind... "you can't fix stupid". But you can out-vote them, & we have.
cme everett | Nov 21, 2009 2:35 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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