| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2008 3:05 am |
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| RECENT POSTS: | |
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• California Supreme Court throws out ban on same-sex marriage May 15 • McCain's view of life in 2013 May 15 • McDermott endorses Obama May 15 • Rep. Liias won't face Democrat foe May 14 • Compromise farm bill due for vote in House May 14 |
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Local • Island County • Snohomish County State • Governor • Legislature • Secretary of State U.S. • House of Representatives • Senate • White House Useful Resources • Federal Election Commission • Public Disclosure Commission • Thomas (federal legislation tracking) • TVW |
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| RECENT COLUMNS: | |
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• Liias may face a friendly opponent May 4 • Pointing fingers in firing of analyst April 27 • County Democrats expect to pack Everett arena at convention April 6 • Haugen faces new battle for her seat March 30 |
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California Supreme Court throws out ban on same-sex marriage The California Supreme Court today threw out that state's ban on same-sex marriage. It was a 4-3 ruling and the decision runs 172 pages. You can read it here. Here's one news story. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! McCain's view of life in 2013 Republican presidential candidate John McCain delivered a speech today that will provide plenty of fodder for debate in the coming months of the campaign. Rather than making promises of what he will do, he makes predictions of what he will get done by 2013 - which would be the end of his first, and possibly only, term. The biggest prediction is the Iraq War will be over and most troops home. That's what's inciting most of the buzz so far today. Here's what McCain's campaign put out on the speech. Here's the L.A. Times story. And for international flavor, here's a story from the Guardian in England. Have you got a view? Send me an e-mail. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! McDermott endorses Obama Seattle's liberal Congressman Jim McDermott is no longer an uncommitted superdelegate. He is a supporter of Sen. Barack Obama for president. Here is an AP story. Obama's campaign sent out a press release this morning that includes this prepared comment from McDermott: I am proud to endorse Barack Obama today, because I believe he will bring us together to achieve the kind of change we need in this country moving forward. As Democrats, we are fortunate to have two very talented public servants running to be the nominee of our party, and I have great respect for Senator Clinton. But I believe now is the time to unite behind Barack Obama so we can be in the strongest place possible to win in November. Barack Obama has chosen to spend his career speaking out for those who need a voice and reaching across the aisle to bring change that matters in the lives of working families. I am confident that as president, Barack Obama will end the war in Iraq and bring our sons and daughters home, he will make universal health care a reality and he will restore our moral standing in the world. Barack Obama won the race in my home state by an overwhelming margin and I am thankful that so many new voters have become engaged because of the kind of campaign he has run, and I am happy to support him today. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Rep. Liias won't face Democrat foe Conversations about Snohomish County labor leader and Democrat activist Darrell Chapman running against Democratic Rep. Marko Liias are over. At least they are for me. As one who speculated a lot on the subject, I’m done. That is unless Chapman changes his mind. Here’s the brief back story. In January, Liias beat out Chapman for the appointment to this job representing the 21st Legislative District. Chapman thought about taking Liias on via the ballot and decided against it. Last month Chapman said he had begun to rethink his position at the behest of other Democrats. Then on May 3, the state Labor Council backed Liias. On May 10, Liias won the Democratic Party nomination on a unanimous vote of precinct committee officers in the district. Chapman, I was told, voted for Liias. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Compromise farm bill due for vote in House Food bank operators, red raspberry growers and a whole lot of farmers may be tuning into C-SPAN today. That’s because the House of Representatives may act on a new farm bill. If passed it will then go to the Senate. This massive piece of legislation includes crop subsidies that are controversial and support for specialty crops such as red raspberries that are not. There’s stuff in it for organic farmers and tax breaks for broadband users. Here is an AP story on the bill. One of the more important elements that hasn’t earned many headlines is increased funding for food banks and a boost in the food stamp program. According to a press release from U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen: Nearly three quarters of the farm bill goes to hunger and nutrition programs that help 38 million American families afford wholesome food, compared to just thirteen percent of the bill which goes to commodity subsidies. The Emergency Food Assistance Program which provides direct aid to food banks and soup kitchens across the country will receive a 78 percent boost in funding. A hike in federal dollars for the food stamp program will provide increased benefits for an estimated 239,000 individuals across Washington state, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Larsen announced today he is backing the bill. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Protesters lining up for McCain Today’s visit by Republican presidential candidate John McCain is stirring passions of aerospace workers, Planned Parenthood supporters and, as always, the Democratic Party. As the Herald's Michelle Dunlop posted this morning, machinists are planning to greet and growl at the man they hold responsible for scuttling Boeing’s bid for the multi-billion dollar air tanker contract. Meanwhile, the Washington State Democratic Party today posted another political video ad on YouTube. This one links McCain and Dino Rossi. You can view it here. When McCain finishes talking about his green environmental agenda in North Bend, he will head to Bellevue to rake up some green for the campaign and that's where folks from Planned Parenthood will be standing by with a few things to say at him. According to the organization, protesters will gather at 4 p.m. across the street from the Hyatt Regency where McCain will be the guest of honor at a dinner event. From the Planned Parenthood press release: McCain’s positions on reproductive health care are an unexplored topic in this election. His stance puts him at odds with a key demographic - women voters in swing states. It’s not just that McCain wants Roe vs. Wade overturned. He is also out of touch with basic preventative health care for women like affordable birth control, family planning, and comprehensive sex education. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
And our ode to Jim Haley Forty-two years of fine journalism by a great person ended last Friday when Jim Haley logged out from The Herald and logged into a new life in retirement. Dozens showed up at the paper Saturday to honor Jim and a couple folks who couldn’t make it – U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen – sent messages via video. Go here to read his final story and here to view the video tribute done by a team of Herald reporters and photographers. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! GOP ode to superdelegates He’s at it again. Chris Nandor, the guitar playing, song writing Republican from Arlington, is performing on YouTube with his latest creation about Democratic superdelegates. Go Nandor is the same guy whose music video about Republican presidential candidates aired at the outset of the CNN-YouTube presidential debate. . ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Democratic candidate facing criminal charge The Democratic challenger to Republican Sen. Val Stevens is facing a challenge of his own. Fred Walser, the former Sultan police chief and retired state trooper, was charged Thursday with providing false information to a public servant. It is a gross misdemeanor. The single charge stems from his job in Sultan and is the result of months of investigation compiled into an 800-page police report. Read the full story in today's Herald. I spoke with Walser this morning to find out if he might pull out of the race. “No,” he said. “I’m pleading not guilty, doing what my attorney says and hopefully this will be over quickly. “I’ve served the public for 40 years and this is the only issue that’s arisen. What I’ve tried to do in my career should not be overshadowed by what’s happened in Sultan.” Will he withdraw if convicted? “No. I am highly electable and the best candidate out there." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! From today's edition: Wild Sky, right-to-die and Obama guy It’s done. President Bush signed the law creating the Wild Sky Wilderness. From Herald writer Jim Haley: In July 2001, environmentalists, east Snohomish County residents and federal lawmakers marched along a path among old-growth trees near Troublesome Creek north of U.S. 2. It was a part of a tour to show off a wild area that some thought should be preserved forever. On Thursday, most of those areas north of Index and Skykomish in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest were added to Washington's list of protected areas. Read the It’s coming. Former Gov. Booth Gardner pushed his right-to-die initiative in Lynnwood: From Herald writer Bill Sheets: Former Gov. Booth Gardner no longer runs the state, but now he'd like to be in control in a different way. He wants to be able to die on his own terms if his quality of life becomes seriously diminished, he said at a meeting of the Lynnwood Rotary Club on Thursday. Read the story here. It’s over. Rep. Rick Larsen committed to Sen. Barack Obama From me: U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen moved out of the column of uncommitted Democratic superdelegates Thursday and into the growing line of supporters of Sen. Barack Obama for president. Larsen ended weeks of neutrality, saying Tuesday's primaries made "very clear" that the Illinois senator has the skill and resolve to win his fierce battle with Sen. Hillary Clinton for the party's nomination. Read the E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Larsen backs Obama Rep. Rick Larsen has joined the ranks of superdelegates supporting Sen. Barack Obama. In a conference call with reporters this afternoon he called Obama a "tough and resilient" candidate and said Obama's victory in North Carolina and a near come-from-behind win in Indiana proved he can run strong though the fall. Larsen said it carried a lot of weight that the Illinois senator "has energized and inspired my constituents like no other candidate." Larsen also said it is up to Sen. Hillary Clinton to decide whether to campaign through the end of the primary season in June. He didn't feel the party would suffer irreparable harm at continuing but said it had become "very clear to me" Obama will be the nominee. Six of Washington's 17 superdelegates remain uncommitted. Larsen said he did not know if any others would be making decisions or in the near future. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Is Larsen ready to commit? Rep. Rick Larsen, one of the state’s last uncommitted superdelegates, will hold a conference call with reporters in a few minutes to "discuss his super delegate vote at the Democratic National Convention." Six of Washington's 17 superdelegates are presently uncommitted. Of the 10 that have endorsed, six are supporting Sen. Hillary Clinton and four are supporting Sen. Barack Obama. Earlier today, Obama, the Democratic frontrunner, was on the floor of the House of Representatives chatting with some of the representatives who have not yet taken sides in the race for president. In the last couple of days, Clinton and members of her campaign staff have met with undecided House members including Larsen to argue she’s got a chance. This afternoon in The Hill, Larsen sounds less sure. “The Clinton folks are saying, ‘Wait until June 3 so the rest of the states can play out, then we’ll do what we can to seat the delegates from Florida and Michigan.’ I think that’s a very complicated case to make,." Here’s the whole story: ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Bush signs bill creating Wild Sky U.S. Sen. Patty Murray phoned this morning with the news that President Bush has signed the legislation to create the Wild Sky Wilderness. She said she learned of the president's action in a phone call which means she didn't see him do it nor get the pen he used to affix his signature to the new law. There was no disappointment in her voice. "It has been a long time coming. This feels real," she said. An event to mark the end of this political journey is being organized for May 30. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Facebook, state sign deal to shield children from bad content, bad people Attorney General Rob McKenna just issued a press release on an agreement between Facebook and the states. Here is the release that includes a link to the 12-page agreement. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Wild Sky notes and quotes This is from the official announcement of President Bush’s action: STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY On Thursday, May 8, 2008, the President signed into law: S. 2739, the "Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008,” which designates the 106,000-acre Wild Sky Wilderness in Washington State; designates three new National Heritage Areas; expands several national parks; authorizes funding for specified water projects; modifies two existing energy programs; applies U.S. immigration law to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and grants the Commonwealth a non-voting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives Here are snippets of quotes from supporters: Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wa.: "Reaching the end of the trail never felt so good. Today marks the summit of a long journey made possible by many committed people and years of community input. Together, we not only created a new wilderness bill, but a new model for creating wilderness in the future." Sen. Patty Murray: “Today is a tribute to so many people who never gave up and never lost sight of the goal – preserving the heart and soul of this beautiful land. This new wilderness is a gift to young families, lifelong outdoor enthusiasts and everyone in between. We are blessed to live so close to such majestic beauty and thanks to this new designation it will be protected for generations to come.” Tom Uniack, conservation director of the Washington Wilderness Coalition "The new Wild Sky Wilderness is a shining example of what we all can accomplish if we come together and work to ensure the future of this great state." Mark Lawler, local forest conservation spokesperson for the Sierra Club. "This has been a long time in the making but it's more than worth the wait." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
McCain coming to Bellevue Republican Sen. John McCain is coming to Bellevue to hold a high-priced "victory" fund raiser for his presidential campaign. The event is May 13 at the Hyatt Regency. Here are the E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Public schools facing “bad year” with budgets A story in What’s occuring in Snohomish County is not unique. Shortages of cash plague many if not most of the state 295 school districts. “This is going to be a bad year,” Jennifer Priddy, the state’s assistant superintendent for K-12 finance, told lawmakers and educators on the Basic Education Finance Joint Task Force this afternoon. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Small cut, big infection fells Dunshee Democratic Rep. Hans Dunshee won’t be present Thursday to accept his party’s nomination for another term. He should be home with his leg propped up. Dunshee is recovering from a staph infection that forced him to be hospitalized last month and nearly killed him. He told me today he nicked the lower part of his right leg while getting in and out of a kayak. In the ensuing days he fought off a fever while the little cut grew big and ugly. When he went to a local clinic, the doctor immediately sent him to the hospital. Dunshee sent this e-mail to supporters in the 44th Legislative District early this morning Dear Dems I am not going to make the nominating meeting this Thursday. My Doctor has required that I spend as much time as possible with my leg elevated. I got a staph infection in a little cut on my leg a couple of weeks ago and spent 5 days in the hospital getting heavy duty anti-biotic pumped into me. The little bacteria almost killed me. Recovery is faster if I keep the leg draining. I was starting to hobble around and thought I could make it. After talking to the doc on Monday I am doing less walking to recover faster. This means every moment possible my leg should be up. The faster I recover the sooner I am on my bike talking to voters. I ask your forgiveness and would request that someone nominate me and I ask for your vote. Thank you all Hans ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Fromhold's life after the Legislature gets cloudy When Democratic state Rep. Bill Fromhold of Vancouver said he would not seek re-election this year, folks in both parties frowned because he's considered one of the good guys. He had a grand plan. He would join his wife and together they would oversee a multi-year, multi-million dollar grant-funded effort to boost high school students' performance in math and science. But the grant got pulled and Fromhold is now left to ponder his future. Here's the story in The Columbian . ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Huckabee to rock in Redmond A former Arkansas governor is teaming up with a famous rock band drummer in a benefit concert in Redmond this month. It’s not Bill Clinton. Mike Huckabee, the former governor and Republican presidential candidate, is scheduled to take part in a May 22 fundraiser for a group trying to raise money for music programs through the sale of a special license plate. Huckabee once played in a band called Capitol Offense. This time he is slated to jam with drummer Alan White , best known for his work with Yes, plus Bob and Shelley Tomberg of Shelley and the Curves. Music Aid Northwest is behind the program of selling license plates to boost music education and organizers of the concert. This is not a political group. They're all about the music. Find out more on the license plate program here and the group here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Statistics reveal drop in crime in 2007 Did you feel safer in 2007 than in 2006? Preliminary numbers released today show that in 2007 fewer major crimes occurred statewide and more incidents got solved than a year earlier. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs issued the data based on information gathered from cities and counties. According to WASPC calculations, there was an 8.4 percent drop in “crime index offenses” - murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson - compared to 2006 with a clearance rate of those crimes up 13.5 percent. The total number of violent crimes decreased by 2 percent. This category includes homicides. In 2007, 177 people were murdered in the state, 11 fewer than in 2006. Property crimes dropped 8.9 percent with car thefts down a whopping 17.9 percent. Specifically, 36,932 vehicle thefts were reported in 2007 versus 44,967 in 2006. The one increase came in hate crimes. According to WASPC numbers, a total of 199 incidents involving 251 criminal offenses were reported by 260 law enforcement agencies in 2007, a 15.1 percent increase compared to 2006 data. Here is a E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Simpson vacating House post House Speaker Frank Chopp announced this afternoon that Democratic Rep. Geoff Simpson will be temporarily relieved of his committee chairmanship. It's Chopp's first comment and action since Simpson was arrested following a dispute with his ex-wife. Here's Chopp's statement: I met with Representative Simpson yesterday afternoon. He understands the gravity of the situation, and he has decided that he will take leave of his position as chair of the House Committee on Local Government pending resolution of the charges he faces. We both believe this is the best course of action for all involved. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Dorn enters race against Bergeson The battle for the job of running the state’s public school system got a bit more crowded and intriguing today. Randy Dorn, executive director of the 26,000-member Public School Employees union, pulled his campaign boots out of the garage and laced them up for the run. Dorn is a former state lawmaker who chaired the House Education Committee the year in which the infamous education reform bill 1209 passed the Legislature. Superintendent Terry Bergeson is seeking a fourth term in the nonpartisan position. Dorn said she’s got to step down because parents, teachers and lawmakers have lost faith in her and the department. “I believe the tide has really turned on Terry,” he said. Richland Schools Superintendent Rich Semler thinks so too. He launched his campaign for schools chief awhile back. Just a few days ago he nabbed the backing of the WEA, the statewide teachers union. That didn’t scare off Dorn. He figures he’s got more political experience and it will come forth in the coming campaign. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! The war, the banner, the politics of "Mission Accomplished" Five years ago today on board the Everett-bound USS Abraham Lincoln, President Bush stood under a banner emblazoned with “Mission Accomplished” and delivered the speech in which he declared:: "My fellow Americans, major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed." Didn’t turn out to be the end and today’s five-year anniversary is a rallying tool for those opposed to the president and the war in Iraq. Talking points for Democratic members of Congress cite figures from the Department of Defense showing that of the 4,058 American troops killed in the war in Iraq, 3,919 lost their lives since May 1, 2003. The criticism goes on for several pages and argues the war is costing a lot of money without increasing security for the nation. For the Bush Administration, there is something to applaud today. A press release from the Multi-National Security Transition Command in Iraq states that today the Baghdad Police College graduated 479 new police officers pushing the total of assigned Iraqi police to more than 291,497. As for that darn banner, former Herald reporter Brian Kelly wrote in 2004: The famous banner has been out of sight, but not out of mind, since it was stretched across the superstructure of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during the president's speech in May 2003 when he declared major combat operations over in Iraq. Here’s the E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Simpson police report, Dems response A final update for Wednesday on the case of Rep. Geoff Simpson, D-Covington. I wouldn't usually spend this much time on someone not from Snohomish County but this is not only going to be a very public and agonizingly personal issue for Simpson but a very difficult political issue for the Democrats. House Speaker Frank Chopp has been counseled not to talk. Here's the two-paragraph release issued by the Chief Clerk of the House Barbara Baker: “The House of Representatives takes criminal charges against any of the members very seriously – especially those of domestic violence. However, as an attorney, I am advising Speaker Chopp to thoroughly understand the details of this incident before requesting any official action from the institution. “I will be talking later this evening with the Speaker and other members of leadership about this unfortunate situation. Our next steps will be based on what we learn in the days ahead. And courtesy of the Associated Press, a PDF of the sheriff's report is available with this post. (Excuse the gaffe - it just says PDF but it is the report). ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! More details on lawmaker arrest The Associated Press is reporting charges have been filed against Rep. Geoff Simpson, D-Covington, who was arrested Sunday following a dispute with his ex-wife. According to the AP story, Simpson has been charged in King County District Court with fourth-degree assault and interfering with a domestic violence report.. Here's the story. Here's Simpson's statement: This is an unfortunate situation for everyone involved. The end of a marriage is an emotional and trying time for any family, and mine is no exception. As a firefighter and first responder, I have witnessed the reality of domestic violence and provided care for many victims. As a state legislator, I remain strongly in support of erring on the side of protecting potential victims with our laws and their enforcement – even when, in situations like mine, it can result in unwarranted charges. I am confident that once the facts come to light I will be exonerated. I believe in our justice system and will continue to cooperate fully as this situation is resolved. Also expected later today are comments from House Speaker Frank Chopp. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Democrat lawmaker arrested in domestic dispute Democrat blogger David Goldstein writes today that Rep. Geoff Simpson, D-Covington, was arrested last weekend following an allegedly heated argument with his ex-wife. Goldy writes that no physical altercation occurred. I’ve got calls into Simpson’s office. Until I hear back, here is what Goldy posted on horsesass.org. and it includes a statement from Simpson. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Feds recognize site where Japanese-Americans held A federal lands bill headed to the president will give national park status to the site on Bainbridge Island where 227 Japanese-Americans reported before being sent to internment camps in 1942. Congressman Jay Inslee championed this effort the last couple years. Today he got his victory when the House of Representatives passed a package of bills dealing with federal properties that included his legislation. (This package also included creation of the Wild Sky Wilderness) According to Inslee's office, the designation will be given to the former Eagledale Ferry Dock. "This memorial proclaims that we should never again sacrifice liberty at the altar of fear," Inslee said in a press release issued after the vote. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Tim Eyman getting a loan I got another e-mail today from Tim Eyman – and it’s more interesting than most. He said he is getting a quarter-million dollar line of credit to fund his latest initiative campaign. Money is needed to pay the professionals who, he claims, are "turning in an absolute avalanche of voter signatures" on petitions for Initiative 985. The primary underwriter of the campaign so far, Michael Dunmire is tapped out, the e-mail notes. Here are excerpts of an e-mail he sent to his accountants (and to the public today): I'm securing a $250,000 line of credit from US Bank. As soon as it's up and running, I'll be borrowing that full amount and loaning it to the I-985 campaign Based on cost projections, we need an additional $290,000 so this $250,000 loan is critical to ensuring the success of I-985. About the initiative – it’s target is traffic congestion and its aim is to change how cities, counties and the state deal with it. Among its proposed provisions are opening carpool lanes in non-peak hours, requiring local governments to synchronize traffic lights on heavily-traveled streets and using sales tax paid on new and used vehicles to hire more state workers to clear up roadway incidents that cause back-ups. It also would require cities with red-light cameras to send the state a portion of the money they collect in ticket fines. To qualify, Eyman must turn in signatures of 225,000 registered voters by July 3. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Keep an eye on Wild Sky A quick heads-up - the final vote on creating the Wild Sky Wilderness area is expected to occur in the next couple of hours. It’s on today’s calendar of the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation to establish the 106,000-acre wilderness north of Index is part of a package of bills dealing with federal properties. This omnibus bill could pass on a voice vote – which would be kind of anti-climactic given all the heat generated by this proposal. Senators passed the bill April 10. If it gets House approval, it will go to President Bush who is expected to sign it. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Supreme Court OKs photo ID at polls The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that states can require voters to show a photo ID before casting a ballot. Here's what moved on the high court's online site . Mike Reitz of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation was spreading the word on this decision earlier today. For the record, EFF liked the law. The ruling should have a limited effect in Washington where the requirement for identification is imposed at the time a person registers to vote. Showing a photo like on a driver's license is one of several types of identification that the state accepts. To see the list, click here and scroll down to "ID Necessary to Register." I've been told people who register and do not provide the necessary identification will get contacted by county auditors seeking the info. Failing to send in the information does not prevent a person from voting. It does mean their ballot won't be counted until they provide one of the forms of required ID. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
18-year-old to challenge Rep. Liias Andrew Funk, who is studying accounting and business at Edmonds Community College, plans to run as a Republican against Rep. Marko Liias, D-Mukilteo. Funk, 18, said he was getting discouraged that no one in the Grand Old Party stepped forward in the 21st Legislative District so he decided he would. "I am going at this to win. I wanted the opportunity to run for new leadership and somebody with conservative views," said Funk, who voted in his first election last fall. He said he’s planning to campaign on a budget of $5,000. He said he’ll focus on policies to cap property tax increases, reduce state spending, improve transportation, revamp the testing and curriculum in high schools and impose stricter punishment on convicted criminals. Here's his campaign Web site. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Reardon raising money, striding toward another run Four months into his second term, Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon is taking steps to run for a third in 2011. On Wednesday, he held a $750-a-plate fundraiser at the Everett Country Club. He told me he collected in the neighborhood of $14,000 from the roughly two dozen people invited to the sit down meal. "It was a very small intimate dinner to talk about Snohomish County and where we're going," he said. He didn’t volunteer the names of the invitees, saying only they came from the business, financial and building industries. Those will become public in a few weeks. Reardon must first register his re-election campaign committee with the state – a task he said will be done real soon – and details of the event will become public as early as next month. Reardon won re-election in November by an overwhelming margin over Republican Jack Turk, a professional magician. The county executive amassed $300,000 for the campaign and has $45,000 left over which he will likely pledge toward the 2011 effort. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
The story on the firing of Ed Moats In today’s edition, Jeff Switzer reports on the decision of the Democratic-controlled Snohomish County Council to fire analyst Ed Moats who is a Republican. From the story: Led by County Council Chairman Dave Somers, all four Democrats on the council voted to fire Moats and said the move was part of a change in direction. Their action came over the strong objections of John Koster, the lone Republican on the council. "It smacks of a political purge and a personal vendetta by Somers against Moats because he doesn't like his political orientation," Koster said. As far as anyone can tell, the County Council had never before fired someone in public. "I wish that Ed would just have done this in a more normal manner, but he chose not to, and we chose to terminate him," Somers said. Politics had nothing to do with firing Moats, Somers said. "I don't feel anything about Ed's political leanings," he said. "They're irrelevant as far as I'm concerned." Read the entire story here. To watch the discussion on video, follow this link. The debate occurred at the 33:45 mark in the opening general legislative session of the April 23 meeting. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
County Council Dems dump GOP staffer It looks like a little political purging wrapped up today on the 8th Floor of the Snohomish County government building. The Democrat-controlled County Council is dumping two of its five legislative policy analysts – the two with known Republican ties. Both analysts received notice in March that they would be terminated May 1. One chose to resign. The other, Ed Moats, didn’t and this morning the four Democrats on the council voted to fire him – which they could because he is an at-will employee. John Koster, the council’s fifth member and lone Republican, abstained. I spoke with Moats this morning. He said Koster has been trying to hire him onto his staff but has been rebuffed by the council majority. Moats’ leanings outside work are well known. It’s on his resume too as he did a short stint with the House Republican caucus. ( So too did the other analyst, Moats said.) Moats has worked for the county for six years and for another week will serve as the analyst assigned to the committee run by Koster. He said he may go to court to fight the dismissal. One issue may be whether the council acted improperly in blocking his hiring by Koster. I asked Moats if this isn’t in fact a cost-cutting move and it’s only coincidence that the two people with Republican ties lose their jobs. He said money is not an issue because the council is already advertising to hire replacements. There's more to this story and as soon as I get it, I'll bring it here. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Update: Lawyers for GOP, Dems blast rules for primary If you want to read exactly what the state Democratic and Republican parties don't like about the proposed rules for the "top two" primary, I've attached the letters sent by party attorneys to the Office of the Secretary of State. Katie Blinn, the state's assistant director of elections, says the goal is to put out the final rules by the end of the week. Then everyone waits to see if the state and the two political parties will meet in court to hash out differences on how the election will be run. Here again is a link to the proposed rules for the Aug. 19 primary. It should come as no surprise that the Democratic and Republican parties don't embrace the regulations and want the state to hold off from trying out the new system this year. Here is an excerpt from the introduction of each letter Republican Party attorney John White writes: “The draft regulations have been prepared in haste, and it shows, both in substance and in technical drafting. The state has available an alternative approach that has worked before, In 2000, the state was also presented with a Supreme Court decision affecting an election schedule to occur within months of the decision. At that time, rather than create a substantial risk of disruption by rushing to implement a new system, the state and political parties agreed to an orderly schedule for resolving the legal issues presented – while following an established and tested set of election rules. We are again faced with such a situation and the better course of action for the people of the state is to continue the system in place, and for which your office already adopted emergency regulations last month, rather than attempting to craft a new system on the fly.” Democratic Party attorney David McDonald writes: “My principal comment with regard to these draft regulations is that the proposed implementation of I-872 does not solve - and in some cases does not even address - serious problems. Indeed, the apparent decision that your office will attempt to unilaterally replace a well-thought out, tested and familiar primary system with a patchwork, hastily pulled together proposal to partially implement I-872 may create even more problems.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Posse gives Bart a little but he trails Larsen by a lot Democratic U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen raised $146,000 for his re-election campaign in the first three months of this year while Republicans spent most of that time recruiting a challenger to the incumbent. They got one - former Snohomish County Sheriff Rick Bart. And now he's got the tough job of taking on the incumbent. Bart kicked off his campaign last week. He swore supporters into a posse and they in turn donated $19,000 for his run for office. That's a drop in the spittoon compared to Larsen's account. Larsen’s latest filing with the Federal Election Commission showed he has collected $815,000 in pursuit of a fifth term – that includes the $146,000. Subtracting what Larsen has spent so far, he still had $543,409 at the start of this month. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Dotzauer to consult in Mongolia Veteran Democratic political consultant Ron Dotzauer is heading to Mongolia today to provide a little insight on campaigning to women running for office in that country. It’s a volunteer gig. He’ll be working with Battsetseg "Baagii" Shagdar, a candidate for the national parliament, and other members of the Democratic Women's Union. Shagdar led a group of women political activists on a visit to Snohomish County in December. They came as a result of a friendship between Shagdar and Kathleen Stratton Zunkel of Mukilteo. Here’s Herald Writer Gale Fiege’s story on how those Shagdar and Zunkel met and how the visitors from Mongolia attended a political campaign workshop run by the National Federation of Republican Women. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
NBA says OK to Sonics move The Sonics are not gone yet but the NBA owners gave owner Clay Bennett their blessing today to move the team. Here's the coverage of the NBA owners' decision and Gov. Chris Gregoire's statement. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Huckabee coming to Washington Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee will be in Washington next month with events planned in Spokane May 20 and in Seattle May 21. The former Arkansas governor is now raising money for candidates, including Sen. John McCain. But his visit is not to stump for McCain, who he battled hard for delegates. Nor is it to dredge up the subject of Washington’s GOP caucuses in February. If you recall, Huckabee had lots of doubts about the results. Huckabee is coming to help raise money for the Family Policy Institute of Washington, the Lynnwood-based group that is trying to assert itself as a leading voice for social and religious conservatives. Family Policy Institute is affiliated with Focus on the Family, the national group founded by Dr. James Dobson, and recently merged with the Washington Family Foundation in Spokane to boost its presence statewide. Joining Huckabee will be Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, which is co-sponsoring the two events. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Check out this new PDC site with Gregoire, Rossi money totals by county Thanks to a brand new tool from the Public Disclosure Commission, you can get a good idea of how much money Gov. Christine Gregoire and Dino Rossi are collecting in each county. Here’s the page. It shows you the total cash and in-kind contributions in the race and spreads them on a map of the state. Click on the name of the candidate you’ll get just their numbers per county. If you don’t, you get the name of the one who has the most money in a county. For example, Rossi is leading in Snohomish County with a tad under $270,000. Money coming from out-of-state is piled into the "other contribution" icon on top of | ||||||||||||||||||||
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