Washblog

National Summit To Save Our Elections

Hi all.  This is my first post on WashBlog. 

I'm heading down to The National Summit to Save Our Elections this evening.  Brian Moran invited me to blog about the event.  Thanks Brian!

It's a big agenda, including workshops, interviews, and seminars.  I'm torn between the events covering electronic voting and counting vs everything else. 

I'm a fan of paper ballots and manual counting, just like Canada does things.  Being a computer guy, I am deeply skeptical of any electronically mediated process.  Having survived many technical ideological wars, I'm not terribly interested in debating the merits of the various competing Rube Goldberg inspired solutions.  And it'd be nice learn stuff new to me available in the other sessions.

On the other hand, I believe electronic voting and counting (in any form) present the single biggest threat to our democracy.  A huge part of me wants to meet the advocates of these systems, just to size them up. Try to figure out why the technophiles are cheerfully doing our enemies work for them.

So.  Thanks again to Brian for giving me this opportunity.  I really don't know what form or shape my posts will take.  I asked around a bit about proceedings and the like.  I'm hoping to connect with other bloggers.  In which case we can cross-link posts, pictures, videos, transcripts and so on, to offer better coverage of the event.

Von Reichbauer: Various and Sundry Asian People

Until earlier this week, this jocular campaign page draft was linked to the Seattle PI/Seattle League of Women Voters online voter’s guide. It's offline now -- except for here.

Notice the picture of the candidate standing with Enumclaw’s mayor with the words, “Pete, you walk on water” scripted across. The page is addressed, postcard fashion, to von Reichbauer’s recent primary challenger: Phil Fortunato, 1234 Haha Lane, Spanked, WA.

Along the left-hand side of the page appears a short list of endorsers, followed nearly two dozen times by the phrase “various and sundry Asian people.” Maybe Mr. von Reichbauer categorizes his supporters into people who have their own names, or at least official positions … and Asian people.

Also see Council Member's Website Causes Stir.

Is Mayor Nickels electioneering?

Yesterday's PI article on Mayor Nickels being charged for misusing the office to create and distribute campaign materials (an 8 page booklet titled 'Mayor Greg Nickels: Three Years of Accomplishments') drew me to the city website to find this pamphlet to see what it is all about. You can view it here, view his campaign website, and judge for yourself.

Defending Progressive Values in Snohomish County

From Progressive Majority:

In Washington State, Dave Somers is challenging the out-of-touch incumbent Jeff Sax in a pivotal county council race.  Dave is a proven leader with the experience Snohomish County needs to manage its growth effectively.  If Dave wins, it will take away the conservatives’ 3-2 council majority, making this one of Progressive Majority’s most critical elections.

Crisis in Snohomish County

In last week's primary election, the voters of Snohomish County spoke – and they want a progressive majority in their county.  Dave defeated his centrist primary opponent with 64% of the vote, giving him tremendous momentum going into the general election where he'll compete against a conservative.

Nothing less than the future of the entire county is at stake.  With a 50% projected growth rate over the next two decades, Snohomish County deserves a council member with Dave Somers' ecology expertise and background in land use policy.  Dave will fight for public safety and environmentally friendly land use.Dave's opponent has got to go!  In four devastating years on the council he has:

• Ignored a growing methamphetamine problem while cutting funds for a new and much-needed Drug Strike Team;
• Rampaged against the environment—even flying out to Washington DC to rail against the passage of the Wild Sky Wilderness area—while accepting thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from big developers;
• And mismanaged the county, backing policies that put the burden on working families rather than making developers pay their fair share.

The people want Jeff Sax out, and Dave Somers in.  Like countless others nationwide, voters in Snohomish County are tired of leaders who don't stand up and fight for them.  Dave understands the people in his community and he's on their side.  Support from progressives like you in these final weeks will help him win.

Unlike federal elections where candidates raise and spend millions of dollars, candidates in Snohomish County can only receive $675 per donor, which means Dave needs small contributions from a lot of progressives to reach his fundraising goals and win.  Your contribution of $35, $100, or $500 will make a big difference in this race:

http://www.djsomers.com/cc.html

Shaping downtown Everett's future

Everett city planners are looking for citizen input on how Everett's downtown core should become in the next 20 years.

City planners have enlisted the help of several firms, and they're also calling on residents for input.

More than 200 people have responded to the city's downtown survey. Everett's planning director, Allan Giffen, said the city will continue to accept surveys - available at www.everettwa.org - until Oct. 31.

The survey asks what downtown people would most like Everett to resemble. With choices such as Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C., there's no clear winner so far. The No. 1 response to that question so far is "other,"...The next highest response? People want downtown Everett to resemble downtown Bellevue.

Bellevue? Ewww.

State Republicans reveal themselves

Unfortunately, the GOP is all politics all the time, and not solving the people's problems. The GOP's endorsing of I-912 belies logic for a party that claims to 'keep us safe'. Jumping onto the anti-government libertarian I-912 crusade - conceived by frothing at the mouth right-wing talk jockstraps and political failures, the state GOP endorses more than initiative I-912. The state GOP is complicit in an obsession with taking down 'Queen Christine' at all costs.

Fuck the crumbling viaduct and all the other bridges across the state that need earthquake-proofing, forget the delays from I-90 pass closures, screw our overall economy for that matter - the GOP will wager all to politically damage Governor Gregiore in hopes for a 2008 re-match with Lossi.

Their failed initial plan was to put before voters this November an amendment to the State Constitution to ban gay marriage, timing perfectly with what the state GOP thought would be an overturning of the 2004 Governor's election by their hand picked Republican Chelan County Judge. Using the hate amendment as a get-out-the-vote drive, the GOP had it all figured out, except for Judge Bridges and the law.

Chris Vance and the state GOP leadership better have channeled some devine intervention to keep an earthquake from happening, as their ideas on Washington State's transportation problems are faith-based and not rooted in the reality of the situation we all face. Today's PI editorial on the state GOP sums it up nicely:

When it comes to actually getting something done about dangerous highways, crumbling roads, dilapidated bridges and replacing parts of the transportation infrastructure key to the state's economy, the GOP is the party of "no."

Good of them to set the record straight.

Amen to that.

We think the time to take further action regarding bringing our National Guard troops home is now.

Filling in for another MFSO Pac NW member who had already intitiated contact with an aide to Governor Gregoire, I this to that aide as a follow up on 9/16/05.

I never received a response or acknowledgment and have decided to go public with the letter.

Dear Sir,

In the interests of time (yours and mine) on a workday where I suspect you are busy, I've chosen to use the email to convey the current purpose and desire of Military Families Speak Out - Pac NW chapter.

The question of the deployment of Washington National Guard troops as well as NG troops nation-wide is back on the front burner. It's a more significant issue in light of Hurricane Katrina as well as the growing positive response to the questions raised by Cindy Sheehan outside the Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas.

Support for the war in Iraq has now fallen below 50%. Growing support for and positive actions taken in agreement with  Mrs. Sheehan and the current Bring Them Home Now bus tour headed toward Washington D.C. reveal the shifting mood of our national and state voters.

Three days ago, the city of Chicago passed a resolution demanding that the Bush administration bring the troops home now. The vote was 29-9. Yesterday the the city of Philadelphia did the same thing (the vote was 16-1). In Pittsburgh earlier this week  the United Steel Workers announced their support and a demand that the  troops be brought home now. Yesterday the AFL-CIO in Philadelphia took the same step.

Hurricane Katrina has morally empowered every state governor to initiate action aimed at returning the NG home where they belong. The proportion of NG troops required by the Bush administration in Iraq as a percentage of the overall troop strength there is an embarrassing testament to the folly of the incursion. On-going revelations of lies and deception used to obtain support for the Iraq venture in the first place are not going to die down - rather will continue as this president's support remains in freefall. The notion that somehow a need to complete the now-discredited Bush "mission" is no longer politcally supportable. The time has come for the citizens and leaders in each state to intitiate the actions needed to bring about change.

MFSO, as I hope you know, does not have as its agenda a non-support of the military. Rather, we consider holding leadership accountable for decisions that place our  loved ones in harm's way as a patriotic duty that equals a soldier's obligation to defend the country and follow the chain of command. Troops cannot do that in full confidence if they do not bear with them the confidence that citizens at home are "watching their backs;" supporting them fully but making sure the leadership is kept honest. That's the basis of democracy and patriotism.

We are proud of our governor and support her in her role.

MFSO members on the Bring Them Home Now bus tour include Northwest members  Stacy Bannerman and Lietta Ruger who have been speaking publically from city to city as the buses near D.C. Currently a western tour is being planned and a visit with the Governor is what we hope to arrange with you.

My wife, Lietta Ruger, is on the Central bus in the BTHN tour and has met with reps of Senators Bayh and Lugar in Indiana, Dewine and Voinovich in Ohio and Specter and Santorum in Pennsylvania so far. Her impressions have been that consistently, the Republican Senator's reps have been evasive, attempted to short-circuit or deflect questions and divert the discussions in an effort to waste time. At the end of the interview with Senator Lugar's rep, Lietta asked him to have the Senator call her.

"Why would I do that?" he replied, "You are not his constituent."

"Because I have something to say to him." she replied.

I am also the President of Local 970 of the Washington Federation of State Employees and am aware of the direction national union support for our troops has taken.  I've met Governor Gregoire, have heard her speak to our union convention, and am therefore aware that she is not ideologically opposed to what we citizens who speak out in support of our NG troops have been saying.

We think the time to take further action regarding bringing our National Guard troops home is now. We believe the our Governor would be willing to hear us out and that we represent a powerful, willing and public advocacy in support of her taking action regarding our State National Guard troops.

Reference: Military Families Speak Out Pacific Northwest

Dying to Preserve the Lies

Chicago City Council urges immediate withdrawal of U-S troops from Iraq

Bloomington Resolutions Oppose Iraq War, Patriot Act, Seek Higher Minimum Wage

Philadephia resolution:Click for copy in PDF

Pacific Northwest Portal's WASHBLOG:Lietta Ruger: Bring Them Home Now Tour Notes 9/5 - 9/8

Thank you for taking time to read this.

Please get back to me via email or telephone (360-942-7311)

Arthur Ruger
Bay Center WA

Dean Takko lays the smackdown

Local Cowlitz County wingnut Dawn Courtney came to a battle of wits, but is unfortunately unarmed.

"The candidate who will protect your pocketbook is me, Dawn Courtney," said Courtney at a candidates' forum at the Cowlitz PUD auditorium in Longview.

That's her platform - cut taxes, essential services be damned. She is even further to the right than the Libertarian who is running for the same seat.

Dawn Courtney may be better known as the loser who was trounced in her primary attempt for the 3rd Congressional District last year, and for her unbending allegiance to President Bush on most everything, including the war, opposition to gay marriage and making the Bush tax cuts permanent. Takko smells blood, and goes right for the jugular:

Takko, appointed to represent the 19th District late last year, said lifting the limit allowed the state to pay teachers more, reduce K-12 class sizes, extend health insurance to more low-income families and let more students into college.

"When you go up to Olympia, you're not just going up to cut taxes, you're going up to work with people and solve problems," Takko said.

DeLay indicted on conspiracy charge

Break out the bubbly! Texas grand jury indicts House Majority Leader Tom DeLay:

According to DeLay's lawyer, the grand jury indicted DeLay and two political associates with conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme.

The indictment could force DeLay to step down as House majority leader.

House Republican Party rules require leaders who are indicted to temporarily step aside from their leadership posts. The indictment comes on the last day of the grand jury's term.

MSNBC reports that DeLay will step down and Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.,will recommend that Congressman David Dreier, R-Calif., will take over DeLay's duties.

DeLay indictment watch

From the Dallas Morning News, Republican House Majority Leader Tom Delay may be indicted today by a grand jury in Travis County, TX on conspiracy charges related to the activities of his political action committee, Texans for a Republican Majority, TRMPAC.