Washblog

Seattle Times and fact checking don't mix

A recent article fawning over the ousted and disgraced Jeff Sax reveals yet more laziness by the Times to get their facts straight:

Sax says it's improvements to all sectors of the county's law-enforcement and corrections system that represent his finest hour. The county has added about 50 positions to the Sheriff's Office and more than 100 for corrections.

Dean Nielson rightly points out that falsehood, among others:

... even on the way out he clings to the myth that he's hired new deputies. During the campaign he claimed that 40 new deputies were hired  in his tenure. In the Seattle Times story, it's up to 50 positions (jeesh, Times, you should have fact checked this one). The facts are that in his tenure as Chairmans of the Law & Justice/Human Services Committee that only 4 full-time deputies were added.

Sax's slime campaign against Democrat Dave Somers was chocked full of such lies, and even went as far to pull last miunute dirty tricks by going around placing stickers on Dave Somers yard signs (the few Sax's campaign thugs left standing by election eve) claiming he was 'Gay Endorsed'. Fortunately for us, Snohomish County voters saw right threw the lies and sent Sax packing. It is unfortunate the Seattle Times glosses over who Sax really is.

Futurewise needs help

Our friends at Futurewise are circulating a letter writing campaign to the Snohomish County Council - called stop the feeding frenzy - to remind them of their obligations to provide proper representation to all their constituents, not just the rich land developers.

It is a critical time for the future of Snohomish County. Unfortunately, the county council is pushing through bad decisions without public input just before the holiday season. Luckily, we can still make a difference by urging our council to vote against the expensive and irresponsible comprehensive plan that makes tax payers foot the bill for a developer feeding frenzy.

Click here to take action: http://actionstudio.org/?go=1921

I urge you to take a moment to e-mail your council. Click on the link to send your message to the council.  Please send this by Wednesday, December 21st to have you voice heard. http://actionstudio.org/?go=1921

For those who live in Snohomish County, please take a moment and fire off their letter to the Council. It is also posted in its entirety below:

Jeff Sax's last minute lie fest

Want to know what $300,000 will buy for you? In the last week of a campaign, it will buy you a whole slew of slick mail pieces chocked full of bullshit lies, deceptions, fear-mongering, embellishments. Behind in the polls, Sax launched this mail barrage in hopes it would hide him from his abysmal record, and turn around the numbers.

Jeff Sax still mute on I-912

"Improving our roads allows everyone to spend more time with their families....Fixing roads must continue to be a priority - not an afterthought."

That is a quote from Jeff Sax's own statement in the Snohomish County Voter's Guide. A profound statement by Sax, but one has to wonder if he feels so strongly about roads, safety, and family like the supposed Republican he is, why is he silent about Initiative 912, the anti-roads, anti-safety, anti-community, anti-family initiative created and sponsored by KVI and KTTH reactionaries?

Like Dino Lossi, Jeff Sax hides from the tough questions the citizens of this great state face.

Come on out of the closet, Jeff, take a position, and declare who you really are.

Sax not included in Herald incumbents

In their policy knowledge basis for endorsements, one name was interestingly left out of the Everett Herald editorial - Jeff Sax.

Experience, professionalism, even-handedness, a willingness to listen and embrace creative solutions.

Those words describe Republican John Koster and Democrat Dave Gossett, both of whom are seeking re-election to their respective seats on the Snohomish County Council. Both have earned a second term.

Jeff Sax does not fit that description.

Jeff Sax pandermonium

At the Snohomish County Council's vote to adopt the Brightwater Sewage Settlement Agreement with King County, Jeff Sax sticks his finger in the wind and flip-flops when he feels it is politically appropriate. From e-mail:

.... No information was provided to the attendees at the hearing on the new emergency seismic and odor ordinances that were adopted by the council and an inference was made that Councilman Sax had not been briefed on them prior to the hearing. Sax voted for the emergency ordinances but against the settlement agreement. He addressed the audience saying that the agreement was a good thing ....and that he has always been supportive of the concept of a Brightwater project....

Contrast that remark with a recent one Sax made:

Snohomish County Councilman Sax had a chance to justify his actions of the day before. He told the group that he ran for office last term for two reasons: 1. He wanted county government to be open, and 2. He ran to oppose Brightwater. He called Brightwater an “unmitigated disaster.” He said decisions made about the plant were political in nature.

Welcome to Jeff Sax' Wafflehaus - would you like our Brightwater combo, or a-la-carte?

Seattle Times endorses Dave Somers

In a sharp rebuke of the record of Jeff Sax, the Times 'strongly' endorses Dave Somers for Snohomish County Council District 5:

Snohomish County Council needs an infusion of perspective on the growth defining its future. Population and housing estimates are soaring and there is only increasing frustration ahead with roads, schools and public services unless land-use policies achieve a manageable balance.

The campaign has not provided that robust debate, even as elements of county growth-management language are being reviewed and updated in its midst. • Former County Council chair Dave Somers is strongly endorsed for a return to the seat he lost four years ago. District 5 runs from Snohomish beyond Index, along Highway 2, and is sizzling with development. Development interests have helped push Republican incumbent Jeff Sax past $210,000 in contributions.

Democrat Somers, a fisheries scientist and land-use analyst, can return rationality and gravitas to district representation. Sax only lurches from one political pratfall to another; he is unfocused and unpredictable. His deliberate leak of legal details from a recent executive session was the last straw. Somers is the qualified, mature choice in this race.

More good news for Dave, giving him the 'mo for the crucial absentee ballots and final days' GOTV effort.

Somers has a chance

The word on the street in Snohomish County is that a recently commissioned poll shows Dave Somers with a slight lead in his race for County Council. This information merely confirms that Somers needs all hands on deck, as he continues to fight a 2-1 money advantage. To turn the tide and retake this crucial county council, the entire progressive community will need to unite and support Dave.

Visit www.djsomers.com and support Dave today!

SaxWatch blog

A Snohomish County kossack (earwicker23) who lives in the rural Three Lakes area, has started up a blog on all things Jeff Sax called SaxWatch:

I'm a member of a local group that is fighting to control one of the developers who wants to build 32 homes smack in the middle of our little rural community.  We won Round One, are currently fighting Round Two, and need to defeat Sax so we have a chance when the whole thing is appealed to the County Council in Round Three.

Sax and his cronies have changed the county codes in favor of the developers, who raised a lot of money to get them into office.  We need to get Dave Somers elected to have a chance.  We are not exactly a NIMBY organization; we don't have a problem with a smaller development that follows the reasonable zoning laws that are already in place.  The Developers want more profit and push the envelope as far as the County Planning Department will let them go, and with Sax in office, they will let them go quite a ways.

Washblog is more than happy to be SaxWatch's tag team partner, look for posts flying back and forth between us in the next two weeks.

Record breaking $750,000 poured into council races

The Everett Herald points out the painful truth about the 2005 county council races.

More than $750,000 has poured into campaigns for the Snohomish County Council, the most ever, according to observers.

"I don't remember ever seeing this amount of money being poured into county races," said Bailey, an election observer for more than 50 years. "I've seen it in national races, but never in county races."

Republican incumbents lead the pack with $564,000 raised by council members John Koster, Jeff Sax and a new political action committee made up of builders.

Democrats are being outspent over 3 to 1 by the GOP, corporate developer money, auto dealers, and various other land survey or construction outfits. All are looking to cash in big during the next couple years.

The amount of cash being invested in the campaigns shows "how important this race is," Sax said.

"It's not just important on county issues. Voters want to see the state heading in a more conservative direction."

Just had to throw in that piece of work by Sax. Despite saying something that makes little sense on the surface, i.e. Sax has pushed to raise the sales tax, property tax, and mitigation tax, in other words *he's no conservative*, Sax actually speaks a bit of truth, even though he didn't mean it.

Take a look at the county and local races this year, and you will find the GOP/big developer faction versus the people. From Whatcom County all the way down to Clark County, developers are pouring money into candidates that will serve their agenda to gut and circumvent the Growth Management Act.

Jeff Sax is one very glaring example:

Sax's campaign was boosted by about $58,000 spent on direct mail and radio ads by an independent political action committee formed by builders called Quality Communities.

"We think Jeff has done a great job to balance the issues, and we look at that race as an important race this election cycle," said David Toyer, spokesman for the committee and a vice-president for real estate developer Barclays North. "That's why it's getting our attention."

The committee's fundraising arm, Coalition for Quality Communities, has raised $117,000 in cash from 17 companies and funneled most of the money into the spending arm. More will likely be channeled.

Both political action committees were formed by Barclays North and other home builders. Money has come primarily from Everett, Lake Stevens and King County-based builders.

Barclays North leads with $30,000, plus $5,300 for staff to operate the committee. Other top donors included $25,000 from Woodinville-based Universal Land Construction Co. and $10,000 from Pacific Ridge Homes in Everett.

I really like the name 'Coalition for Quality Communities'. They couldn't have picked a term more opposite to their real intentions. Great orwellian language, Mr. Toyer.