Washblog

Two More Candidates in 8th Congressional Race

Two new candidates announced their intention to run for U.S. House in the 8th Congressional District tonight. Menno van Wyk, Founder and CEO of Montrail, Inc. and Paul Abrams, a physician with a law degree from Yale and a background in the biotech industry. I've posted on Mr. Abrams previously. Don't know if they've formally filed yet.

My Two Cents on WA's Progressive Blogosphere

As always, great post Noemie.

There is so much here to respond to and I haven't fully synthesized everything that you talk about.  I'd just like to throw my two cents in for anyone doing serious thinking on where to take the Washington progressive blogosphere.  I think that as much as possible we need to focus on creating an online-offline bridge. 

I always fear that blogs and their readers, while an amazing resource for news and analysis, don't do enough to advocate for change in the "real world."  It's all well and good to be ridiculously well-informed about all these issues, but it's all for naught if we don't do anything with that knowledge. 

I know the little "calls to action" that I tend to put in my posts seem cheesy at times, but it is vitally important that as educated and politicized citizens we keep on our legislators about the issues that are important to us.  For instance handwritten letters were instrumental in getting Republican support to pass the patients bill of rights. 

With that in mind, the Family Leave coalition is looking for anyone who has had a compelling experience with Family Leave to share their stories.  Whether it be a story of how leave time allowed you to spend the last few weeks with a dying relative, or if you had problems getting leave from work, that sort of thing.  They are looking for people to testify to the Legislature as well as providing real examples for media outreach.  If you know anyone like this, have them contact the Family Leave coalition coordinator Marilyn Watkins of the Economic Opportunity Institute at Marilyn@eoionline.org or (206) 529-6370.  As an aside, the EOI is another example of a great progressive think-tank in Washington State.

And as a final aside, I'd like to thank Brian again for giving me the opportunity to join this great community.

PortDork

Washington's Progressive Blogosphere and the "Emerging Progressive Infrastructure"

We find ourselves in a time when democratic institutions are under coordinated siege -- and injustice and unreason are publicly celebrated as right in line with American values. In the words of Gara LaMarche of the Open Society Institute, these threats to open society call for "a serious and coordinated response."

I've been wondering about the role of progressive bloggers in that response in Washington State -- particularly in relation to that emerging phenomenon so engagingly known as the progressive infrastructure. The idea of a consciously devised architecture that is making a place not just for progressive policies, but also for progressivism as a whole, that is designed to help us transcend our current dynamic of continual reaction to assaults on sustainable society from the right, is attractive indeed. It does seem past time to get better grounded in some strategic meta-collaboration.

Looking at what has been happening in Washington State – with victories for the public good won against great odds -- and then continually challenged or even overturned over the past several decades – it's evident that, to the extent that we may be working at cross purposes, duplicating effort, or are not strategically communicating, progressive organizations are dissipating their energies and resources and failing to take the best advantage of natural connections and synergies.

Washington and the northwestern region have a rich network of organizations with progressive missions, some explicitly devoted to strengthening progressivism. For example, Institute for Washington's Future, founded in the early 1990s, is devoted to renewing the progressive movement in Washington and has produced important analysis and completed numerous projects, recently focusing on sustainable development in rural areas and bridging Washington's rural to urban divide. Despite our progressive resources, however, our state is considered to be missing key elements of the architecture of a coordinated movement. As far as I know, we don't have a multi-issue think tank with adequate funding, or organizations producing model legislation across the progressive spectrum, or devoted to progressive messaging

On race, fairness, and leadership

Continuing the discussion Noemie began about David Postman's recent article about the State Party Chair race, I think it's time to talk about race and dispel some rumors.  To begin, I want to reprint a letter that a friend wrote.  Lawrence is one of the more brilliant people I know, who tends to disarm with humor, but when engaged is capable of cutting through deep lines of bullshit to grab onto an issue and bring it to full light.  With his permission, his letter in its entirety:

Dear Friends--

Over the weekend I read an article in the Seattle Times wherein State Senator Margarita Prentice implied that State Party Chair candidate Dwight Pelz might be "racist" because he has run against people of color in the past.

Now, we've all dealt with the press, and know how easy it is to have one's views misrepresented. I would like to think that has happened here and that Senator Prentice's statements have been turned into something they were originally not. I have spoken with Senator Prentice on the phone in the past, during the Dean campaign, and I know that she is a wise and thoughtful person.

However, because the article spun her position the way that it did, I've been thinking about what the implications are. Several things strike me:

Prefiled legislation -- Who's watching?

Washington state's legislature will reconvene on Monday, January 9.  This will be a 60-day session.  Short -- but extremely important.

Governor Gregoire's proposed budget and priorities are available.  And so is the growing list of prefiled legislation

There are some interesting bills here, indeed -- a number dealing with energy issues. Several by Democrat Jeff Morris from the 40th legislative district have caught my eye:

HB 2347: Promoting the growth of research in the science and technology fields

HB 2348: Extending tax relief for aluminum smelters.

HB 2349: Providing new renewable energy standards.

HB 2350: Limiting the disclosure of energy infrastructure information.

HB 2351: Concerning energy resource planning and renewable energy standards.

Representative Morris is Chair of the Technology, Energy, and Communications committee.  At first glance, some of this legislation looks worthy. But some looks fishy.

HB 2350 contains a mix of new privacy protections, some of which would seem to encourage secrecy in an industry known for repeatedly cheating the public. This bill contains an odd mix of privacy protections that seem wholesome (for library patrons and students, for example) -- and others that go outside energy infrastructure to limit disclosure requirements in a number of sectors.  

HB 2348, which provides "tax relief" for our state's aluminum smelters, also raises suspicions. Perhaps there is a solid public policy reason for this law. If so, I'd like to hear what it is.   Aluminum smelters that I know about in Washington State are associated with the underregulated release of toxics  into our environment -- not only aluminum, but also cyanide and other chemicals.

Kaiser Aluminim in Spokane County is a Superfund site.  Clearly, it is the public that needs relief -- from taxes we pay to subsidize this corporate irresponsibility, and from the poison these corporations force into our bodies and the bodies of our children.  Let's not forget that both these substances are suspected neurotoxicants and reproductive toxicants.

Who's watching Rep. Morris and our other legislators, I wonder? These dense, technical public policy proposals can't be judged quickly. They need serious, in-depth legislative analysis by public interest groups that have the capacity to keep up with them as they are generated.

Double Johnson Darling-of-the-BIAW Trouble

Yesterday, Brian reported here on Washblog on Steve Johnson's decision to step down from his 47th District state Senate seat to run for state Supreme Court.

Today, we learn from a PI article that Steve Reichert, Representative Dave Reichert's brother, will be running for Johnson's Senate seat.

Dave Reichert, has emerged as a real force for double-speak on the national scene. Consider, for example, that Dave won by 5 percent here in the 8th Congressional District because he portrayed himself as independent from the Republican machine -- but that he then turned around and took $150,000 from Tom De Lay's PAC and also voted to gut ethics rules to protect DeLay's position in the House. It's an irony that his brother is now stepping in to replace Johnson, thus freeing Johnson to benefit from the extremely creepy business of the Building Association Industry of Washington (BIAW) and its fixing of our state judicial elections.

Yes, as the PI reports, Stephen Johnson has announced that he'll be running for Washington Supreme Court and that he expects the oh, potentially dispositive, financial backing of the BIAW. That's the Mr. Johnson whose role on the State Senate Rules committee this year likely helped the BIAW maintain its ability to pour vast sums into our judicial races. More on that later.

Raising the real estate excise tax???

The Washington State Realtors Assn. and the BIAW are up in arms again.

Apparently there is rumors that the state is planning to raise the real estate excise tax (Chapter 82.45 RCW imposes an excise tax on every sale of real estate in this state at the rate of 1.28 percent of the selling price. Unless otherwise specifically exempt from tax, all sales of real property are subject to the real estate excise tax). If you listen to these radical groups you would think that Grandma and Grandpa or middle-class family will probably loose every cent of equity they have in their home if an increase is made or first time home buyers would never be able to afford to purchase a home.

These groups don’t’ give a hoot about gramps and grams, they are worried about the tax hike hitting a lot closer to home. The average person will only buy or sell one or two homes in their lives so this will not be a impact on them, who it will effect is developers and builders.

If a developer/builder builds a 20-unit condo or puts in a 100-house subdivision they will have to pay excise tax on each of those units when they sell them. If the state feels they need to up the price to compensate for the for the wear and tear that development will cause to the environment, roads, schools, and other amenities the developer/builder should be glad to help out the community that is making them rich.

With the housing boom in Washington State the builders, developers, realtors and all of the other land-sucking locusts have made unprecedented amount of money. They form LLC’s so that when their shoddy houses fall in or the bogs, landfills and hillsides they build on fail, homeowners are not able to touch them. Yet when regulations or taxes come along that might cramp their freewheeling life style they scream it is Communism and claim to be against it to protect the homebuyer.

Home buyers need to quit lying down and taking it like a bunch of doormats from these greedy cry babies and stand up for their rights!! You pay tens of thousands of dollars for your home. You deserve to have a safe, well constructed home in an unpolluted and healthy environment. You can bet the builders, realtors and all the other construction related people that happily take your money do.

Say no to Happy Holidays, say yes to The Magic Season...

I saw a reference to The Magic Season on a local promotional effort by a business district to promote their activities (public ice rink, etc.) during the Holiday/Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza/Winter Solstice/New Years season.

I think this is a great term. The Magic Season... it just conjures up Harry Potter and the Miraculous feats of various religious groups. If a group believes that a man can walk on water and change water into wine, how much more Magical can you get?  If a group believes that a burning bush talks to someone or magical tablets come from the skies, is that not some powerful magic?  If a group believes that dancing around Stone Henge on a certain winter day is meaningful, doesn't that just conjure up the image of magic?

In fact the word conjure seems to be a particularly appropriate term to go with The Magic Season...

So here's hoping that everyone can conjure up a wondrous Magic Season for themselves this winter!!!!

Big Time Patriot

Strategery

2006 is definitely going to be a huge year in Washington. We have both chambers of the state legislature and a great leader in Governor Gregoire to work on legislation during the winter and early spring, then the elections in the fall.

Priorities for a Healthy Washington has an outline of their 2006 legislative agenda, and the Institute for Washington's Future is working toward an ambitious goal of their own.

Blogs will play an integral role in lobbying democrats and republicans on legislation, and groups like the IWF and Healthy WA will need all the help they can get.

Along with environmental legislation, taxes is another issue that needs to be addressed. True 'political capital' was earned by the democrats in the state legislature, and by Governor Gregoire with I-912's defeat. To reform the B&O tax, property tax, and the sales tax into a more progressive income tax, they are going to need every ounce of that 'capital'. But Gregoire can get it done like she did with the transportation package.

My take is these two issues - environment and taxes - have the opportunity to do what we need in order to win elections. By educating and bringing into the fold more of the rural voters that were previously lost to property rights reactionaries, and the poor who are apathetic on all candidates, the democrats will have a nice base to work with come November. The key is constant voter contact, education, and new voter registration. As activists, this legislation would give us great talking points to sell to other constituents whenever contact happens.

What other legislative priorities would you like to see come from Olympia?

Home builders & Co. ready to pour $ into WA judicial races

Senator Johnson represents me in the 47th Legislative District and, evidently, is preparing to leave the State Senate to run for a judicial position.  This PAC appears ready to influence judicial races across the state.

Dear Senator Johnson:

I see from an article in today's PI that you are likely to be receiving contributions from a new PAC that is preparing to further politicize Washington by pouring money into the campaigns of right-wing individuals such as yourself who are planning to run for judicial office.

This PAC, with the deceptively reassuring name of The Constitutional Law PAC, appears to have a clear goal of leveraging large amounts of money from big corporate interests to create an activist, conservative court that will be likely to make decisions that financially benefit its supporters. These supporters include the home builder's lobby.

The article states that you are interested in receiving this PAC's support.

It was my impression that, in theory at least, conservative people were against the politicization of our judicial system.  It was my understanding that conservatives view the term, "activist judge" as a kind of insult that they can use to denigrate liberals like me.  However, it appears that, in this case, as in so many others lately, it is the conservatives who are enthusiastically promoting judicial activism.  This apparent hypocricy in the interest of private financial gain is deeply disappointing to me.  I like to feel I can respect the elected officials who represent me, regardless of their political philosophy. It saddens me to see behavior that appears, at least from my perspective, to be neither honest or honorable.

I would appreciate hearing from you as to whether you support this intrusion of ideologically-motivated money into our judicial system.  If so, how do you square this activist approach with the conservative world view -- or, for that matter, with ethical representation of the people of Washington state that considers the common good as its primary goal?

Many thanks for your attention to this extremely important matter.