Tag Archives: 2010 Elections

Cascade Chapter Sierra Club Urges No Vote on Initiative 1053

The Cascade Chapter of the Sierra Club has come out against Initiative 1053.  This is Tim Eyman’s 2010 initiative trying to impose a 2/3 vote requirement for Washington State Legislators to pass revenue measures and close special interest tax exemptions.

The measure is unconstitutional. An initiative can not amend the Washington State Constitution. Article II, Section 22 of the Washington State Constitution says the Legislature shall pass legislation by a majority vote. Only a constitutional amendment can change the constitution.

Here is the Sierra Club’s rationale for opposing I-1053.

Initiative 1053 is Tim Eyman’s latest bad idea that will cripple state government by allowing minority rule. The measure would require a supermajority on all revenue measures, such as increases in levies on toxic run-off from oil and other hazardous substances. In fact BP and their Big Oil friends have ponied up big to Tim Eyman to ensure that they can continue to pollute without paying to cleanup their mess. To add insult to injury, this measures also allows a minority to block closing tax loopholes to polluters.

In order for our government to function, the legislature needs to be able to ensure that polluters pay, and that we are able to invest in cleaning up our air and water. Just Say No to Initiative 1053.

You can go to the Sierra Club’s website to see their endorsements for candidates for the November election. They also are supporting Referendum 52.

Conservatives Plan to Spend Mega Millions to Win Congressional Lottery

Conservatives are betting heavily that they can bring back their nefarious philosophy of corporate control of America by spending mega millions of dollars this year to convince conservatives and independents to get out and vote for right wing candidates to help takeover the US House and Senate. Think Progress reports that right wing spending for the November Election will drastically rise to around $400 million.

Under such well known previous players like the US Chamber of Commerce and the National Rifle Association are also all American sounding names like Americans for Job Security and Americans for Prosperity.

The Citizens United Supreme Court decision and Tea Party fanaticism and continuing libertarian ideals and free market advocates are all contributing factors stirring up a whirlwind of right wing dollars. Also contributing and giving these fanatics hope are polls that suggest the waning of the  idealism and fervor of new voters and others that helped to elect Obama and put Democrats in control over the last several national elections. They are hoping these Democrats and independents don’t make the effort to vote this year.

All I can say is WAKE UP to those that thought electing Obama was the end of the need to fight for the future. Wake Up to the reality that what we won is in danger of being lost.  Wake up to the realization that despite all the problems inherited from Bush and the Republicans that much progress has been made for a better future.  Maybe its not all you wanted but it is a hell of a lot considering where we were.

I say to those not yet energized to vote this year  – Are you willing to just roll over and play dead and ignore the damage to our future that this right wing fanaticism and greed will bring to us all? I hope not. I urge you to get engaged in this year’s elections and help battle off the attempt by the right wing to bring back the Bush/Cheney/Rove corporate greed machine that puts profit over people lives and dreams and hopes for a better future.

This election year is too important to sit out! Vote and urge your family and friends to vote. Give money to candidates you support and volunteer for their campaigns.

To give an idea of the magnitude and scope of the spending by conservatives here is the list of right wing groups and their proposed spending as tabulated by Think Progress. Do you really want these folks back in charge?

– Chamber of Commerce has pledged to spend $75 million

– American Crossroads has pledged to spend $52 million

– Americans for Prosperity has pledged to spend $45 million

– Republican State Leadership Committee has pledged to spend $40 million

– American Action Network has pledged to spend $25 million

– American Future Fund has pledged to spend up to $25 million

– Club for Growth has pledged to spend at least $24 million

– National Republican Trust PAC has pledged to spend at least $20 million

– An unnamed health insurance industry coalition has pledged to spend $20 million

– National Rifle Association has pledged to spend $20 million

– Faith and Freedom Coalition has pledged to spend $11 million

– FreedomWorks has pledged to spend $10 million

– Americans for Job Security has pledged to spend $10 million

– Susan B. Anthony List has pledged to spend $6 million

– Our Country Deserves Better (Tea Party Express) has already spent $5 million

– Tax Relief Coalition has already spent $4 million

– Republican Majority Campaign has pledged to spend $3 million

– Campaign for Working Families has pledged to spend $2 million

– Heritage Action for America has pledged to spend $1 million

– Financial Services Roundtable has already spent $0.5 million

– Family Research Council has raised $0.5 million

– Citizens United Political Victory Fund has pledged to spend $0.2 million

TOTAL: $399.2 million

Endorsements by the Washington State League Of Education Voters for 2010 Elections

The Washington State League of Education voters has endorsed some 44 Legislative candidates and 2 candidates running for the Washington State Supreme Court for this year’s elections.  The primary vote is August 17, 2010 . Ballots must be postmarked by this date or they don’t count. The LEV notes that Secretary of State Sam Reed estimates that only some 38% of voters will actually vote in the primary.

In the Washington State Supreme Court races noted, there are only 2 candidates for each seat so the top vote getter basically wins and will appear alone on the Nov. ballot. So each vote is critical. Please send back your ballots.

Go to the LEV website at http://www.levpac.org/ for more information on specific candidates as well as links to their websites. Candidates of course can still use campaign help and funds for their election efforts.

Washington State Supreme Court

•Position 1: Stan Rumbaugh

•Position 6: Charlie Wiggins

Pro-Education Incumbents:

These legislators have taken a leadership role on education and children’s issues in Olympia. *Denotes LEV PAC targeted candidates.

Washington State Senate

•Chris Marr, D-Spokane (6th LD)

•Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor (26th LD)*

•Tracey Eide, D-Federal Way (30th LD)

•Sharon Nelson, D-Seattle (34th LD)

•Randy Gordon, D-Mercer Island (41st LD)*

•Ed Murray, D-Seattle (43rd LD)

•Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens (44th LD)

•Eric Oemig, D-Kirkland (45th LD)*

•Scott White, D-Seattle (46th LD)

•Claudia Kauffman, D-Kent (47th LD)*

•Rodney Tom, D-Bellevue (48th LD)*

Washington State House of Reprersentatives

•John Driscoll, D-Spokane (6th LD)

•Kevin Parker, R-Spokane (6th LD)

•Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake (13th LD)

•Tim Probst, D-Vancouver (17th LD)*

•Marko Liias, D-Mukilteo (21st LD)

•Mary Helen Roberts, D-Edmonds (21st LD)

•Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island (23rd LD)

•Dawn Morrell, D-Puyallup (25th LD)

•Bruce Dammeier, R-Puyallup (25th LD)*

•Larry Seaquist, D-Gig Harbor (26th LD)

•Ruth Kagi, D-Lake Forest Park (32nd LD)*

•Tina Orwall, D-Normandy Park (33rd LD)

•Fred Finn, D-Olympia (35th LD)

•Kathy Haigh, D-Shelton (35th LD)

•Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle (36th LD)

•Marcie Maxwell, D-Renton (41st LD)*

•Kelli Linville, D-Bellingham (42nd LD)

•Frank Chopp, D-Seattle (43rd LD)

•Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish (44th LD)

•Larry Springer, D-Kirkland (45th LD)

•Roger Goodman, D-Kirkland (45th LD)*

•Phyllis Kenney, D-Seattle (46th LD)

•Pat Sullivan, D-Covington (47th LD)*

•Ross Hunter, D-Medina (48th LD)*

•Jim Jacks, D-Vancouver (49th LD)

New Candidates
These promising, new candidates will continue the momentum behind education reform and funding in the Legislature.

Washington State House of Representatives

•Andy Billig, D-Spokane (3rd LD)

•Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver (17th LD)

•Chris Reykdal, D-Tumwater (22nd LD)

•Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma (27th LD)

•Carol Gregory, D-Federal Way (30th LD)

•Cathy Dahlquist, R-Enumclaw (31st LD)

•Kris Lytton, D-Anacortes (40th LD)

•David Frockt, D-Seattle (46th LD)

Cascade Chapter Sierra Club 2010 Endorsements

Below is the list of 2010 Political Endorsements made by the Washington State  Cascade Chapter of the Sierra Club

National Position Name

All WA districts U.S. Senator Patty Murray

WA – C1 U.S. Representative Jay Inslee

WA – C2 U.S. Representative Rick Larsen

WA – C3 U.S. Representative Denny Heck

WA – C6 U.S. Representative Norm Dicks

WA – C7 U.S. Representative Jim McDermott

WA – C9 U.S. Representative Adam Smith

State Position Name

All districts Referendum: Vote YES Referendum 52

WA – 02 State Representative #2 Tom Campbell

WA – 03 State Representative #1 Timm Ormsby

WA – 17 State Representative #1 Tim Probst

WA – 17 State Representative #2 Monica Stonier

WA – 18 State Representative #1 Dennis Kampe

WA – 21 State Representative #1 Marko Liias

WA – 22 State Representative #1 Sam Hunt

WA – 22 State Representative #1 Stewart Henderson

WA – 23 State Representative #1 Christine Rolfes

WA – 23 State Representative #1 Sherry Appleton

WA – 25 State Representative #2 Dawn Morrell

WA – 26 State Representative #1 Sumner Schoenike

WA – 26 State Representative #2 Larry Seaquist

WA – 26 State Senator Derek Kilmer

WA – 27 State Representative #1 Jake Fey

WA – 27 State Representative #2 Jeannie Darneille

WA – 28 State Representative #1 Tami Green

WA – 29 State Representative #1 Connie Ladenburg

WA – 29 State Senator Steve Conway

WA – 31 State Senator Ron Weigelt

WA – 32 State Representative #1 Cindy Ryu

WA – 32 State Representative #1 Ruth Kagi

WA – 33 State Representative #1 Dave Upthegrove

WA – 34 State Representative #1 Sharon Nelson

WA – 34 State Representative #2 Joe Fitzgibbon

WA – 36 State Representative #1 Reuven Carlyle

WA – 36 State Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles

WA – 37 State Senator Adam Kline

WA – 38 State Representative #1 John McCoy

WA – 43 State Representative #1 Jamie Pedersen

WA – 43 State Representative #2 Frank Chopp

WA – 43 State Senator Ed Murray

WA – 44 State Representative #1 Hans Dunshee

WA – 44 State Senator Lillian Kaufer

WA – 45 State Senator Eric Oemig

WA – 46 State Representative #1 David Frockt

WA – 47 State Representative #1 Geoff Simpson

WA – 47 State Senator Claudia Kauffman

WA – 48 State Representative #1 Ross Hunter

WA – 49 State Representative #1 Jim Jacks

WA – 49 State Representative #2 Jim Moeller

County Position Name

King Conservation Board Max Prinsen

Pierce County Council Betty Ringlee (D), District 7

Pierce County Council Rick Talbert

Thurston County Commission #3 Karen Valenzuela

Washington Conservation Voters 2010 Election Endorsements

As part of our continuing series of endorsements by progressive organizations we note that the following candidates have been endorsed by the Washington Conservation Voters. You can find out more specific information on these endorsements and the Washington Conservation Voters by clicking on their website link.

Statewide Initiatives (on November ballot)

Yes on Referendum 52

No on Initiative 1053

State Supreme Court

Pos 1: Stan Rumbaugh

Pos 6: Charlie Wiggins

Legislative District 1, Bothell

House 1: Derek Stanford

House 2: Luis Moscoso

Legislative District 5, Issaquah

House 2: Dean Willard

Legislative District 3, Spokane

House 1: Andy Billig

House 2: Timm Ormsby

Legislative District 11, Seattle, Renton

House 1: Zach Hudgins

House 2: Bob Hasegawa

Legislative District 21, Edmonds

House 1: Mary Helen Roberts

House 2: Marko Liias

Legislative District 22, Olympia

House 1: Stew Henderson

House 2: Sam Hunt

Legislative District 23, Bainbridge Island

House 1: Sherry Appleton

House 2: Christine Rolfes

Legislative District 24, Olympic Peninsula

House 1: Kevin Van de Wege

House 2: Steve Tharinger

Legislative District 25, Puyallup

House 2: Dawn Morrell

Legislative District 26, Bremerton

Senate: Derek Kilmer

House 1: Sumner Schoenike

Legislative District 27, Tacoma

House 1: Jake Fey

House 2: Jeannie Darneille

Legislative District 28, Lakewood

House 2: Tami Green

Legislative District 29, South Tacoma, Lakewood

House 1: Connie Ladenburg

Legislative District 30, Federal Way

Senate: Tracey Eide

Legislative District 32, Shoreline, Edmonds

Senate: Maralyn Chase

House 1: Cindy Ryu

House 2: Ruth Kagi

Legislative District 33, Des Moines

Senate: Karen Keiser

House 1: Tina Orwall

House 2: Dave Upthegrove

Legislative District 34, Seattle

Senate: Sharon Nelson

House 1: Eileen Cody

House 2: Joe Fitzgibbon

Legislative District 35, Belfair

House 1: Kathy Haigh

House 2: Fred Finn

Legislative District 36, Seattle

Senate: Jeanne Kohl-Welles

House 1: Reuven Carlyle

House 2: Mary Lou Dickerson

Legislative District 37, Seattle

Senate: Adam Kline

House 2: Eric Pettigrew

Legislative District 38, Everett

Senate: Nick Harper

House 1: John McCoy

House 2: Mike Sells

Legislative District 40, Anacortes

House: 1: Kristine Lytton and Tom Pasma

Legislative District 41, Mercer Island, Renton

House 1: Judy Clibborn

House 2: Marcie Maxwell

Legislative District 42, Bellingham

House 2: Kelli Linville

Legislative District 43, Seattle

Senate: Ed Murray

House 1: Jamie Pedersen

House 2: Frank Chopp

Legislative District 44, Snohomish

House 1: Hans Dunshee

Legislative District 45, Sammmish

Senate: Eric Oemig

House 1: Roger Goodman

House 2: Larry Springer

Legislative District 46, Seattle

Senate: Scott White

House 1: David Frockt

House 2: Phyllis Kenney

Legislative District 47, Kent

Senate: Claudia Kauffman

House 1: Geoff Simpson

House 2: Pat Sullivan

Legislative District 48, Bellevue

House 1: Ross Hunter

House 2: Deb Eddy

Legislative District 49, Vancouver

House 1: Jim Jacks

House 2: Jim Moeller

Kitsap County Commission

Commissioner Josh Brown

Thurston County Commission

Commissioner Karen Valenzuela

Whatcom County Council

Jean Melious

Pierce County Council

Pos. 5: Rick Talbert

Pos. 7: Betty Ringlee

Local Ballot Measures

Yes on Thurston County’s Intercity Transit’s Ballot Measure

Karl Rove Working Hard to Put Right Wing Politicians Back in Power

Karl Rove is back, working his brand of in your face right wing hard ball politics. He’s joined with former Republican Party Chair Ed Gillespie and others to set up a network of  right wing campaign organizations to raise money and push their agenda to bring the former Republican Party politics and policies of George Bush and Dick Cheney back to America. Sounds like they are trying to make Halloween a year round event for America.

As outlined in more depth in an article in Politico a few days ago:

The Republican Party’s best-connected political operatives have quietly built a massive fundraising, organizing and advertising machine based on the model assembled by Democrats early in the decade, and with the same ambitious goal — to recapture Congress and the White House.


The new groups could give Republicans and their allies a powerful campaign apparatus separate from the Republican National Committee. Karl Rove, political architect of the Bush presidency, and Ed Gillespie, former Republican Party chairman, are the most prominent forces behind what is, in effect, a network of five overlapping groups, three of which were started in the past few months….

The network, which doesn’t have a name, attempts to replicate the Democracy Alliance, an umbrella group — founded in 2005 and funded by George Soros and other billionaires — and to borrow tactics from liberal groups established to help Democrats regain power after eight years of the Bush administration 

The new organizations include:

American Crossroads plans to raise $50 million as a shadow alternative to the Republican National
Committee. Ed Gillespie is a chief advisor.

American Action Network is headed up by former Sen Norm Coleman of Minnesota. Their focus will be polling and media advertising.

American Action Forum includes former Governor Jeb Bush and Tom Ridge and former Senator Norm Colman on their Board. It appears to be another right wing policy generating machine.

Resurgent Republican is another free market conservative policy shaping group trying to influence politics through polling and focus groups and blogging.

The Republican State Leadership Committee raised $22 million in the last election cycle and is focused on trying to aid conservatives in down ballot races.

This is an important election year that will have repercussions for years to come. Republicans in affiliation with Tea Party fanatics and others are organizing and revving up the right wing noise machine with all its slanted polling and opinion pushing efforts.  They are gearing up fundraising and campaign organizing.

Democrats need to regroup and realize we have a tough fight on our hands.  The key comes down to motivation and voting. Obama is moving the country in the right direction.  It is easy however  for many to be swayed by the right wing noise and yelling and shouting and slanted polling. It is up to the Democrats to get back to the basics of organizing and reaching voters and getting them out to vote.

The Republicans are motivated, seeing blood in the water. For Democrats the choice was never more clear. We can’t afford to go back to corporations setting our environmental policies and threatening our health and the future of our planet.  We can not afford to go back to an unregulated free market economy that puts greed and corporate profit over jobs and homes and education for middle class Americans.

We can’t afford more right wing activist judges in our court system and on the US Supreme Court. We can not afford to waste energy and send hard earned dollars overseas when we could be spending them creating jobs in America. It amazing that after 8 disastrous years of Bush/Cheney that Americans might once again buy the right wing propaganda of corporatism and militarism and isolationism of the Republicans when serious national and world problems confront us all.

The choice is yours. Get involved in campaigns and get your family and friends involved. Vote in the Primary and general Election. The choice is clear. Vote for a sane future with the Democrats, not a return to the Bush/Cheney Republican nightmare years that brought us the current Great Recession.

Could Senator Murray be in Trouble in Washington State?

In more bad news for Democratic incumbents, a new Field poll in California shows that Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer is now in a dead heat in her re-election race. Senator Barbara Boxer’s race is now a tossup Since January her polling numbers have dropped.  Matching her up with any one of her 3 potential Republican opponents shows the race dead even. Her Republican opponent will be picked in California’s June Primary.

The matchups show Campbell leading Boxer 44 percent to 43 percent, Boxer edging Fiorina 45 percent to 44 percent and leading DeVore 45 percent to 41 percent. In January, Boxer led all three by double-digit margins.

“These are yes and no votes on Boxer,” DiCamillo said. “They’re not distinguishing among the Republicans because they don’t know much about the Republicans.”

Washington State supporters of Senator Patty Murray should be worried.  The public is in a foul mood, poisoned by the negative governing strategies of the Republicans in Congress, who have adopted a strategy of obstructing Congress from getting anything done and then blaming it on the Democrats.

A New York Times article yesterday discussed in depth the strategy that Senator Mitch McConnell proposed after Obama was elected and that he has implemented and carried out over the last year. The strategy was fairly simple. It was to:

“…use his extensive knowledge of Senate procedure to slow things down, take advantage of the difficulties Democrats would have in governing and deny Democrats any Republican support on big legislation.

Republicans embraced it. Democrats denounced it as rank obstructionism. Either way, it has led the two parties, as much as any other factor, to where they are right now. Republicans are now monolithically against the health care legislation, leaving the president and his party executing parliamentary back flips to get it passed, conservatives revived, liberals wondering what happened. ”

The New York Times argues that in the short term this strategy has worked for the Republicans. Democrats like Senator Patty Murray, need to reach out to the public and explain why they are not able to get much of anything done.  She needs to point to the obstructionist policies of the Republicans and ask why anyone would think that putting the Republicans back in charge was going to solve any of our nation’s problems.

McConnell has used his skills to frustrate the will of the voters and put the Obama vision that voters supported at risk. Voters need to wake up and kick the Republicans out, not vote out the Democrats. Obama naively assumed the Republicans would work with him; he needs to play hardball now and act like a leader.

The Republicans know how to stop things.  They have no vision to solve health care or create jobs or deal with climate change.  They have shown they can stop government from working. That’s hardly a reason to vote for them.

Voters need to elect those that are going to deal with America’s hopes and future.  Electing more Republicans will only return us to more of the same concentration of special interest power supporting a failed free enterprise system we saw under Bush and Reagan – more corporate power, more tax breaks for the wealthy, less environmental protection, more right wing conservatives on the US Supreme Court, less help for the unfortunate and more concentration of wealth in the hands of a few.

Wake up America.  It’s time to get to work and solve our problems, not revert to the failed policies of the free enterprise Republicans that got us in our present financial mess. Only fools would reward Republican obstructionism by voting for more Republicans.