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 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
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)
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
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 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.
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.
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Recently posted on the NPI Advocate- Monster tornado rips through Moore, Oklahoma, killing at least thirty-seven people
- Christy Clark declares victory in B.C., but trails the NDP’s David Eby in her own riding
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- B.C. Journal: A Tsawwassen sunset

