Election 2011, 1st-night results: Car-tab tax loses, privatized liquor wins, McLaren leading Sundquist for School Board

(UPDATED 11:07 PM WITH MORE REACTION)
Tonight’s first and only round of election results from King County is now published. Here are the toplines on major issues/races (including the latest statewide numbers):

SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION BENEFIT DIST. PROP 1 ($60 car-tab tax):
60% no
40% yes
Reaction from Councilmember Tom Rasmussen: ““It’s clear that voters support better transit and safer streets, but it’s also apparent that we need more progressive options for how cities fund building our transportation systems. That’s why despite tonight’s setback, this is just the beginning.”

SEATTLE PROP 1 (Families and Education Levy)
59% yes
41% no
From statement by Mayor Mike McGinn: “This Levy is focused on outcomes. We will design programs to achieve clear outcomes and hold service providers accountable, ensuring that the programs we fund are delivering measurable results. We will make our investments based on data, and we will adapt those investments if the data shows something is not working.”

STATE INITIATIVE 1183 (liquor privatization)
60% yes
40% no
Reaction from Gov. Gregoire: ““The voters have spoken. I remain concerned about Initiative 1183’s unintended consequences. This initiative expands the sale of liquor, which can present risks to our public safety. Additionally, we know that Washington has one of the nation’s highest ‘no sales to minors’ compliance rates at 95 percent – compared to the private sector, which has a 76 percent compliance rate. We must closely monitor the implementation of Initiative 1183 and work to avoid any unintended public safety risks.”

STATE INITIATIVE 1125 (tolling)
51% no
49% yes
Reaction from County Executive Dow Constantine (via WSB partner The Seattle Times): “It means that we have once again said to Tim Eyman and his wealthy backers, ‘We are not gonna take it from you any more’.”

STATE INITIATIVE 1163 (home care)
67% yes
33% no

See other statewide ballot measures’ results here

SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD:
Position 1 – Maier* 52%, Peaslee 48%
Position 2 – Carr* 55%, Martin 45%
Position 3 – Martin-Morris* 61%, Buetow 39%
Position 6 – McLaren 51%, Sundquist* 48%
Reaction from Marty McLaren (via WSB partner The Seattle Times): “I’m thrilled … It seems like the voters have heard the message.”

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL:
Position 1 – Godden* 54%, Forch 46%
Position 3 – Harrell* 62%, Meacham 38%
Position 5 – Rasmussen* 73%, Pusey 27%
Position 7 – Burgess* 81%, Schraer 19%
Position 9 – Clark* 65%, Ferguson 34%

KING COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 8
McDermott* 67%
Toledo 33%

SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION
Position 2 – Tarleton* 56%, Pope 44%
Position 5 – Bryant* 63%, Willard 37%

(Asterisks denote incumbents.) Next King County results release: Around 4:30 pm Wednesday.

39 Replies to "Election 2011, 1st-night results: Car-tab tax loses, privatized liquor wins, McLaren leading Sundquist for School Board"

  • k November 8, 2011 (8:51 pm)

    What percentage of the ballots are counted by now??
    I am curious because I know A LOT of people who didn’t mail theirs in until today.

    Thanks WSB!

  • Junctionite November 8, 2011 (9:10 pm)

    So, so tired of watching the value of my house go down and my property taxes going up!

  • Adam November 8, 2011 (10:04 pm)

    Doing a little dance for 1183… Go liquor go!

  • LincolnPark November 8, 2011 (10:04 pm)

    @ k… On the Seattle-specific items it looks like they’ve counted ballots from 24% of registered voters. As a reference, about 72% of registered Seattle voters voted in the Nov 2010 elections. So there are still quite a few votes to be counted.
    .
    You can see the tallies and percentage of registered votes on the King County results page: http://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/elections/201111/results.aspx

  • Momof3 November 8, 2011 (10:05 pm)

    Amazed to see most of the school board hanging on. Ugh… They’ve been a train wreck.

  • cashmere November 8, 2011 (10:22 pm)

    what happens to the brand new liquor store that just opened up?

    • WSB November 8, 2011 (10:27 pm)

      The state is supposed to “sell its assets” in the liquor business. Perhaps existing liquor stores will be sold to new private owners. There’ll be lots of “what it means” in the days ahead … TR

  • Remember November 8, 2011 (10:26 pm)

    Sundquist’s 1st misstep which cost many votes was pushing for the Sealth/Denny combo. That’s still his 1-term legacy that West Seattle will be stuck with long after most of us are gone. Likely would have held on otherwise, which is still amazing considering the many mistakes of this entire Board.

  • Tuesday November 8, 2011 (10:43 pm)

    Tom Rasmussen: “It’s clear that voters support better transit and safer streets, but it’s also apparent that we need more progressive options for how cities fund building our transportation systems. That’s why despite tonight’s setback, this is just the beginning.”

    It must take a lot of practice to say so much of nothing in one statement. Please enlighten me as to what “more progressive options for how cities fund building our transportation systems” means.

    Apparently the message I meant to send by voting no was not received. That message was: Road maintenance is a basic city service. Stop spending money on other stuff (I’m not under the delusion that the city only funds essential services) and spend it on road maintenance instead.

  • Wednesday November 8, 2011 (10:52 pm)

    The politicians quoted above sound like complete morons! Were they intending to enlighten us? Zzzzzz.

    • WSB November 8, 2011 (11:00 pm)

      That’s the official reaction sent out so far. Probably originally written rather than spoken.

  • Kermit November 8, 2011 (11:33 pm)

    Well if gregoire gets her way, and if history is any indicator, friendly Dem operatives will ‘find’ just enough heretofore uncounted ballots behind the fridge or something to keep liquor stores firmly under State control.

  • John November 9, 2011 (12:02 am)

    I hope most don’t think that 1183 will bring the prices down or offer us a better selection. Say hello to Kirkland Brand booze! Like a huge corporation such as Costco has your better interests at heart….rigggghtttttt!

  • metrognome November 9, 2011 (12:21 am)

    Tuesday — interesting that you can read peoples’ minds so easily; maybe you should rent your services to the government. Truth is, no one will ever know why it was defeated, despite all the exit polls and pundits. WA voters are notoriously psychizo about transportation issues; not too far back, a statewide referendum for highway repairs was overwhelmingly approved; the next year, an Eyman initiative cutting all the funding was overwhelmingly approved. Go figure.
    Kermit — really?? you’re much funnier as a frog.

  • S5 November 9, 2011 (12:23 am)

    @John – so don’t buy your booze at Costco. There are going to be plenty of other places to go. I’ll take a slightly higher price for the convenience of buying when/where I want, any day.

  • Jennifer November 9, 2011 (12:45 am)

    Momof3, I agree with you! I’m glad that Marty McClaren is leading Sundquist. I sure hope she maintains that lead.

  • Dropshot November 9, 2011 (6:51 am)

    Steve Sundquist has been a thoughtful, hardworking board member. He has provided effective leadership during a very difficult time in the Seattle School District. Difficult decisions had to be made, and he made wise choices. I would like to see him win.

  • 2 Much Whine November 9, 2011 (7:16 am)

    Hey John, you said “I hope most don’t think that 1183 will bring the prices down or offer us a better selection.” Why do you hope that? Why do you care what we hope? I have to think that competition is better than government control on most (not all) things. If booze prices aren’t lower one year from now I will eat a toad (not a poisonous one). Have you ever been to a Bevmo in CA? Change is hard but it can also be good.

  • Dave November 9, 2011 (7:52 am)

    Yeah on 1183! The state simply doesn’t need to run retail stores. If alcohol is SOOO dangerous that it can’t be allowed to be sold in private stores, ban it! Legalize marijuana (giggle) instead. Stores have to be licensed to sell liquor, so just pull their license if they get caught more than 3 times selling to underage, or increase the fines, or whatever you need. I rarely drink, so I don’t care about “cheap” liquor, but it’s just SILLY to argue that ONLY the government can run a retail store selling a product (and I’m a flaming liberal).

  • KT November 9, 2011 (7:58 am)

    Poor Tom Rasmussen just doesn’t get it (not unlike every other elected leader), perhaps the car tab fee rejection means enough is enough?

    And Dow Constantine should not be making any conclusions at all from the tolling vote other than the epople are pretty evenly split about how they look at this issue and there are no firm conclusions to be made from the vote.

  • Tuesday November 9, 2011 (8:11 am)

    metrognome – You’ll notice that I said the message “I meant to send” instead of “everyone meant to send”. I’m well aware that I don’t speak for every voter, nor did I intend to communicate any capacity for mind-reading . I’m also aware that politicians, regardless of affiliation always hear from a vote what they want to hear regardless of what people are actually trying to communicate. It’s their special way of doing whatever the heck they want, given the opportunity, without thinking they look like jerks that don’t listen to their constituents. For once it would be refreshing to have an elected representative acknowledge the possibility of more than one point of view. I know, I dream.

  • JoAnne November 9, 2011 (8:14 am)

    So far the turnout is no more than 25% in King County. This means our future is being decided by less than 15% of registered voters, which probably amounts to no more than 5% of our population. Horrific!

    http://vote.wa.gov/results/current/Turnout.html

  • Jiggers November 9, 2011 (8:16 am)

    I drink to that!!

  • stb November 9, 2011 (8:24 am)

    Once again excellent coverage from WSB. Last night right after 8pm I went looking for election results and WSB had the best coverage of all the news outlets both online and on TV. Thanks!

    • WSB November 9, 2011 (11:15 am)

      Thanks for the kind words. It was a little nail-bitey in the early going since I was still covering the Admiral Neighborhood Assoc. meeting when the results were scheduled to come out, and even though we carry three alternatives for portable personal wi-fi (Sprint, Verizon, AT&T), their meeting is in a wonderful sturdy old church basement with signal challenges! Luckily it all worked when we needed it. – TR

  • JAT November 9, 2011 (8:50 am)

    And Dow Constantine draws a spurious conclusion: We’re going to keep on taking it and taking it and taking it from Tim Eyeman. And taking it and taking it and taking it.

    Can’t wait, Tim Eyeman is Neat-o!

  • squareeyes November 9, 2011 (9:20 am)

    BevMo BevMo BevMo!

  • duder November 9, 2011 (9:26 am)

    I’m sure the lowly paid checkers are going to love the additional stress of having to sell liquor too while their corporate overlords love the increased profit.

    Any idea which stores in West Seattle are big enough to sell liquor? Forgive my lack of spatial comprehension but exactly how big is 10000square feet?

  • nicework November 9, 2011 (10:15 am)

    Great coverage WSB – really like the quotes after results! Very compelling.

  • JAT November 9, 2011 (10:29 am)

    the square root of 10,000 is 100, so a ten thousand square foot space would be 100 by 100. That’s about the size of the area taken up by the West Seattle Farmers Market.

  • The Hepcat November 9, 2011 (10:42 am)

    Lowly paid checkers? Most stores over the 10,000 sq.ft. allowance are grocery stores(unionized)with cashiers making union scale wages. As for “corporate overlords” enjoying increased profits, so what? Maybe those increased profits can be used to hire more people and……Oh wait, they’re at my school protesting corporate America in all forms….

    In WS, think existing locations like the Safeway’s, and Thriftways for the 10,000 sq.ft. average. Maybe the soon to be TJ’s, if liquor sales are in their business plan. I don’t know.

    I can only pray to sweet merciful Jesus that a BevMo calls Seattle home. What a bonus for selection and price.

  • Worked there November 9, 2011 (11:09 am)

    I’m glad it passed. I worked for the board I started at 10.86 am hour, 5 years later left at 13.00 an hour as a checker. I was happy I had a job, but the district managers are way overpaid

  • djake November 9, 2011 (12:13 pm)

    I can certainly see some wisdom in getting the state out of the liquor business…I’m just amused at how many really believed their claim that the money will be used to provide x,y and z. Similar promises were made about the lottery funding schools, etc, etc. No surprises then when we don’t see increases in all of the promised venues because political budgeting begins to play musical funds.

  • Amalia November 9, 2011 (12:23 pm)

    I bought into the argument that revenue would be lost. It makes me sad to see that some people voted only with their own minor convenience in mind (slightly cheaper booze more conveniently accessible).
    .
    I would have preferred to use a state store and allow 600-900 (so I’ve read) workers to keep their jobs and $120m in revenue (so I’ve read) to go to educational services (so I’ve also read). Maybe a few people will get hired at stores to handle the change, but a lot more will lose their jobs. If the big picture (jobs and revenue) had been emphasized in the campaign, rather than the [dubious?] claims regarding underage drinking, maybe people would have been more thoughtful in voting.
    .
    I truly hope all I’ve read is wrong and that jobs are created and revenue generated, but I haven’t seen any evidence or claims to that effect.

  • KINGCO November 9, 2011 (4:22 pm)

    KinCounty Records Show the Trader Joes building, old car showroom and car repair shop, to be 24,000 SF.
    In California, TJ’s has long sold distilled spirits.

  • Aman November 9, 2011 (7:45 pm)

    Nov. 9th, 2011:
    King County estimates a total election return of about 560,000 ballots, or 52 percent of registered voters. Ballot returns thus far are consistent with expectations. Elections staff is busy processing ballots and expects tonight’s updated results report to reflect about 78,000 additional ballots.

    Elections will continue to process ballots until the election is certified on Nov. 29.

    Source:
    http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/news/2011/November/09results.aspx

    • WSB November 9, 2011 (8:04 pm)

      Aman, I know that’s what they’re predicting. But the relatively anemic first wave has led projections to be, casually at least, revised downward, and I would be shocked if they get to 50 percent. As a person passionate about voting, makes me sad – not my business which way anyone votes, but PLEASE just vote … people elsewhere in the world kill and die for the right … TR

  • Aman November 9, 2011 (10:23 pm)

    TR/WSB:
    For the record Record (I’ve ALWAYS wanted to say that to you), I hope that you are wrong. However, you are most usually right…

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