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51. JoB
    Member Profile

    HMC Rich..

    somehow i thought levity didn't offend you ...
    democrats aren't all dope smoking hippies either ... or rampant do-gooders although our hearts do bleed :~>

    While i truly enjoyed the links to the very opinionated Sound Politics... i was disappointed in the lack of depth even when i followed all of the links. At best, that article was dated innuendo piled on innuendo...

    As for the Times article... did you notice that it did confirm the basic facts of Goldy's article?
    Goldy may have reported the news with a bias... but he didn't fudge with the facts...

    Political spin aside... David Irons was in a job he wasn't qualified to hold because his daddy invested in the firm. He took advantage of insider information to use one of the firms assets to guarantee a loan he generated and then seized that asset at less than it's value when the company couldn't pay back the loan... after which he quit and raided the employees to service that asset from the company.

    If a democrat did that... you would call foul immediately. Being a republican doesn't make it any better no matter how the Times lauds piracy if it is committed by one of their own.

    and you can't have your cake and eat it too... blaming Huff in one post for the Diebold machines not being certified.. and then blaming her in another for the choice of Diebold machines ... which aren't certified yet (according to another of your links) in part because they are fixing what the article in your link blaming her for the choice said was the problem with Diebold machines...

    Isn't that just looking for anything to tar her with? She is being held responsible for the "sins" of a department she wasn't part of when the "sins" were committed, being blamed for trying to rectify the situation, being blamed for placing the vote tabulating machines into open bid and eventually accepting the winning bid, being blamed for not getting the machines certified when part of the holdup is the company fixing the problems that generated the grumbling and the other part is the current republican administration's unwillingness to fill the position of Elections head with someone the congress would ratify....

    It sounds to me like she is doing a remarkable job in spite of circumstances out of her control.. not that she is creating any of those circumstances.

    and yes... i acknowledge that my bias is showing:) but it's the bias towards competence and not showmanship that is showing here.

    Huff has paid her dues in local government, has years of experience with elections... and is doing a good job at her job.... even if she isn't personally pleasing every pundit in town.

    From the standpoint of a citizen hiring an Elections director on the basis of qualifications... not politics.. she is doing exactly what we hired her to do.. and doing it well.

    so.. politics aside... why shouldn't we retain someone who is doing the job well?

    Posted 3 years ago #         

52. WSB
    Member Profile

    

    I haven't read the entire thread but I believe this originally was about the Elections Director election. For those interested in that, this news release just landed in our inbox and I'm not likely to use it elsewhere, at least not right now.

    SEATTLE - The Municipal League of King County today announced its ratings of the six
    candidates for King County Elections Director to be selected by special election on
    February 3:

    Bill Anderson - Very Good
    Chris Clifford - Adequate
    Sherril Huff - Outstanding
    David Irons - Outstanding
    Julie Kempf - Adequate
    Pam Roach - Adequate

    The nonpartisan ratings are based on four criteria: Knowledge, Involvement,
    Effectiveness and Character. The ratings assess each candidate's potential to be
    effective in office and ability to serve the community. They don't consider
    political affiliations or stands on specific issues. Candidates also aren't rated
    against each other.

    "The League's rating process is similar to a job interview for candidates," said
    Brad Meacham, Municipal League Chair. "Given the managerial requirements of the
    Elections Director position, these ratings are especially useful."

    The ratings are the result of the work of citizens from around King County who
    volunteered for a special Candidate Evaluation Committee over the last month. The
    committee recognized that the Elections Director position requires strong
    management, technical and leadership skills. Committee members were trained about
    the requirements of the position and then studied the public record, reviewed
    candidate questionnaires, checked references and conducted live interviews with the
    candidates. Each rating was carefully reviewed and confirmed by the Municipal
    League's trustees.

    Volunteers in the rating process are required to refrain from active involvement in
    campaigns or political parties during this election season. The Municipal League's
    trustees must step aside from the ratings process whenever they have connections to
    any candidate in any particular race.

    Candidates received one of six ratings: Outstanding, Very Good, Good, Adequate, Not
    Qualified, or No Active Campaign. The Municipal League was able to contact and
    review every candidate.

    To view candidate questionnaires and more detailed information about the rating
    process, see http://www.munileague.org.

    About the Municipal League ratings
    Complete definitions of the ratings are available at http://www.munileague.org. Here are
    abbreviated descriptions of each rating:

    Outstanding - Has made numerous outstanding contributions requiring skills related
    to the office, is a path-finding and respected leader, and brings knowledge and
    creativity to issues facing the office.

    Very Good - Makes significant contributions, is a skilled builder of consensus,
    inspires confidence in the way he/she would serve, is thorough and attentive to
    issues.

    Good - Has been active and effective in many roles, is capable of moving people to
    productive action, has strong record of participation in problem solving, shows
    satisfactory commitment to tackling issues.

    Adequate - Has a record of participation and interest, is effective on specific
    issues, has provoked questions about suitability as an office holder, will need
    significant time/energy to fill gaps in knowledge.

    Not Qualified - Doesn't appear engaged, has a record that casts doubt on ability to
    be productive, hasn't demonstrated ability to deal with responsibilities of office,
    has narrow focus, inflexible attitude or is otherwise troubling.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

53. Anonymous
    Member Profile

    Interesting. Thanks TR

    Posted 3 years ago #         

54. charlabob
    Member Profile

    

    Yes, thanks TR -- the sentence I find most interesting:

    "The ratings are the result of the work of citizens from around King County who
    volunteered for a special Candidate Evaluation Committee over the last month."

    Posted 3 years ago #         

55. JoB
    Member Profile

    TR...

    thanks.. this is outstanding!

    I encourage everyone who is actually interested in these candidates to go further than the recommendations and follow the link to http://www.munileague.org/ and keep clicking until you come to the actual questionnaires that the candidates submitted... which are the basis for the recommendations...

    what an incredible opportunity to look at actual job applications and make informed decisions based on them...

    I read both candidates questionnaires and was struck by the differences...

    David Irons posts co-owner and CEO of his parent company on his current resume for this position...

    That makes me wonder how well he understands techonology since he must have been aware of the expose written about his tenure in his parent's company that directly quoted his parents describing him as a mechanic...

    if he is well versed in technology he should have known how easy it is for that information to be found... it doesn't appear as though resume padding serves him well here on more than one count...

    and it makes me wonder how well this group checked references..

    but what struck me most was the depth of Sherril Huff's answers to questions regarding the function of the Director of Elections and the expertise she exhibited about the actual elections process here in King County and the current issues facing our elections dept.

    Did you know that she has the department well on the way to getting the highest certification available for an elections organization??? ...

    and that King County might well be the first department in the United States to achieve that goal?

    Follow the links to what it takes to get that certification.. and i think you will be impressed.

    did you know that she has served as an elections auditor as well as elections director? That's like having been both a prosecuting attorney and a defense attorney... having worked on both sides of the election process gives her a unique perspective on the big picture when it comes to election excellence...

    some of which she has already brought to the transition of our elections dept.

    The bottom line is that Sherril Huff is already doing the job that David Irons envisions on his questionnaire.. and doing it well.

    Even if we had no questions about David Irons managerial skills... which i do...

    we would still be left asking ourselves why we would want to replace someone who is doing this job so effectively with someone who thinks they might do it well?

    Our elections process is not the right place for David Irons to get on the job training...

    it's too important!

    Posted 3 years ago #         

56. beachdrivegirl
    Member Profile

    

    "Eleven years ago I founded a cutting edge technology company. This company grew to
    provide services in six states from Washington to Ohio. We provided cutting edge
    technology to convention centers. This required us to install a new computer and phone
    network every four to seven days then remove most of the installation. We were required to
    meet and/or exceed a 99.99% success rate which we did. Growing a high tech company
    while providing the highest level of customer service that become one of the leaders in our
    industry was most rewording. In 2007 I received two unsolicited offers to purchase my
    company, in October 2007 the company was sold to our chief competitor. The company that
    purchased my company hired me to remain on as CEO for one year to facilitate the merger
    of the two companies."--> here is some Irons technological experience for those that would like to learn open mindedly about both candidates. IMO, this is proof that David Irons would not be getting "on teh job training" he doesnt need it.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

57. Anonymous
    Member Profile

    "Our elections process is not the right place for David Irons to get on the job training..." - JoB

    "On-the-job-training" was sufficient for the position of President, why is it not okay for Irons?

    Posted 3 years ago #         

58. JoB
    Member Profile

    to rephrase that blurb written by David Irons in terms more consistent with the revelations from Goldy's investigation in 2005...

    :)))

    eleven years ago i forced the company i was working with to divest it's assets in a high technology company (providing internet access to vendors at the coliseum) by floating them a loan that i knew they couldn't repay and seizing their asset as collateral...

    i was able to hire away the personnel who ran that asset and they did an admirable job of running that asset for me...

    i believe in inspiring others and a hands off management style...

    it really helped that dad and my attorney sister had the old company by the ... well you know.. they are able to ensure that they were cooperative and i wasn't prosecuted.

    Heck, dad was more than glad for me to have a company of my own that would support me if i let it run itself... captive markets are a good thing...

    since my new company had only assets and income, my employees were able to expand our business into several states.

    When the new technology of wifi began to intrude drastically on my business which relied on hard wire internet connections, i was able to sell the contracts i had with several facilities and didn't have to face the transition into new technology..

    and i got a sweetheart deal in the process.. i negotiated to keep my position and salary for a year!

    I have proved that i am perfectly capable of leaving a company alone and letting good people manage it... and that i know how to negotiate a good deal when things don't work out so well for me...

    :)))

    there is always more than one possible interpretation of events.. and the truth probably lies somewhere between those two...

    the open minded way to analyze the two candidates is to read both their applications...

    then ask yourself who is more qualified for the job at hand... Director of Elections...

    Posted 3 years ago #         

59. beachdrivegirl
    Member Profile

    

    Well NR we all know that the president really isnt that important... you should have known that by now.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

60. Zenguy
    Member Profile

    

    I agree Jo. After reading that article on Irons, complete with comments from Mom and Sis, I would not hire Irons to walk my dog.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

61. JoB
    Member Profile

    Zenguy..

    LOL.. well, certainly not my dogs:)

    Posted 3 years ago #         

62. JoB
    Member Profile

    
    

    Posted 3 years ago #         

63. JoB
    Member Profile

    it is really too easy for the real issues to get lost in the tit for tat exchange that centers on opinions.

    what is at issue in the next election is who will be our director of elections.. who will be responsible for making sure that the mechanics of a fair and free election are carried out in such a way that the outcome is not in question when we have a tight race.

    This is a lot more complicated than it looks... especially with the expectations of nearly instantaneous results.

    TR posted a site with an incredible amount of information that will help you make up your own mind who should be our next director of elections..

    http://www.munileague.org/

    if you keep clicking the links on this election.. 2009.. director of elections.. you will eventually come to links to both their websites and the applications they submitted that were the basis of the evaluation that generated the recommendations.

    Please take the time to read the complete applications for both of the leading applicants...

    and then ask yourself.. personalities aside.. politics aside.. if you were responsible for hiring one of those two applicants.. who would you hire?

    your vote does matter on this one...

    Posted 3 years ago #         

64. JoB
    Member Profile

    bump... i just want to remind you to do something with that ballot when it shows up in the mailbox besides recycling:)

    Posted 3 years ago #         

65. HMC Rich
    Member Profile

    

    Hello. Hey, JoB, I am definitely not offended, "somehow i thought levity didn't offend you". But I will be offended if those hippies use bad or homegrown stuff!!! (Although I do not advocate that type of recreation).

    No, my Right Wing rants, not my opinions, are just for fun and are used to rile, tweak, stereotype or if at all possible make 'em chuckle. As you notice, down at the bottom of one of my posts I really do want us to get along.

    Ditto 63 and 64. Couldn't see 62.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

66. JoB
    Member Profile

    HMCRich...

    i killed 62 because what i had to say might not have been so conducive to us "all" getting along...

    i really do try to monitor my mouth...

    sometimes my frustration gets the better of me:(

    Posted 3 years ago #         

67. flowerpetal
    Member Profile

    

    Today (Wednesday) is 20 days out before the election and we all should've received our ballots in the mail 20 days before. We were delivered the election handbook but not the ballots.
    I hope these are not delayed too much. It would look bad for the "incumbent" if a delay occurred in the election she is hoping to win.
    Did anyone receive their ballot yet? When did you get it?

    Posted 3 years ago #         

68. JanS
    Member Profile

    

    flowerpetal...I was wondering the same thing...I have the voters pamphlet...guess they're giving me time to read it before the ballot gets here ;-)

    Posted 3 years ago #         

69. c@lbob
    Member Profile

    

    The ballots went to the USPS Wednesday, Jan. 14, you should get yours before the 20th. If you don't call 206-296-VOTE (296-8683) or 800-325-6165. In past elections, I usually get mine the day after the mailing, so I'm expecting it today.

    The law for mailing ballots is 18 days prior to election day:

    http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=29a.40.070

    But the calendar that the Secretary of State puts out is how county auditors set their deadlines:

    http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/calendar.aspx

    So you see, King County beats the legal deadline by 2 days. They've done so ever since the fiasco in 2002 general elections when thousands of ballots were sent out late. Since then the electios department has done, literally, everthing possible to get ballots out on time. Many elections workers worked a 7:00 AM to 2:00 AM shift (that's 19 hours) to make sure the deadline was met in 2006. It was sad that 400 that had to be hand stuffed went out 2 hours late because a computer file was delayed, but it was a pretty good performance, and the state deadline was met in any case.

    By the was, it was Julie Kempf who got fired for the 2002 ballot screw up, just in case you were thinking of voting for her. She was then the Superintendant of Elections.

    Mark your ballots of Sherril Huff and mail them or take them to a ballot drop box. Keep KC Elections on the right track.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

70. Trisket
    Member Profile

    Vote David Irons!

    Posted 3 years ago #         

71. c@lbob
    Member Profile

    

    Trisket has it right, all you Toby Nixon fans should split your votes among Irons, Roach, et al.

    Those of you who want an elections department run properly should vote for Sherril Huff!

    Posted 3 years ago #         

72. Ken
    Member Profile

    

    Democrats and reasonable people, lets do a little math.

    This election is a bit different from others in that there is no primary and there will be no runoff.

    A plurality of the votes are required and will define the winner.

    There might be 4 self identified Democrats and 2 Republicans (or one neocon and one bull goose loon) but the key here is not to spread the Democratic vote out among the candidates.

    A wingnut could win this with 21% of the vote if we spread 80% of the votes among 4 "Dems" at 20% each.

    This is why we fought this thing in November. It was designed and propagandized as if it was "only fair" to make it a non partisan elected position. In reality is is the only way to allow a wingnut into a position where we can see our election laws bent and twisted and watch wholesale disenfranchisement on the Republican model tilted into the courts which are already infested with "non partisan" BIWA and US Chamber of Commerce backed wingnuts.

    A court case, even if it is found in our favor, would be too late to alter the outcome.

    So mark your ballot for Sherril Huff and go on about your preparations for the coming republican great depression, secure in the knowledge that your King County elections administrator will be working to keep your vote secure, relevant and counted correctly.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

73. JoB
    Member Profile

    I still say that if you look at the qualifications of the applicants.. instead of at their political affiliation.. you will find that there really is one candidate whose qualifications are far greater than any other... and she is already doing the job well.

    would i say the same if she was a republican?

    if she was doing the same job that Sherril Huff was doing.. then yes, i would say the same.

    I would really love to see King Country achieve the highest standard awarded for election excellence and the high achiever in me would be tickled if we were the first election district in the nation to earn that certification.

    The citizen in me would rest easier knowing that the party affiliation of a candidate could not affect the election process itself... that a candidate from either party would have to win in a fair and honest election.

    I hope that is a bipartisan goal we could all agree on.

    if not... there really isn't so much hope for democracy.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

74. JanS
    Member Profile

    

    my ballot showed up today...will be returned immediately :)

    Posted 3 years ago #         

75. flowerpetal
    Member Profile

    

    My ballot showed up today too. Yeah Sherril!

    Posted 3 years ago #         

76. c@lbob
    Member Profile

    

    JoB said:

    "I would really love to see King Country achieve the highest standard awarded for election excellence and the high achiever in me would be tickled if we were the first election district in the nation to earn that certification."

    What do you think of this, relative to your wish?

    http://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/news/2006_07_25.html

    Posted 3 years ago #         

77. JoB
    Member Profile

    catlbob..

    i think that is really cool..

    but i think the certification she mentioned in her app which the department is still working towards would be even better...

    you can find the completed applications for all the candidates here http://www.munileague.org/.

    cudos to TR for showing this link where you can find all the info you need to make a decision if you keep clicking for more info.. the prize at the end is the applications the candidates filled out... very helpful in this case..

    her success in the past tells me we have a really good chance of achieving that goal if we keep her.

    i say we keep her...

    and as soon as i get my ballot i am going to put my vote where my mouth is:)

    Posted 3 years ago #         

78. RainyDay1235
    Member Profile

    

    Anyone find it odd that David Irons was listed first? I figured alphabetical, or maybe incumbant at the top, but no....hmmm?

    Posted 3 years ago #         

79. beachdrivegirl
    Member Profile

    

    I bet Irons just used his money to pay for the top slot. Its the only logical thing way that he would end up there. Those people born with silver spoons in theirs mouths always think money can buy everything.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

80. charlabob
    Member Profile

    

    Since there was no primary, the ballot order is determined by a drawing. From KC elections' candidate FAQ:

    Q: What order will my name appear on the ballot?
    A: Order of appearance on the primary ballot will be determined by lot order drawing conducted at end of candidate filing. See the exceptions for the Park and Recreation Districts and Cemetery District noted above.
    Candidates on the general election ballot will appear in the order of the highest number of votes received in the primary. If no primary, then the names will appear on the General Election ballot in the order by lot drawing.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

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