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July 29, 2008 at 4:01 pm #587634
KenParticipantTop two primary and initiative 26
This collusion between the Washington Republican Sec of State, its Republican Attorney General and the WA State Grange is intended to limit the power of Metro Seattle voters to elect Democrats, Progressives and Liberals to represent us in state, federal and local offices.
The stealth conservatives in the judicial races have brought us a number of Judge candidates named “Johnson” apparently since this is the most recognized name among the unknowns most people see on their ballot.
http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/davidpostman/archives/2006/07/27/
This will probably help a first year lawyer I know to become a judge in a few years unless she gets married and changes her name, however this is no way to elect judges or any other public servant.
The wording of the initiative that brought us this mess was misleading enough to get many who do not follow politics closely to buy into it.
Initiative 26 is another attempt to reduce the power of King county Democrats. Without the party support, the race may go to the highest bidder (the republicans).
http://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/200808/i26.pdf
The Sec of States office is paying for Ads that tout the top two primary.
I will be posting my own edited list of candidates on the August ballots. This will be a list oriented towards Democrats. Republicans are welcome to post their own thread and push their own candidates. Independents can do whatever it is they do and explain how you find out which candidate is the best without guessing based on the code words on their website.
July 29, 2008 at 5:05 pm #632447
KenParticipantFEDERAL
United States Representative
Congressional District No. 7
McDermott, Jim (Prefers Democratic Party)
Re-elect Jim. If you like any of the alternatives tell me why and show you can figure out how to look them up :)
STATE
Governor
Gregoire, Christine (Prefers Democratic Party)
There is no choice. Dino is nuts.
Lieutenant Governor
Owen, Brad (Prefers Democratic Party)
Secretary of State
Osgood, Jason (Prefers Democratic Party)
His major asset is that he is not Sam Reed.
State Treasurer
McIntire, Jim (Prefers Democratic Party)
Sohn, ChangMook (Prefers Democratic Party)
While both are qualified, Jim is my preference.
State Auditor
Sonntag, Brian (Prefers Democratic Party)
Attorney General
Ladenburg, John (Prefers Democratic Party)
McKenna, Rob (Prefers Republican Party)
Ladenburg is the choice here. McKenna might be a moderate republican (an endangered species in many parts of the country), but he has been influenced in recent years to take some seriously partisan positions and make some questionable decisions to placate the hard right of his own party. Time for a change.
Commissioner of Public Lands
Goldmark, Peter J. (Prefers Democratic Party)
Sutherland, Doug (Prefers Republican Party)
Goldmark is the only choice here.
Sutherland seems to have personal and personnel issues.
http://hominidviews.com/?p=1687
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Dorn, Randy
Bergeson, Teresa (Terry)
What a mess. The incumbent Bergeson was not endorsed by the teachers union and the guy they did endorse dropped out. No one really wants the job it seems. It has to be one of the most thankless jobs on the planet thanks to the Federal NCLB + WASL + republican goal of killing public schools. I am leaning toward Dorn since Bergeson cannot escape the infamy of promoting the WASL as a fix all.
Insurance Commissioner
Kreidler, Mike (Prefers Democratic Party)
His republican opponent cannot be looked up via google since he has one of the most common names on the planet, John R. Adams and apparently has never done anything to distinguish himself.
The following are unopposed and are your current reps in state government. They are in the neighborhood all the time and they and their staff are responsive and want to hear any concerns or opinions you might have via their offices numbers or in person at the 34th district meetings.
State Senator
Legislative Dist No. 34
2-year unexpired term McDermott, Joe (Prefers Democratic Party)
State Representative
Legislative Dist No. 34 – Position 1 Cody, Eileen L. (Prefers Democratic Party)
State Representative
Legislative Dist No. 34 – Position 2
Short and full term Nelson, Sharon K. (Prefers Democratic Party)
Detailed info on judges races are here:
http://www.votingforjudges.org/
JUDICIAL
State Supreme Court
Justices of the Supreme Court – Position 3
Fairhurst, Mary Incumbent, her endorsements page: http://justicemaryfairhurst.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=29
Bond, Michael J. challenger, the BIAW/developer candidate it seems.
State Supreme Court
Justices of the Supreme Court – Position 4
Johnson, Charles W. Incumbent, and a damn good choice.
http://www.justicecharlesjohnson.com/
Vulliet, C. F. (Frank) His website looks pretty good and he did fill out the King county Dems questionnaire, but his issues are all inside baseball about the nuts and bolts of the supreme court. It is hard to tell where he stands on more general issues. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
Beecher, James M. (Has no useful web site and apparently no endorsements) http://beecher08.com/
on the plus side, he did help fix the wenatchee sex ring persecution.
State Supreme Court (Unopposed)
Justices of the Supreme Court – Position 7
Short and full term
Stephens, Debra L.
Court of Appeals, Division No. 1 – District No. 1
Judge Position 5 (Unopposed)
Short and full term
Lau, Linda
Court of Appeals, Division No. 1 – District No. 1
Judge Position 6 (Unopposed)
Schindler, Ann
Note: Superior court races appear to have all qualified people running in each position. Those with an asterik, had enough savvy to seek and win endorsement from the 34th district Democrats.
Superior Court
Judges of the Superior Court – Position 1
Amini, Susan *
Bradshaw, Tim
Parisien, Suzanne (Sue)
Superior Court
Judges of the Superior Court – Position 10
Bouffard, Jean
Cahan, Regina S. *
Ponomarchuk, Les
Superior Court
Judges of the Superior Court – Position 22
Graham, Rebeccah *
Hill, Holly *
Garratt, Julia *
Superior Court
Judges of the Superior Court – Position 26
Middaugh, Laura Gene *
Hale, Matthew R.
Superior Court
Judges of the Superior Court – Position 37
Corning, Nic *
Rietschel, Jean
Mack, Barbara *
Superior Court
Judges of the Superior Court – Position 53
Spearman, Mariane *
Danieli, Ann
next:
KING COUNTY
INITIATIVE AND COUNCIL-PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE
http://www.metrokc.gov/elections/contests/measureinfo.aspx?cid=23835&eid=1225
PDF link on this page has the pro and con.
July 29, 2008 at 6:18 pm #632448
beachdrivegirlParticipantWow! Thanks Ken! This will be very helpeful.
July 29, 2008 at 6:20 pm #632449
charlabobParticipantThank you, Ken — this is SUCH a scam, perpetuated, as are most election frauds, by the Repugs under the guise of “good government.”
BTW, could you please explain what the damned grange has to do with this? When I lived in a town of 300 people, in southern Michigan, the grange sponsored hayrides and friday night dances. This was, shall we say, far above their pay grade!
July 29, 2008 at 6:57 pm #632450
WSBKeymasterThanks for the reminder – I had a note to put up an election reminder today as we are now 3 weeks away (our previous election post here:
https://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=9218
-TR
July 29, 2008 at 7:34 pm #632451
KenParticipantWhy the grange is a political force here in WA is probably rooted in the different priorities seen by residents of the Wet and Dry sides of the state. I will do a little research but remember in Yakima county the granges were right wing but with some odd libertarian rhetoric. If someone is more well versed with the motives of the granges, please post.
July 29, 2008 at 7:58 pm #632452
KenParticipantIt seems the WA state Granges opposed the state constitution for decidedly conservative reasons at the time of statehood. They called themselves Populist at the time and much of their opposition was to the railroads and mills and bankers who attempted to bilk them in the absence of any reason or government mandate not to.
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/oralhistory/timeline_event.aspx?e=8
The Opposition:
Not all sectors of the population were sanguine about the composition of the Constitution. Many farmers, especially in eastern Washington, were uneasy with the direction of the founding document. Grange historian Harriet Ann Crawford notes:
The State Grange was born during the same summer which saw the transition of Washington Territory into Washington State. In fact, it appears very certain that Washington farmers hurried to organize themselves into Granges during August and September, 1889, because they were filled with alarm and dismay by provisions which had been excluded from, or written into, the constitution which was proposed as the basic framework of government for the new commonwealth.†(Crawford, p.12)
Organizing too late to influence the writing of the Constitution, the newly formed Grange nonetheless adopted a resolution at their first meeting, which declared:
We are opposed to the constitution as framed by the constitutional convention which met at Olympia,†and which called upon all “farmers, laboring men and taxpayers†to unite in defeating “an instrument fraught with so much peril to the public welfare. (Crawford, p.15)
The Grangers recorded their trepidations and concerns in the Proceedings of the Washington State Grange, 1889:
First. It provides for more offices than the public service requires, and it also makes provision for the creation of offices by the courts and legislature that are uncalled for and unnecessary.
Second. The salaries are fixed too high, with no provision for a reduction of the same, but in nearly every case it provides for an increase.
Third. This being the case, the result will be an office-seeking class, the most worthless class that can exist. It will also foster machine politics of the most corrupt and offensive character.
Fourth. It is calculated to encourage extravagance in the expenses of the Legislative Assembly, and also in all its appropriations, and thus to grievously overburden an overtaxed people.
And yet had a time in which the “progressives” of the day had control. The states business interest persecuted and harassed them and the conservatives came back into power and assured the business class that it would toe the line.
History of the WA Grangers movement:
July 30, 2008 at 2:56 am #632453
KenParticipanthttp://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/registration.aspx
If you get your ballot in the next few days then your registration is in good order. If you don’t or are just curious, follow the above link and use the box on the right side of the page to check your registration status while there is still time to do something about it.
Please note. Ballots which have a signature that does not match the one on file may be rejected.
Just because the primary is now called the “Top Two” primary, does NOT mean you can vote for more than one candidate in each race. It will be sad to see the number of spoiled ballots this unfortunate nomenclature will cause.
But by far, the most rejected ballots come from people who do not read the damn instructions, or write notes in the margins, write in names without filling in the oval and include white powder, crayon marks, food, food stains, glue or unidentified objects in with their ballot.
A non zero percentage of absentee ballots are received each year in virgin condition, with nary a mark nor vote on them.
If you are responsible for an elderly or otherwise challenged voter, try to make sure they understand what they are doing with their ballot.
If you vote at the kitchen table, mop up that coffee spill and jam before laying out the ballot.
Do not let your 3 year old color in the ovals for you while you are on the phone.
And read the instructions.
I do lean towards restricting voting to those who can read the damn instructions, but that is contrary to the constitution and I post these reminders in hopes more voters will not be disenfranchised because they did not RTFM.
August 14, 2008 at 6:42 pm #632454
KenParticipanthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBfngOsvmA0
A bit of inspiration for those who have not mailed you ballot back yet or await the polling day.
August 16, 2008 at 3:49 pm #632455
JulieMemberAugust 18, 2008 at 10:16 pm #632456
WSMomParticipantJust a gentle reminder to get our ballot in the mail before tomorrow.
Thanks Ken for sharing your opinions with us. I’ve spent a bit of time filling out my ballot with my Voter’s Pamphlet open on my lap, it was reassuring to then check my choices against yours (kind of like looking at the teachers answer key)! :)
August 18, 2008 at 10:57 pm #632457
andreaParticipantI agree WSMom. Thank you Ken! It was immeasureably helpful hto have your post available while I completed by ballot…I also used the link to read up on the KC initiaitive that I had no knowledge of.
August 19, 2008 at 2:08 am #632458
KenParticipantAnother reminder for those with absentee ballots.
On the side of the black square machine that scans ballots at the polling place, is a slot where you can drop your absentee ballot and save the 40 something cents postage. It is marked and a helpful poll worker will be nearby to point at it when they see you walk in with the ballot. FOLLOW the INSTRUCTIONS and SIGN the section under the security flap just as if you were going to mail it in.
If you have neighbors who have not sent theirs in yet, you can take theirs to the polling place for them as well.
The rest of you remember to show up at the polls and vote NO on 26 and Yes on the council alternative.
August 19, 2008 at 4:04 pm #632459
KenParticipantBlatant bump cause today is primary election day and I and other PCO’s are on the ballot.
:)
August 19, 2008 at 4:15 pm #632460
charlabobParticipantAnd some would-be PCOs are running at write-ins. If you live in 1418, ask me how to spell my name :-)
Results of mail-in ballots will be posted, starting at 8:15 tonight:
http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/elections/200808/resultsschedule.aspx
(If you don’t go to a candidate’s victory party, you can have your own, online.)
August 20, 2008 at 12:53 am #632461
JoBParticipantKen,
thanks for the links that helped me focus when i voted…
i have to say tho.. i was one of those initially too stupid to put my ballot in the security envelope..
we will see if it counts.. i resealed it.
August 20, 2008 at 3:21 am #632462
TrickParticipantThanks Ken, that was helpful and I definitely went over my voters pamphlet this time.
JOB, my fingers are crossed for ya :)
August 20, 2008 at 3:39 am #632463
JoBParticipantI asked at the poll since i dropped my ballot off.. and a poll worker said i had done the right thing by opening it.. enclosed it in it’s sleeve.. and wroting a note explaining what had happened before resealing it.
I hope she knew what she was talking about:)
August 20, 2008 at 4:52 am #632464
JulieMemberKen, thank you very much indeed for the votingforjudges site link. I find the judges, usually, to be the toughest choices to make because it’s time-consuming to gather the information about the candidates. That site does an excellent job of collecting lots of basic relevant information in one easy-to-navigate location. I think I did a better job choosing judges on this ballot than on any previously, because I had this information.
Thanks, again!
August 20, 2008 at 5:02 am #632465
JulieMemberAlso, I do hope some people might note my separated post explaining why Jason Osgood is better than just “not Sam Reed” as you posted.
https://westseattleblog.com/blog/forum/topic.php?id=1724&replies=1
It’s important because I understand Dow Constantine (for whom I have great respect) unwittingly seems to have passed on some incorrect information about Mr. Osgood, possibly costing him some financial support from the 34th Dems:
August 20, 2008 at 9:15 pm #632466
KenParticipantJason is a good Dem and a likable enough person from what those who know him tell me, but like me, he seems to have abraded some people in the past enough that they were ready to believe when the incorrect info was brought up.
I know people who have worked closely with Sam Reed and the SOS office. They are not fans and feel he is getting leaned on hard enough to be a danger to democracy in the state of WA like several infamous Secretaries if State have in recent years.
It was Reeds office and the ballot vendor who seem to think identifiable info on each ballot is a good idea. Several Counties in WA have adopted them and San Juan County seems to still be in a lawsuit over it.
BTW The “Not Sam Reed” reason was good enough for me. I voted for Jason and will continue to work for him and all Dem candidates in the General.
The republican’ts have tried for years to confuse people about the timing marks on the ballot which are actually just the numeric precinct number in a form the optical reader can easily process. I can identify my precinct marks easily since I have been an observer and a re-counter.
I hope the 34th can make it up to Jason before the general. I guess I better show up to vote next meeting. I had to retrieve and fix a broken family vehicle and missed the meeting described in your post.
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