Who is buying your vote today?

[JoB]

This is who is buying your vote right here in Washington on initiatives you will be voting for this fall.

http://www.stopgreed.org/visual-analysis/

sorta makes you rethink the citizen part in citizen initiative.. doesn’t it.

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[Carson]

Could we start an initiative to stop initiatives?

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[JustSarah]

One aspect that site is lacking is a brief summary of each initiative. Ok, great, Costco heavily backed I-1100, but what *is* I-1100? (I do know what I-1100 is, by the way, but some of the initiatives listed are more obscure, and the average person who clicks on the link isn’t going to dig deeper to learn exactly what all the initiatives are.)

That said, I certainly wouldn’t call it “buying the vote.” Interest groups, including corporations, have always inserted themselves into aspects of our democratic process. I happen to strongly support I-1100 and understand that Costco has a vested interest in it passing. A few years ago, I was strongly for the disposable bag fee, but also understood why the chemical companies were throwing so much money at ads urging a “no” vote. Political ads are required to state who funded them. The fact is, the petitions for initiatives still require a large number of supporters’ signatures to make it onto a ballot. The system is not perfect, but it would be quite difficult for initiatives to get off the ground without the large amounts of money special interest groups can provide.

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[dobro]

I wish the signature gatherers for the initiatives were not allowed to be paid. Then the initiative process would work as I believe it was intended to, to allow large grassroots movements an avenue to have an effect on legislation. The way it works now, it just gives big money special interests a way to circumvent the legislature.

I know there was a court case a few years ago deciding it was ok to pay for signature gatherers but I believe it was a wrong decision.

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[Carson]

That damn Tim Eyman guy!!!

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[JoB]

Sarah Scoot…

do you really think that the publicity paid for by big businesses has no affect on the vote?

According to an analysis i saw recently.. every dollar invested in one of these campaigns returns at least 4 for the company who invests it… and that is small change in comparison to lobbying dollars which return roughly double that.

it’s obvious they are clear about what they are buying.

i do agree about the site’s lack of info however and would join you in pointing out that the majority of Costco’s contribution on I-1100 is in kind.. not dollars.

they are doing it the old fashioned way.. working for what they believe in…

Carson…

that tim Eyman guy gets big business to finance his initiatives and whether he wins or loses with them the resulting publicity buys him influence in our state govt :(

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[miws]

Notice how Eynitiativeman never seems to be upset when one of his initiatives doesn’t pass, make the ballot, or is later ruled unconstitutional?

I mean, I can understand keeping a positive attitude, but, it seems to me that, especially after several defeats, he’d be really PO’ed, or weeping, if he was really in it because he sincerely believes in whatever the particular initiative is about?

Or is it about making money, and a name for himself?

Mike

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[Carson]

Mike,

Making money? He quit his last job, which he was a failure at, watch salesman, to be a full time initiative sponsor. Not sure how much money he makes, but he has a nice big house in Mukilteo so he is not hurting like most. (hint: click on my name if you need any info about Timmy)

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[JoB]

Carson..

ROFLOL… i think i love you.

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[Carson]

I am married and my wife reads this….(she thinks I am a nut, she might be right)

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[JoB]

Carson…

it’s your mind i love..

really :)

i too am married

and hubby gets a big kick out of reading some of this.

besides.. i suspect i am old enough to be your mother..

LOL… or maybe even your grandmother..

i do have a greatgrandbaby.

He’s getting to be a big boy now.. he walks.

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[Carson]

Its all good! Technically I am old enough to have grandkids with 2 children in their 20’s….and some days I feel real old..

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[clark5080]

All these companies are doing is getting it on the ballot as far as I am concerned. They do not influence my vote one way or the other. You always hear from the no side (of the initiatives) that people are basically too dumb to understand what they are voting for (my paraphrase). What a line of crap

What you really need to look at is who is buying our house and senate rep’s (both local and national)and how their voting is for sure influenced and I mean D’s and R’s. Much more problematic in my eyes.

Jim

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[Carson]

Jim,

I agree with you 100% but the sad part is all those ads work with lots and lots of people….they wouldn’t use the ads otherwise.

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[JustSarah]

Clark: exactly, and thank you. Special-interest groups get a bad rap, and many for good reason, but the reality is that many initiatives would never make it to the ballot without their backing. For how many years have we been frustrated with our state’s archaic state-run liquor monopoly? Now, why is that initiative finally going to be on a ballot this fall?

Yes, sometimes I really hate the initiatives that are passed, but I blame the ignorant voters, not the organizations that got the issue on the ballot (see: prop. 8 in California). People should only vote if they have some knowledge of what they’re voting on, despite all the PSAs saying “just vote.” Voting is wonderful and everyone should exercise their right to do so, but it’s a useless power when wielded by the ignorant.

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[JoB]

Sarascoot…

We have still plastic bags clogging our recycling system, blowing in the wind and killing critters because the grocery lobby paid big money for ads that inflamed voters about those poor people who would have to pay for grocery bags…

it was all for our own good :(

did those same grocery stores place plastic bag recyling bins in front of their stores? no.

but they sure are selling you their own branded recyclable shopping bags once they figured out there was a market

and charging for bags won’t be that far behind…

the deception is what i object to…

this was not a “citizen” effort unless of course we classify corporations as citizens…

clark5080

if the dollars invested didn’t produce votes businesses wouldn’t spend so much.

they believe it works.

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[clark5080]

That was way more about the city council taxing us Why don’t they just have the kahonies (sp) to ban plastic bags in the first place? I would have no problem with that. But you do complain about no recycling bins in the stores for the bags but on the other hand the bags are clogging our recycling system? I know we recycle them and I bet a lot of others do also.

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[JoB]

clark5080..

the reason bags are clogging our recycling system is that too many people recycle individual bags instead of bagging them in large lots and the individual bags clog the recycling machinery.

if bags were collected at supermarkets as they are in oregon, they are more easily packaged so that they are not a problem for the recycling machinery.

btw.. that wasn’t a tax. it was a use fee… putting the burden of paying for the public cost of all those bags squarely on those who use them.

that advertising that didn’t affect you falsely labeled it a tax… and it stuck.

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[miws]

FWIW, I’m not sure about the other local grocery stores, but, Morgan Thriftway has a container at the front of the store, near the Customer Service desk, for recycling plastic bags.

Mike

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[JoB]

miws..

Morgan Thriftway has been recycle friendly since i moved here i think.

i wish other groceries would follow their example.

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