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Thursday, May 1st, 2008
Posted by Jason Hagey @ 05:53:13 pm
Tacoma set aside almost $4 million in the 2007-08 budget to cover the cost of a new police contract, but will end up paying out a little more -- something in the range of $4.1 million to $4.4 million, according to an e-mail Finance Director Bob Biles sent to Kim Bradford in our editorial department. It took a while for the city to crunch the numbers. Biles told me they tried to figure it out with the city's SAP computer system, but encountered problems and went back to other means. The difference did not strike council members Spiro Manthou or Jake Fey as a big concern. I spoke with both of them today on other matters and asked about it.
Categories: Tacoma
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 05:48:06 pm
I'm one of about a zillion people keeping track of Washington's superdelegates. So this caught my eye: A former national party chairman and Hillary Rodham Clinton superdelegate defected. He's urging others to unite behind Obama, just in time for his home state of Indiana's primary next week. So ... Washington superdelegates, where do you stand? (Find out here and, of course, here.)
Categories: Campaign news, President
Posted by Joe Turner @ 04:15:51 pm
Yesterday, I posted a blog entry about Chuck Collins running for a seat in the 2nd District. He sent the following e-mail today.
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 03:22:16 pm
Rossi's camp just called me back: They're estimating they raised $625,000 last month. This morning, I posted that gubernatorial candidate (and current governor) Chris Gregoire's campaign estimates they raised about $1 million in April. So Gregoire wins for April's fundraising. That's a flip from March, when Gregoire had something like 10 days to raise money and ended the month with far less than Rossi's $900,000. Rossi's cash on hand (total raised minus expenditures) is around $3.1 million for April, up from $2.62 million last month. (Again, these are estimates.) I'm waiting to hear about cash on hand from the Gregoire campaign. I hope to have something today (hint, hint, campaign insiders).
Categories: Governor, Campaign news
Posted by Hunter George @ 01:44:27 pm
From Les Blumenthal in our DC bureau: Just talked with Rep. Norm Dicks, who was headed to the airport for a flight home to his district. Dicks said he has asked the Interior Department to further clarify a new rule allowing people to carry a concealed firearm in a national park or wildlife refuge. Here's our story about the proposal. As chairman of the House interior appropriations subcommittee, Dicks is in a position to block it. But such a move could touch off a major Second Amendment flare-up on Capitol Hill in an election year. Dicks said park rangers have told him they prefer the current policy that requires weapons be temporarily inoperable or stored in a secure place like a locked car trunk. The new Interior rule would allow people to carry concealed weapons if they have a permit and if the state where the national park is located allows guns in its own parks. Washington state does. "I don’t like it, but there may not much we can do," Dicks said. "I think it is unnecessary, but I am a realist." Dicks said the proposal is probably not everything the National Rifle Association wanted, but once 51 senators sent them a letter Interior had little choice but to act. The public now has 60 days to comment. "We need to watch this carefully and see the public reaction," Dicks said.
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 11:58:32 am
I just got off the phone with a source inside Gov. Chris Gregoire's campaign who tells me they haven't quite finished tallying up April's fundraising numbers but they expect to top $1 million. The reports aren't due to the PDC until the 10th of May, so we won't know an exact number until then. I talked to challenger Dino Rossi's campaign this morning -- they tell me they're also still counting, and that Rossi missed out on some precious fundraising time while he peddled his transportation plan around the state. Is touring the state not fundraising? Was the comment a way to soften the blow of a soft month? I don't know, but I'll find out and then tell you all.
Categories: Governor, Campaign news
Posted by Joe Turner @ 11:54:07 am
I'm posting this mainly for the humor. I do recall that Aaron Ostrom used to be with 1,000 Friends of Washington, I think. Now they are FutureWise? Never heard of his new group until this e-mail arrived today. Read about their awards. And here's the news release that explains who they are:
Posted by Joe Turner @ 11:08:19 am
Former state Rep. Randy Dorn, once principal of Eatonville High School and now head of the second-largest public school workers’ union, announced Thursday he is running for the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Dorn becomes the third candidate to enter the race. Incumbent Terry Bergeson is seeking a fourth four-year term and Richland School Superintendent Richard Semler, former superintendent at Vashon Island, announced his campaign last week Dorn, 54, actually would take a pay cut if he were to win. He is paid $130,000 as executive director of the 26,000-member Public School Employees of Washington, a job he has had the past eight years. The salary for state schools chief will go up to $121,618 in September. He claims Bergeson has lost the respect of the education community and the Legislature, and that he is the only one of the three candidates who has the education background and political savvy to improve the state’s school system. “First, you have to reestablish respect for the office,” Dorn said. “People do not believe Terry is listening. Then, you have to change the WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) to make if more accountable.” Dorn was chairman of the House Education Committee in 1993, the year the Legislature passed House Bill 1209, the Education Reform bill that later led to adoption of the WASL exams as a requirement for graduation. The state has since backed off that requirement. Here's his official news release:
Posted by John Henrikson @ 11:04:58 am
Check out Sen. Patty Murray's email header. She looks like she's about to burst into a number from "The Sound of Music" or start yodeling or something.  That ain't Capitol Hill in the background. According to Murray spokesman Matt McAlvanah, it's the Wild Sky area of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, which will soon be the nation's newest wilderness area. Sen. Murray was the cosponsor of the designation bill, along with Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Lake Stevens. So, I guess she's entitled to yodel.
Categories: Congress
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 09:18:57 am
My post worked! Someone sent me confirmation that John McCain is actually coming to Washington this month. (OK, so the information had been posted on McCain's own Web site, but who's counting?) If you have aspirations to see McCain, I hope you have lots of money: It's $33,100 to attend the Victory Dinner. Here's the catch: That's per couple or per individual. I guess you could look at that two ways: Either it's discrimination against singles or financial incentive to bring a friend. Read on if you don't have $33,100 -- there are some lower-cost options:
Categories: Campaign news, President
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A team of experienced reporters keep you updated on what's happening in political arenas at the city, county, state and federal levels. From presidential campaign visits to who's running for city council, we've got it covered. Contributors
Niki Sullivan covers politics. Before coming to Tacoma, she covered state government in Oregon. She is a regular contributor to the GritCity blog. Email Niki Local politics links
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