I had forgotten it was 10 years ago that Washington voters approved the initiative that raised the minimum raise and pegged annual increases to inflation.

Washington’s minimum wage to increase to $8.55 Jan. 1

TUMWATER – Washington’s minimum wage will increase 48 cents to $8.55 an hour beginning Jan. 1, 2009, an increase required by a voter initiative that passed 10 years ago.

The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) recalculates the state’s minimum wage each year in September as required by Initiative 688, which was approved by Washington voters in 1998. The law requires that the state minimum wage be adjusted each year according to the change in the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) during the 12 months ending each Aug. 31.

=> Read more!

But that limitation, first imposed by Tim Eyman's Initiative 747, applies only to the regular governmental levies -- not to voter approved levies.

That's why total property tax revenues can increase by 6.2 percent, as they did in 2008. That, plus new construction. I'm posting this news release mainly for educational purposes. It's a mish-mash of numbers, mostly.

The Legislature reinstated the 1 percent limit after the Supreme Court threw out I-747. That 1 percent limit is on the total amount of money a government can collect from property taxes (from its regular levy) from one year to the next. So, if Tacoma collected $100 in 2007, it could collect a total of $101 in 2008.

Much of the growth comes from new construction, but that gravy train for state and local governments is about to come to an end. The economy in general, housing industry specifically and financial markets overall are going into the tank.

Property Tax Revenues Increase 6.2 Percent in 2008

OLYMPIA, Wash., Sept. 30, 2008 — Property tax revenues increased 6.2 percent to $8.2 billion in 2008, with more than half of the increase stemming from new construction and voter-approved levies, the Washington State Department of Revenue reported today.

=> Read more!

The Puget Sound Partnership, the group created by Gov. Chris Gregoire and the Legislature to figure out how to clean up Hood Canal and other waterways threatened by pollution, has a bunch of taxes fees for the Legislature to consider.

From their matrix:

Sewage significantly impacts the health of the Sound through nutrient loading, temperature, and other water pollution. Although a flush tax is unlikely to change behavior, it will be a stable source of revenue due to the inelastic nature of bathrooms and has clear nexus to the health of Puget Sound.

"The inelastic nature of bathrooms." I think that means, "When ya gotta go, ya gotta go."

Here's
the matrix of fees and taxes the working group is considering.

This is the second batch of permanent returnees. The state penitentiary at Walla Walla has been expanded and inmates from other Washington prisons were moved to the pen, freeing up space elsewhere.

Apparently, these inmates will be headed to Shelton (for reprocessing?) and to Monroe.

I'm told the state Department of Corrections is having its own budget problems and even though DOC is saying publicly that the Coyote Ridge prison will open on time (starting in January), it won't be up an running. The state will save money by slowing down the opening of each wing, regardless of who is governor.

DOC recruiting is doing better. But I don't think they have enough guards to run a 2,400-bed prison, and won't by the end of 2009, either.

DOC Transfers 110 Inmates Back from Private Prison in Arizona

OLYMPIA – The Department of Corrections today returned 110 inmates from three privately operated prisons in Arizona, bringing the total number of inmates housed out
of state below the 1,000 mark.

=> Read more!

Here's a shocker: a television ad in the governor's race is misleading.

At issue is Dino Rossi's new ad that questions whether Gov. Chris Gregoire is dishonest or is in denial over the state's finances. The Olympian and The Seattle Times both report today that the ad falsely implies that the state has a deficit. In fact, the state has a surplus today, but the state is projected to run into a huge revenue shortfall next year if spending continues on the same track.

You coulda knocked me over with a feather! I was that surprised! Imagine, the Association of Washington Business supporting Republican Dino Rossi for governor.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2008

AWB endorses Rossi for governor

Business group announces endorsements for ballot measures, statewide and legislative offices

OLYMPIA – The board of directors for Washington’s largest statewide business association has voted to endorse former State Sen. Dino Rossi, G.O.P., in the 2008 race for governor. The decision was made Friday during a meeting of the board of directors of the Association of Washington Business during its 19th Annual Policy Summit in Blaine, Wash.

=> Read more!

Pete Callaghan passed this on to me from a reader:

Immanuel Presbyterian, is holding a one-hour forum Tuesday evening, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. in our Fireside Room. (Former Gov.) Booth Gardner (sponsor of Initiative 1000), has been scheduled to come, but I'm not positive that he has recovered from a recent fall. Both sides will be represented.

The church is at 901 North J St. The Fireside Room is off the alley between J and I streets on 9th.

Can’t wait to vote in the Nov. 4 general election? You’d better hurry up and register.

The deadline to register or transfer your voter registration in Pierce County is Saturday if you’re registering by mail or online. You can register in person at the auditor’s office until Oct. 20. If you don’t meet those deadlines, you won’t be able to vote in the November election.

To register in person, visit the Pierce County Election Center, 2501 S. 35th St., Suite C, Tacoma. The auditor’s office plans extended hours to accommodate an expected rush of last-minute registrations. The hours are:

• Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Saturdays through Oct. 18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Sunday Oct. 19, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Monday Oct. 20, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information, contact the office at 253-798-VOTE or 1-800-446-4979 or visit the auditor’s web site.

And so it begins....

The real "threat" of Initiative 985 is that it would shift money that now goes into the state General Fund to pay for schools, prisons, etc. into a special Traffic Congestion Relief account.

That's about $120 million a year because it would take 15 percent of the sales tax on vehicle sales.

Tim Eyman, I-985's sponsor, is pushing congestion relief, which is mostly a bogus issue. The state already spends $1 billion to $2 billion a year, every year, on projects that could be considered "congestion relief."

But he's tried to make it more attractive to voters by saying I-985 will open carpool lanes during off-peak hours and by putting forth another sorta phony issue: taking 1/2 percent of project costs that he implies are now spent on public art and putting that in the new account, too.

The latter issue is 95 percent straw man. Most of the public art projects you see that are related to transportation have nothing to do with the state Department of Transportation. More than likely, those are Sound Transit or other transit agency projects. Sound Transit has a 1 percent public art set aside for construction projects, except for the really expensive tunneling jobs.

DOT spokesman Lloyd Brown said the last time DOT spent money on art was 7 to 9 years ago.

The last WSDOT capital project that had a public art component was the Spokane Eastern Region building in 99-01 biennium. Art was an interior sculpture and wall art determined through the outlined MOU process. Our planned Olympic Region building project will also have a public art element as part of the project.

DOT's public art requirement is for buildings, not highways.

The real threat of I-985 is the money it takes out of the general fund, and the League of Education Voters is only one of dozens of groups who won't like that.

Support our schools,
vote NO on I-985.

The education community urges a NO vote against Initiative 985.

“I-985 claims to reduce traffic congestion, but its major effect will almost certainly be to take away money from classrooms,” said Lisa Macfarlane, co-founder of the League of Education Voters. “Our schools need every dollar they currently get to prepare our children for college, job training programs and the workforce.”

=> Read more!

Pierce County executive candidate Shawn Bunney has been running an ad on cable channels like ESPN, CNN and Fox News. It’s the first TV ad in the executive’s race that I’m aware of (though someone correct me if I’m wrong).

The spot features an endorsement from Tacoma City Councilman (and county employee) Rick Talbert. You can watch it at Bunney’s web site.

Workers finished voting at noon today. The contracts cover more than 36,000 state and college workers.

I wonder if the prospect of a $3.2 billion budget deficit for 2009-11 had any bearing on the rapid ratification of the contract. Workers may figure this is no time to dicker.

Now, it will be up to the Legislature, which votes up or down on the wage portion of the contract. They can't chance the 2 percent in 2009 and 2 percent in 2010. If lawmakers vote it down, it's back to the bargaining table.

More on this later.

NEWS RELEASE
From: The Washington Federation of State Employees

Sept. 29, 2008 * FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contracts covering 36,000 state employees ratified
CONTACT: Tim Welch

The largest state employees union has ratified the contract covering 33,000 state agency workers, plus two other contracts covering 150 at Washington State University and another covering 3,000 workers at 15 colleges and universities.

Electronic balloting by internet and phone closed at 12 noon, today, Monday, Sept. 29.

All ratified contracts include across-the-board raises of at least 2 percent in each year of the contract. The exact percentage and effective dates vary by contract. The contracts also maintained the current employee share of health insurance premiums at 12 percent.

=> Read more!

From Les Blumenthal in our D.C. bureau:

Washington state’s three Republican House members along with Democratic Rep. Jay Inslee voted against the $700 billion financial bailout package today.

In addition to Inslee, Republican Reps. Dave Reichert of Auburn, Doc Hastings of Pasco and Cathy McMorris Rogers of Deer Lake opposed the measure negotiated by congressional leaders and the White House.

The measure was defeated 228-205.

“I was surprised, but not shocked,” said Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Belfair. “There was a gentleman’s agreement that we would put up 140 votes and they (the GOP) would put up 100 votes. If anyone is to blame for this it is the Republicans and a failure of leadership in the White House.”

Dicks, along with Democratic Reps. Adam Smith of Tacoma, Brian Baird of Vancouver, Rick Larsen of Lake Stevens and Jim McDermott of Seattle, supported the measure.

Reichert said he felt Congress was being rushed into acting and that even though everyone realizes the economy is in “dire straights” it is critical that any package be given more thought.

“This is about protecting the taxpayers money and holding people accountable,” Reichert said.

Hastings said the measure was improved over the original version, but that “it potentially leaves taxpayers holding the $700 billion bag for reckless actions of Wall Street, and that is something I cannot support.”

Larsen said he was disappointed at the outcome. “Let me be absolutely clear – the economic rescue package I voted for today is not about helping Wall Street,” Larsen said. "It’s about protecting all of us – American families in Washington state and across the country who need our economy to grow and recover.”

Dicks said congressional leaders and the White House should not give up.

“We need to keep working on this to find the votes,” he said.

Update: A spokesman for Reichert's Democratic opponent, Darcy Burner, said she, too, opposed the bailout package because it didn’t sufficiently protect taxpayers, did not provide enough oversight of Wall Street and didn’t do enough to rein in executive pay.

“She believes we need to do something, but she opposed the bill,” said spokesman Sandeep Kaushik.

Looking for a Palin party?

Fans of the Republican veep nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, plan to gather Thursday evening at Maxwell's Speakeasy + Lounge in Tacoma to watch her debate Sen. Joe Biden, the Democratic veep hopeful.

Here are the details. Note that the organizers advertise door prizes. I wonder what they might be.

Come and show a big Pierce County support for
Sarah Palin!

Details:

Date: Thursday October 2nd
Time: 5:30 PM Registration opens

Debate begins at 6:00 PM

Location: Maxwell’s Speakeasy and

Lounge

Located in the historic Walker

Building

454 St Helens Ave

Tacoma, WA 98402

Donation: $20.00 per person

Great food and no-host bar

Door Prizes

McCain Palin items

If you are not able to attend, please consider sponsoring a young Republican to attend the event.

Please RSVP by 9/30/08 to: Dick Muri; dickmuri@aol.com, 253-581-5609

Information or to pre-pay: Jane Milhans, PO Box 65383, University Place, WA 98464, jane_milhans@yahoo.com, 253-279-4245

Sincerely,
Jane Milhans
Pierce County Republican State Committeewoman
WSRP Executive Board Member
McCain - Palin 2008 Pierce County Coordinator
PO Box 65383
University Place, WA 98464
jane_milhans@yahoo.com
(253) 279-4245 cell

Seattle newspaper is concerned about the sales tax hike and delayed gratification.

I didn't realize the Seattle Times had opposed the first $18 billion measure last year. They are again. And they note that King County Executive Ron Sims is still opposed because he wants more buses right away.

Here is the Seattle Times editorial.

Since Election Day is too late to find out you are not registered to vote or there is some other foul-up to prevent you from voting, a pair of organizations suggest you do it now.

The Micah Project and America in Solidarity of Tacoma have pegged October 1 as "National Guarantee Your Vote Day." They suggest checking with county elections officials to make sure there are no problems with your registration.

The groups are playing off problems in the 2000 and 2004 elections in which voters in other states were unable to vote. They believe that the problems targeted urban counties and poor voters.

The Olympian reports that Gov. Chris Gregoire suspended work on the paid family leave program this week due to the struggling economy. She announced it as evidence of her cost-cutting measures in last night's debate with Republican challenger Dino Rossi.

The program hadn't been implemented yet because Democrats couldn't work out a way to pay for it. That's gotten even more difficult as the revenue forecasts worsen.

Here's a link to The Olympian's story.

A judge ruled today that the Building Industry Association of Washington can continue to spend money on the governor's race while a court case against the group moves forward.

Here is the rest of the story from the AP's Rachel La Corte:

Thurston County Superior Court Judge Christine Pomeroy rejected an effort to freeze the association’s assets while three building companies challenge the right of BIAW to use a percentage of their workers compensation insurance rebates on politics.

The politically active builder’s group is a major supporter of Republican Dino Rossi, who is challenging Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire. Its political action committees have already spent more than $2 million in the race, mostly on radio and TV ads. The group said any freezing of its spending would be a violation of its First Amendment rights.

“They are trying to silence a political opponent six weeks before an election,” attorney Harry Korrell, representing BIAW, told Pomeroy.

Attorneys for the disgruntled companies — Sources for Sustainable Communities, A-1 Builders and SF McKinnon Co. — countered that it wasn’t BIAW’s money to spend.

“You have no First Amendment right to spend other people’s money,” attorney Andrew Friedman said.

=> Read more!

King County Superior Court Judge Richard Eadie ruled today that Dino Rossi can list his party preference as "prefers GOP" on the state ballot instead of Republican, according to The Associated Press.

The Democratic Party had challenged Rossi's use of the abbreviation for Grand Old Party, saying some voters don't know that's a reference to the Republican Party. They claim Rossi, who's challenging Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire, is trying to distance himself from what they argue is an unpopular party.

Democratic Party attorney Kevin Hamilton told the judge today that voters have a right to a clear and correct ballot, the AP reported.

The lawyer for Secretary of State Sam Reed, Assistant Attorney General Jim Pharris, said there’s nothing incorrect about “prefers GOP.”

Pierce County Auditor Pat McCarthy was keeping a close eye on the case. She told us Thursday that ballots are already being sent to military and overseas voters.

"It would be a tremendous hardship," she said. "The cost would be astronomical."

Her elections manager, Lori Augino, estimated it could cost $1 million to reprint the ballots.

McCarthy also said there's no way she could meet the deadline set by law for sending ballots overseas if she had to reprint ballots, and that it could also prevent her from sending ballots to voters in the county on time (those go out Oct. 17).

I'm sure the parties and/or campaigns will have responses to the ruling. We'll post them here.

Update: Click the "read more" button for responses.

=> Read more!

Good thing Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain didn't really cancel the first debate with Democratic nominee Barack Obama.

Otherwise, there would be 270 to 290 Democratic supporters staring at a blank screen at one of the Galaxy Theaters, 4649 Point Fosdick Drive N.W., Gig Harbor, tonight at 6 o'clock.

And no one is more grateful for the non-cancelation than state Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, or Kim Abel, the Democratic candidate running to replace Rep. Pat Lantz, D-Raft Island, in the House.

Kilmer and Abel organized a $25-a-head fundraiser at the theater to raise money for Abel's campaign. Kilmer said 270 people already have RSVP'd so there's almost no more room. Call ahead, he said.

Kilmer said the $25 ticket buys you popcorn with real butter.

This is how the ardent party people spend their Friday nights.

Update: The Obama campaign sent out a press release listing debate-watch parties around the state. The Tacoma party is 6 p.m. at the Varsity Grill, 1114 Broadway.

Does anyone know of GOP (that's Republican for you whippersnappers) debate-watch parties?

This from News Tribune columnist Peter Callaghan:

One interesting revelation from Thursday's debate between Randy Dorn and Terry Bergeson is that Dorn, the challenger, said he would support a constitutional amendment to eliminate the school superintendent as an elected office.

Dorn said the top schools job should be appointed, perhaps by the governor.

Bergeson, the 12-year-incumbent, said she thinks it should continue to be elected by the voters.

Kira Millage of our sister paper, The Bellingham Herald, filed this report from the state school superintendent debate at the AWB summit.

BLAINE, Whatcom County – Regardless of whether Terry Bergeson or Randy Dorn wins the campaign for state superintendent of public instruction, education reform will continue to be a top priority.

The two candidates agreed on that much – but little else – during a debate Thursday at the Association of Washington Business policy summit.

Bergeson said in her 11 years as state superintendent she’s improved education in Washington by taking a fragmented school system and creating universal standards so kids in all parts of the state receive the same education.

Dorn, who is a former teacher and principal from Eatonville and was a state lawmaker when the education reform bill was passed in 1993, criticized Bergeson’s record. He pointed to the fractured implementation of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning and the amount of time it has taken her to improve career and technical education opportunities.

Here are their answers to key questions in Thursday’s debate (questions condensed for clarity):

What do you think of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning?

Bergeson: She maintains her support for the WASL.
“We’ve changed the culture of learning in our state and we’re on a journey that’s not over,” she said. “It’s well worth the time it’s taken to do it.”

She acknowledged that the math WASL needs to be changed, which is why it’s been postponed as a graduation requirement until 2013. State leaders are still debating changes to math standards and are discussing replacing the math WASL with assessment tests at the end of each math course.

“I accept responsibility for the struggle,” she said, “but I also accept responsibility that we have fixed it.”

Dorn: He is highly critical of the WASL and said leaders should be looking to states with better tests, especially in math.

He said students should be tested on calculations and being able to crunch numbers, not “fuzzy” math, which is what he believes the WASL promotes.

He’d like to implement an assessment that allows teachers and students to see results more quickly.

“There are too many standards to teach to in a 180-day schedule,” he said. “So let’s get it concise so that people understand.”

He supports the idea of having a test as a graduation requirement but doesn’t think it should be the same for everyone because not every student takes the same path.

=> Read more!

Sam Taylor of our sister McClatchy paper, The Bellingham Herald, filed this report from today's "debate" in the lands commissioner race.

BLAINE, Whatcom County – It wasn’t much of a debate Thursday between the two candidates for state commissioner of public lands.

One of them didn’t show up.

Republican Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland had written down the wrong time for the debate at the Association of Washington Business policy summit.

“When you mess up your calendar, you mess up your calendar,” Sutherland said after entering the banquet hall at Semiahmoo Resort as debate moderators wrapped up the 30-minute conversation with Democratic challenger Peter Goldmark.

Though the lands commissioner is one of the lesser-known executive positions, this year’s race between the two candidates is considered one of the closest and interesting to watch.

The commissioner is in charge of the state Department of Natural Resources and manages about 5 million acres of state land. The position includes regulation and enforcement of various environmental regulations, especially on timber harvesting, and working on wildfire management.

Sutherland is a former Tacoma mayor and Pierce County executive seeking a third term as lands commissioner. He bested Goldmark in the August primary 51 percent to 49 percent.

Despite his absence, the Thursday “debate” went on. Goldmark, who lives in Seattle and maintains a family ranch near Okanogan, answering questions on his many campaign contributions from environmentalists, wildfire protection, potential logging in areas with endangered species such as the spotted owl and how he’d do the job differently than Sutherland.

Goldmark painted Sutherland as an incumbent who has cost the state millions in court fees, doesn’t enforce regulations on the books and is unresponsive to the public when making deals with special interests trying to benefit from state land.

The Democratic challenger highlighted his own resume, touting himself as a volunteer firefighter who loves his community and is accessible to taxpayers and others with a stake in public lands issues.

“Above all I will bring fairness to an agency that the public needs to trust,” he said, adding that he’d make sure “all of the public is treated with respect, and that includes the employees.”

In an interview after the event, Sutherland took aim at Goldmark, pointing out that the Democrat’s experience as state director of agriculture under Gov. Mike Lowry in the early 1990s was for only a four-month stint.

“My opponent is working really hard to find an issue,” the commissioner said.

=> Read more!

Jason Hagey filed this report this afternoon from Semiahmoo:

BLAINE, Whatcom County - Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna and challenger John Ladenburg, a Democrat, clashed on just about every subject under the sun Thursday during a lively 60-minute debate.

Ladenburg picked up where he left off during their first debate last week in Gig Harbor, criticizing McKenna for having a thin resume and failing to protect Washington consumers.

McKenna hit back more forcefully than he did in their first exchange, defending his own experience by saying, “I think John is the only person in the state that doesn’t believe being attorney general of the state of Washington for four years is a qualification to run for attorney general.”

McKenna also took shots at Ladenburg, the two-term Pierce County executive, for failing to win his own county in the August primary election.

The debate was sponsored by the Association of Washington Business and held at the organization’s annual policy summit at the Semiahmoo Resort.

The verbal salvos drew laughter from the audience on a few occasions and prompted moderator C.R. Douglas to note what a difference it makes to have two people participating. (Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland failed to arrive in time for the day’s first debate, but the group stuck to its schedule and posed questions to challenger Peter Goldmark.)

The candidates continued to differ on such topics as mortgage fraud, identity theft and methamphetamine use. Ladenburg said McKenna hasn’t done enough to protect consumers regarding the first two, and Ladenburg took credit for a meth crackdown that began in Pierce County.

=> Read more!

I ran across this stuff while researching another story.

Just for the record: Republican challenger Dino Rossi and incumbent Democrat Chris Gregoire both have "raised" taxes.

This first block of type is the record for the 5-cent-a-gallon gas tax increase that was approved by the Legislature in 2003, along with some weight fee increases and higher sales tax on vehicle sales:

ESHB 2231: Trans financing alternatives
Senate vote on Final Passage as Amended by the Senate
4/26/2003

Yeas: 38 Nays: 11 Absent: 0 Excused: 0

Voting Yea: Senators Brandland, Brown, Carlson, Doumit, Eide, Fairley, Finkbeiner, Franklin, Fraser, Hale, Haugen, Hewitt, Horn, Jacobsen, Johnson, Kastama, Keiser, Kline, Kohl-Welles, McAuliffe, Morton, Oke, Parlette, Poulsen, Prentice, Rasmussen, Reardon, Regala, Rossi, Schmidt, Sheahan, Sheldon, B., Shin, Spanel, Swecker, Thibaudeau, West, and Winsley

Voting Nay: Senators Benton, Deccio, Esser, Hargrove, Honeyford, McCaslin, Mulliken, Roach, Sheldon, T., Stevens, and Zarelli

This second block of type is the record for the 9.5-cent phased-in gas tax hike of 2005, which also included some car fees and trucking fees. Rossi wasn't in the Senate that year, but Gregoire was governor. She's the one who signed it into law.

SB 6103 - 2005-06 Providing funding and funding options for transportation projects.
Revised for 1st Substitute: Providing funding and funding options for transportation projects. (REVISED FOR ENGROSSED: Funding transportation projects.)

IN THE SENATE passed; yeas, 26; nays, 22; absent, 0; excused, 1.
IN THE HOUSE passed; yeas, 54; nays, 43; absent, 0; excused, 1.
OTHER THAN LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Delivered to Governor.
May 9 Governor signed.
Chapter 314, 2005 Laws.
Effective date 7/24/2005*.

United for Peace of Pierce County is organizing a protest of the proposed Wall Street bailout tonight from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Sprague Avenue in Tacoma. From their Web site:

Stand with your neighbors and say NO Bush Bailout! Let them give the money to the folks who are being foreclosed on if they truly want to help the American people. While they're at it, they could stop their wars too, and we could use that money for education, solving our environmental challenges, etc. Make signs and bring them.

UPDATE:One of the organizers, Steve Nebel, got back to me with a little more information:

This is part of an event that is being promoted by a number of national organizations. I signed up for it through the Backbone campaign, but it is also being pushed by MoveOn.org, and TheTrueMajority.org (which I believe was how Backbone contacted me), and several other national organizations.

Seattle pollster Stuart Elway was on a media panel (along with News Tribune columnist Peter Callaghan) and dropped some interesting numbers from his latest statewide poll.

First, Republican presidential nominee John McCain does better among Washington voters (though still trails) when his name is read to voters alone than he does when his name is read along with vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. That suggests that Palin's presence on the ticket doesn't help in Washington state.

Second, Republican gubernatorial nominee Dino Rossi does better (though still trails) when his party preference is listed as "GOP" than he does when his party preference is listed as "Republican." This is significant because Rossi will appear under the label "GOP", something that state Democrats object to and have filed litigation to block.

The debate between Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland and challenger Peter Goldmark just began here at the Association of Washington Business annual policy summit.

Without Sutherland in the room.

Sutherland apparently had the wrong time marked in his calendar and is somewhere in the vicinity of Mount Vernon, the audience here was told.

(The conference is at the Semiahmoo Resort near Blaine.)

Rather than wait for him to arrive, the group is pressing on. Goldmark is giving his opening statement and will be presented with questions. He'll get 90 seconds to answer, just like a real debate.

Sutherland, we were told, will join the program as soon as he gets here.

I wonder if this is the same format that will be used in tomorrow's presidential debate.

UPDATE: It was close, but I'd give the edge in this one to Goldmark.

(Sutherland has yet to arrive, and Goldmark is just making his closing statement.)

UPDATE DEUX: Sutherland eventually arrived, but too late to speak to the AWB audience.

News Tribune writers Jason Hagey and Peter Callaghan are on their way to Blaine this morning to attend the Association of Washington Business policy summit. Today's conference agenda includes debates between candidates for lands commissioner, state superintendent of public instruction, attorney general and governor.

We're teaming up with a sister McClatchy paper, the Bellingham Herald, to cover all four debates. Check back here throughout the day for updates.

In the meantime, let's start a pool: How many times will Chris Gregoire mention George W. Bush during her debate tonight with Dino Rossi?

Our McClatchy Newspapers colleague Brad Shannon in Olympia reports that Barack Obama supporters hope to raise $100,000 in a one-day fundraising binge Sunday in Olympia.

Here's an excerpt from his story:

That would more than double the $77,317 that Obama has raised from Olympia as of Sept. 2 — and dwarf the $39,401 that Republican nominee John McCain has collected locally.

The money raised Sunday would be used in swing states, such as Ohio, where Obama faces a tight race against McCain.

“We’re calling it ‘Thurston County is the Well,’” said Stewart Henderson, a blogger and delegate at the Democratic National Convention who is teaming up with other activists in Olympia. “Our resources aren’t needed so much here, but the resources are needed in the 18 swing states. … We’re the well that’s going to bring water to turn those red states blue.”

Sunday’s Obama event is set for 4 to 8 p.m. at the Olympian Ballroom, upstairs at the former hotel. It is open to the public. It includes an art auction, and 50 to 100 people will organize food, music and an auction of local artwork at prices of up to $1,000. Donors are being recruited by e-mail and text message, and the group’s Web site said Tuesday. The group said Tuesday that it already had $7,360 from 34 early donors.

McCain’s forces, meanwhile, plan a $1,000-per-person fundraiser today in Hunts Point, near Bellevue. Former secretary of state Ralph Munro, a major McCain backer from Olympia, predicted that the candidate’s wife, Cindy, will bring in “several hundred thousand dollars” at the sold-out event.

Pierce County Executive and former Sound Transit chairman John Ladenburg and executive-wannabe Mike Lonergan apparently share Sept. 19 as a birth date.

Lakewood Councilwoman Claudia Thomas, Sound Transit board member, had a birthday on Sept. 20.

Sound Transit CEO (or whatever her title is) Joni Earl celebrated her birthday on the Sept. 22.

Apparently, they all learned this when they were at the Lakewood Sounder station grand opening party on Saturday.

This just in.....

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Online Voters’ Guide now available for General Election

OLYMPIA…The state’s Online Voters’ Guide for the November 4 General Election has been launched and is now available, Secretary of State Sam Reed announced today.

“The Online Voters’ Guide is another helpful and convenient tool for voters to use as they study the candidates and issues and fill out their ballot this fall,” Reed said. “It’s easy to access and provides plenty of useful information.”

=> Read more!

Our McClatchy newspapers colleague Chris Mulick of the Tri-City Herald reported today that the state is investigating how the state GOP (that's Republican Party for you uninformed folk) paid for mailers promoting Dino Rossi's campaign for governor.

Here is the story:

=> Read more!

It’s just one position out of 71 County Executive John Ladenburg proposes to eliminate in 2009, but expect the County Council to put up a fight over cutting one of the county’s three performance auditors.

The performance audit staff works for the council and has tackled such topics as Superior Court caseloads and the effectiveness of the Prometa drug treatment program.

Though most of the positions the executive proposes to cut are vacant, there is no vacant performance audit position. Ladenburg said he expects no layoffs, adding that some staff cuts would be handled through attrition or transfers to other departments.

Judging from early comments on Ladenburg’s budget, cutting the performance audit staff won’t fly with the council.

Councilman Tim Farrell, D-Tacoma, said the performance audit staff more than justifies its pay.

“Those guys actually have helped us save money and target resources better,” Farrell said. “We can’t afford to lose these guys.”

Councilman Dick Muri, R-Steilacoom, was more direct. “That won’t happen,” he said of the proposed performance audit staff cut.

Last year Ladenburg accused the council of playing politics with the Prometa audit and ordering a negative audit. The executive proposed having the auditors report to the county’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs instead of the council. That didn’t happen.

David Ammons from Secretary of State Sam Reed's office sends an update on the shenanigans between the Dino Rossi and Chris Gregoire camps on the whole party preference issue.

It confirms Friday's hearing in King County Superior Court, and lays out a number of other labels that candidates chose for themselves.

For background, keep reading down to the previous postings.

MEMO: From state Elections Director Nick Handy, “King County Superior Court Judge Richard Eadie presided over an attorney conference this morning, and has set this case for hearing for Friday at 9 a.m. in Seattle in the King County Superior Court. We are expecting Judge Eadie to preside over the hearing.”

Democratic attorneys have filed a lawsuit seeking to force the state to halt the printing and use of General Election ballots that use “GOP” as gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi’s party preference. The state asserts that the voter-approved Top 2 Primary law and regulations made it clear that designation of a party preference is the candidate’s decision. The primary, first conducted in August after a 7-2 opinion by the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way, is not a nominating process that necessarily produces a traditional Republican versus Democratic matchup in the General Election, as in the past. Rather, the primary allows candidates to self-describe their affiliation preference and then lets voters collectively choose the two most popular candidates for the General Election.

Also, a quick check of Election Division records showed this breakout of General Election finalists who have other than a Republican or Democratic preference listed:

GOP.....................25
Grand Old Party.........1
Progressive Dem Party...1
R Party.................1
Green Party.............1
Independent Party.......1
Libertarian Party.......1

That's what I heard on KOMO radio on my way to work this morning.

We have a story in today's paper on B-2 about Democrats filing suit to make Dino Rossi label himself a "Republican" on the ballot. It was actually a pretty clever move by Rossi, notwithstanding the redundancy of "Grand Old Party Party." Remember, Chris Gregoire won by only 129 133 votes last time.

Maybe grammarians on The News Tribune's copy desk will intervene in the lawsuit and make Rossi change his label to GOPP.

Here's the Secretary of State Sam Reed's take on all this (from last night's news release):

“Our view is that the new Top 2 Primary system clearly allows candidates to express their preference for any party, or to designate no preference at all, using up to 16 characters,” Reed said. “Some candidates used the ‘prefers GOP’ designation, while others used ‘prefers Republican.’"

UPDATE: Nathe Lawver, chairman of the Pierce County Democrats, re-sent an e-mail that he sent a few months back.

In the past two Federal elections there has been no GOP 'party.' There isn't even a mention of GOP in the Republican Party Platform. This blatant attempt for Republicans to turn their backs on their rightful party name is just an attempt for them to hide from their radical platform.

After the MORE jump are the full SecState news release and Lawver's e-mail:

=> Read more!

The Pierce County Council has scheduled a series of public meetings to discuss County Executive John Ladenburg’s proposed 2009 county budget.

Ladenburg unveiled the $852 million spending plan Tuesday. But the council will have the final word.

In announcing the public meetings, council Chairman Terry Lee echoed Ladenburg is saying public safety is the top priority. The Sheriff’s Department, courts and other public safety spending accounts for 76 percent of the proposed general fund budget.

“The current economic climate means there are no easy budget decisions this year,” Lee said. “However, compromising our county’s ability to perform its primary missions – public safety and criminal justice – isn’t an option.

Here’s the County Council budget meeting schedule:

• Budget retreats on Oct. 7, 14, 21 and 28, from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

• Committee of the Whole hearings on Nov. 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 and 24, from 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 4 p.m.

• Final action scheduled for the Nov. 25 council meeting, 3 p.m.

All sessions will be in the Council Chambers on the 10th floor of the County-City Building (930 Tacoma Ave. S., Room 1045) in Tacoma. For more on the proposed 2009 budget, you can download Ladenburg’s budget summary here.

As you might imagine, the group calling for a "increased revenues" to deal with a projected $3.2 billion state budget deficit isn't exactly in the Republican camp.

Washington State Budget and Policy Center, the group behind the proposal to give a tax rebate of $85 per family to low and middle income families, has put out a position paper on the topic.

The policy center is an advocate for the poor. It used to have a different name, which escapes me at the moment. But don't confuse it with the "Washington Policy Center," even though both groups are named in such a way that you can't figure out what they heck they're all about, at least, not by their names.

Anyway, the rebate is not yet funded. But the state is setting up the program and getting its computers ready to start handing them out. In theory, it's a "rebate" because even poor people pay some sales taxes, but it's just a check. And since the basis for "rebates" is eligibility for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, you could get some money back without every paying any in, at least, not in federal income taxes.

Whether there will be money in the 2009-11 state budget remains to be seen. But the budget and policy center says there should be. Sen. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, said that should be among the first cuts made to balance the next budget. Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver, who sponsored the tax rebate bill, said it would not be among his first tax breaks to be eliminated. (I think he meant that some business tax breaks should go first.)

I would imagine Gov. Chris Gregoire and her fellow Democrats are muttering "not now" and wishing the policy center had held off its call for a tax increase until after the Nov. 4 election.

Here's the link to the Policy and Budget center brief.

Rebecca Young, a News Tribune writer who reviews childrens' books, published a piece today about two new picture books aimed at telling the stories of John McCain and Barack Obama.

The best she could offer is that they're illustrated nicely.

“My Dad, John McCain,” by Meghan McCain, can find a proud home in households that are firmly planted in the McCain camp.

The same can be said for “Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope,” by Nikki Grimes, in Obama households.

These authors/editors/publishers must have forgotten about teachers nationwide who are starting election units to take advantage of current events. Worshipful books with no mention of real issues aren’t much use.

Also, youngsters of all ages are passionately interested in the election. A couple of smart, unbiased books would have been welcome.

Here's a link to Rebecca's story.

Senate Republicans have brought to our (reporters') attention the latest budget projections by the non-partisan Senate Ways and Means Committee staff.

It's a six-year outlook. It shows that, thanks to last week's dismal revenue forecast, the state now is expected to finish the current two-year budget cycle with $87 million in the state's main checking account and $442 million in a rainy day savings account.

The current budget cycle ends June 30, 2009.

The "projected" deficit is for the next two-year budget period, 2009-2011. If state spending continues at the same pace, plus inflation, we can expect a negative balance of $3.2 billion in the checking account but a plus $728 million in the rainy day savings account. That deficit assumes that state tax collections don't rebound enough to offset the current rate of spending

For 2011-13, it gets even worse. The checking account deficit would be $6.34 billion, while there would be $1.045 billion in savings.

What Republicans really want is for Gov. Chris Gregoire and her fellow Democrats to fall to their knees and confess, "Yes! Yes! It's all our fault! We spent the state into this huge hole with our irresponsible socialists programs!"

Not gonna happen.

Gregoire's budget director, Victor Moore, keeps saying the budget his staff is writing to present to the Legislature in mid-December won't have a deficit. It will be a balanced budget.

Republican staffers point out "a budget proposal doesn't make a deficit go away." And that's true. The "projected" deficit would still be there. The governor's budget proposal would be just a "plan" to make it go away.

Look for yourself. Here's a link to the Ways and Means six-year budget forecast.

Pierce County would cut vacant staff positions, raise fees and delay capital projects to balance its 2009 budget under a spending plan to be unveiled by County Executive John Ladenburg this afternoon.

Ladenburg will present a $288 million general fund budget to the County Council at 3 p.m. Ladenburg said the plan keeps county services at current levels.

Under the executive’s plan, general fund spending would be flat – rising .7 percent from 2008. The general fund covers a majority of traditional county services, like law enforcement, courts and elections.

Total county spending – including roads, utilities and other funds – would fall 3.4 percent to $852 million.

Ladenburg said public safety and criminal justice remain top priorities, rising $8.7 million. That would be offset by $6.6 million in cuts in general government, cultural and recreation programs and other areas.

The sheriff’s department would get six new positions, funded by contracts or grants. But the corrections department would lose six vacant positions, due to delays in opening another 84-inmate unit at the county jail.

You can read more details below. And you can download a copy of Ladenburg’s budget summary here.

=> Read more!

I just got a question from a House Democratic staffer about the proposal Tim Eyman submitted yesterday to the Secretary of State's office for possible placement on the 2009 ballot.

He wanted to know if the 25 percent cut that Eyman's measure would make applies to the state.

As far as I can tell, it would. The wording says "each taxing district."

But it wouldn't "chop 25 percent out of the state budget."

Property taxes account for only 10.2 percent of the state General Fund revenues, so it would cut 25 percent of 10.2 percent. That's still a chunk of change. The state this year is collecting about $1.5 billion in property taxes. So, it would be a cut of $375 million.

I was just cleaning off my desk and found a memo about the City of Tacoma's thoughts on what happens if Eyman's transportation initiative, I-985, passes.

From Rob McNair-Huff:

What happens if I-985 passes?
If I-985 passes, the red light cameras would have to be removed, because there would be no revenue to pay for their operation.
Our legal staff has interpreted the initiative to say that every dollar collected from the red light cameras would have to be sent to the state, which would not provide any monies to cover the cost of the cameras.

What are the revenues from the cameras used for today?
We have estimated that the cameras would bring in $2 million per year in 2009 and 2010, and those revenues would be used to support the camera operations as well as for public safety programs. Specifically, they would help pay for 12 firefighters and 3 police officers who have had to be shifted to new locations in the wake of last year's closure of the Murray Morgan Bridge.
The 12 firefighter positions are filled with overtime out of Station 2.
Funding for those positions would go away if the red light cameras are removed.

What are the other impacts on the city if the initiative passes, since it includes taking a portion of the vehicle excise tax that would have gone to cities?
The initiative is vaguely worded and open to interpretation. It may contain a number of unintended consequences.
The initiative would have the state create a one-size-fits-all approach to reflecting funds collected through this initiative back to the cities. Every city has its own approach to issues like traffic light synchronizaiton and that shouldn't be decided at the state level.

Thoughts?

Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg tomorrow will present a $288 million 2009 general fund budget that cuts 71 mostly vacant positions from the county budget to offset lagging revenue.

Planning and land services will absorb the biggest cut: 33 positions. The corrections department will lose six positions because of a delay in opening another 84-inmate unit at the county jail. Other departments also will take a staffing hit.

The sheriff’s department will add six positions, four funded by a contract to provide security for Pierce Transit and two funded by grants.

Most of those positions to be cut are already vacant or will be by the time January rolls around, Ladenburg said in an interview this afternoon. Others are expected to be cut through attrition or through transfers to other departments.

Under Ladenburg’s plan, total general fund spending would be essentially flat, representing a .7 percent increase over the 2008 budget.

Total 2009 spending, including all funds would be about $852 million. The executive’s office says that’s a decline of $29.6 million – or 3.4 percent – from 2008.

In an interview this afternoon, Ladenburg said some of the county’s top revenue sources have taken a hit because of the slowing economy, including sales taxes, real estate excise taxes and property taxes from new construction.

Below is a press release about the budget sent by the executive’s office a few minutes ago. Look for more budget coverage tomorrow.

=> Read more!

Tim Eyman has Initiative 985, the traffic congestion measure, on this fall's ballot, and it looks to be faring well in polling.

But since Eyman turned pro, he and the Fagans, a father-son team in Eastern Washington, have to keep something in the pipeline so they can make a living pushing another ballot measure next year.

This one appears to be the beginnings of an Initiative to the People because it's written to have an effective date of December 2009. That means a vote in November 2009. (Even though it says it will be an initiative to the Legislature.)

Basically, Eyman want to cut property taxes by 25 percent and put a 1 percent limit on the growth of annual increases. In this case, he would limit the growth of taxes on an individual piece of property to no more than 1 percent a year. The current law, from I-747, as reinstated by the Legislature in a special session last fall, just limits the total amount of revenue governments can collect to 1 percent overall. Taxes on individual properties have and can still rise more than 1 percent.

The 25 percent cut and 1 percent limit would apply only to regular government levies, such as those for the city of Tacoma, Pierce County and various fire districts. It would not apply to voter-approved levies, such as the one that pays for the Tacoma Dome or Tacoma Public Schools.

Here is a copy of what Eyman submitted to state election officials today.

This may not be the final version. The Office of the Code Reviser helps all citizens who file initiative petitions. Its workers make things fit into the state's Revised Code of Washington. Eyman usually has them rewrite it several times.

Not bad for a $5 initiative filing fee.

Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg has long opposed the county’s new ranked-choice voting system. Now he may do something about it.

In an interview today, Ladenburg said he might lead an effort to repeal the new system after the November election. He thinks county voters will hate the new system once they use it – especially if it takes days to determine the next county executive.

“People are going to be very upset,” Ladenburg said.

Under ranked-choice voting, there is no primary election for most county offices. Instead, people rank candidates in order of preference.

The candidate with the fewest first-place votes is eliminated. Voters who selected that candidate as their first choice will have their second choice considered. The votes are recounted, and if a candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, the election is over.

If not, the process of elimination continues until some candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote.

Want more information on ranked-choice voting? Check out the auditor’s web site.

About 600 people showed up late last week at former Gov. Booth Gardner's annual Legacy Foundation Dinner, including former Govs. Dan Evans and Gary Locke, and former Secretary of State Ralph Munro, according to Anne Martens, campaign spokewoman for the Initiative 1000 campaign.

Dino Rossi stopped by and Booth's former chief of staff, Denny Heck, was the master of ceremonies, she added.

"Billy North of the champion 1974 Oakland A’s showed up – Booth was his little league coach. It was one of the nicest dinners I’ve been to," Martens said.

Booth, of course, is prime sponsor of the Death with Dignity measure that will be on the November ballot.

The No on Assisted Suicide campaign had asked me how Booth was going to apportion money from the dinner, since the dinner is held to raise money for three different Booth causes.

"Booth will allocate money raised between the NW Parkinson's Foundation, the League of Education Voters and Yes on 1000," Martens said.

And apparently, he can divvy it up any way he wants. The Legacy Committee is a registered political action committee. So Booth can give 99 percent of the money to the I-1000 campaign if he wants, as long as he reports it, according to the state Public Disclosure Committee.

No word yet on just how much money was raised.

I couldn't help but notice the juxtaposition of a couple events on Dino Rossi's campaign calendar this week.

At noon Thursday, he gets an award from the Association of Washington Business. At 7 p.m. Thursday, the same AWB hosts a debate between Rossi and Chris Gregoire.

I'm sure the dinner crowd will be much more neutral than the lunch crowd.

It's a very busy business week for the Republican challenger.

Dino Rossi Schedule

Redmond, WA –Dino Rossi will be attending the following upcoming events:

What: NFIB Annual Member Retreat
When: Monday, September 22nd at 9:00 am
Where: Campbell’s Lake Chelan Resort
104 W. Woodin
Lake Chelan, WA

=> Read more!

The 35th District is just at the fringe of The News Tribune's circulation area. Well, for our newsprint edition, anyway. Our Web site is in cyberspace, so it has no limits.

Fred Finn, a Democrat, is trying to replace Bill Eickmeyer, D-Belfair, who decided not to seek reelection.

His host for this event (on Thursday night)is a one-time Democratic legislative candidate who was foolhardy enough to think he could win election in John Birch Society country (Lewis County), running as a Democrat. That would be Cody Arledge. And that was a lifetime ago.

Now, Cody is a union boss, I mean, lobbyist for HVAC people.

And Jeff Gombosky is a former legislator from Eastern Washington and lobbyist for Eastern Washington University, last I heard. His wife, Melissa, was a lobbyist for Pierce Transit and may still be.

And Michael Temple is a lobbyist for what the Liability Reform Coalition would consider the "Evil Empire." No, not Star Wars. No, not the New York Yankees. Yes, the trial lawyers.

Small world, isn't it.

(I can't remember what Brendan, Kathy and Sam do for a living. Does anyone know?)

Cody Arledge & Linda Hodge
Jeff & Melissa Gombosky
Michael Temple

Invite you to a fundraiser for
FRED FINN
Candidate for 35th Legislative District
State Representative, Position 2

Featuring Representatives Brendan Williams, Sam Hunt & Kathy Haigh

Thursday, September 25th, 2008
Starting at 5:30 p.m.

=> Read more!

Our former colleague, David Ammons, sends a breakdown of who participated in the Aug. 19 primary election.

If I'm reading this right, 72 percent of registered voters 65 and older turned out to vote in the Top Two primary and only 18 percent of those age 18-24 did.

Democrats are expecting a better showing of young people in November because they are "inspired" by Obama's candidacy.

I think there's a strong correlation between those voter demographics and newspaper readers.

Memo: “Slicing and dicing” the numbers from the Top 2 Primary showed a clear trend that the votor participation directly increased with age, with less than 1 in 5 of the youngest voters casting ballots, and the number growing to nearly three-quarters of our elder voters casting ballots. David Motz of the Elections Division and voter outreach specialists can explain the continuing efforts to increase registration and participation among the younger voters.

David Ammons
Communications Director
Office of Secretary of State

We now have the Top 2 vote history “pulled into” the VRDB (Voter Registration Database) from the counties, so I can show the

Turnout in the Top 2 Primary, by Age Bracket:

18-24....18%
25-34....19%
35-44....27%
45-54....41%
55-64....58%
65+......72%

Total....42%

Among our counties, 18-24 year olds made up between 2% and 5% of all who voted, depending on the county.

Voters aged 65 and older made up between 27% and 47% of all who voted, depending on the county.

Apparently, Pierce County was trying to get its new ferry, the Steilacoom II, back in service in the county and swap the older ferry, the Christine, for the state ferry route.

But the waters are too turbulent for the Christine, so the state is keeping the Steilacoom for almost a year.

At least the county is getting about $700,000 by leasing the newer ferry to the state for 14 months.

Here's the story I wrote back in March.

And here's the news release the state posted on its Web site last Friday.

SEATTLE – Pierce County and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) agreed on Thursday, Sept. 18 on a plan to ensure continuous ferry service for both the state’s Port Townsend/Keystone route and the County’s route from Steilacoom to Anderson and Ketron islands. Pierce County’s ferry, the Steilacoom II, has been leased to WSDOT since February. The County will honor the lease through its expiration in August 2009, allowing the Steilacoom II to continue operating on the Port Townsend/Keystone route. The Christine Anderson, Pierce County’s other ferry, will continue service between Steilacoom and Anderson and Ketron islands.

=> Read more!

OSPI Candidates Forum

The future of Education in Washington State!

Debate Style Forum with Incumbent Terry Bergeson and Challenger Randy Dorn

Where do they stand on.....
The WASL
New graduation requirements
Funding
Everything else that matters to you and your child!

Sponsored by the Equitable Opportunity Caucus and Minority Executive Directors Coalition

=> Read more!

I'm posting this just to add to mix of debate. Oregon has had an assisted suicide law for a decade.

This was forwarded by a consultant from the opposition camp to Initiative 1000, which is on Washington's Nov. 4 ballot:

There has been a change of opinion regarding assisted suicide and Washington State’s I-1000 on the part of the editorial staff of the Portland Oregonian newspaper. The editorial was published in the paper’s Saturday, Sept. 20 online edition. The editorial appeared in the print edition today, Sunday, September 21.

The link to the article on the Oregonian website is provided. Once on the website, the editorial on assisted suicide is the fourth down.

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/editorials/

The text of the editorial appears below my signature.

Cyndie Ulrich
Director of Communications
Coalition Against Assisted Suicide
ulrichconsulting@comcast.net
www.noassistedsuicide.com

=> Read more!

The Association of Washington Business will host the next debate between incumbent Attorney General Rob McKenna, a Republican, and challenger John Ladenburg, a Democrat, who is Pierce County executive.

It's closed to the public, but open to media and AWB folks.

ADVISORY: AWB Debate - John Ladenburg and Rob McKenna

WHAT: Association of Washington Business Policy Summit Debate for Attorney General

WHEN: 1:30 PM - Thursday, September 25, 2008

WHERE: Semiahmoo Ballroom

Semiahmoo Resort 9565 Semiahmoo Parkway, Blaine, WA 98230

AUDIENCE: Closed to General Public, Open to Media

SEATING: Candidates will be at podiums on either side of the stage. Moderator C.R. Douglas and the associate moderators will be at a table on stage positioned opposite the two candidates. Audience members will be at 10’ rounds. Media will be seated at designated tables.

=> Read more!

Rob McKenna announced today his office is suing the Building Industry Association Washington and the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties.

This is a follow-up to the state Public Disclosure Commission report that those two groups appeared to be acting as political action committees by funneling money into Change PAC, a group that runs a lot of ads bashing incumbent Gov. Chris Gregoire.

There's about $1 million in questioned contributions between the two groups. I wrote a blog item about this earlier this week.

Naturally, the BIAW hit pieces were designed to undermine Gregoire and advance Republican Dino Rossi's chances in their rematch.

McKenna's challenger, Democrat John Ladenburg, said McKenna should recuse himself from any investigation because he's gotten some much money himself from BIAW, but it didn't happen.

Rob McKenna
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF WASHINGTON
For Immediate Release:
Sept. 19, 2008

Attorney General’s Office files two suits against builders groups for alleged campaign violations

OLYMPIA–The Attorney General’s Office today filed two lawsuits— one against the Master Builders Association of King & Snohomish Counties (MBA-K&S) and the other against the Building Industry Association of Washington’s Member Services Corporation (BIAW-MSC)—both for alleged violations of the state’s campaign finance disclosure law.

=> Read more!

State Sen. Joe Zarelli of Ridgefield, top Republican on the Senate Ways and Means Committee, sent out an e-mail today, a follow-up to yesterday's report that our revenues are going to dip another $530 million over the nest three years.

The projected deficit for 2009-11 is now looking like $3.2 billion, minus a lot of the $700 million in the rainy day savings account.

Joe, as he points out himself, is always looking for ways for the state to save money, and he is relentless. He's like the Energizer Bunny for the Senate GOP.

Anyway, Zarelli says the tentative deal that Gov. Chris Gregoire has struck with state employee unions will cost the state an additional $500 million, if the same state-paid health care premiums are extended to non-union workers and K-12 employees.

The contract has an 88-12 split on premium costs. Employees pay 12 percent.

Here is Zarelli's full budget tidbit,
as he calls them. And his e-mail to us press folks.

Dear Press,

In light of questions at yesterday’s revenue forecast meeting, it became clear there is a yearning for suggestions on how to address the growing deficit.

As I have attempted over the last couple of years to provide helpful solutions to stabilizing our budgeting practices and given the current budget imbalance, here is one more budget item to consider and it raises the question as to whether the collective bargaining agreement the Governor reached with state employees on health care benefits is financially feasible, and a first priority.

Sincerely,

Joe Zarelli

Zarelli points out that state workers had to pay 16 percent of their premiums after the so-called "Rossi budget", aka "Locke budget" of 2003-05.

I wouldn't bank on The Guv's office renegotiating its contract with the unions, although anything is possible after the Nov. 4 election. If the Legislature were to vote down the union contracts that would force a renegotiation, but how likely is that with Democrats holding 63-35 and 32-17 majorities in the House and Senate, respectively?

Dino Rossi reacts as Christine Gregoire approaches to shake hands after a televised debate at KIRO TV during their race for governor October 17, 2004. (Peter Haley/The News Tribune)

Gov. Chris Gregoire and Republican challenger Dino Rossi are set to debate each other on live television tomorrow night in the first of five, possibly six debates this year.

The candidates should have a good idea what to expect: They debated four times in 2004.

The one-hour debate begins at 9 p.m. It will be held inside a KOMO television studio in Seattle in front of an audience of about 80 people, according to Gregoire campaign spokesman Aaron Toso.

Neither candidate knows the precise questions, but the campaigns agreed on eight general topic areas, said Rossi spokeswoman Jill Strait. They are:

• Budget/taxes
• Economy/jobs
• Education
• Environment
• Transportation
• Health care
• Public safety
• Government ethics/reform

After a two-minute opening from each candidate, they will field questions from KOMO 4 News anchor Dan Lewis, Seattle P-I reporter Rita Hibbard, taped questions from Spokane TV station KXLY and Portland station KATU, and four pre-taped voter questions, Strait said.

Gregoire won a coin toss (tails) and will make her opening and closing statements after Rossi, Toso said.

=> Read more!

A reader of my blog post yesterday on the Attorney General debate wanted to know if there was video of it.

The answer: Yes.

TVW, the state public affairs TV network, sent a camera to Gig Harbor and recorded Rob McKenna and John Ladenburg debating each other for the first time.

It's scheduled to run initially at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday as part of TVW's Election Tuesdays programming, but it's already up and available for viewing on the network's Web site.

Check it out here.

Brad Shannon reports that Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna appears to be resisting calls by Democratic challenger John Ladenburg to step aside and let someone else decide whether to file campaign-finance charges and seek penalties against the Building Industry Association of Washington.

The state Public Disclosure Commission found "apparent multiple violations" of finance law earlier this week against BIAW, one of the biggest backers of Republican candidate for governor Dino Rossi. It also found apparent violations by Master Builders Association of King & Snohomish Counties. More than $1 million in contributions and spending was at stake.

McKenna has until Friday to file charges or citizens who earlier filed a complaint against BIAW and Master Builders could go to court on their own to seek penalties.

Click here to go to Brad's post and see what McKenna spokeswoman Janelle Guthrie and other say about the case.

Gov. Chris Gregoire's communications director Pearse Edwards passed on the Executive Ethics Board findings, probably because his staff had to do much of the leg work defending the governor's office.

I didn't write about Luke Esser's original complaint because it's so easy to lodge a complaint and so many of them are found to be, well, unfounded.

Basically, the chairman of the state Republican Party had accused The Guv of using taxpayer dollars to pay for stuff that advanced her reelection campaign, to reward campaign donors with contracts and to pay for polls and campaign rallies.

I covered one of those "rallies," by the way. It was the final stop on Gregoire's six-city listening tour. She was at Stadium High School in Tacoma in November 2007, fielding questions from several hundred people.

On this complaint, the five-member ethics board put a check mark next to the finding that says, "The complaint obviously is unfounded or frivolous."

Or as Edwards put it, "Appears to me to be a wild goose chase at the expense of state taxpayers."

In short, the ethics board said Gregoire had not yet announced she was running for reelection, she already was the governor and it's OK for the guv to talk and listen to the people.

Here is a copy of the Ethics Board report.

By the way, "Luke the Truth" comes from Esser's days as a columnist (sports writer?) for the University of Washington Daily when he was a student. That was his personna back then.

The City of Tacoma has drafted a deal - to be voted on at Tuesday's City Council meeting – to take over the contaminated downtown land that was the home of Sauro Cleanarama.

According to the draft, the Sauro family will deed the 15,000 square foot plot to the city and chip in $550,000 for clean-up. In exchange, the family won't be liable for the land and its pollution any more.

For years, used drycleaning chemicals leaked into a hole in the basement of the downtown property, contaminating the soil on the property and surrounding area.

The city estimates that clean-up will cost up to $2.7 million. In addition to the $550,000, they'll seek a grant from the state Department of Ecology to help pay for the clean-up.

City officials said the deal isn't final, but will be a boon to the city's economy if it works out.

Mayor Bill Baarsma said future development in the city – including Russell Investments and DaVita – depend on the clean-up. "It's a real major blight right in the heart of downtown, right in an are that is primed for development," he said.

Check back for more in a bit.

Today's revenue forecast will provide much fodder for upcoming radio and television ads in the governor's race. Actually, Republican candidate Dino Rossi probably will just change the "$2.7 billion deficit" in his current ads to "$3.2 billion deficit."

Gov. Chris Gregoire's supporters chafe at that characterization, but I've heard the ads and as long as they say the state "faces" a deficit, they're accurate. We do face a deficit. Today. We won't in November because Gregoire's budget proposal will have cut spending or raised selected taxes (or both) enough to eliminate any deficit.

But that will all happen after Nov. 4 -- after Election Day.

The $3.2 billion figure does overstate the projected deficit because it doesn't subtract the $700 million in an emergency savings account. So, it's just as accurate to say we're facing a $2.5 billion deficit.

Here's the story I wrote for Friday's print edition of the newspaper:

The size of Washington’s budget problems grew larger Thursday when economists predicted tax collections over the next three years will be $530 million less than what was expected only three months ago.

That decline could produce a $3.2 billion gap between state spending and tax collections for the state’s next operating budget, unless steps are taken to reduce spending.

Gov. Chris Gregoire directed her budget office to find $200 million in savings right away, a move that has the potential to shrink the size of the problem by as much $600 million if the spending cuts are continued through the 2009-11 budget cycle.

=> Read more!

John Ladenburg delivered a few memorable lines this morning during his first debate with incumbent Attorney General Rob McKenna.

Ladenburg, the outgoing Pierce County executive and Democratic AG candidate, accused McKenna of "issuing more press releases than subpoenas" during his first term of office.

And Ladenburg invoked King 5 television reporter Jesse Jones as he blasted McKenna for failing to protect the state's consumers.

"You shouldn't have to 'Get Jesse,'" Ladenburg said, referring to the title of Jones' regular consumer protection segments for the station. "You should be able to get the attorney general for the state of Washington."

McKenna fired back, accusing Ladenburg of making "several factual errors" during his introductory remarks. He tried the set record straight on some of them, including Ladenburg's attempt to assign credit to the state Legislature rather than McKenna for the passage of sweeping methamphetamine laws.

"Our office wrote the laws," McKenna said, adding that they resulted from a task force that he created.

=> Read more!

Today's look at state tax collections shows they are sagging even more that when state economists looked at them in June.

Overall, Washington can expect to collect $529 million less over the next three years. That's $273 million less for the current 2007-09 biennium and $256 million less for the 2009-11 biennium.

That means the "projected" deficit for the next budget cycle has now grown to $3.2 billion, but if you subtract the $700 million that's in the rainy day savings account, the projected shortfall is $2.5 billion.

Gov. Chris Gregoire has ordered her budget director, Victor Moore, to find $200 million in cuts/savings for this year. That could translate to $400 million in cuts to the 2009-11 budget cycle.

In any case, she's trying to shink the size of the projected deficit now so it will be more manageable when her office finalizes her 2007-09 supplemental budget and 2009-11 budget proposals in mid-December.

Right now, it appears Washington will finish the current budget cycle in mid-2009 with $87 million left in its checking account and $442 million in its emergency savings account.

(The size of the deficit is in dispute because Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi and state GOP Chairman Luke Esser don't want to count the $728 million in the rainy day fund. That way, it appears Gregoire and Democrats are spending a lot more, and not saving anything.)

Look for Dino's new TV ads to reflect the larger number soon.

Either number is valid, depending on how you want to use them.

More on this later, and in Friday's paper.

The Legislature just this past session passed a bill to pay for quit-smoking drugs like Chantix for Medicaid clients. It already was available for pregnant women.

From the press release: "As of July 1, 2008, people on Medicaid have extra support to help them quit, including prescription medications written by their doctor. To receive the benefit, Medicaid clients can call the toll-free Washington State Tobacco Quit Line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-877-2NO-FUME in Spanish). Already the quit line is receiving about 19 calls a day from Medicaid clients."

The state is targeting poor people because the percentage of smokers is highest in that group.

Adult smoking drops slightly; rate hits new low
Health department providing quit support and medications for groups smoking at higher rates

OLYMPIA – A new state survey shows the adult smoking rate in Washington is continuing to go down, yet the decline is slowing. When the Department of Health began its comprehensive Tobacco Prevention and Control Program in 2000, the adult smoking rate was 22.4 percent. The most recent survey shows the smoking rate has decreased slightly from 17 percent in 2006 to a new low of 16.5 percent in 2007. At the same time, rates remain higher among people with low income and low education.

=> Read more!

Four of the six candidates for Pierce County assessor-treasurer made their case to the Graham Business Association Wednesday morning.

The nonpartisan assessor-treasurer oversees county tax collections and property assessment. Attending Wednesday's forum were candidates Terry Lee, Barbara Gelman, Beverly Davidson and Jan Shabro. Here’s what each of the candidates told the business group:

=> Read more!

TNT military reporter Michael Gilbert reports on his FOB Tacoma blog that the retired Army general from Fox Island who shouted "dump Rumsfeld!" from the pages of the New York Times in 2006 is now leading a committee of Washington military veterans for Barack Obama.

Paul Eaton, who was at the center of the so-called "Revolt of the Generals," initially supported Hillary Clinton but switched to Obama after she withdrew from the race. Since then he's been traveling the country speaking and writing about defense issues as a surrogate for the Democratic nominee – notably at the two political conventions and (sometimes painfully) on TV.

He headlined a Washington Veterans for Obama press conference today in Seattle.

Click here to read Mike's full post.

We reported Monday that Sarah Palin was scheduled to headline a fundraiser in Bellevue next week. But the McCain campaign says her schedule has been reworked and she can't make it.

Here's the note we got from the campaign:

McCain County Leadership

Due to a another last minute commitment, Gov. Palin is rescheduling her western swing the week of September 24th. We will notify you when that swing will be rescheduled and we can plan for that contingent.

Cindy McCain will be attending the fundraiser, but will be unable to do any public events.

I apologize sincerely for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Sincerely,

Don Skillman
Executive Director - WA State
McCain 2008

Brad Shannon reports on his Politics Blog that the event is sold out, and that Republicans are still hopeful for a Palin visit sometime soon.

I'm a little late posting this because the campaign pushing for passage of this year's Proposition 1 didn't know I was covering the campaign.

Otherwise, I'm sure I would have been invited to the campaign kickoff in front of an undisclosed gas station, probably somewhere in Greg Nickels neighborhood or downtown Seattle.

(Maybe I just read the news release too fast.)

I'll have more on this later.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 16, 2008
Mass Transit Now: Immediate Solutions for Gas Prices, Gridlock and Global Warming

Seattle—Mass Transit Now, the campaign to pass Proposition 1 this November 4, held its kick-off event at a local gas station today, illustrating how transit solutions will answer widespread frustration with high prices at the pump.

=> Read more!

Rob Cerqui (pronounced CHAIR-KWEE) is holding a fundraiser on Sept. 24 on Dock Street in Tacoma. Cerqui, a Democrat, is running against Republican Bruce Dammeier. Both are trying to replace incumbent state Rep. Joyce McDonald, R-Puyallup, who's running for Pierce County Council, instead of reelection to her 25th Legislative District seat.

Here's the latest campaign news from Samantha.

Hello Supporters!

This week kicked off with our regular sign waving! I was joined by volunteers as we waved to voters heading into work. We are continuing to make our way around the district and most recently were up at 94th Ave and 104th St on South Hill. Keep your eyes out for me!

=> Read more!

It might not be a serious threat, but write-in candidate Denise McClusky did get 979 votes (that's 5 percent) in her run against incumbent state Rep. Tami Green (D-Lakewood).

Green got 18,444. But hey, it's reason enough to raise some money and wage a real campaign. To that end, Green will "kick off" her re-election campaign with a fundraiser at a bowling alley in Tacoma on Sept. 25.

Read on:

Tami Green Campaign Kick-Off

On September 25th, 2008, Tami Green will hold her re-election Campaign Kick-off event at Tower Lanes in Tacoma. Guest will be invited to enjoy unlimited bowling, Mini-Golf, food and fun for only $25 per person or $50 per family.

=> Read more!

It was reported yesterday that King County is experiencing a surge in voter registrations (insert joke about voting by dead people and dogs here).

Anyway, I sent a note to Pierce County Auditor Pat McCarthy asking if we're seeing a surge here as well.

"Yes we are," she said. "We had extra hires working on voter registrations this past weekend."

She had her elections manager, Lori Augino, send details:

We haven't seen the same volumes that King County has seen, but we are experiencing an influx in registrations. We currently have 379,983 active voters and 65,513 inactive voters for a total of 445,496 voters in Pierce County. We only have to add 25,000 more voters to beat our record (2004 General).

We have added 2,275 voters since August 1st, and have done tons of address and name changes. We have about 7,000 applications pending as of today. More come in every day.

To better serve our voters, we are going to start opening our Election Center for Voter Registration on Saturday from now through October 18th from 9 am to 4 pm.

Click here for more information about voter registration.

After hearing Republican governor candidate Dino Rossi repeat his line Friday at a meeting of the Gig Harbor Rotary about "changing the tone and tenor" of Olympia through the power of appointments – if he's elected, Rossi says he will get to appoint 1,000 people "from the Blueberry Commission on up" -- I got to wondering if Washington actually has a Blueberry Commission.

The answer: Of course it does.

The state's got a Barley Commission, Fryer Commission, Potato Commission (not to be confused with the Seed Potato Commission), Red Raspberry Commission, Tree Fruit Research Commission, Wheat Commission and Wine Commission.

Why wouldn't it have a Blueberry Commission?

According to the Web site, it was formed in 1969 under a marketing order from the Department of Agriculture. The commission meets once per quarter, and the next meeting is Oct. 30 in Puyallup.

Current commission members are:

Brian Sakuma- President
B.C. Jackson- Vice President
Steve Bybee
Jim Lott
Darryl Ehlers
Brian Sakuma
Margaret Tucker

I've got no idea where these people are politically, but like a lot of folks in state government, if Rossi defeats incumbent Gov. Chris Gregoire in November, it sounds like they should be looking over their shoulders.

With all of the attention on the McCain/Obama and Gregoire/Rossi races, it would be easy to overlook important races down the ballot.

We have several reporters out working on a few dozen stories about state and local races. While they work on those pieces, check out the recent work by two local Web sites.

Exit133.com is interviewing the four candidates for Pierce County executive and posted its first interview, with Mike Lonergan, last week. Today, the Tacoma Sun posted an interview with Ken Paulson, who's challenging county Councilman Tim Farrell.

I think it's great to see local people asking questions of political candidates and sharing the results.

We'll have stories coming soon on the governor's race, county races, ballot initiatives and more. It's a lot of ground to cover in a short period of time, but our goal is to tell you about their policy proposals, a little about what makes them tick, and who is supporting or opposing them (which often tells you something about the candidates).

At the county level, David Wickert is recording portions of some of the debates and will post audio clips on this blog so you can hear it straight from the source. He posted clips from the four executive candidates last week here. As we previously reported, Stacey Emerson is posting videos from the debates.

I put a call into Joe Dear, executive director of the Washington State Investment Board, to find out how heavily the state's retirement funds and Labor & Industries funds were invested in Lehman Bros.

Here's the email the just posted on their Web site.

The $130 million represents .17 percent of the $78 billion the state Investment Board is managing.

WSIB funds show loss from Lehman Brother's bankruptcy
(September 15, 2008)

Olympia - The Washington State Investment Board (WSIB) today estimated the loss to its funds from Lehman Brothers' bankruptcy filing at approximately $130 million.

The bankruptcy filing affects retirement, Labor & Industries, and trust funds managed by the WSIB. The WSIB had $139 million of Lehman bonds and $8 million of Lehman equity at cost. The WSIB continues to hold senior debt in Lehman Brothers, which the WSIB believes is worth more than current market value.

The WSIB's total assets under management were $78 billion as of Friday, September 12, 2008. The loss represents 0.17 percent of assets under management.

Sound Transit is expanding its Sounder commuter rail and express bus service as high gas prices boost demand for its services.

Beginning Saturday, the regional transit agency will add new bus trips, reroute some buses or make minor schedule adjustments to most of its 24 express bus routes.

Among the changes: on Monday the new ST Express Route 599 service will begin connecting the newly completed Lakewood Station with Tacoma Dome Station. That will give Lakewood residents an easy connection to Sounder commuter trains.

Also on Monday, Sound Transit will add three round-trip Sounder trains, including two serving the South Sound.

Agency spokeswoman Linda Robson said the changes have long been planned and aren’t in direct response to a recent passenger boom brought on by high gas prices. But she added: “It’s at a great time. Couldn’t be better, actually.”

In July, about 61,000 people on average boarded Sound Transit buses and trains each weekday – up 25 percent from a year earlier. National surveys show high gas prices have boosted transit use nationwide.

The service expansion comes just weeks before voters weigh in on a $17.9 billion regional transit expansion measure. The plan would extend light rail south to Federal Way and beef up regional bus service and Sounder commuter rail service.

For more details on the service changes and the ballot measure, visit the Sound Transit web site.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is coming to Bellevue next week where she will host a $1,000-a-plate fund raiser, and it appears she also will attend a rally somewhere in South King County.

That's according to a release we received today from Jane Milhans, chairwoman of the John McCain Pierce County campaign.

Details were not shared regarding the potential rally, though Milhan's statement said a location has been selected.

The event is being used as a carrot for hard-working phone bank volunteers. Unlike the Bellevue fund raiser, where the chance to see the Republican vice president candidate requires only a willingness to part with some discretionary income, the rally photo op is free as a reward for a McCain-Palin volunteer.

Click ahead for the full statement, including details about how to volunteer.

=> Read more!

That's what the state Public Disclosure Commission is saying after hearing from its own investigative staff today, said PDC spokeswoman Lori Anderson.

UPDATE: Here's the news release the PDC just sent out:

PDC BELIEVES BUILDING INDUSTRY GROUPS
ENGAGED IN ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN ACTIVITY

Olympia – The Public Disclosure Commission voted today to alert the Attorney General of apparent multiple violations of Washington State’s campaign finance laws by two building industry groups.

The Commission believes that the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBA-KSC) was a political committee when it solicited and received contributions to support and oppose candidates and political committees. The PDC investigation found that since January 2006, MBA-KSC has received and expended $411,670 on political contributions, polls and other campaign-related research without disclosing the source of the money.

The PDC investigation also found that the Building Industry Association of Washington’s Member Services Corporation (BIAW-MSC) solicited and received contributions to be used by BIAW’s political committee (ChangePAC) in the 2008 governor’s election. In 2007, BIAW-MSC's officers asked local building associations to contribute a portion of their workers compensation insurance premium refunds to ChangePAC. Eleven local building associations agreed to contribute and BIAW-MSC retained $584,528 for ChangePAC without disclosing the receipt of those contributions. The Commission believes that the BIAW-MSC operated as a political committee and failed to register and report in accordance with state law.

“The Public Disclosure Commission has to uphold Washington State’s campaign disclosure laws so that the public can follow campaign money,” said Commissioner Jim Clements. “The public’s right to know who is financing political campaigns is a critical part of transparency in government.”

The Attorney General asked the Public Disclosure Commission to investigate whether these buildings industry groups were political committees after the allegations were raised in a Citizen’s Action Letter filed in July 2008.

I'm including a letter from Seattle lawyer Knoll Lowney, but he seems to be overstating the case by saying the Building Industry Association Washington illegally funneled $1.2 million to Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi's campaign. The PDC says it's about $1 million.

=> Read more!

Pierce County’s effort to acquire the Tacoma Narrows Airport got a hearing before the County Council Monday.

The council’s rules committee discussed the proposed $5 million purchase, but tabled action until next Monday. Under a proposed purchase agreement, the county would pay $3 million to buy the airport, while the Peninsula Metropolitan Parks District would pay $2 million to acquire the adjacent Madrona Links Golf Course.

The county’s share of the money would come from two sources: $2 million from the sale of surplus property in Elk Plain (read more details here) and another $1 million in real estate excise taxes set aside last year.

The park district would pay its share in two annual $1 million installments. If it defaults, the county would cover the payments and gain ownership of the golf course.

Tacoma has been trying to unload the money-losing airport for two years. Pierce County officials say they can operate it in the black by combing operations with the county’s Thun Field airport on South Hill.

County officials view the Narrows Airport as an economic development tool and want to keep it in public hands.

The full County Council is scheduled to take up the purchase agreement Sept. 30.

What agency was Dino Rossi referring to last week when he accused it of "sheer incompetence"?

How much money have South Sound candidates for Congress raised?

Was Barack Obama telling the truth when he said John McCain doesn't know how to send an e-mail?

Find the answers to these and other questions on our new elections page. Here's what you'll find there:

* TNT stories about county and state campaigns, and McClatchy stories about federal campaigns.

* Recent headlines from our Political Buzz blog.

* The "Truth O' Meter," a joint effort by Congressional Quarterly and the St. Petersburg Times to assess the truthfulness of claims by the presidential campaigns.

* A link to the TNT voter guide, which lists 90 candidates' responses to our questionnaires.

* MapLight.org's campaign finance totals for the presidential race and state congressional races.

We hope you'll find this informative.

At today's press meeting with Tacoma City Manager Eric Anderson, he talked briefly about I-985, the Tim Eyman initiative du jour.

The initiative would require all revenue generated from red light cameras to go to the state. If that's the case, not only is Tacoma losing out on a chunk of cash, but the red light camera vendor also loses.

"If all revenue goes to the state, we don't get revenue and we won't have money to pay (the vendor) to do it," Anderson said, which makes it "mutually impossible to go forward."

Red light cameras don't operate themselves, you know!

So the city's thinking of canning the whole deal if the initiative passes.

There are more questions to be answered. Here's one: Didn't we just hear that red light cameras are preventing accidents in Tacoma? If true, are the number of accidents prevented enough to offset the cost of running the cameras? (Anyone?)

We also talked a bit about the Broadway/St. Helens Local Improvement District, also known as "the reason the streets between the Theater and Stadium districts are torn up" and "the harbinger of Tacoma's first urban village."

The city's view is this: If you widen the sidewalks (up to 16 feet in some areas), put in more trees, add chic lighting and spruce up the infrastructure (bigger solid waste pipeline!), the urban village will sprout.

What's an urban village? Think Pearl District in Portland: The kind of place that makes you want to congregate and spend more money on home goods and happy hour than you normally would.

Thoughts?

The Washington Federation of State Employees says the contract calls for 2 percent pay raises in each of the next two years.

Union members still must ratify the contract that their negotiators agreed to, and the 2009 Legislature will have to approve the financial elements of the contract when it convenes in January for a 105-day session.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contract agreement reached for 33,000 Washington state employees

CONTACT: Tim Welch

The largest state employees union reached tentative agreement early Friday morning on a new two-year contract that would take effect July 1, 2009.

The agreement between the Washington Federation of State Employees and Gov. Christine Gregoire’s bargaining team covers 33,000 state agency workers, such as Community Corrections officers, social workers, highway workers, direct-care workers, natural resources workers, among others.

=> Read more!

Spokane journalist Jim Kershner will discuss his book "Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life" during a book signing at Tacoma's University Book Store at 6 p.m. Monday.

Maxey was a civil rights and defense lawyer who helped break most of the color barriers in Spokane. He also was the anti-war candidate for U.S. Senate against Henry Jackson in 1970.

As a lawyer, Maxey defended Kevin Coe, the so-called South Hill Rapist, as well as Coe's mother Ruth who was accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill the judge and prosecutor.

Maxey was born in Tacoma and returned in 1970 as one of the defense attorneys for the Seattle Seven, all accused of conspiracy to riot and destroy public property as part of the anti-war movement.

Maxey's self-description? "A guy who started from scratch – black scratch."

Former Washington Secretary of State Ralph Munro just sent out an e-mail to reporters to alert them to Lieberman's "private" visis. Munro is still active with the Mainstream Republicans.

If you'll recall, there was some speculation that Lieberman would be GOP presidential nominee John McCain's choice for VP. For awhile, anyway.

We have just learned that Senator Joe Lieberman will be in Seattle on a private visit this Sunday, September 14. He is making himself available during the late morning hours to do 'one on one' interviews with Seattle press.

(I'm deleting some of the stuff that Munro wouldn't want published.)

Senator Lieberman from Connecticut was the Democratic candidate for Vice President in 2000. He is a friend and strong supporter of Senator John McCain.

The latest polling data for Washington State comes from the Rasmussen tracking poll. It was conducted statewide and released today. It shows Senator Obama at 49 points and Senator McCain at 47 points. That is down from a 4 point spread of just a week ago and a 10+ point spread of two weeks ago.

Feel free to contact me should you have any questions.

Ralph

Ralph Munro
Washington State's Longtime Secretary of State
Triple Creek Farm
Olympia, Washington, 98502-1723
United States of America

Earlier today, Patrick Bell, current communications director and chief propagandist for the Washington State Republican Party, brought his replacement on a tour of the press houses in Olympia.

Matt Lundh is the new guy. His job is to issue periodic diatribes against anything Democratic and, of course, to make state GOP party chairman Luke Esser sound articulate. (OK! OK! Luke the Truth is a former journalist, of sorts, but let me have a little fun here at their expense.)

I promised Matt I wouldn't publish his cell phone number so Democratic operatives can't load up his voice mail. However, I also had to disclose that I gave his Democratic counterpart, Kelly Steele, the same assurance but I keep forgetting to delete Kelly's cell phone number from those news releases of his that I do post.)

Fair warning.

Young Patrick is leaving to study global warming, which I find ironic because so many Republicans contend that global warming is a made-up crisis, made up, or course, by Democrats and their fellow travelers.

Mr. Bell is no dummy. Not everyone gets a Fulbright.

The state Gambling Commission approved the increase at a meeting this morning in Gig Harbor. The higher limit takes effect Jan. 1.

Here's the story I've written for Saturday's paper.

There would be more information, but the Recreational Gaming Association, the group that represents and lobbys for the 81 non-Indian cardrooms, has suddenly become very bashful and doesn't return my phone calls.

UPDATE: Dolores Chiechi from RGA said she was on the road, returning from Gig Harbor when she got my message and called me when she got to Olympia. She said her members were disappointed by the commission vote because last month it appeared commissioners were poised to approve the full $500 betting limit.

Higher limits attract high-rollers, she said. And gives the cardrooms a chance to compete with the Indian casinos.

"The perception is that our industry is thriving," she said. "But last year 44 percent of our members reported net losses."

The maximum bet for blackjack and other house-banked games at non-tribal cardrooms and minicasinos will increase to $300 next year.

The Washington Gambling Commission approved the increase at its meeting Friday in Gig Harbor. The current limit is $200. The higher limit will take effect at 81 non-tribal cardrooms on Jan. 1.

The Recreational Gaming Association had asked the commission to approve an increase to $500, but commissioners -- as they did in 2004 -- chose an incremental approach. That commission raised the betting limit to $200 from $100 in 2004.

Minicasino owners and operators say since tribal casinos have a $500 maximum bet, the non-tribal businesses are at a disadvantage and cannot attract highrollers who prefer to better larger amounts.

The new betting limit does not apply to poker games. The commission is scheduled next month to discuss a separate proposal to raise the betting limit for poker games to $500 from the current $40 limit. No formal action on that proposal is expected at the October commission meeting.

If you're not happy with either the Obama/Biden ticket or McCain/Palin ticket, take heart - six other presidential pairings have earned spots on Washington state's Nov. 4 ballot.

Secretary of State Sam Reed announced today that the following pairings qualified for the ballot:

Barack Obama and Joe Biden, Democratic Party nominees.

John McCain and Sarah Palin, Republican Party nominees.

Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez, independent candidates.

Gloria La Riva and Eugene Puryear, Socialism and Liberation Party nominees.

James E. Harris and Alyson Kennedy, Socialist Workers Party nominees.

Bob Barr and Wayne A. Root, Libertarian Party nominees.

Chuck Baldwin and Darrell L. Castle, Constitution Party nominees.

Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente, Green Party nominees.

Here's how they earned their way onto the ballot, according Reed's office:

Under state law, the Republican and Democratic tickets automatically qualified for the Washington ballot when they were nominated by their respective national conventions. The other candidates qualified after their backers held conventions in Washington state and gathered at least 1,000 valid signatures of registered voters. Washington is considered an “easy access” state, and it is the norm to have a large number of choices for voters here.

Update: A reader posed a question in a comment to this post: Who determines the order the candidates appear on the ballot?

I sent the question to Reed spokesman David Ammons, who said the answer is provided in state law:

RCW 29A.36.161
(4) On a general election ballot, the candidate or candidates of the major political party that received the highest number of votes from the electors of this state for the office of president of the United States at the last presidential election must appear first following the appropriate office heading. The candidate or candidates of the other major political parties will follow according to the votes cast for their nominees for president at the last presidential election, and independent candidates and the candidate or candidates of all other parties will follow in the order of their qualification with the secretary of state.

So, thanks to the Legislature and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, Obama gets top billing over McCain.

I read this out loud to the reporters in my corner of the newsroom. Peter Callaghan thinks it should be changed to whoever wins the All-Star Game. (A truly inside baseball joke.)

Local officials will gather at a Tacoma coffee house Saturday to discuss neighborhood revitalization, preventing sprawl and conserving open space.

The group also will discuss how private entrepreneurship and city and county governments help or hinder those efforts.

The forum will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Neighborhood Coffee House and Espresso at the corner of McKinley Avenue and East 34th Street in Tacoma. Attending will be Pierce County Councilmen Calvin Goings and Tim Farrell, council candidate Carolyn Merrival and Tacoma City Councilwoman Julie Anderson. Also attending will be New Tacoma Neighborhood Council President Marty Campbell and Ryan Mello, Pierce County director for the Cascade Land Conservancy.

For more information, contact Andrew Bacon at 253-536-7899 or editor@tahomaorganizer.org.

Who deserves your vote for Pierce County executive? The four candidates have been making their case at a series of recent public forums.

Republican Shawn Bunney, Democrat Calvin Goings, Executive Excellence candidate Mike Lonergan and Democrat Pat McCarthy have been giving variations of the same speeches at each forum. The latest was last night at the Korean Women’s Association in Tacoma.

As at other recent forums, the candidates gave a brief opening statement describing their qualifications and priorities. You can listen to last night’s opening statements by Goings and McCarthy by clicking here. You can listen to statements by Bunney and Lonergan by clicking here. Each audio lasts about 5 minutes.

Did you miss the District 2 & 3 Pierce County Council forum in South Hill Tuesday night? You can watch it at your leisure on the web here.

Midland resident Stacy Emerson recorded the event and posted it at the link above. Thanks, Stacy!

The event features four candidates for the two district council seats. The District 2 race features Republican Joyce McDonald and Democrats Carolyn Merrival and Al Rose. The District 3 race pits incumbent Republican Roger Bush against Democrat Bruce Lachney (though Bush did not attend the forum).

You can read my summary of the forum here.

From our colleague Ian Demsky over at the Lights & Sirens blog:

Dark horse Pierce County Sheriff candidate Robert "The Traveller" Hill is already looking beyond November. State records show he filed paperwork on Aug. 18 to run for the state Senate seat now held by Debbie Regala (27th legislative district)... in 2012!

In doing so, Hill became first candidate to throw his hat into the ring for any race taking place four years from now.

Supporters of Initiative 1000, the Death with Dignity ballot measure, sent out a news release with names of prominent people and groups who are backing the measure.

No, there were no Catholic priests or bishops on the list.

The pro-1000 campaign highlighted the fact the former Gov. Dan Evans and former Secretary of State Ralph Munro are helping out. Those guys are mainstream Republicans.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2008

CONTACT: Anne Martens
206-633-2008

Broad List of Community Leaders Support Yes on 1000 Death with Dignity

SEATTLE – The Yes on 1000 campaign for death with dignity today released a broad list of supporters, including medical professionals, clergy members and community leaders both Democrat and Republican.

“This shows the wide range of support for Initiative 1000 and death with dignity,” said Alex Morgan, campaign manager for Yes on 1000. “Local leaders and community organizations across Washington are standing up for the rights of terminally ill patients to make their own decisions.”

=> Read more!

David Sawyer, campaign manager for Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg in his run against incumbent Attorney General Rob McKenna, passes on this item.

The debate (?) will be Sept. 18.

I took the liberty of deleting a bit of propaganda from the Ladenburg camp. (Sorry, David.)

ADVISORY: Joint Appearance with John Ladenburg and Rob McKenna

WHAT: Q&A at the Gig Harbor Chamber

There will be 10 minutes of opening remarks by each candidate (assigned by coin flip) and 3 minutes of closing remarks. The rest of the time will be questions from the audience for a total of 60 minutes. Questions from the audience will be answered by both candidates (rotating who goes first with an answer.)

WHEN: 7:30-8:30 AM, September 18th.

WHERE: Cottesmore: 2909 14th Ave, Gig Harbor 98335

The Recreational Gaming Association, which represents 81 non-Indian cardrooms and minicasinos, is asking the Washington Gambling Commission to approve a betting limit change to $500 from $200 for black jack and other house-banked card games.

The state Gambling Commission is scheduled to take final action (vote) on that request when its members meet Friday morning in Gig Harbor.

The $200 limit has been in place in some fashion since 2004, when the commision raised the limit from $100 for a few gaming tables. It became widespread in 2006.

The commission meeting is at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the Inn at Gig Harbor, 3211 56th St. N.W.

The change would not affect poker games. The limit for poker games is $40 a bet, but the gaming association also is asking the commission to raise that limit to $500. The poker limit will be discussed at the commission’s October meeting.

I'll have more about this in Thursday's paper. And we'll let you know what the commission does on Friday, too.

Four candidates for Pierce County Council weighed in on issues ranging from community zoning to code enforcement at a public forum in South Hill Tuesday night.

The forum, sponsored by the South Hill Community Council, featured candidates from Districts 2 and 3 in East Pierce County.

District 2 stretches from Northeast Tacoma to Puyallup. In the most competitive council race this year, three candidates are seeking to fill a seat left vacant by term-limited County Councilman Calvin Goings. The candidates include:

• Republican Joyce McDonald, who has served 10 years in the state House of Representatives.
• Democrat Carolyn Merrival, a preschool assistant active in local politics.
• Democrat Al Rose, an attorney in the county prosecutor’s office.

District 3 includes Frederickson, Graham, Eatonville and South Hill. Democrat Bruce Lachney, an airline pilot, cranberry farmer and former planning commissioner, is seeking to oust incumbent Roger Bush, R-Graham. Bush did not attend Tuesday’s forum.

The League of Women Voters of Tacoma-Pierce County moderated the forum. In response to audience questions, the candidates tackled a host of thorny issues. Some highlights:

=> Read more!

This is supposed to save money. It will be interesting to see just how much money actually will be saved.

As for the Washington Federation of State Employees and other state employee unions, they can't be complaining about this latest directive from Gov. Chris Gregoire. I mean, they get a 3-day weekend.

There's always another side of the coin.

For instance, when Gregoire "cut" 1,000 middle managers from state government, one huge by-product was to eliminate Washington Management Services positions and shift the work to union dues-paying workers.

This is sorta like that move, though this one is more likely to be cheered by rank-and-file workers, while the middle manager reduction was boon for the union itself.

Gov. Gregoire directs state agencies to experiment with four-day workweek, use additional energy savings measures

OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire today directed selected state agencies to experiment with a four-day workweek and to put into place additional measures for saving energy.

=> Read more!

One of the people who taught me how to read the state budget -- which is no small achievement -- will be leaving. David Schumacher, staff coordinator for the state Senate Ways and Means Committee, announced today he is leaving to become director of State and Local Government Affairs for the Pacific Northwest.

That means he's joining the ranks of the lobbyists in Olympia, and will be elbow-to-elbow with Randy Hodgins, another former Ways and Means staff director who left a few years ago to become a lobbyist for the University of Washington.

(Sorry guys, I just can't use that foot-long job titles you're now carrying.)

There is a whole lot of institutional memory leaving Olympia these days. Rep. Helen Sommers, D-Seattle, is not seeking reelection. She wrote the budget for the House for many years.

Seattle Times reporters Ralph Thomas and David Postman are leaving. Longtime Associated Press reporter David Ammons left AP to work for Secretary of State Sam Reed.

Those folks all knew the state budget really well.

Here's David's memo:

Hello everyone,

I think the word has slipped out a bit, but for those who have not heard - after 13 great years with Senate Committee Services I will be leaving in the next few weeks to take a job with the Boeing Company as the Director of State and Local Gov’t Affairs for the Pacific NW. It’s a big job that has me both nervous and excited. It’s hard to imagine voluntarily leaving a place that I have enjoyed so much but it just feels like it is time for me to try the next thing.

=> Read more!

The New York Times has a great story today about the nationwide backlash against term limits.

Guess who's quoted? Nevermind, I'll tell you:

Some officials pushing the changes say the turnover created by term limits robs an elected body of valuable institutional memory. In Tacoma, four of the city’s nine council members will be forced from office by January 2010 after completion of their second four-year terms. That worries Councilwoman Connie Ladenburg, who has spent years pushing for a $2 million pedestrian and bike trail, among other projects.

“That is when I thought, ‘This is crazy.’ If I go away, and it’s not completed, what will happen?” she said.

As a result, Ms. Ladenburg shepherded a November referendum to overturn term limits. “The public wonders why we don’t get things done. Well, you have to be there awhile to get things done.”

But there's more drama to the Tacoma story. Since Ladenburg didn't go through the usual channels to get the referendum on the ballot, some city officials seem less-than-jazzed about it from the start.

At a meeting last month to decide who would write the arguments for the voters' pamphlet, only one person signed up to write the argument for Ladenburg's referendum.

Thoughts on term limits?

Here's a pair to draw to: Professional initiative promoter Tim Eyman vs. professional initiative opposer Doug MacDonald, former secretary of the state Department of Transportation.

Eyman, of course, is trying to make a living by pushing still another ballot measure, Initiative 985, which would force the state to spend about $115 million a year on congestion relief, open carpool lanes during off-peak hours and put "camera cops" money into a special account.

MacDonald is opposing both I-985 and Proposition 1, the latest Sound Transit ballot measure to raise money to pay for an extension of rail and regional bus service in Pierce, King and Snohomish counties.

I don't know yet whether MacDonald is being paid by anyone. It may just be a new hobby in retirement. And his does have a bit of expertise with respect to transportation issues.

The faceoff is at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at Cottesmore Nursing Home in Gig Harbor, hosted by the Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce. What a way to have breakfast!

Every once in awhile, the Washington Department of Corrections posts on its Web site a news release that's kinda interesting.

I just find it ironic that the claim of overcrowding was about birds and not inmates -- especially given the fact that Washington has 1,000 inmates in out-of-state prisons because its own prisons are so overcrowded.

From the news release:

"DOC does not tolerate cruelty to animals and the department took swift action to investigate the HSUS allegations to ensure the pheasants are treated humanely."

Of course, our inmates are raising these pheasants at Walla Walla and Coyote Ridge prisons so hunters can blow them to smithereens during hunting season, which is just around the corner.

Good thing the Humane Society is looking out for those pheasants.

DOC Releases Statement on Pheasant Care

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 9, 2008

The Department of Corrections Monday assured the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) that a pheasant farm it operates at Washington State Penitentiary meets or exceeds all industry standards for game birds.

=> Read more!

From education reporter Kris Sherman:

You can see the TV-shy Tacoma School Board on the Internet now, thanks to Chris Van Vechten and friends at the Melon Online Web site.

He sent me an e-mail this morning, referencing a story I wrote recently on the School Board nixing the idea of televising their meetings. (The Tacoma City Council and lots of other local electeds appear on the tube when they meet.)

"After reading your article, my friends and I decided to take action," Van Vechten wrote to me today. Attached was a link to The Melon, which carries the headline "Ripe! Tacoma School Board Meeting 8/28/08.”

In the smaller print, the posters go on to say: “And so begins The Melon's video coverage of the Tacoma School Board. This week features discussions about the No Child Left Behind Act, the state of the Tacoma Education Association, a visit from Robert Hill and Rep. Troy Kelly, a generous donation of backpacks by Bank of America and more.”

=> Read more!

Clearing out the in-box, so here are some upcoming political events in the area, in order of appearance:

Dino Rossi: The Republican gubernatorial candidate will make two stops in Gig Harbor on Friday, Sept. 12, according to a news release from his campaign. He's scheduled to attend the 7:30 a.m. Rotary meeting at Cottesmore Retirement Center, 2909 14th Ave. NW, and then he plans an 11 a.m. tour of the Gig Harbor History Museum, 4218 Harborview Dr.

Talking about Obama: Paul Zachary, a Canadian-American writer and former public relations manager for the United Nations, will speak in Tacoma as part of a nationwide tour promoting Barack Obama. The event will be held at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14 at Round Table Pizza, 7921 S Hosmer St, Tacoma.
Contact the hosts at 253-507-9460 or piercecovets@gmail.com to RSVP.

Pierce County Votes: Republicans will provide free barbecue at an event marking the opening of a get-out-the-vote effort. The event, to be held at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 16, will be at the campaign's new office at 10107 S. Tacoma Way, Ste. E-6, Lakewood. Called "Pierce County Votes," the campaign will be run by Caleb Heimlich, who's staying involved in politics after losing a bid in the August primary for the 25th District state House seat held by Democratic Rep. Dawn Morrell. The get-out-the-vote campaign's office hours will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 4 to 8 p.m. on Sundays. Contact calebheimlich@gmail.com to RSVP or to learn more.

25th District Republican Club: Dr. Patricia O'Halloran, a Tacoma physician representing the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide, will discuss the ramifications of Initiation 1000 at the club's Sept. 16 meeting. The meeting will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the City of Puyallup Library. The meeting is open to the public. For more information, contact Bob Neilson at 253-845-0038 or rhneilson@earthlink.net.

What a difference 11 miles makes.

That’s the distance between Tacoma and Parkland, the sites of the most recent public forms for Pierce County executive candidates.

The forums – one last week at the University of Puget Sound and the other last night at the Central Pierce Fire and Rescue – were identical in some respects. Candidates Shawn Bunney, Calvin Goings, Mike Lonergan and Pat McCarthy gave pretty much the same speeches at each event. And the format was the same – candidates took turns answering identical questions.

So what was so different? The audiences and the questions they asked.

At UPS, at a forum sponsored by the City Club of Tacoma, a roomful of suits and ties asked about health care, transportation, veterans’ benefits and other big-picture issues.

Last night, at a forum sponsored by the Parkland Community Association, no one wore a tie. And the questions were more parochial, but also closer to the hearts of people in unincorporated Pierce County: Will you build a park where I can run safely? What are your top law enforcement priorities? Why are my storm water runoff fees so high?

Next up for the executive candidates: another constituency. The Tacoma-Pierce County Affordable Housing Consortium will host a forum at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Korean Women’s Association Community Services Center, 125 E. 96th St., Tacoma.

I wrote a story last week about how the Catholic Church is taking its opposition campaign to the parishes, raising money for the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide and preaching about what the church considers the "evils" of Initiative 1000.

Suicide goes against the teachings of the church.

One of my Olympia Press Corps colleagues forwarded these handouts to me. They're from the Sunday mass at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Tacoma this past Sunday. I'm told the sermon dealt with "assisted suicide," too.

click here

Numbers have always fascinated me. I guess that's why my bosses have me covering the state budget.

Anyway, when the state Office of Financial Management puts out its population report, I love to peruse it and save it on my desktop for future reference.

For instance, I didn't realize until today that the population in Pierce County topped 800,000 for the first time this past April 1. The official estimate is 805,400.

Today's report was a look at the same April 1 population numbers by gender. It's no surprise there are more women than men in Pierce County. About 3,000 more, in fact. Women live longer than men.

But it doesn't start out that way. Women give birth to more boys that girls. And boys (men) continue to outnumber girls (women) until we reach the group that's 45-49 years of age. That's the first time women outnumber men, at least in Pierce County this year.

Last month, I wrote a story about an impending spike in public school enrollment because the cohort of 5- to 17-year-olds will be growing larger in a few years. That's when state demographer Theresa Lowe reminded me about the birth rate favoring males.

Take a gander for yourself. Here is a link to the Pierce County population estimates for 2008 by gender.

Fans of political attack man Floyd Brown's latest assault, "Obama Unmasked," can pick up a signed copy of the book Sunday during a "victory party" at the Pierce County Victory Office in Puyallup.

Brown, a University Place political consultant, gained attention for the Willie Horton ad that helped derail Michael Dukakis' 1988 presidential bid.

Last year, Brown was gearing up to defeat Hillary Clinton. Now he's working to sink Obama.

Jane Milhans, chairwoman of the John McCain Pierce County campaign, said Brown offered to sign books at the "victory party" this weekend. Books will be available for purchase for $15.

The party runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 11713 101st Ave. E, Puyallup.

It's a "victory party" because it's a party at the "victory office," Milhans said.

The "victory office" is the name of the McCain campaign office in Pierce County. Milhans said she hopes the party will raise awareness about the campaign office, and maybe help recruit new volunteers.

This is the first time since Ronald Reagan that a Republican presidential candidate has had an office in Pierce County, Milhans said.

"We are real excited the RNC (Republican National Committee) and McCain folks put an office in Pierce County," she said.

Gov. Chris Gregoire and challenger Dino Rossi are set to square-off in as many as six debates scattered throughout the state, beginning a week from Saturday in Seattle.

A live on-air debate is scheduled for 9 p.m. Sept. 20 at Fisher Plaza. It's sponsored by Fisher Communications, the League of Women Voters and the Seattle P-I.

The other confirmed debates are:

• 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Association of Washington Business annual policy summit at Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine.

• 7 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Capitol Theatre in Yakima. The Yakima Herald-Republic is the sponsor.

• Oct. 9, time to be determined, at the studios of KSPS, the public television station in Spokane. The Spokesman-Review and KSPS are sponsors.

• Oct. 15, time and place to be determined. KING 5 television, Seattle Times and NPR are sponsors. A KING 5 studio is the likely location, according to Casey Bowman, a spokesman for the Rossi campaign.

As much as we've written about the importance of Pierce County in this election, the candidates will not be coming to Tacoma.

The Gregoire campaign had proposed a debate in Tacoma, which would have been sponsored by The News Tribune and others. But Rossi's people decided they had enough exposure in the Puget Sound market and wanted something in Clark County.

Accordingly, both sides have agreed to a debate sponsored by The Columbian, but they have not settled on a date, according to Gregoire spokesman Aaron Toso.

I just got back from the weekly press briefing with City Manager Eric Anderson. (Unlike Speaker of the (state) House Frank Chopp, Anderson does not give away Junior Mints at these affairs, but I somehow manage). Here's a bit of what he had to say:

On the budget forecast
"There isn't any real change at this point. If we're lucky, we'll have more" than they projected, he said. But he didn't think they'd find any extra money. He said the next update would come at the end of September or early October.

He also said that, in about three weeks, budget matters will be "all-consuming."

On the all-but failed sale of the Rhodes building to the Tacoma Housing Authority and subsequent effort by some local lawmakers to strike a deal
"I have not been approached."

On the 'class & comp' study, which will help the city set new wage classifications and compensation rates for city workers:
"We're currently surveying compensation for the classes created."
What?
Basically, the company hired by the city is comparing the city's different job classifications – lawyers, public relations folks, police – to comparable jobs elsewhere. They'll determine if the City of Tacoma is paying enough, then recommend changes.
Anderson said the goal is for the city to pay in the 70th percentile for comparables. In other words: They won't offer the highest salaries, but they'll pay enough to attract solid applicants.
Once they get the recommendations, the city will "see if we think it's reasonable. Once we think they are, we'll send to the council."
He said they haven't gotten a peek at the results (so there's no telling whether you, city employee, will get a raise.)

=> Read more!

For Sunday I'm taking a look at an interesting (to me anyway) phenomena from the August 19 primary: late-arriving ballots were slightly more conservative than early-arriving votes.

Given how the votes are counted, that meant that some Democratic leads evaporated and some Republican leads grew larger between Election Night and the final tally.

Chris Gregoire's day-after-election lead over Dino Rossi of 4.1 percent fell to 1.9 percent. Terry Bergeson's 11.2 percent lead over Randy Dorn fell to 5.8 percent. And Rob McKenna, Dave Reichert and Doug Sutherland saw their leads grow as vote-counting concluded.

The question is why? Do Republicans hold onto their ballots longer? Did some of the late campaigning help Republicans? Did undecideds break toward Rossi.

I ask some folks for theories Sunday. Feel free to get a head start and give yours now.

In February, our D.C. reporter, Les Blumenthal, reported that the federal highway trust fund was expected to run out of money next year due to declining gas tax revenues.

Turns out, the problem was worse than feared. U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said today that the highway trust fund will run out of money this month.

From The Associated Press:

Peters blames the shortage of funds on the high price of gasoline, which has prompted Americans to drive less. And by driving less, they use less fuel and pay less in federal gasoline tax.
At a midday press conference Friday, Peters said the agency will have to delay payments to state road and bridge projects that the federal government is helping finance.
At the same time, she wants Congress to pass legislation that includes $8 billion to help cover the shortfall.
Four times this year, Republicans in the Senate have blocked a measure that would shore up the fund.

Last February, Blumenthal reported that Tacoma and Pierce County leaders were watching the situation and worrying about the impact on local projects. For example, Pierce County has 140 bridges that need replacing or maintenance, and 90 percent of the funding comes from the federal government.

Sen. Patty Murray told Blumenthal at the time that she'd been raising red flags about the trust fund, and she complained that President Bush and congressional Republicans were blocking a fix.

She issued a statement today saying that's finally about to change.

Senator Murray, who chairs the Transportation and Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, has been sounding the alarm about the Highway Trust Fund for more than two years. This year, she helped draw up a legislative solution, which would restore to the trust fund more than $8 billion that was taken out of it at the end of 1998. The House has passed a similar measure by a 10 to 1 margin, but Republicans in the Senate have blocked the solution repeatedly.

Today, after opposing it for months, the Bush Administration finally abandoned its veto threat and endorsed the legislative fix, asking Congress to get it to the President’s desk by next week.

“The Highway Trust Fund is now bankrupt. It’s too bad that it has taken an emergency to force the Administration to pull its head out of the sand and appreciate how serious this problem is.

“If we don’t pass a solution fast, we’ll be forced to cancel critical highway construction and repair projects that ensure our roads and bridges are safe and secure.

“This crisis could lead to millions of construction layoffs across this country at a time when the unemployment rate is already the highest it has been in nearly five years.

“We have brought legislation to the Senate floor multiple times to help resolve this crisis, yet Republicans have repeatedly blocked our efforts. Now that the Administration is on board, it is critical that my Republican colleagues stop denying that we face a crisis in this country and help us pass a solution.”

The Supreme Court just issued a ruling on a challenge to keep Initiative 1029 off the ballot. Opponents claimed the petitions were wrongly worded, saying I-1029 would be an initiative to the Legislature, not an initiative to the people.

An initiative to the Legislature means there would be no public vote on it this year, in 2009 at the earliest.

Bottom line: It will be on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 5, 2008
Contact:
Brian Zylstra
Deputy Communications Director
(360) 902-4173

State Supreme Court decision leaves I-1029 on the ballot

OLYMPIA – The State Supreme Court this morning issued a summary decision dismissing a challenge by opponents of Initiative No. 1029 that the measure not appear on the November General Election ballot.

The court’s order means that I-1029 will be on the ballot this fall.

“We greatly appreciate the Supreme Court’s prompt and timely consideration and decision in this case,” said State Elections Director Nick Handy. “The 300,000-plus voters who signed these petitions will be pleased that this matter will be on the November ballot.”

=> Read more!

Brushes with fame to pass along ...

Bob Lawrence, a Republican national delegate from Pierce County, posed for a photo with John McCain's mother, Roberta, during his stay in the Twin Cities this week.

And Bob's wife, Judy, spoke with Sen. McCain and wife Cindy about her son, Michael Zarling, who is in Iraq on his second tour of duty with a Stryker Brigade.

Dick Muri, the Pierce County Councilman and a fellow delegate, posted photos on his blog, and said I could share them here.

Lawrence said he was stuffing relief packages for hurricane victims when he saw 96-year-old Roberta McCain walk by.

He told her that he knows she's a Navy person, but would she mind posing for a photo with an Air Force man.

"She said, 'Normally I wouldn't but since you have a McCain button I will,'" Lawrence told me yesterday. "She's a very sharp lady. For 96, this gal could pass for 75."

Lawrence's wife Judy turned up in a photo with Sen. and Mrs. McCain the same day.

From Muri's blog:

Judy's husband Bob Lawrence mentioned to Cindy McCain that we had a mom here whose son was on his second Stryker Brigade tour in Iraq. She immediately asked who and then grabbed Judy's hand and said I am sure John would like to talk to you. Cindy told John about Judy's son and Senator McCain told Judy not once but twice how proud he is of Michael's service and devotion to our country.

Can’t get enough of your favorite Pierce County Council member on television? Better tune in today. It’s your last chance to catch his or her show for two months.

The Rainier Communications Commission will stop airing Council Corner shows beginning Saturday until after the November election. The shows feature County
Council members talking about pet projects and issues. Each of the seven council members has a half hour show, and each show is broadcast several times a week.

Why the hiatus? The shows could be considered free advertising for incumbents running for office. As it happens, all seven council members are running for various offices this year.

How much free advertising do they get? A look at the RCC schedules shows Council Corner aired 76 times over the last two weeks, for a total of 38 hours. Here’s a breakdown of how often each council member’s half-hour show ran during that time:

Council member # Shows
Shawn Bunney 12
Roger Bush 10
Tim Farrell 12
Barbara Gelman 7
Calvin Goings 12
Terry Lee 17
Dick Muri 6

If you find yourself suffering withdrawal symptoms, the RCC will still broadcast County Council meetings.

Give Jason Mercier credit for digging up this one. He posted it on his blog and sent out an e-mail to reporters.

It appears the UW extended the contract with lobbyist Bob Longman though the 2009 legislative session, at $175-an-hour, and increased the maximum to $50,000 from $25,000. The University of Washington wants $150 million in state funding to pay for half of $300 million worth of repairs and improvements to the stadium. This past session, they dragged former Gov. Dan Evans and the football coach Willingham down here to testify.

They'll be back again in January.

Here is a link to the Washinton Policy Center blog item.

Then click on the link Mercier provided to look at the contract.

UPDATE: OK. Bob Longman is a consultant, not a lobbyist. See UW lobbyist Randy Hodgins' explanation on his blog.

The Legislature put $7.5 million in the transportation budget to build special fences along the Aurora Bridge in Seattle.

Neighbors hope they will prevent people from committing suicide by jumping from the bridge.

Don't expect to see the same kind of project on either one of the Tacoma Narrows Bridges. Although the old bridge has had quite a few jumpers, they jumped into the water.

On the Aurora Bridge, the driving force behind the fences is that some of its jumpers land on land, which is quite disturbing to the people who live and work in the buildings below.

It wasn't until I read this news release that I realized the legislative appropriation was divided into 2 parts: $1.5 million to design it, then $6 million to build it later on, if the right agencies sign off on it.

Not until 2010 at the earliest.

It sounds as if it might be difficult to design suicide prevention fences that are suitable for a historic landmark.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 4, 2008

Aurora Bridge Fence advisory committee meets Tuesday in Seattle

Public can learn about latest design alternatives and make comments

SEATTLE –The State Route 99 Aurora Bridge Fence advisory committee will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 9 to review WSDOT’s latest design alternatives. The meeting will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Room 109 at Seattle Pacific University's Otto Miller Hall, located at 3469 Third Avenue W.

=> Read more!

Back in July, my colleague Scott Fontaine posted a little blog item about Chris Gregoire being turned away from an Olympia bar because the 61-year-old governor didn't have her ID with her.

KING 5 television picked up the story, and dug up more details.

Now comes this from the window of Hannah's, the by-the-book bar:

A group of protesters who marched through downtown Minneapolis after a Rage Against the Machine concert sit on a street corner during a protest at the Republican National Convention in MInneapolis, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Pierce County Councilman Dick Muri phoned late last night to report a wild scene outside his hotel in downtown Minneapolis.

Muri, a Republican national delegate, said the street was cordoned off, a helicopter was flying overhead and there were armed riot police everywhere.

"Dozens and dozens" of people were sitting, handcuffed, on the sidewalk, he said.

It was a tense moment, one that followed a concert by the group Rage Against the Machine at the Target Center. The Star Tribune had this report up on its Web site today.

It's unclear whether the scene was related to the convention.

But protesters -- and security -- have been a constant presence this week. Jane Milhans, an alternate delegate from Pierce County, scuffled yesterday with someone of indeterminate gender.

On Monday, someone dropped a sandbag from an overpass onto one of the Washington delegation buses.

None of this put a damper on the convention for Muri, who has enjoyed meeting Republicans from around the state and around the country.

=> Read more!

Four candidates for Pierce County executive brought distinct messages to a public forum in Tacoma Wednesday night.

Republican Shawn Bunney emphasized creating jobs. Democrat Calvin Goings offered specific proposals on a range of issues. Executive Excellence candidate Mike Lonergan emphasized his experience. And Democrat Pat McCarthy pledged to improve county services.

The candidates spoke to more than 130 people at the University of Puget Sound’s Wheelock Student Center.

Though they answered identical questions, the candidates tailored their responses to suit larger messages they hope will sway voters.

=> Read more!

...in Pierce County.

If Pierce County is really the bellwether that some people have predicted, well, have fun analyzing this:

The Auditor's Office posted the final results from last month's primary and the numbers for the governor's race are really, really close.

Democrat Chris Gregoire received 72,388 votes, or 47.47 percent. Republican Dino Rossi received 72,258, or 47.38 percent.

The razor-thin margin might be one reason Gregoire keeps showing up here. She was scheduled to participate in a test of Puyallup's emergency communications system today.

Yesterday, her schedule included a stop at Bates Technical College's annual opening day get-together in Tacoma.

And she's due back in Tacoma for an appearance Saturday evening at the Music & Murals Festival at People's Park.

Statewide, Gregoire is still running about 2 percentage points ahead of Rossi at approximately 48 percent to 46 percent. Check out the numbers here.

The Secretary of State has until next Tuesday to certify the primary returns.

Bob Lawrence, a Republican national delegate from Washington's 6th Congressional District, said he is surprised by the coverage of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

"It's not so much about her leadership skills or her knowledge but peripheral issues," Lawrence said by phone today from St. Paul where he is attending the Republican National Convention.

Lawrence said he watched a CNBC interview of Palin, before John McCain announced that she was his running mate, and came away impressed.

"She was articulate and knowledgeable about energy issues," he said.

Lawrence and the rest of the Washington delegation ate lunch today at Rossi's Steakhouse & Tavern in downtown Minneapolis.

Of course, Dino Rossi made a telephonic appearance. Bryan Bissell at PolitickerWA blogged about it here.

According to Bissell,

Rossi told the delegates that he wished he could be there, but was busy working for votes back in Washington state.

Besides, he said, "I am kind of hoping you guys are all voting for me already."

For those who may be interested, our sister paper in Anchorage has assembled several of its old articles on Gov. Palin in one location.

Check it out here.

Jane Milhans, an alternate delegate from Pierce County, said she's looking forward to hearing Palin speak tonight at the Republican National Convention.

Milhans echoed complaints that I've seen and heard from several media outlets.

"Listening to the media bash her, it seems inconsistent," Milhans said. "No one would ask Barack Obama if he could raise his kids and handle his job."

Deryl McCarty, the Pierce County Republican Party chairman and an alternate delegate, told me yesterday that John McCain's choice of a running mate energized people in Pierce County.

People who were luke-warm about McCain suddenly wanted to help out the campaign, he said.

"You wouldn't believe the number of calls I got," McCarty said.

"It's historic," McCarty added. "Our (the Republican party's) first woman. We needed one who showed she she could lead. And a Westerner is not a bad thing."

Jane Milhans, a Republican national alternate delegate from Pierce County, called me this morning to fill me in on what she's been doing and to offer a few observations from the convention in St. Paul.

I'll write up a summary of our conversation soon.

But first, this tidbit: Near the end of the call, I could hear noises in the background and Milhans saying, "Hey, you're in may way, buddy."

There was a little more rustling in the background, and then Milhans -- who was walking back to her hotel as we spoke -- told me what was going on. "A lady just attacked me with her banner," she said. "Or maybe it was a guy.

"The protesters have been pretty rude."

When he isn't hanging out with Republicans from Asotin, Deryl McCarty is chatting with Republicans from King County.

Part way through my conversation with him today, McCarty handed off his phone to Lori Sotelo, chairwoman of the King County Republican Party.

Sotelo said she was "frustrated, but not discouraged" by the work of vandals who attacked a booth that her party set up over the weekend at the Bumbershoot festival in Seattle.

Unknown vandals tore open a tent, flipped over a table and tried to light parts of a display on fire

Republicans are accustomed to "challenging conversations" at Bumbershoot, Sotelo said.

"But this crosses a line," she said. "It's a different kind of assault."

Click ahead to read the press release issued by the King County Republican Party.

=> Read more!

Arun Raha will replace ChangMook Sohn, former executive director of the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council, who resigned to run for state treasurer.

Sohn made a dismal showing in last month's primary election.

So far as I can see, the only strike against Raha is that he graduated from Wazzu.

(Yes, I'm a Husky.)

New Forecast Council Executive Director Announced
OLYMPIA, September 2, 2008 --- The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council has
named Arun Raha to serve as executive director to replace interim director Steve
Lerch and former director ChangMook Sohn.
“We couldn’t have made a better choice,” said State Representative and Forecast
Council Chair Jim McIntire. “Dr. Raha’s strong track record and his expertise in global
economics and forecasting are a great fit for this very important position, especially
at this turbulent time. The Council is delighted to have him return to Washington.”

=> Read more!

Deryl McCarty, chairman of the Pierce County Republican Party, called from the floor of the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. with an update for me.

Things are starting to pick up following the hurricane-induced slow start yesterday, said McCarty, who is an alternate delegate. "A little pomp, a little circumstance," was how McCarty described the shift in tone.

But he took exception with one description he read of Monday's events.

"One of the local papers called it somber," McCarty said. "It wasn't somber. It was serious."

It was appropriate to pause to help Gulf Coast residents, McCarty said, and the Republican Party had to take care of some of the usual housekeeping that goes with a convention.

McCarty echoed Pierce County Councilman Dick Muri's comments about getting to know the members of Washington's delegation.

"I've enjoyed getting to meet my friends from Asotin," he said. "I didn't know I had any, but as a matter of fact I do."

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's parents grew up in Eastern Washington, and one of her aunts still lives in Richland.

Chris Mulick, political reporter for our sister paper, blogged about the Washington connection on Friday. Check it out here.

Someone dropped a sandbag from an overpass in the Twin Cities yesterday, hitting one of the buses carrying members of the Washington delegation, Dick Muri said.

Muri, a Pierce County councilman and Republican national delegate, was riding on a different bus, and did not have details.

I found this blog post from someone called Gateway Pundit that describes sandbag and cement bag attacks on delegation buses.

The Star Tribune ran this Associated Press article describing "violent protests" in the convention cities.

Muri said security is extremely tight. As he spoke this morning from a paddle-wheel ship cruising the Mississippi River, he could see two Coast Guard speed boats with large-caliber weapons providing escort.

And an armed guard rode on his bus.

Muri said he doesn't mind the protesters gathering on overpasses with banners.

"That's OK," he said. "That's the kind of protest you want."

But he couldn't help but note the irony in the fact that some of them are crossing a line and becoming violent as they protest war.

Pierce County Councilman Dick Muri phoned today from a paddle-wheel boat on the Mississippi River. Muri, a Republican national delegate, was cruising the river in the Twin Cities with the rest of the Washington delegation.

So far, the Republican National Convention has been a low-key affair, thanks in part to the cancellation of planned speakers yesterday due to Hurricane Gustav.

Among them was President Bush, who went to Texas instead to be with disaster workers as the hurricane approached.

Bush now is expected to address the convention tonight via satellite.

Muri said he's been using the extra time to get to know people in Washington's 80-person delegation. There were local meetings on Monday, and the group took a tour of Minneapolis.

A business meeting yesterday that typically would have taken five or six hours was dispatched with in just an hour.

Muri and others enjoyed an hour-long breakfast today with former Sen. Slade Gorton.

"There is more time as a delegation to get to know one another," Muri said.