Eleven states are electing governors next month. According to this article by the Associated Press and posted on the New York Times Web site, the economy is ''going to be the No. 1 reason someone keeps their job or loses it,'' said Del Ali, who has conducted polls in several governors' races.

The article mentions our very own grudge match between Gov. Chris Gregoire and Dino Rossi.

In Washington, GOP challenger Dino Rossi is criticizing Gov. Christine Gregoire over the state's projected budget deficit of as much as $3.2 billion. The two are locked in a rematch of their razor-thin 2004 race, which Gregoire won by 133 votes after two recounts and a lawsuit. The economy was a top issue at two debates this month, and both candidates are scrambling to take advantage of the crisis.

''In the past four years of Gregoire's administration, she has left us with piles of debt, higher taxes and rising unemployment,'' Rossi said.

Responds Gregoire: ''I saw this national economic crisis brewing and fought for the rainy day fund and a budget surplus.'' Earlier this week, Gregoire announced cuts that she says could cut the deficit to $1.7 billion.

As tough as it may be for Gregoire to counter Rossi's drumbeat of criticism for a projected $3.2 billion shortfall, at least she didn't use estimates from investment bank Lehman Brothers to propose leasing the state lottery to a private entity, as Vermont's Republican Gov. Jim Douglas did last year.

Before Lehman Brothers went bankrupt.

The state Public Disclosure Commission sends out periodic "flash" reports on campaign news, generally on Friday. Former Washington Gov. Booth Gardner, who sponsored I-1000, and his supporters have better than a 3-1 advantage over opponents in fundraising.

Lots of interesting historical facts, too. Like the $6 million for the sports stadium. (That was mostly Paul Allen's money.)

Here's the latest one:

Money has flooded the campaign for Initiative 1000 this year. The committees’ next reporting deadline is Tuesday, October 14. Tuesday is also the start of the final three weeks leading up to the election – contributions are limited to $5,000 from one source in the last three weeks and the each committee must report within 48 hours if anyone gives $1,000 or more.

Here are the latest amounts received by all 2008 initiative campaigns:

PRO
Yes on I-1000............................$2,647,377
Compassion & Choices WA Initiative PAC......627,500
TOTAL....................................$3,274,877

CON
Coalition Against Assisted Suicide......$874,448

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The Pierce County voter's guide arrived in my mailbox Thursday. The state will be sending out its pamphlet starting Monday.

There are now a record 3,548,474 active registered voters in the state, as of today.

Some voter's pamphlets will be in English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Korean.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2008

State Voters’ Pamphlet to be mailed soon

OLYMPIA – Secretary of State Sam Reed today announced that the 2008 State General Election Voters’ Pamphlet, Washington’s most complete elections guide, soon will arrive in mailboxes across the state.

“The Voters’ Pamphlet is a useful and valuable tool for our state’s voters as they get ready to take part in this very important and highly anticipated election,” Reed said. “This year, 37 of Washington’s 39 counties are voting entirely by mail. The Voters’ Pamphlet helps people to make an informed choice as they mark their ballots.”

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The Republican Governors Association apparently wasn't fazed by the group of prosecutors and law enforcement types who denounced their attack ads yesterday.

The group, led by Pierce County deputy prosecutor Mark Lindquist, said the ads accusing Gov. Chris Gregoire of losing track of 1,300 sex offenders are false and misleading, and are aimed at scaring people. They called on gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi to ask the RGA to pull the ads (if you haven't seen one, they're avaialbe at www.onherwatch.com) from the air.

Not only is the RGA not pulling its TV ads, but now it's mailing fliers to voters with the names and faces of six sex offenders they say are "lost."

At least one Pierce County man is on the list: Leon Robert Harshman.

I checked The News Tribune archives and found that we last wrote about Harshman on Dec. 25, 2007. He was one of three sex offenders mentioned in an article under the headline "Sex felons register in Pierce County." Here's an excerpt of what we published:

Leon R. Harshman

Age: 46.

Description: 5 feet 11 inches tall, 200 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Where registered to live: Transient in Tacoma.

Criminal history: Convicted in 1988 of second-degree rape in Pierce County after he sexually assaulted a woman he knew.

Sex offender treatment: Participated in the treatment program while in prison.

Other information: Because he's homeless, Harshman must check in with the Sheriff's Department every week until he finds a fixed address.

For more information: Call Tacoma police detective Fuller at 253-591-5989.

According to the RGA press release, the other names on the flier are:

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The Family Policy Institute of Washington says it's going to hand out its voter guides at churches and other places to let people know "where the candidates stand on issues like abortion on demand, gay marriage, the estate tax, off-shore drilling and embryonic stem cell research."

Off-shore drilling? The estate tax?

I can see how the other issues would fall under the broad category of "the values that honor families and promote life," but drilling for oil doesn't seem to fit in. The estate tax also seems to be a bit of an outlier.

All of which makes the bold-faced sentence below pretty ironic.

"Corporate Responsibility: McDonald's has notified the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce that they will resign their board membership and stay "neutral" on the gay-marriage issue. In a recent email that was sent out by McDonald's corporate officials, they finally admitted that they "needed to stick with serving good food products in a convenient way, at a good price." What a novel idea! McDonald's should stay in the business of fast-food and stay out of the business of family values."

Dear Joe,

COMING TO A CHURCH NEAR YOU: FPIW 2008 VOTER GUIDES!
Next week the 2008 voter guides will be complete and ready for distribution. If you have not already signed up to get copies for your church, then today is your day.

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