Our Lisa Brown is Senate Majority Leader. The other Lisa Brown just got appointed to Barack Obama's staff.

And I know this only because I got an e-mail from an organization I had never heard of -- until five minutes ago.

The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) is pleased to announce that President-elect Barack Obama has chosen ACS Executive Director Lisa Brown as White House Staff Secretary.

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Victor Moore, budget director for Gov. Chris Gregoire, has told all of the universities and colleges, as well as all state agencies to show him what their budgets would look like if they had to cut them by 20 percent.

I asked Moore's office for the memo, but I'm told he made the request over the phone and at a cabinet meeting. (I still think there's an e-mail to be found somewhere, but maybe I'll pursue that later.)

Moore actually asked for the budget scenarios before the revenue forecast indicated tax collections probably will be $2 billion lower over the next 31 months. Now, they really do need to look at cuts that deep, at least for some agencies.

My colleague, Rich Roesler over at The (Spokane) Spokesman Review, has a good take on some of the details of the higher ed stuff on his blog, Eye on Olympia.

Good thing the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council doesn't have a "shoot the messenger" policy, or newly hired Arun Raha wouldn't have lasted beyond his first ever forecast.

Raha had the unhappy task of informing legislators and the governor's cabinet that tax collections are expected to plunge by nearly $2 billion over the next 31 months. That will help produce a budget shortfall upwards of $5 billion.

When the press releases were being handed Wednesday just a few minutes before the 10 a.m. meeting, I saw the precipitous revenue drop and told Raha that his predecessor, ChangMook Sohn, had earned the nickname of "Dr. Doom" because of his conservative and often gloomy forecasts. I told Raha he was at risk of earning a similar nickname.

Before Raha could say much, Dr. Kriss Sjoblom, vice president for research for the Washington Research Council, who was standing within earshot blurted out, "Doom and Doomer."

Pray the nickname doesn't stick, Arun.

State Republican Party Chairman Luke Esser says he’s “increasingly alarmed” by reports he’s getting from party observers at the Pierce County Elections Center. In an e-mail to Secretary of State Sam Reed, Esser has asked that someone from Reed’s office monitor vote counting here, citing “disturbing and repeated episodes which have turned the Pierce County observation process into a meaningless exercise.”

Republican observers cite restrictions on their movement that they believe violates state law. They say they have not been able to fully observe signature checking, ballot evaluation for voter intent, ballot remaking and provisional ballot checking, among other things.

The backdrop: a close county executive race that pits Democratic Auditor Pat McCarthy (who oversees elections) vs. Republican Shawn Bunney.

You can read Esser’s e-mail Secretary of State Sam Reed below. It includes first-hand report from Republican Party observers at the elections center.

From: Luke Esser, Chairman
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 1:51 PM
To: sreed@secstate.wa.gov
Cc: sexcell@secstate.wa.gov
Subject: Request for SOS Monitoring of Pierce County Election Activities

Dear Secretary Reed,

I have become increasingly alarmed at the reports forwarded to me by Republican elections observers in Pierce County over the last two weeks. Following is a memo by one of our observers that thoroughly addresses disturbing and repeated episodes which have turned the Pierce County observation process into a meaningless exercise. In light of these concerns, I am requesting that someone from the Secretary of State's office monitor activities at the Pierce County Elections Center between now and the time of certification to provide independent oversight and assurances of a transparent elections process. If party observers are not afforded a meaningful opportunity to observe, then direct action by the Secretary of State's Office is surely warranted.

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This comes to us courtesy of our friends at The Associated Press. Rodgers, who used to be just Cathy McMorris when she was in the state House, appears to moving up the ranks in the minority Republican caucus in the U.S. House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state has been elected vice chair of the House Republican Conference.
In her new role, McMorris Rodgers will work with House Minority Leader John Boehner and other GOP leaders to approve GOP committee assignments, manage floor debates and develop the party’s communications strategy.
McMorris Rodgers, of Spokane, easily won re-election to a third term this month.
At a news conference Wednesday, she said the party’s actions over the next two years will determine how long Republicans remain in the minority in Congress. She said the party must broaden its appeal and reach out to women, minorities and young people.

Republican Shawn Bunney is asking supporters to help pay for a possible recount in the Pierce County executive’s race.

In an e-mail this morning, Bunney says the race may come down to a recount, “but only with help from my friends.”

“The election isn’t over, and I need your help to keep it alive,” Bunney writes.

Last Friday’s ranked choice voting results show Democrat Pat McCarthy clinging to a narrow lead over Bunney – 50.65 percent to 49.35 percent. They are separated by about 3,400 votes.

Under state law, there would be an automatic recount if the candidates are separated by fewer than 2,000 votes and by less than one half of one percent of the total ballots cast for both candidates. Based on results so far, there would be no automatic recount.

However, Bunney could still request a recount. He’d just have to pay for it. Thus the fund-raising appeal.

The auditor’s office won’t run ranked choice voting results again until Friday. The election is scheduled to be certified on Tuesday.

Update: I just spoke with Charla Neuman, a Bunney campaign spokeswoman. She said there probably won't be a decision made about whether to request an recount until after Friday's results are released.

"I know that everyone is looking at `just in case' scenarios," Neuman said.

Here’s the full text of Bunney’s e-mail.

From: Shawn Bunney
Reply-To:
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:36:11 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Recount?

Yes, a RECOUNT!

That's what it might come down to.

Last Friday the Pierce County Executive election results were run and the difference in the number of votes between me and my leading opponent was barely over one percentage point.

The election is still too close to call.

This may come down to a recount, but only with help from my friends.

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It actually may be larger than that because I'm just adding the additional $1.9 billion revenue shortfall to the previous projected deficit of $3.2 billion.

That $1.9 billion shortfall was the news delivered just a few moments ago by Arun Raha, the state's new chief economist. He told members of the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council, which met at 10 a.m. today in Olympia.

UPDATE: Read beyond the "more" to get the governor's budget office's, Sen. Joe Zarelli's and Rep. Ed Orcutt's takes on things.

In addition to lower than expected tax collections over the next 2 and 1/2 years, demand on state spending also is on the rise. Last week, the state Caseload Forecast Council reported that it is raising its forecast for public school enrollment by an additional 10,000 students during the 2009-11 biennium because it expects at least 7,000 private school students to transfer to state schools in light of the recession.

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