U.S. Rep. Adam Smith spoke to Tacoma Rotary 8 this noontime and deflected praise for how he handled two recent town hall meetings.

Unlike some of his congressional colleagues, Smith kept to his August recess town hall schedule even after some meetings elsewhere were disrupted by citizens angry about the health care reform issue.

Tuesday he spoke to and listened to 2,500 at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood.

Smith said it is a member of Congress's job to listen to constituents. And he said it was wrong for some members of Congress to ridicule and condemn those who were passionate – and sometimes rude – at these meetings.

"It doesn't do my profession any good to make fun of people," Smith said, specifically referencing a YouTube video in which U.S. Rep. Barney Frank asks a constituent "On what planet do you spend most of your time?"

"You have to take all comers," Smith said. "If you don't ... find something else to do for a living."

But the Tacoma Democrat acknowledges the level of feelings on the health care debate.

"When I was first elected, I did a town hall meeting in Lacey and one person showed up," he said. "We've gone from one to 2,500. Times have changed."

A big crowd is expected to attend tonight's town hall meeting at Harry Lang Stadium.

In fact the high number of RSVPs is why it was moved to the stadium on the campus of Clover Park High School from a smaller room.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. and runs until 8:30. Smith's staff reports that more than 1,000 have called to RSVP. Harry Lang Stadium seats about 5,000.

Here is the blurb on U.S. Rep. Adam Smith's webpage:

Town Hall Meeting

The August 25th town hall has changed locations. The event will now be held at Harry Lang Stadium (6615 111th St SW, Lakewood, WA 98499) and will still take place from 7:00pm - 8:30pm.

If you plan to attend, please let my office know by calling (253) 593-6600. Please be aware that, due to the large amount of interest in this event, we cannot guarantee entrance to anyone.

U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, not normally a fan of townhall meetings, has scheduled two to discuss with constituents the proposed changes to the health care system.

Neither, however, will be in Pierce County.

According to the congressman's website, he will host both meeting on Monday, August 31. The first will be in the Commons Building at Fort Warden State Park near Port Townsend beginning at 4 p.m. The second will be at the Kitsap Conference Center in Bremerton at 7:30 p.m..

"These sessions will offer an opportunity for constituents to express opinions about issues on the congressional agenda, helping Norm to do his job as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives," the website says.

Maybe all this is of interest only to education insiders but there's more today on Washington state's potential for scoring more education stimulus money from the Obama Administration.

In addition to the cash already doled out, the administration set aside $5.3 billion worth of carrots to states that start reforming their schools. The feds want new data systems to measure student progress, systems to make sure each classroom has a competent teacher trained in the subject matter, adoption of high standards and a plan to turn around the lowest performing schools. Obama also wants states to offer charter schools as an option to traditional schools.

A complex set of application criteria is coming out of Washington, D.C. and education officials are trying gauge whether their states will make the cut.

Gov. Chris Gregoire said earlier in the summer that Washington hasn't done enough yet to be eligible. While passage of House Bill 2261 was a good start, much of the reform work is yet to be done.

Then the League of Education Voters issued a report saying the state has done plenty toward reforms and should apply. That caused state Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn to issue a statement saying that he has always intended to apply for money.

Here's his statement:

From: Randy I. Dorn, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Re: Race to the Top money

A recent editorial by The Everett Herald as well as a report by the League of Education Voters might have created some confusion that I want to clear up.

Washington will be applying for Race to the Top money.
The exact requirements needed to receive the money have yet to be announced. But, as I’ve said many times before, we are confident about our chances based on what we’ve heard from the U.S. Department of Education.

While Washington voters have said no to charter schools, this state features many schools that are similar to the charter school philosophy, such as Aviation High School in Des Moines and the Tacoma School of The Arts. We have a system in National Board Certification that is more popular every year and rewards teachers for additional work. Our new data system tracks students by year and by class, our standards are top-notch and our assessment system is one just a dozen fully approved by the federal government.

Second, there is no penalty for applying. We’ve been told that all applications will be reviewed carefully, and applicants will be informed of where they fell short if they don’t receive money in the first round.

The application is due in the fall. When we have more details, we’ll make them available to you.

About 60 or so folks from MoveOn.org are out in front of The News Tribune building, showing their support for health care reform.

Here is the message they sent out earlier to rally the troops.

Join us at the office of the Tacoma News Tribune to deliver personal Letters to the Editor about the need for a REAL Public Health Insurance Option. Our representatives are currently home for their August break and it is vital we make som...(more)e publicity especially for Maria Cantwell. She is a major voice on the Senate Finance Committee. If you can, bring signs!

Over 50 people demonstrating in favor of the "Public Option" in the nation's health care debate stand behind David Winchester, Coordinator of MoveOn Tacoma Council, as he delivered letters in support of the issue at the front desk of The News Tribune, Monday. Peter Haley / The News Tribune

Nothing official has come from U.S. Rep. Brian Baird's office but several Democratic organizations are recruiting people to show up to the Cowlitz Event Expo in Longview tomorrow at 2 p.m. for a meeting with U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell.

Organizing for America, the successor to Barack Obama's on-line campaign, includes an invite on its website, even including a means for RSVPing for the event.

"Our representatives are under attack by Washington insiders, insurance companies, and well-financed special interests who don't go a day without spreading lies and stirring up fear," is the message on the website. "We need to show that we're sick and tired of it, and that we're ready for real change, this year.

"Please come to the event, and make sure that the most powerful voices in this debate are those calling for real reform.

"Please try to arrive by noon; space is available on a first-come, first-served basis."

Another e-mail was sent to members of the public employees union, AFSCME.

The irony is that supporters of health care reform have accused opponents of manufacturing "grassroots" opposition – dubbed Astroturf. But this event seems intent on urging organized groups to come and and give grassroots support for reform.

Baird has said that he won't schedule town halls during this August congressional recess because other such meetings have been met with rowdy and sometimes hostile crowds opposed to the health care bills.

Now it gets even more curious: Eli Zupnick, one of Murray's spokesmen, says the event has been scheduled for some time to hear the recommendations of the Mount St. Helens Commission. While it is open to the public, the purpose is to listens to members of the commission which was charged with making recommendations about national monument status for the volcano.

Zupnick said he was unaware of the web posting by Organizing for America.

A Washington, D.C., think tank thinks highly of two Puget Sound region efforts to capitalize on the federal economic stimulus package.

In a new report, the Brookings Institution is generally critical of the federal stimulus effort, calling it a rigid plan that stifles creativity. But it cites 11 projects nationwide as possible models for future metropolitan economic development.

Among them:

• Government and utility officials from four Puget Sound-area counties (including Pierce County) are trying to get federal funding for long-term energy sustainability measures like “smart” electric grids and electrified transportation. You can download a Brookings snapshot of the effort here.

• The Puget Sound Regional Council took a lead role in facilitating a regional approach to secure federal stimulus dollars for transportation and other projects. You can download the Brookings description of the effort here.

I missed this morning's meeting of GMAP (Government Management Accountability and Performance). It was at 8:30 a.m. and I guess I don't check the governor's Web site often enough.

But others were there.

Jason Mercier of the Washington Policy Council has this post today.

It's worth reading. There are some good tidbits.

This just in from the National Conference of State Legislatures:

Our former governor, Gary Locke, who is now U.S. Commerce Secretary, will be the featured speaker tomorrow at the Legislative Summit in Philadelphia. He'll be talking about the "next steps" in the economic recovery plan to about 5,000 legislators and staffers.

Locke, as many of you know, used to be one of them. He was the consummate budget wonk when he was a legislator from Seattle.

State Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, chairwoman of the Senate Transportation Committee, will be in the audience. Not sure how many other Washington state folks are there. I think the state House and Senate stopped paying for that kind of travel, although they would pay for registration. And some Washington legislators could be traveling on their own or with the help of another "sponsor."

White House Brings Message to State Legislators
Commerce Secretary to discuss trade, 2010 Census, smart grid

PHILADELPHIA – In just the first six months of the new administration, the White House has worked with state legislatures to address the most pressing issues affecting states—budget shortfalls, rising unemployment, increased Medicaid enrollment and a rise in welfare case loads. In February, President Barack Obama signed the sweeping $787 billion stimulus package that provided much-needed assistance to states.

Now, state lawmakers attending the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Legislative Summit in Philadelphia will hear an update on Thursday from Washington on the next steps for economic recovery from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke.

=> Read more!

Rep. Mark Ericks, D-Bothell, who is vice chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has been nominated to become U.S. Marshal in Western Washington.

Ericks was Bothell police chief.

When the Republicans were in charge of the White House, then-state Rep. Eric Robertson, R-Buckley, got that same job. Robertson was a Washington State Patrol captain at the time.

UPDATE: (12:20 p.m.) Just got a "correction" on Eric's current job from a certain City Council candidate who is in the same line of work so he ought to know.

Joe,
Eric is the Administrator for Valley Regional Fire Authority. The fire department is the combination of Auburn, Pacific and Algona into a regional fire authority.

Keven Rojecki
Legislative Liaison
Washington State Council of Fire Fighters
1069 Adams Street Southeast
Olympia, WA 98501

Caroline Robertson, an Olympia lobbyist and wife of Eric, probably will call me to fill me in.

Here is Jerry Cornfield's story in The (Everett) Herald. Jerry reported it first in Sunday's paper.

This morning's Seattle Times carried this story about Sen. Maria Cantwell's inquiry into the case of Ernesto Gamboa, a Salvadoran national who is being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at its Tideflats jail.

Gamboa is no ordinary illegal immigrant.

Ernesto Gamboa had worked undercover with law enforcement on major national and international drug investigations that resulted in more than 90 federal convictions. All along, he'd hoped his work as an informant might earn him a kind of legal status the federal government extends to illegal immigrants who assist law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting crimes.

But ICE arrested the 43-year-old last week for being in the country illegally. Cantwell plans to discuss the case with an ICE official.

"At this point she plans to raise the point: Did the government make some mistakes; could we take another look at his case?" said Cantwell spokeswoman Ciaran Clayton.

Here's an earlier Times story on Gamboa.

Just got a call from Jamie Swift, one of the spokesmen for the state Department of Transportation in Pierce County. He said later today, DOT will announce that a contract has been awarded to build carpool lanes on Interstate 5 between the Port of Tacoma interchange and the King County line.

This is the project that will use most of the $70 million in federal economic stimulus money for transportation projects in Pierce County. It was one of those projects that was pretty much "shovel ready" because the state DOT was going to use state funds to do this project this biennium. As it works out, federal money will pay for this project and the state funds for this project will be shifted to the second half of the Nalley Valley Viaduct project.

That project was facing a two-year delay -- until the 2013-15 time frame -- under the governor's budget proposal. But after we got assurance of the federal funds, the eastbound Nalley Valley project was put back on the Legislature's schedule. It will be done in 2011-13.

Also, the way contractors have been competing for projects, I'm expecting the DOT to announce that the bid for the I-5 carpool was well below the DOT engineers' estimate.

UPDATE: (3:10 p.m.) Here is the DOT news release. Tri-State's bid amount of $31,095,383.05 is about 25 percent below estimated cost, continuing a trend directly linked to tough economic times.

=> Read more!