MEGA MILLIONS SOARS
TO $333 MILLION!

Jackpot now the fourth largest in North American history
OLYMPIA – Sales are so brisk that the Mega Millions jackpot has been raised from $325 million to $333 million for tonight’s drawing. The rise now makes this Mega Millions jackpot the fourth largest in North American history. Mega Millions holds the record for the largest North American jackpot; a record jackpot was set in March of 2007 at $390 million.

A jackpot this high means sales are heating up at Lottery retailers around Washington. Customers are buying tickets all across the state, and ticket sales are becoming more rapid during peak times like noon lunch hours and drive time.

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This just in: The lottery's main spokeswoman, Jacque Coe, is available for interviews. Anyone wanna talk to her?

MEDIA ADVISORY
Mega Millions is at $325 Million; One of the Largest Jackpots in North American history

WHAT: Tickets are selling at a brisk pace for Friday night’s Mega Millions jackpot of $325 million. The jackpot is currently the fourth largest jackpot in North American history and sales are expected to increase as we near Friday’s drawing.

Lottery Communications Director Jacque Coe is available during Friday morning (yes, she’s up and chatty at 4 am) and afternoon drive time and during the day to comment on various elements of the current Mega Millions jackpot, such as:
· Sales Pace
· Record North American jackpots
· Odds
· Office Pools
· Past Washington Winners
WHEN: Friday, August 28th
Please contact Jacque Coe Thursday afternoon to arrange for interview or other elements.

WHO: Jacque Coe, Washington’s Lottery Communications Director.

Coe can also provide a list of media friendly retailers in your area that are available for interviews.

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I made a mistake in the story that appeared in today's News Tribune, in both the print and on-line editions.

There will be a meeting of community leaders this Friday at 4 p.m. in the International House at Pierce College in Lakewood, but it won't be with the consultants who are studying which parts of Washington's prison system should be shut down.

That will come later.

The governor's budget office was surprised to see my story, especially since I said the community would be meeting with them and the consultants (and neither had been notified.)

So, this first meeting is more of a "come together" meet for the locals.

But that next meeting will have to come in a hurry. The deadline for the draft recommendation from the consultants is only 5 weeks away, Oct. 1.

This post comes to us courtesy of Jason Mercier at the Washington Policy Center, who is ever-vigilant when it comes to state contracts, especially those for which there is no competition.

Former state Rep. Bill Fromhold, D-Vanvouver, is getting a $69,000 contract to do some work for state schools that only he can do. Why else would it be a sole source contract?

STATE OF WASHINGTON
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
LEGAL NOTICE
SOLE SOURCE ADVERTISEMENT

Legislation was enacted in 2009 (ESHB 2261) that identifies a framework and timeline for developing and implementing a new financing method for schools that meet the constitutional requirements of the state. As a result, OSPI contemplates awarding a sole source contract to Capitol Solutions for a 12-month period to provide expert legislative assistance regarding state and federal legislation affecting OSPI in such key areas as education, financial resources, and budget development in both the capital and operating budget arenas.

Mr. Bill Fromhold, dba, Capitol Solutions, has the necessary expertise to assist OSPI with the time-sensitive and complex work required as a result of ESHB 2261.

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This comes to us courtesy of our friends in public relations. PEMCO Insurance did a poll in June of this year that found that text-messaging is on the rise.

It's like Prohibition: There's nothing like a ban to make something really popular -- or so it seems.

Washington made texting while driving a secondary offenses, which means drivers have to be caught doing something else wrong before they'll ever get a ticket for text messaging. (I suspect the odds of dying while text-message are greater than the likelihood of getting a ticket.)

The PEMCO poll showed 70 percent of drivers think text-messaging should be a primary offense. On the other hand, only 58 percent think talking on a cell phone while holding it in your hand should be a primary offense. (That also is a secondary offense today.)

Two years ago, 65 percent of people thought talking on a cell phone should be a primary offense. What does that tell you? To me, it says a lot of people are thinking about the tickets they COULD HAVE GOTTEN if it already were a primary offense. Hence, the greater degree of acceptance. But that's just me.

Texting-While-Driving Doubles in 18 Months Among Washington Drivers

SEATTLE, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire/ ‹ A poll by PEMCO Insurance reveals that the practice of reading and sending text messages while driving has more than doubled in the past 18 months, even while an increasing number of drivers believe the activity is unsafe.

The poll, taken in June 2009 shows that 18 percent of Washington drivers who use electronic devices admit to reading or sending text messages while driving, although University of Utah research suggests such behavior increases the likelihood of accidents eight-fold. Only six percent of respondents using electronic devices admitted to texting behind the wheel in February 2008.

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We've reconfigured the state's biennial salary study into a searchable database. It allows you to search by name, by title and by agency and then sort by pay amount. Check it out here.

Among general government workers in Washington, Joe Dear ranked second with a salary of $223,110. Dear was executive director of the state Investment Board until his departure in March.

And you'll understand why he left when you see the salary he got from CalPERS, the California state pension fund. His base salary jumped to $475,000 a year, but there were provisions in Dear's contract with California that could boost his total annual pay to about $800,000.

Even at that, he still makes less than a decent college football coach. Go figure.

Speaking of which, here is thecontract for UW football coach Steve Sarkisian. His base salary is only $300,000 so he didn't make the Top 10 anywhere. But as you can see, his total compensation is about $1.25 million or so. And it grows in future years.

TOP 10 SALARIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION
1. Elson Floyd, president, Washington State University: $625,000.
2. Mark Emmert, president, University of Washington: $620,004.
3. Johnese M. Spisso, vice president, University of Washington: $$515,196.
4. Bill Doba, former WSU head football coach: $494,960.
5. Don Miller, non-tenured UW professor: $466,548
6. Lorenzo Romar, UW basketball coach: $412,020.
7. Phyllis Wise, UW Provost: $409,896.
8. Nick Vedder, non-tenured UW professor: $375,000.
9. Bruce Ferguson, UW assistant vice president-provost: $373,632
10. Ruth Mahan, UW director: $370,272.

Here is a link to my earlier post, with all kinds of other stuff about state salaries.

TOP 10 SALARIES IN GENERAL GOVERNMENT
1. Gary Bruebaker, chief investment officer, Investment Board: $300,132.
2. Joe Dear, executive director, Investment Board: $223,110.
3. Steven Draper, William Kennett, Philip Paroian, Thomas Ruggels, all senior investment officers, Investment Board: $220,764.
4. Diana Will, senior investment officer, Investment Board: $194,244.
5. Asha Singh, superintendent, Department of Social and Health Services: $182,784.
6. Theresa Whitmarsh, senior investment officer, Investment Board: $181,056.
7. G.S. Hammond, clinical program administrator, Department of Corrections: $174,780.
8. Matt Smith, State Actuary: $173,856.
9. Kamaljit Floura, medical assistant superintendent, Social and Health Services: $173,280.
10. Gary Franklin, medical director, Department of Labor and Industries: $172,764.

Look it up. Technically, it's Elson Floyd, president of Washington State University. But I don't have much confidence in the figures that the state is putting out because I can't tell how much the salary numbers have been "massaged."

Floyd's annual pay was $725,000 a year ago, but he gave back $100,000, so now it's $625,000. (On the other hand, he had gotten a $125,000 pay raise in August 2008, so he gave back most, but not all, of it.)

Floyd's "base pay" is $625,000, but for total compensation, University of Washington president Mark Emmert tops $900,000 and UW football coach Steve Sarkisian gets more than $1 million, altogether.

The report is supposed to be the "base salary" for state workers as of January of this year. So a lot of the "other compensation" has been omitted. Here's a link to Frequently Asked Questions about the salary stuff.

UW Husky coach Steve Sarkisian is on the College List at No. 37 with a $300,000 salary. But that doesn't count all the TV and radio shows and his living quarters, etc.

Wazzu is paying 2 football coaches this year. Bill Doba gets $494,960 because he still has a year left on his contract, said OFM spokesman Glenn Kuper. Paul Wulff, the new coach, appears to be making $287,496 a year, if you add both elements of his salary in the database. He wasn't even listed in the Top 100. But he undoubtedly would be if all of his compensation were included.

Here are the Top 100 for higher education workers and for everybody else in state government.

Below is a story written by The Associated Press back in November 2008, when Floyd and UW president Mark Emmert turned down pay raises for 2009. You'll notice that Emmert's pay was about $905,000 then, yet he's on the books in January 2009 at only $620,004. That figure doesn't include his car allowance for the year or his $250,000 a year in deferred compensation.

Here is a link to the Office of Financial Management site and its very, very tardy report on state worker salaries. (The report usually comes out Jan. 31 in odd-numbered years. But this year, the governor's budget office spent no less than SEVEN months verifying all the salary information because they didn't want to embarrass any state worker by overstating his or her salary.)

University presidents take less pay
Washington State University's president takes a $100,000 salary cut and University of Washington's president forgoes a raise.

By Donna Gordon Blankinship; The Associated Press

Saturday,November 22, 2008
Edition: SOUTH SOUND, Section: Front Page, Page A01
A few days after a national report on the salaries of college presidents showed the leaders of the University of Washington and Washington State University are among the best paid in the nation, both men announced they would be taking voluntary pay cuts.

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That's the word from the Secretary of State's office, and those election folks are the ones who should know.

I got an e-mail on behalf of a candidate, someone who thought candidates were being unfairly (and illegally) denied access to homes in gated communities and could not doorbell. Her e-mail is below, but I deleted her name. She was well-meaning, but wrong.

Hi Joe,
Can you print some information for the public regarding the legal right of candidates to enter gated communities to campaign.
It would be useful to the great number of non-partisan candidates running this year.
I know there is precedent on this issue, but some people get very mean and threatening.
Thanks for your help.

…and no, this is not for me, it’s for others less experienced and the people who live out in the south county in all these new gated places.
Thanks!

Here is the official word from state election folks:

Joe,

Gated communities are private property. We don't know of any basis on
which candidates can demand to enter private property, even for purposes of campaigning.

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This just in...

Washington’s unemployment rate dipped in July

OLYMPIA – Washington’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 9.1 percent in July, down from June’s revised rate of 9.2 percent, according to the state Employment Security Department.

The state gained an estimated 4,000 non-agricultural jobs over the month, seasonally adjusted.

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Of course, those meetings on Wednesday and Thursday will be closed to the public, but at least we know there are happening, right?

The commission is looking to replace Jeff Koenings, who announced his resignation way back in December 2008. Here is The Olympian story on his departure (ouster?).

Naturally, the commissioners will be looking for a replacement who can balance the needs and desires of the sports fishermen, commercial fisherwomen and the tribes. Of course, that's impossible, but they will look for that person, nonetheless.

WASHINGTON FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION
SPECIAL MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

August 19-20, 2009

The Commission has called a special meeting to interview candidates for the Department Director position. The public is not permitted to attend the interviews, which will be conducted during executive session. The public portions of this meeting will be recorded and the audio will be posted on the Internet by the day after adjournment. To listen to the audio afterwards, visit our website at: www.wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings.html

For additional information, contact the Commission Office at (360) 902-2267

This is one of your larger cases, as the state Department of Revenue pointed out.

This guy allegedly kept almost all the sales tax he collected for five years on about $10 million worth of work.

Marysville Drywaller Charged with Tax Fraud

Everett, Wash., Aug. 17, 2009 — The owner of Marysville-based Master’s Touch Drywall was charged today with stealing nearly all the sales tax he collected on jobs between 2003 and 2008.

Mark D. Standley, 53, was charged in Snohomish County Superior Court with multiple felony counts of first-degree theft, and filing false tax returns.

Standley is accused of reporting less than one half of one percent of more than $10 million in gross revenue he generated on drywall jobs between 2003 and 2008, and remitting to the state less than $3,000 of the nearly $855,000 in sales tax he collected from customers on those projects.

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