Puget Sound Liberals Weekly Newsletter #75

Enhancing Freedom, Opportunity and Cooperation in Puget Sound and Beyond

Through informing and networking Liberals and Liberal Organizations.

Our vision is hundreds of thousands of well-informed Puget Sound Liberals working together.

Calendar of Events

Friday, June 22 at 6:30 PM at Ann Rolio’s home (16109 SE 5^th Street) – Lake Hills Liberals Salon, including a Hawaiian gourmet barbecue, preceded at 5 PM by picketing at 156^th and Lake Hills Blvd. Bring Our Troops Home Alive and similar signs provided. RSVP to davthom@att.net.

Sunday, June 24^th at 1 - 5 PM at Pigott Auditorium, Seattle University (Marian Street and 12^th Avenue) – Panel: Our Constitution in Crisis: A Call to Action. Sponsored by Eastside Fellowship of Reconciliation, Washington for Impeachment and 12 other groups

Tuesday, June 26 at 6 PM at the Westin Hotel (1900 – 5^th Avenue, Seattle) – Reception for Howard Dean. $50. RSVP.

Tuesday, June 26 at 7 PM at University Heights Center Room 110 (5031 University Way NE, Seattle) – What Happened to Election Reform? A discussion with 45^th LD Senator Eric Oemig and Marcee Stone of Washington Public Finance

June 22, 2007

Table of Contents *** featured articles

Puget Sound Liberals

About Puget Sound Liberals

Liberals and Democrats

Bench Marks for Democrats ***

Best Practices for Democrats ***

Nation and World

Ending Our National Nightmare ***

Links to Interesting Current News

Our Liberal Spirit

When was our World Created

Recommended Books

Al Gore, 2007, The Assault on Reason

Lake Hills Liberals

Vigiling to Bring Our Troops Home Alive

Quote of the Week

The higher the technology, the more it’s like magic.

Our Political Priorities

· Fair Elections and Open Government

· Fair Taxes and Competent Spending

· Investment for Productivity

· Quality Health, Education, Jobs, Income and Retirement

· Environmental Protection and Energy Independence

· Personal Security and Equal Rights

· International Cooperation and Leadership

Conservatives oppose all of these.

Recommendations

· Darcy Burner for U.S. Congress, 8^th District

· Keith Scully for King County Prosecutor

· King County Parks Levies #1 and #2

· Alec Fisken for Seattle Port Commission

· Both Gael Tarleton and Jack Block, Jr. for Port

Commission against their incumbent opponent

· Brad Larssen for King County Council #6

· Holly Plackett for Redmond Mayor

· Brian Conlin for Redmond City Council #3

· Richard Cole for Redmond City Council #5

· Jessica Greenway for Kirkland City Council #4

· Keri Andrews for Bellevue City Council

· Josh Schaer for Issaquah City Council

· Dana Stober for Kent City Council, Position 3.

· Support Our Grocery Workers

· Save Our Renton-Snohomish Rail Line

Liberals and Democrats

Bench Marks for Democrats

The ‘I have a dream’ commentary was created and reported several weeks ago in response to Jeff Smith’s suggestion that I express directions for our Democratic party. Then Jeff suggested that benchmarks should be created to measure progress in reaching these objectives. In our workplaces, work units and employees often make plans, set goals and establish benchmarks for measuring their achievement. Shouldn’t our candidates, party officials, county and legislative district organizations act similarly to our workplaces?

These benchmarks may be varyingly applied by our legislators; state, county and legislative districts, precinct clusters and precincts. The intent is to encourage progress toward better scores. By focusing attention on what strategies are successful, these may be widely adopted. The first attempt at creating benchmarks is reported below. I welcome your comments and suggested revisions.

1. Washington State Benefits from Realizing Our Priorities

I dream that supported by our national government, Washington Democrats make great progress in realizing our mainstream liberal priorities.

· Fair Elections and Open Government

· Fair Taxes and Competent Spending

· Investment for Productivity

· Quality Health, Education, Jobs, Income and Retirement

· Environmental Protection and Energy Independence

· Personal Security and Equal Rights

· International Cooperation and Leadership

Benchmarks

· What liberal legislation toward realizing our priorities have our legislators supported and what have they opposed?

· What conservative legislation which obstructs our priorities have our legislators supported and what have they opposed?

2. The Washington State Republican Party Is Eliminated

I dream that unable to elect anyone to any national, state or local office in Washington, the Republican Party ceases to exist as a viable political entity. Conservative values are in disrepute.

Benchmarks

· What proportion of our votes goes to Democrats?

· What proportion of our legislators are Democrats?

· What proportion of our officers in local school and special districts and caring organizations are potential Democratic candidates for state offices?

· To what extent are these proportions increasing?

3. Likely Democrats Are Identified and Voting

I dream that 90% of our more than 2 million likely Democratic voters (both Liberal Democrats and Liberal Independents) have been identified, are in a continually updated database, with most of them stimulated to vote.

Benchmarks

· What proportions of our likely Democrats voters have been identified? (Use 2004 Kerry votes as indicator of number of likely Democratic voters)

· How recently has our database been updated?

· For what proportions of our likely Democratic voters, have their contact data been shared with all of our candidates?

· How often have they been contacted to remind them to vote for our Democratic candidates?

· What proportions of our identified likely Democratic voters have been identified as active Democratic supporters?

4. Canvassing Teams Identify Voters and Supporters

I dream that in each legislative district, clusters of precincts have been identified, with teams recruited and trained to ensure that their clusters are places where Democrats thrive and multiply. These teams canvass to identify 90% of likely Democratic voters and identify 30% of these as active Democratic supporters. These teams stimulate these likely Democratic voters to vote. They stimulate active Democratic supporters to become involved in civic and political activities.

Benchmarks

· Have precinct clusters been defined?