Puget Sound Liberals Weekly Newsletter #115

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.

 

   2300 members                                                                March 28, 2008                                                                                                                                      

 

 

 

 

                                                     

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                        Table of Contents   * Featured Articles

 

Puget Sound Liberals

About Puget Sound Liberals

Opportunities, Petitions and Feedback

 

Commentaries from Our Members

Cathy Wittel on Why I’m Quitting This Newsletter

Maria Ramirez on Youth Development Programs

Dick Burkhart on Light Rail on SR-520 Bridge

 

Liberals and Democrats Links to the Beef

Our Democratic Presidential Competition

State and Local  Links to the Beef

County Conventions and Platforms

2008 Washington State Legislative Session

Governor Christine Gregoire on Transportation

Dave Upthegrove on Environmental Protection

Brian Weinstein on Consumer Protection & Housing

Ross Hunter on Budgeting

Re-Elect Roger Goodman to defeat Toby Nixon.

Eleven Legislators Leaving Their Seats Open

 

Nation and World  Links to the Beef

We Focused on our State Legislature this Week.

 

Our Liberal Spirit

Robert Service’s poem ‘Michael’

 

 

Recommended Books

 

Our Political Priorities

 

·       Fair Clean 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

·       Justice and Peace Everywhere

·       International Cooperation and Leadership

 

Conservatives oppose all of these

 

     Let’s End Our National Nightmare

 

         Let’s Restore Our American Dream

 

 

More on Conservative opposition to our American Dream

 

See Nancy Pelosi’s political priorities

 

 

 

Quote of the Week

It is well that war is so terrible - otherwise we would grow too fond of it.  

                             Robert E. Lee (1807 - 1870), Statement at the Battle of Fredericksburg (13th December 1862)

 

          More Quotations about War

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calendar of Events

 

King County Democrats - LD Meetings           Some 2008 Legislature Lobby Days

 

Thurston County Progressive Net                 Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation

 

Alliance for Democracy                               Democratic Underground.Com                          

 

Town Hall Seattle Calendar                           Sierra Club Cascade Chapter Calendar          

       

Washington Public Campaigns Calendar         Conversation Cafe

 

Whatcom County Peace and Justice Calendar  Drinking Liberally                                        

 

Wallingford Neighbors for Peace and Justice – Friday Night Movies      Liberal films on PBS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Calendar of Events

 

Friday, March 28-30 at the Vancouver Hilton (301 West 6th Street, Vancouver) – Washington State Young Democrats Convention.  For more and to register.

 

Friday, March 28 at 6:30 PM at Rick Hegdahl’s home (104 - 165th Avenue NE) – Lake Hills Liberals Salon, including Light Buffet and movie ‘Sicko? and discussion.  Bring beverage, fruit, cheese, crackers, etc.

 

Friday, March 28 at 7 PM at King County Library Administration Building (960 Newport Way NW, Issaquah) – movie: Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore? preceded by Senator Eric Oemig discussing Public Campaign Financing.

 

Saturday, March 29 at 9 AM – 4 PM at Bellevue City Hall (450 – 110th Avenue NE, Bellevue) – Political Leadership Training, sponsored by Progressive Majority and other organizations. $15 includes breakfast, lunch and materials.  For more information and to register.

 

Saturday, March 29 at 6:30 PM at Dave and Shamah Gamrath’s home (4310 SW Atlantic, Seattle) – Potluck Social and Discussion.  For more.

 

Thursday, April 3 at 7 PM at University Temple United Methodist Church (1415 NE 43rd Street, Seattle) – A Peace Plan for Iraq by Hans von Sponeck, sponsored by United Nations Association of Seattle, Interfaith Network of Concern for the People of Iraq, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation, Church Council of Greater Seattle, and Northwest International Health Action Coalition.

 

Friday, April 4 at 7 PM at Rainier UU Center (835 Yesler Way, Seattle) – 2 Cartoon Documentaries: The Story of Stuff and Money as Debt preceded by coffee and dessert and followed by discussion.

 

Saturday, April 5 at 10 AM – Legislative District Caucuses.  For more information about King County Districts.

 

Wednesday, April 9 at 7 PM at Wallingford United Methodist Church (2115 North 42nd Street, Seattle) – Father Roy (founder of School of Americas Watch) reports on the struggle for peace in Latin America.

 

Friday, April 11 at 6 PM through Sunday, April 12 at 4 PM at Red Lion Hotel on the Columbia River, Vancouver – NW Regional Conference, Campaign for U.S. Department of Peace.  $50 and up, depending on income.  For more and to register.

 

Saturday, April 12 at 10 PM and Sunday at 11 PM at Washington State Convention and Trade Center (800 Convention Place, Level 4, Seattle) – greenfestival08.

 

Sunday, April 13 at 2 PM at West Seattle High School Gymnasium (3000 California Ave. SW, Seattle) – King County Convention.  For more.

 

Saturday, April 26 at 1:30 PM at the New Everett Theatre (2911 Colby Avenue, Everett) – Forum: Universal Health Care – What Should It Be and How Do We Get It?  League of Women Voters, Health Care for All – Washington, Washington State Council of County and City Employees, Communities of Color Coalition and AAUW, Everett Branch.

 

 

 

 

 

Opportunities, Petitions and Feedback

 

Opportunities

 

See Opportunities for Liberals

Use Senator Barbara Boxers web tools.

 

Order Earth, the Sequel

 


 


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Barbara Rader of Black Widow Web Development created our Puget Sound Liberals Website, to which I can easily add, modify and remove files.  Dave Thomas


 


Petitions and Donations

 

Ask Governor Gregoire to sign complete bills which special interest lobbyists are opposing.

 

Ask your senators to pass the foreclosure prevention act.

 

Join Al Gore in asking our business and government leaders to solve our climate crisis.

 

Ask our presidential candidates to commit to closing the School of the Americas.

 

Feedback

 

Are any of you using our petitions’ list to easily send petitions?

 

Commentaries From Our Members

 

Email from Cathy Wittel on Quitting Our Puget Sound Liberals

 

You are going to need to remove me from your mailing list.  I don't think I can stomach this kind of rhetoric: "The Chinese may have suppressed Buddhists more than necessary."
 
And the Hillary bashing has gotten so old -- you guys might want to think about trying the politics of change or hope -- I know you think that's what you do, but read some of your stuff a little more critically and you may agree it isn't about change at all, just a different voice but the same old worn out message of politics-as-usual. 
 
I think I've read enough and need to spend my time more productively.  Thanks for the trial.  Cathy Wittel

 

Maria Ramirez on Youth Development Programs

 

Dear Friends, it's been a while since my last message to you. In the past few weeks I have traveled to Chicago, Ill, Davenport, Iowa, and Santa Ana, California. I learned about various youth development programs, family support programs, and what successful partnerships look like. Next month I will be in Boston to see what I can learn. I'm going with my son to visit his new school--MIT. I'll check out the k-12 system while I'm there.

Back home in Seattle we are in the midst of recruiting new board members for Campaña Quetzal.  We are in need of leadership in the areas of finance, early learning, health & safety, and technology.  The only requirement is that you are passionate about education and that you commit to making our work a priority in your schedule. Please let me know if you are interested in joining the Campaña Quetzal board. I can send you an application.  Applications are due by the end of this month.  Please consider joining us as we carry out our mission.

I also wanted to let you know that I am chairing a community group that was formed to support the Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center--'Friends of the SBOC'. We are planning an Art Show and Open House for April 19 from 2-5 pm. You will be receiving an invitation soon. The invitation will give you background information on who, what and where the SBOC is.  I hope you can join us.

Please support Publicly Funded Campaigns for Seattle and King County. If you or your group would like to learn more, let me know and I or someone from the campaign can come to your meeting to tell you and your colleagues more about it.

My campaign debt has gone down from $12,500 after the election to about $8,000 ($6,600 in postage and the balance of the printing cost for the mailer). I greatly appreciate inquiries on my debt and the checks continue to get deposited.  If you can help me pay down my debt by the end of this year please send checks to "maria4kids" at 8838 24th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106. No amount is too small. I hope to plan a fun fundraiser for the summer.

Enjoy the spring weather and hug your kids often. María G. Ramírez, Executive Director, Campaña Quetzal 
www.campanaquetzal.org  (206) 218-9650

 

Letter to PI on March 27, 2008 by Dick Burkhart

 

Narrow neighborhood interest not top priority

Light rail on the 520 Bridge? Maybe not now, but we're facing a radically different future. We're just starting to get serious about global warming, what with the first legislative targets for reducing driving. Soaring gas prices are but a taste of the tough times ahead, what with the imminent peaking of world oil production.

 

From this point of view, there are many huge gaps, even in Phase 3 of Sound Transit's projected regional rail system. One of the most obvious gaps is that the planned line from Redmond to Seattle via I-90 needs a branch across the 520 Bridge. This would have a transfer station to the planned north-south line at Husky Stadium. Then it would continue on to Ballard and curve south back to the Seattle Center and downtown.