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on Conservative opposition to our American Dream Washington State’s 4 Major Needs Federal Funding for Health
and Education ·
A
Progressive Income Tax ·
Replacing
Republican Legislators Quote of the Week We are the ones we have been waiting for. June Jordan, Sweet Honey in
the Rock, Alice
Walker, and Barack
Obama (video). Also
see Alice Walker’s endorsement of Barack Obama.
Calendar of Events
Sunday, November 30 at 5 PM at E.B Foote
Winery (127-B
Tuesday, December 2
at 8 PM at Comedy Underground (
Thursday, December 4
at 6:30 PM at Chapel at the
Friday, December 5
at 6:30 PM at the Rainier UU Center (
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Commentaries From Our Members
Jason Osgood Declares Candidacy for King County Director of
Elections
Jason Osgood,
co-founder of the election integrity watchdog group Washington Citizens for
Fair Elections, today officially declared his candidacy for King County
Director of Elections.
On November 4th, the voters of
Osgood, in announcing his intention to file for office, pledged to bring
fairness and impartiality to KC Elections and to end the divisive politics of
the past. “The Director of Elections
must be fair, impartial, and utterly committed to transparency and
accountability”, Osgood said, “My highest priority as Director of Elections
will be to ensure that every eligible voter has the opportunity to cast a
ballot, and that all votes are counted correctly.” Additionally, Osgood promised to work to
protect voter privacy while also ensuring a publicly accessible vote counting
process.
Osgood brings a high degree of experience and professionalism to the race for
Director of Elections. He has worked for more than 20 years in high technology
managing complex projects and has a unique understanding of the technology
increasingly used to manage our election systems. “The voters have made
it clear they want a professional with the necessary skills and expertise to
conduct our elections,” said Osgood.
For more information on the Jason Osgood for King County Director of Elections
Campaign, please contact: Friends of Jason Osgood, 206-724-2119 Jason
Osgood
Local vs. Organic Food? You don't have to choose!
Sign the Eat Local for Thanksgiving Pledge. This pledge asks that you serve ONE local item on your Thanksgiving
table this year—signing the pledge will enter you in a drawing to win a
heritage turkey or a year’s supply of organic dairy products!
Looking
for a Toxic-Free
Additional
Resources:
Looking for a farmers
market in your area? Visit the Washington State Farmers
Market Association. For more great recipes &
ideas for a local organic Thanksgiving, visit Puget Sound Fresh.
Have a
Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving! Sincerely, Kathy Pryor, Sustainable
Communities Advocate
Alan Durning: Our Opportunity for a Green Economy (video)
Richard Borkowski: SR-520 Option A is best
Your Friday article about state Route 520 failed to
describe the major differences and costs of the three proposed options. Perhaps
future articles could describe some of the features of the A alternative, the
least-cost and most community-friendly option.
The K and L alternatives are priced respectively at $6.67
billion and $5.14 billion. Both alternatives involve huge interchanges. Both alternatives destroy large swaths of
park space in the Washington Park Arboretum and
Tolls on 520 starting in 2010 at $2.95 would finance only
$900 million in 30-year bonds. That's $2 billion short of what is needed to
fund the K-option with the frozen tunnel. Two billion is a massive funding gap.
The A-alternative, also known as the green option,
removes the two Arboretum ramps and protects and restores the
Published by Washblog on 11/17/2008
Earlier this week I wrote a piece at the Seattle
Examiner discussing the possibility of a challenge
for Chair of the Washington State Democrats at the bi-annual re-org in January.
On Sunday Jerry
Cornfield at the Everett Herald took a closer look into Snohomish County Democratic Chair, Mark Hintz's
campaign for the position and outlines some of the issues with current Chair,
Dwight Pelz.
The issue with Pelz is not the party’s wins and losses and fundraising in
his tenure. It’s his style. Pelz’s serial use of profane language offends
several in the rank-and-file.
While Cornfield spends most of his article discussing the
various allegations against Pelz, I am much more concerned with why I believe
Hintz would be the better choice to replace him. As I wrote at the Examiner,
there are many in the party who believe that an effective Chair should be more
about the party and less about their own personal politics. In the four years
that I have known and worked with Mark Hintz the one thing that stands out over
all else is his desire and ability to reach into the rank and file grassroots
of the party to achieve results.
Mark has built a strong organization in
One area of concern that I do have with Dwight Pelz's recent history is the
whole issue surrounding the Randy Dorn endorsement. Again from Jerry Cornfield:
More notably, Pelz, who is from Seattle, upset folks by pushing for the
party to endorse Randy Dorn for state schools chief and contribute $50,000 to
his campaign. These critics didn’t think
the party should invest so much money in a nonpartisan race when there were
Democrats needing the dough.
Endorsing Dorn also angered the Washington State Labor Council, which
backed incumbent Terry Bergeson. Labor
leaders reportedly kicked Pelz out of a session at their annual meeting in
I was present at a WSDCC Executive Board meeting when the subject of this
endorsement and the subsequent campaign contribution came up. After the meeting
I learned form a couple of sources that the disbursement of funds was at the
sole discretion of the Chair. It would be hard for me to imagine that Mark
Hintz would ever make such a large commitment of party funds without seeking
substantial consensus from the Central Committee or, at the very least, the
Executive Board.
As has been noted, there has been no confirmation from Pelz that he will
seek re-election to the Chair. Regardless of Pelz's decision, I hope that those
who will be elected to the Central Committee during the upcoming LD and County
re-orgs will give Mark their serous consideration in this year of change and
inclusiveness for our Democratic Party.
Peace,
I would like to see our State Democratic Party
set some goals for the next two years, including:
·
Identifying 1.5
million likely Democratic voters. 1.75
million voted for Obama.
·
Regularly
communicating with 300,000 (20%) of them, through email newsletters.
·
Enabling two way
communication through a WashChange.Gov type website.
·
Raising $15 million
(average $50 x 300,000) through dues, pledges and special drives.
·
Conducting frequent
basic training and special training sessions.
·
And more.
Dave Thomas
David Iles: Presidential Quotes
About Big Money
Here are some quotes from past Presidents about the place
of monied interests in our Government and their effect on the Presidency.
"I believe that banking institutions are more
dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. Already they have raised up a
moneyed aristocracy that has set the government at defiance. The issuing power
(of money) should be taken away from the banks and restored to the people to whom
it properly belongs." –
“I see in the near future a crisis approaching that
unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result
of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high
places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong
its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is
aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.” - Abraham Lincoln
Nov. 21, 1864 from a letter to Col. William F. Elkins
“Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an
invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to
the people. To destroy this invisible
government, to befoul the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt
politics is the first task of the statesmanship of today.” - President Theodore
Roosevelt 1906
"A great industrial nation is controlled by it's
system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated in the hands of a few
men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely
controlled and dominated governments in the world--no longer a government of
free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and vote of the majority,
but a government by the opinion and duress of small groups of dominant
men." - President Woodrow Wilson 1916
“The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people
tolerate the growth of private power to the point where it becomes stronger
than the democratic state itself. That in its essence is fascism — ownership
of government by an individual, by a group or any controlling private power.” – President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
“The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that
a financial element in the large centers has owned the government of the
By the time you become the leader of a country, someone
else makes all the decisions. You may find you can get away with Virtual
Presidents, Virtual Prime Ministers, and Virtual Everything. - Bill Clinton*
Liberals and Democrats
Barack Obama
Preserves His Freedom
Insiders and outsiders. Purists and pragmatists. People with public interest and private interest ties. And combinations of the above. Anybody with a political background is almost certain to have a mixed record of relations and actions. With such a mixture of appointees, it difficult to know what direction Barack Obama will go. So he preserves his freedom to go in the direction he decides.
My preference is to assume that the directions Obama will go will be the ones he stated on the campaign trail and since. I trust that he meant and intends to honor what he told us. Instead of anticipating the worst (being paranoid), I intend to assume the best, until his actions show different.
This is not to say that I would trust lots of others. It seems to me that so far, Obama has been cautious in making promises and I don’t know that he broken any. Perhaps his intention to use public campaign financing. But he preserved his independence from lobbyists and special interests.
Meaning no disrespect, I keep wanting to refer to him as Barama. I guess I better not. Dave Thomas
What Do the
Netroots Think about Obama’s administration’s Formation?
Responses to a DailyKos poll question asking “how do you feel about the way the Obama administration is coming together” were:
401 (33%) Fired up!
345 (28%) Good
369 (30%) Cautiously optimistic
62 (5%) Troubled
17 (1%) Terrible
12 (0%) Not sure/No opinion
Here’s the Beef
Slideshow of Obama Family on election evening.
Barack Obama breaks tradition by speaking in complete sentences.
Will Barack Obama’s grass roots organization be inside or outside our Democratic Party? For more.
Obama’s community organizing experience produced a powerful campaigning and governing team.
Barack Obama is assembling an impressive governing team.
Can government officials really be non-ideological? Just pragmatic or common sensible.
Our lame duck economy is getting worse.
Barack Obama will inherit an economic mess. But will also receive full credit for cleaning it up.
Workers want Obama to spread wealth stolen from their production back to them as earnings.
Obama should close down insolvent big banks and pump up small and medium banks.
Robert Kuttner says prospective Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will promote regulation.
Collapsing economy provides opportunity for major infrastructure investments.
Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin’s balanced budgeting is losing to need to fund jobs.
Scientists and environmentalists present their top policy recommendations and priorities.
Obama pledges to governors to provide leadership to cope with climate change (video).
Changes Barack Obama should make, but maybe won’t.
Obama must also deal with: Bush doubled amount spent on mostly no-bid contracts to $400 billion.
Can and will Barack Obama take on the military-industrial complex?
Will Barack Obama seek elimination of all nuclear weapons?
Women were a major factor in electing Barack Obama. What do they want him to do?
Commercial media pundits say Obama must forsake his principles and become Conservative. For more.
When Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano goes to Homeland Security, Arizona is left to Republicans.
As in previous races, Georgia Conservatives fight dirty.
Are Conservative Hate Radio and TV pundits stimulating our increase in hate crimes?
Understand how Conservative Hate Radio attracts its audience.
59% of Republicans say Republican Party should continue President Bush’s policies.
State and Local
Do we need a WashChange.Gov?
If you haven’t viewed Change.gov, do so. It has been googled 43 million times. So millions have viewed it. It offers the best information about the Obama Administrations intentions and its selected officials. It solicits your comments. I assume this two-way communication will continue during the Obama Presidency. For more.
Having viewed Change.gov, do you think that we should have a WashChange.gov, managed by our Governor? Should we also have a WashDemChange.gov, managed by our state Democratic Party Executive Committee? These would enable two-way communication concerning the intentions and actions of our governor and Washington Democratic Party respectively. Dave Thomas
My Favorite Advocacy Organizations
I like Washington CAN (also known as Washington Community Action Network) and the Sound Alliance (which has recently started in our central Puget Sound), as organizations which reach out to interested, but less politically experienced and active people to train and involve them. It thus stimulates them to become politically effective participants. I like Economic Opportunity Institute, a think tank that studies and comments about our social conditions and ways to improve them. I like Statewide Poverty Action Network that focuses upon improving the condition of those of us who have fewer freedoms and opportunities than the rest of us.
I like Sightline and Futurewise. Sightline provides us, especially our officials with assessments of our natural and social environment, alternatives and solutions for improving it. Futurewise focuses upon growth management and land use to promote practices which enhance our natural and social environment.
I am impressed that various Environmental Organizations with overlapping missions (Washington Environmental Council, Washington Conservation Voters, Conservation Northwest and others) cooperate to promote their shared priorities for a healthy Washington. I would like them to form more alliances with organizations concerned with our social as well as our natural environment.
I believe that three other prominent organizations (Northwest Progressive Institute, Fuse and Tax Fairness Coalition) have great potential. Unfortunately, they appear to me to be dissipating their efforts toward a variety of not obviously related issues. I hope that they will develop a clear vision for our state, and an understanding of the major obstacles to realizing this vision. So they can better define and focus their efforts upon a set of major issues. Dave Thomas
EOI Wants to Build an Economy
that Works for Everybody.
Join our Economic Opportunity Institute
to advance new ideas to make
·
Paid
family leave and sick leave
to promote productive workplaces and healthy families.
·
High-quality
pre-k and kindergarten to give every child a strong start in life.
·
Safe,
portable retirement accounts so today's workers can retire securely.
·
Fairer
taxes to support new public investments in education and transportation.
Please consider a tax-deductible
donation to EOI today to support our work for working families, local
businesses and more livable communities. Thank you.
Statewide
Poverty Action Network: Responsible Government
Democracy works best when all people have a voice and
when those who make laws are accountable to the needs of the people. But
increasingly, our government is more responsive to the needs of a very few,
while leaving everyone else behind.
One of the most glaring examples of this divide is in our
tax system. Washington state has the
most regressive tax structure in the nation, in which people with lower
incomes pay a greater percentage of what they earn than everyone else. In fact,
people earning under $20,000 a year pay as much as 17 percent of what they earn
in state and local taxes. The very wealthy pay just 3 percent. At the same
time, government is cutting basic services that help ordinary people meet their
needs for food, shelter, health care, child care and transportation.
Another example is the prevalence of predatory lending in
Poverty Action
works to educate and organize people for a fairer tax system for everyone, and
for responsible state budgets to ensure that government meets the needs of all
people.
Washington
Public Campaigns Pushes
Publicly Financing Judicial Candidates
1.
The court matters! The
Supreme Court is an important and powerful part of our government. In 2010, three seats are up for election.
Special interests may spend lavishly, seeking influence. We must keep the court
independent and impartial. How? - with public financing for judicial campaigns!
2.
Campaigns cost too much! – candidates risk
being "bought" by special interests. In
other states (and WA), we see increasing attempts to "buy" the cour
t. Campaigns are costing more and more, and it's coming from special interests.
3.
It's time for public financing of supreme court races, in
4.
Other states have paved the way:
5.
We can craft a judicial public financing bill
that works -- and that is affordable! (We know there is economic recession
and a restricted state budget in 2009). This advocacy campaign will
require assertive citizen lobbying and action. We must generate public awareness
– so there is clamor to keep the courts "Not For Sale!" – and so that lawmakers will feel "safe" voting
for a judicial campaigns public financing bill, knowing there is public
support.
Remember: We are strong when we're organized as a grassroots movement!
What to do:
1.
Visit the WPC website. Check
it constantly for updates. www.washclean.org
2.
Place articles about this in
organizational newsletters and/or on websites. Link to WPC website.
3.
Distribute literature at
neighborhood meetings - and refer everyone to WPC website
4.
Recruit/appoint a representative to
serve as liaison to our campaign; put them in touch with WPC.
5.
Arrange a presentation by WPC to
your neighborhood association / union/ church group / book club.
6.
Lobby your lawmakers. Ask
them: What will you do to protect the integrity of our courts? To find your lawmaker: www.leg.wa.gov/legislature
Key Messages for Lawmakers:
· Justice
should never be for sale – and not influenced by
campaign contributions.
· We
must preserve the independence and integrity of the supreme court.
· Campaigns
for supreme court seats should be financed publicly – not by special interests.
· Will
you support a modest (affordable) program of public financing for campaigns for
state supreme court?
Here’s the Beef
Can we get our federal government to pay for our viaduct and I-520 bridge as a jobs program?
Our economic crisis presents the opportunity for creating a green economy (video). For more (video).
Our Washington State Democrats raised $3.7 million and contributed $3.1 million. To what campaigns?
Washington State Legislature will consider public funding for judicial campaigns.
Nation
and World
Is Immediate Congressional
Action Required?
President Bush has
repeatedly said that this or that situation requires immediate congressional
action: Tax cuts. Patriot Act. Authorization to invade
More recently, the
Bush administration suddenly discovered that our economy was collapsing for
want of credit. Treasury Secretary Henry
Paulson demanded immediate passage of $700 million dollar bailout
legislation. Even though congress took
time to temper Paulson’s outrageous demand for complete control of the bailout,
the legislation was ill conceived.
Within a few weeks, Paulson changed his use of the bailout money from
buying mystery securities to buying shares of the companies. Even this approach is likely failing as the
companies use their bailout money for other purposes than extending
credit. Their first priority is to firm
up their balance sheets and purchase
other companies to strengthen their market position. Not something our public should be funding.
Paulson has now
decided to try a third
approach: buying
mortgage related assets and securities based upon consumer debt. Wouldn’t it have been better, if Paulson had
began with a discussion among a variety of experts and some small experiences,
before asking congress to immediately fund an uncertain initiative. Notice how much more deliberative, Barack
Obama is being in creating his economic recovery and stimulus package. Yet this deliberation is not taking such a
long time as to render it irrelevant.
Some
have suggested that Barack Obama should not wait until becoming president
before pushing his proposals for stimulating and restructuring our
economy. For more. But wisely, he is carefully preparing his
proposals and strategy for passing them after he becomes the president. Our economy may worsen during the next sixty
days. But worse would be the confused
passing of less prepared proposals, necessarily compromised with President
Bush.
Throughout his
campaign, we have seen Barack Obama’s deliberate approach to deciding his stand
on many issues. He has quickly directed
his attention to weighing facts and alternatives to arrive at a position. It will be a joy to have a president who
doesn’t manage by crisis. Waiting until
the last moment to identify and confront an emerging mess. And then demanding immediate action. Aren’t we glad we didn’t elect impetuous John
McCain.
Let’s Not Allow
Any Company to Be Too Big to Fail
We continually hear that this financial company, or that auto company is too big to fail. It will bring down other companies and the whole system. Insufficient credit will be available to fuel our investments and appropriate consumption. Unemployment will soar. Yet we are allowing financial companies to use our bailout money to grow larger by buying up other companies.
Why should we ever let any company become so big that it is indispensable? Why should we let any company take risks, which we will have to pay for if they fail? We say we believe in competition. We should decide the appropriate amount of competition in every industry, so that no company of few companies becomes indispensable. We should not allow any company to get big enough to have inordinate influence upon either a market or our political system. Dave Thomas
Here’s
the Beef
The New Deal worked, then was set back through a return to pre-New Deal thinking.
American workers should have their fair of earnings. Then they won’t need a bailout or to borrow.
76% of middle class families are at risk for financial collapse.
Multinational Monitor list 10 worst corporations. Yuk.
Restoring our economy requires health care reform.
Can we prevent our wealthy from destroying the earth?
Oceans have reached acidic threshold that they can’t absorb more CO2 from the air.
We should substitute electricity for all carbon based energy.
Lower oil prices ease initiating a cap and trade system for greenhouse gases.
Should China buy our big three automakers?
An increasing number of military leaders support removing ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’.
Just as Nixon established relations with China, Barack Obama should establish relations with Iran.
A multi-faceted approach to Pakistan is necessary.
Did we invade Iraq to have more room for our stuff? Now we have to bring it home.
Our military spending is more than that spent by the rest of the world. 54% of our federal budget.
Our Intelligence Agency predicts decline of American influence and war. But we can affect these.
Our Liberal Spirit
Waiting for Ourselves
We Americans are impatient. Waiting for the car ahead to move or speed up. In lines at our grocery stores, banks, post offices and other commercial businesses. Waiting in our doctor’s office. Waiting for spouses, children and seniors to get ready to go somewhere. Waiting for endless streams of TV commercials to end. Many other examples come to mind. Then after waiting off and on all day, we often end the day exhaustedly watching mindless television. Suppose instead, we value our time spent waiting as a chance for relaxing. For observing and understanding what’s going on around us. For distancing our mind from our hectic activities.
Some of us eagerly enjoyed our long political campaigns, anticipating and enjoying the results of our many caucuses and primaries leading up to our conventions. In spite of our sudden awareness of our credit collapse and the shenanigans of John McCain’s schizophrenic campaign, we impatiently waited for our November 4th election and the results. In spite of the announcements of Barack Obama’s appointments, we now impatiently await January 20. When the Bush Administration Officials will depart for the political wilderness. When our new administration will initiate a flurry of activity.
What can we do while waiting during the next 60 days?
· Nationally Go to Change.Gov to find out what’s going on and express your concerns and suggestions.
· State and Locally Join and reform our State and Legislative District Democratic Organizations. Insist on evaluating last year and setting goals and making plans for next year. Identify likely Democratic voters, communicate regularly with them (both to and from them), get them to make regular contributions to increase our funds to assist candidates. Focus upon changing opinions, winning elections and passing legislation to realize our priorities. Augment our farm team of candidates while destroying the Conservative farm team candidates before they get going
· Personally Educate ourselves and decide our role.
We are the ones we have been waiting for. Let’s do what we have waited for.
Recommended Books – See our list of books for
liberals
The following books published by Sightline should be required reading for all of us who are concerned with returning from Borrow, Consume and Speculate to Earn, Conserve and Invest. These books focus upon our interconnected natural and social environment, its condition and strategies and tactics for improving it.
Tax Shift
Over Our Heads, A Local Look at Global Climate
Misplaced Blame, The Real Roots of Population Growth
Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things
The Car and the City
This Place on Earth, Home and the Practice of Permanence
Hazardous Handouts: Taxpayer Subsidies to Environmental Degradation
Seven Wonders for a Cool Planet, Everyday Things to Help Solve Global Warming
Also see Sightline’s viable and realistic solutions to our current economic meltdown.
Sightline provides educational materials about our interconnecting natural and social environment. Its educational mission is similar to that of our Southern Poverty Law Center, which provides educational materials about tolerance of diversity.
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