| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009 2:18 pm |
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 State skipping round one of 'Race to the Top' competition Washington won't take part in the initial round of competition for potentially hundreds of millions of federal dollars for education. Gov. Chris Gregoire had said the state would apply in the first phase of the "Race to the Top" competition knowing it would likely get rejected because Washington lacks such desired items as charter schools and the ability to take over persistently failing schools. Gregoire had been saying by trying the state could get a better idea of what it needs to do to succeed in the second round. Gregoire changed course today and said the state won't apply until round two in June.. “I worked with Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn and state Board of Education Chair Mary Jean Ryan to reach this decision,: she said in a statement. "Our kids' futures are at stake as we continue with improvements to our education system and focus on student achievement. “The federal government has made an unprecedented offer to fund state activities. We need to take the time to involve our school districts and make sure we get our application right.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Governor opposes state schools chief on changes to math and science rules Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn said today he wants to delay by at least a year the requirement for high school students to pass certain math and science tests graduate. Current rules impose the requirement starting in 2013.. Regarding math, Dorn will ask the 2010 Legislature to: -"Continue the current requirement of either passing a state math exam or earning two credits of math after 10th grade through of the class of 2014. and -Establish a “two-tier” bar for the math graduation requirement, beginning with the class of 2015, in which one tier – Proficient – is the goal, but another tier – Basic – is enough to earn a diploma. Students who meet Basic would be required to earn a fourth credit of math. Regarding science, he wants to significantly change the graduation requirement to include "the creation of end-of-course exams in life sciences and physical sciences instead of using single comprehensive science test." He wants to delay implementation of the requirement until 2017 to give students time to learn the new science standards, and the new end-of-course exams have been administered for two years. Shortly after statewide teachers union publicly embraced the proposal, Gov. Chris Gregoire issued a very blunt rejection of the idea. In a prepared statement, she said: "I oppose the proposal. As our state and global economies become more technically driven, we need to ensure that our students leave high school highly-trained in math and science so they can qualify for Washington state jobs or entry into training and higher education programs of their choosing. “Our students are capable of mastering our state's standards in math and science. They have shown us their capacity to meet our expectations in the past. Schools I visited recently give me every indication that when students know the work is important they dig in and make the most of it. “We can't lower our standards in math, nor can we communicate that science is not important. We must prepare our students for their future. There is every reason to focus attention on the math and science learning needs of our students so they can succeed after high school. The Superintendent is concerned about the graduation rate. I am concerned about the bigger picture - preparing kids for life. I think parents share that concern.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Forecast calls for less revenue, more deficit and likely sin taxes Today's latest revenue forecast contained more evidence that consumers are not feeling good about their economic well-being and thus aren't spending any money. The state's chief forecaster, Arun Raha, predicted another crushing drop of $760 million in expected revenues in the current budget that runs through June 30, 2011. That prompted the governor's office to project the budget deficit is now $2.6 billion. Here's Raha's report.. Gov. Chris Gregoire said earlier this week it was a formidable challenge to find savings when the deficit sat at $2 billion. Now, with a higher number, the process is getting more difficult. "I don't quite see the path yet," budget director, Victor Moore. said today. Here's his department's response to today's report and a PowerPoint on the problem. After today's release of the report, Sen. Rodney Tom said he's looking at sin taxes and maybe a levy on candy next session. Republican Rep. Ed Orcutt and Sen. Joe Zarelli both blasted the idea of any new tax in 2010. Here's the senator's statement. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment UPDATE: Meet the Sultan man who wants to be governor Today's Herald has an interview with the man who will launch his campaign for governor tonight. The story from Herald Writer Andy Rathbun begins: Maybe it's his Southern accent, or maybe it's his lack of bluster. Whatever the case, Dale Sorgen doesn't sound like a typical Washington politician. Here's the story and a few other details from an earlier post. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Searching for meaning in Eggo shortage It's been a couple hours since I learned of a nationwide shortage of Eggo waffles. And still no press releases from the Republican National Party Chairman decrying it as a plot by Democrats or the Democrats claiming it's a conspiracy hatched by Rush Limbaugh. Maybe, it's just a shortage and a fun story. . Eggo, as I learned today,, first hit the shelves in 1960, and its cult following grew in the following years. Kellogg started using the famed slogan “Leggo my Eggo” in 1972. For years, the waffles have been a staple for busy moms and college students looking for a quick breakfast. Oh, and Eggo has more friends on Facebook and followers on Twitter, than I do on either.. According to the article, "news of the shortage spread quickly on Twitter as shoppers reported not being able to find the breakfast food. Fans of Eggos lamented their scarcity on the waffle's Facebook page, which has more than 400 members." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment And the first candidate for Washington governor in 2012 is.... Which of the following people is hold ing an event Thursday to kick off their campaign for governor in 2012? A) Christine Gregoire B) Jay Inslee C) Aaron Reardon D) Dino Rossi E) Larry Dale Sorgen F) Brian Sonntag G) Tim Eyman If you picked (E) then you are either a resident of Snohomish County or a really good guesser. Sorgen, who lives in the small town of Sultan, registered as a candidate Nov. 6 and at a public event tomorrow will discuss the ideas behind his "Imagine Liberty Campaign." Sorgen had been the pastor of First Baptist Church of Sultan until June when he resigned to follow this new path into politics. On the C-1 form filed with the state Public Disclosure Commission, Sorgen wrote "Conservative" as his political party. In a press release he states: Considering our current political climate and the devastating weight of our national governments $12 trillion dollars of debt, I have decided to run for governor of the State of Washington. I know that this is early, but I believe that I must begin now to build the kind of campaign and support that I feel will be viable to contend in 2012. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
They've got eyes for Reardon Friday the 13th proved to be a pretty lucky day for Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon. That's the day the Seattle Weekly launched Reardon Watch which will be a regular feature on a man they really enjoy looking at. Now that the knock-down, drag-out fight over control of Seattle and King County is over, we turn our attention north. You may remember stopping over a certain Best of Seattle profile back in 2008 and thinking to yourself: "I have no idea who this guy is and I really don't care. What a jaw line!" But you should care. That was Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon, an up and coming politician worth keeping an eye on—and we do mean with a very long gaze. Today marks the inaugural edition of Reardon Watch, a weekly feature in which we wander north of the King County border to check in on a rising political star who makes us swoon. Writer Laura Onstot will be the one keeping her eye on his behind..She's been studying him and his attributes for awhile. In 2008, when the paper awarded him its Best Dreamy Politician honor, she wrote the profile that began with description: "Strong jaw, cut arms, and a love for working a tight budget in an economic recession: Aaron Reardon is a political wunderkind straight out of central casting." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Koster urged to challenge Congressman Larsen in 2010 Supporters of Republican Snohomish County Councilman John Koster want him to challenge incumbent Democrat Congressman Rick Larsen in 2010. Toward that end, they've begun signing an online petition urging the veteran conservative legislator to enter the contest. On Monday, Chris Nandor, AKA Pudge, posted the details at Sound Politics The petition found here if you want to sign it, reads: We are seniors, students, teachers, engineers, working Americans. We are Republicans, Independents, Libertarians and Democrats. AND, WE the Undersigned, ask Snohomish County Councilmember JOHN KOSTER to run for Congress in 2010! We need new representation in the Second Congressional District. JOHN KOSTER: CAN YOU HEAR US? Koster and Larsen squared off in 2000 in one of the closestcongressional races in the area in recent years. They were dueling for an open seat. In that four-person race, Larsen finished with 50.01 percent of the vote to edge Koster with 45.93 percent. As of this writing, 145 people had signed the petition. One of those is Rick Larsen of Everett. Hmmm, I better find out if he's interested in a rematch. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Dunshee ponders challenge of Hobbs for Senate seat Democratic state Rep. Hans Dunshee says he's thinking about taking on Democratic state Sen. Steve Hobbs in 2010. Dunshee, one of his chamber's most liberal and quotable members, is getting courted for the race by Snohomish County members of Washington Education Association and statewide leaders of the Service Employees International Union. Hobbs, as I wrote Sunday, has a target on his back because of a couple votes he took in the 2009 session. Read the many online comments and you'll find union members backing Hobbs. And those who are ready to back Hobbs for being at odds with any union. And there are those like Travis Patterson who wrote of how it would not be good to see a Democrat versus Democrat contest next year. He begins: "Not so fast with unions not supporting Hobbs! There are many other unions in this race other than the ones in this article. IBEW Local 191 supports Senator Hobbs in his re-election for senate. The Building Trades have different issues than other unions and Steve has been solid for the IBEW." And then he ends: "Repesentative Dunshee has been supported by labor in his house seat. It would be a shame to see two great candidates run against each other. They are both good for the district and it would be terrible to see them square off. I live in the 44th and am a labor person and will support Senator Hobbs in his re-election." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
State high court upholds school funding formula It looks like a big win for the state this morning in a legal challenge to how it allocates money to publc schools. On a 9-0 vote, the state Supreme Court ruled the state's formulas for distributing dollars for pay of teachers, staff and administrators is constitutional. Here's the decision in Federal Way School District No. 210 v. State of Washington Justice James Johnson authored the opinion which concludes: The legislature's use of the staff unit allocation system to fund education with differing salary allocations to school districts with historically disparate average salaries does not violate article IX, section 2, although there remains a slight gap between the highest and lowest salary funding statewide. There is no showing that the legislature's funding allocations, including those for Federal Way School District, do not constitute "ample provision for the education of all children" as required under article IX, section 1. The legislature has acted well within its constitutional authority and its duty to make ample provision for the education of children and to provide for a general and uniform system of education under article IX. The individual respondents' claims do not meet requirements for justiciability and should be dismissed. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
High court to consider if you have a right to honk your horn Helen Immell is no lawyer. Yet, in in a few months, she'll be in front of the state Supreme Court arguing for her right to speak freely with her car honk. Reporter Diana Hefley writes in today's Herald: Helen Immelt contends that the county trampled on her First Amendment rights when she was arrested in 2006 for honking her horn at her Monroe-area neighbors. Immelt was sentenced to 10 days in jail for violating the county's noise ordinance after a three-day trial in Evergreen District Court. She fought the conviction but the state Court of Appeals in June upheld the decision. The court ruled that the First Amendment didn't given Immelt the right to lay on her car horn for 10 minutes on a Saturday morning in front of a neighbor's house or honk at another neighbor after she was warned by police she was out of line. Immelt was accused of honking at neighbors because she was ticked off that they complained to the homeowner's association about the chickens she had roosting in her back yard. Here's the full story. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Edmonds Councilwoman Pritchard-Olson dies Sad news today with the passing of Peggy Pritchard-Olson, an Edmonds councilwoman and daughter of the late Republican legislator Joel Pritchard. She was 59. From our online edition. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Pastor Fuiten skewers strategy of R-71 opponents Pastor Joe Fuiten, one of the state's better known conservative Christian political activists, didn't have a lot of compliments today about the tactics of those behind Referendum 71. Writing online, Fuiten takes aim at Protect Marriage Washington and Faith and Freedom Network (translated as Larry Stickney and Gary Randall, respectively) for not having a strategy to win. He writes: "From my viewpoint, the outcome would have been difficult under the best of circumstances. But our loss was made certain by three failures on our part: We failed in our message. We failed in our methods. We failed in our money. Furthermore, I still have to wonder if God was in the effort." A bit farther down he says: Maybe the main lesson to be learned from our loss is to question those who want to lead us into similar efforts in the future. We have a right to know that they have a plan that involves enough money and the plan to raise the money. Even more than the plan, there should be some evidence of. seed money. If you are going to claim to be the leader you have to actually have a strategy for victory. Without the definitive plan our side has nothing to rally around. And while Fuiten insisted he backed the effort once it qualified, he wondered if God was on their side. We clearly lost ground with some. Did we gain offsetting ground with others? I don't know. Only eternity will tell. I do know we all worked hard for what we hoped was the will of God. We did it mostly for the right reasons. In our best motives we might have done it for God's glory. Unfortunately, it appears we have fallen short of the glory of God. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment House Speaker Pelosi visits Seattle today House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA., will be in Seattle today where she will join Democratic Reps. Jay Inslee, Jim McDermott and Norman Dicks in a tour of Swedish Medical Center. Pelosi's visit comes less than 48 hours after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the massive Affordable Health Care for America Act bill by the narrowest of margins, 220-215. Pelosi needed at least 218 votes for passage. Inslee, McDermott and Dicks along with fellow Democrats Rick Larsen and Adam Smith voted for the bill. Republican Reps. Dave Reichert, Doc Hastings and Cathy McMorris-Rogers, and Democrat Brian Baird voted against the bill. Note: The above paragraph was corrected because Baird does not appear to be a Blue Dog Democrat as I wrote earlier. Here's the group's membership list. sent by a a careful reader of my post. A handful of members felt the vote historic enough to ask Pelosi to autograph their copies of the nearly 2,000-page bill. If you're interested in getting her to sign your copy, she'll be touring around 2 p.m. and chatting with reporters (and maybe providing autographs) after that. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Ref 71 sponsors file petition with Supreme Court in signature case The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to decide the case of whether signers of petitions for Referendum 71 have a constitutional right to keep their names secret. James Bopp, attorney for Protect Marriage Washington which gathered the signatures, announced today that he had filed a petition of certiorari with the nation's high court. I've attached the filing as a PDF or you can go here to find all of the documents Bopp has filed in the case. To quickly recap, a federal judge agreed to block release of the names. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that decision agreeing with the state's argument that the petitions should be treated as public records. Justice Anthony Kennedy blocked the appellate action from taking effect and got the rest of the court to put a hold on release of the names until it could decide whether to accept the case. If the Supreme Court grants a hearing, it would likely not occur until June 2010 at the earliest.. Bopp made the following comments in a press release. “When it ordered the State not to release the personal information of the petition signers before the election, the Supreme Court took the first step in allowing those who support traditional marriage to exercise their First Amendment right to speak freely and not be subject to compelled public disclosure of their identity and beliefs by the government. We are now asking the Supreme Court to take the next step, and put permanent safeguards in place to protect those who wish to support traditional marriage, and all other speakers, from being subject to harassment and intimidation in the future.” TThose who support traditional marriage have seen their personal property destroyed and have been subject to death threats because of their beliefs. The Supreme Court now has the opportunity to prevent this from recurring in future elections by preventing the government from compelling citizens to disclose their identities and beliefs to the public.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Boeing's deal with South Carolina is mostly secret I want to direct your attention to this post by my colleague Michelle Dunlop on how details of South Carolina's offer sheet to Boeing may not be made public for awhile. Michelle links to a story in The Post and Courier with interesting comments from Ashley Landess, president of the South Carolina Policy Council, which is described as a political think tank. "There is something fundamentally wrong in a system in which politicians shut the door when making decisions about (taxpayer money) and refuse to tell them what they are," Landess is quoted as saying. Landess said without information on the deal it is not possible to validate the state's estimates that Boeing's new 787 aircraft assembly line will create a $10 billion impact on the economy in the next 15 years. "The lack of transparency leads to a lack of analysis, which leads to a lack of having to prove the arguments they make," she said, referring to state officials who put the incentive package together.. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
A couple election measures, a couple election lessons Isn't it nice to wake up in the morning and see the election results are the same as they were when you went to bed? That's the joy of mail-in balloting. The pain, if you're involved in a close race, is waiting out days of counting to get that final result. Here a few random thoughts about the statewide measures based on the first batch of ballots. Referendum 71 may wind up giving folks in all corners of the political spectrum something to crow about although there can only be one winner. Those on the side of Approve 71 are smiling broadly as voters are narrowly affirming the law granting gay couples the same rights and responsibilities of married couples, with the exception of marriage. Looking at the breakdown of voting, it is another case of King County, with its masses of progressives and liberals, setting the state's course on a major social policy. According to Rep. Marko Liias, if this trend holds, it will be the first time in the country that voters will be approving an expansion of rights for gay couples. (In all those other electoral battles you've read about – including Maine – voters are repealing or rejecting rights for gay and lesbian couples, or, in the case of California imposing a barrier to them getting legally married.) Those in the Reject R-71 movement can take heart in knowing they've awakened conservatives from their nearly three-year long electoral slumber. (The state Republican Party will be sending thank-you notes to leaders and lawyers for Protect Marriage Washington.) They may not add up to enough votes in this fight but the energized turnout of conservatives surely played a role in several upsets, from the unseating of an incumbent mayor in Monroe to the dislodging of Democratic state Rep. Laura Grant of Walla Walla. Moreover, this fight was not about legalizing marriage for same-sex couples and the results are close. When it is about marriage for gay and lesbian couples, well…. The pressing political question is whether conservatives who showed up Tuesday will stick around for the 2010 elections? Initiative 1033 appears headed to defeat, which would seem to demonstrate that money talks and complicated anti-government initiatives walk. Tim Eyman should know by now that if he can't fit his idea on a bumper sticker, it's not likely to pass: $30 car tab, pass; performance audits, pass; property tax limits, pass. He overshot his goal in Initiative 1033. Trying to limit revenue growth in every city and county as well as the state was doing so much to so many it gave too many people from too many places a reason to oppose it. It wasn't simple enough and a few probably wondered why only people who owned property would benefit. Eyman can take heart in knowing that it's not cheap to beat one of his initiatives. In 2009 the cost is $3.5 million. That's what opponents raised. Assuming it all gets spent, the No on 1033 campaign will be the fifth most expensive campaign conducted against a statewide initiative. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Reject R-71 forces lock out the press Security guards stood outside the election night party held by Protect Marriage Washington at the Holiday Inn in Everett tonight. Larry Stickney, a leader of the group, did meet with members of the media in a side room at 8:30 p.m. He said the party was made private out of concern for the safety and privacy of those attending. He said he and other leaders of the group had been the target of threats posted online in the past. More recently, a newspaper photo of girls involved in a reject Referendum 71 rally in southwest Washington showed up on a web site run by the same person who posted the threats against the leaders, he said. Stickney said about 200 people did attend tonight and there were no incidents. He did claim they did nab a reporter from The Stranger trying to sneak in as a volunteer. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Gregoire takes sides in county prosecutor's contest The hottest contest in Snohomish County not on Tuesday's ballot is the one for the appointment as county prosecutor. Democrats Mark Roe and Jim Kenny are the front-runners in the competition to succeed Janice Ellis. On Nov. 14, the party's precinct committee officers will vote on their top three choices and send those names to the Snohomish County Council. The council will pick one possibly at its Dec. 9 meeting. Roe and Kenny have been phoning, e-mailing and sending letters to PCOs (attached) in hopes of coralling votes. They've been getting some of their political friends to write letters and make calls on their behalf too. Gov. Chris Gregoire did just that for Roe with a letter (attached). She points out Roe, the chief criminal prosecutor for Snohomish County, helped out in her 2008 re-election campaign by appearing at press conferences and in television commercials. Gregoire's involvement is intended to bolster Roe's credentials as a Democrat with the PCOs who represent the real grass roots activists in the party. They know Kenny as one of them. He is a PCO and in the past has represented the county party at the statewide level. As such, he had the early advantage in lining up support from them. Roe, on the other hand, is working to convince the PCOs he is a true Democrat and is better able to win the seat outright in November 2010. (see attached). It's not without lots of challenges. Recently one uber Democrat e-mailed other Dems to make the case against Roe: The Snohomish County Democratic Party has suffered a disconnect from its elected officials for too many years. Mr. Roe's appointment would continue that disconnect. Prosecutor Janice Ellis, recruited by Mr. Roe, is a particularly egregious example of that disconnect. She has treated the Party with contempt and treachery. The author, Kent Hanson, cites as examples that Ellis spoke at Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna's re-election kick-off, endorsed Republican Dan Satterberg for King County prosecutor and heresy of heresies, Ms. Ellis promotes and supports legislation to make the Prosecutor's offices non-partisan throughout Washington. We need more, not less partisan offices. Roe responded: Kent's email was primarily about things Janice Ellis has done. I am not Janice Ellis, and have disagreed with her on occasion, including the 3 points that Kent wrote about. Roe was particularly direct on the issue of endorsing Republicans: "I reject the notion of an elected Democrat endorsing the Republican candidate. I do not think it is right, or smart, to be on one team, but cheer for the other team. I won't do that, and I didn't do that in the McKenna race.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Boeing picks South Carolina for second production line The Boeing Co. announced this afternoon it will build a second line of production for its much delayed Dreamliner 787 in South Carolina. Gov. Chris Gregoire will hold a news conference at 2:45 pm to discuss the news. Meanwhile, Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon said in a television interview, "We have to figure out what went wrong." Here's more from his prepared statement: “What's important moving forward is that we all understand why these two parties could not reach an agreement so that we may play a role in rebuilding this relationship. In addition, we must bring all the necessary parties together in Olympia to reach agreement on removing the barriers that prevent new investment and job creation." And from Sen. Minority Leader Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla: “Although today's announcement was the blow we hoped would not come, it is also a call to action. The next battle starts today, right now. We must do everything we can to retain the 737 line and keep all present and future aerospace jobs in Washington. Today we lost thousands of jobs. We cannot afford to lose thousands more." . ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Murray trying to get Boeing and union together again U.S. Sen. Patty Murray this morning invited leaders of the Boeing Co. and the Machinists union to her office in hopes of restarting their talks on an agreement to secure a second production line for the Dreamliner 787 in Washington. “The Machinists union has agreed to come. We're waiting to hear back from Boeing,” said Alex Glass, Murray's communications director. Murray spoke with a Boeing executive Tuesday night and was given no indication a decision had been made on the siting of the second line, Glass said. This morning, in a phone interview on KING-5 TV, Murray said she believed the two sides “are within an inch” of an agreement that would satisfy the Boeing Co. desire for a “stable workforce” in Washington. Murray sounded as if she knew intimate details of the union's position though she would not disclose any. “It's too close to turn down,” she said. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
More R-71 news from the 9th Circuit to Colorado Springs Today, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals released its opinion on why it acted last week to allow release of the names of those who signed petitions for Referendum 71. Thanks to the Secretary of State's office for the heads up. Here's the decision. Meanwhile, I want to add info to my earlier blog post about the Family PAC. Turns out this group is an another appendage of the Lynnwood-based Family Policy Institute of Washington. That group dumped $200,000 into the Vote Reject on R-71 committee. This latest move makes you wonder why their deep-pocket donors didn't step up sooner. There may still be other ways to funnel it in. Focus on the Family, the Colorado-based group led by the Rev. James Dobson, is doing its own independent spending in this contest. They're up over $100,000 with mailers and radio ads. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment New PAC against R-71 seeks big money and secrecy Opponents of Referendum 71 are going to court again and this time it's about money. Family Political Action Commttee, a newly formed group urging voters to reject the referendum, wants to collect donations in excess of $5,000 which is the state imposed maximum contribution in the 21 days before an election. The group also wants names of donors kept secret. The group filed an action in U.S. District Court in Tacoma. If you recall, earlier this year, the state Public Disclosure Commission rejected a request from Protect Marriage Washington to keep names of donors secret. From Family PAC's press release: During the twenty-one days preceding an election, Washington law prohibits the Family PAC from receiving donations in excess of $5,000. The Family PAC has donors willing to contribute more than $5,000 to its effort, but is unable to accept the contributions because of the Washington law. This directly limits its ability to fight R-71 and its ability to protect the institution of marriage. Washington also requires the Family PAC to report the name, address, and employer's name of individuals that give as little as $25. At this level, the information is irrelevant to voters and discourages individuals from making contributions. The Family PAC has filed suit in federal court and has asked the court to issue an order allowing it to accept contributions in excess of $5,000. It has also asked the court to exempt it from the reporting requirements. James Bopp, Jr., lead counsel for the Family PAC, stated, “Washington's disclosure thresholds are among the lowest in the nation. After the harassment directed at supporters of Proposition 8 last year in California, no one should have their personal information published on the internet for making a contribution and certainly not at the irrational levels set by the state of Washington. The First Amendment protects citizens engaged in political speech from compelled disclosure. Disclosure thresholds such as these discourage individuals from participating in the political process.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Tick, tock goes the Boeing clock (UPDATED with link to Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon speech.) The waiting is about to end as The Boeing Co.is expected to decide this month if it will build a second production line for the 787 Dreamliner in Washington or South Carolina.. Lobbying is intensifying. Today, Gov. Chris Gregoire released a stack of letters sent to Jim Albaugh, the guy in charge of Boeing's commercial division and a pivotal voice in the process. If you look quickly, there seems to be a few notable absences. I don't see one from the Snohomish County Council. While Executive Aaron Reardon didn't pen a letter, he's been making his pitch in speeches as well as pushing ahead with an aerospace training center at Paine Field. Back to the letters. I don't see one from House Speaker Frank Chopp or from any batch of state lawmakers of either political party. (I understand Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown has sent one.) I'm not saying state lawmakers don't want Boeing to stay. They're probably just not letter writers. Also this morning, political leaders in Washington and in Washington, D.C. are continuing to do their best to get company and union leaders chatting again on a long term labor agreement. That is far and away the issue that will matter most in the upcoming decision. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment |
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