So You're A Delegate Or Alternate...

Reminder that if your a Delegate or an Alternate, this Saturday is the District Caucus. Learn all about your responsibilities here.

You can look up the location and time on the Washington Democrats Website.

Audio Of The Hillary Rally Last Night

picture by Chris Maryatt

For those of you who missed it, here is the audio of the Hillary Rally in Seattle last night.
Audio Link
(from elisanders.net)

She might be a bit short on inspirational talk but I love how she gets straight to the point.


Here are some Videos from people who attended the rally

Governor Gregoire talks about her plan for replacing the 520

Gov. Gregoire on the KUOW radio show "The Conversation"
Listen

RealAudio

MP3: High Low

My Thoughts On Election Results

Dan Savage pretty much sums it up for me.

"Locally, well, the results pretty much suck. I’m sorry to see that Bill Sherman lost to that GOP hack. And while I’m thrilled Della lost—who isn’t?—I’m bummed that Burgess won. And, like I told the douches from the Sierra Club, I didn’t care if they paved all those new roads with baby mice, I wanted 50 miles of light rail. But Roads & Transit went down. Eyeman’s idiotic initiative won, schools lost, Venus’ DUI cost her the election. I could go on." From The Slog

Here is a good quote from the CSMonitor
"Blame the multiplicity of viewpoints on Seattle's high levels of education, commitment to debate, and large numbers of engineers"

To many viewpoints, solutions, debating and we hate to compromise.

Some people voted against it because it included roads
Some people voted against it because it included light rail
Some people voted against it because it wasn't environmentally friendly enough

I thought prop 1 was a good compromise but apparently everyone disagreed. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future.

Re-Elect Gov. Gregoire

Last election way really close. This time around I am starting early and gathering support to help Re-elect Gov. Chris Gregoire.

Myspace Group - Facebook Group

Former President Bill Clinton to Headline Mayors’ Climate Summit in Seattle

Seattle Press Release

Former President Bill Clinton will join the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels during a national climate protection summit and first meeting of the signatories of the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement scheduled for November 1-2 in Seattle, Wash.

The Seattle summit will be the largest-ever meeting of American mayors devoted solely to climate protection. The theme of the two-day conference is accelerating local leadership. It will bring city leaders from across the country together to promote effective solutions to global warming at the local and national level. More than 100 mayors are expected to attend the event.

“Mayors from around the nation are not waiting to take action to help solve the threat of global warming - they are doing something about it right now,” Nickels said. “This summit will give us a chance to share real-world solutions and learn from those who are making a difference in protecting our planet.”

“The nation's mayors are pleased to welcome President Clinton to our climate protection summit. As President, he worked closely with the nation's mayors to meet the challenges we face everyday in our cities. Since he left office, he has supported efforts by cities who are leading the way to meet the climate protection goals necessary to save our planet. Together, with his leadership and continued action by the nation's mayors, we will make a difference," said U.S. Conference of Mayors President, Trenton Mayor Douglas H. Palmer.

Mayor Nickels spearheaded the US Mayor Climate Protection Agreement in 2005, challenging colleagues from around the country to join him in pledging to significantly cut climate-warming pollution in their cities. The U.S. Conference of Mayors unanimously adopted the agreement. And to date, more than 660 mayors representing more than 73 million Americans have taken the pledge.

President Clinton has been an international leader in the effort to fight global warming through his Clinton Climate Initiative, which promotes climate pollution-reducing initiatives in 40 of the largest cities in the world.

For a list of best practices and more information on what the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Climate Protection Center is doing to reduce global warming in American cities, please visit: usmayors.org/climateprotection/

Visit the mayor’s web site at www.seattle.gov/mayor

Olympia's Solution to panhandling and loitering

Olympia Washington is taking a very interesting approach to panhandling and loitering in the downtown area. They have proposed an ordinance that the city council will be voting on soon that would clear "a 6-foot buffer for pedestrians to move along downtown sidewalks without having to step over extended legs or dodge aggressive panhandlers." (from the olympian)

Essentially banning panhandling and loitering in the commercial part of downtown.

I am curious as to what everyone thinks.
Please post a comment and let me know what you think.

Articles on the ordinance
Article 1

Article 2

Here are the Local Election Results

http://www.metrokc.gov/elections/200611/results.asp

I am so happy to see that I933 was rejected and glad that voters support the Estate Tax

Vancouver Canada's solution to Low Income Housing

Vancouver has been building and selling essentially 3 bedroom condos with one of the bedrooms set up a independant studio with a kitchen, seperate entrance and bathroom.

The owners then rent them out to help with the mortgage. These studios are ment to be mortgage helpers. In Vancouver these extra studios have been rented out to mostly students.

In general its an interesting idea. Gives the owners space to grow into the future as the family grows and in the mean time they can rent it out.

You can read the article here

Cleaning up Politics

PBS recently ran an awesome episode on clean elections and how to stop the influence of big money and big influence on political campaigns.



About the Show

(from pbs)
The run-up to this year's midterm election smells of scandal and corruption, which raises the question: Can anyone stop the influence of big money and big influence on political campaigns?

Before, you say "of course not," check out our special hour-long investigation into the fight to keep American elections free and fair across the country. Airing less than three weeks before Americans go to the polls, "Votes for Sale?" will spotlight the so-called clean elections movement, a radical public-funding experiment adopted in Maine and Arizona to revolutionize how campaigns are conducted. It works like this: candidates for public office receive a flat sum of money from the government to finance their campaign. In return, the candidates agree to use almost no private funds to run their elections.

Pushing special interest money out of the election process may do more than clean things up. It could also open the door for a variety of people who care about democracy to run for office with realistic hopes of winning. Case in point: Arizona State Representative Doug Quelland, a conservative Republican who supports clean elections by his own example. With a background in public school teaching and running a handful of neighborhood businesses, including a lawnmower repair shop, Quelland captured voter interest door-to-door armed only with his passion and point of view. He's now running for his third term in the state legislature and still sports his trademark handlebar moustache. "I don't want to owe anybody anything. I don't want to have to have the special interests. I just want to do it and not beholden to anybody," Rep. Quelland told NOW.

Quelland's state of Arizona is one of the biggest clean election battlegrounds, where the nation's only "clean-elected" governor, Janet Napolitano, sits in the statehouse. Governor Napolitano talks to NOW's David Brancaccio about her strong convictions regarding clean elections. "I think what Clean Elections allows you to do is be a better candidate and a better office holder, because you're not all the time having to raise money," Napolitano said.

In California, a very contentious debate is underway over Proposition 89, a clean election initiative about which voters will have the final say on November 7.

Although the clean election movement has many allies, it has also generated intense opposition on both the left and the right. The Goldwater Institute says that the system is invasive and overly complicated, and that giving candidates money is a form of free speech and should not be restricted. The ACLU maintains fair play and free speech is about fewer restrictions, not more.

Will "politics of the people" be a clean democratic step forward or a messy economic step backward? NOW travels across the country to find out.

Anti-War March on Saturday, Oct. 28

There will be an anti-war rally and march in the downtown area on Saturday, October 28th. The rally will be held on the plaza of the Federal Building at 2nd Avenue and Marion Street, beginning at noon and lasting until about 1 p.m. About 500 protestors are expected to attend the march, which will begin at about 1:15 p.m.

March route:

From 2nd Ave. and Marion St., marchers will travel south on 2nd Ave., turn east on Yesler Way to Dilling Way, then turn east on Dilling Way toward 4th Ave. The marchers will then head north on 4th Ave to Pine St., turn west on Pine St., and finally travel south on 2nd Ave. back toward the Federal Building at 2nd Ave. and Madison St.

The Seattle Department of Transportation builds, maintains and operates Seattle's $8 billion transportation infrastructure. To further Mayor Nickels’ goal to get Seattle moving, the department manages short- and long-term investments in streets, bridges, pavement and trees, that better connect the city with the region.

Taking the Initiative!

Driving back with Matt today from Best Buy were we just bought the Civ4 expansion pack, I heard something interesting. We were listening to the most recent PBS NOW podcast when they started talking about these initiatives being pushed in various states. How they are being marketed as a local grassroots but being pushed and funded by a Chicago group called "Americans for Limited Government"

Which grabbed my attention since I know they are behind I-933 here in Washington.

This is an amazing article. If you have the time please watch the video.

(hit the play button to watch the video)


Or you can download the mp3 for your ipod and listen to it when you have more time
Download Here

Transcript Available Here

Why you should vote "NO" on Initiative 933

This was written by a friend of mine and I agree with his argument. Personally I think its a poorly written Initiative that will allow for alot of abuse if passed and cost the state and all of us alot of money. Let me know what you think.

---

Please excuse this rant.

I am writing to complain about a very deft and guileful campaign to overturn the rule of law in our state. Specifically I mean Initiative 933, a Washington State initiative that will be up for vote in the general election on Tuesday, November 7th.

So what is 933? Basically, the so called "Property Fairness Act" will require local and state governments to compensate land owners for any value lost on their property due to legislation. For instance, if the government decides to ban tar factories in certain areas, then the government has to either pay the land owners affected for any loss incurred or waive the law. This doesn't just apply to already existing facilities, but to anyone who says they want to develop their property in this manner. Since we all know how much money the government has laying around to pay off greedy land owners, this essentially invalidates land-use laws. And the initiative will apply retroactively to all laws passed in the state since 1996.

In the words of The Olympian: "The initiative would allow property owners who think their property has been devalued by land use and environment laws on the books since Jan. 1, 1996, to file compensation claims. Governments would have the choice of paying the claims or waiving the environmental and land use laws."

Both the State of Washington and the University of Washington have recently completed separate studies on the expected cost of this initiative assuming we keep current land-use laws in place. Both studies came up with an expected cost of about $8 billion over the next 5 years, or about $1000 per person. And you were mad about your car tabs!

Of course why would we pass such a law just to line the pockets of wealthy land owners, surely it would make more sense to just waive the current land use laws we have in place. I mean if we can't afford to pay someone to follow the law, it must not be that important anyway. We certainly find the funds to pay people to not commit murder or prostitution. Imagine the day when we pass a Corporal Fairness Act, where thousands of people file claims against the government for lost revenue from their inability to take part in prostitution. The very idea of having to compensate someone for following the law is absolutely ridiculous and self serving.

So who then in their right mind is the force behind 933? One might expect it to be local farmers angered at their inability to build 5,000 McMansions on their amber waves of grain? Actually the lead financial backer of the law is a Chicago-based organization, Americans for Limited Government. The association is sponsoring copy cat initiatives in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and North Dakota as well. Obviously they have our local interests at heart.

As for the opposition, it's made up of more than just a few hippies and socialists. In terms of organizations, they include The United Farm Workers, The Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, The League of Women Voters of Washington, The Washington State Council of Fire Fighters, The Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, and The Cascade Land Conservancy. They are joined by local businesses such as REI and Vulcan as well as local entrepreneur Bill Gates. Even in politics former Governor Gary Locke and current Govenor Christine Gregoire have spoken out against 933. There are more who are opposed to this initiative on noon933.org.

Sadly the public is not as opposed to the initiative. According to the Seattle PI, "The independent Elway Poll surveyed registered voters in Washington state Sept. 21-24 and found that 47 percent of those questioned said they would definitely or probably support the measure, while 31 percent said they opposed it or would probably vote no."

I suppose it is possible to doubt all this doom and gloom. We were wrong about the Y2k disaster after all, so is it really going to be all that bad if the law passes? Well as chance may have it, an almost identical law "Measure 37" was passed in Oregon two years ago and is in fact the inspiration for our own initiative 933. This has been more than enough time to begin to see the results.

According to the Stranger, "Since the measure's passage, the landscape of Oregon land-use laws has changed; landowners have filed 2,940 Measure 37 claims according to the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies. One high-profile owner wants to build a gravel mine in a Clackamas County neighborhood, for example; another man is demanding $203 million in compensation not to develop a pumice mine on property he owns within Newberry National Volcanic Monument."

According to the Seattle PI, "Despite delays caused by court fights, Oregon property owners have already filed about 2,700 Measure 37 claims, aiming to develop about 143,000 acres. Most claims are designed to loosen up the zoning of farmland and forestland. Some would break small parcels into a few additional lots. Some are from billboard companies that want to put up bigger ads in Portland. Others are for developments of hundreds of new homes, resort hotels and mines. All told, the claimants demand that governments either waive land-use regulations or pay nearly $4 billion in compensation. In almost every one of the 700 claims settled to date, governments have waived the regulations."

OregonLive.com has an article that more deeply covers the billboards story in Portland. "Measure 37, which allows property owners whose land has lost value because of government regulation to seek compensation, covers land-use regulations. Portland's sign code is part of city land-use laws."

That said, I know that our current system of land use laws is not perfect, but this is not the solution. Please vote no on this ridiculous special interest initiative.

The Greatest Investment Washington can make..

"Education and Skills are the most important investment we can make in our economic
future." (Gov. Gregoire's economic plan called "Next Washington")

I am really glad to hear that this will be Gov. Gregoire's focus.
You can read the rest of Gov. Gregoire's economic plan here

COSTLY TUNNEL NOT THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE FOR ALL

'Working Families Deserve Better'

SEATTLE - Council President Nick Licata and Councilmember David J. Della issue the following statements in response to today's decision by a majority of councilmembers to recommend to the state that the tunnel is Seattle's preferred alternative for replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Councilmember Della, an advocate for rebuilding the Viaduct as an elevated structure with available funds and a supporter of an advisory vote on the issue, stated, "I don't think that we can comfortably say that the most expensive and unaffordable option is the preference of the people of Seattle. We had an opportunity to gauge the public's opinion by floating an advisory measure and should have done so. I think tunnel advocates were just too afraid to discover that a majority does not support pricing working families out of our city all in the name of better views. Working families deserve a choice and they deserve an alternative that is affordable."

Council President Licata, who sponsored legislation that would have put an advisory measure with cost estimates on this November's ballot, added, "Tunnel vision is taking our city deeper into a black hole of insufficient revenues and unknown costs. The tunnel is the most expensive option and will be the most expensive project in the history of our city. The fact that a tunnel will dry up so much of our revenue should have been the driver of our discussion-not aesthetics."

COUNCIL: THE TUNNEL IS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE

The Council reaffirms that a cut-and-cover tunnel is the City's preferred alternative for replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

SEATTLE- Seven members of the Council today reaffirmed their decision of January 2005 that the best alternative for replacement of the dangerously damaged Alaskan Way Viaduct is a cut-and-cover tunnel. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to realize a 21st Century waterfront. The tunnel is a means to that end," said Councilmember Jan Drago, Chair of the Transportation Committee. The City's recommendation will now directly go to Governor Christine Gregoire as she considers her decision on what to do about the crumbling elevated structure.

Councilmember Richard Conlin said, "We want to create a waterfront that works for all our people, that is ecologically sustainable, and that is consistent with the values that our city embodies of open access and environmental stewardship. A cut-and-cover tunnel along the waterfront is the best way forward at this time." Councilmember Jean Godden said, "The Viaduct is an unsafe, substandard, noxious polluting structure that has blighted the city for two generations-fifty years. Too often in the past, we have been foolishly cheap and shortsighted. We must restore the City's portal to Puget Sound with a cut-and-cover tunnel."

Councilmember Tom Rasmussen said, "The Viaduct was planned and built when freeways were seen as the solution to our transportation needs. Like many other cities, we will not repeat the mistakes of the past. This Council has its eyes fixed on the future."

Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck said, "The state gave Seattle only two options, an even larger elevated freeway or a tunnel, so I am supporting 'a tunnel option.' My heart is more with a sustainable future, such as a surface option as a back-up plan, with more funds for rapid transit."

Earlier this week, the Governor's Expert Review Panel affirmed that the tunnel's finances were sound and reasonable despite rising costs. Councilmember Richard McIver said, "I am pleased that a review panel made up of national experts on public finance and construction has expressed confidence in the identified funding for this project. I love the tunnel."

The Washington State Legislature asked the Council to express its preference for a Viaduct replacement either through Council action or an advisory ballot for Seattle's voters. Councilmember Drago said Council action was the only reasonable course. "The Council has been elected to make the difficult, complicated decisions as the representatives of Seattle's voters. Since the Viaduct planning is still in very early stages, it doesn't make sense to ask the public to vote on a project where construction figures are not secure," said Councilmember Drago. Added Councilmember Conlin, "There is a time to go to the voters: when you are asking them to raise money for a project that is solid. That time will come, but it hasn't yet."

Councilmember Sally Clark reminded everyone that today's decision is not the last one on the Viaduct replacement. "This is not the end. It is just one point along a very long journey. We are smarter today then we were 50 years ago. We can do better than an elevated freeway along the waterfront. I support the tunnel."

Carkeek Park Environmental Learning Center Offers "Living Green" Programs

Carkeek Park Environmental Learning Center Offers "Living Green" Programs
Free workshops provide practical info for homeowners

Seattle Parks and Recreation's Carkeek Park Environmental Learning Center, 950 NW Carkeek Park Road, is offering a unique series of workshops for people interested in making "green," or environmentally sustainable, improvements to their homes and properties.

Introduction to Green Living
Considering a remodel? Help is here! Learn to incorporate health, efficiency, and environmental performance into your home improvements. In this two-hour workshop you'll learn what makes a remodel "green," how the green remodeling approach is distinct from conventional remodeling, and review case studies of real Seattle remodels. You can see samples of green materials and recommended books, and there will be plenty of time for project-specific questions. Thor Peterson is
the Residential Green Building Specialist with Seattle Department of Planning and Development, and has more than seven years' experience working with conservation and green building programs. He is a graduate of the Sustainable Building Advisor Certificate program, and author of Seattle's Green Home Remodel guides.
Please register by October 5 by calling 206-684-0877.
Workshop date: Thursday, October 12, 7 to 9 p.m.
Cost: Free

Natural Water Management for the Home
In this workshop, you'll learn the importance of, and techniques for, taking steps toward restoring the hydrology in the built environment to its pre-development state. Mike Broili, director of the Well Home Program at Phinney Neighborhood Association, has extensive experience in the construction trades as a contractor and designer, and uses a low impact and sustainable approach to environmentally sensitive ventures. Join Mike in an in-depth discussion about passive and active rainwater harvesting and management strategies. Mike will reveal the mysteries of rainwater harvesting systems for flushing toilets, how to design rain gardens, vegetated roofs, waterwalls, best soil management practices, and many other strategies for managing rainwater on site.
Please register by October 6 by calling 206-684-0877.
Workshop date: Saturday, October 14, 2 to 4 p.m.
Cost: Free

Green Products for Home Interiors
Learn about a wide selection of applications for your living and bedrooms, kitchen and bathroom. Learn what makes "green" projects green, and how they really perform. You will touch and see a wide variety of products including flooring options, paint qualities, tiles, carpet, and countertops. Alicia Silva, founder of Greener Lifestyles, is an interior design professional who works with developers specializing in green building and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Please register by November 2 by calling 206-684-0877.
Instructor: Alicia Silva, LEED Accredited Professional and Sustainable Building Advisor
Workshop date: Thursday, November 9, 7 to 9 p.m.
Cost: Free

Residential Solar Power: Photovoltaic Assembly for Real People
Solar Power in the Pacific Northwest? It is not a fantasy. Come get the nuts and bolts facts about solar power. This hands-on, expert-led workshop will guide you step by step through preliminary design and assembly of a residential scale
photovoltaic system. See the Carkeek solar array in action and tour two other local projects with Mike Nelson, co-founder of the Northwest Solar Center. Bring a sack lunch.
Please register by November 10 by calling 206-684-0877.
Workshop date: Saturday, November 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Cost: Free

Election Results

http://www.metrokc.gov/elections/200609/results.htm

Articles on the local races

The Olympian
Alexander leads hotly contested Supreme Court race over Groen

The News Tribune
Chief justice leads challenger Groen; Chambers wins
Favorites advance in Senate battle

The Stranger Blog
VIDEO COVERAGE - Seattle Primary Election Sept 19, 2006

Komo News
Cantwell, McGavick Set For Senate Finale
Chambers Re-Elected, Owens Advances, Alexander Leads

Seattle PI
Cantwell snubs McGavick on debates

Seattle's Linnea Noreen and the Daily Report

I thought this was funny. Local Independant Politician Linnea Noreen is running for Congress and has launched an interesting grassroots new media campaign using websites like YouTube.com. Her campaign is promoting the Daily Report, Seattle's answer to Comedy Central's Daily Show where no politician is safe from made up crap by people pissed off at the status quo. Check out her interview with Adam Sewall

The Daily Report: Intro and Headlines with Adam Sewall


The Daily Report: Field Report with Michael-Ellyn


The Daily Report: Where the Hell Is Mc'D with Bill McQuaid


The Daily Report: Linnea interview with Adam Sewall 1


The Daily Report: Linnea interview with Adam Sewall 2


More on Linnea Noreen at http://www.votelinnea.com/index.php

Don't forget to vote tomorrow

Polls open at 7 AM
Information on voting including the voters guide can be found here http://metrokc.gov/elections/

Support Jamie Pedersen Legislative District No. 43