Democrats - Don't Miss Your Chance to Participate in Democracy Saturday March 4th!!

This Saturday March 4, 2006 is the beginning of the process to form a new state platform for the Democrats. It is also the start of the process to elect delegates to the State Democratic Convention to be held June 3, 2006 in Yakima.

In neighborhoods across the state neighbors will come together for Democratic precinct caucuses to start the process. It is a great time to meet other Democrats. It is also a great time to talk about the issues and candidates that we want to support to bring about the resurgence of Democrats and democracy in America. Since Bush was elected if anyone thought it didn't matter who was President or which party the Governor belonged to or whether Democrats or Republicans controlled the House or the Senate there can be no doubt now.

To get more information on the caucus process you can go to the Washington State Democratic Perty website which has a frequently asked questions on caucuses and also a page where you can search for the location of your caucus. Caucuses start at 2 P.M. and usually will last no more than 2 hours.

I hope that you can make it.

Port Commissioners Spend Public Money to Lobby for Unrestricted Campaign Contributions

A recent disturbing article in the Seattle Times shows just how out of touch some Seattle Port Commissioners are with the public they represent. The Port of Seattle lobbyist is lobbying the Washington State Legislature to oppose campaign contribution limits that the Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, other statewide office candidates and legislative candidates have to comply with.

The Port of Seattle actually encompasses King County. Homeowners help to subsidize the port by paying a portion of their property taxes to fund port operations. Besides port shipping operations, the port also operate the SeaTac Airport.

Pat Davis, President of the Port, is cited as saying the bill is "anti-democratic." Funny thing is that when state citizens set up the original campaign contribution law, they did it by an initiative (Initiative 134) in 1992 that won by a 73% yes vote.

Pat Davis received some $56,000 that would have been prohibited by the proposed legislation. Seems to me to be a slight conflict of interest in her supporting the publicly paid Port lobbyist to oppose the legislative bill.

The reason for the legislation (3SHB 1226) actually came about because of the fact that Initiative 134 did not include the Washington State Supreme Court. In the last two elections the Building Industry Association of Washington has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into two State Supreme Court races that they won. In fact, in the most recent race, the BIAW candidate received more money from the BIAW than the other candidate received from all her contributions. According to Washington State Public Disclosure Records , Jim Johnson, the winner, raised some $538,418 to Mary Kay Becker's $158,119.

Even if this bill passes it will still have a giant loophole. It does nothing to regulate so called independent contributions by PAC's. Individual contributions need to be limited to a set amount per individual regardless of whether it is given directly to the candidate's election committee or to some independent PAC that spends the money supporting the candidate. The influence of large contributions spent by entities like the BIAW circumvent the whole idea of linmiting large contributors from buying the election because they are still spent on behalf of electing that candidate even if not given to the candidate's campaign committee. The most logical solution is to limit the amount any individual can give to an aggregiate total in a race. For example you could give $2700 total in the governor's race. This total would include contributions directly to the candidate or to a PAC supporting the candidate or both but you could not give more than $2700 total in the governor's race..

The BIAW spent some $569,009 of so called independent PAC money helping elect Rob McKenna Washington State state Attorney General. Giving a contribution directly to McKenna's committee would have limited them to some $2700. Spending it separately from the candidate's committee put no limits on how much could be raised from individual donors. That's why on election night he personally thanked them for helping get him elected. Independent. Yeh right.

Also of note - the Republican Leadership PAC WA spent some $1,265,000 and the Realtor's Quality of Life PAC some $101,862. Meanwhile you and I, if we had it, were limited to giving $2700 maximun in the race. Sounds fair right. This needs to change!

3SHB has passed the House and has had a hearing in the Senate. Urge your State Senator to support the bill. While it does only half the job, it is a step in the right direction.

Note- the contribution limit this year is $1400 for the primary and $1400 for the general election - for a total of $2800. The limit is adjusted by the state Public Disclosure Commission every 2 years to reflect inflation.

A Bad Idea - Bush Health Savings Accounts for the Poor

President Bush, once again with nice sounding thoughts about helping the poor with expanding Health Care Accounts, winds up doing nothing. What the poor really need is a higher minimum wage. Maybe if they had less stress trying to make ends meet with no money they would be healthier. Try living on $10,920 a year and see how much stress you would have.

In a just released study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington DC, they say that Bush's Individual Health Savings Account idea would actually result in a net increase in the number of workers without heath care insurance. The reason is that there would be a decline in the number of employers providing health care. This would offset any gain in individual coverage.

Once again Bush is looking out for corporate interests, decreasing their obligation to provide health care insurance. Places like Wendy's which only start their store crew at minimum wage and add only dollar or two over time, really are shirking their social responsibility to provide people working for them with a decent liveable wage. By paying low wages they shift the burden of health care costs onto the taxpayers who pick up the increased medical costs through public assistance programs. They want people to work for them but they certainly don't provide fair wages by paying minimum wage.

Some 33 states nationwide have a state minimum wage the same as the Federal minimum wage of $5.25 per hour. That's the same as it was 9 years ago. Funny thing is you can't buy a gallon of gas or a loaf of bread for what it cost nine years ago.

Compassionate conservatism? Hey I've got some tax breaks for the wealthy I'd like to sell you.
Don't blame me if they trickle down on you, like a little warm and with a yellow tinge.

Religion as a Defense for Assassination

In what court of law in the world can you go before a judge and plead not guilty for murder because you were defending your religion? It seems that in Pakistan a cleric believes that is what you can do because he has announced a $1 million bounty for killing the cartoonist in Denmark that drew the Muhammad cartoons. (There were actually eight different people who drew the cartoons.) In other words he is announcing to the world that he is ordering a hit on someone because he didn't like the cartoon they drew. Not even a hit out of vengeance because they killed his family or another Muslim but because he drew a political cartoon.

In Pakistan, the cleric Mohammed Yousaf Qureshi said the mosque and the religious school he leads would give a $25,000 reward and a car for killing the cartoonist who drew the caricatures -- considered blasphemous by many Muslims. He said a local jewelers' association would also give $1 million, but no representative of the association was available to confirm the offer.

"This is a unanimous decision by all imams of Islam that whoever insults the prophets deserves to be killed and whoever will take this insulting man to his end, will get this prize," he said.

Go yourself and see the cartoons at Wikipedia and make a judgment that in the name of protecting a religion from any kind of criticism, the people who drew the cartoons should be killed. I think those in the world community who have bent over backwards to try to appease the anger of Islamic believers over the publishing of free speech protected political cartoons need to rethink their retreat from criticism by people who do believe it is O.K to murder and assassinate people who dare to criticize their religious beliefs.

Whatever saner and wiser elements exist in Islamic believers need to speak up to condemn this assassination contract offer. The Pakistan government needs to denounce this terrorist threat and should arrest the cleric and shut down the mosque and the religious school he leads unless they retract their assassination offer. What they do will be a true test of whether the Islamic
Community is ready to be part of a civilized world.

As I've said before the Western world is no paragon of purity. Millions have been killed in the name of religion by people in non-Islamic countries over the centuries but that does not mean we should ignore these current threats to freedom of belief and freedom of speech. One should never get a free pass to murder someone else because they hold different beliefs.

Likewise we should never give up free speech because what we say might offend someone. Tolerance does not mean silence. Those that want to restrict free speech really are afraid of people raising questions. Tolerance does not mean turning a blind eye to injustice or inhumane actions. Just because you have a religious belief does not make you immune from living in a world with humane laws that include not killing another person because they don't believe the same as you do. Religious tolerance does not mean turning a blind eye to injustice or condoning murder in the name of someone's religion. That is why people need to speak against this current assassination contract in the name of religion. It is not morally justifiable and needs to be condemned!

You don't understand do you Mr. President?

Talk about out of his mind - How stupid do you think the American people are Mr President?

The NY Times yesterday carried an article entitled, "Bush Promotes Health Accounts at Wendy's" Bush spoke at Wendy's corporate Headquarters not a local Wendy's restaurant. Bush campaigned for expanding what are called Health Savings Plans. Currently these plans only cover catastrophic health care costs, with the first $1050 picked up by the policy holder. Up to $5000 a year can be put in this account. This may be of some interest to people like John T Schuessler, the Chairman of the Board of Wendy's although I doubt it. Last years annual report said that he received a salary of $1,047,730 plus "restricted stock awards" and other compensation totaling another $6,325,914.

Let's look at the other end of Wendy's employees - the crew that serves the food. I called several local Wendy's in Seattle to see what I would get per hour if I went to work for them. I was told that wages stared at minimum wage. Fortunately I'm in Washington State which has the highest state minimum wage in the country - $7.63. Now if I worked 40 hours a week for 52 weeks I would receive a gross pay of $15, 870. Eventually I was told I could get as much as $9.25 an hour. I'm truly lucky I live in Washington state with its high minimum wage..

When I checked with the Restaurant Association on line they had a map of state minimum wages across the country. Turns out 33 states minimum wage is only $5.15 an hour or only $10,712 a year and while I didn't check what people make at Wendy's in these states I would bet you that its not going to be much above the minimum wage.

Next I was curious as to what are the Federal Guidelines for poverty in the US. For 1 person it's considered $9800, for a family of 2 it's $13,200, for a family of 3 it's $16,000 and a family of 4 it's $20,000. I have a family of 4 so if I went to work for Wendy's I would be working and earning below the poverty level.

When I asked Wendy's if there were any benefits, they said no. Now I could see why Wendy's would be supportive of Health Savings Plans. Their crew employees make poverty level wages
and are paid no benefits. So instead of the President asking Wendy's how they can expect their bottom level employees to live a decent life working 40 hours a week and being paid poverty level wages and no benefits, he says that they could put some of their poverty level wages in a health savings account. Then they would have health care. Right? I guess that's instead of paying rent or buying groceries or buying a toy or two if they have kids.

According to the NY times article it seems Bush is willing to put the blame on poverty level workers for having no health care, not the company or the US Government and the fact that the Federal minimum wage has not increased in 9 years. It's all individual responsibility he says.

In answering critics of his plan Bush responded. "It's kind of basically saying, 'If you're not making a lot of money, you can't make decisions for yourself,' " Mr. Bush told Wendy's employees assembled in the company's lobby. "That's kind of a Washington attitude, isn't it. 'We'll decide for you, you can't figure it out yourself.' I think a lot of folks here at Wendy's would argue that point of view is just simply backwards and not true."

Yeh I see your point Mr. President. What's the matter with minimum wage worker's at places like Wendys in America? Really, how hard of a decision is it to make? You're living at poverty level and you expect to have health care when you are having problems subtracting your rent and food and water and heat and electricity and still having more than a few dollars to live on? Heaven forbid you should get sick and need medicine. You should just count your blessings that people like Chairman Schuessler have a job for you at all.

Energy Security Initiative Kickoff!

The following is taken from an e-mail from the Energy Security Initiative Campaign. Attend a kickoff or contact them at www.energysecuritynow.org. to get petitions and volunteer. Please help put a progressive initiative on the fall ballot. Join their e-mail list and keep informed of their progress.


"Clean Energy Initiative Officially Filed in Olympia!
On January 25th, Washingtonians for Energy Security officially submitted initiative wording to the Secretary of State’s office. For anyone who missed the media coverage, the filing of the initiative was combined with a press conference that was covered by press outlets across the state. Speakers at the event included U.S. Congressman Jay Inslee, Sara Patton of the Northwest Energy Coalition, and Randy Hardy, a former Bonneville Power Administrator. Afterward, both KIRO and KOMO radio conducted radio interviews with members of the campaign committee, and newspapers around the state ran stories on the official launch of the initiative. By all accounts, the press launch was a huge success!! Click on the following links to read articles that were published following the press conference:

· The Seattle Times – Read article here! (Requires free registration to read.)
· The Columbian – Read article here!
· The Longview Daily News – Read article here!
· The Olympian – Read article here!

Please join us at a Campaign Kick-Off Meeting near you!
We are very excited to announce the dates for our campaign kick-off events – taking place all across the state! These meetings will be a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the initiative, meet campaign staff and other volunteers in your area, and discuss what we need to do to attain our goal of 160,000 signatures. Only with your help will we qualify for the November ballot, and we hope to see you and all your friends at one of the following meetings!:


Snohomish County Kick-Off Meeting
Wednesday, February 15th at 7:00 p.m.South Everett Library - Evergreen Branch9512 Evergreen Way, Everett, Directions

King County Kick-Off MeetingThursday, February 16th at 7:00 p.m.
University Heights Center
5031 University Way NE, Seattle, Directions

Thurston County Kick-Off Meeting
Tuesday, February 21st at 7:00 p.m.
Plenty Restaurant (in the meeting room in back)
200 4th Ave W, Olympia, Directions

Pierce County Kick-Off Meeting
Tuesday, February 21st at 7:00 p.m.
U.S. Congressman Jay Inslee will be joining us at this meeting!Tacoma Nature Center
1919 S. Tyler Street, Tacoma, Directions

Clark County Kick-Off Meeting
Wednesday, February 22nd at 7:00 p.m.
Vancouver Housing Authority (Community Room)
2500 Main St #100, Vancouver, Directions

Whatcom County Kick-Off Meeting
Thursday, February 23rd at 7:00 p.m.
Whatcom Educational Credit Union
600 E Holly St, Bellingham, Directions

Spokane County Kick-Off Meeting
Tuesday, February 28th at 7:00 p.m.
At the Community Building
35 W Main, Spokane, Directions

Tri-Cities Kick-Off Meeting
Wednesday, March 1st at 7:00 p.m.
Pasco Library Meeting Room
1320 W Hopkins, Pasco, Directions

Walla Walla Kick-Off Meeting
Wednesday, March 1st at 1:00 p.m.
Reid Campus Center Café on the Whitman Campus
345 Boyer Ave, Walla Walla, Directions"

Religiously Incorrect Cartoons

I'm sorry but I can't be outraged by the manipulated outrage over the cartoons of Muhammad. It has not been well referenced by the mainstream media that this whole thing has been skilfully used by radical Muslims in an attempt to threaten and intimidate those that support democratic principles. They are trying to use democractic values of tolerance of diversity to further Muslim intolerance. What religion wouldn't like to not be criticized or questioned? But when they threaten to kill you if you question what they believe then people should be outraged.

Stanley Fish has an interesting commentary on the counterproductive reaction of liberals to strong and diverse opinion in today's NY Times

Part of this staged outrage being used against democracy happened because Islamic supporters in Denmark went to the Middle East complaining about the Danish cartoons published in the paper in Denmark and included some rabid hatemail depictions that were never published. Those wishing to inflame anger against non-Muslims used this hate mail to further their anti-Western anti-European agenda.

Fanatic Islamic radicals who have taken over the public voice of Islam in the Middle East found these phony "cartoons" as a blessing to manipulate the faithful. It's no surprise. These radical Islamics see no contradiction on issuing a fatwa on Salmam Rushdie for writing The Satanic Verses and their religion. They express outrage that a Danish newspaper publishes some cartoons of Muhammad but accept car bombings and assassinations and beheadings.

Emran Qureshi decries what has happened in an article in today's New York Times entitled "The Islam the Riots Drowned Out"

Remember the popularity of the "What would Jesus do? " campaign?

One should ask this same question but substitute Muhammad.
What kind of car would Muhammad use as a car bomb?
What weapon would Muhammad use to behead people he kidnapped?

The absurdity is that the radicals would condone violence in the name of Muhammad and people see this is the voice of Islam. I don't see Muhammad as condoning car bombs and beheadings as a way to further Islam.

Before we think the radical wing of Islam is an anomality in world history and culture we must remember the history of Christianity. Seems to me that things like the Inquisition and nonbelievers being burned at the stake and all the Kings and Queens and common folk killed in Britain in the fight between Catholicism and Protestantism show that Christianity is no paragon of tolerance of different beliefs and has seen its own share of fanatic violence in the name of its God.

Seems people in glass house should think twice before passing judgment on Islamic violence as something unique in world history.

The challenge of all religions and cultures is one of how to live together despite our diversity and different religious beliefs. The modern world is really not modern when it comes to religion and war and killing nonbelievers. It's remains just more of the same.

History says we should not be fooled by those who believe that there is only one true religion and are willing to kill to prove it to be so. Only when people are free to choose their religion will the world be truly modern. Christians, Jews, Muslims and all other believers of faith are not true believers if one is forced to accept their religion or die. Bombing and killing people to further a religious faith is not religion but is using dogma and coercion and fear and death to enforce the rule of totalitarianism.

Energy Security Initiative

Progressives have the opportunity to help push a positive initiative this year in Washington state. Energy activists have come together to push for an Energy Security Initiative.

The initiative's goal is to require that by 2020 15% of the electricity produced in Washington State is from renewable sources.

To sign up to help you can visit their website at Energy Security Now . They need to collect over 220,000 valid signatures of Washington voters by the beginning of July.

Boehner - Make the students pay more!

Sorry students of America but if you hope to get financial aid from the US government, don't hold your breath for a better deal down the line. The newly elected House Majority leader(sic) doesn't support the government helping you out. He instead supports his moneyed supporters - for profit colleges and trade schools and private school lenders.

As reported in Sunday's Washington Post Boehner runs the Freedom PAC which over the last 10 years has given $2.9 million dollars to GOP lawmakers.

In the most recent election cycle, 2003-2004, the Freedom Project received $572,719 from individuals, according to records filed with the Federal Election Commission and analyzed by PoliticalMoneyLine. More than half of that, $292,570, came from employees and lobbyists for private student lending companies and for-profit academic institutions.
Individuals affiliated with the private student-loan industry gave the PAC $220,020, including $52,670 from officers of Sallie Mae. Sallie Mae was established in 1972 as a government-sponsored organization that over the past decade has become privatized, and is now a Fortune 500 company specializing in student loans.
Boehner's PAC received $72,550 in donations from employees and lobbyists from for-profit colleges and trade schools.

So is it any surprise that Boehner has sponsored legislation that would restrict the ability of the US Dept of Education to cut fees to make government loans less expensive.

During the current congressional session, Boehner's committee endorsed his legislation to allow the for-profit colleges and trade schools to gain millions of dollars in federal subsidies.
The measure would eliminate 1992 regulations designed to prevent the for-profits from signing up unqualified students and collecting student loans for tuition. Boehner would bar traditional colleges from denying credits earned at for-profits on the grounds that the for-profits are not accredited.

I find that last statement particularly interesting in the light of trying to increase academic excellence and learning. It seems to say that you can go to an unaccredited college and force accredited colleges to accept the course work. You mean I can get a loan to take a course on the internet and the University of Washington must accept it toward graduation even though the program is not accredited. And all just because I got a loan from a private lending source.

So this is the Republican agenda to support education. Support for profit colleges even if not accredited and support private school loans over US government loans.

Exxon Gets Bush's Blessing

Terrance Hunt writing for the AP says in today's PI says that "President Bush defended the huge profits of Exxon Mobil Corp. Wednesday, saying that they are simply the result of the marketplace and that consumers socked with soaring energy costs should not expect price breaks."

Bush, a former Texas oilman, said of oil costs, "I think that basically the price is determined by the marketplace, and that's the way it should be."

On Tues, in our blog "Where Your Spare Change Went" we questioned the excess profits of Exxon Mobil and other oil companies being made at the expense of the American public. How is the price determined by the marketplace; I don't set prices? What am I supposed to do when my heating oil bill comes; refuse to pay? Give me a break.

How about imposing an excess profits tax on oil companies, like proposed by some in Congress and use it to fund programs for conservation and alternative fuels? Government has a duty to protect the little guy, not just the big corporations soaking the American public for all they can. Except not the Republicans, who see their duty to help the corporations and wealthy with more tax breaks. Wealth continues to concentrate in the hands of a few in America.

Wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few in America. In 2001 according to figures from the Federal Reserve Board, the top 10% of households in America own 71% of the wealth. The bottom 40% own less than 1%. Between 1983 and 2000, the top 20% increased their wealth distribution from 81.3% to 84.4%. The bottom 40% went from .9% to .3%. And Bush wants more tax breaks for the wealthy.

A June 2004 Merrill- Lynch report noted that the concentration of wealth at the top resumed upward spiral in 2003. It attributed it to a "...a rising stock market in 2003, and the decision of the wealthy early on in the year to significantly increase their stock holdings. On average, high net worth individuals (HNWIs, as the report labels them) increased their investments in stocks to 35 percent of their holdings in 2003 from 20 percent in 2002."

The American Way is the "free enterprise way" which is the George Bush Way which is the Republican Corporate Mantra. Get used to it. If you don't like it you need to get the Republicans and George Bush types out of office. They're working for themselves - the ruling elite - that already have the wealth and they intend to keep it and accumulate as much more as they can. When they say they are for lower taxes they just aren't telling you the whole truth - they are for lower taxes for themselves and if you're foolish enough to still believe that they are out to help the majority of American citizens then they have you brainwashed. Just open your eyes and look around.

Aren't you the one who is going to pay more to go to the doctor, pay more for your medicine and more to send your kids to college? The Republican Congress just cut money for these programs It's been their plan all along. Cut taxes for the rich and cut programs for the poor and middle class. It's the Ruling Class's Way.

Free Speech? Not in America

Cindy Sheehan was arrested for wearing a shirt that listed the number of American dead in Iraq. She was invited to hear Bush give his "State of the Union" address to Congress. You can read about it at AfterDowningStreet.org.

What a mockery Bush is making of America. It's time for people to realize that our freedoms do not exist if we can not exercise them. Bush's people are control freaks. They are afraid to hear any dissenting views and opinions. This is not new. There are many previous reports of people being screened from Bush events, like because they are Democrats or not willing to pledge loyalty to Bush.

In 2003 the ACLU cited a dozen examples where protestors were ordered to"ProtestZones" far away from Bush while supporters were not restricted.

James Bovard writes on The American Conservative website about how the Bush"Administration quarantines dissent" with its free speech zones.

And its not just war as the following instance written by Bovard points out:

"When Bush came to the Pittsburgh area on Labor Day 2002, 65-year-old retired steel worker Bill Neel was there to greet him with a sign proclaiming, “The Bush family must surely love the poor, they made so many of us.” The local police, at the Secret Service’s behest, set up a “designated free-speech zone” on a baseball field surrounded by a chain-link fence a third of a mile from the location of Bush’s speech. The police cleared the path of the motorcade of all critical signs, though folks with pro-Bush signs were permitted to line the president’s path. Neel refused to go to the designated area and was arrested for disorderly conduct; the police also confiscated his sign. Neel later commented, “As far as I’m concerned, the whole country is a free speech zone. If the Bush administration has its way, anyone who criticizes them will be out of sight and out of mind.”"

Fighting Eyman Style Initiatives

Eyman has filed a slew of initiatives this year but will probably concentrate on two. One is to reduce car license tabs to $30 and the other will be to overturn the just signed anti-discrimination legislation on sexual orientation.

The best way to respond to Eyman type initiatives is to practice free speech whenever you see someone trying to collect signatures. The signature gatherer will probably be on Tim's payroll of $1 or $2 a signature since after his first initiative he has had to pay to get his initiatives on the ballot. He doesn't have any real horde of volunteers although he wants people to believe he does.

Stand 5 or 10 feet away and start telling people not to sign the initiative as it is controversial and people don't support it. Ask people to read the initiative first before they sign, which they are allowed to do by law and should. Paid signature gatherers usually hide the actual text (which is printed on the back of the initiative) from the public because people reading the initiative while they are asking people to sign, stops people from signing.

Do not get into an argument with the signature gatherer and do not stop people from signing if they still want to. But you are allowed to speak all you want and encourage people not to sign. That is free speech. Try it and you'll be amazed at how effective you can be in persuading people not to sign.

The petition gatherer will probably try to get away from you but as long as you are in a public area you can continue to exercise your right of free speech near him or her as long as you do not physically stop people from signing if they want to. Probably most won't since most people like to avoid controversy and will walk away.