King County Democrats Endorsements for 2011

Last night the King County Democrats had a packed and enthusiastic meeting in Renton to vote on endorsements for candidates running for election this year.  Off year elections mostly feature city and county candidates but also include some school boards. The King County Democrats last night made the following endorsements:

Endorsements by King County Democrats

King County Director of Elections - Sherril Huff
King County Council Position 6 - Richard Mitchell
Bothell City Council Position 2 - Jennifer Armenta
Covington City Council 1 - Marlla Mhoon
Federal Way City Council 3 - Roger Flygare
Issaquah City Council 4 - Joshua Schaer
Kent City Council 1 - Bailey Stober
Kirkland City Council 4 - Jessica Greenway
Kirkland City Council Position 6 - David Asher
Lake Forest Park Mayor - Mary Jane Goss
Shoreline City Council 6 - Jesse Salomon
Tukwila Mayor - Pam Linder
Seattle City Council Position 1 - Maurice Clausen
Seattle City Council Position 1 - Bobby Forch
Seattle City Council Position 3 - Bruce Harrell
Seattle City Council Position 1 - Jean Godden
Seattle City Council Position 5 - Tom Rasmussen
Seattle City Council Position 7 - Tim Burgess
Seattle City Council Position 9 - Sally Clark
Seattle School Director District 3 - Michelle Buetow
Shoreline City Council - Chris Eggen

The King County Democrats also voted unanimously to oppose people signing and voting for Initiative 1125 and all other initiatives filed by Tim Eyman this year.  The
I-1125 ballot title reads: Initiative Measure 1125 concerns state expenditures on transportation.  This measure would prohibit the use of motor vehicle fund revenue and vehicle total revenue for non-transportation purposes, and require that road and bridge tolls be set by the legislature and be project specific.

The King County Democrats also voted to support the upcoming Family and Education Levy  which will be on the November ballot and the King County Veterans and Human Services Levy which will be on the  August 16, 2011 primary ballot.

What Congressman Inslee Thinks about the Republican Plan to Privatize Medicare

Congressman Jay Inslee thinks the Republican plan to privatize Medicare is a bad idea. The Republican proposal by Republican Congressman Ryan would basically shift the burden of paying for Medicare from the nonprofit public sector onto seniors. The costs would increase dramatically over time to seniors as the voucher proposal is static and would not increase over time.

In addition as medical costs increase, seniors would be asked to pay these increased costs as well as salary increases for private health care administrators, financial returns to investors and shareholders and rising costs due to inflation. 

As noted in a recent press release from the Center for Economic and Policy Research:

"The Ryan plan does nothing to control private-sector waste in health care costs," said David Rosnick, an author of the report. "As a result of the waste in the private system, beneficiaries will end up paying substantially more for Medicare, in effect paying a hefty new tax on their health care."
The report, "Representative Ryan's $30 Trillion Medicare Waste Tax," documents the potential effects of replacing Medicare with a system of vouchers or premium supports and raising the age of eligibility from 65 to 67 as suggested in the Ryan plan, which was passed by the House of Representatives with almost unanimous support from Republicans and no votes from Democrats. The authors note that each voucher under the plan will initially be worth $6,600, but would be frozen at this amount over the program's 75-year planning window, paying less and less of a beneficiary's health care costs over time.
In addition to comparing the costs of Medicare to the government under the current system and under the Ryan plan, the authors also show the effects of raising the age of Medicare eligibility. The paper also demonstrates that while Ryan shifts $4.9 trillion in health care costs from the government to Medicare beneficiaries, this number is dwarfed by a $34 trillion increase in overall costs to beneficiaries that is projected based on the Congressional Budget Office's analysis".

The following is an email sent out by Democratic Congressman Jay Inslee stating how he feels about this Republican plan and urges you to sign a petition opposing this blatant effort to end Medicare as we know it and shift the costs unto seniors instead:

Lesson number one for any elected official worth their salt is that you can't outrun the public record. But that's exactly what many members of the GOP are trying to do. As public opposition to their Medicare privatization plan mounts, they're doing everything they can to run away -- despite overwhelmingly supporting it in the House as part of Rep. Paul Ryan's extremist budget. Here's the truth: Rep. Ryan's budget plan ends Medicare as we know it. It forces seniors into the private insurance market where they'll pay far more and get far less. The good news is our efforts to show how much people oppose their privatization scheme are having an effect. The privatizers are on the defensive, and if we can keep the pressure on, we stand a good chance of stopping this in the Senate when it comes to a vote next week. Join me and thousands of others who are already speaking out -- urge the Senate to oppose this Medicare privatization scheme! Supporters of this plan have made a big show of claiming that it will bring costs down, but they're not being honest. It doesn't bring medical costs down -- it just shifts them onto the backs of America's seniors. No one is trying to hide from the fact that we need to seek out creative and comprehensive solutions to fix our long-term deficit. But trying to do that by telling Americans who've paid for Medicare throughout their careers that they're on their own is unfair and wrong. We can win and protect Medicare, but to do it we need everyone who supports preserving this program to stand up and fight back. Can you help? Urge the Senate to oppose this Medicare privatization scheme! Thanks so much for your help. Very truly yours, Jay Inslee

Marko Liias Considers Run for Congress

I received the following e-mail earlier today.  Next year will be an exciting and busy year in Washington State for Democrats. It can well be an exercise in playing musical chairs for those looking at new opportunities to challenge themselves. Marko Liias is a welcome addition to those interested in playing the game and keeping politics interesting.

 

Marko 2012 Exploratory Committee

Dear Steve, As a friend and supporter, I am writing to share some exciting news with you - and ask for your advice. In the past few months, many people have asked me to consider running for Congress in the 1st District, in the event Congressman Inslee does not seek reelection. While there are many things left to sort through, I want to let you know I am seriously considering this possibility. As someone that was born and raised in our community, it has been an honor and privilege to serve as a city councilman and now as state representative. I am proud of what we have accomplished together these last few years. With your help, I have stood up for our community, leading on critical issues like education, transportation and environmental protection. But, as I have worked hard in our state capital, like you, I have been dismayed and disappointed with what I see happening in our nation's capital. The best interests of the American people have been ignored as a Republican majority has pursued their ideological agenda with ruthlessness. This Congress has attacked women's fundamental right to make their own reproductive choices. The new majority would dismantle important environmental protections that keep our air and water clean. And, rather than fighting for Main Street businesses, this Congress wants to continue to give out tax breaks to Big Oil and billionaires like Donald Trump. We need to send someone to Congress that will stand up for Washington families. Someone that can move beyond the tired old ideas of the past and help lead our country in a better direction. In short, we need to send a fresh, progressive voice to Congress. While I won't decide whether to formally enter the race until Congressman Inslee announces his own plans, I do think it's important to start this conversation now. We have a unique opportunity to change the course of our country, and I am excited to hear your thoughts. You can visit my Facebook site and share your comments there, or you can email me at marko@marko2012.com. Thank you for all that you do. All my best, Marko

Senator Maralyn Chase Advocates Washington State adopt Clawback Provisions

Such a sensible proposal. If tax exemptions to benefit corporations and business interests do not provide a net benefit to Washington State in terms of increasing jobs or retaining jobs, then the tax exemption should be repealed.

 As Senator Maralyn Chase mentions, twenty other states currently have some formof clawback provision. It time for Washington State to also do this. We can not afford to be giving gifts to businesses without a net return in value to the state.

Senator Chase notes that tax exemptions shift the tax burden to other businesses that do not get an exemption. If the exemption provides no net benefit to the state and it's taxpayers, it is unfairly hurting other businesses and hurting the state in its ability to provide other essential services that help in job creation like funding for education and keeping our citizens healthy.