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. 

Debbie Wasserman Schultz new Chair of Democratic National Committee

President Obama has chosen a strong progressive Democrat to head up the Democratic National Committee. Obama today picked Florida Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz to replace Tim Kaine of Virginia who resigned to run for the US Senate.

As Politico reports:

Wasserman Schultz, 44, was chosen for her strength as a fundraiser and as a television messenger and for her clout in the crucial swing state of Florida, the sources said....

Since she was first elected to Congress in 2004, Debbie Wasserman Schultz has emerged as one of the most outspoken leaders in the Democratic Party, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, said in a statement.

"A strong voice for ordinary people who didn't cause the recession but are too often asked to pay the price, Wasserman Schultz will be a great advocate for President Obama and for Democrats across the country who are fighting to grow the economy and create jobs for middle-class families."

Vice President Joe Bidden in an e-mail to DNC members that was posted on Huffington Post noted that:

"Debbie has served the people of Florida - first in the Florida State Legislature, and more recently in Congress - for nearly two decades. During that time, she has fought for America's children, seniors, and men and women in uniform.

In selecting Debbie to lead our party, President Obama noted her tenacity, her strength, her fighting spirit, and her ability to overcome adversity. President Obama expressed great admiration for her as a leader, and he was honored that she accepted this important challenge on behalf of the Democratic Party.

No one should have any doubt that Debbie will work hard to strengthen our party and our country. I hope you will welcome her as President Obama's choice for the next Chair of the DNC."

Tim Kaine Resigns as DNC Chair to run for Senator from Virginia

Tim Kaine has sent out the following e-mail to Democrats announcing his decision to run in 2012 for US Senator in Virginia.  Jim Webb, the current US Senator, has previously announced he would not be running for re-election.

Dear DNC Members,

I am writing to let you know that I have just announced my decision to run for the U.S. Senate from the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2012. To that end, I am stepping down as DNC Chair, effective immediately.

In the coming days, I will share some thoughts on my decision to run, my appreciation for the opportunity you gave me to serve as your Chair, and what we were able to accomplish together.

In the meantime, I am sure you will be as supportive of the President’s choice to replace me as you have been of me for the past two years. There will be more information about this important transition to follow.

I will treasure the friendships I’ve made during my time at the DNC, and hope that we will maintain those friendships in the years ahead.

It is an exciting time for the DNC. It is also an exciting next chapter for my family and me, as I embark down a new path on which I hope to serve as one of Virginia’s U.S. Senators.

Thank you for your hard work and support along the way and for all that you will do in the months and years ahead.

With gratitude,

Tim Kaine

Kaine also has a video up at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mBX1TotZYtk announcing his decision.

"Tea Party Hypocrites" says abc News report

Tea Party members in Congress are ranting against government expenditures while collecting money from the government. Judge them by their actions, not their talk.

As abc NEWS notes in an article entitled "Tea Party Hypocrisy? Some Lawmakers With Tea Party Ties Are on the Government Dole" (You can also access a video by first clicking on this link):

The Tea Party swept into the 112th Congress with promises of cutting government spending. But according to a report out today, at least five lawmakers with Tea Party connections have been longtime recipients of federal agricultural subsidies.

"There's nothing too surprising about hypocrisy in Washington," Ken Cook, president of Environmental Working Group, told ABC News. "This particular group, you not only have to look at the hypocrisy but you need to watch your wallet."

While the majority of American farmers receive no government money at all, at least 23 current members of congress or their families have received government money for their farms -- combining for more than $12 million since 1995 according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group.

The abc NEWS analysis notes that since 1995 23 current members of Congress, mostly Republicans or their families, have collected some $12,671,166.

Farm subsidies in 2009 totaled some $16.3 billion. Since 1995 some $246.7 billion dollars has been given out for farm subsidies.

"Self described Tea Party Patriot" and Republican Stephen  Fincher of Tennessee received $3,254,324 since 1995.

Republican  Representative Vicky Hartzler of Missouri received $774,489.

Republican Representative Mark Stutzman of Indiana received $180,000 since 1997.

You can read the summary of the Environmental Working Groups report by clicking here:
Government's Continued Bailout of Corporate Agriculture.

You can access the list of who received farm subsidies by clicking here:
Total USDA Subsidies in United States 1995-2009

Representative Jim McDermott Still Fighting for the People!

Congressman Jim McDermott yesterday held his 17th Annual Potato Festival.  McDermott holds the safest Democratic Congressional seat in the state but that did not stop him from from going after the Republicans in the House of Representatives. Last year's election swept Democrats across the country out of office, putting them in the minority.

Many of the newcomers were unknown and wound up in office because voters were looking to blame someone for the financial mess the country was in and the personal financial strife many voters were experiencing. That resulted in many Republicans coming into office who the public didn't really know, as incumbent Democrats suffered the consequences of the lingering recession brought on by the Bush Administration..  Unfortunately many of those in office now don't understand and don't care and don't want to care about what really is needed to help our country and its people.

McDermott cited as one example of the Republicans not understanding,  their focusing on NPR as if that was going to fix the national debt. Issues like defunding NPR and Planned Parenthood are not about dealing with our debt, they are ideological battles the Republicans have been pushing for years.  Republicans in the last Election accused Obama of not focusing on creating jobs. So is trying to defund NPR and Planned Parenthood about creating jobs? No way.

And besides, the cutting of government funding that the Republicans are focusing on will not create jobs.  Removing public money from the economy will in fact cost jobs and increase job loss.

Another example McDermott cited is the Republicans denial of global climate change - something the vast majority of scientists agree upon.  Yet the Republicans in the Energy and Commerce Committee in the House voted that they did not believe in climate change and voted to take away the power of the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases.  They were voting to support a priority of increasing corporate profits over the ability to protect  the health and welfare of our citizens.

McDermott also talked about the Republican push to repeal the health care law passed last year. This same philosophy that puts profits over the welfare of our citizens is an integral part of the Republican push to repeal the health care law. Republicans ignore the reality that as more and more citizens understand the details of the new health care law they support it. They support the new benefits - like having their children covered until they are 26,and not being denied insurance because of preexisting conditions and stopping insurance companies from dropping patients who develop serious illnesses.

McDermott said citizens want health care security.  He emphasized  that people also want financial security and again noted current Republican efforts to attack the new consumer and financial protections passed by Congress last year.  Rather than trying to increase protections, Republicans are working to  again  deregulate banks and other financial institutions. Republicans are trying to stop efforts to allow consumers from being able to readjust mortgages and not lose their homes.

This Republican hatred of government is insidious and mean spirited to say the least. McDermott's view is that Republicans are intent on trying to dismantle Government as an agent to help people on anything, whether it be health care, financial protection, social security or consumer protection. Their focus is more on power - their power, than on helping people. They are in their third year of having their top Legislative priority being to get Obama out of office.  It is not about creating jobs or increasing health care coverage or protecting consumers or keeping people in their homes or protecting the environment. It is all about power - Republican power. McDermott equated it to their illusionary view that the White House is their House and Obama is an interloper.

We can only hope that Americans wake up to the true mission of the current crop of Republicans before more damage is done.  Excess corporate profit and greed is a false God that Republicans seem to be worshipping. We need an America that cares about all people, not just a few with lots of money and their desire to have even more. 

Unfortunately the Republican political philosophy of trying to dismantle and diminish the Federal government's role is American society is not one to benefit and protect the people; instead it is one which is ever increasing the role of large corporations and concentrated wealth in running our country for their benefit. We are seeing the result in ever increasing amounts of wealth being concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer people.

Congressman Inslee Challenges Republicans Trying to Defund EPA

The current majority Republicans in the US House of Representatives are anti-science and anti-regulation. While much of the rest of the world is trying to deal with the increasing negative impacts of climate change caused by rising greenhouse gases, Republicans are still denying humans have anything to do with it.

Republicans in Congress currently are trying to remove the ability of the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gases by proposing to pass a bill entitled the "Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011."

In the US House of Representatives, the New York Times reports that the  bill, which would strip the EPA of its "power to regulate greenhouse gases", actually "enjoys the near-unanimous support of the House Republican majority". As such, conservative ideology seems to trump rational scientific opinion and the conclusions of the vast majority of scientists who do research on global warming.

As noted in the New York Times article:

Representative Jay Inslee, Democrat of Washington, is one of Congress’s most ardent advocates of strong action to combat global warming. Mr. Inslee brought to the hearing a two-foot-high stack of books and scientific reports, which he placed on his desk as a sort of totem of the robust science behind climate-change theory.
He used his question time largely to criticize Republicans as suffering from what he called an “allergy to science and scientists.” He said he was embarrassed that a country that sent a man to the moon and mapped the human genome could be on the verge of enacting a law that overturns a scientific finding based on the testimony of a few scientists who question the extent of human responsibility for altering the climate.
“If Copernicus, Galileo, Newton and Einstein were testifying today,” Mr. Inslee said, “the Republicans would not accept their views until all the Arctic ice has melted and hell has frozen over, whichever comes first.”
He said that much of the skepticism about global warming in Congress and among the public has been fed by a campaign of disinformation from energy interests. He likened it to the tobacco industry’s efforts to discredit the finding that smoking causes cancer. “People with enormous financial stakes attacked that science,” Mr. Inslee said.

Republican ideology unfortunately threatens to trump science and reason. The American voters need to wake up and realize this blind Republican assault on science based decision making threatens our economic future and the livability of our planet. What good does corporate profit do anyone if the planet is not habitable because short term greed triumphed over long term survival?

This is just another example of the dire threat that this country faces if Republicans take over the Senate and Presidency next year. Republicans care more for passing legislation to benefit their corporate base and pushing irrational right wing ideology than they do in finding long term solutions to real problems facing the American people and the world.