Morning Fizz
"I'm Willing to Take Responsibility for a lot of Things, [but] McGinn is Not One of Them."
1. At a candidate forum in Thurston County yesterday, 3rd district GOP candidate Jaime Herrera
—who is taking on Democrat Denny Heck in the race to replace retiring Rep. Brian Baird in Southwestern Washington—let slip that her grades weren't so stellar in college.
Asked to name one of her mistakes in life, she said: "There were times when I used credit cards to make ends meet. It is a big, big mistake. Especially when you're paying debt on [college loans for] grades that weren't so hot."
Herrera got her associate's degree at Bellevue Community College in 2003 and her bachelor's in communication from UW in 2004. Herrera, who also interned for state Sen. Joe Zarelli (R-18, Ridgefield) in 2004, didn't say exactly how bad her grades actually were.
As for Heck, he graduated from Evergreen, where there are no grades.
2. There was an Eastside Seattle suburbs candidate forum last night at Bellevue city hall, featuring candidates in two hotly contested state senate races—incumbent liberal Randy Gordon (D-41, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Newcastle) vs. Republican challenger Stephen Litzow and incumbent Democrat Rodney Tom (D-48, Redmond, Kirkland) vs. Republican challenger Gregg Bennett .
House candidates were also on hand; the race to watch there? Democratic budget guru Rep. Ross Hunter (D-48) vs. former state Republican chair Diane Tebelius.
•Tom broke Democratic ranks and said he supports I-1053, the Tim Eyman initiative to require a two-thirds vote of the legislature to raise taxes.
•None of the candidates said they support 1098, the high-earners income tax. It was a lightning round question, and Gordon, who didn't hold up a 'yes' or 'no' sign, tried to qualify his non-answer by holding up a sign with a cite to the state constitution.
•Scoring some points with environmentalists, Tom praised transit oriented development (requiring density around transit stations.) (A controversial TOD bill went down in flames in 2009.) However, moments later he threw environmentalists under the bus, saying he supported another controversial bill that would let mega-projects like 520 and the tunnel proceed without having to get local permits.
•Speaking of 520—quote of the night: "I'm willing to take responsibility for a lot of things, [but] McGinn is not one of them," Hunter said, referring to any delays in fully funding 520. (McGinn supports an alternative to the legislature's 520 option that would be more light-rail friendly.)
•All the candidates supported I-1100, the Costco-backed liquor privatization bill. No one supported I-1105, an alternate liquor privatization bill that, as opposed to 1100, would take away the liquor tax but leave regulations in place around pricing and distribution.
•Tebelius attacked Hunter for introducing budget and revenue bills only four days before voting on them. Hunter responded: "We had over 10 hours of public hearings."
•Will you cut family planning services? Bennett said he didn't have enough facts, but the legislature needed to freeze spending. Tom shot back: "It's the wrong answer. I will not cut family planning." Tebelius said no program is sacrosanct and family planning would be on the table.
•Moderate Democratic Rep. Deb Eddy (D-48), who's not in much of a race, may have had the best answer of the night. Her reason for being against Eyman's 1053? She wants to be able to close unfair corporate tax loopholes—she cited controversial coal company TransAlta's $5 million tax break. Closing corporate loopholes is tantamount to raising taxes. Her point hits on the best argument against Eyman's initiative: Requiring legislators to come up with a two-thirds majority prevents them from doing their job.
3. Amid the long line of people at last night's budget hearing at South Seattle Community College arguing that the city should restore their programs (food banks, the library, sidewalks on Linden Ave. N., the Asian Counseling and Resource Service---and, of course, Seattle Community Access Network), it was striking how few folks turned out to speak in favor of parks and community centers, which had one of the largest constituencies during early hearings on the budget.
A rare exception was Seattle resident Mark Bishop, who argued that fees for soccer fields should not go up $10 to help close the city's $67 million budget shortfall.
4. Kim Cook, the president of the Service Employees International Union 925 —a 23,000-member powerhouse local union that represents childcare workers and non-faculty (secretaries, technicians, janitors) at U.W. and other colleges, wrote an angry letter to the Seattle Times yesterday, canceling her subscription.
She's angry about the Times' position against I-1098, the high-earners' income tax.
The Service Employees International Union has contributed $1 million to the pro-1098 campaign.
5. Murray and Rossi will face off in their first debate tonight. They're debating in Spokane at KSPS public TV, and it's being streamed live on KYLY.com, and we'll be live-blogging.
Asked to name one of her mistakes in life, she said: "There were times when I used credit cards to make ends meet. It is a big, big mistake. Especially when you're paying debt on [college loans for] grades that weren't so hot."
Herrera got her associate's degree at Bellevue Community College in 2003 and her bachelor's in communication from UW in 2004. Herrera, who also interned for state Sen. Joe Zarelli (R-18, Ridgefield) in 2004, didn't say exactly how bad her grades actually were.
As for Heck, he graduated from Evergreen, where there are no grades.
2. There was an Eastside Seattle suburbs candidate forum last night at Bellevue city hall, featuring candidates in two hotly contested state senate races—incumbent liberal Randy Gordon (D-41, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Newcastle) vs. Republican challenger Stephen Litzow and incumbent Democrat Rodney Tom (D-48, Redmond, Kirkland) vs. Republican challenger Gregg Bennett .
House candidates were also on hand; the race to watch there? Democratic budget guru Rep. Ross Hunter (D-48) vs. former state Republican chair Diane Tebelius.
•Tom broke Democratic ranks and said he supports I-1053, the Tim Eyman initiative to require a two-thirds vote of the legislature to raise taxes.
•None of the candidates said they support 1098, the high-earners income tax. It was a lightning round question, and Gordon, who didn't hold up a 'yes' or 'no' sign, tried to qualify his non-answer by holding up a sign with a cite to the state constitution.
•Scoring some points with environmentalists, Tom praised transit oriented development (requiring density around transit stations.) (A controversial TOD bill went down in flames in 2009.) However, moments later he threw environmentalists under the bus, saying he supported another controversial bill that would let mega-projects like 520 and the tunnel proceed without having to get local permits.
•Speaking of 520—quote of the night: "I'm willing to take responsibility for a lot of things, [but] McGinn is not one of them," Hunter said, referring to any delays in fully funding 520. (McGinn supports an alternative to the legislature's 520 option that would be more light-rail friendly.)
•All the candidates supported I-1100, the Costco-backed liquor privatization bill. No one supported I-1105, an alternate liquor privatization bill that, as opposed to 1100, would take away the liquor tax but leave regulations in place around pricing and distribution.
•Tebelius attacked Hunter for introducing budget and revenue bills only four days before voting on them. Hunter responded: "We had over 10 hours of public hearings."
•Will you cut family planning services? Bennett said he didn't have enough facts, but the legislature needed to freeze spending. Tom shot back: "It's the wrong answer. I will not cut family planning." Tebelius said no program is sacrosanct and family planning would be on the table.
•Moderate Democratic Rep. Deb Eddy (D-48), who's not in much of a race, may have had the best answer of the night. Her reason for being against Eyman's 1053? She wants to be able to close unfair corporate tax loopholes—she cited controversial coal company TransAlta's $5 million tax break. Closing corporate loopholes is tantamount to raising taxes. Her point hits on the best argument against Eyman's initiative: Requiring legislators to come up with a two-thirds majority prevents them from doing their job.
3. Amid the long line of people at last night's budget hearing at South Seattle Community College arguing that the city should restore their programs (food banks, the library, sidewalks on Linden Ave. N., the Asian Counseling and Resource Service---and, of course, Seattle Community Access Network), it was striking how few folks turned out to speak in favor of parks and community centers, which had one of the largest constituencies during early hearings on the budget.
A rare exception was Seattle resident Mark Bishop, who argued that fees for soccer fields should not go up $10 to help close the city's $67 million budget shortfall.
4. Kim Cook, the president of the Service Employees International Union 925 —a 23,000-member powerhouse local union that represents childcare workers and non-faculty (secretaries, technicians, janitors) at U.W. and other colleges, wrote an angry letter to the Seattle Times yesterday, canceling her subscription.
She's angry about the Times' position against I-1098, the high-earners' income tax.
Seattle Times Editors
I have finally been pushed over the edge on my tolerance for the editorials in the Seattle Times. I love reading the paper, but it is finally time to join millions of other readers who have moved to on line news.
The Seattle Times barrage of anti – I 1098 editorials and ads has been insulting, self-serving (to people like Blethen) and inaccurate. Your attacks on SEIU as trying to line the pockets of public employees shows a lack of information as well as understanding of what our union does and who we represent. The vast majority of our members are small business owners who care for the state’s poorest children in their homes. They are fighting hard to save the state’s working connections funding that keeps working parents working, and their children safe and cared for. Our members in K-12 schools have watched classrooms grow, schools not cleaned, kids going without textbooks. And our members who work at the UW have watched while our children are not able to get spots in the state’s colleges, while their co-workers are laid off and while higher education becomes something only rich families can afford.
We are in the worst budget crisis these members have ever seen. Thanks to them, there is an I 1098 on the ballot – and those of us who believe it is time for the wealthy to pay their fair share, are working hard to dispel the myths and lies we read every day in your paper.
It is time for me to cancel my Times subscription once and for all, and to encourage others to do the same.
Kim Cook
The Service Employees International Union has contributed $1 million to the pro-1098 campaign.
5. Murray and Rossi will face off in their first debate tonight. They're debating in Spokane at KSPS public TV, and it's being streamed live on KYLY.com, and we'll be live-blogging.
