This Washington
County Committee Votes to Appoint Pollet to State House
The King County Council's committee of the whole voted this morning to appoint Hanford cleanup activist Gerry Pollet to fill the 46th District state house seat formerly occupied by David Frockt. Last month, the council appointed Frockt to fill the senate seat formerly occupied by Sen. Scott White, who died suddenly in October.
At a meeting of the 46th District Democrats last week, the district's Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs) voted to recommend Pollet as Frockt's replacement. Ordinarily, the council abides by the vote of the PCOs, as they did in 2007 (appointing Joe McDermott to represent the 34th District in the state senate, replacing Sen. Eric Poulson) and in 2009 (appointing Randy Gordon to represent the 41st District in the senate, replacing Fred Jarrett). However, rumors swirled over the weekend about a shadowy "lobbying campaign" to turn council members against Pollet.
Only four of nine council members were present during this morning's vote---all Democrats---leaving the possibility, rumored over the weekend, that the council could appoint one of the remaining two candidates who spoke this morning. Both candidates---former White aide Sylvester Cann, and longtime party activist Javier Valdez---implored the council to support the vote of the PCOs.
"I think this process was run fairly, and we have the best man standing in front of us with the support of the PCOs," Cann said. Valdez echoed, "I urge the county council to support the will of the PCOs and support the candidate who got the most votes of the PCOs: Gerry Pollet."
Under questioning from the council, Pollet said his top priorities would be education and transportation, and that he would support closing tax loopholes, which he said amounted to more than 170 percent of the entire state budget, before cutting programs further. "I do not believe that we should have a budget that reduces access to higher education any further, and I do not believe that we should have a budget that reduces the public school year by four days," Pollet said. "We are robbing our children's future with some of the decisions that we've made during this recession."
However, he added, "I think it's important that schools not compete against transportation. Our paramount duty in the state is to education. [At the same time,] we can't survive and grow our economy without transportation."
The full council is scheduled to vote on Pollet's appointment at their meeting this afternoon.
At a meeting of the 46th District Democrats last week, the district's Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs) voted to recommend Pollet as Frockt's replacement. Ordinarily, the council abides by the vote of the PCOs, as they did in 2007 (appointing Joe McDermott to represent the 34th District in the state senate, replacing Sen. Eric Poulson) and in 2009 (appointing Randy Gordon to represent the 41st District in the senate, replacing Fred Jarrett). However, rumors swirled over the weekend about a shadowy "lobbying campaign" to turn council members against Pollet.
Only four of nine council members were present during this morning's vote---all Democrats---leaving the possibility, rumored over the weekend, that the council could appoint one of the remaining two candidates who spoke this morning. Both candidates---former White aide Sylvester Cann, and longtime party activist Javier Valdez---implored the council to support the vote of the PCOs.
"I think this process was run fairly, and we have the best man standing in front of us with the support of the PCOs," Cann said. Valdez echoed, "I urge the county council to support the will of the PCOs and support the candidate who got the most votes of the PCOs: Gerry Pollet."
Under questioning from the council, Pollet said his top priorities would be education and transportation, and that he would support closing tax loopholes, which he said amounted to more than 170 percent of the entire state budget, before cutting programs further. "I do not believe that we should have a budget that reduces access to higher education any further, and I do not believe that we should have a budget that reduces the public school year by four days," Pollet said. "We are robbing our children's future with some of the decisions that we've made during this recession."
However, he added, "I think it's important that schools not compete against transportation. Our paramount duty in the state is to education. [At the same time,] we can't survive and grow our economy without transportation."
The full council is scheduled to vote on Pollet's appointment at their meeting this afternoon.
