Primary Tuesday
Sep. 19th, 2005 03:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wrogThis is so weird. In past years, I've had to read the voter pamphlet the morning of the election and then flip a coin. This time around, I seem to actually know something about the Port Commission and all of the other diddlyshit local races that happen on the odd years. I guess that's what I get for being a PCO and, thus, active in our local Democratic org (and yes, that link has all of the endorsements. ... Or, if you're really bored you can look the local government page I hacked together last month, and learn about every single local government entity that has anything to do with the WA 41st Legislative District (probably not so much of interest if you don't live in the 41st but there'll still be some overlap if you live in Bellevue, Renton or Issaquah, FWIW))
Admittedly, once you cross off the county races whose partisan primaries are mostly foregone conclusions (except for council districts #1 and #9, where there are real bloodbaths due to incumbent council members getting redistricted together, but where I don't happen to live), and all of the races that only have two candidates (and hence no primary), the only thing of importance being decided tomorrow is (drumroll...)
the question of which of the 12 Port Commission candidates (yes, there are really that many) advance to the general.
Still, for a government entity that manages to stay mostly invisible, the Port of Seattle Commission sucks down rather a lot of tax money -- in fact, it seems Seattle is one of the only ports on the west coast that's not hugely profitable and thus needs a tax subsidy in the first place, so something's already wrong with this picture.
The really hard race is going to be Seat #4, where Pat Davis, a nominal Democrat who 20 years ago ran as a reform candidate, stayed too long, is now apparently in bed with the Wrong People, and been on the wrong side of altogether too many 3-2 votes (e.g., against domestic partner benefits, in favor of certain real-estate giveaways...), but she's the incumbent and has a shitload of money. The other candidates in this race are two unqualified nutcase Republicans (Pope and Walker) and Jack Jolley (former Microsoft Assistant Treasurer who seems to be generally clueful and Lawful Good), meaning if Jolley doesn't survive the primary, then we're stuck with Davis or worse for another 4 years.
The other tossup is (open) seat #3 with former King County Auditor Lloyd Hara vs. a sea of randoms.
Admittedly, once you cross off the county races whose partisan primaries are mostly foregone conclusions (except for council districts #1 and #9, where there are real bloodbaths due to incumbent council members getting redistricted together, but where I don't happen to live), and all of the races that only have two candidates (and hence no primary), the only thing of importance being decided tomorrow is (drumroll...)
the question of which of the 12 Port Commission candidates (yes, there are really that many) advance to the general.
Still, for a government entity that manages to stay mostly invisible, the Port of Seattle Commission sucks down rather a lot of tax money -- in fact, it seems Seattle is one of the only ports on the west coast that's not hugely profitable and thus needs a tax subsidy in the first place, so something's already wrong with this picture.
The really hard race is going to be Seat #4, where Pat Davis, a nominal Democrat who 20 years ago ran as a reform candidate, stayed too long, is now apparently in bed with the Wrong People, and been on the wrong side of altogether too many 3-2 votes (e.g., against domestic partner benefits, in favor of certain real-estate giveaways...), but she's the incumbent and has a shitload of money. The other candidates in this race are two unqualified nutcase Republicans (Pope and Walker) and Jack Jolley (former Microsoft Assistant Treasurer who seems to be generally clueful and Lawful Good), meaning if Jolley doesn't survive the primary, then we're stuck with Davis or worse for another 4 years.
The other tossup is (open) seat #3 with former King County Auditor Lloyd Hara vs. a sea of randoms.
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no subject
Date: 2005-09-19 03:31 pm (UTC)sigh
no subject
Date: 2005-09-19 10:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-19 10:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-19 05:36 pm (UTC)I'm in District One
Date: 2005-09-19 06:14 pm (UTC)I will not be voting (people like me aren't allowed to vote) but I know this real data:
The 46th and the 32nd Democrat districts support Bob Ferguosn. Bob holds Friday coffee meetings with his constituents and listens to them. He doesn't always vote the way the district wants him to, nor the way his County Caucus wants him to. He with Elections chief Dean Logan held a public forum about the election fiasco.
Carolyn Edmonds has endorsements and support from NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, Sierra Club, and local unions, as well as the 45th District Democrats.
There is no clear superior choice to make here, but let me add this anecdote:
I had advised my spouse to go with Edmonds but on Friday I heard a recorded phone message from her that irritated me:
She was defending her use of a car to get to work because she was a working mother who needed to be immediately accessible to her children in case of an emergency. Now, as a King County employee/working mother (of a then infant) who took the bus to work, I can tell you this:
• King County employees receive FREE transit passes letting them use Community Transit, Sound Transit and Metro Transit any time day or night
• When emergencies happen, King County employees can take a cab home and get reimbursed for their expense.
• Carolyn Edmonds's children are old enough to be university students.
I don't agree with everything Bob finds important, but he's honest and a good listener.