I'm working my way through my videotape of last night's Julia Patterson Election Reform Town Hall Meeting in Kent, featuring Sam Reed and Dean Logan. Jim Miller now has a longer analysis posted. I'll just transcribe interesting quotes in real time as I get to them --
Julia Patterson: "the election system is run by human beings. We will have a discussion about that later on and what that means..."
Sam Reed, discussing election reform proposals before the legislature: "the first and most important is to move the primary" [as if that would have averted the meltdown in November and December --Ed. ]
Dean Logan: "I know from being at a couple of these that really what people want is the opportunity to ask questions and to get information on issues that you've been reading about and listening to on the radio and reading in the newspapers." [ at his own peril, he ignores the blogs -- Ed.]
Logan: "2004 was a year of historic outcomes and record-setting trends in the elections process."
(more to come)
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at April 01, 2005 01:58 PM | Email ThisSuch a discussion would have been interesting.. though I would encourage Councilwoman Patterson to consider an elections office run by man-eating sharks.
Posted by: bmvaughn on April 1, 2005 02:06 PMPatterson's comment is an April Fool's joke, right?
Right?
She couldn't really have said something that stupid, except as a JOKE, right?
Oh, dear....
Posted by: Susan B. Anthony on April 1, 2005 02:14 PMplease tell me this hero from Seattle is a democrat!
Posted by: sgmmac on April 1, 2005 02:24 PMExcuse me sam that is not what a recount is for.
It is to recount was already been counted
period.The fact that a secretary of state
thinks this is astounding.The dems actually
have the gall to say he did a better job than
Katherine harris.Come on!!
Geez.
Revote.
P.S. Watch out for the judges. May pull your tubes if you know what I mean.
Posted by: niceville on April 1, 2005 04:10 PMJulia Patterson is just so.........odd. She has no business in any position of power. She is truly an imbecile and adds greatly to the embarrassment of King County!
How on earth did Julia Patterson get elected?? What IS the average IQ of the citizens in her district?
Posted by: Deborah on April 1, 2005 04:23 PMYes, we should move it to April 1st .
That date somehow seems appropriate, and
there would plenty of time for "re-counts."
And we could move the general election to Halloween,
to ensure that dead people are able to vote.
You live in one of the most progressive counties in the Nation. The county seat is one of the most liberal cities in the Nation.
The County council will forever be controlled by Democrats thanks to the illogical strategy of some who believed that as you reduce a legislative body in a heavily liberal county you will get more conservative representation. Huh? Maybe we can reduce the county council from 9 to 3 people or maybe just 1 and that will lead to Republican control. Wait a second, that doesn't work now does it. Think about it for a second.
Suburban city councils are more and more controlled by Democrats. Witness the Kirkland city council's recent action on Tent City 4.
Democrats continue to knock off Republicans in state legislative races on the eastside of Lake Washington. Witness Jim Horn's defeat.
Light rail is being built, despite years of opposition from conservatives. Light Rail creates density and yikes, more Democrats. More light rail is to set to come - across Lake Washington and around it.
You lost. You continue to loose. You are the minority of the minority and it will always be this way in King County. Growth management and transit policies see to it that more people like me live in this region than people like you. Again, it will always be that way.
What is the end game here? Where does this daily orgy of obsession and furry take you?
Please advise.
Perplexed on Capital Hill with my non fat latte, in my built green townhouse, with a nice glass of pinot noir, and back issues of The Nation at my bedside.
For the ones that voted for her: room temperature divided by two, + or minus 5 points.
(A completely fabricated statistic, as are so many these days.)
I may be obsessive, but I don't think I am that furry for a knuckle dragger.
but you didn't answer the question. Where does this take you? Things will never change, they'll just get better for people like me and worse for people like you.
Posted by: really amused on April 1, 2005 08:47 PMSomething to look forward to: When the lefties running King County run short of people like me to overtax to continue spending excessively propping up causes supported by people like you, they will devise a way to overtax people like you. Sort of a natural evolution that will not be in anyone's best interest.
Posted by: zip on April 2, 2005 01:22 AM"Where does this take you? Things will never change, they'll just get better for people like me and worse for people like you."
--
Well, my only retort is that I'm pretty happy with how people like "me" have done nationally compared to people like "you."
People like "me" have controlled the U.S. House of Representatives ever since Clinton screwed it up for "people like you" in '94. (and I'll bet he was so slick on you that you never even realized that he screwed you over. It's his "fault" that people like "me" have held the House for over TEN YEARS).
People like "me" have a majority of the U.S. Senate, by about 10 votes. I'd say that's pretty good, and it's an increase, just like the House was. (recall 2002 was the largest House increase by a sitting President's party, EVER. I guess they didn't tell you that in your copy of "The Nation").
Speaking of the nation - the Executive mansion is also under the control of people like "me." (has been since January 2001).
So I guess I can only answer your question with a question: Where does that leave YOU?
PS- I also enjoy Pinot Noir (something we have in common). I buy mine out-of-state, so as not to give tax money to "people like you."
Posted by: YourGovernorCostsMillion$ on April 3, 2005 05:06 AM