 | The high priest of rotten government in Washington State is Rep. Sam Hunt (D-Evergreen State College) |
Back in January, Rep. Hunt praised the fraudulent gubernatorial election as "the most accurate vote count in state history".
In March, he sponsored a bill to make it easier for lobbyists to bribe legislators.
In April, he was the point man for blocking legitimate election reforms in favor of "reforms" that will only make vote fraud easier. He sponsored the bill for mandatory all-mail voting and took out amendments that would have required photo ID and citizenship checking.
Hunt's latest project was to re-enable outsized campaign contributions from labor unions which had been banned by a citizens' initiative and a Supreme Court ruling. It looks like Hunt's amendment was included in the bill that just passed the Senate.
Sigh.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at April 20, 2005 12:18 PM | Email ThisNo wonder they don't want an ethics committee conviened, McDermott is gonna be put through it for his illegal taping.
At least Delay has offered to allow the ethics committee to proceed in his case. Has Pulosi decided to cover Bagdaddy Jim and stall the proceedings so Jim don't get his teat in the ringer?
The democrats in the glass house shouldn't be casting wayward stones. Posted by: Jim L on April 20, 2005 02:03 PM
Question 1 (abbreviated): Why are we funding this boon doggle?
Sam's Response: "The bill passed the House 93-3 in March; however it has yet to pass the Senate. I am not sure what the concern is, except that the city
happens to be located on a reservation. Maybe Native Americans should not benefit from our state's tax structure?"
Follow up Question (abbreviated): Why not ask the tribes to open their books and show us what the costs are?
Sam's Response: Again, federal law prohibits that. We can not put requirement on Indian nations. The governor is the only state elected official who can ask for and enter into "revenue sharing" agreements with the tribes. Hard to believe, but former Governor Locke never tried to enter into the process.
Response 2: -the question was why they
Again, federal law prohibits that. We can not put requirement on Indian nations. The governor is the only state elected official who can ask for and enter into "revenue sharing" agreements with the tribes. Hard to believe, but former Governor Locke never tried to enter into the process.
Q2: Why don't they open their books?
Posted by: andy on April 20, 2005 02:07 PMRep. Hunt,
This is letter #2 to you on the subject but I heard on
the radio today that you have not received any
comments from constituents regarding election reform;
which is false. Let me, a lifelong 22nd district
voter make this perfectly clear; we need election
reform in this state (& not the nonsense you are
proposing).
This is what this 22nd district constituent wants (and
I am not the only based on some of my conversations
with other 22nd district residents):
- completely purge the voters rolls & have a
re-registration to clean up the voter rolls
- Make it mandatory to present photo I.D. & proof of
citizenship to register to vote
- voters who wish to vote by mail must also leave a
record of thumb prints along with signature for more
accurate verifications (vote by mail is currently a
fraud ridden disaster; STOP TRYING TO EXPAND VOTE BY
MAIL UNTIL YOU REFORM THE VOTE BY MAIL SYSTEM!!!!!!)
- Make photo I.D. mandatory at the polls
- Make a thumb print & signature mandatory on all
absentee ballots
We need real election reform. Our current system is
broken & fraud ridden. I am a totally disenfranchised
voter. It is unacceptable that any illegal votes are
cast & it is totally abhorrent that illegal votes are
counted; AND WE HAD OVER 1,000 IN THE LAST ELECTION!
Your proposed reforms are a joke, WE WANT REAL
ELECTION REFOM NOW!
Am I perfectly clear now?
_________
His response:
> Here are my responses:
>
> This is illegal (completly purging the voter rolls) under the federal Voting Rights Act
> of 1964. Besides
> being a bad idea, it is illegal.
>
> The bill we passed Friday requires id at the polls,
> but all Republicans
> still voted no. There is no list of citizens
> available to check
> against. And there is no major problem showing
> illegal aliens voting in
> this state. It is much ado about nothing.
>
> Why not just go back to a poll tax and require all
> voters to be white
> males over 21 years of age. Just how are voting
> officials going to
> check thumb prints? Are you willing to pay millions
> in higher taxes so
> we can instantly check and verify prints?
>
> Voting by mail has proven to be secure and safe.
> And it is easiest to
> verify. Oregon's all mail election process has been
> in place for
> several years and is highly popular, successful, and
> accurate.
>
> We put it in our bill and the Republicans opposed
> it, oddly enough.
>
>
> Again, (thumbprints) not a workable idea and extremely costly.
>
>
>
> We had an alleged 800+ illegal votes out of 3
> million vote cast. And
> every felon interview I have read says that he voted
> for Rossi.
> Whatever, that means that about .000167% of the
> voters may have been
> improper votes. And you use this to call the system
> broken and fraud
> ridden? I guess we had better close all the banks,
> savings and loans,
> and credit unions because I'll bet they would love
> to have an accuracy
> record at that level.
>
> As to the Republicans and radio talk show hosts,
> they are more
> interested in making statements, creating distrust,
> and bringing down
> the system. They are ones who voted unanimously
> against ID at the
> polls, increased sentences for violations, stricter
> voter registration
> laws. And then they complain some more. I have
> about had it with their
> games.
>
My response back:
Here are my responses:
- Purging the voter rolls & having a re-registration
is a great idea& neccessary for fair elecxtions & real
democracy. I will investigate its legality further.
- PHOTO ID MANDATORY! Your pathetic bill just said
I.D. which could have been a voter card acquired
without photo I.D. (in other words, easy to commit
fraud) Come on Sam, when need to stop election fraud.
I am a total disenfranchised voter & growing more by
the day. Why do you like election fraud?
- Cut the bullshit about poll tax & race Rep. Hunt. I
am trying to be serious here. Obviously by your
actions & words you are not serious about election
refrom & protecting the sanctity & fairness of
elections.
- illegal aliens & foriegn citizens voted in the 2004
election; those illegal votes canceled out legitamate
votes of Washington citizens. That is a crime & needs
to end altogether. Demanding a photo I.D. like a
driver's liscence should be mandatory to protect our
democracy.
- about the thumb prints, they are only an extra
barrier to prevent fraud. Election workers will still
use the same signature verification method for
certifying ballots. The thumb prints will be an extra
record in case of instances of fraud.
- "We had an alleged 800+ illegal votes"
Then why did you vote to certify the governors
election then?
- " And
> every felon interview I have read says that he voted
> for Rossi."
And you are taking the words of convicted crooks?
They could have all voted for Gregoire & said Rossi
to you & the press so their canidate would win. Crooks
do lie Rep. Hunt. Looking at real statistics,
crooks tend to overwhelmingly vote Democratic. I
would be shocked if Chris Gregoire did carry at least
70% of the crook vote. Are you are crook?
- There were over 6 times the number of errors than
margin victory in an important election! That is why
we need real reform Rep. Hunt. Your contentness with
the fraud ridden, stolen election, along with your
ultra partisan legislation show your true stripes.
You are quite content with election fraud when it
benefits you & the facist unions that you are sold out
to.
Also HB 1070, phony election reform, the amending of
SB 5034, etc. just demonstrate to me that you are an
ultra extremist democrat/union lackey. This was the
most digusting session I have witnessed & you were the
most disgusting partisan. I can't wait to support &
vote for your opponent in the next Democrat primary.
Before the vote is taken, this guy goes from table to table and strongarms every member on the left side of the aisle to make sure they have the numbers. Don't play his game - don't count on any choice committee assignments or party favors.
Posted by: Mr. Grabbit on April 20, 2005 02:23 PMAt one time, there was a common-sense, labor-backed, conservative D named Kevin O'Sullivan. (Rep. Brian Sullivan's (D-21), brother. Brian dropped the O).
O'Sullivan was the county assessor, and was then elected to the county commission in 1998.
He was taken out in 2002 - not by the weak, late-arriving candidate, Bob McLeod - but by the rabid enviro greens, and the local D establishment. In fact, the county Ds gave money, and labor to back O'Sullivan's primary opponent. Interestingly enough, Sam Reed was involved with the enviro greens, and also worked to take out O'Sullivan.
So-called Republican county commissioner Judy Wilson also aligned herself with the enviros and worked to defeat a sitting, Democrat county commissioner.
I share this information to point out there is no way, come heaven, hell or high water that the Ds in the 22nd legislative district will ever allow anybody but the likes of Sam Hunt, Brendan Williams, Karen Fraser, Sandra Romero, Cathy Wolfe et al. to be elected to the Legislature.
There are plenty of conservative Ds in the district. They just won't be elected.
Posted by: jimg on April 20, 2005 03:29 PMYou're right of course, but you're only telling half the story and that's a disservice to SP readers. O'Sullivan was backed not as much by unions as by the the Olympia Master Builders and he was resented by many in the South Sound Democratic establishment for years.
O'Sullivan is now a Republican and was publicly pretty unkind to his old mates when he made is transition in front of a bunch of John Birchers in Lewis County, so it's disingenous to only refer to him as a Democrat when you certainly know more about the turn of events.
O'Sullivan also was a "maverick" county commisioner and frequently did not play well with others in the sandbox that was the commission. However unfair, he brought his destiny upon himself.
I think you also know that, despite his friendly persona and terrific work ethic, O'Sullivan did not lead the sort of personal life that any "values conservative" would condone.
Posted by: I Love Dino on April 20, 2005 03:44 PM(Good letters though!)
I've had similar (unsatisfactory) results with my correspondence with Chairman Kline.
Very disappointing!
Posted by: alphabet soup on April 20, 2005 03:51 PMI'm in the 22nd district, I'm mad as hell, and I intend to make the next election not fun for them.
In 2000 I WAS a democrat.
Posted by: Andy on April 20, 2005 04:27 PM& moderate Dems trying this before in West Seattle. I forget if it was successful or not. Posted by: kingdome360 on April 20, 2005 06:28 PM
I'm with you and live in the 22nd too. We MUST do something, these people are insane and way out of line! The Thurston Co. Commission is way out of control and also must be dealt with. I just posted in the mail ballot fraud post about Evergreen's road "modernization" project. What a waste of $1 million in taxpayer money!
But when the well never goes dry, why not!
Posted by: SP Fan on April 20, 2005 07:54 PMI would think by providing an area on these particular drivers licenses that specify *non-citizen* - we could eliminate the problem of non-citizens registering to vote while getting their drivers licenses. It would be a perfect way to add these non-citizens to a database for cross checking with the jury pools and voter registration!
This should be a no-friggin-brainer!
I was at the DOL recently having my license renewed.... There were about 50 people waiting to be helped. 45 were non-english speaking. 5 were english speaking.......It's like this every time I go......
This is frightening! We have NO means in place to stop non-citizens from voting...and NO means in place to measure how many are!
"If you think Bush (the winner) is such an idiot, what does that make the bozo (the loser) who lost to him?"
I've only lived in this part of Wa for 4-5 years, but it seems to me we've got some work to do. If TESC'ers are really the ones calling the shots, we ought to be ashamed.
Posted by: Andy on April 20, 2005 10:37 PMSam Hunt is a Nazi/Communist! How on earth did this guy get elected? (Oh yeah..I forgot about our *ultra-franchised* elections here in Washington state)
He just submits the most absurd bills - and the Democrats just give them their stamp of approval! It's insane!