This Joni Balter column recycles some gossip about David Irons and his family. I read the column carefully — so you don't have to — and found nothing in it that should influence a voter's choice. Irons doesn't get along well with everyone in his family, something almost universal, and those disagreements have become public, something almost universal in small towns. And these facts should matter to the voters because . . . ? Balter never explains that, perhaps because she has no legitimate explanation.
I have been wondering just how far our local journalists would go to re-elect Ron Sims this November. I didn't expect the all out defense* that they mounted for Patty Murray last year, but I didn't expect fair treatment of the Irons-Sims race, either. If this column and an earlier article by Keith Ervin are any indication, that's about right; the local journalists will back Sims, but grumpily and more by taking pot shots at Irons than by defending Sims.
But I like to be positive and so, rather than lament these attacks, I'd like to make some suggestions for Ms. Balter and our other local journalists. To begin with, I would suggest that they follow the advice of one of my favorite political characters** and "get back to the issues". Which issues? I don't claim to be familiar with all the issues in King County, so I'll just mention three briefly, and then hope that commenters will expand them and add more. In, of course, a helpful spirit. Let's assume that Balter and the Times do want to be fair and do want to address the issues, despite that unfortunate column. (And if you would like to pass your suggestions on to Ms. Balter and to the editorial page editor, Jim Vesely, their email addresses are jbalter@seattletimes.com and jvesely@seattletimes.com.)
First, there is, sadly, the basic question of Ron Sims' competence as a manager. And it hasn't been just Republicans who have raised that issue; so, too, have independents, open-minded Democrats, and even a few journalists. He may be fine person — and I would judge him to be a pretty good politician — but, after his many failures, we must ask this question: Is Rons Sims the right person for this executive job, or would David Irons be a better choice?
Second, house prices are soaring in this area. One of the reasons for those increases are the many restrictions on growth, restrictions that Sims has backed for years. (A few may be puzzled by that conclusion. I'd ask them to remember a basic principle in economics. Cutting the supply of a good will, everything else being equal, raise its price.) Would David Irons or Ron Sims do more to keep housing affordable for our young families?
Third, many in the rural parts of King County believe that they are being treated less like citizens and more like inhabitants of a conquered province. Are they right? Have Ron Sims and the Democratic majority on the council simply ignored their legitimate grievances?
So, there are three issues for Joni Balter and the Seattle Times. Feel free to expand them and to add more of your own. Maybe they'll take some of our advice — and reverse their losses in circulation.
(*Perhaps the most amazing part of that defense was the objection our journalists made to the Nethercutt ad which quoted Murray's amazing "day care" statement on Osama bin Laden. Even Robert Mak, who is more open-minded than most of our local journalists, was not willing to say that quoting your opponent was fair. And most of our journalists said the ad went far beyond the bounds &mdash and some may even have believed that.
**The favorite political character I was quoting? "Big Jim" Folsom, sometime governor
of Alabama, whom I described
here.)
Posted by Jim Miller at October 01, 2005
11:13 AM | Email This
2. Has Ron Sims led by example?
3. Is he accessible to YOU?
4. Has Mr Sims done anything to encourage new stores or businesses to come to King County, despite the unfavorable conditions the state presents?
5. How did Mr Sims react to so many citizens that want to secede from King County? Does he care? Is his care only about the money and not about the citizens?
6. WHY, Mr Sims, have you allowed/encouraged/done nothing to prevent TWO King Counties... one for the favored Seattlites and a much lesser one for the rest of us?
7. Tell us Mr Sims, why you choose personal POWER over the good of the citizens.
Posted by: Cheryl on October 1, 2005 12:41 PMBoohoo, poor sister Di got voted out of a job. I find it hard to believe she thought being a Derdowski aide was a lifetime career. Get a grip!! I doubt very much that voters are going to give a rat's behind about a family's personal snits.
What voters do care about are getting someone into office who will be a better steward with the taxpayer's money and come up with realistic growth and transportation policies. David Irons has shown he is the one we need as county executive, not King Sims. I would love to see the look on Sims' face when he realizes he has been defeated. Hmmm...I wonder if he is going to insist there are voting irregularities?
Posted by: Burdabee on October 1, 2005 06:21 PMI also know that the opposition by his own parents and one of his sisters was so great that they launched a desperate and expensive "hail Mary" effort to defeat him - a member of their own family. No one should downplay the significance of such an act. Whatever it would it take for parents and siblings to turn so strongfully against one of their own family should not be dismissed? This was much more than politics as others have suggested.
And while I strongly fear that Republican control of the Executive Branch would possibly give the building industry even greater control of DOT and DDES than they do now under Sims, I don't see how things there could get much worse.
I am confident, though, that our elections system - the most important and fundamental responsiblity of government - will be returned to the voters under Irons. I have no doubts that Sims and the Democrats have stolen this fundamental right of the citizens of King County, and with the continued apathy of the meida, they will never voluntarily return that right to the voters until we take it back.
Personally, I would obtain some satisfaction to simply see the current corrupt cabal of directors appointed by Sims dumped for a new set.
So for what it's worth, here is a long-time opponent of David Irons Jr. who is hoping - perhaps without much hope - that he will get elected as King County Executive. I don't like him, his tactics, or what I've come to know first-hand about the man. I never thought I'd do it, but there it is.
Sims and the Democrats must be stopped if only to return King County to a democracy again. Under the current regime, I know that my vote is being cancelled out by thousands of illegal voters that are being invited into the process by Sims, Logan the the Democrat machine.
Given two awful choices to pick from in November I will have to hold my nose and pick one. And with all other things being equal, the taking back of our democracy in King County outshines all other considerations.
Posted by: Mike on October 1, 2005 06:29 PMThey are barely worthy of being a dead fish wrapper with that cheap shot aka yellow journalism with the half truths about David Irons. Where is the outrage ? It seems like if a larger number of letters are sent to the Times, there will be more of an impact and a much-deserved counter point to this hit piece on Irons.
Posted by: KS on October 1, 2005 08:19 PMSure, not getting along perfectly with everyone in your family is "almost universal," but this is different. It's not in itself a good reason to oppose Irons, but to me, it raises questions about his character.
Posted by: Bruce on October 1, 2005 11:38 PMAnd Mike's unsubstantiated swipes at Irons' character are incredible. Anybody that follows the PCD stuff knows Irons was specifically told he could personally guarantee a campaign loan, but that the rule was later changed - and Irons was totally cleared of any wrong doing. When you think about it, having someone run for office that can't finance his campaign out of his own pocket is refreshing. And he follows the rules.
Mike thinks Irons swiped signs? Pleeeasse. Who told him that? The Derd-man? I had an Irons sign in my yard taken three different times while the Derd sign across the street was never touched. I doubt any of that was a concerted effort by a candidate.
Irons needs to be elected because he is a good man and a great candidate. But anyone that wants to vote for Irons as a vote AGAINST Sims, so be it. The bottom line is the same - improved government and real reform. Finally.
Posted by: Jenny on October 2, 2005 12:37 PMSims has demonstrated by numerous actions that he is lacking in character and I can name off some examples here and now ( engineering the CAO, his status quo stance on Elections, Sound Transit Light Rail rigging of the Sound Transit Board) and I'll name off more if so desired. Meanwhile, for David Irons, I believe he is one of good character and will give the office of County Executive its due respect unlike the current one we are stuck with. So, if any of the kool aid drinkers from the radical socialist left care to try and refute any of Irons actions that speak for his sound character, have at it - but I'd be willing to bet that they are petty and lacking in substance.
Posted by: KS on October 2, 2005 01:15 PM