1. Just one more reason I hope that Rossi runs again for Governor against the current one-term only Gov.; the former AG (who was controlled by the Trial Lawyers with ties to the ACLU).

She is due to have a scandal pop up over the next year or two - so I just hope SP stays as vigilant and persistant as ever during that time so it will be exposed in a timely fashion. Meanwhile I-900 and I-912 will both pass without much trouble, as the people slowly take back this state from the Aristocrats in power.

Posted by: KS on October 15, 2005 06:29 PM

2. Oh! Come on now! The audit of KCE worked out so well. The Governor's audits should be equally in depth and effective. They've said we can trust them, this time.

Posted by: JCM on October 15, 2005 07:01 PM

3. I am also voting for this one. Do these initiatives on the ballot need 50% or 60% to pass?

Thanks for the link to the state voter's pamphlet. Interesting reading. I found out that I can't smoke OUTSIDE of a bar or restaurant either thanks to a 25 foot rule and thank heavens I don't provide foster care in my home, because then I couldn't smoke in or outside of my residence either! Now, I understand the current PI article by Robert Jamieson...... In all of the media reporting on the anti-smoking initiative, I didn't pick up on 25 foot outdoor rule.

Posted by: sgmmac on October 15, 2005 07:43 PM

4. That state voters pamphlet on page 8 definitely shows that it it local governments that have their noses out of joint at the prostpects of audits. Shine the d**n lights under those rocks! What lives under them is spineless, soft, and simple-minded. 2,000 local governments is an abomination. How did we the people devolve that far? This is WAY beyond partisan politics, this is about what it means to be NOT overly-governed. This is a new stringent accountability measure that should be used as a check against those to whom we are nothing but geese to be plucked by their taxes.

Posted by: argo on October 15, 2005 08:12 PM

5. The small town I live in (under 5,000 population) hasn't had a "Finding" in any audit in the last 9 years. We are currently projecting RED INK for this years budget due to a seemingly endless water moratorium. So do we get to pay for another audit if I-900 passes or will there be some sort of prioritzation? You know "Biggest Bang for the Buck". Many Small towns are concerned about this, not because they have anything to hide, but because we are already understaffed and short of funding for complying with such mandates.

Posted by: Roscoe on October 15, 2005 08:13 PM

6. And the Washington Education Association who have some ridiculous arguments against.

Stephan, would you be interested in posting their bulletin with their rationale for and against the various initiatives?

Posted by: Calvin A on October 15, 2005 08:42 PM

7. I have no problem auditing organizations which have a checkered past concerning accountablity, in fact, go there first. I am simply saying take a rifle approach, not a shotgun. Spend the money to audit where the greatest amount of savings can be realized immediately. Maybe small towns and organizations with budgets under say 20 million total can be audited every four years. It only makes sense to take this path.

Posted by: Roscoe on October 15, 2005 09:03 PM

8. Stefan, help me out with the math here

25,312,000 for 2 years is .016% of what number?

Posted by: Jim L on October 15, 2005 10:17 PM

9. Mrs. Gregoire. I like that.

Oh, and you forgot to mention Goldstein. Or maybe he's just not worth mentioning. He definitely qualifies as a nut with an anti-Eyman fetish.

Posted by: Jeff B. on October 15, 2005 10:30 PM

10. I wouldn't call the anti-arguements nonsensical, just insufficient. The main thrust of the arguement (beyond Eyeman proposes it it must be bad) is that since the Initiative has not been debated in our august State Legislature, (which I believe is the DEFINITION of Initiative) it must be bad, or at least not as good as a bill which has had the opportunity to have had all semblance of teeth removed from it by said legislature.....

Posted by: mark on October 16, 2005 12:46 AM

11. Roscoe,

At this point I don't a rat's a** if audits are a burden on the Outer Sticks Water District.

I want accountability at all levels.

Joe Smoe gets elect at 21 to the Outer Sticks Water District, no one really cares what he does with the budget so he doesn't learn accountability to the tax payer. 8 years later he moves up to the Boondocks County Council, still no real accountability. He continues to move up in "public service." At every level only lip service (no Clinton pun intended) is paid to audits and accountability.

After 30 years Smoe gets elected governor, guess what? By that time he has become accustomed to doing what he wants, what he thinks, what he desires, without oversight.

Making all levels of government accountable will break the cycle of career public servants working without oversight of their bosses... us.

Posted by: JCM on October 16, 2005 08:54 AM

12. JCM... I have no doubt I-900 will pass, I will vote for it myself. My only hope is that it will deliver the "goods" promised in the measure. Out here is the "Outer Sticks Water District" we will comply fully with any mandated audits as we have in the past. We will contine to pass without any problems. My point is that FOCUS should be on those State and Regional organizations that have had significant issues (Dollars) in cooperating and passing under the existing Audit Structure first. Transportaion, DSHS, WEA etc. Bring it in and let the chips fall where they may.

Posted by: Roscoe on October 16, 2005 11:51 AM

13. Agreed Roscoe,

I also have no doubt that 900 will be history in 2 years if we keep electing the same old bunch to Olympia.

Posted by: JCM on October 16, 2005 12:06 PM

14. "The only people who oppose I-900, it seems, are

(a) local government who don't want to be audited . . .

(b) those who have a weird anti-Eyman fetish and whose only arguments against the initiative are nutty and illogical . . . "

Really? Did you read Sen. Regala's op-ed article in today's News Tribune? One can certainly disagree with her, but her arguments are neither nutty nor illogical. Come on, Stefan. You make it sound as if there can be no legitimate opposition to I-900, or even ambivalence about it. Things are seldom so self-evident in public policy, and I don't think they are in this case. In your view, as I'm reading it here, people who oppose or criticize I-900 are either (a) nuts whose opinions aren't to be taken seriously, or (b) too self-interested to have opinions that can be taken seriously. That's unreasonable, and if I may say, with the greatest respect, unworthy of you. It seems an attempt to shut down debate of an issue that is not nearly so simple as you portray it.

Posted by: jsa1 on October 16, 2005 02:09 PM

15. Stefan,

Did you see today's Tacoma News Tribune? Debbie Regala, of Legislative District 27, endorses a "NO" vote on this initiative as well...

Posted by: Brent on October 16, 2005 02:32 PM

16. A REAL conservative would not be voting for I-900 - it is going to cost taxpayers $42 million to go to a Democrat Auditor, and that wont be enough to do all that I-900 mandates!

Faux conservatives like Eyeman and no-nothing bloggers are just towing their masters' biddings by supporting this, dont be fooled on these total waste of our taxpayer money.

Posted by: Bill on October 16, 2005 02:51 PM

17. Roscoe, you have nothing to worry about. I-900 doesn't give the state auditor any authority to mandate what your water district does with its money. The only thing he can do is go in (with the state's money) and after investigating how it spends its money, tell it where and how it could save. Basically, it's like hiring an accountant to go over your company's budget and say, Mr. CEO, why are you spending $2 per can of coke when you can go to Costco and get it for $0.15 and why are you spending $500 a month on employee birthday parties when you only have 4 employees? Stuff like that.
And you also mention that the auditor should be auditing agencies where he can get the most "bang for the buck." And this is exactly what he will do. If you have a tiny budget then it's probably not worth his time to audit it when there are so many other places where more waste is going on. The fact that he could if he wanted to (maybe if he got a tip from a citizen) is just a good deterent)

Posted by: Mark Griswold on October 16, 2005 03:07 PM

18. Bill, you have got to be kidding me. First of all, the state auditor should really be a non-partisan position as there really isn't any policy involved, just implimination. That said, do you know Brian Sonntag? For that matter, have you ever bothered listening to anything any of the Conservative/Republican leaders in the state have to say about him? (He was on Mike Seigel the other day and they were chumming it up like a couple of old pals.) Obviously you don't. You're just a complete partisan hack as bad as the liberals who shoot down any idea that comes from our side of the aisle just because it comes from our side of the aisle. The fact is, if the Republicans put an auditor on the ballot (and I'm not talking Will Baker, that was probably THE stupidest thing Chris Vance has ever done) we'd want him to be exactly like Brian Sonntag.
As for no conservative voting for this because it's a waste of money, how is spending $40 million to save 100s of millions (look at performance audits in places like Texas and California) a waste of money? That's like saying you're not going to change the oil in your car because it costs $20 every three months then having your engine sieze up and have to repair it for $800!
You are a moron and if you really do consider yourself a conservative you are a disgrace to the name.

Posted by: Mark Griswold on October 16, 2005 03:17 PM

19. Yeah ok Mark, I am a moron for thinking it is a dumb idea to create more government to the tune of $42 million a year to go to a DEMOCRAT auditor, that you big-government credit card Republicans tell us to just trust him, he hangs out with Republicans!

This is another stupid UNFUNDED initiative by the idiot Eyeman who's inititatives have put local cities in the red in the first place, and you want us to think that a DEMOCRAT is going to somehow find the inner fortitude to audit his own DEMOCRATS?

The joke is on you, Mark and the rest of the cow-towing blowhards of the GOP. You and your bloated government ideas are destroying the foundation of 30+ years of work.

Posted by: Bill on October 16, 2005 03:43 PM

20. Queen Christine's verison of independent audits makes me barf. Didn't I hear somewhere that State Auditor was one of the very few (if not only) budget that had it's funding significantly cut by Olympia this session? That's her reward for doing your job well and shining the light on misuse of taxpayer dollars; remove your authority and funding.

I will be voting for I-900. It may not be perfect yet, but anything is better than the blatantly partison, yes man, piece of @*#*! trash gifted to Washatonians by the Queen and her legislature.

The entire panel are appointees except State Auditor, but he is not even the leader of the panel merely a member. Leadership by committee...ugh! Exactly the type of expensive inefficiency that voters keep attempting to do away with.

Posted by: dl on October 16, 2005 04:35 PM

21. Unfortunately there may have to be bloated government because of the corrruption - mainly from the left and also the fact that this litigious society is oversaturated with lawyers - we need to start to export them overseas and enact tort reform for the good of this self-absorbed country. This phenomenon coupled with new laws generally mean more government.

The problem I see (from the ruling class - left or right) is that no one has the cajones to repeal laws, thereby shrinking government. There are alot of meaningless and duplicitous laws out there that really need to be repealed, but thanks to special interest groups like the Trial Lawyers and ACLU - to name two, unless there is a significant change in direction, this state will continue to grow government. Where do you come up with $42 million with the passage of this law, Bill ? If it costs $42 million to chop $150-$200 million from DSHS - which would be a fair result, then I-900 is worth it ! Can you demonstrate that there won't be a favorable result in the first few years ? I don't think so.

Posted by: KS on October 16, 2005 08:39 PM

22. I find it hilarious in an Alice down the rabbit-hole sorta fashion that any of the mouth-breathers would be squawking about...what was it it said....Oh yea; "...big-government credit card Republicans..." and spending.

Oh wait - I get it! They're just peeved 'cause they think the Republicans are muscling in on "their" territory ;'}

Never fear liberals - you'll always be the "boss hog" when it comes to spending other people's money!

Like KS says - I-900 could easily pay for itself the first year out!

Posted by: alphabet soup on October 16, 2005 08:58 PM

23. Where do I get the $42 million per year figure? Straight from the Auditor's Office, DEMOCRAT Brian Sonntag himself, thats who!

I called the office and asked them point blank: and was told that if the state auditor were to fully implement Initiative 900, the estimated cost would be a whopping $90 million per biennium.

Don't believe me? Call the Auditor's office yourself and find out!

How much does I-900 provide to pay for this massive expansion of government? Only $10 million per year - that is a $35 million shortfall PER YEAR. And you fake conservatives want me to spend more of my tax money on a bloated DEMOCRAT Auditor's office? You REALLY think that he will eliminate his own party's socialist programs?

I laugh at you hacks that toe the party line - I am no liberal, but I know BS when I smell it.

Posted by: Bill on October 17, 2005 07:30 AM

24. "I laugh at you hacks that toe the party line - I am no liberal, but I know BS when I smell it."

Something tells me that you're quite familiar with the smell there Bill...

Posted by: alphabet soup on October 17, 2005 09:05 AM

25. A Soup I agree with I-900 paying for itself in the first out!! Plus last time Brian Sontag did an audit his good deed was punished by limiting
$ for him to audit!What better way to finally reward Mr. Sontag for his willingness to mention the need for audits!! Plus he will have the amount of $ to do a thorough audit!! I'm tired of rabid liberal Dems. punishing good people like Senator Sheldon, Brian Sontag as well as localy punishing Bob Fergeson & getting away with it!!!I personaly will vote for I-900 and the fact that some local liberals are for it is encouraging.

Posted by: Laurie on October 17, 2005 09:16 AM

26. Bill, check the following
From the SOS and oddice of financial management

http://www.ofm.wa.gov/initiatives/2005/900.htm

Summary of Fiscal Impact
Initiative 900 would reduce state sales-and-use tax revenue flowing to the state fund that finances general government
services. It directs that 0.16 percent of this revenue go to a new Performance Audits of Government Account to pay for
performance audits of state and local governments. An estimated $17 million would be deposited in the account instead of the
state General Fund in the 2005-07 Biennium, and an estimated $25 million would be deposited in the 2007-09 Biennium. Tax
revenue in the General Fund pays for state services including education, social, health, and environmental services, and
general government activities.

Posted by: Jim L on October 17, 2005 11:41 AM

27. Hey now, on Up Front they had two political strategists who were against 900, and they are not local government officials. Of course, all of their clients are ...

Posted by: pudge on October 17, 2005 01:30 PM

28. I don't give a rip what party State Auditor Sonntag is with -- he spoke up against the Seattle Monorail Project, and he said I-900 would give him additional tools to check out that nasty little government. That alone cinched my vote on I-900.

Posted by: Rasputin on October 17, 2005 02:17 PM

29. Sonntag doesn't totally agree with some of I-900, but agrees in principal, as this is a long time coming. I have voted for Brian Sonntag every time. You don't account for the amount of pork that can be taken away from bloated government which will run into the tens and possibly hundreds of millions annually, so as not to flaw your argument.

Actually, the dividends paid by passing I-900 will show up more after the first year - and eventually if the legislature remains Democrat majority, it will take around 8 years for them to totally blow it off. Ken Schram even agrees with I-900 - noone in their right mind calls him a republican party hack. I'd say that means that your'e all wet, Bill. Besides, you doth protest too greatly - I question your political leanings; who did you vote for Governor in the last election ? for US Rep. ? for US Senator ? (I voted for Rossi, Adam Smith and Nethercutt respectively).

Posted by: KS on October 17, 2005 04:43 PM

30. A Soup - nothing to bring to the table, typical knownothing.

Jim L - check the numbers. OFM is not the Auditor's office. OFM is going off the numbers that idiot Eyeman has in I-900, $17 million. To actually do the audits will cost much more, or $90 million. Dont be fooled. Call the Auditor and ask him yourself!

The rest of you party hacks that claim $100's of millions will be saved - what money do you expect to save from these audits, which departments, and exactly how much? It is going to have to cover a $35 million shortfall PER YEAR just to pay for all the audits you want a DEMOCRAT to do!

And where exactly are you getting these numbers, right out of your asses? Right outta Johhny Boy Carlson's mouth? Do you have a brain? Use it!

I dont vote to create more government in the HOPE that a socialist is going to actually shrink government! I dont care if Sonntag goes to Grover Norquist's house for dinner every night, he is still a socialist DEMOCRAT who will not shrink his own livelyhood!

Posted by: Bill on October 17, 2005 10:12 PM

31. Wow bill, ya really stung me there!

You demand a bunch of answers that are readily obtainable on the 'net(look them up yourself!) but you don't want to know the answers. Your mind (or what's left of it) is already made up and there isn't anything that anyone is likely to say that can penetrate and make a difference to you.

Your perspective is every bit a skewed & screwed as the lefty trolls that come around. Thank god it is a decidedly minority opinion!

Posted by: alphabet soup on October 18, 2005 07:15 AM

32. Yes Bill, you truly are a moron and regardless of what I've said before I can blow up your entire argument with one point. You say you don't want to give money to a "socialist Democrat" like Sonntag. The money doesn't go to Sonntag, you idiot. It goes to the Auditor's office. Hence, if a Republican were elected to that office (a Republican, mind you, that would be doing exactly what Sonntag is doing now because Sonntag is one of the few good elected officials we have) the money would be going to him! A soup was right. You know exactly what BS smells like. It just happens to be your own. Now pull your head out of your ass and think instead of being a kneejerk conservative (ahem, anarchist, that's right, the only way to make you happy would be to have no taxes at all, wouldn't it.)

Posted by: Mark Griswold on October 18, 2005 09:51 AM

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