The latest KING-5 poll shows a neck-and-neck race for King County Executive between incumbent Ron Sims and challenger David Irons, with Irons slightly favored.
A full 46 percent of those surveyed said they would vote for Republican David Irons now, compared to 43 percent for incumbent Ron Sims.The Sims enthusiasts in the daily newspapers have nervously entered full-bore campaign mode, abandoning any pretence at objective reporting about the Executive race, throwing their full weight behind Sims. The P-I has excluded Green Party candidate Gentry Lange from the editorial board reviews, even though Lange's poll numbers are impressive for a third-party candidate and are high enough to swing the outcome of the race. Over at the Times, the news desk is so far refusing (I use that word carefully) to cover the astonishing scandal I broke in The Stranger last week -- that the Elections office knowingly counted hundreds of illegal votes and has spent the last 11 months covering it up and lying about it. The Times' coverage of the campaign is now limited to recycling Sims' press releases and making hilariously selective attacks on Irons' unsolicited campaign donations.
Meanwhile, Ron Sims has apparently smelled the doom of defeat and is hedging his bets. He has reportedly already started a new career selling residential real estate:
(just kidding, that's a different Ron Sims. But the more famous Ron probably would make a good listing agent. Here in Seattle, at least, he's already demonstrated the ability to sell pretty much anything.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at October 18, 2005 09:22 AM | Email ThisI wonder if he would disclose any defects.
I think he would cover them up just as he and Dean have covered up the fraud and malfeasance in King County.
Perhaps a job at the rodeo shoveling excrement?
He seems good at it Posted by: Jim L on October 18, 2005 10:10 AM
Posted by: Jim L on October 18, 2005 10:13 AM
Good news.
Jim L
To get a job shoveling the bravo sierra to have to be able to identify it.
I'd give a majority of the credit to the Shark. Without his work Sims / Logan would still be counting ballots the same old way.
Posted by: JCM on October 18, 2005 10:19 AMSo, under Sims and his management team, King County has earned the highest credit rating possible - and they did it during an economic downturn. Like my poppy always says "if it ain't broke don't fix it." Sims is getting my vote because I vote for people who get results.
I know Ron Sims.
He works hard.
He does an outstanding job in his chosen field.
He is respected by his fellow workers.
And, yes.. the real Ron Sims sells Real Estate.
PS: Fireside Homes is a nice company, too.
Posted by: duhh on October 18, 2005 10:36 AMI submit that Ron Sims’ goal all along was to sell real estate, he just wants to make a lot of money doing it, so he became the KC executive solely to increase his future commissions. Genius I tell you, pure genius!
I've spoken with several of my moderate Democrat friends in Seattle who I think make up the vast base and majority of Seattle voters. These are people who are generally conservative, well to do people, but who live in places like Wallingford, Fremont, Queen Anne, and Magnolia and have a generally sympathetic side towards the Seattle moonbat culture. You know the type, they shop at U-Village, but they think it's cool to attend the Fremont parade. They are the parade spectators, not the participants. All of my friends in this mold are disgusted by King County Elections inability to conduct a decent election, to whatever degree they believe things went wrong. They see Sims as part of the problem, and of those who would voice their political opinion, are considering Irons for "a change."
Another barometer is the Seattle based left wing blogs like Horses Ass. Look at Goldstein squirm. The pro-Sims drum beat has begun. If you read only the left sources, you'd think Sims was political perfection.
Remember, this is what they said about Kerry last year when the polls were running close. And look what happened.
If I were Dean Logan, I'd be brushing up on the latest shoe fashions and trends.
Posted by: Jeff B. on October 18, 2005 11:14 AMWell Claire, I would think that would make more sense if it were Sims supporters. The man is an encumbant, well known name, and been around for awhile. I think maybe Claire is a bit on the nervous side.
Mr. Irons has work to do, and it would be easily accomplished if he didn't have to remove "knifes" from his back, and mud from his clothes.
One thing I would really start watching out for at both the state and local levels is the pension status. This type of bankruptcy isn't limited to Enron, U Air, GM etc. With Sims at the wheel I have to wonder about the security of KC employee pensions. Same for Seattle and Tacoma city employees since both cities seem to be run mafia style.
The state pension fund was raided this last session despite a surplus in revenue and I wouldn't be surprised to see similar antics at the county and city levels. The WSJ ran a big report last week on San Diego's pension crisis- which I suspect is the tip of the 'berg.
Today's politicians (Gregoire, Sims and gang) don't have any problem leaving tomorrows tax payers with a big tab to pay. Once again they'll raise taxes using human suffering as an excuse.
Posted by: Andy on October 18, 2005 11:15 AMWhen you bring out the old cliche, "If it ain't broke, etc," are you applying it to every part of Sims and company? In an analogy, if King County were a car, you would be looking at the engine, and saying, "well, it ain't broke, so we'll keep this car," when you are apparently ignoring the rusted out brake lines, the bald tires, and the cancer eating away at the doors.
And as an interesting sidelight--in the article you reference, there is this interesting quote:
"For instance, the county is facilitating the incorporation or annexation of unincorporated-but-urban areas within its limits--areas that are effectively subsidized by county services under the current regime."
Is this a good thing or a bad thing? The article doesn't say specifically, but contextually it appears to be "good" because it is what the "good" people are doing to be "progressive" and all that.
I take it that you approve what King County is doing to residents and their land on the Eastern edge of the county? Posted by: pseudotsuga on October 18, 2005 11:18 AM
I would REALLY REALLY REALLY like to see some onerous federal fines for counties violating election laws and not keeping crisp books.
Posted by: Andy on October 18, 2005 11:25 AMThere's always room for improvement. But go to the link to Standard and Poor's announcement. They've looked all aspects of the County's financial performance and they (and the other major credit rating agencies) have all concluded that King County is remarkably well managed. Iron's may have some limited business experience, but he simply does not have the succesful track record that Sims does. Moreover, running a business is not like running a county. Vote for success. Sims is hands down a better choice than Irons.
Posted by: Claire on October 18, 2005 11:26 AM
Cooked books always look better.
I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but S&P doesn't have real audit capabilities. They've been wrong before. Of course, someone usually goes to jail when they're wrong.
Posted by: Dishman on October 18, 2005 12:04 PMAnd as for you, Ron--just don't go into banking.....
Posted by: Misty on October 18, 2005 12:19 PMIt's SIMS who has to worry. If Irons is up by 1% on him, then 'HOUSTON, SIMS HAS A PROBLEM'.
Posted by: Misty on October 18, 2005 12:25 PMShe thinks I'm hot though, so we let her hang around ;'}
Posted by: alphabet soup on October 18, 2005 12:40 PMIt's not how many votes a candidate gets, but who counts them? Something like that, anyway.
VW
Posted by: Violence Worker on October 18, 2005 12:45 PMWhile I fear I am feeding a troll, I'll bite. If you're interested in a link, I will be happy to provide one showing how Survey USA has one of the highest accuracy records around.
By the way, they were right about Rossi winning the election. What are they supposed to ask? "Even though you are not registered, do you plan to vote?" "How many ballots will you cast in this year's general election?"
Posted by: SnoCo Voter on October 18, 2005 02:06 PMBecause of Sim's incompetence or outright corruption, we have the WRONG PERSON IN THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, a new 9.5 cent gas tax with no accountability, a downright worthless and stupidly conceived emissions standard for cars, and soon we'll be putting many restaurants and night clubs out of business by sending their customers to tribal establishments where SMOKING is allowed. We have a revolt brewing in eastern King county because Seattle liberals want to confiscate people's land and give it to the damn ducks, and we have an electorate which doesn't believe their vote counts and because of Judge Bridges ruling - no enforceable law against cheating in elections.
Sims taking credit for the county's fiscal health is like Bill Clinton taking credit for stopping terrorism during his stint as "The Prez". Unfortunately, it's usually the next guy who gets the office who has to deal with the fallout. Let's hope Sims doesn't leave Irons with the kind of fermenting mess Clinton left Bush with. Posted by: Scott C on October 18, 2005 02:17 PM
126 votes!
Do I win something, like a nice cushy gov'mint job arranging votes for over 100 thousand a year?
Posted by: pseudotsuga on October 18, 2005 03:27 PM
Hey Claire, there's more to running a county than just being finacially sound. Simply because he hasn't run the county into the ground finacially isn't a reason to keep him. Transit plans, the CAO, the elections office, etc. are great reasons to throw him out.
Posted by: Mike H on October 18, 2005 04:04 PMI am just amazed that Ron Sims - out of the 3 candidates running for KC executive, placed absolutely NO MENTION of the King County election problems or solutions in the voters pamphlet!
Both David Irons (R) and Gentry Lange (G) mentioned fixing the election mess as one of their top priorities! Ron Sims? He just wants to make more of our open space and waterways off limits to the people....Expand the CAO... Move more homeless around the county, expand trails at the expense of the Dinner Train and of course....save a whale...? I wonder which of these is his top priority?
Folks, we need to get really ugly and expose this worthless slab of dump for all of his coruption, lies and mafia tactics.
Let the mud raking begin!
…and Claire, get your head out of that steamy pile of liberal excrement and open your eyes and ears. There is hope for all of you.
Posted by: Jeffro on October 18, 2005 04:14 PMIt'll have to be a chompin' cigar if the liberal Seattle/KC voting block (conservative voters need not be offended) has their way and bans smoking. What freedoms will they take from us next?!
Posted by: Jeffro on October 18, 2005 04:51 PMI don't think it's just the *rural* areas that have a problem with Ron Sims signs....I've seen them busted up in Kent, Renton, South Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond! Some have written reminders of his crimes against the people on the signs....CAO, No more Dinner Train, Election Fraud, etc....(just a few issues that he forgot to print on his campaign signs...)
Posted by: Deborah on October 18, 2005 05:00 PMAnd when all the Tax dollars dry up from Tobbaccy they will squeal for more revenue too.
Anybody notice the new Multi Million dollar SMOKE SHOP going up at the Muckleshoot Reservation in AUBURN? You get what you pay for in this state right Christine and Ron?
Posted by: Roscoe on October 18, 2005 05:01 PMI guess such people don't need any accountability from their elected officials.
Posted by: Bostonian on October 18, 2005 05:09 PMSo I'm assuming you would vote for George W Bush if he balanced the federal budget - regardless of ANY other aspects of his job performance? Because that is what you're advocating with Mr Sims. You're obviously a one-issue voter, right?
We're STILL waiting for your first intelligent post, Claire.
Posted by: Larry on October 18, 2005 06:01 PMHopefully the grim prediction of "Stalin" Sims somehow being reelected because of the Stalinist philosophy "its not how many votes that are counted, it is who counts the votes", where Dean Logan is the perpetrator. That is why there needs to be eternal vigilance during voting and vote counting to prevent what happened just one year ago in the Gubernatorial election from occurring again. Seriously, we are contending with methods used by those where the hammer and sickle reigns with King County Records and Elections.
Victory for Irons will be sweet, but it won't be achieved unless we fend off the claptrap bloviated by the aristocrat socialists, They are adept at lieing about budget surpluses so that they can convince the useful idiots to vote for the most corrupt dictators masquerading as the County Executive in these here United States.
Posted by: KS on October 18, 2005 07:04 PMCall me when President Bush balances the budget. We'll talk about whether he wins my vote.
KS,
Stalin - are you kidding me? Go back to 1985 dude. And by the way, many people in King County think the CAO is a bold pro-environment policy. Couple the CAO with the recent news from Standard & Poor's and other credit agencies that the County is a beacon of fiscal soundness and you a perfect example of the good that comes out of following solid liberal policies - fiscally responsible management and policies that protect the environment. It's a tough combination to beat - as I predict Mr. Irons will soon discover.
Posted by: Claire on October 18, 2005 09:03 PMAnd those people tend to live in an urban area and view rural land as their quaint little playground. The folks who are actually affected by the CAO tend to view it as an unnecessary land grab. Telling someone that they can no longer do anything to their land and not compensating for their losses is not good government.
Posted by: Mike H on October 18, 2005 09:41 PMThanks for the headline. Why not look past the surface? Ahh yes, and once again we have the charming Claire (her Poppy loved her) and her claims that plumb the depths of incisive liberal critical thinking.
Let's see now."Exception Financial Managment."
Exception to what, un-audited public officials as distaff members of "retarded spellers anonymous?"
Claire you clueless little rascal you:
Standard & Poor's does not perform audits to determine ratings. All they require is consistent debt service satisfaction. Ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in or unavailability of such information or based on other circumstances such as information of widespread fraudulent accounting practices and false public disclosures. Public disclosure issues such as those involved with the Yousoufian case involving financial improprieties regarding the Kingdome, Safeco Field, and the new Seahawks stadium, or Rick Hangartner, who requested documents related to Seattle's proposal to build a light-rail system, but were refused such information. Why do you suppose the local courts found against Sims in these cases but never required disclosure? Why do you suppose Gregoire and Sims et al, didn’t specifically ear-mark the latest gas tax hike for specific projects; because they are honest people?
This only scratches the slightest surface of the problem.
If you like your public officials covering up hijinx by subduing honest citizens with clouds of legal technicalities to sell your dumb a$$ unwittingly down the road, I understand. Wanna buy a watch?
If the County can SQUEEZE OUT their payments by RAISING TAXES that are unaccountable and unaccounted for, they can maintain a positive SUPERFICIAL CREDIT RATING. They can continue to apply funds to debt service that maintain failing socialist programs approved by idiot voters like you. They appeal under the cynical sensational rubric of trendy concerns like "transportation," and then simply use them wherever they like, and you believe what they say despite the overwhelming evidence because you are blinded to the facts by your liberal ignorance and stupidity.
Insurer financial strength ratings such as Standard & Poor's do not refer to an organization's ability to meet debt obligations, especially those debts associated with unstable or otherwise unbalanced financial conditions, and they don’t assess regional issues such as taxation and transportation and their impact on REAL economic consequences to all of us as citizens of King County. The reason for this is that default will fall directly on the citizen's shoulders long after Sim's et al are gone. Anyone can get a good credit rating, and if they are an unscrupulous public official like Sims they can maintain it by cooking the books at taxpayer’s expense. Sims is indeed a fine example of what you refer to as “Exception Financial Management,” i.e. exceptions at every turn to any idea of fiscal responsibility.
Your half-a$$ed attempt to bolster inept socialist communist schemes with happy-talk about credit ratings is shallow as usual.
You are a fool -- but a humorous one.
You're joking .....right?
The CAO impresses only a few in a tight-nit enviro-nazi community...Most people in this county were NOT AWARE of this enviro-extremist ordinance until the outrage of the rural residents came to light. Now - the majority of home and land owners in King County are very leery of any attempts by Ron Sims and company to further restrict private property rights! We all wonder...when will this oppression end?
Fiscal responsibility? Hah! No one has been able to audit King County finances and budget yet! If Ron Sims runs the county finances in the same corrupt manner he runs the elections......it's only a matter of time before his deeds are discovered and our rating tanks.... Ron Sims is so slimy and deceitful - he wouldn't even show the county council his proposed budget before he made it public! What was he afraid of? I would be looking hard at that before I gave the county a good credit rating....
Claire.....get off the script and actually look around you....Your boy is going down.
Posted by: Deborah on October 18, 2005 09:51 PMSims will find a way to raise taxes as he has been given a blank check to spend us out of the surplus and spend he will - but not if he doesn't get elected. Financial experts see a recession coming in 2006 - If Stalin Sims gets reelected, again I predict a huge deficit just one year from now - because he is instituting new programs, which are ill-advised. Irons is more fiscally conservative and responsible and will pay attention to the needs of the citizens - any ignoramus should know that.
Solid liberal policies is an oxymoron - responsible fiscal policies - what a joke ! yeah right - Just like Gov. Blanco in Louisiana. You live in your own socialist utopia where down is up and up is down.
Posted by: KS on October 18, 2005 10:06 PMShe's had her head in the liberal dung so long that it has permeated her gray matter. I would bet that she rents an apartment on Capital Hill - that's why she doesn't care about CAO. Claire only cares about her own rights which include her right to numerous abortions, free speech rights (only if you agree with her) and her right to vote numerous times per each KC election.
Posted by: Jeffro on October 19, 2005 06:50 AMThe CAO is good policy? You support stealing my land? Theft, that's what it is. Let me be up front on where I stand here, I'm one of five named plantiffs suing Ron Sims and the KC Council over the CAO. I bought a 1000 sf rambler in 1999, small but affordable for a newly married couple. With one child we're running out of space, and with another on the way I wanted to add a garage to my .28 Acre lot, and remodel my current one car garage to a rec-room/office to provide the space I need.
Thanks to CAO, I can't build anything else on my property, so now instead of having the right to add living space to property I "own" for about $40K, I will have to buy a new home (it won't be in KC) with the space I need for a minimum of $100K. It's a load of crap that I pay property taxes on property I don't have the right to use, and that I have a financial hit of more than $60K so you can feel good about the trees on my property.
However, I'd be happy to shut my mouth if you, Claire will send me $60,000.00, would you like to wire the money or just write me a check?
Posted by: Dan on October 19, 2005 07:06 AMI'm sure if you anteed up the money to pay for Claire's next piercing, tatoo or abortion, she would gladly send you a contribution.
Good luck with the law suit, although I wouldn't hold out much hope with the socialists in power (including judges).
Posted by: Jeffro on October 19, 2005 08:13 AMBut Dan, don't you reaize how much harm will be done to the environment by adding a garage? Are you that selfish? Don't you care about our wild spaces? Honestly, is $60,000 too much to ask to protect our sacred land from evil development?
[/sarcasm]
Good luck with the lawsuit. That just sucks.
Posted by: Mike H on October 19, 2005 08:24 AMThere you go again, making things up. Your argument that King County has such a high credit rating because it hides information is silly. If Standard & Poors (and the other rating agencies) did not have sufficient information they would not have given the County a AAA rating. Further your suggestion that the credit rating has no relationship to how well the county has been managed is wrong. The S&P announcement specifically identifies "the county's
exceptional financial management through the spectrum of economic climates" as a basis for giving the AAA rating.
Amused, I understand that you are frustrated because you do not understand the nuances of Public Disclosure Act or the recent case law interpreting the Act, but the PDA really has nothing to do with the fact that King County has been recognized by a reliable third party source for having been well managed under Ron Sims. You can slam Sims for any number of things from verbosity to being slow to resolve election problems, but you simply cannot claim that he has not done a good job managing the county's finances. It's your word against S&P's (and Moody's and Fitch's) and your word doesn't stand a chance (especially when you just make stuff up).
PS - you really need to drop the "communist" attack. It's no more appropriate to call someone a communist than it is to call them a nazi - and I am sure you agree the calling someone you disagree with a nazi is counterproductive.
Posted by: Claire on October 19, 2005 10:33 AMNew "City Wildlife Ordinance" - Condo owners and apartment dwellers must set aside 60% of their yards and/or their condo/apartment outdoor deck area for wildlife habitat. Decks - people use areas must be condoned off from wildlife use areas. Wildlife areas must remain in their natural state. No improvements of any kind will be allowed. Moss, grass, slime, and standing water are all considered "natural habitat". Yards in city dwellings will be left to grow out into a "natural state". Outbuildings such as garages and pool houses which are adjacent to areas used by wildlife will be unavailable for use if any nesting birds are found to be on the property. GET THE PICTURE CLAIRE? Posted by: Scott C on October 19, 2005 11:24 AM
S&P, click, S&P, click, S&P, click, S&P, click…
It's a AAA credit rating. I knoow a handful of folks that have a perfect credit rating, they're in debt up to their eyeballs. Just because Ron Sims can manage debt payments on the backs of the hard working folks of KC doesn't make him a star in my book.
And Amused and KS are absolutely correct, S&P just look s at the numbers you post, they don't perform an audit.
Claire- do you have a background in accounting? Even the most solvent corporations shift assets, manipulate income/dept ratios, etc. to make their books shine.
Posted by: Jeffro on October 19, 2005 12:44 PMRe the CAO, a better analogy would be to look at single family homeowners in Seattle (the CAO doesn't say what you can do inside your house or on your deck). Seattle, like most cities, has strict rules on what you can do with your property the net result of which is that substantial portions of a lot cannot be built on (a certain percentage has to be reserved for mandatory front and back yards etc...). The CAO applies similar restrictions on some parcels of rural property that have defined critical areas on them. It's really not that earth shattering, and Ron Sims should be commended for encouraging such progressive policies to protect the environment.
Posted by: Claire on October 19, 2005 01:45 PMThanks to CAO, I can't build anything else on my property, so now instead of having the right to add living space to property I "own" for about $40K, I will have to buy a new home (it won't be in KC) with the space I need for a minimum of $100K. It's a load of crap that I pay property taxes on property I don't have the right to use, and that I have a financial hit of more than $60K so you can feel good about the trees on my property."
CLAIRE!!!! WAKE UP, CAN YOU READ?!!!
The KC goons haven't hand selected a few parcels of critical areas, they've decided that anyone that has any land in rural KC can't use a very large chunk of it. The bulk of which aren't any more critical than the rat infested weeds along the sides of the manufacturing facilities in SODO.
A better analogy is the following (and I'm asuming that you're pro choice).
What if , contrary to federal law, KC passed legislation that abortion was no longer legal. You'd have a holy fit - your body, your property. These folks purchased the property prior to the CAO and now they are being told by KC how they can and can't use their property. Why is this analogy a better fit? Once the ruling elite determoines it can take away your property, where will they stop?
I'm not much of a fan of your abortion analogy (or of abortion for that matter), so I'm not going to play along. But, I will say this, the democratically elected government of King County has the right to change land use regulations. A property owner is not guaranteed that the land use regulations governing their property will not change after they've purchased the property. As for responding to Dan's specific situation, I own a house in Seattle on a 6,000 square foot lot and I couldn't build a garage on it if I wanted to either. Why, because of mandatory yard requirements that don't allow the construction of new structures in certain portions of the lot. Boo Hoo. Welcome to civilization. Neither Dan nor I live in the middle of the outback where there's no need for any policies to govern growth. We both live in an environmentally sensitive area that's experiencing dramatic growth. If we don't manage growth wisely King County's going to end up looking like an unliveable he**hole like Houston.
PS - if you can please direct me to a link that suggests that the CAO regulations govern all property in rural King County and not just those with designated critical areas. My reading of the CAO suggests that it is more limited. I would point out that the restrictions on my lot I mention above apply regardless whether my lot has any critical areas on it.
Posted by: Claire on October 19, 2005 03:06 PMAs far as your Seattle home is concerned, you didn't purchase your home anticipating that you could put another structure on your land.
As far as government changing land regulations, those reasons must be justified and if private land is rendered unusable by these new regulations, the property owners should be justly compensated. If not, when do they stop taking? Why don't you write your pal Ron a letter thanking him for allowing you to purchase your house and paying property taxes. Keeping in mind, they may choose to take it from you at any time.
BOO F***ING HOO, WELCOME TO CIVILIZATION, COMMI!
Posted by: Jeffro on October 19, 2005 03:49 PMI found the information I was looking for. In addition to providing setbacks for critical areas, the CAO also imposes limits on the percentage of land that can be cleared on undeveloped property zoned RA. Owners of RA zoned land can clear up to 50%. If the parcel is over 5 acres that percentage decreases to 35%.
And what are the rules for urban dwellers in Seattle like myself, well it turns out that I
can only use 35% of my property as well. Granted I can plant a garden or non-native plants in the other 65% percent, but I can't build any structures. I know it's not a direct comparasion, but illustrate that we all live with land use restrictions on the property we buy. None are set in stone, and they will change from time to time through the democratic process. Any person who buys a parcel of property should keep this in mind.
As for those circumstances were changes in land use regulations render property truly worthless, I believe the current law provides that the property owner is entitled to compensation. This does not apply where the change only decreases the value of the property. The property has to be rendered worthless.
PS- is the whole "COMMI" thing really necessary? - It undermines your otherwise compelling post and makes you look like a nazi and a simp.
Posted by: Claire on October 19, 2005 04:17 PMMy fathers property was rendered useless by anyone but a birdwatcher. Property was in the family for many generations. My grandfather was born here so my family has roots in this region for over 110 years. We enjoyed this small parcel of riverfront during the spring and summer months with family gatherings. The lot was about 3 acres with 100 feet of actual river frontage. There was a small trailor and an outhouse on the property. Between the habitat setbacks and the increased river setbacks there was no place to legally place the trailor, let alone build. Keep in mind that it was not a marsh nor a flood plain. just a beautiful setting to enjoy and be with family. there is also development and industry a few miles away. Go figure. I guess some are more equal than others.
I realize that regulations change but should not be done so in such an underhanded way. When you refer to a "democratically elected government", we don't give them carte blanche to bulldoze our private property rights. Fair due process is truly the civilized MO. Something Sims and his liberal homies seem to forget.
Posted by: Jeffro on October 19, 2005 04:44 PMYes, government can and does change the rules. However, when I purchased the property in question, I did have the right to build additional structures on the property. Now that KC has taken that use of my property away through eminent domain, they have to compensate me for the economic loss. That's Washington law -which is why Kelo doesn't apply here.
CAO is based on flawed science, the impacts on your fellow KC citizens are real, and nobody can argue that it's fair to change the rules unilaterally in the middle of the game.
Claire wrote:
"PS- is the whole "COMMI" thing really necessary? - It undermines your otherwise compelling post and makes you look like a nazi and a simp."
Are you really saying "Don't call me a commi you facist?" I mean seriously your argument is don't call me a !*$# you $&*@.
Posted by: Dan on October 20, 2005 09:07 AMEvery time I think you can't be more obtuse - you come up with more whoppers.
Standard & Poor's ratings do not reflect whatsoever on the financial management Ron Sims. Their positive rating only means that King County has not defaulted on any loans. King County does not make money, it is in debt. Furthermore, the county has had a taxation windfall from the exploding housing market and the surging economy. If you think these ratings are indicative of Ron Sims' job performance, you really have no idea about the data you are trying to interpret.
Per the CAO, you wrote:
"As for those circumstances were changes in land use regulations render property truly worthless, I believe the current law provides that the property owner is entitled to compensation. This does not apply where the change only decreases the value of the property. The property has to be rendered worthless."
This shows how little you know about the economic value of land, urban economics, and externalities. It's your contention that where legislation 'only decreases' the value of land, but has not 'rendered [it] worthless', the owner is NOT due compensation? I hate to break it to you, Claire, but this goes against 500 years of western common law and property law, and illustrates how little both you and Ron Sims know about property law and externalities.
The owner of land is due compensation for ANY and EVERY externality that negatively impacts the value of the land. Thousands of landowners in rural King County bought their 10 acres assuming that they could use ALL 10 acres. The county passed a law stating that they can only use 3.5 acres. This has severely impacted the value of their land, with no compensation whatsoever.
Example: You purchase a 5-bedroom house in Seattle. What if Seattle passed a law that you could only use/decorate/remodel 2 of your bedrooms? Now you have to leave 3 bedrooms of your home in their 'natural state'. Even if these 3 bedrooms burned down, you could not rebuild nor replace them. Would the value of your house decrease? Yes. Would you be due compensation from Seattle? Of course. Would you get it? Nope.
Try taking a class in Urban Economics, Public Sector Economics, or Economics & Law sometime. If you open your eyes and listen, you'll learn many amazing things.
Posted by: Larry on October 20, 2005 10:49 AMgood points and thanks for the back up. I was starting to hear crickets. Oh, but where is Claire today?
Posted by: Jeffro on October 20, 2005 12:56 PMYou might be a “nice” person (or your Poppy thinks so), but you are a dim wit (and I’m being nice).
I respect the liveliness with which you attempt to play patterns of illogic and silly subterfuge (in the way I might respect the screeches of a rat defending its attic lair). Nevertheless, as substitutes for lines of reasoning, they logically fail.
CAO is a bold pro-environment policy against property ownership that strikes at the heart of individual freedom and democracy, and Standard & Poor's and other credit agencies that the County might claim as an exemplar of fiscal soundness means nothing useful about supposed fiscal stability in our state. If you weren't an idiot, you would know this. Trumpeting them provides perfect examples of the evil that comes out of following insane liberal policies - fiscally irresponsible management that ignores reality. AAA Standard & Poor's means NOTHING idiot, and everyone knows better.
You might consider a career as a housewife where you can watch "Soaps" and leisurely banter (or whatever) for approval with your local bubbas as they come and go, but quit pretending that you have any notions about reality--taint' so. If, as I suspect, you are a teacher, or college instructor, all that I can say is GOD HELP THOSE INNOCENT PEOPLE YOU TRY TO FILL WITH BULLSHIT EVERY DAY; it isn't working, but unfortunately, you're still getting paid. Reconsider the Bill Clinton Blow Job Club, that's a fit for you.
You are boring. Why not call yourself "Headless Lucy," or "JDB"?
Nevertheless, keep it up, you are fun.
You go at that there Jeffro girl:
"PS- is the whole "COMMI" thing really necessary? - It undermines your otherwise compelling post and makes you look like a nazi [sic] and a simp [sic]."
Yes moron, this whole "COMMI" thing IS REALLY necessary because it is an important description of you and your ideology that accurately depicts how much of a simpleton you really are.
Thanks for the openly willing and witless opportunities you provide to point it out.