December 16, 2005
Council Cat Fight
The Democrats on the King County Council are having a brawl over the Council chairmanship. Larry Phillips, who bears an amusing resemblance to the late USSR Communist Party General Secretary Konstantin Chernenko, is supported by fellow urban Bolsheviks Larry Gossett and Dow Konstantin in his bid for an unprecedented second two-year team as Council Chairman. Bob Ferguson and Julia Patterson would prefer to see someone else chair the Council. Patterson said that
she and Ferguson believe that "partisanship should be avoided in as many positions and issues as possible."
So perhaps this creates an opportunity for a compromise where a Republican chairs the Council. If the chair remains in Democrat hands (or legs, rather), it would be best filled by Bob Ferguson. Ferguson, alone among the council Democrats, has demonstrated the ability to work with fellow Councilmembers and constituents from across the political spectrum.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at December 16, 2005
11:38 AM | Email This
1. Hey, if Furgeson, and the R's just vote for Furgeson, wouldn't that win the day?
2. Stefan just think if no R's can successfuly run against "Tax to The Max Sims" could Bob Furgeson be a potential contender next time around. Especialy if he has already played a leadership role maybe that is why the dems are so fearful of him? Could be!! (That is he is given a chance to the dems to begin with.)
3. correction to lead the dems my bad!
4. If it has to be a D I prefer it be Bob Ferguson. At least he is open minded enough to listen to all sides before forming an opinion. In my dealings with him, he has been nothing but respectful and polite. Phillips and his other cohorts don't want Bob because they endorsed Carolyn Edmonds, openly, and she lost. They never liked Bob because Bob has been a wild card for the D's. The nerve of Phillips to try to bully his way to a third year. He is nothing but a typical Sims clone. I say toss him to the curb and put Bob in as chair.
5. An earlier comment purportedly from Council Chief of Staff Scott White was not in fact posted by Scott White. I have removed the bogus comment at the real Scott White's request.
6. Boy, they must really HATE that Ferguson offed (politically, that is) his democrat primary foe!
7. I don't think it's realistic that an R would get the council chairmanship, but I'm hoping that the R's on the council will support Ferguson. Perhaps a quid-pro-quo where they'll support Ferguson for Councilchair in exchange for putting an R as head of the Budget & Fiscal Management committee? In any case, of all the councilmembers, I trust Gossett as head of the Budget committee the least, so anyone else would be an improvement.
8. Larry Phillips has Kathy Lambert's vote. and it only cost him nearly $1 mil¸
9. look at the council pet project list. she got 500k for the Issaquah Theater and 180k for the Woodinville senior center.
bought and sold
will the last loyal R in King County please turn the lights out
10. Patterson is in Kent and has a pretty good sense that there are acutally some more conservative folks in King County. She knows that to alienate many of her own constituents would be stupid.
Earlier this year when I met her, she seemed to be somewhat personally disgusted by the whole Dean Logan fiasco even if she wanted to keep the attacks on Logan at a more civil level and acknowledge the Democrats who think that everything is just fine in King County.
Too bad there are not more balanced leaders in most of King County.
11. Louis Gossett for compromise chairman! Now that would be fun. Chairman? Chairman Gossett...Sir are you awake? What about the motion sir? No, not the motion to adjourn sir we just started. It's 8:05 Mr. Chairman, no A.M., in the MORNING sir yes thank you. Well I guess your right Mr. Chairman the motion to adjorn IS always in order. Finally KCTV would be worth watching.
12. Ferguson has always been a secret conservative. I say we support him in his effort to partner with the Republicans. Look at his record: Ferguson opposed Sound Transit when Seattle insisted it be build, Ferguson supported the Veterans Levy when Seattle Communists tried to get funding for their social service programs AND Ferguson campaigned to cut the council from 13 down to 9 when the Seattle Communists argued that it would cut back their representation. He may claim that he is a Democrat, but he votes with the Republicans!
13. I agree. Ferguson did side with us on opposing Sound Transit, not funding welfare moms so we could fund our veterans and shrinking the size of the communist council. It seems to me that the Republicans should be able to cut a deal with Ferguson that will cut out the Democrats.
14. There are two Republicans on the KCC that will NOT cut a deal with Ferguson. They would be the same two who cut a deal with the DEMS to eliminate his district and pit him against Edmonds. Hague and VonReichbauer. Let us not forget that those two made a deal with the D's to save their own skin during the re-districting. They won't support Ferguson.
15. "An earlier comment purportedly from Council Chief of Staff Scott White was not in fact posted by Scott White. I have removed the bogus comment at the real Scott White's request.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at December 16, 2005 01:45 PM"
How wonderful to know that Scott White reads Sound Poliitics. He obviously has some craving for the truth.....or perhaps he reads it hope to glean what the ENEMY of the RIGHT is up to!!
16. Todays paper says Ron is Vetoing the "pork" passed by the County Council. I beleive that may be the only major food group Ron has ever vetoed. Larry Gossett pledges an over-ride! Of course neither one of them would ever consider doing a zero-based budget review process to get at the real issues surrounding the Cost-Benefit of County Spending.
17. Ferguson has positioned himslef PERFECTLY to be in charge of that Council. PERFECTLY! Folks need to continue to call the LEFTIST PINHEADED KLOWN brigade of Konstantin, Kphillips and Kgossett exactly what they are......MARXISTS! They are neutralized. Bob Ferguson runs KingCo. Sims will have to appease him. Hopefully Ferguson has studied exactly the extent of his power.....and will use it to also neutralize Sims.
It's all about voting. Sitting around talking means ZIP. Hopefully Ferguson and Patterson will stick to their beliefs and NOT cave into the reckless foolishness of the 3 Stooges....errrrr 3 Komrades!
18. Ferguson looks like the future leader - even though he is a D, he is sensible - based on past history, unlike Phillips and Gossett and Constantine - who are basically toxic socialist hacks and should be outted from leadership.
Maybe the rest of them, including Sims (vetoing the pork) realize that they are pushing the boundaries of abuse of power and not sure they can get away with it in the long run. Maybe the Republicans on the council can actually unite for a common cause - that would really be a shock !
19. Bob Ferguson has effectively lied his way into office. Some Democrats like him because he doorbells, but they don't realize that he sells out his values whenever it is convenient. You right-wingers said it yourselves earlier: Ferguson sold out and left the Dems on Sound Transit, Ferguson sold out and left the Dems on human services, Ferguson sold out and left them on the cutting the size of the Council. I'm sure all you right-wingers are happy to have Ferguson on your side.
20. Patterson lives in SeaTac. I have some discourses with her concerning voting reconciliation, etc. She really has no clue. She claims the voting changes she sponsored essentially solved the problem, but instead those changes ENABLED more voting problems. She additionally has no clue about Sound Transit, particularly light rail. She thinks "all" the new riders for light rail will come from single car drivers. Even the studies she has sponsored indicate that about 90% of the light rail riders will come from buses. She is a nice lady, but pretty clueless about the real world.
21. It's not that Ferguson is a closet Republican. In reality, he's probably more liberal than Patterson. The difference is that when push comes to shove, you know where Patterson will be. She's a loyalist. Bob is very much an independent thinker.
22. Mr. C: It's common knowledge that big name directors, producers, and actors in Hollywood regularly surf the chat rooms, blogs, and fan sites associated with their shows--their egos demand it. Scott White and others are no different. King County is the closest thing to Hollyweird we've got.
23. JustforLaughs,
You are right on!
During the 90's I testified several times before the County Council Law & Justice Committee. On two occasions Larry (schnoozer) Gossett fell asleep. Everyone involved knew he was schnoozing and paid it no mind leading me to believe it was just Modus operandi.
Maybe those late night committee meetings?
Thanks