I just got a call from the Dave Ross Show 710 KIRO to go on the air this afternoon at 3pm to talk about the voter database.
I was on until about 3:25 and then Ross continued to discuss the topic with callers. He seemed more concerned about the privacy issues of releasing public voter data, than he was about the underlying problems with voter registrations that the database is there to help fix (e.g. people registered and voting multiple times, people registered at addresses where they don't live). I can understand how some people might be initially concerned about privacy, but voter records are explicitly public informaton. Anybody who wants this information can get it whether or not I post it. Other than the restriction that the lists cannot be used for mail commercial solicitations, the law states that the information "may be used for any political purpose", which cleaning up the voter rolls clearly is. And to prevent this version of the database from being abused, I make it difficult enough to turn the data into a mailing list that anybody who was motivated to violate the law and use this info for making commercial solicitations would find it easier to buy their own CD.
The most important principle to me here is that in order to have fair elections, we must have absolute secrecy regarding the way the voter marks the ballot, but (near) absolute transparency for everything else in the voting process. The latter is especially important when election officials place a low priority on maintaining the integrity of the voting rolls, and it's up to the voters to help publicize the flaws so they can be cleaned up. Even Deanron agrees: "Maintaining our voter rolls is a partnership between King County Elections and voters." Public access to this data is the best way for voters to uphold our end of that partnership.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at February 10, 2006 12:47 PM | Email ThisI don't think Ross made it point, especially when you kept going back to the election rolls.
I thought he was trying to nail you, but couldn't.
Posted by: swatter on February 10, 2006 04:02 PMBut hey, no outside oversight is necessary, Ron Sims said so. Game, set, match.
Good stuff.
Posted by: Orb on February 10, 2006 04:20 PMDave, you are an egotistical, supersillious jerk.
You are obviously bright enough to know better, but you continue to support Ronnie and Company. CAO, Budget Issues, Sound Transit the list goes on and on. When you are given the opportunity to examine the Elections Department and registration problems in King County and State wide with a noted expert in the field you shut down your mind and go for the Democratic party line...problems? What problems?
You have to realize how badly you come across to most people, Kool-aid drinkers aside. You campaigned to become my congressman last cycle and while you came across as informed, you also came across as a know-it-all, self-promoting Liberal Hack. Keep you day job and do us all a favor and stay out of politics until you can appreciate the significance of corrupted voter rolls.
Posted by: Roscoe on February 10, 2006 05:12 PMYou see this on a larger scope. Homosexuals who support the Palestinians. Democrats who support the terrorists. And other people who seem to have a suicidal mission.
Is it just the blindness that comes from not wanting to see? Why would someone try to go through this world and refuse to see what is happening around them?
It boggles my mind, at least.
Posted by: Jonathan Gardner on February 10, 2006 05:25 PMEven when we disagree, he keeps the discussion constructive, respectful and focused on the facts.
Posted by: Stefan Sharkansky on February 10, 2006 08:07 PMNote in addition to allowing this data to be used for 'any political purpose' as Stefan already mentioned, 29A.08.720 also sez:
'The county auditor shall promptly furnish current lists or mailing labels of registered voters in his or her possession, at actual reproduction cost, to any person requesting such information. '
Note especially the 'any person' in above.
And as someone who made a bone-head move and bothered the SP tip line with an unnecessary email because I didn't read Stefan's clear and simple explanation (mea culpa), the SP version of the voter DB is the LAST thing you would use to generate commercial spam: Unless you know the EXACT address ahead of time, you would have to manually complete EVERY address listed. Nobody is gonna do that.
Posted by: Methow Ken on February 10, 2006 08:14 PMHe acted interested in seeing the voter rolls cleaned up, but cares more about privacy and not affecting our civil rights, which is really irrelevant to the issue at hand and also disingenuous. Bottom line: He is a Democrat and since they have won elections with this broken system in place, it doesn't really bother him whether this systemic problem gets fixed or not.
Posted by: KS on February 10, 2006 08:16 PM'The county auditor or secretary of state shall promptly furnish current lists of registered voters in his or her possession, at actual reproduction cost, to any person requesting such information.'
So I guess no more mailing labels, BUT: We can now (at least in theory) get this info from EITHER the county auditor or the SOS.
That's it: NO more posting today.....
Posted by: Methow Ken on February 10, 2006 08:25 PMMost smarmy individuals like Dave talk out both sides of their mouths, they are sweet to your face and will sell you down the river the minute you are off of the air. He wants and needs you to keep up appearances, but can you honestly say he was willing to agree with you on any major points lately?
Posted by: Roscoe on February 10, 2006 08:35 PMWhether he agrees or disagrees the bottom line is:
Publicity is publicity and all publicity is good publicity.
But since he ran for Congress (outed himself as actual liberal) he's been annoyingly party line (left).
Bugs me the way he claims to be independent, but never is. I don't think I'm alone, but since 570 and 770 both have competing shows, i seldom am tempted to "broaden" myself
Posted by: righton on February 11, 2006 06:26 AM
Now get in there and make me some bean dip!
Cleaning up the voting rolls is the real issue. And it seems that King County relies on private citizens to do the janitorial work as KC demonstrated an inability to do it themselves.
I find this remarkable since King County given the considerable resources of King County. Perhaps Ron Sims lacks motivation. May Ron's nephew would accept the janitorial job?
Posted by: Snuffy on February 11, 2006 09:42 AMI really think that - or a variation on that - is happening at KIRO.
Dave Ross has become the voice of local and state government. His work on "spinning" every aspect of the rise in the gas tax last election cycle seemed to parallel the number of paid ads I heard on KIRO and its sister stations for various government programs.
I'd bet that if we looked into it, we'd find those ads were all billed at or near full rate card, which is a much higher rate than a frequent advertiser should be paying. I smell some quid pro quo going on.
Now that Dave has picked up on some other Seattle coverup issues, the ads seem to be rolling in again.
I know it's unfashionable to advance conspiracies on this board, but I sense something very wrong going on over there.