As reported last week, Deanron decided against hiring a "turnaround team" to revamp his Elections Office. It's probably just as well. The consultancy which had originally been selected to lead the turnaround effort, Waldron & Co., filed an initial report late last month. The report, which the Executive's Office tells me cost $115,000, was released this week. Having glanced at the report, I wouldn't hire this potential turnaround team to turn around the merry-go-round at Marymoor Park --
(The report is here, the "recommendations matrix" is here) The report lost me in the Executive Summary where it confesses that:
The scope of our initial work does not include an assessment or evaluation of technical matters related to election operations or election laws.[p. 4] Because none of the four other very expensive and much lauded evaluations of the elections office last year bothered to examine the Election Office's actual work product, why should this one be any different? The casual observer might question why Waldron & Co. was chosen in the first place, as the firm is a human resources consultant, specializing in executive recruitment and coaching, and with no demonstrated expertise on elections. But then of course Deanron's goal is not to improve the integrity and quality of his work product, but to "restore public confidence in King County Elections" [p.3] So how better does a confidence man imagine he can restore confidence in Elections than to hire a personnel agency with no understanding of Elections, and pack the team with friendly campaign donors [see the Biographies, p. 30 of the report] with backgrounds in public policy P.R., including --
Deborah Bevier, Gregoire donor
Harold Robertson, former Monorail Executive Director,
and best of all, Rita Brogan, Sims and Gregoire donor , Muni League board chairwoman and P.R. consultant with "particular experience in shaping public consensus on high profile and controversial programs"
"I see lots of smoke coming out of the windows, but there can't possibly be fire in that building, d'ya think?"
Posted by: huckleberry on February 16, 2006 11:54 AMWe will do the turnaround job ourselves, through the courts, requesting and looking at election documents, and making sure they realize we will look over their shoulders at everything they do.
Posted by: GS on February 16, 2006 12:08 PMKCE should have hired a Final Four firm or one of the Puget Sound Business Journals top 25 CPA firms with experience in SOX, Sarbanes Oxley.
There are also national firms w/ ex Big Eight experience such as Jefferson Wells, Resources, and CapGemini.
Posted by: Green Lake Mark on February 16, 2006 12:26 PMEven sadder is the sense that the cherished principles we Americans claim to live by, like integrity and honesty, appear forgotten by some of those entrusted with the duty of protecting and preserving an important part our political system.
Posted by: MB on February 16, 2006 12:37 PMPeople here respect your freedom to leave whenever you want, just make sure you remove yourself from our voter rolls before doing so. Otherwise Flibby Soleto and StePHan Sharkstanky will claim you are violating their right to 100% accurate voter database.
Posted by: LEFT is RIGHT on February 16, 2006 01:10 PMOh, so we don't have the "right to [a] 100% accurate voter database"?
I presume elections mean nothing to you, except when they suit you.
Posted by: A Watchdog on February 16, 2006 01:56 PMIf you go over to HA, you will see that lefists here actually believe that King County did just fine in 2004 and that all of the poll results that show the public's disappointment with Deanron are just the result of the Republicans having won the PR battle. It must have been Karl Rove again. Dang he's smart. It never occurs to the Democrats that much of the reason why the public does not trust King County is that Deanron simply does not prevent a face of trust.
When I watch Deanron, even honestly trying to put myself in a liberal frame of mind, I see a whitewasher and a sycophant. They can talk about what a great job they've done ad infinitum, but they just don't appear credible. Logan stands there with a sheepish look, and very little confidence, whilst Sims bloviates. This just does not past the smell test. If there's anything Americans hate, it's being patronized. Deanron is the patron saint of patronizing.
Here's my suggestion to Deanron if their goal really becomes restoring public trust: Resign.
Posted by: Jeff B. on February 16, 2006 02:10 PMStefan, is this tired old story the best you can do? What a snoozer....
Yaaaaawn
Posted by: LovinUSA on February 16, 2006 02:10 PM"If you want to move to a Red State why don't you?"
That's exactly what I told all my liberal buddies after GW trounced John 'If I only had courage' Kerry. You're welcome to move to a blue country ANY TIME YOU'D LIKE!
But guess what - it won't be Canada any more! Nor Germany, Britain, Australia. Maybe Spain is the place for you!!
Posted by: Larry on February 16, 2006 02:40 PMLet's re-take Olympia, then fire Deanron, then make Dino Rossi Governor!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: A Watchdog on February 16, 2006 03:18 PMNow we will not have an equally biased turnaround team that similarly would lack the required expertise to bring about any significant change.
Months and thousands of dollars later, nothing has really changed at Deanron, has it?
Posted by: Gary on February 16, 2006 03:21 PM