Yesterday's Seattle Times:
The state Auditor's Office is considering an audit of Valley Medical Center as the Renton hospital prepares to defend itself against charges that it misspent tax money to promote ballot measures in 2005 and 2006.Robert Mak had a story on this last weekend, which he introduced with the line: "The state calls it the biggest misuse of taxpyer money in the history of Washington elections"Valley Medical Center -- part of King County's Public Hospital District No. 1 -- spent public money to pay for research, consultants, direct mailings and surveys to sway voter opinion on a tax-levy increase and a proposed annexation, according to a report issued last month by the state Public Disclosure Commission.
These local taxing districts can't help themselves. The bigger the tax and bond measure on the ballot, the more public money they'll spend pimping it.
The upcoming vote would give Sound Transit LITERLLY untold numbers of billions of dollars of additional taxing authority. It is in the process of spending millions through its consultants to "advise" voters about the "need" for ST2. Ad buys on radio, print buys - ST is using public money to influence voters to vote yes.
No committees have registered yet with the PDC for or against the fall roads and transit measure. It is not a statewide proposition (King, Pierce and Snohomish counties only). I'm not up on the intricacies of PDC regulations; must advocacy groups for or against the November proposition register with the PDC?
RTID/ST2 will be just like "Transit Now" and "Bridging the Gap" last November. Huge bucks will be spent (by those who'd make big money if it passes) on the PRO side of ST2/RTID. Basically no money will be spent against it. That's because taxpayers - who would be raped by the sales taxes - don't have any political advocacy organizations backing them.
just like a corporate board member, happily pocketing one's board fees and playing stupid or uninvolved/uninformed is inexcusable. this is all about integrity. don't run or be a board member if you are not willing to care about OUR money.
Posted by: jimmie-howya-doin on June 23, 2007 09:00 AM
Instead of voters pamphlets Valley chose to send out their own highly-slanted campaign pieces about why to support the ballot propositions. These were paid for w. public funds. That is clearly, clearly beyond what is allowed to spend government funds.
The lack of candor that the board or Valley has shown to its voters, plus the flagrant misuse of public funds is why I decided it was important to run to try and change the make-up of the board and work towards a more open style of governance.
Posted by: Anthony Hemstad on June 24, 2007 02:32 PMGeorge (@ 7), they tax increase wasn't a mere 100%, it was 600% (increase from 9 cents to 59 cents per 1,000 in property tax value). All w. minimal public debate -- at least ST2 is very upfront about the costs and allows a long campaign and discussion. Valley hides in the shadows and tries not to talk about it at all, declaring emergencies and not publishing voters pamphlets.
Posted by: Vin Pesek on June 24, 2007 06:20 PMxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The request was made to king county which appoved It. Why, because they knew that most of the voters would not vote a mail ballot in protest of the 100 percent mail in ballot.
They should have this re-voted by the voters after they tell the voters what the money is to really be used for. The voters were told it was to staff the emergency area, well it looks like it was to build a new Hospital.
Posted by: George on June 24, 2007 08:55 PMAll mail ballots w. no voters pamphlet to explain it leaves a lot of head scratching. Good point.
Posted by: Vin Pesek on June 24, 2007 10:03 PMWelcome aboard, troll! Stop lying about how ST is upfront about costs.
Go ahead, copy and paste all the provisions of the law ST wants voters to approve that would PREVENT Sound Transit from:
- spending more tax revenue on University Link than the voters authorized in 1996;
- collecting unlimited amounts of taxes;
- continuing to collect taxes beyond 2060;
- selling an unlimited amount of long term bonds over the next three decades.
Guess what - NOTHING would prevent ST from doing any of those things. That is not being upfront about costs. What ST is doing is putting up a ballot measure that would allow it to rape future taxpayers because it HAS NO COST LIMITS.
In addition I recently read an article where it talked about some state government agency that had denied a bunch of hospitals from building new hospitals in Issaquah? What a load of crap. The socialists say that the free market has failed health care. What free market? When the government is denying people from building new hospitals that is not a free market!
Posted by: Travis Pahl on June 25, 2007 09:54 PM