If you're trying to avoid voter backlash from an increasingly restive electorate, you might want to at least appear to be trying to address the great problems of the day.
I realize it's early in the legislative session, when bills on less prominent issues sometimes grab attention. And I realize this is a short, off-year session, when there is supposedly less on the Legislature's plate. But earning media attention for spending time on plastic grocery bags, a non-binding impeachment resolution, and now extending smoking bans into private vehicles is not a way to show voters that state government is acting seriously.
There's still no agreement on how to replace the center portion of the Viaduct, a final, funded plan for the future 520 is still totally up in the air, and the long overdue roads projects that were part of Proposition 1 - for which the state should really have taken responsibility to begin with - still demand attention. Oh, and the Legislature still can't seem to make up its mind about the WASL as a graduation exam.
There's a reason Tim Eyman initiatives on taxes and accountability in government keep passing. Helpful hint to Olympia: it's not because voters have a particular personal allegiance to Eyman himself.
Posted by Eric Earling at January 19, 2008 04:52 PM | Email ThisThis is pretty funny. After years of hoodwinking the public into thinking that the water in the Puget Sound made it's real estate immune to price plummets, it's becoming more apparent that Seattle is falling hard -- and fast! Check out these letters of the editor of people who were scammed royally:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004133181_satlets19.html
Posted by: John Bailo on January 19, 2008 04:51 PM1. without skill or aptitude for a particular task or assignment; maladroit: She is inept at mechanical tasks. She is inept at dealing with people.
2. generally awkward or clumsy; haplessly incompetent.
3. inappropriate; unsuitable; out of place.
4. absurd or foolish: an inept remark.
We are still stunned from the previous loss of personal freedoms and civil rights by our Nanny communist state! I shudder when I hear anything from an "Abortion rights" liberal - that they must infringe on our freedoms for the sake of the "children"?. Duh!
They've already screwed up the lives of thousands of our youth with the bizarre WASL exam. Changing math cirriculums every year has helped to ensure that mom and dad and even big brother can't help tutor these kids. Have you tried to read the new terminology for math these days? They've chopped up the basics and glued them together with inappropriate age level math and given them new names.
It was the liberals who first introduced the plastic grocery bags to save the friggin trees! Now the tree-huggers are fighting with the Grean Peace guys because the plastic hurts the dolphins...sigh.....
Now - they come out of nowhere to pass a smoking ban in cars carrying children. Police can't even check your car without your permission anymore. How can you be cited for something in your vehicle that is not a criminal offense? And - it isn't a stoppable offense in the first place!, They are putting up Toll booths in just about every major bridge system -soon to be on our highways and freeway entrances.., They are placing cameras on traffic lights, street corners and God knows where else..
What's next? They don't want us using our fireplaces to keep warm and lessen our energy bills, They don't want us texting while driving, They insist our 8 year olds are in kiddie car seats, etc..Yet - there are shootings happening more and more in the cities and county, Our police forces are at an all time low in personnel, Our liberal Judges and representatives are being arrested for drunk driving, assault, domestic violence, etc...
These people are smoking crack....in their cars, at their desks, homes,.....
Posted by: Deborah on January 20, 2008 11:18 PMAnd I say you because the Rs aren't getting any press.
Posted by: swatter on January 21, 2008 06:53 AMSarcasm off
Posted by: Bob in SeaTac on January 21, 2008 09:52 AM