What factors are considered in making a recommendation?
1. I know the candidate or have heard him or her speak in public
2. Opinion of knowledgeable friends
3. Endorsed by law enforcement
4. Endorsed by Republican groups and/or party
5. Endorsed by well respected individuals
6. Record and resume'
7. Business or other non political or non judicial experience
8. Statement in state and local voters' pamphlets, newspapers and think tank
analysis
Washington State 2012 Voters' Pamphlet. See State Voters' Pamphlet
King County (includes Seattle bond issue) 2012 Voters' Pamphlet. See County Voters' Pamphlet
President/Vice President of the United States - The Romney/Ryan ticket will not carry Washington and its Electoral College votes BUT for bragging rights and having a popular mandate nationwide, every vote is important. Obama makes Jimmy Carter look good by comparison. Reagan beat Carter. Mitt Romney is Obama's Reagan - VOTE for Romney/Ryan
U. S. Senator - Senator Cantwell is smarter than Patty Murray but just as far left of center. VOTE for Michael Baumgartner
U. S. House of Representatives -
District 1 - Best chance for Republicans to pick up a seat and stop a super rich Democrat candidate from buying the election. VOTE for John Koster
District 2 - A tough district for the GOP. VOTE for Dan Matthews
District 3 - VOTE for Jamie Herrera Beutler
District 4 - VOTE for Doc Hastings
District 5 - VOTE for Cathy McMorris-Rogers
District 6 - VOTE for Bill Driscoll
District 7 - Redistricting changed the boundaries of Congressman for Life, Baghdad Jim McDermott. His opponent is highly qualified and miracles happen. VOTE for Ron Bemis
District 8 - Vote for Dave Reichert
District 9 - Another tough district. VOTE for James Postma
District 10 - VOTE for Dick Muri
Governor - The last Republican Governor, John Spellman, was elected in 1980. We are long over due for a change. VOTE for Rob McKenna
Lt. Governor - Gov. McKenna should not have to worry about Democrat mischief when he is out of state. VOTE for Bill Finkbeiner
Secretary of State - Endorsed by last three secretaries of state, experienced county auditor (in charge of elections). VOTE for Kim Wyman
State Auditor - Hands down best choice especially considering his opponent's questionable business practices. VOTE for James Watkins
State Treasurer - With no primary opposition, the incumbent state treasurer, Jim McIntire, see State Treasurer's Office was expected to win another term but a Republican candidate, Sharon Hanek, emerged and did the impossible by getting over 31,000 write in votes to earn a place on the general election ballot. See Hanek Undecided
Attorney General - Even the Seattle Times endorsed him, most experienced candidate. VOTE for Reagan Dunn
Commissioner of Public Lands - It is hard to forgive Clint Didier for not endorsing Dino Rossi after losing to him in the 2010 senate primary. The incumbent is Peter Goldmark. Undecided
Insurance Commissioner - It would be nice to have a commissioner with actual experience in the insurance business. See http://johnadams2008.seattlegeneralagency.com/ VOTE for John Adams
State Legislative Races -
For list of King County races, see: King County Elections
Republicans need to elect 8 more state representatives and 3 more state senators to take control of both houses of the legislature. Gov. McKenna will need all the help he can get; just vote for any candidate with the guts to put under his or her name in the voters' pamphlet - "Prefers Republican Party"
State Supreme Court - Only one contested race
Position #9 - We miss the former Justice Sanders libertarian independence. He lost a close reelection to the court in 2010. VOTE for Richard Sanders
King County Superior Court - only one contested race.
Position #42 - VOTE forSue Parisien
King County Sheriff - Appointed to the office when Sheriff Sue Rahr resigned, Sheriff Strachan has key endorsements. See Strachan Vote for Steve Strachan
Statewide Measures -
For more information see: Freedom Foundation Guide
Referendum 74 - Concerning same sex marriage - Legalizes same sex marriage. An emotional issue but one with far reaching implecations. See Clear Fog Blog for several posts on same sex marriage and homosexuality. Vote Rejected
Initiative 502 - Legalizes marijuana. Society already has enough problems with alcohol abuse. Why add another? Vote No
Initiative 1185 - Requires super majority for legislature to pass tax or fee increases. Initiatives can be changed by the legislature after two years. I-1185 renews an existing initiative that is approaching its two year life. See News Tribune Vote Yes
Initiative 1240 - Authorizes 40 public charter schools in the state over five years. Vote Yes
Senate Joint Resolution 8221 - Implements recommendations of the Commission on State Debt. This SJR would amend the state constitution to lower the debt limit of the state from 9% to 8% and change the base for computation. Vote Approved
Senate Joint Resolution 8223 - This SJR amends the state constituion to allow the University of Washington and Washington State University to invest some of its funds in private companies. Currently, only state funds for pensions, developmentally disabled and industrial insurance are allowed to do this. Vote Approved
State Advisory Votes -
These are non binding votes required anytime the legislature votes to increase taxes or fees.
House Bill 2590 - Extends the existance of the Pollution Liability Agency which is funded by a fee on sellers of certain petroleum products. Vote Maintained
Senate Bill 6635 - Eliminates a Business and Occupation tax deduction for certain banks. Vote Maintained
City of Seattle -
Proposition #1 - General obligation bonds to raise $290 million for replacement of Alaska Way seawall. Ouch! Nevertheless it is a needed capital project. To pass, Prop #1 must have at least 79,004 voters and 60% yes vote. Vote Approved
King County -
Proposition #1 - Automated Fingerprint Identification System - Another example of the county council and executive funding vital services by special levy tax increases instead of putting them in the general fund budget. Vote Approved
Cross posted on clear fog blog
Pffft. Didn't quite hear this much from conservatives interested in privatizing the liquor market in the state...
But hey, at least there isn't a knee-jerk checkmark next to everything conservative, right or wrong... I'll tip my hat to you for that!
Of course, I'll be patiently waiting for the right-wing trolls to rip you to pieces for not backing Didier, supporting the state PLIA, and voting for replacement of the Alaskan Way Seawall.
Posted by: demokid on October 16, 2012 03:29 PMI won't be able to vote for the Alaskan Way Seawall. McKenna is closing in on Inslee and seems to have the momentum going down the home stretch. Insanity by electing another liberal progressive elitist as a mediocre governor can be avoided - Give Inslee the option to run for congress again in 2014.
Posted by: KDS on October 16, 2012 05:13 PMI'm still waiting for the price of liquor to get below what it was when I could buy it from the state - I'm guessing I'll be waiting a few years. Just ticks me off that the grocery stores can put the price in big numbers for the bottle on the shelf, then after you pay for the dang thing you can read the receipt and see that they hit you for some ungodly amount of taxes and fees on top of it and you're worse off than before.
But I guess if the people who wrote the law were the stores and their lawyers there was no way that they would make it a requirement to post the total price after taxes, they just wouldn't have been able to sell so much.
Posted by: doug on October 16, 2012 10:36 PMRomney
Bumgartner is a closet Paulbot. Undervote.
3rd District - Haugen
Herrera was worthless in the legislature and has been equally worthless in Congress. She's done nothing to stop the multi-billion dollar scam of the I-5 Bridge/loot rail/toll rip off, and lacks the guts to even hold open town hall meetings.
Her cowardice makes her unfit for elective office.
Haugen rabidly opposes the CRC bridge scam and even though he's otherwise a leftist whack job, that's reason enough to vote for him.
Sanders... maybe. Otherwise, undervote.
R 74 - no
I 502 - no
I 1185 - yes
I 1240 - yes
SJR 8221 - yes
SJR 8223 - no
HB 2590 - no
SB 6635 - no
And voting for someone just based on the label they use is idiocy. It leads to RINOs like McKenna, Finkbeiner, Dunn and the like.
BTW, that the Times endorses someone is certainly not a reason to vote for them, unless, of course, you're suggesting that we should all vote for Obama, since the morons at the Times also endorsed him.
Posted by: Hinton on October 17, 2012 12:52 AMThe marijuana initiative is also about freedom, and this conservative will be voting for it.
Posted by: Palouse on October 17, 2012 09:48 AMI do know that if pot is legal, more kids will think it's OK to waste their lives.
Posted by: Dengle on October 17, 2012 10:20 AMIf people want to ruin their lives with drugs, that's their business. I'd rather see it taxed and regulated, and the money put into education and rehabilitation programs. Right now, it just goes down a rat hole to Mexican gangs, Canadian growers and where ever else.
Posted by: Palouse on October 19, 2012 08:01 AMWhy no opinion about Public Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark ?
He is a strident environmentalist who opposes the extraction of any state natural resources.
Get rid of him.
Posted by: Bart Cannon on October 19, 2012 05:11 PMThank God this is a blue state. Most (but sadly not all) of your endorsements will be rejected by the voters. Keep dreaming!
Posted by: Progressive on October 21, 2012 04:39 AMThere are some choices that require a choice between REPEALED Vs MAINTAINED and APPROVED Vs REJECTED. You should be more clear.
Posted by: allen on October 22, 2012 11:17 AM