Monday, October 29, 2007

GO DINO GO!!!!

I was privileged last week to witness the announcement by Dino Rossi that he is going to run for Governor of Washington State again in 2008. Those of you that live in Washington remember the fiasco that was the 2004 election in this state...and we are certainly not looking for that same kind of rematch. For those of you not lucky enough to live in the People's Republic of Evergreen Trees, in 2004 Mr. Rossi beat the former Attorney General Christine Gregoire in the first two vote counts, but on a third recount requested by Ms. Gregoire, as is allowed by law, Ms. Gregoire took the Governor's Mansion by some 130 plus votes.

The Repubicans filed a lawsuit as it appeared there were numerous problems, mostly in King County, which includes Seattle, with the votes and how they were counted. While it was found that dead people and felons voted, the statute that that covers this in Washington mandates that the challenging party to an election provide evidence of WHO cast the illegal vote. Now I don't know about you, but if you know you are commiting voter fraud, are you going to step forward and tell the authorities you did it? The judge found the Republicans did not meet their burden of proof and let the election results stand, opening the door I thought, for some statute revision. The King County prosecutor did prosecute a few folks who voted for their dead spouse, etc...but it was also discovered that a liberal leaning group went out and registered new voters for the 2004 election, some of whom DID NOT EXIST. Our Secretary of State did implement some election reforms and knocked over 175,000 dead and felon voters off our voter rolls. (Anybody wondering now if Maria Cantwell REALLY beat Slade Gorton in 2002?)

Still, as Republicans, we licked our wounds, bitter and sad, and moved forward. We've watched Christine and her minions for the last three years. As Dino said last Thursday, we're all done watching. I am proud to say I have met Dino and spoken with him on several occasions and I do not know a more honorable person to seek this office for the people of Washington. I've met his wife Terri, an intelligent, supportive woman who with Dino is raising four beautiful children, and I thank her for sharing her husband with the rest of us; it is unselfish and brave as she well knows, she's done this before.

Dino's platform as laid out is basically this...schools need more local control and testing to ensure children are learning. Good teachers should be paid more, bad teachers should be easier to get rid of. People interested in teaching math and science should have the ability to do so without going back to get a Masters in Teaching degree as our children are suffering in these areas and need expert help from people willing to help them. Transportation? For the first time in more than twenty years CONGESTION WILL BE THE NO. 1 PRIORITY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. A recent audit overseen by the State Auditor, Democrat Brian Sonntag's office, showed that congestion was NOT a priority of the DOT. As if any of us that travel the highways around here had any question...but if we're not ready to abandon our cars and get on a bus or a train that goes nowhere near where we need to go we're ignored...shoved to the corner with a strict finger wagging from big brother for not torching our SUV and at a minimum, buying a Prius. (Wait, the torching would provide pollution....and perhaps lead to more global warming..)

Taxes? Well, Dino is for fiscal SANITY. Yes, sanity. He made it sound pretty simple...she'll raise taxes to pay for things, he'll make sure the state government spends less. The government has grown nearly exponentially since she took over...a record surplus has turned into a huge deficit in just three years. Don't even TRY to blame this on the war in Iraq.

These are just a few of the high points. Please take a look at the video and consider giving this man your firm support...we need a breath of fresh air in this state from someone who, unlike Christine, hasn't spent all of her adult life on the public dole.

GO DINO GO!!!!!!!


Learn about Dino's new website where you can tell him about inefficient use of YOUR money!


Washington's "new" First Family come Nov. 2008.....

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Supreme Court Chips Away at BI's Perceived Power

I am happy to report that individual property rights are still alive in the State of Washington. Today our state Supreme Court issued an opinion striking down Bainbridge Island's moratorium banning shoreline structures which was found to violate our state's Shoreline Management Act of 1971 and found that the City of Bainbridge Island (BI) had no power or authority to enact the moratorium in the first place. It has taken the plaintiffs some six years to get through this mess, but the victory comes complete with an award of attorney fees to stifle some of the agony suffered.

Justice Jim Johnson wrote that, "...despite the clear violation of property owners' rights, the City embraced the moratoria as a means to refuse consideration of any permit applications, thereby deferring difficult development decisions." Additionally, he added later in the opinion:
The City's moratoria also violate the principles of Washington Constitution's article
XVII, secion 1 and the public trust doctrine. The authors of our constitution would be
surprised by the City's claim of power, as would the voters who approved the SMA.
(Shoreline Management Act, added)

Not to be outdone, Justice Chambers, in a concurring separate opinion, wrote, "I write separately in part to state in unequivocal terms my view that the City of Bainbridge Island's year after year renewal of a shoreline building permit moratorium was an act of a stagnant municipal government."

This just had to hurt. Take a few minutes to do an internet search on the workings of BI's government and you will see a body of government that is constantly finding new ways it seems to violate individual's Constitutional rights. They just passed a new ordinance banning election signs on the public right of way. Today the BI council received a slap in the face from our highest court and I hope it is a wake up call to that body so my friends that live on this bizarre but beautiful piece of land can start to see changes back toward the mainstream.

I am hoping that this victory for property rights causes new citizens to be bold enough to stand up for their right to free political speech under the First Amendment on BI and that someone out there is brave enough to continue trying to stuff the clown back in the box.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Congress wastes time again

I'm a taxpayer. You're a taxpayer. What on earth is the U.S. Congress doing wasting time to take formal action to denounce Rush Limbaugh talking about "phony soldiers?" It just goes to prove that the libs at moveaside.org don't pay enough attention to Rush before condemning him. If you do the research, you will find that there are a few soldiers out there who have come out against the war, who never served "in it." THESE are the people Rush was talking about. His phrase, his definition.

In contrast, we saw some members of Congress take action against the moveon folks and their paid ad in the NYTimes asking the question whether General Petraeus was General "betrayus?" The ad spoke for itself. The context was in black and white in the NYTimes. It posed a question, did not make a statement of fact, but the implication was that some people out there would consider the general a betrayer of the American people. All that saw it were free to draw their own conclusion, but it was clear the persons placing the ad had an opinion on the answer to the question.

Personally, and legally speaking...I think they were both "political speech" falling under the protections of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. I have a bias to both the conservative, and the military, so I think the Petraeus incident was in incredibly bad taste considering the man's actual testimony (some bad, some good with regard to what's happening in the hot zones of the war) and his distinguished military record. I think the libs are trying too hard to make Rush fall within the same category as Rush was consistent within his own definition of what "phony soldiers" were, those that condemn his statements just did not take the time to find out what they were talking about. And, in using their media, which they do rather well, they are forcing the issue of what they want people to think Rush meant, not what he actually meant.

I am hoping that those members in support of this action to condemn Rush Limbaugh are not in favor of supporting and propping up any member of the military who lies about his or her service and their experiences while serving. THAT was the meat of what Rush was saying; those that do so are not credible.

We're all out here paying you congressional members to DO SOMETHING, and this just isn't it.