When it comes to matters of individual conscience, Washington State voters have a don’t-mess-with-us attitude that makes Texans look like cattle—and it goes way back. In 2012 Washington voters flexed their muscle by legalizing recreational marijuana use and marriage for same-sex couples. In 2008, death with dignity passed some counties by as much as seventy-five…
It’s the job of the Legislature to make sure our kids get a good education, open the doors to higher education, keep us safe at home and on our roads, and to maintain parks for our recreation, enjoyment, and quality of life. It takes money to do this. So how’s the Legislature doing now? I…
Vox Populi: Rap your legislators Record your message to our legislators, concerning the state budget. I will compile the various recordings into a group rap performance. I’m testing the tool and soliciting feedback and suggestions. Click here to add your voice.
The three richest people in the world possess more wealth than the poorest 42 nations combined. In the US, wealth inequality has skyrocketed, especially since the start of the Great Recession. Consider the Koch brothers Charles and David, owners of the second largest privately held company in the US (next to Cargill), whose financing of…
Eastside Organizers Delivery of Petitions to Reduce Gun Violence Thursday, May 23, 2013 2:00PM – 2:30PM Rep. David Reichert Vanguard Building 22605 SE 56th Street, Suite 130 Issaquah, WA 98029 Sign up to help deliver online petitions to Rep. Reichert here Organizers, Volunteers, Supporters and Interested Folks, When the President changes his mind, we change…
According to Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are divided by politics and religion, liberals and conservatives differ significantly on the moral foundations on which they base their lives. Haidt thinks that conservatives base their ethics on additional principles beyond those used by liberals, and those extra principles give conservatives an…
What happens when religious institutions get to manage public funds, absorb secular hospitals, and put theology above medical science and individual patient conscience? What happens when religious institutions get to manage public funds, absorb secular hospitals, and put theology above medical science and individual patient conscience? In 2010, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, an elderly woman was…
Rep. Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01) is inviting constituents to workshops, in Mount Vernon and Bothell, on deficit reduction. The workshops are presented in conjunction with the “bipartisan” Concord Coalition, whose mission is to educate “the public about the causes and consequences of federal budget deficits, the long-term challenges facing America’s unsustainable entitlement programs, and how…
The year 2010 gave us Citizens United. Suddenly corporations were people who had the right of free speech. But corporations didn’t want their free speech to be disclosed. Enter the Koch Bros., Dick Armey and Freedom Works. In their basement lab, they concocted the very first para-political party, the Tea Party, disguised as a social…
At the meeting of the 41st LD Democrats last night, Rep. Judy Clibborn, state house transportation leader, discussed the gas tax, tolling I-90, and auto tab fees. She said that the gas tax will be raised maybe $0.10, and eventually I-90 and other roads will have some sort of tolling. I asked: but will Republicans…