Washington Liberals

Independent journalist Mark Taylor-Canfield talks with Norman Goldman about efforts to bring back progressive and independent voices to the Northwest US media. KPTK(Seattle) & KPOJ(Portland) went off the air, sparking groups like Progressive Radio Northwest and KRXY to launch campaigns to establish new broadcast stations and networks in Washington and Oregon.

With the exception of Whitman County (population 44,776), the counties that voted for Mitt Romney in 2012 are less educated than those that voted for Barack Obama, as measured by the percent of citizens 25 years and over with at least a bachelors degree.  Click on the image for a larger version. Notice that the…

Republicans complain about taxes, but the data show that, with a few exceptions, Republican-leaning counties in Washington State take in more in state revenues than they pay in taxes. The following graph plots conservativeness (on the x axis, as measured by the proportion of voters in that county who voted for Mitt Romney in 2012…

(published also at the Bellevue reporter) The March 21st edition of the Bellevue Reporter has a political cartoon by Shiers, Jr. titled “Why the legislature can’t pass a transportation package….” It shows a farmer driving farm equipment on a field of wheat. The farmer is saying “Why should my taxes go up … to pay…

New, alternative lyrics for Leonard Cohen’s “Democracy is coming, to the USA” (see videos below) Lyrics (c) Donald A. Smith D G D It’s coming from corruption that’s profane D A D From Grover Norquist’s government-hating brain G It’s coming from the spiel G_sus G That makes your head reel D G D when you…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It is time to arm and train the nonviolent warriors of our time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Bill Moyer’s 10-10-13 statement regarding “Political Calculus” and the crisis of legitimacy for our government. This was delivered on the US Court House in Seattle, WA on the day the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments on McCutcheon VS…

Calvinist super-star Mark Driscoll is the iconic figure at the heart of a church empire that spans five states and fifteen locations. Founder of the Mars Hill franchise, Driscoll boasts a flock of 14,000 members plus hundreds of thousands of listeners and readers via web and print media, including, until last month, 466,000 followers on…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There is a looming public health crisis fueled by short-sighted greed of the factory farm industry. Seattle is poised to join the growing movement for sensible reform to stop anitbiotics misuse. Yet, vigilance is needed to compel Seattle City Council to take the right action. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Two million Americans are suffering from antibiotic…

Last year House Republicans unanimously voted to block an increase in the minimum wage. This year they’re blocking a vote from even being scheduled, despite overwhelming public support and the millions of families it would lift out of poverty. Meanwhile they continue to support tax cuts for the super rich and corporations that ship jobs…