Kitsap Caucus

Joel Connelly at Seattlepi.com writes about it.

Here is the Public Policy Polling site, which shows that 52 percent of Republican voters and 26 percent of the overall voting public think Barack Obama won the election because ACORN stole it from John McCain.
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The Dude, charter member of the White Russian Caucus, though he often consorts with legislators from Seattle.

This is really a topic more suited for another writer, one you might know, who because he now works for a competitor I won’t name. I’m not trying to insult him (Oh dear, now you know his gender.) by suggesting he’s an expert in mind-altering substances. But almost anyone is more of an expert than I am, given that I have chosen a life in which I really only get anything close to high when the dentist shares some killer nitrous. Unfortunately my dentist lives by a code himself, so we’re both on our best behavior around each other. The point is I’m no expert on the subject matter, and could really only guess at any place’s intoxicant of choice. Then again, I do read police reports.
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A report by the state’s Caseload Forecast Council has created a potential increase of $520 million in what the state needs to spend, according to an e-mail sent to members of the House’s Ways & Means Committee.
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Got a report to tell you about, but first let’s dig into some context.

Like any educated citizen, I rely on talk radio for much of my information.

Earlier this year one host in particular was making the case that Washington’s deficit budget shortfall was actually worse than California’s, because per capita it was higher, or close to it, or something. I suspected the talker might astonishingly be incorrect about that, but the Seattle Times backed him up, kind of.
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You commenters resurrected an old post and began discussing whether there’s room for moderates in either party. The practice of dredging up old posts is, by the way, awesome.
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State Rep. Fred Finn, D-Olympia, issued an official announcement today that he’s running for re-election in 2010. His press release follows the jump.

Finn replaced former state Rep. William “Ike” Eickmeyer, D-Belfair in 2008. Finn won that contest fairly handily over two-time Republican candidate Randy Neatherlin of Belfair.

All the incumbents up for re-election in 2010 in Kitsap’s three districts have filed financial forms with the state’s Public Disclosure Commission.

In the 35th District Senate race Kyle Taylor Lucas, who tried to grab the Democratic nomination away from incumbent Democrat Tim Sheldon in 2006, has paperwork for the 2010 race. Lucas’ last document filed, however, was in 2007. And in late 2007 she responded to a blog post written about her by saying, “. . . it was my rip-off Democratic consultant and the Democratic Party leaders, including State Party Chair Pelz, who saw to it that I would never run again. I hope that readers will understand that there’s much more than meets the eye. Just as my 35th District opponent, Tim Sheldon, was subjected to hysteric Democratic Party politics, ultimately–so was I. My inability to run again is attributable to a useless and over-paid consultant who compromised me at every turn.”

So I guess she’s out?

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Any mention that these announcements might be timed can sound awfully cynical. But state Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, admits the reason for my suspicion within five words of his Monday press release. President Barack Obama doesn’t let on, but I think I know better.

Kilmer plans to renew his effort to get a bill passed that would encourage the state to hand out 3 percent of its contracts to veteran-owned businesses. He tried to get it passed in the last session, but it didn’t make it through the Senate.

The President is launching an initiative to help veterans get work with the federal government.

Both press releases follow the jump.
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Those of you reading today’s story about the election results might be wondering what all the rules are for a recount. You’re thinking knowledge of this might come in handy at that next mixer, or when you have to talk when the band takes a break. This is information sure to impress would-be suitors. Well, it would have impressed me back when I was . . . suiting. Then again I was impressed by anyone who could find Russia on a map.
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How come none of you told me about this before?

Does the news seem kind of stale lately? Do even the great speakers seem monotone after a while?

Well, here’s something to spice up the news of the day. Before this I hadn’t personally seen any clips of Hugo Chavez at the UN or network talks about the Nobel Peace Prize. I had seen the Florida Democrat.
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Peter Callaghan from the (Tacoma) News Tribune discusses whether cities should be led by strong mayors or managers. In the process he interviews someone who has seen both types of governments, former Bremerton Mayor Cary Bozeman.
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. will be in Seattle touring Swedish Medical Center’s Medical Home Pilot in Ballard today. She’ll be accompanied by our congressional representatives and Seattle Democrat Jim McDermott.

All three voted Saturday in favor of HR 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which passed the House 220-215.

The press release follows:
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Readers, including candidates, who question my use of the word “said” in the story about second-day election results have reason to do so.

When the new election numbers came in on Wednesday, I called both Bremerton mayor candidates, Bremerton City Councilman Will Maupin and former county commissioner Patty Lent, to get their reactions.
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Word at the Kitsap county commissioners’ meeting this morning is that Shawn Gabriel, administrative services director (”budget director” in simpler terms), has resigned.

Gabriel was hired in July of 2008 to replace Ben Holland. He had been deputy city manager in North Miami Beach and had also worked for Miami-Dade County.

We’ll post more when we know more. Word this morning was that Gabriel’s departure is for personal reasons, but I have a call into county officials to get the story. They’re not expecting to have a permanent replacement until the beginning of next year and will work with a firm to run the rest of the 2010 budget process.

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Earlier Tuesday another employee in the newsroom handed out the election pool sheet. It only cost a buck, so I was ready to play. I got down a few races, though, and started agonizing over my picks. I crumpled up the paper and threw it away. I should have stuck with that decision. I’m better at predicting that I’m out a buck than I am at local races.
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Saturday was dominated by the report of the fire that destroyed a home and, at the time it seemed, a life. We’ve learned since the woman probably died before the fire.

Paymela Jean Long went by Paymela Faye on stage. While trying to find information on her and the band she was in, Whatta Band, I found the following video and talked to the man who posted it. It seemed a poignant discovery on Saturday.
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Most of you know U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Belfair, is among those in an inquiry about lobbyist money and earmarks.

This has been on the radar before, though today’s news was the first indication that there was anything official happening. To be clear, it has not yet risen to the level of “investigation.” The word is they’re trying to find out if there is anything worth investigating.
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These digs are ready should the water come down in King County. Kitsap Sun photo by Larry Steagall.

Former Kitsap County commissioner and current Bremerton Mayor candidate Patty Lent has made the case that she’d go after King County businesses in danger of water damage should the Howard Hanson Dam need to be freed of as much water as some fear.
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A faction in Bremerton wants to be able to have chickens in their urban yards. Another faction doesn’t. It is an issue that is likely to rise to the level of a proposed code change in Bremerton. We’ll be covering the story someday soon.
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At Tuesday morning’s Eggs & Issues debate over car tabs, only a few people were asking questions, so in a rare occurrence I got three in.

The last one was whether the Port of Bremerton’s industrial development district tax, used to pay for construction of the Bremerton Marina, was still casting a pall over requests for funding. Over the past few months we’ve heard little about the IDD tax, a noteworthy development given that the last few years any request for money by any taxing district carried with complaints that were laced with references to the port.
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