Special Session on Saturday: Will Ridgefield Barbie blow it off?

Special Session is on for Saturday. Now that the Camas Manikin has hit the bigs, will she once again blow session off?

After all, she blew a lot of it off earlier this year so she could fund raise, while her seatmate, Rep. Kevin Parker (R-Spokane) pressed the buttons so it would show she had "voted," even when she wasn't around.

So, is Her Royal Highness going to make it into Olympia?

Or will she, as I suspect, send her regrets?

Stay tuned.

Cross posted on Clark County Politics and Jaime Herrera Watch.

State House Republicans disappear in budget debate.

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Everyone else in Olympia has weighed in, with some specificity, on the budget debate.

So... what does the House Republicans do? Drop themselves into a pool of irrelevance by sending the Governor a letter with no specific proposals... save dumping all day K in the middle of the year and tightening up on TANF. In addition, allowing reality on the issue of health care premiums for state employees is in there.

But nothing else that I can see.

Read it here for yourself... a page or so memo long on generalities, but short in specifics... and specifics are what we need now.

The House could, and should, do better.

Cross posted at Clark County Politics.

Clark County GOP Reorg.

Fascinating goin's ons in Clark County GOP land with reorg coming up.

We have one of the larger counties in this state, and one most badly in need of new leadership, given what I consider to be the abysmal outcomes in this county.

The problem is that I haven't seen or heard anything from anyone about what changes they intend to make.

I have a letter from a slate that wants to run for chair and vice chair. Their problem is that the letter doesn't address the multiple failures of the local party and our less then stellar outcomes.

In fact, we're told just the opposite. We are told that the "county experienced a so-called 'red wave' in the 2010 election."

Actually... we didn't. And that the two running on this slate seems to believe that we actually did have a "wave" here indicates to me that they don't know what's wrong, don't have a clue about the political reality, and correspondingly, have no plan to fix the many things that are broken. Further, I have literally never heard of one of these people.

1994 was a wave here locally. 2010 wasn't even a ripple.

A further disqualification is that one of the slate members worked on Ridgefield Barbie's campaign. And that, as they say in the parlance, is a no go.

In addition, anyone elected needs to remove both Anna Miller and Lisa Schmidt from any position on the Executive Board.

In the 18th District, at this point, the choice seems to be between the current Legislative District Chair and someone closely affiliated with Jon Russell.

No political ally of Russell should be elected to anything. Further, in the email I received from the challenger, no compelling reason (does it really matter what you fly... or where? What does that have to do with running a legislative district?) was given to replace the incumbent Chair, a Chair of a district where every Republican won and almost every candidate of any description who was smart enough to have an "R" after their name in Clark County destroyed their democrat candidate counterpart district wide.

That kind of success should not be rewarded with electing someone who wants the job because, well, they want the job. They offer no reason to replace the incumbent, they point out no shortcoming on the part of the incumbent, and as a result, I will not be supporting them.

The candidates in any contested race should have a debate in front of all the PCO's so we can ask questions and make the most informed choices.

That there is no debate process built in to the reorg system is just one of the many weaknesses in County party leadership and our system of governance.

I have sent in 5 resolutions to change the bylaws. Two are housekeeping types.

The remaining 3.... not so much.

My brother-in-law, alleged Republican County Commissioner Marc Boldt, was one of Democrat Steve "Easy Money" Stuart's first endorsements.

Boldt has endorsed Stuart in the past, particularly when Stuart was benefiting from the corrupt money of megacasino developer David Barnett while he was running against Tom Mielke and I was working my ass off getting Mielke elected.

Swell. He can endorse anyone he likes... this is, after all, America. But if he's going to do that, then he should politically suffer for it, like he's helped make us politically suffer for it.

This bylaw change will end any GOP county or district support of any elected Republican official who endorses or otherwise works to get any democrat elected.

That means no signs, no literature, no use of GOP facilities and no help.

You want to endorse democrats? Then quit screwing around and just switch parties.

The next bylaw change would automatically make any elected GOP official who lives in Clark County a voting member of the Executive Board.

Looking at our Executive Board, there is not one member who has ever won an election to anything that I can see.

How can we be a successful organization with a goal of electing people when NONE of the Executive Board has ever been elected to anything?

Changing this bylaw would add the experience and savvy of Joe Zarelli, Don Benton, Ed Orcutt, Ann Rivers and Paul Harris to the Executive Board as voting members.

The last one of the 3 would require anyone endorsing in a contested primary at any level where more then one GOP candidate is running to resign.

Ron Hart endorsed Ridgefield Barbie in the middle of a contest primary (Which is why I won't be supporting him for state committeeman, by the way.... that and his lack of vision as to the problems and the fixes at the state level.) There is no way a member of the Executive Board generally and a county chair particularly can endorse in a contested primary, no matter how that endorsement is spun, without avoiding the appearance of favoritism like that displayed by Anna Miller.

I reiterate: anyone can endorse anyone they like. But this is a POLITICAL PARTY. And anything an Executive Board member does is subject to strict scrutiny. And the County GOP cannot be used as a platform to help your friends while screwing your enemies just because you don't support them.

So, feel free to endorse. But understand that your endorsement constitutes your no-notice resignation from the Executive Board.

That won't stop EBoard Members from stabbing other candidates in the back... but at least they'll have to hide it and we can at least maintain the veneer of what appears to be an even playing field, unlike the blatant and absolute favoritism shown in the last election.

Reorg is December 2. I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

Cross posted at Clark County Politics.

The "Old Boy" Network and the Clark County GOP.

The world is certainly run by those who actually show up. And unfortunately, we frequently suffer because of it.

Over on the CCRP web site, this bit of nonsense is up on the calendar:

Trip to Israel

02/04/11

Republican and business owner, Tani Zarelli asked the CCRP to let grassroots Republicans know about this opportunity to travel to Israel. The Clark County Republican Party is not a sponsor or co-sponsor of this trip, however we are glad to be able to make you aware of the opportunity. Here is Tani Zarelli's message: Dear Grassroot America, Recently, our nation and the Jewish people where spared from a terrorist attack. I for one was glued to the TV waiting to hear if it was real. Sadly, it was! Our nation changed with the first terrorist attack on 9/11. We have a responsibility to educate ourselves about the mind of the those who wish to do us harm, learn about ways to protect our nation and understand the issues surrounding terrorism. I am inviting Grassroots America to join me an one of the most important trips of your life! Please visit this link for an important message and to learn how to register for this trip. http://tanizarelli.com/tours/convergence/ Tani Zarelli Connecting You To Israel

Note the last name: Zarelli.

Joe Zarelli is a state senator. Tani Zarelli is a.... wife to Joe.

This "notice" is an advertisement. The Clark County GOP is making absolutely nothing off of this.

The ONLY reason this is on the GOP web site... and it shouldn't be.... is because of who Tani Zarelli is: namely, wife to a GOP state senator... who, apparently, wants to make money off us.

Now, I have no problem with Zarelli or anyone else advertising their private business on our website.

But they should pay for the privilege.

I have emailed Ryan Hart over this; as expected, the idea that he would not allow special treatment for his buddies is simply beyond him.

I sent his email to him on September 22:.

This represents a profit-making enterprise for the Zarellis. Why are we shilling this on the GOP web site?

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It has precisely nothing to do with the Clark County GOP. So why is this up on our web site, and why were they allowed to send this out using the CCGOP net?

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February 4th - February 16th, 2011 Political Insiders Tour to Israel

Join Tani Zarelli on a Political Insiders Tour to Israel February 4th-16th, 2011 On September ...read more...www.clarkcountygop.org

This was the response:

Hi Kelly,

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The February trip to Israel and its itinerary is designed specifically for Republicans. Support for Israel is a Republican Party Platform issue.

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Many Republicans are interested in what is happening in the Middle East, and more specifically Israel. This is a great opportunity for folks to travel to Israel and see for themselves what is going on.

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We regularly promote events from outside groups that are targeted to Republicans or of interest to Republicans.

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Thanks,

Ryan

Much like his excuses for having endorsed Ridgefield Barbie during a heavily contested primary, Ryan misses the point.

While we may "regularly promote events from outside groups" (Zarelli's business is certainly not a group) I have a hard time finding many other business advertisements for for-profit, private entities that we "promote."

Does anyone reading this really believe that Zarelli will put anyone with a check through some sort of ideological purity test to let them go along on this trip?

Of course not. If Dan Ogden wanted to go, and he could pay for it, does anyone here believe for a second that Tani wouldn't take his check and Dan along on this "adventure?"

This is a symptom of the disease infesting the CCGOP. "Right and wrong" don't seem to have any place there. The concerns of others? Ignored. Those who disagree? Attacked behind their backs. (Right, Anna?)

The lack of a policy for this kind of thing, leaving it entirely up to "Friends of Joe" as to whether or not to run an ad, is a symptom of the clueless leadership that resulted in a something much less then stellar outcome in the most recent election.

Clearly, the Party organization has so much money laying around that when a private, for-profit concern wants to use OUR web site that they pay NOTHING for, why, that's just swell, if those running the show may presumably say, with a straight face, that it's "specifically for Republicans."

It isn't, of course. And while the Zarelli's make a pile, the Party apparently doesn't make a dime.

Now THAT'S leadership. And vision. And competence.

Is it any wonder that Republicans in this state couldn't take any advantage of the GOP Tsunami that seemed to do so much everywhere else?

Cross posted at Clark County Politics.

So, NOW we want welfare fraud investigation? Zarelli killed it a decade ago... what's changed?

It's with some amusement that I see everyone getting giddy over State Senator Joe Zarelli's proposals to amp up welfare fraud investigation here in Washington.

It's not amusement because of any lack of a need for increased investigation. Tripling the number of investigators and their powers to investigate would probably just begin to address the issues.

No, the amusement comes from the fact that Zarelli is the one pushing it.

Ten years or so ago, back when my now brother-in-law, Marc Boldt, used to be both a Republican conservative AND a State Representative; he had just complete working on a bill that would have resulted in major increases in the office of Fraud Investigation. It would have roughly doubled the number of investigators, in an office where, at the time, the amount of money recovered averaged something on the order of $800,000 per year per investigator.

Marc had literally worked for years to get a bill together. He spent hundreds of hours in research, hearings, discussions... all to do something about an out of control welfare fraud situation that had, at the time, resulted in Washington State being ranked dead last in welfare fraud investigation.

Marc shepherded the bill through committee, Appropriations, Rules and the House floor.

Then it got to the Senate.

And State Senator Joe Zarelli spiked the bill.

Let me repeat that:

State Senator Joe Zarelli killed then Rep. Marc Boldt's welfare fraud investigation bill.

Years of work, hundreds of hours and possibly millions of dollars in unrecovered monies... all went to waste, because Zarelli killed the bill.

Shortly after he killed the bill, Zarelli called me to explain why. I really didn't want to hear it, so I didn't pay a lot of attention since his explanation made precisely zero sense and justified nothing, but I do seem to recall that he was concerned about "expanding government."

Well, the wheel has come full circle. And imagine how much we'd have saved had Zarelli supported the bill... instead of killing it some 10 years ago.

Remember, Joe? I'm sure Marc does. Because I know I do.

Cross posted in 18th District View.

From the weird zone: the LTE's for Kampe in the Reflector.

From one:

Kampe is the Director of the Clark County Skills Center. This position has afforded him over 25 years of experience collaborating and/or wrestling with our state legislators, managing and administering a multiple school district supported budget, advocating for career and technical education options and partnering to expand employment opportunities in our community. His vast knowledge of legislative processes allows us the unique opportunity to elect not only an experienced state representative, but one who possesses passion, integrity, and practicality.

From the next:

Dennis has lived in and served the people of the 18th Legislative District for 40 years. He taught machine shop at Prairie High School and Clark College. For the last 19 years he has been the director of the Clark County Skills Center. He led the Skills Center to national honors when the center was named one of the best schools in the U.S. by “Business Week Magazine.”

There's several strange elements to these letters.

First, all they've got is that Kampe has run a vocational school. That, obviously, well, qualifies him to run a vocational school.

That he has ANY knowledge of the legislative process is purely speculative and he has precisely zero experience that anyone else who's walked the halls of the O'Brien building also doesn't have.

In short, in addition to harboring the delusion that allows them to be democrats, the people who wrote these strangely similar letters have no clue what goes on in Oly; how it goes on or how it works.

And Kampe's work in a vocational center doesn't prepare him for a thing that has anything to do with what goes on up there.

Kampe is completely unprepared to be a state representative. Additionally, he supports bridge tolls, a state income tax and opposes privatization or cutting government in any way... or at least in any way he's let us in on.

And, BTW? Those uninformed enough to support Kampe really ought to get their stories straight.

Has he, as the first writer told us, run the center for 25 years? Or 19 as the second letter says?

I hope Kampe is better with numbers then his supporters.

Cross posted to Clark County Politics.

Dennis Kampe has a problem: He wants to pop 65,000 commuters from Clark County with a $1300 per year toll.

No doubt about it, Dennis Kampe is a union man, through and through. The problem with that is he wants to shaft us by supporting bridge tolls.

He wants to slam the working poor with a minimum $1300 per year fee.... just to start with... to go to work on the other side of the river. And he wants to do that to put his union buds to work building a bridge we don't need, don't want and can't afford.

He wants to burden Clark County with an economic black hole that will suck tens of millions of dollars out of our local economy.

He wants to take the food out of our kid's mouths, the clothes off their backs and the roofs from over their heads.

And he's not the only one.

Every democrat running here locally wants the same thing... particularly Steve "Easy Money" Stuart.

But Kampe tells us that if there's going to be tolls, he wants a county-wide vote.

Oh... he dresses it up:

Kampe supports a new bridge over the Columbia River, but he opposes including light rail as part of the project and also opposes tolling Clark County commuters to pay for the bridge unless voters approve tolls in an election.

The problem is this: there will not be a bridge without tolls. And there will be tolls without a vote.

And Kampe knows it.

See, what Kampe is doing is trying to hide his positions... like his support for that absurd, unconstitutional state income tax that he thinks so highly of.

And that seems to be the problem with democrats this year. At the federal level, they seem to be sprinting away from Obama, the stimulus and Obamacare. Locally, they're sprinting away from their positions on the tax initiatives and the state income tax plan.

And Kampe is no exception.

Cross posted at Clark County Politics.

The dichotomy of Dennis Kampe.

On one hand, Kampe said on KLTV:

“We have to start with spending within our means... and that has to be absolute. No taxes. The people have spoken loudly about increases (of) the taxes to use that as a means of balancing the budget… whatever means we have, that’s what we’re going to do."

I BELIEVE that means he doesn't support any tax increases as a means to balance the state budget. Hard to say, exactly.

On the other hand, Kampe admitted to supporting I-1098 (The state income tax initiative), most recently on Sep 28 at the Clark College Association of Higher Education Forum, an obviously unconstitutional effort to engage in class warfare as a way to turn out the vote... an effort to increases taxes that is supposed to increase revenue to the state coffers by $2 billion more... per year... than the state gets now.

It wouldn't, of course. Too many other states don't have an income tax, and if you can earn 200K here, you can probably do it anywhere.

If you pledge not to raise taxes... how can you support an initiative that, well, raises taxes?

One wonders. And as always, Mr. Kampe is welcome to come here and explain it.

Cross posted at Clark County Politics.

The Daily News endorses Rivers

It speaks for itself:

Send Rivers to Olympia; retain Takko and Blake

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Send Rivers to Olympia; retain Takko and Blake

Posted: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 12:15 am No Comments Posted

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• Related: Booth, Hanks are best choices in county races

Sept. 29 Daily News editorial

Three Southwest Washington House seats are up for grabs in the upcoming general election. Nineteenth Legislative District incumbents Dean Takko, D-Longview, and Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen, have drawn challenges from Republican Kurt Swanson of Kelso and Independent Tim Sutinen of Longview, respectively. In the 18th Legislative District, Republican Ann Rivers of La Center squares off against Democrat Dennis Kampe of Brush Prairie on the Nov. 2 ballot. Rivers and Kampe are vying to replace Jaime Herrera, who gave up the 18th District seat to make a run for Congress.

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Neither candidate in the race for the 18th District House seat has legislative experience. But Republican Ann Rivers impressed us as most capable of succeeding in the give-and-take of state politics. Rivers has a professional's understanding of the political process that likely would be of considerable value in Olympia. She's managed a number of political campaigns, as well as advised corporate clients on political issues. Rivers also has worked with the Republican Caucus in the Legislature and as a consultant with the House Republican Organizational Committee in Southwest Washington.

Rivers also is the candidate most familiar with Cowlitz County, having lived here for many years. We believe Ann Rivers can be an effective representative for the 18th District, and urge voters to send her to Olympia.

Cross posted at Clark County Politics.

Kampe campaign: mud slinging from the start.

With roughly 6 weeks to go until Dennis Kampe joins the long list of failed democrat candidates, his campaign, unfortunately, has already started the mud-slinging contest so reminiscent of the Jon Russell campaign.

Russell, who has publicly endorsed Rivers while privately supporting Kampe, who Kampe has described as his "good friend and political adviser," ran one of the most underhanded, filthy, inaccurate and flat out lying campaigns it has been my displeasure to witness.

Well, here's your sign: stick to issues, Dennis.

Look, I know you're a democrat with both hands tied behind your back: first, as I said, you're a democrat. In the 18th, that means you're in the wrong party in a year where democrats have become the political equivalent of child molesters due to their demand for tax increases in the middle of a recession, their kow-towing to union thuggery, their out of control spending, their efforts to bury this nation under a horrific mountain of debt, their failed economic strategies that screw the tax payer and their corruption and incompetence at the top.

Your second hand tied behind your back is your positions.

You support the bridge. You support light rail. You support a state income tax. You oppose privatization of liquor stores and any other government function.

So, you go so far as to attack Ann Rivers directly instead of talk about the issues... because, of course, you know you can't win on the issues.

"The voters of the 18th Legislative District have an important choice to make this November. Some people seem impressed that Ann Rivers already has plans. But are these plans that have been informed by her time lobbying for special interests?"

This is an excerpt from a canned Kampe campaign letter directly from Kampe's campaign organization that was farmed out to get someone who has no clue to sign it and send it in to a newspaper. (As a general rule, any letter that sounds like campaign talking points is, well, campaign talking points.) It is precisely the same thing that Jon Russell did, talking about precisely the same subjects.

And I'm surprised by all of this, given that Dennis now seems to be reduced to Russell's talking points... in this case, attacking a school district as a "special interest."

Of course, as a union leftist school administrator, Kampe wouldn't know anything about "special interests."

Would he?

So, here's the deal: stick to the issues. That way, when this is over and you get flattened, you'll at least have some shred of integrity intact.

Cross posted on Clark County Politics and Jon Russell Watch.

So, what's this all about?

My name is Hinton. I'm an elected Republican PCO for precinct 620 here in Clark County.

This political cycle has been, well, fascinating. I've seen things I was worried about happening... hoped would not happen... but happened anyway.

And now, we're down to two candidates: Ann Rivers and Dennis Kampe.

I make no bones about it: I support Ann Rivers. Have from the beginning. Efforts, both internal and external have been made to end my support or reroute it to others.

Not happening.

There's a lot of stuff going on out there... and this blog is a way to both keep track of it and present it.

Let's get this show on the road!