Press Release Roundup #6

I like these daily videos. The video is good by internet standards, but there is too much echo in the audio. I don’t know what type of camera you’re shooting with. Is it possible for the speaker to speak directly in a mic?

I like these daily videos. The video is good by internet standards, but there is too much echo in the audio. I don’t know what type of camera you’re shooting with. Is it possible for the speaker to speak directly in a mic?

Someone PLEASE sponsor a citizen’s initiative limiting personal initiative sponsorship to two per person, per lifetime. (Two so if I regain my sanity I can sponsor my own repeal)

Note to the AV student operating the camera: Please frame Erica in the shot like you care.

“Has anyone ever made it to the end of an Eyman press release?” Hah! I don’t believe they really ever end.

“Has anyone ever made it to the end of an Eyman press release?” Hah! I don’t believe they really ever end.

I think these videos are great. Now I want to read the Eyman press release and watch the WPC video!

I think these videos are great. Now I want to read the Eyman press release and watch the WPC video!

Everything from “heading toward a disaster of biblical proportions” to “MASS HYSTERIA” is ripped from Ghostbusters. What an idiot. An awesome idiot.

Everything from “heading toward a disaster of biblical proportions” to “MASS HYSTERIA” is ripped from Ghostbusters. What an idiot. An awesome idiot.

Thanks you guys.

Bear w us on the techonology. We bought a cheap flip video.

They’ll get better. And maybe we’ll get a mic too.

Thanks you guys.

Bear w us on the techonology. We bought a cheap flip video.

They’ll get better. And maybe we’ll get a mic too.

Here’s today’s update:

RE: Gregoire rings the dinner bell on tax increases – NO campaign’s new radio ad (it’s really unbelievable!)

Wednesday’s newspapers reported that Gregoire now supports raising taxes and she’s asking “lawmakers and interest groups” to tell her which ones to jack up.

Dingdingdingdingdingdingding — that’s the sound of Gregoire ringing the dinner bell on tax increases. Anything goes people, you want higher sales taxes, Gregoire’s your gal, a state income tax, Gregoire’s on your side, increased property taxes, Gregoire’s fine with that too, jacked up business taxes, utility taxes, gas taxes, death taxes, internet taxes, Gregoire’s simply hunky-dory with all of them.

In 2004, candidate Gregoire said “I’m not talking about taxes” – then she got into office in 2005, immediately got rid of I-601′s inflation/population growth limit and raised taxes. Then she and the Democrats went hog wild and radically increased the growth of government (33% in 4 years), overextending themselves with completely unsustainable budgets. What happened? Gregoire and the Democrats made the bad times a whole lot worse, ending with a $9 billion deficit.

Recognizing their lack of fiscal discipline, we introduced I-960 in 2007, knowing that it likely had a two-year shelf life. Gregoire’s comment about I-960 in January, 2007: “the extra handcuffs aren’t needed.” Voters approved I-960 because they didn’t believe her. With I-960′s policies firmly in place, Gregoire “suddenly” switched back and decided that tax hikes were a bad idea. She said raising taxes in the middle of a recession will only make the recession last longer. Was I-960′s two-year window the cause? Nah, said her supporters, she ‘gets it now.’

So now she’s switched again.

What could have happened?

Two weeks ago, KING 5 UPFRONT’s Allen Schauffler asked the SEIU’s David Rolfe, the head of the most powerful public employee union, about his desire to have Democrats raise taxes in 2010 and 2011: “Raise taxes? How do you think they’ll respond?” Without hesitation and without prompting, Rolfe replied that I-960′s two-year expiration date is ‘up’ at the end of this year and his group and others will be making sure Democrats know that’s what they want.

As a public service, KIRO’s Dori Monson provides us all with an audio clip about that (forward to 7:20):
http://www.mynorthwest.com/resources/audio_headlines/audio_player.php?a=10840&f=/kiro/2009/09/p_Dori_Monson_Show_20090930_2pm.mp3

Tuesday’s poll results among likely voters showed 61% yes, 31% no, 8% undecided. Obviously, voters opposed or undecided saw Gregoire as against taxes over the past two years and they likely believed that she’d stick with that position going forward — they likely believed that I-1033 wasn’t necessary because Gregoire ‘gets it now.’

Not any more.

Gregoire’s ‘anything-goes-on-tax-hikes’ re-position undercuts that big time. The NO on I-1033′s campaign theme is “we can trust the politicians.” That ain’t gonna fly anymore.

Our source in the No on I-1033 campaign managed to sneak us a copy of the script for a radio ad they’ll be releasing soon. The script indicates that it’ll be read by a man with a deep barotone voice. Here it is:

VOTE NO ON INITIATIVE 1033. Our state in heading toward a disaster of biblical proportions. What we mean is Old Testament, real wrath of God type stuff. Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling. 40 years of darkess, earthquakes, volcanoes. The dead rising from the grave. Human sacrifice, dogs and cats, living together, MASS HYSTERIA. VOTE NO ON INITIATIVE 1033. Paid for by the NO on I-1033 campaign, top contributors Washington DC’s AFSCME, SEIU, and NEA. Any similarity to the movie Ghostbusters is merely coincidental.

It’s unbelievable! Because of the extraordinarily strong support I-1033 enjoys in the polls, these guys are so desperate they’re willing to say anything from now until election day. They’ve got millions of dirty dollars from Washington DC’s most powerful labor unions to spread their threats, lies, and scare tactics. We have faith in the common sense of the average taxpayer to see right through it.

Here’s today’s update:

RE: Gregoire rings the dinner bell on tax increases – NO campaign’s new radio ad (it’s really unbelievable!)

Wednesday’s newspapers reported that Gregoire now supports raising taxes and she’s asking “lawmakers and interest groups” to tell her which ones to jack up.

Dingdingdingdingdingdingding — that’s the sound of Gregoire ringing the dinner bell on tax increases. Anything goes people, you want higher sales taxes, Gregoire’s your gal, a state income tax, Gregoire’s on your side, increased property taxes, Gregoire’s fine with that too, jacked up business taxes, utility taxes, gas taxes, death taxes, internet taxes, Gregoire’s simply hunky-dory with all of them.

In 2004, candidate Gregoire said “I’m not talking about taxes” – then she got into office in 2005, immediately got rid of I-601′s inflation/population growth limit and raised taxes. Then she and the Democrats went hog wild and radically increased the growth of government (33% in 4 years), overextending themselves with completely unsustainable budgets. What happened? Gregoire and the Democrats made the bad times a whole lot worse, ending with a $9 billion deficit.

Recognizing their lack of fiscal discipline, we introduced I-960 in 2007, knowing that it likely had a two-year shelf life. Gregoire’s comment about I-960 in January, 2007: “the extra handcuffs aren’t needed.” Voters approved I-960 because they didn’t believe her. With I-960′s policies firmly in place, Gregoire “suddenly” switched back and decided that tax hikes were a bad idea. She said raising taxes in the middle of a recession will only make the recession last longer. Was I-960′s two-year window the cause? Nah, said her supporters, she ‘gets it now.’

So now she’s switched again.

What could have happened?

Two weeks ago, KING 5 UPFRONT’s Allen Schauffler asked the SEIU’s David Rolfe, the head of the most powerful public employee union, about his desire to have Democrats raise taxes in 2010 and 2011: “Raise taxes? How do you think they’ll respond?” Without hesitation and without prompting, Rolfe replied that I-960′s two-year expiration date is ‘up’ at the end of this year and his group and others will be making sure Democrats know that’s what they want.

As a public service, KIRO’s Dori Monson provides us all with an audio clip about that (forward to 7:20):
http://www.mynorthwest.com/resources/audio_headlines/audio_player.php?a=10840&f=/kiro/2009/09/p_Dori_Monson_Show_20090930_2pm.mp3

Tuesday’s poll results among likely voters showed 61% yes, 31% no, 8% undecided. Obviously, voters opposed or undecided saw Gregoire as against taxes over the past two years and they likely believed that she’d stick with that position going forward — they likely believed that I-1033 wasn’t necessary because Gregoire ‘gets it now.’

Not any more.

Gregoire’s ‘anything-goes-on-tax-hikes’ re-position undercuts that big time. The NO on I-1033′s campaign theme is “we can trust the politicians.” That ain’t gonna fly anymore.

Our source in the No on I-1033 campaign managed to sneak us a copy of the script for a radio ad they’ll be releasing soon. The script indicates that it’ll be read by a man with a deep barotone voice. Here it is:

VOTE NO ON INITIATIVE 1033. Our state in heading toward a disaster of biblical proportions. What we mean is Old Testament, real wrath of God type stuff. Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling. 40 years of darkess, earthquakes, volcanoes. The dead rising from the grave. Human sacrifice, dogs and cats, living together, MASS HYSTERIA. VOTE NO ON INITIATIVE 1033. Paid for by the NO on I-1033 campaign, top contributors Washington DC’s AFSCME, SEIU, and NEA. Any similarity to the movie Ghostbusters is merely coincidental.

It’s unbelievable! Because of the extraordinarily strong support I-1033 enjoys in the polls, these guys are so desperate they’re willing to say anything from now until election day. They’ve got millions of dirty dollars from Washington DC’s most powerful labor unions to spread their threats, lies, and scare tactics. We have faith in the common sense of the average taxpayer to see right through it.

You’re not grading on a curve, I see. Tim Eyman might want to look for a new “source” in the No campaign. By the way, may I suggest you start misspelling his name, or writing the initiative as 1-0-3-3, or some other trick to keep him from finding posts?

By the way, I also see the SHARE protest as unreasonable, and yet I am not a member of the over-priveleged strata of society. It makes me mad when groups deride the character of anyone who disagrees with their methods.

You’re not grading on a curve, I see. Tim Eyman might want to look for a new “source” in the No campaign. By the way, may I suggest you start misspelling his name, or writing the initiative as 1-0-3-3, or some other trick to keep him from finding posts?

By the way, I also see the SHARE protest as unreasonable, and yet I am not a member of the over-priveleged strata of society. It makes me mad when groups deride the character of anyone who disagrees with their methods.

You know I really wish Timmy wouldn’t have his spam bot post his latest rambling and incoherent press release to any and every internet forum that mentions him or his latest initiative.

You know I really wish Timmy wouldn’t have his spam bot post his latest rambling and incoherent press release to any and every internet forum that mentions him or his latest initiative.

A+ for Tim’s (tim, tim, ti-MAy!) follow up rant. We will call this one dessert.

A+ for Tim’s (tim, tim, ti-MAy!) follow up rant. We will call this one dessert.

It might be that Share/Wheel is “targeting” Councilmember Burgess because he’s the Chair of the Public Safety, Human Services, and Committee, and who just happens to have recently proposed a new set of needlessly punitive (and likely unconstitutional) anti-homeless laws.

Nah, couldn’t be that.

P.S. Tim – run for office. I double dog dare you.

It might be that Share/Wheel is “targeting” Councilmember Burgess because he’s the Chair of the Public Safety, Human Services, and Committee, and who just happens to have recently proposed a new set of needlessly punitive (and likely unconstitutional) anti-homeless laws.

Nah, couldn’t be that.

P.S. Tim – run for office. I double dog dare you.

..but do try and find a Treasurer with ethics.

..but do try and find a Treasurer with ethics.

@11,

Yep, we already noted that, Mr. X.

As we wrote on Tuesday http://publicola.net/?p=15101:

However, it’s a dramatic choice too, given that Burgess recently proposed new panhandling rules reminiscent of the former hard line City Attorney Mark Sidran.

@11,

Yep, we already noted that, Mr. X.

As we wrote on Tuesday http://publicola.net/?p=15101:

However, it’s a dramatic choice too, given that Burgess recently proposed new panhandling rules reminiscent of the former hard line City Attorney Mark Sidran.

Really? You rank releases based on your opinion with no data to support your conclusions, but everyone else is an F? How about before you open you mouth, YOU do some research. Maybe, unlike yourself, some people are actually trying to DO something to make changes. Must be nice to sit back, judge, and do NOTHING to improve the good of the people. Do you get paid for doing this? The only release I read stuff like this is to see why uneducation, opinion writers make comments which could lead to others to lose hard fought jobs. Here’s a rating for you, your column in a F-.

Really? You rank releases based on your opinion with no data to support your conclusions, but everyone else is an F? How about before you open you mouth, YOU do some research. Maybe, unlike yourself, some people are actually trying to DO something to make changes. Must be nice to sit back, judge, and do NOTHING to improve the good of the people. Do you get paid for doing this? The only release I read stuff like this is to see why uneducation, opinion writers make comments which could lead to others to lose hard fought jobs. Here’s a rating for you, your column in a F-.

@14 If they wanted to make direct change they’d be social workers or in public office. It’s called editorial journalism. Get a fucking clue.

@14 If they wanted to make direct change they’d be social workers or in public office. It’s called editorial journalism. Get a fucking clue.

@14
Wow, who peed in your cheerios this morning? Anyone who has had to deal with press releases of any sort from either side knows how lame most of them are. Mocking them is sometimes the only way to stay sane.

Oh and two other things, one Josh, Erica, etc. are “doing something” by keeping the rest of us informed, the media is an important component of the democratic process. Second a little research will show that quite a few of the press releases they’ve reviewed have been given A or B grades, They must have gotten a particularly lame batch yesterday.

@14
Wow, who peed in your cheerios this morning? Anyone who has had to deal with press releases of any sort from either side knows how lame most of them are. Mocking them is sometimes the only way to stay sane.

Oh and two other things, one Josh, Erica, etc. are “doing something” by keeping the rest of us informed, the media is an important component of the democratic process. Second a little research will show that quite a few of the press releases they’ve reviewed have been given A or B grades, They must have gotten a particularly lame batch yesterday.

15 and 16. It’s a ideological campaign against the blog. A lot of people are coming here (somewhat anonymously, of course) and trying to slam the blog’s credibility whenever they can in a lame attempt to discredit the site.

15 and 16. It’s a ideological campaign against the blog. A lot of people are coming here (somewhat anonymously, of course) and trying to slam the blog’s credibility whenever they can in a lame attempt to discredit the site.

@17
I’m trying to figure out who is actually behind it though, other than maybe some haters from Slog I can’t quite put my finger on it.

@17
I’m trying to figure out who is actually behind it though, other than maybe some haters from Slog I can’t quite put my finger on it.

Mean Erica! I like it, esp. since it was all so well deserved.

Mean Erica! I like it, esp. since it was all so well deserved.

@14: Read over your comment. If you’re going to criticize others’ writing, either stylistically or re content, do a little editing of your own.

@14: Read over your comment. If you’re going to criticize others’ writing, either stylistically or re content, do a little editing of your own.

The American Public Transit Association (APTA) defines public vanpools as mass transit:

“It is considered mass transit service if it is operated by a public entity or is one in which a public entity owns, purchases, or leases the vehicle(s).”

There are twenty vanpool programs in Washington State and all of them are provided by public transit agencies.

The American Public Transit Association (APTA) defines public vanpools as mass transit:

“It is considered mass transit service if it is operated by a public entity or is one in which a public entity owns, purchases, or leases the vehicle(s).”

There are twenty vanpool programs in Washington State and all of them are provided by public transit agencies.

WPC’s press release is clearly anti-transit, but despite that vanpools are a great tool for reducing the number of solo drivers. They can also be used to provide late-night commute options when it’s hard to get decent bus or train service.

WPC’s press release is clearly anti-transit, but despite that vanpools are a great tool for reducing the number of solo drivers. They can also be used to provide late-night commute options when it’s hard to get decent bus or train service.

On the subject of the energy efficiency of vanpools, every year the U.S. Depart of Energy publishes a Transportation Energy Data Book. You can find the current year’s data here:

The figures of interest are listed in table 2-12, comparing the “energy intensity” of various transportation modes, measured by BTU per passenger mile, with the comparison including transit bus, transit rail, automobiles, and motorcycles, among others. In past years vanpools were also among the transit modes listed in this table, and were considerably more energy efficient than anything else listed there. Here’s a shortcut to the relevant section of the document:

Be wary of directly comparing figures for different transit modes, by the way … though it might be done if you know the assumptions built into the data (most particularly the load factor of different modes during commute and non-commute situations),

I have a copy of at least one previous year’s data (2003, in which the comparison includes vanpools) and will be glad to send a copy, if it’ll help.

On the subject of the energy efficiency of vanpools, every year the U.S. Depart of Energy publishes a Transportation Energy Data Book. You can find the current year’s data here:

The figures of interest are listed in table 2-12, comparing the “energy intensity” of various transportation modes, measured by BTU per passenger mile, with the comparison including transit bus, transit rail, automobiles, and motorcycles, among others. In past years vanpools were also among the transit modes listed in this table, and were considerably more energy efficient than anything else listed there. Here’s a shortcut to the relevant section of the document:

Be wary of directly comparing figures for different transit modes, by the way … though it might be done if you know the assumptions built into the data (most particularly the load factor of different modes during commute and non-commute situations),

I have a copy of at least one previous year’s data (2003, in which the comparison includes vanpools) and will be glad to send a copy, if it’ll help.

I’ll try again to post the URLs … it appears this website ate them.

The current year’s data is here:

href=”http://cta.ornl.gov/data/Index.shtml

And here’s a shortcut to the relevant section of the document:

http://www-cta.ornl.gov/data/tedb28/Edition28_Chapter02.pdf

Check table 2-12 for the “energy intensity” data.

I’ll try again to post the URLs … it appears this website ate them.

The current year’s data is here:

href=”http://cta.ornl.gov/data/Index.shtml

And here’s a shortcut to the relevant section of the document:

http://www-cta.ornl.gov/data/tedb28/Edition28_Chapter02.pdf

Check table 2-12 for the “energy intensity” data.

Here is MajorityRulesBlog’s response to Eyman’s latest rant about our evil government and its pigs at the trough:

The Joke is Eyman’s Initiative 1033

Tim Eyman tries to make a joke of the concerns of people opposed to Initiative 1033. People opposed to I-1033 are concerned that Eyman’s budget freeze proposal will costs jobs in the state, cut health care and human services, reduce funding for educating our kids, increase costs to go to college, make it harder or impossible to keep parks and libraries open, reduce police and fire protection, decrease health coverage for seniors and children and much more.

People’s concerns are legitimate and Eyman’s response is to mock them. Eyman appeals to voters selfish side saying it’s more important to reduce property taxes for wealthy property owners than it is to provide any of these services or restore any public services lost due to the current recession. I think voters are smarter than Eyman wants to give them credit for.

I think Damon Agnos over at the Daily Weekly hits Eyman’s lame joke just right in his commentary entitled “Tim Eyman thinks he’s funny“:

“A real privilege of having a job at a paper is receiving Tim Eyman’s regular, rambling electronic missives, wherein he asserts that he’s just standing up for the little guy. One example of standing up for the little guy is pushing an initiative that would redistribute money from regressive sales taxes to big property owners as soon as state and local government pull in more than they did in this year’s recession. It’s a simple formula: when good times return, don’t invest the money in schools, public health, and public safety–give most of it to the Kemper Freemans.”

I think Damon has it exactly right on what I consider to be the fatal flaw that will bring down Initiative 1033. Initiative 1033 is a wealth transfer scheme, taking sales taxes and other fees paid by everyone and only using them to pay property taxes for wealthy property owners when the economy improves and more revenue comes in above this year’s recession baseline used by Eyman in I-1033.

Last year sales taxes accounted for 57% of state revenue. We have the highest sales tax in the country. Eyman says the one and only priority of state and local government should be to use any revenue coming in above the baseline to help people who own property pay their property taxes.

This is a drastic shift of what we currently would use any added revenue for – namely paying for police and fire protection, educating our children, funding colleges and universities, repairing roads and bridges, keeping libraries and parks open, helping businesses create jobs, protecting the environment and people’s health, providing health care for seniors and children and much more.

The fatal flaw in Eyman’s wealth transfer scheme is that not everyone owns property. Some 35% of households in the state are not owner occupied.

Our tax system is one of the most regressive in the country already. Now Eyman wants to have sales taxes paid by renters and senior citizens and working families without property be used to pay taxes for people who have property.

Even for homeowners it’s a rip off. The amount of rebate given under I-1033 is not based on the amount of sales taxes and fees you pay but on the amount of property you own. The more property you own, the more you benefit from I-1033. So someone with a vacation home or a McMansion will see more of a return than someone with a smaller single family home.

Also Eyman isn’t going to tell the public that in addition some 40% of the rebate has to go to commercial property owners. Businesses already get a sales tax exemption for goods they resell. Consumers pay the sales taxes. But the businesses would still benefit under I-1033.

So large commercial property owners, corporations like Boeing, mall owners like Bellevue Square and real estate developers will see larger benefits from I-1033.

That’s some joke for renters who will still pay the same in sales taxes and other fees as before under I-1033. Renters will both not get a tax rebate or see any services lost due to the recession be restored. They will also not see any new public services for the taxes they paid. But they would help pay Boeing’s real estate taxes.

Initiative 1033 is bad for our state and bad for taxpayers. Vote No on I-1033.

Here is MajorityRulesBlog’s response to Eyman’s latest rant about our evil government and its pigs at the trough:

The Joke is Eyman’s Initiative 1033

Tim Eyman tries to make a joke of the concerns of people opposed to Initiative 1033. People opposed to I-1033 are concerned that Eyman’s budget freeze proposal will costs jobs in the state, cut health care and human services, reduce funding for educating our kids, increase costs to go to college, make it harder or impossible to keep parks and libraries open, reduce police and fire protection, decrease health coverage for seniors and children and much more.

People’s concerns are legitimate and Eyman’s response is to mock them. Eyman appeals to voters selfish side saying it’s more important to reduce property taxes for wealthy property owners than it is to provide any of these services or restore any public services lost due to the current recession. I think voters are smarter than Eyman wants to give them credit for.

I think Damon Agnos over at the Daily Weekly hits Eyman’s lame joke just right in his commentary entitled “Tim Eyman thinks he’s funny“:

“A real privilege of having a job at a paper is receiving Tim Eyman’s regular, rambling electronic missives, wherein he asserts that he’s just standing up for the little guy. One example of standing up for the little guy is pushing an initiative that would redistribute money from regressive sales taxes to big property owners as soon as state and local government pull in more than they did in this year’s recession. It’s a simple formula: when good times return, don’t invest the money in schools, public health, and public safety–give most of it to the Kemper Freemans.”

I think Damon has it exactly right on what I consider to be the fatal flaw that will bring down Initiative 1033. Initiative 1033 is a wealth transfer scheme, taking sales taxes and other fees paid by everyone and only using them to pay property taxes for wealthy property owners when the economy improves and more revenue comes in above this year’s recession baseline used by Eyman in I-1033.

Last year sales taxes accounted for 57% of state revenue. We have the highest sales tax in the country. Eyman says the one and only priority of state and local government should be to use any revenue coming in above the baseline to help people who own property pay their property taxes.

This is a drastic shift of what we currently would use any added revenue for – namely paying for police and fire protection, educating our children, funding colleges and universities, repairing roads and bridges, keeping libraries and parks open, helping businesses create jobs, protecting the environment and people’s health, providing health care for seniors and children and much more.

The fatal flaw in Eyman’s wealth transfer scheme is that not everyone owns property. Some 35% of households in the state are not owner occupied.

Our tax system is one of the most regressive in the country already. Now Eyman wants to have sales taxes paid by renters and senior citizens and working families without property be used to pay taxes for people who have property.

Even for homeowners it’s a rip off. The amount of rebate given under I-1033 is not based on the amount of sales taxes and fees you pay but on the amount of property you own. The more property you own, the more you benefit from I-1033. So someone with a vacation home or a McMansion will see more of a return than someone with a smaller single family home.

Also Eyman isn’t going to tell the public that in addition some 40% of the rebate has to go to commercial property owners. Businesses already get a sales tax exemption for goods they resell. Consumers pay the sales taxes. But the businesses would still benefit under I-1033.

So large commercial property owners, corporations like Boeing, mall owners like Bellevue Square and real estate developers will see larger benefits from I-1033.

That’s some joke for renters who will still pay the same in sales taxes and other fees as before under I-1033. Renters will both not get a tax rebate or see any services lost due to the recession be restored. They will also not see any new public services for the taxes they paid. But they would help pay Boeing’s real estate taxes.

Initiative 1033 is bad for our state and bad for taxpayers. Vote No on I-1033.

Someone PLEASE sponsor a citizen's initiative limiting personal initiative sponsorship to two per person, per lifetime. (Two so if I regain my sanity I can sponsor my own repeal)

Note to the AV student operating the camera: Please frame Erica in the shot like you care.