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Labor Council Releases 2010 Legislative Scorecard

Politics, This Washington   May 12, 2010 at 4:15 pm Camden Swita

The Washington State Labor Council released its 2010 legislative score card today.

Labor champs this year were mainly in the House, with 20 representatives scoring at or near 100 percent “pro-labor,” including Steve Conway (D-29), Maralyn Chase (D-32), John McCoy (D-38), Mary Lou Dickerson (D-36), Timm Ormsby (D-3), and Brendan Williams (D-22).

The WSLC wasn’t as impressed with the Senate’s voting record: Just six senators received the highest score of 88 percent.

The scorecard is accompanied by a column written by WSLC’s President Rick Bender. He slams the a group of moderate Democrats that called themselves the “Roadkill Caucus,” saying “They espouse a pro-corporate, anti-government agenda. They use the same rhetoric Republicans use about Washington having a horrible business climate, about the need to ‘reduce government’s footprint,’ and even labeling their fellow party members as ‘too liberal.’”

Bender slams Rep. Deb Eddy (D-48), Sen. Chris Marr (D-6), Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen (D-10), and Rep. Chris Hurst (D-31), among others, for paving the way for future Republican victories.




  • debeddy

    Where did he get this stuff? On no occasion have I said that “espouse a pro-corporate, anti-government agenda.” Nor do I allege that Washington has a “horrible business climate.” Actually, the business climate is pretty damned good, considering. Who needs to actually talk about stuff when you can make it up, like these accusations? Talk about jumping the shark …

  • http://twitter.com/fattailed fattailed

    In all fairness, it's true that you represent the interests of Clyde Hill & Medina. Not quite the same as a working person's interests, however….

  • debeddy

    I also represent Crossroads, Rose Hill, Lake Hills … And a hell of a lot ofworking people actually live in Clyde Hill and, yeah, even a few in Medina. You may have a narrow definition of “working.”

  • seven7

    Don't worry. The only people who take labor endorsements seriously are burned out politicians and the media.

  • LaborGoon

    From “Unemployment and Roadkill: Moderate Democrats Take Up the Business Community’s Concern Over Unemployment Insurance” at http://www.olympianews.org/2010/02/11/unemploym…

    “(The Roadkill Caucus) have been brought together by a mutual concern over the state’s staggering $2.6 billion budget deficit and the woeful business climate in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. (Sen. Chris) Marr hopes that their focus will be on the debate over expanding unemployment insurance… In exchange for moderate Democrats’ support for a difficult tax vote, Marr hopes that their concerns about the state’s business climate will be heard.”

    The Everett Herald later reported that the Roadkill Caucus successfully killed labor-supported unemployment insurance legislation that they felt would make our business climate worse. See http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100221/OPINI…

    That labor-backed unemployment insurance bill that the Roadkill Caucus so proudly killed would have expanded U.I. eligibility to some part-time workers and a handful of people who suffer “unreasonable hardship” — at a cost to the $2.5 billion U.I. Trust Fund of about $36 million a year. BUT it also would have captured (and frontloaded) $98 million in federal U.I. Modernization Funds now when unemployment is high and that money is desperately needed.

    But no, the Roadkill Caucus chose to champion the business lobbying community's “no new benefits” mandate — and also adopt their negative and demonstrably false rhetoric about Washington's business climate — rather than champion strengthening this safety net for working people.

    In doing so, they abandoned a core Democratic principle, in my opinion, and don't deserve labor support for re-election. Maybe their corporate benefactors will step up and support them. But if the BIAW, NFIB, AWB, et al have a choice between a conservative corporate Democrat who supports them some of the time and a Republican who will walk in lockstep with them, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for those fancy independent expenditures to help the Roadkill crew.

    Rick Bender is right. This is how majorities die. They abandon their base.

  • debeddy

    You have a point of view, for sure, and quote articles that I don't recall
    being consulted about. .The endorsement game is just that … largely a
    game. And I believe that the time for political games is over. We'd best
    get serious, real fast, because the future of this country depends on our
    being able to get over the posturing and get down to figuring out how to
    make a future for our kids. I'll take my case directly to the 48th district
    voters.

  • LaborGoon

    Unlike businesses and their lobbying groups, the Labor Council has a democratic process by which they endorse candidates. It is not a game. It is every union's opportunity to weigh in on issues and candidates they care about. There is nothing binding about it. Individual unions can support who they please. But it is a great way for rank-and-file members to serve as delegates and be heard on political issues, and to consider the issues of other workers in other industries.

    If only shareholders had the same ability to help determine their company's political activities.