PubliCola Picks Maralyn Chase for State Senate, District 32

So I do understand that COLA is a left wing news source. I too am a progressive Democrat. I also understand that those running against Marilyn Chase (Dave Baker) don't share COLA's or my politics. However, I would urge COLA to rescind this endorsement and stay silent in the 32nd District Senate Race. Why? Marilyn Chase is nuts. Not a “crazy lefty”; just crazy. She is terrible for the District and provides absolutely no value beyond being a democratic supporter on partisan votes (Which I do understand is a significant value in this political climate). If a chimp would vote with the democrats when told, I would much rather vote for said chimp than Ms. Chase. As for the “support” of the 32nd District Democrats, they are chaired by Ms. Chase's daughter, and basically serve as her politcal machine (they are also backing former Shoreline Mayor Cindy Ryu in the open House Seat Ms. Chase just vacated – also a candidate to steer very far away from). Marilyn Chase personifies left wing idiot politics at their worst. I would suggest that voters in the 32nd take a look at Patty Butler; although I don't know much about her, she did serve in the legislature a decade ago, and may be a good alternative for this Senate seat.

It's hard to respond to LCW's criticism because it's name-calling and there's nothing of substance. I'm proud to support Maralyn Chase because she is an out-front liberal. She takes strong stands on positions I believe in and this goes against the culture of the tame northwest, and, need I say, the Democratic party nationwide. She is a leader on peace issues (she helped get the state patrol off our backs when we protested the Iraq War), she supports small businesses rather than large corporations with actual targeted help, she is forthright in support of an income tax for those who can afford it, she supports teachers (full disclosure: I am one), she is a strong supporter for building infrastructure in Washington State to support renewable energy sources – from support for solar panels and inverters, to support for the innovative hybrid automotive program at Shoreline Community College. If that makes me an idiot, well, I suppose I fit the description.

I've been an admirer of Rep. Chase since she first ran for office in th 32nd LD, so this screed from LCW is a shocker to me. I'm guessing that it comes from one of those disappointed by not getting their favored candidates elected.

Note that there is not even one actual fact provided to support this ludicrously uninformed and puerile attack on a much-honored legislator.

Rep. Chase is one of the best-informed, hardest-working members of the legislature, a person of deep and broad knowledge, a careful researcher, with superior analytical skills. Her opinions and participation are sought by national organizations, including the White House.

The tossed-off slur against Cindy Ryu, former mayor of Shoreline, probably the best mayor the city has ever had, is even more revealing of the low level of political understanding and high level of mud-slinging that LCW practices.

Why does LCW's political “analysis” sound so much like something that would turn up on FAUX news?

Oh I wonder wonder wonder why that is.

I'd be more interested in knowing why PubliCola is picking Maralyn Chase rather than the other two. Okay, one's a Republican, enough said. The other, however, is also a Democrat. Compare and contrast them, like any other editorial does! I hope you do the same for the 32nd District House races, too. If “wolf” was a reporter, I'd challenge his assertion that Ms. Ryu is the best mayor Shoreline ever had. In my mind, if she was, she would have been re-elected instead of being turned out after a single term on the council due to a number of factors, one being a severely polarized electorate which she in part stoked by her involvement in the circumstances leading to the firing of the past City Manager and the attempt to get one of their own in to replace him without public comment. She's also taken credit for the Aurora project she once fought tooth and nail, costing taxpayers millions in the form of delay. On the other hand, for the House seat, she is the best choice, as we don't need a genteel person in that role, nor one who's running “to serve” or because it's the next logical thing to do. We need someone who will get down in the trenches, work hard, persuade people who dislike you solely because you're representing a Seattle-area district, a Puget Sound district, a Western Washington district. Cindy will work tirelessly and has the capacity to take on this kind of mountain and push the boulder up the hill. While she's a Democrat, I don't see her as being locked in to party positions or approaches as other Democrats are, and in that way, she's like Maralyn. But, she's to the right of her.

There is some pretty interesting things happening in Kenmore.

Like Dave Baker supporting the City Manager lawsuit (using city funds) in which he is suing a city councilmember who is a budget hawk.

Or Dave Baker claiming they built the new city hall using no debt, but then mere weeks later security a multi-million dollar loan on said facility.

Another one: a ground lease for the same developer behind the failed Burien project of empty condos and a failed bank, in which there is no risk to Urban Partners (but only an option for a $1/year ground lease for 9 acres). I believe the Washington State Auditor has weighed in these type of issues and stated that fair market value must be obtained on public property.

Or open government, it took months for a couple of citizen activities to obtain public records they requested and Baker angrily handed them over as reported in local newspapers after repeated confrontations at city council meetings.

http://www.washblog.com/story/2007/10/15/45411/810

LCW – you are hilarious, you don't know much about Patty Butler but you would vote for her. Probably haven't lived very long in the 32nd, have you?

Did you know that Patty Butler was booted from the 32nd District State Rep by Carolyn Edmonds waaay back in 1998? Bet you didn't by your comments, just hilarious. You just don't get the special craziness of the 32nd, do you? Because after Edmonds got the seat, she moved on up to County Council and the 32nd appointed Chase to fill the vacancy.

Then, in 2004 when the County Council consolidated, certain elements (which you seem to have associated yourself with) allied themselves with Carolyn Edmonds and attacked Bob Ferguson as “Bottleneck Bob” so Edmonds could keep her seat on the County Council. They didn't count on Ferguson's ferocious doorbelling, and both the Democrats & GOP PCOs went out doorbelling for him — sad to say that turncoat Bob is now friends with his former enemies. Those in the 32nd District who doorbelled for Bob in 2004 now deeply regret the effort on his behalf.

The Aurora Project is a joke publiconcern. Did you know that the city does not allow any cuts to the pavement for the next five years after it has been laid? Or the fact that the west water main cannot supply the necessary water pressure & flow to sprinkler a building higher than one story? A developer has to tunnel under Aurora for any building higher than ONE story — where is the density going to come from under this type infrastructure, genius? And the TOD nutjobs who want to align light rail along Aurora probably don't know this little tidbit either. The GMA requires concurrency in the infrastructure, the City (and the wretched city council that sold the Aurora rebuild and wanted to keep the idiot city manager who was terminated) told the public that the water mains on BOTH sides of Aurora would be replaced to support higher density — but it does NOT.

Lying out of both sides of your mouth is one thing to the votes, but when you lie to federal and state grant and contract agencies, sometimes it is called fraud — all of that pre-dated the council members you brought up in the firing of Burkett, the former city manager. And for your information, Ryu was not a party to the open public meetings lawsuit as she had the good sense not to participate in the firing — you need to get your facts straight instead of repeating talking points you heard somewhere else.

mt_spurr, would love to see the basis of your comments…you’re repeating talking points otherwise. If what is written above is true, then somebody should have been more than fired. Anyone can say or write anything, though, and I challenge you to prove it, but in an appropriate place…try the Shoreline News, as your info is valuable info for all Shoreliners to know. Here’s what I know from being there. The second mile of the Aurora project was approved by the City Council while Ms. Ryu was on it. Ms. Ryu was part of/affiliated with the group that had Burkett ousted, then tried to get one of their own, George Mauer, who lost his bid for the City Council just weeks earlier, installed without public input. I’ve seen plenty of documents and news coverage on this, and if you do some checking on the web, you might still find some out there. I’m not saying whether Burkett should or should not have been fired, that’s the council’s prerogative, but their methods left a lot to be desired. The public pressure caused the new city council, of which Ms. Ryu was a part, to reconsider, after which they hired the present City Manager. The first (January) meeting of the City Council that year was overcapacity and had to be moved across the way from their usual meeting place. I believe that Cindy learned from this experience as well as that afterwards, and that she’s the best candidate for State Rep. 32-01.

Having dealt with Marayln Chase all I can say is “What are you thinking?”. She is totally nuts! She has wasted more state money on
frivalouse studies (hundred of thousands of dollars) because she is totally clueless….. From what I have read the other two candidates would represent district 32. Just stay away from Chase