What would I-1033 do to our state?

I'm posting two articles from Dick Conway of Dick Conway & Associates, publisher of the Puget Sound Economic Forecaster.

The first is Mr. Conway's perspective on Initiative 1033. In this article, he describes the general tax situation and what will happen to our ability to provide government services around the state if this measure passes. Here's a quote:

I-1033 is a lid on state and local taxes, but its impact would be more like that of a sledge hammer. Rather than letting the public sector expand along with the rest of the economy, it would knock down Washington state and local government one brick at a time. In ten years, our ability to provide the quantity and quality of public goods and services requried for a competitive economy and a high standard of living would be the lowest in the nation.

Is that what the people of Washington want?

The second article is a larger picture of our tax structure in Washington State. This is worth reading to see why we are where we are and what we might be able to do about it.

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Dick Conway is solely responsible for the research and conclusions in this article. He has not been paid or sponsored by any person or entity for this study.

Where do I take my ballot? Answer:

News Release
Date: October 16, 2009
Contact: Kim Van Ekstrom, King County, 206-296-1552
Lois Maag, Seattle Dept. Of Neighborhoods, 206-615-0950

You’ve voted your ballot, but now what? Drop boxes now open

Ballots for the November 3 General Election have been delivered to mailboxes throughout King County and will continue arriving through the weekend. Voted ballots can be returned by mail or dropped off, beginning today, at any of our ballot drop boxes.

“Elections has placed drop boxes at locations where voters are already visiting; we want to make voting and returning your mail ballot as easy as possible,” said King County Elections’ superintendent Evelyn Arnold. “Many voters like to use the ballot drop boxes because they offer a sense of connection to Elections and it saves them the cost of a stamp.”

Elections continues to partner with King County Library Systems and Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods for many of the drop locations.

Ballots returned at one of the following 24-hour drop boxes do not need postage and must be dropped off by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3.

Auburn Library, 1102 Auburn Way S., Auburn, 98002
Library Connection @ Crossroads, 15600 NE 8th St., Bellevue, 98008
Black Diamond Library, 24707 Roberts Dr., 98010
Covington Library, 27100 164th Ave SE, 98042
Des Moines Library, 21620 11th Avenue S., 98198
Earlington Business Center, 919 SW Grady Way, 98057
Fall City Library, 33415 SE 42 Pl., 98024
Federal Way Library, 848 S 320th St, 98003
Kent Regional Library, 212 2nd Ave N, 98032
Lake Forest Park Library, 17171 Bothell Way NE, 98155
Seattle, King County Administration Building, 500 Fourth Ave., 98104
Seattle, White Center Library, 11220 16th S.W., Seattle, 98146
Woodinville Library, 17105 Avondale Rd NE, 98072

The following Seattle Neighborhood Service Center locations also accept ballots. For more information, visit http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/nsc/
Ballard, 5604 22nd Ave NW, 98107
Central, 2301 S Jackson, 98144
Delridge, 5405 Delridge Way SW, 98106
Lake City, 12525 28th Ave NE, 98125
Southeast, 3815 S Othello St, 98118
University, 4534 University Way NE, 98105

A limited number of ballot drop boxes were first opened to accept ballots for the 2008 primary and a total of 19 boxes are now open for the Nov. 3 election.

If you haven’t received your ballot by Thursday, October 22, please call us at 206-296-VOTE (8683). For more information on the November 3 General Election and returning your ballot, visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/elections/200911.aspx .

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Update on Rep. Adam Smith

Members of the Progressive Advisory Council,

The next meeting of the Progressive Advisory Council, scheduled for this Monday, October 19th has been cancelled. Yesterday morning Congressman Adam Smith experienced some pain and tension in his right side. After visiting with the House Physician’s Office and a subsequent follow-up visit with doctors at Bethesda Naval Hospital, Congressman Smith was diagnosed with a collapsed lung. He underwent a procedure to address the situation Thursday night and is currently resting at Bethesda Navel Hospital. Congressman Smith is expected to make a full recovery.

I would like to thank everyone for your understanding during this tough time. I will do my best to schedule another meeting of the Council before the end of the year, depending on the Congressional voting calendar. Please stay tuned for a future date and location, which will be distributed via email as always.

Thanks and if you have any questions or concerns, I will be in the office today until 3:00pm and can be reached at 253-593-6603.
Matt Perry
Field Representative
Office of Congressman Adam Smith
2209 Pacific Avenue, Suite B
Tacoma, WA 98402
Phone: 253.593.6600

Fw: Keep this TV ad on the air!

----- Original Message -----

From: Dylan Ordoñez, Dow Constantine for King County Executive

To: suzie2004@comcast.net

Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2009 11:15 AM

Subject: Keep this TV ad on the air!

www.DowConstantine.com         Dear Susan, Ballots are in the mail and people begin voting as early as today! It is crunch time in this race - every vote and every dollar matters. Dow needs your help today! We are proud of the massive grassroots support Dow has received. We are proud of the hundreds of endorsements Dow has garnered - from Planned Parenthood to the Mayor of Bellevue, from the Sierra Club and Washington Conservation Voters to the Mayor of Enumclaw. All across King County folks are saying YES to Dow's leadership and values, and saying NO to Susan Hutchison! Today we launch our first general election TV ad, "We're with Dow." Click here to be the first to see it. Will you help us keep this ad on the air? Yesterday I reminded you how close this election is. Dow wins if we are able to reach undecided voters and let them know who Susan Hutchison is and what she really stands for. This ad will be on the air through Monday. But we need to raise an additional $50,000 to combat the ad buy of our opponent's right-wing supporters. Please contribute $45, $120, $350 or $800 today to keep this ad on the air. Stand with Dow today! Sincerely, Dylan Ordoñez Campaign Manager Friends of Dow Constantine

Paid for by Friends of Dow Constantine

PO Box 16285
Seattle, WA 98116

 

Fwd: Rep. McDermott's E-Newsletter - NEWS FROM THE OTHER WASHINGTON

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: McDermott FYI <McDermottFYI@mail.house.gov>
Date: Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 12:46 PM
Subject: Rep. McDermott's E-Newsletter - NEWS FROM THE OTHER WASHINGTON
To: GENERAL-NEWSLETTER-LIST-WA07@ls1.house.gov

www.house.gov/mcdermott

NEWS FROM THE OTHER WASHINGTON

To keep receiving updates from Rep. McDermott, please click here: http://www.house.gov/mcdermott/newsletter.shtml

You will not automatically receive further updates unless you subscribe.

October 15, 2009:

U.S. House Overwhelmingly Passes Rep. McDermott's UI Extension Bill

O

n September 22, the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly, 331-83, and on a bi-partisan basis to pass my legislation to extend unemployment insurance benefits for 13 weeks in states still suffering unemployment of at least 8.5% on a three month rolling average. I chair the House Ways and Means Committee's Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the nation's unemployment insurance system.

It is important to note that this legislation does not increase the deficit. Extending benefits by 13 weeks will cost $1.4 billion, but the extension is fully paid for by extending a tiny fractional tax employers already pay at the rate of approximately $14 per employee, per year.

The legislation, HR 3548, now goes to the Senate for further action.

Read the legislation (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:HR03548:)

Health Care

In a democratic society, good health and access to high quality, affordable healthcare should be acknowledged as a basic human right. I'm sure each of us is aware of tragedies that have happened to people we know simply because our country has not recognized this right. We all know people who could not get the health care they needed, or who could not afford that care. Now, for the first time in 15 years, we have a realistic chance to win meaningful healthcare reform and to address this ballooning national crisis. Ensuring that every American has access to affordable, comprehensive health care coverage is one of my top priorities.

To this end, I joined my colleagues in the Progressive Caucus in a letter to President Obama stating unequivocally that any bill that does not provide, at a minimum, a public option with reimbursement rates based on Medicare rates -not negotiated rates -is unacceptable.

Read the letter (link to http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/uploads/July%2030%20sign%20on%20letter.pdf )

Rep. McDermott Honors The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later

I'm proud to have introduced a Resolution in the House of Representatives to honor The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later, a play by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project about reaction to the 1998 murder of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard, who was targeted due to his sexual orientation.

The play will debut as a reading at nearly 100 theatres across the US and internationally on October 12, 2009 - the 11th anniversary of Matthew Shepard's death. The Seattle Repertory Theater is one of the theatres participating in the debut of the play on October 12.

In addition to honoring the play and those participating, the Resolution expresses the will of the Congress to condemn all violent acts motivated by hatred, including the torture and murder of Matthew Shepard, and commends the involvement of all Americans to build a more civil and tolerant society. The measure also congratulates the participants and patrons involved for continuing to engage in activities that raise awareness of hate crimes in our society.

Read the resolution (http://thomas.loc.gov/home/gpoxmlc111/hr777_ih.xml ).

Want more information about the legislation Congressman McDermott is working on? Visit: http://www.house.gov/mcdermott/legislative.shtml

Want to learn more about the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support (chaired by Congressman McDermott)? Visit: http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=all&comm=2

For more information on this and other issues, please visit my website at:
http://www.house.gov/mcdermott/

Fwd: Why I am supporting Dow Constantine for King County Executive

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Governor Chris Gregoire <info@chrisgregoire.com>
Date: Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 9:47 AM
Subject: Why I am supporting Dow Constantine for King County Executive
To: chadlupkes@gmail.com

Friends, Let me put it plainly: it matters who runs King County and right now this race could go either way. The next King County Executive needs to share our progressive values and have the experience to steer the county through difficult financial times. That is why I am supporting Dow Constantine for King County Executive. Dow is the right choice, but first he has to get through a tough election and he needs our help. The contrast between Dow and Susan Hutchison, his opponent, is a stark one. Dow is a proven reformer with the experience and record to change county government. He has successfully taken on the county's bureaucracy, passed a countywide hiring freeze and slashed administrative costs. He has also introduced a detailed budget plan, which will balance the budget, protect core services and not raise taxes. His opponent has declined to discuss what she would do as Executive and will not answer simple but critical questions. Dow is pro-choice. She refuses to answer. Dow has clear plan to reform county government. She declines to discuss what she'd do as County Executive. Dow is a proud Democrat. She refuses to state her political affiliation. His opponent won't answer these simple questions but the record is clear on these issues. She has even given thousands of dollars to right wing causes and Republican candidates like George W. Bush and Dino Rossi. This is going to be a close race and it will take a lot of money to let voters know the truth. Voting begins in just a few days. Your donation of $800 (the general election maximum), $500, $250, or $50 is essential to securing this democratic victory. Join me in supporting Dow today. Sincerely, Governor Chris Gregoire   Paid for by Friends of Dow Constantine, PO Box 16285, Seattle, WA 98116-0285 Contributions or gifts to Friends of Dow Constantine are not tax deductible. Copyright © 2007 People for Chris Gregoire

Videos from Rob Holland's campaign

Please get involved in Rob's campaign!

Rob Holland for Port of Seattle

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