Wednesday Scan: WA's last few pro-conservation Republicans
Though they've become somewhat of an endangered species, Washington still claims some pro-conservation GOP members. Meanwhile, in Portland, the mayoral race gets interesting and the mariners (both the port workers and the sports team) fret about SODO traffic.
Sportspress Northwest/City of Seattle
If Jefferson Smith is elected Portland's next mayor he will have the late Frank Capra to thank. In 1939's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Jimmy Stewart played the guileless Jefferson Smith, a neophyte U.S. Senator unschooled in dirty-hands politics. Portland's Jefferson Smith is likewise youthful and runs an organization that engages young people in politics and civic life. (Capra's Smith was head of the "Boy Rangers.") Charlie Hales, Smith's more seasoned opponent, finished first in Tuesday's primary. At this point, Hales is favored, but who knows the riptide pull of a "Mr. Smith?"
The Oregonian's Beth Slovic writes, "Michael Grossman, a Seattle political consultant who has worked on Portland City Council races, said their views are so similar, the final outcome could come down to how voters view their character." In a magnitude-of-small differences' race, character (a virtue) and a candidate's name (a triviality) are both x factors. (Just wait until someone named Josiah "Jed" Bartlet runs for President.) A sidenote: Oregon has a sensible May 15 primary as opposed to Washington's everyone-is-vacationing-on-Hood-Canal August vote.
Pro-conservation Republicans are becoming as rare and endangered as pro-life Democrats (there are still a few above-ground examples of the latter, such as Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid.) As the Seattlepi.com's Joel Connelly writes, Washington Conservation Voters (WCV), the state equivalent of the League of Conservation Voters, has only endorsed Democrats so far this year. What has become of the party of Dan Evans and Teddy Roosevelt?
"The endorsements reflect two trends. Republicans are moving away from the party’s conservation roots, and major 'green' groups have increasingly found a home in the Democratic Party," Connelly writes. "But Jim DiPeso, a leader in ConservAmerica, a conservationist Republican group, argues that several GOP legislators in Washington have records that merit endorsement." Connelly quotes WCV executive director Brendon Cechovic, who says there will be some Republican endorsements in a few weeks.
Can a proposed Seattle arena survive a Byzantine bureacracy and a public still smarting over past arena schemes? Well, maybe. As the Seattle Times' Matt Kreamer reports, a financing package unveiled today would require $120 million from the city and $80 million from King County.
"The public investment — capped at $200 million in bonds, to be repaid through arena taxes and revenues — would be limited to $120 million if just an NBA team is secured first. The remainder would be added once an NHL team signs on, officials said," Kreamer writes. The kicker continues to be traffic. "There has been a lot of concern — especially by the Mariners and the Port of Seattle — about the additional traffic a new arena would bring to an already crowded Sodo area. McGinn pledged to work on that issue, and Hansen said an area traffic study he’s paying for likely would be done in the next week or two."
The New York Times reports on a Taser-ed Northwest woman who is suing for what constitutes the use of excessive force. Are Tasers ipso facto excessive in otherwise trivial encounters with the police? The U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in next week.
"The case involves Malaika Brooks, who was seven months pregnant and driving her 11-year-old son to school in Seattle when she was pulled over for speeding. The police say she was going 32 miles per hour in a school zone; the speed limit was 20," Adam Liptak writes. "Ms. Brooks said she would accept a ticket but drew the line at signing it, which state law required at the time. Ms. Brooks thought, wrongly, that signing was an acknowledgment of guilt."
Lastly, long live the Export-Import Bank. Why is its reauthorization so critical to the Northwest's trade-dependent economy? Boeing, of course. The Seattle Times and Seattlepi.com offer analysis.
Oregonian, "Charlie Hales, Jefferson Smith to runoff for Portland mayor"
Seattlepi.com, "Greens' endorsements: All Democrats so far"
Seattle Times, "Public arena investment capped at $120 million until hockey arrives in Seattle"
New York Times, "Police taser use on pregnant woman goes before court"
Seattle Times, "Congress votes to re-authorize Export-Import bank"
Like what you just read? Support high quality local journalism. Become a member of Crosscut today!
Twitter
Facebook
RSS Feeds
Comments:
Posted Wed, May 16, 5:35 p.m. Inappropriate
Congrats ! Still working the issue division angle for The Party, huh ?
Speech writer for Locke and Gregoire? Those are patronage positions aren't they ?
The Eco-groups have been double-crossing the environment for decades. In Puget Sound, they are universally bought and sold for, and by, one party. ANY Republican who publically creeps toward eco positions is automatically targeted in future elections by the Dems. Make up your own list - its very long and nationwide.
Having had the past pleasure of working as a multi-year volunteer and "officer" in the Eco world, I had the pleasure of watching the double dealing, nasty, partisan convolutions over many election cycles. It is a very sad thing to see. I hope that in some distant future, a non-fiction researcher will publish the "behind the scenes" duplicity of Northwest Eco Orgs. Under their watch, the toxic policies move forward. The frauds get re-endorsed. The faux issue goes on.
I guess that being called a Conservative might be a better moniker. I would rather expand (conserve) habitat than manage it into oblivion. Here again, make your own long and dirty list.
Test your historical memory skills: Remember Tim Hill and Grand Ridge ? Remember who put it through after he was run out of office ? Yup, the same folks who managed the opening up of the plateau for mass development. The same folks who turned Lake Sammamish into an urban cesspool.
Here's another fun question ...... which King County Councilmember has been the recipient of the most campaign dough (throughout his career) from oil related businesses ? I expect you would weasel on this one. You have to include asphalt and oil products, road builders, etc. Hint: he is the father of an annointed princeling. By the way, I had to read a lot of micro-fiches to find this out. Not sure you can get it online.
Here's another: Which US Senator was an aggressive leader in auto emission standards imposed on US automakers?
So, when you are wringing your hands over the dismal filth of air and water, turn around and pat yourselves on the back. Through obviscation and neglect you succeeded in eliminating any political competition on environmnetal issues. You now have the One Party who is happy to take care of everything for you ..... snicker snicker ....
I gotta go. I'm feeling nauseous .....
Jsa
Posted Wed, May 16, 9:17 p.m. Inappropriate
You have named a couple of names (don't be shy, euphemisms are not necessary). Please do name names, but also please be more specific about the historical facts as you see them. I don't often agree with you, but this time... It doesn't matter what party you belong to, conservation (conservatism toward natural resources and the environment) is an increasingly necessary position for policy makers to have as a core value. The perpetual growth machine does not care about party lines.
If you think specific elected officials should be called out because they receive money from "oil related businesses" AND their voting record reflects those contributions, please don't hold back. So long as you are specific and fact based, we all need to hear about it.
Posted Fri, May 18, 2:20 p.m. Inappropriate
Thanks for the comment.
The politicians I did not mention by name are easily discoverable (you get to learn while researching). The point is that we do not get the "truth" from the local media. When we do, it is too frequently portrayed as an "oversight", or a "little mistake", or the eco violation is somehow unimportant compared to some other "progressive good". Or anything is preferable to what Republicans want.
Easy example:
Republicans were ont he other side of this>
Ag subsidies expand the use of marginal land by bringing it into production. Those lands are frequently substandard because they are too wet, too dry, to steep, etc. In each case, you can figure out why their cultivation would be a bad thing for the environment.
Patty Murray stumps and pontificates for subsidies. Can I hear you thinking it is okay that she does that for some reason ?
Does anyone remember the "Happy Valley Affair"? > I believe that one was a Gary Locke pay-off, but correct me if I have the wrong person.
How about Sierra Club priest Bill Arthur's logging his eastern WA. dry parcel to help pay for his kid's college education ? Personally, the hypocrisy was wayyyy too much for me !
Imagine all the news we never see ..... like how Jim McDermott is a complete waste of a congressional seat and (!!!!!) is a monsterous bully toward friend and foe alike !
I gotta go ....
Thanks again for the feedback.
Jsa
Posted Thu, May 17, 8:35 a.m. Inappropriate
It's no wonder Republicans don't get the "conservation" label. Institutionalized "environmentalism" has become a payback system for those who give big money to the Democratic Party: public employee unions, indian tribes, allied non-profits.
Posted Thu, May 17, 3:31 p.m. Inappropriate
Washington used to have a bunch of great green Republicans. Dan Evans, Joel Pritchard, John Miller and even Slade Gorton, for a while. Slade is an interesting case. He was fairly green, but lost the support of groups like the Sierra Club because he ran against someone who was greener. So, he basically said what's the point, and became an anti-environmental demagog. The environmental groups learned their lesson, and put much less effort in trying to replace OK candidates with great ones.
Environmental groups would love to endorse more Republicans, but they are a dying breed throughout the country. There are very few around here, and only a few left in the Northeast, even though they were plentiful a few years back. Sad really, as it makes it much harder to get things done. Nixon did a lot of good things for the environment. It is hard to imagine any Republican president doing anything close to that (but then it is hard to imagine any Republican president being as moderate as Nixon, let alone Ike -- we live in a different era).
Login or register to add your voice to the conversation.