Sound Politics: Thank her in return

June 29, 2005

Thank her in return

Mrs. Gregoire's office just sent out this announcement:

OLYMPIA - Jun. 30, 2005 - Christine Gregoire will speak and present a gift on behalf of Washington State to the Puyallup Tribe for receiving the Lady Washington at Commencement Bay.

WHAT
Mrs. Gregoire participates in Tall Ships® Festival

WHO
Christine Gregoire

WHEN
Thursday, Jun. 30, 2005
2:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

WHERE
Dock Street Building to Thea's Park
535 Dock Street
Tacoma

Actually, I think Mrs. Gregoire is thanking the Puyallups not so much for receiving a ship that has every right to come to Tacoma with or without the Puyallups' reception as much as she is thanking the Puyallups for their irregularly generous financial contributions to Democrat campaigns in recent years.

Now wouldn't this be a good opportunity to thank Mrs. Gregoire in return by showing up and working the crowd to collect signatures for the No New Gas Tax petition?

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at June 29, 2005 04:40 PM | Email This

Comments

1. Brillian idea, although probably not the friendliest of crowds...

Posted by: Hoffman on June 29, 2005 04:49 PM

2. Brilliant idea, although probably not the friendliest of crowds...

Posted by: Hoffman on June 29, 2005 04:49 PM

3. You'd be surprised.

912 is NOT a "Republican vs Democrat" issue.
Plenty of people on both sides don't like the way it was snuck up on us -- esp after the recent nickel rise in gas taxes AND the way we voted DOWN a gas tax increase in recent memory.

Posted by: Sarah of WA on June 29, 2005 05:00 PM

4. Sarah of WA is correct. I filled up several signature sheets and a lot of the people that signed were Demorats that I often debate. They too do not like how the Legislature did the Pearl Harbor thing to us.

Posted by: Gil on June 29, 2005 05:19 PM

5. Forgot to file a multi-million $ appeal, costing taxpayers million$

"Forgot" that we voted down tax increases without super-majority approval...

Is there a pattern forming here?

Posted by: YourGovernorCostsMillion$ on June 29, 2005 05:43 PM

6. This is a general event. Sort of like a fair. Food, things to see, walking with the family in the Sunshine, etc. Greogire happens to be attending, but that doesn't mean this is some sort of Democrat event.

I will be there collecting signatures. There's expected to be over 400,000 people over the course of the event. Could be even more if we get a really nice day.

Come on down, help gather signatures, and send Christine a message.

Posted by: Jeff B. on June 29, 2005 06:05 PM

7. I work from home and haven't been around town that much this week. I still have not signed the petition and want to ASAP!

If anyone will be collecting signatures in the Kirkland area in the next few days, please let me know where. I'll come and sign. Hopefully I'll bring others with me too.

Thanks,

Mark D

Posted by: Mark D on June 29, 2005 07:33 PM

8. Brilliant!

Posted by: BananaLand(aka Iguana) on June 29, 2005 07:46 PM

9. I just love the "Mrs. Gregoire." I tell you Stefan, that just makes my day!
I have my petitions almost ready to send off. Since I'm way over here on the east side of the state, I think I will send them Friday and pay extra postage to certify them.

Posted by: cc on June 29, 2005 08:02 PM

10. I'm sorry but I just have to say this. What would Gregoire do if the Puyallups refused passage for the Lady Washington? There are actually a lot of conservative Native Americans many of whom have distinguished military service.

I'd love to see them tell her they are going to block the Lady Washington from docking on the grounds that it shouldn't dock on lands where their right to vote may have been compromised.

Posted by: Mark D on June 29, 2005 08:25 PM

11. I dropped mine in the mail tonight.

How I wish the event were more local because I'd really love to attend and wave a giant Fraudoire sign.

Posted by: Andy on June 29, 2005 08:26 PM

12. I just love the "Mrs. Gregoire."

I don't...Reminds me too much of "Mrs. Doubtfire" and the idea of a cross-dressing governor (on top of everything else!) is just too much!!

Besides, she looks more like the Grinch who stole Xmas.....

(OMG!! Headlice...What have you done to my brain!!!)

Posted by: alphabet soup on June 29, 2005 08:45 PM

13. cc,

Don't you have to have them *in* by Friday? Just checking.

Thanks for your efforts.

Posted by: Amused by liberals on June 29, 2005 08:46 PM

14. Yesterday, King County hearing examiner Stafford Smith blasted King County DOT for multiple instances of "arbitrary and capricious" actions in their tireless work to help Quadrant Homes (Weyerhaeuser) build an 800-home project east of Redmond. Quadrant is the state's largest homebuilder and one of the biggest players in this state's politics, where they and their allies control large segments of both major parties.

In addition to revoking Quadrant's 3 year-old traffic concurrency certificate, Smith has recommended denial of largest King County project to ever get such a ruling.

What everyone needs to understand is that these arbitrary and capricious actions (fraud if connected to intent) were used by KCDOT to help this project, and are from the DOT manual for helping developers avoid the billions and billions that have left state and local road projects without funding. Similar acts discovered after approval of Redmond Ridge and Trilogy 8 years ago have resulted in liability to the taxpayers in the hundreds of millions of dollars category. Gregoire stepping in to begin the bailout of the building industry with the gas tax was just her first attempt to buy support from the non-partisan builders that will back whoever throws the most taxpayer money their way in subsidies.

At a time when Gas Tax opponents are making arguments why taxpayers should object to throwing more money down DOT ratholes without honest analysis, accountability, or even public support, how would the masses feel if they learned that King County DOT had worked for years to shift road costs from massive developers like Quadrant, to the unsuspecting taxpayers?

I know that I will never support any revenue plan until government stops giving my money to the growth industry elite (who's opposing I-912?) to subsidize their profits.

Look to the Times for additional coverage on this breaking story soon.

Posted by: Mike on June 29, 2005 08:54 PM

15. Let's go hold Rossi and revote signs!

Posted by: flexnfx on June 29, 2005 09:21 PM

16. We have a Trilogy Homes in Rio Vista, Ca. They have to do everything the city says. A whopping 5,000 population. Are you people wimps, or, what?
This a town across the Sacramento River from where we live that is 900 population. For one reason Trilogy is a hard place to work with. They are based out of Phoenix, Az. I do believe. But we have gas wells, so they have to listen. HAHAHAHA

Posted by: Howard on June 29, 2005 09:28 PM

17. Mike, I understand there's someone pretty regularly at the Safeway and the car wash on Rose Hill.

Posted by: South County on June 29, 2005 09:55 PM

18. OMG WHAT??? You scared me amused, you joker you. Just checked the website and it said to mail them in by July 2. I think they need them in their possession by July 8. Maybe I will overnight them.

Okay alphabet soup, How bout Mrs. Grinch Gregoire?

Posted by: cc on June 29, 2005 10:02 PM

19. Amused by Liberals - the website says MAIL by July 2nd. I'd be overnighting them from Eastern Washington - well worth the extra money. Meanwhile, I'll be in greater metropolitan Forks this weekend, and I'm carrying one with me at all times. Those folks have probably never seen a petition. I plan to deliver it in person to make the deadline.

Posted by: lksimstrailgrammy on June 29, 2005 10:38 PM

20. Gift to the tribe? Who's complaining.
I received my gift some time ago. It was a bird. It was flipped (er, 'presented') to me.
Merci, Gregoire et Compagnie.

Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on June 29, 2005 10:42 PM

21. Jimmie - quit making me laugh late at night. It must have been a crow. An eagle would NEVER be that rude. Meanwhile, Grampy is almost half Native American. He is ashamed to admit it at times because of all of this Gregoire / tax free gambling establishments / campaign contribution stuff. At least his tribe is not based in Washington. Maybe they are still honorable and not in political hip pockets!

Posted by: lksimstrailgrammy on June 29, 2005 10:53 PM

22. whoa! The Puyallup tribe has some MAJOR dough....

Posted by: Michele on June 29, 2005 10:54 PM

23. No need to have Gramps feel ashamed. I'm certain you have paid your dues and then some. There are scoundrels in every group. Mine is no exception. What's important is that we root out this corruption and fix things. It's not a party nor ethnic thing--I've met bad apples from every walk of life. Met some saints, too. Getting it right is a universal goal. Let's clean house in WA. My broom is at the ready.

Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on June 29, 2005 10:59 PM

24. Thanks, Jimmie. Grampy has silver hair and blue eyes, so it is pretty hard to tell. The Scottish side of him is more obvious. He's from Texas . . . and that's a whole new nationality, anyway! But, he is with us here in Washington every step of the way, and he can swing a wide broom!

Posted by: lksimstrailgrammy on June 29, 2005 11:05 PM

25. I have tried to track down tribe contributions in the PDC, since they have to register. But, in my area, the local tribe claims ignorance of the rules and it takes several years for them to catch up.

Yes, they were very, very generous to Democrats (even in nonpartisan races outside their district).

Posted by: swatter on June 30, 2005 06:01 AM

26. I hope the Tall Ships event was a success. I would have snuck in the night before and painted the sails. The message: "Hot Air Courtesy of Olympia!"

So--what did we (I) give (bribe) the tribes as a 'gift' on behalf of the state for docking on my own taxpayer property? Beads? Trinkets? Tax breaks? Who tied up the boats? Tribal lobbyist "deckhands?" Union pier workers at double-ovetime holiday rates?

Looks good on a postcard--until you dig beneath the foamy surface waves...

Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on June 30, 2005 10:15 PM

27. cc,

Sorry, my fault.
I truly wasn't sure about the deadline.

Posted by: Amused by liberals on July 2, 2005 02:39 PM