Today's Seattle Times reports that the campaign committee for "Bridging the Gap" (Seattle's November 2006 streets and landscaping levyballot proposal initiated by Mayor Greg Nickels), donated $31,557 in surplus campaign to various non-profit organizations, political committees and campaign workers. Among the beneficiaries: The Seattle-Kobe Sister City Association received $5,000, and The Irish Heritage Club got $4,000.
The money sent to the Irish club and Kobe group could be used to defray travel expenses for Nickels' wife and other Seattleites who'll be visiting sister cities Galway, Ireland, and Kobe, Japan, later this yearOther beneficiaries included: Washington Conservation Voters ($800), Cascade Land Conservancy ($1,500), Futurewise ($1,250), Seattle Great City Initiatives ($1,000), Transportation Choices Coalition ($6,000), Cascade Bicycle Club ($1,000), Campaign manager Andrew Glass-Hastings ($3,500). Campaign treasurer Richard Vincent received a "spontaneous gratuity," of $2,503.
The Washington State Democrats received $5,000.
The law should be changed to require initiative campaigns to refund any surplus cash to the donors.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at April 27, 2007 03:48 PM | Email ThisIsn't Nichols of Celtic extraction? The point is the foundation of corrupt systems like Chicago and Philly is that supporters are rewarded and others are punished. Eventually the majority go along to get along. Read the reports of the Operation Greylord corruption scandal in Chicago, the amount of entrenched corruption is breathtaking. By the way, Sheryl Crow is an idiot who uses private planes and other gas guzzling modes of transport.
Posted by: WVH on April 27, 2007 04:03 PMNickel's heritage is immaterial. Giving money to a white-bread group just doesn't fit in with Seattle's white privilege PC penance facade.
But then again that extra money was like slop in a hog trough.
Posted by: Sheryl Crow promotes poor hygine on April 27, 2007 04:35 PMEveryone is encouraged to watch:
Bill Moyers Journal: "Buying the War"
Bill Moyers demonstrates the complicity of the press (both conservative and liberal) in propagandizing on behalf of the war.
More materials are available here:
Buying the War: Watch the Show
It is very important and sobering to recognize how terrible a job the press performed prior to Iraq-Vietnam. Specifically: The New York Times, Washington Post, the networks, and especially cable news.
The United States of America is now entering the era of consequences. The people of Seattle are going to be paying $4 a gallon for gasoline soon. The Iraq war will end (whether you like it or not) and that means that the price of oil & gasoline cannot help but get extremely expensive over the next several years.
That's the price America is going to pay for aggressive warfare and the nation's oil addiction and the extreme gluttony of the American people.
America's economy will suffer. America's economy might collapse. Pray that there are no hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico this year.
Many of those things which seem *extremely important* right now will soon become *absolutely irrelevant*. All those empty-eyed empty-headed people who spend their life engaged in recreational shopping will need to find a new hobby soon.
Unfortunately for Americans, the sufferings which are fast approaching are all well-deserved and well-earned. The United States of America is not an innocent country. The United States of America is not a righteous country.
The bill for all of our sins will soon become due. Prepare yourself for harsh times ahead. Wish I had some good news, but that is life.
Here is the link to the beginning of the show:
Bill Moyers Journal: "Buying the War"
Watch the program and listen carefully.
Posted by: David Mathews on April 27, 2007 05:16 PMWho cares what Bill Moyers produces. This thread is about corruption in Seattle. Why don't you go get your own blog and write what you are interested in.
For all the software developers can we develop a content analysis tool that will automatically screen postings to see if they are on topic and only permit on topic postings?
Posted by: Not a Yank on April 27, 2007 05:30 PMOff the Prozac now?
Posted by: swassociates on April 27, 2007 05:36 PMSet asides for a Boy Scout Camp.
Lumber company benefits for displaced workers.
etc.
Seriously though, there are some really good initiatives that could be used to limit government encroachment which might generate excess funds.
Perhaps, starting with a statutory definition of the word "emergency" when used to justify legislative votes?
Also, I believe a vote of the people would most likely result in a ban on the use of any dues "required" paid to any organization for the purpose of gainful employment be forbidden to be used for political purposes.
Just a thought.
'WVH,
Nickel's heritage is immaterial. Giving money to a white-bread group just doesn't fit in with Seattle's white privilege PC penance facade."
I think your thinking is as fuzzy as that of your namesake. People in corrupt systems give money to their supporters no matter what nominclature you use to describe them. Here the heritage might be relevant because his wife is visiting Ireland. Did he give money to Nambia and is his wife visiting there? The focus should be on corrruption and corrupt systems which are essentially tribal in nature and tribal in the distribution of benefits.
A great quote from the Greylord scandal in Chicago
is the comment to a person whose case was wrongfuly dismissed, "you weren't on the Christmas list." I don't know if it is the case with you, but many conservatives are so focused on what they perceive as the evils of "reverse discrimination" that they miss the point. The point is corruption and is the system of corruption developing like Chicago and Philly?
If Nickels were sincere he would have directed that the overage from his campaign organization be given to the Seattle treasury and earmarked for the sorely needed projects Bridge The Gap pandered.
That idea has been broached however the legality-ethics-propriety issue quickly surfaced.
Yeah, right. However no problemo in giving money to a group hauling Mrs. Spendthrift Mayor to Ireland.
If Nickels is Hell-bent on giving the money to a social club and he has an ounce of dignity he'll pull the Mrs. off the trip and find some deserving old lady from Seattle with direct roots to Eire and send her. Alas Nickels and dignity are extreme opposites.
WVH,
Nothing was said applauding Nickels for how the surplus was turned into a largess. Quite the opposite.
Quite frankly your comments about my "thinking" is offensive. So grow up and dispense with subtle insults about "thinking" and "namesake."
Besides, if you read, and perhaps re-read, what I posted you might recognize that I said essentially the same as you: "what they perceive as the evils of 'reverse discrimination' that they miss the point." He and the Seattle FACADE were duly lambasted.
If you pick the nome de plume of a lame and dumb celebrity, then you probably will be critiqued. After all, you didn't call yourself Stephen Hawking.
Posted by: WVH on April 27, 2007 07:29 PM> Who cares what Bill Moyers produces.
Good question. Maybe the 3,337 soldiers who have died needlessly, and their 20,000 comrades who have survived with grevious injuries, and maybe even the 150,000 Iraqi civilians who have died.
Anyhow, what is the great important topic under discussion on this thread? Isn't it some sort of local matter? Who cares about that?
The great sewer of corruption is the George W. Bush administration. That corruption is covered in blood from all of its warmongering.
Isn't it a pity? Isn't it a shame? Isn't it the greatest tragedy in America's history?
Posted by: David Mathews on April 27, 2007 07:37 PMMy "nome (sic) de plume" isn't an accolade for its namesake - it's a pun. It's called a joke. It's about her toilet paper prattle. Do I need to make it any more clear?
If a person can't make light of current events then all the crap will start eating at them. Might cause a person to repeatedly rant about the same issue and repeatedly post their educational background and work experience. Might even cause a person to continually post attempted thesis-like diatribes about obscure events elsewhere.
So if you want to keep up the insults and tirades be my guest. However I won't be responding to your comments. One suggestion though - get a grip.
I got the joke. I read both Drudge and Huffington, it was reported there. Having dealt with both high school and undergraduate kids, I was trying to judge your age. High School?
Don't roll over and play dead, post something that is worthy of a response.
Posted by: WVH on April 27, 2007 08:32 PMThis sounds good in theory but difficult in practice. Would you send every donor a check for a small fraction of their original contribution?
Posted by: Bruce on April 27, 2007 11:12 PMYou have to be dumber than a post!
The greatest tragedy in American history is not the war in Iraq. Anyone with a modicum of historical knowledge could come up with events that make Iraq pale by comparison. For example, the Civil War, or The trail of tears, or WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam, the Indian wars, the great influenza pandemic, etc.
The greatest disappointment in American history is your generation, the children of the greatest generation: Self absorbed, self indulgent testosterone deficient navel gazing dhimmini.
Posted by: Not a Yank on April 27, 2007 11:27 PM
The next generation, as they always do, will have to clean up after these pathetic multicultural self hating bed wetters; hopefully the clean up will not include the radioactive waste of what was a large American city...
Posted by: Hank on April 28, 2007 07:00 AMThe answer is yes, send the fraction. Class action lawsuits do that all the time. One of the biggest supporter groups of the dems are trial lawyers. Ever got five bucks back. Remember the city light refund litigation. Check out the fees to trial lawyers vs. return to class action consumers. The real issue is corruption and whether this little gambit is building a foundation to support the same type of corruption that is endemic in Chicago, Philly and other urban areas. One party rule, no matter the party generally leads to corruption.
Posted by: WVH on April 28, 2007 07:07 AMfoisted on the public by government liberals who have too much time & money under their control & want taxpayers to pay for their personal junkets & shopping trips for family.
want international understanding? go to a local library & read. take a course in school or tour the internet. have private ethnic/social groups foot the bill for travel. not taxpayers.
what does the average citizen in Kobe Japan care about his counterpart in Edmonds WA? squat.
he wants his tax money--like us--to fix HIS street potholes and serve his LOCAL needs--not have his funds spent by some dreamy travel-starved cheap politician.
when a sister city starts sending MY city some hard cash "to be nice," then i'll pay attention.
it is not a govt priority. it's fluff. let private groups pay & encourage it. yes, this is an international world, but every city in America does not need this boondogle as a necessary function.
Posted by: jimmie-howya-doin on May 3, 2007 05:27 PM