crosscut.com : Politics / Government

Top-two. Ho-hum.

Crosscut — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:30:01 PDT

Top-Two changed — almost nothing.

The top-two primary system was supposed to be the beginning of the end of politics as we know it in Washington state. Both chairs of the state's political parties (Luke Esser, Republican, and Dwight Pelz, Democrat) spent much of the last several months warning about the perverse outcomes that would result from our new system. The most perverse of all, of course, was the scenario in which two members of the same party would advance to the general election instead of the top Democrat and the top Republican.

Where the Dems are

Crosscut — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:00:01 PDT

In sorting tea leaves, take a look at the very close primary race between state Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland, a Republican, and his challenger, Peter Goldmark, an Okanagan Democrat. Sutherland looks like the only statewide officeholder, aside from Gov. Gregoire, in a tight race for reelection. The race will be a barometer of the greenward tilting of the Evergreen State. As a relatively low-profile, down-on-the-ballot race, it's also a good measure of where the Democratic voters are.

The post-partisan electorate

Crosscut — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:00:01 PDT

Reform of King County county government is popular but is almost always painted as a Republican plot. Nevertheless, the generally liberal electorate has embraced change. Last night, they gave the nod to I-26, which would allow a vote in November on whether or not to make county elected positions non-partisan. It will join another measure passed last year as I-25, which will ask whether or not to make the superintendent of county elections an elected post.

Whaddya know: Reichert/Burner will be a close race

Crosscut — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 04:00:01 PDT

Last night I took a trip to Democratic congressional candidate Darcy Burner's "victory party" at the Mustard Seed in Bellevue. Despite preliminary margins showing Burner trailing incumbent Republican Sen. Dave Reichert by 3 percent, spirits at Camp Burner were high. When the candidate took the stage, her supporters roared — while Reichert's slim lead seemed to bother them about as much as gold medals bother Michael Phelps. Rematch 2008 is on.

Sausage Links, 'Pledge Allegiance to the Top-Two Primary' edition

Crosscut — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:39:01 PDT

Today is the the "top-two" primary, and everyone expects the polls to be packed. But before casting your ballot, take a moment to remember our failed state primary formats of the past. As the editorial board at The Seattle Times writes: "Pause now for a moment of silence in remembrance of the state's defunct blanket primary, which served Washington's voters well for almost 70 years" — that is, until federal courts declared it was unconstitutional. After the blankie went bye-bye, Washington state tried the "Pick-a-party" primary, but voters didn't feel the vibe. Today, we've been blessed with the oft-litigated, much deliberated top-two primary, a format some people say is doomed to fail. But dammit, we might as well try it out. ...

A cure for congestion that's simple and cheap (and doomed)

Crosscut — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:01 PDT

Most cures for congestion come in billion-dollar packages, since it's easier for politicians to evade hard choices by instead throwing lots of money at the problem. An example of a simple, cheap (but politically radioactive) cure for congestion is to start replacing curbside parking with lanes for buses, bikes, and pedestrians. A pithy case for doing just that, as New York is trying to do, is "No Parking, Ever'" by Hope Cohen, deputy director of Manahattan Institute's Center for Rethinking Development. It's full of common sense.

Gregoire's running mate

Crosscut — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:00:01 PDT

In some states, the Governor and Lt. Governor runs as a ticket, but not in Washington. Democrats Gov. Christine Gregoire and Sir Brad Owen run their own campaigns. But I got a piece of campaign literature in the mail this weekend that suggests Gregorie does indeed have a running mate.

Election reflections

Crosscut — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:00:01 PDT

A veteran political insider remembers good statesmen of the past and shares his choices for today's primary.

Sausage Links, top-two primary Cuban cigar edition

Crosscut — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:26:01 PDT

Today is "Top-Two" Primary's Eve, and as usual, the pundits have circled and speculated about tomorrow's big turnout. But we'll get to that in a second. First, Oregon congressional candidate Mike Erickson has a lesson for us titled What not to do when going on a "humanitarian trip" to Cuba. In 2004, Erickson said he visited a Cuban "medical center, met with doctors, and attended a presentation on the plight of the disabled." But according to a recent story in The Oregonian, the medical center Erickson said he visited does not exist. The story goes on to say that Erickson and some friends spent nearly $1,698 each for the weeklong Cuban vacation, which conveniently coincided with the Habanos Festival, an annual celebration of Cuban cigars. ...

A president who understands Asia

Crosscut — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:00:01 PDT

Barack Obama visited his family in Hawaii last week, and Hawaii is America's state with the closest ties to Asia. His visit reminds us that the Democratic nominee-in-waiting would be the first non-white U.S. president in history, one with close ties to Asia, and not due only to his much-discussed schooling in Indonesia.

The future of 'nowhere'

Crosscut — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:00:01 PDT

Urban planners love to hate the suburbs, but what's going to become of them? Will Bellevue eventually become a post-carbon ghost town or a new urban hybrid? Some reflections on the urban/suburban debate.

Sausage Links, ice cream man edition

Crosscut — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:22:01 PDT

Despite the near-record temperatures predicted for the weekend, officials from around the state are asking agencies to "freeze." Last week, Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire ordered a hiring freeze for state employees in an attempt to ease Washington's mounting budget deficit. Yesterday, the Snohomish County Council ordered a hiring freeze for all of their county's agencies. Not to be outdone, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels proposed a $5 million spending freeze for the City of Seattle yesterday. On a related note, Seattle's fleet of ice cream carts are expanding their service around the city, in a move experts say could result in widespread brain freezes. ...

Sausage Links, abbreviated snack time edition

Crosscut — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:58:01 PDT

Gregory Roberts at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has an interesting story detailing how Washington state's past elections would have been different if we always had the "top-two" primary system. Think Locke versus Rice, ~~Goodspaceguy versus Mike the Mover~~, Dixy Lee versus McDermott. Meanwhile, Jeff Mapes at The Oregonian wonders if Oregon voters know what they could be getting themselves into with Measure 65, a ballot initiative that — if approved — would implement the top-two primary in Oregon as well. ...

The best-laid plans: How neighborhoods have fared

Crosscut — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:00:01 PDT

Chapter 5: Few citizens will read a 170-page auditor's report on how well decade-old neighborhood plans have been implemented. But it should be required reading for the mayor and City Council. Bottom line: The plans have had some good consequences, but City Hall has lost interest.

Sausage Links, 'Everybody wants to rule the world' edition

Crosscut — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:00:01 PDT

Angie Vogt at Red County Washington has posted an exclusive one-on-one interview with Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi. However, don't expect attacks like those seen in Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire's interview with the Stranger last week — this one is fairly vanilla. From the start, Rossi channels the Obama-patented change mantra, saying "this election is not about me, it's not about Christine Gregoire; it's about changing the culture and direction of state government for a generation." It may be a sign Rossi is looking to court more independent voters like this. Or that he's sticking to the high road for now. His campaign, however, isn't so sure he'll be ahead after Tuesday's primary election. But they aren't worried. ...

A newsstand's last stand

Crosscut — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:00:01 PDT

Seattle's "last surviving corner newsstand" is endangered. The Los Angeles Times reports that the blue news kiosk on the corner of Third Ave. and Pike Street downtown has been ordered shut down by Seattle's Department of Transportation.

After a late start, MSM blogs are everywhere

Crosscut — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:00:01 PDT

The Northwest's mainstream newspapers are reporting political news on the Web first. Part 3 of 3

Foreign policy comes crashing back into the campaigns

Crosscut — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:00:01 PDT

Neither Obama nor McCain seems prepared for the post-post-Cold War realities now rearing their heads. New presidents rarely come into office knowing enough, or knowing that they don't know enough.

Sausage Links, cops and memos edition

Crosscut — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:00:01 PDT

The local blogosphere is buzzing about a Democratic Party cameraman who was forcibly removed by off-duty police officers from a press conference for Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi yesterday. David Goldstein at Horse's Ass says the incident sets an unfair double standard, as Republican camera crews are allowed into campaign events for Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire, while the folks at Sound Politics say the Democrats don't exactly have a "spirit of openness," either. Here's the YouTube video. ...

Seattle Public Schools flunks civics

Crosscut — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:01:01 PDT

What does it teach kids to slaughter a grove of mature trees in a city whose urban forest is already in crisis? A city which will need a new generation to help fix serious environmental problems like cleaning up Puget Sound and dealing with cancer-causing pollution?