US Senator
This position takes the cake for number of candidates – 17
of them. A fair number are cranks or just-for-fun candidates, not to be taken
seriously. That leaves all of 3 serious candidates. Chris
Vance is your classic machine R, not of interest to me. And that leaves
incumbent Patty Murray and challenger Philip Cornell. As I said in my opening comments, if I
feel like I have to to vote to assure the good, then I’ll vote for Patty Murray.
If I feel I can afford to vote my heart, I’ll go for Philip Cornell.
The candidates:
If I’ve got the right Sam Wright,
he’s a fisheries consultant who used to work for Dept of Fish & Wildlife.
Mr Wright is the originator of the website. While the principles are lofty and
I’m sure we would all support them, I’m not seeing a serious program to achieve
them. The platform calls for single payer medical coverage for everyone. Wants
to tax capital gains to pay for universal free college education. There’s a
great deal more, good reading. Must say, I agree with what he has to say. I
would like to hear how he intends to accomplish these goals.
After reading this I have to say that my sympathies lie very
much with this man. I don’t think the Senate is the place for him right now,
but I sure would like to see him continue his fisheries work and his Endangered
Species work.
incumbent, 4th ranking Senate Dem, sits on very
influential committees: budget; health, education, labor and pensions; veterans
affairs; appropriations.
I disagree vehemently with Patty’s support of TPP, but am
right there with her on most other issues.
I’m not seeing a specific issues list on her campaign
website, which bothers me, but some of the news items she cites are: Patty and
Maria Cantwell have introduced a bill to prevent mining in the Methow
headwaters. Helped pass an equal pay resolution for the UW Women’s team soccer
stars. She’s been pushing the House (which needs a push or two) to fund Zika
virus research. She’s working on how to deal with student debt. Began her
career as a citizen lobbyist for environmental and education issues.
Her issues:
- supporting
ag production and agricultural communities
- environment:
helped create the Wild Sky Wilderness, expansion of the Alpine Lakes
Wilderness, designation of Pratt and Middle Fork rivers and Illabot creek as
Wild and Scenic. Worked on funding for Puget Sound cleanup and the Salmon
Recovery Fund. Pushed for regular funding for the Land and Water Conservation
Fund, which finances federal land acquisitions. Worked to create the Hanford
Reach National Monument, protecting 51 miles of the river for salmon spawning.
Supports a permanent ban on offshore drilling. Shaking loose Hanford cleanup
funding. Working on climate change. Protecting public lands. Ensuring funding
for the National Park Service and the Forest Service. Defending the Clean Water
Act and the Clean Air Act from legislative attacks.
- Strong
supporter of women’s reproductive rights.
There’s a ton more on her senate website http://www.murray.senate.gov/public/
but I’ve got a deadline and you can look for yourself.
Endorsed by FUSE Progressive Voters.
Left R party Jan 2016 in favor of Libertarians. Objected to
R top-down organization.
His platform: US foreign policy creates enemies and dangers.
End foreign adventurism. Freeze welfare programs. End business and corporate
welfare. End all foreign aid. Exclude undocumented immigrants from any aid
programs. All social programs should devolve to individual states. Return
federal taxes which support social programs to states. Against TPP. Wants to
legalize marijuana. Wants to cut the federal budget until it is balanced. Wants
to deport undocumented immigrants. Wants to do away with many laws, including
laws requiring equal treatment of LGBT people. Anti-abortion, Wants to do away
with the Federal Reserve. Enough. Right-wing libertarian.
no info available as of 7-12-16
The presumptive R machine candidate. He’s having a campaign
reception with Carly Fiorina.
education: WWU, BA in Political Science.
Former state rep, King County Councilman, WA State R chair.
issues:
1. reducing
the national debt, growing the economy, saving Social Security & Medicare
by capping discretionary spending and reforming entitlement programs.
Pro-growth tax reform. No limits on military spending. Increasing Social
Security contribution cutoff, increasing retirement age, adopt the ‘chained
CPI’, raise Medicare eligibility age, expand means testing for Medicare.
2. climate.
against carbon taxes or cap & trade, promote new energy technologies.
3. free
trade is good for the world. Very pro- TPP.
4. health
insurance. Wants to reform Obamacare and let the insurance companies design
their own plans
5. immigration.
Better border security. After that’s done, a path to legal status for those who
have been here a long time, have had no
run-ins with the law, are willing to pay a fine, and undergo a background
check. A guest worker program (remember the braceros?). A better visa program
for highly skilled workers from overseas.
6. security.
“We must spend what it takes to maintain our nuclear deterrent and conventional
forces . . .” “the United States must assemble a coalition to destroy ISIS.”
Obama was terribly wrong to make a deal with Iran.
7. Second
amendment. Banning semi-automatic weapons would be unconstitutional.
8. abortion.
The people of Washington have spoken. He will continue to block funding, but
will not vote to ban it.
9. marriage.
He won’t try to overturn the law, but will vote to protect churches and
non-profits who have a different view.
10. marijuana.
Legal in WA, illegal federally. He will respect the agreements which allow
that.
He’s got the classic R philosophy and positions, all of
which I despise.
The only information comes from his business (moving, of
course) website. Ran for governor in 1988 and has been running for one office
or another ever since. No discernable platform.
education: “University of H.K, hawse-piper.” I take this to
mean he has not attended college.
A former tea party republican, running as an independent. His major focus appears to be the national
debt. He supports Elizabeth Warren while wanting to abolish the Federal
Reserve. Then he goes on to blast unfettered capitalism and praise socialism.
There’s way too much there and he’s all over the map.
http://www.philcornell4ussenate.org/
education: he cites none, but mentions that he's a lifelong union member, trained in communications tech. "A lifelong ACLU member, activist challenging big corporations, entrenched city governments, adn the inherent unfairness of establishment politics and the economy."
Issues: A Bernie Dem, strongly against TPP, climate change activist, free college education, single payer health coverage, repeal Citizens United, a bi reluctant on gun control but believes it necessary, anti-death penalty, immigration reform to provide a path toward citizenship, pro-choice, expand social security adn lift the lid on contributions, rebuild infrastructure, simplify tax structure and eliminate loopholes, equal pay for women, fair pay for all workers, reduce foreign military adventurism but defeat ISIS, regulate big pharma and end the war on drugs, full equality for LGBTQ people, clean up Wall Street. On Washington specific issues he proposes: clean up Hanford (its way beyond time); deal with I-5 traffic; replace the sales tax; continue tax breaks for Boeing and Microsoft, bu ask more of the them; support ports; oppose coal trains, instead go for high speed trains up and own the west coast.
His closing tag line: Life is short, have fun every day.
I appreciate someone who shares so many of my views. I have to disagree with him on continuing to give Boeing and Microsoft a free ride (they don't pay state sales tax). And I'm not so sure about supporting Port districts, seeing what they keep doing. But other than that, we're on the same page. And I really like the fact that the man has a sense of humor and is not afraid to express it.
Alex Tsimerman Standupamerica standup@alexforamerica.com
www.alexforamerica.com
education: "over 20 years in engineering and management, equal to a US MA" Presumably in Russia. Escaped from Soviet Union +/- 30 years ago. It appears that startin in 1997 he has resorted to the courts to gain justice for himself and many thousands of poor people around issues of housing and social services. He has become a crusader, and perhaps a bit of a crank.
education: none mentioned. He works for Kaiser Aluminum near Spokane and is a union member. Platform: cap executive compensation; overtime pay for salaried employees; bank reform to grant working people access; Wall Street reform; tax reform; reduce the national debt; renewed support for heavy industry and manufacturing; protect unions.
http://scottnazarino.com/
education not mentioned. Entrepreneur in financial services industry.issues: eliminating the national debt; find environmentally friendly ways to extract and burn fossil fuels; develop solar and wind power.
Seems a tad narrow on issues.
Issues: democracy, environmental rights, political corruption, term limits.
Can't find a functional website, and there are complaints of him being a charlatan. He is described in several websites as "a legendary entrepreneur, Angel, Venture Capitalist, and PE investor in innovation towards solving big problems. His investment emphasis is on life sciences, biotech, theraputics, medicine, internet, mobile communication, clean tech, renewable energy, and environmental finance."
could find no website, but did find a facebook page for an
earlier campaign: https://www.facebook.com/Mohammad-Said-for-State-Senate-443188219117828/
education: MD, PhD, MPH
issues: against nuclear armament; wants controls on Israel;
supports Iran having peaceful nukes as a balance against Israel; looking for a
peaceful Israel/Palestine solution
memberships: ACLU, Amnesty International, People for the
American Way, Doctors Without Borders, Physicians for a Nuclear Freeze
Ran for US Senate in 2010.
Thor Amundson D http://thor2016.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thorforsenate2016/ “Avenging the average citizen!”
Works in construction and carpentry. Creates furniture out
of recycled materials to serve our earth and not harm it for personal gain. The
website is primitive and has not been updated since it went live on 6-7-16.
There are very few clues to his positions.
He is appalled by the bombings in Istanbul and wants the US
to destroy ISIS. “I absolutely support responsibility and the 2nd
Amendment.” Wants an end to super-delegates.
I conclude this is not a serious candidate.
education: UW BS in
molecular and cellular biology, BA in psychology. University of Wisconsin PhD
in cellular and molecular biology.
Believes the system just needs a reboot. Wants a simplified
tax system and provides a spreadsheet to see how it would work. What I haven’t
seen is a projection of how much such a tax would generate. On environment and
energy, favors “almost all of the above” – excluding the oldest and dirtiest
technologies. Free trade: needs to be fair as well as free. Wants US codes
protecting workers and the environment respected. Health Care: Obamacare is a
decent first step toward single payer and something he calls “all-payer rate
setting” for meds. Immigration: favors a path to citizenship, especially for those
brought here as children. Wants to end partisan bickering. Wants to expand
Washington’s solutions to social issues to the entire country.
Rebooting the system: reject or reform Citizens United. Make
it illegal to donate to any campaign if you can’t vote for that candidate or
issue. Provide electronic alternatives to officeholders having to be in DC,
like videoconferencing.
This is the new, tech-comfortable generation seeing tech
solutions to some major problems. I disagree with him on some small points, but
overall he has some very good ideas.
Sorry, this is the only clean image I
could find.
All I've been able to find is a bunch of twitter posts. He's a Bernie fan and hates Hillary.
Hard to take this guy seriously.
education: Whitman College BA in Political Science, USC Masters in Planning, clerked for an attorney
to pass the bar. Attorney.
background: special assistant to Rep Tom Foley. Touts his
representation of some pretty bad people.
issues: use of overwhelming debilitating military force to
achieve world peace. Uses all the code words for the typical right wing agenda:
supports LEGAL immigration; supports FAMILY structure; supports a new status of
REGISTERED for undocumented residents; supports limited government; opposes any
intrusion into a woman’s reproductive system – which I take to mean that he’s
anti-abortion; “DRUG ABUSE is Homeland Public Enemy #1”; “IT IS OUR RIGHT TO
BEAR ARMS”
You get the idea.
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