Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant Governor
Ann Davison Sattler              R

attorney, teacher, 2019 city council candidate

6-29-20 pdc $57k

former Dem, now R

She says she always thought of herself as a Dem, but when she ran for Seattle city council she found herself shut out by progressives.
She sees the Lt Gov position as having become partisan and she’s out to change that. She says it is ‘not welcoming to other ideas.’ 


policy:
~ fiscal responsibility, good stewardship of tax dollars – cut waste in Olympia, tie programs to actual outcomes 
~ political balance – one party has held power too long. They forget to listen.
 ~ public safety – would never support de-funding police. They’re just trying to shift funds to pet projects. See what happened when Inslee released 1000 inmates under the guise of COVID safety? In reality, the inmates were safer in jail, and they ended up committing violent crimes outside. (Turns out only 350 were released before the State Supreme Court shut down the program, claiming prisons could keep prisoners safe. As of today 7-10-20 there are 263 cases and 2 deaths, primarily at Coyote Ridge)
~ addiction & mental health – need physical and mental health coverage. Need better addiction rehab and mental health care.
~ homelessness – we don’t know who has which problem making them homeless. We don’t know who are the criminals taking advantage of otherwise forgotten people living in tents & makeshift dwellings. We need to get people out of unsafe unsanitary conditions and into shelter. We can use otherwise vacant commercial spaces for temporary housing.
~ COVID – she hopes by the time she takes office there will be a vaccine. She will take a balanced approach to protect both lives and livelihoods.

She’s endorsed by a bunch of legislative Rs. 

What I’m not seeing/hearing is an understanding of what the lieutenant governor actually does and how she will fulfill that role. I am underwhelmed.


Bill Penor R

airport manager, 2016 candidate

not listed with pdc

memberships:
WA Airport Management Assoc, president & board member
Narbeck Wetland Sanctuary, board member
American Assoc of Airport Execs, member
WA Business Assoc, current member

Issues:
~ honor veterans & war dead
~ education – full funding of career & tech ed (CTE), integrate CTE in all school districts, invest in 1st year teacher salaries. He cites a list of benefits. Says education has been deteriorating & needs to be brought back up to snuff. He has a long diatribe on this, mostly positive – and then he tells us that Charter Schools are not the Enemy! (his exclamation, not mine)

~ Home Safe/housing – he explains how and why people are losing their homes, and proposes “immediate cash injections to WA State Housing Finance Commission, from the state tax surplus (what surplus would this be?) This would be available to people needing rent assistance. And more specifics. 

~ Color – blacks are humans (really?) He mentions that he is the grandfather of 2 very young black children.  It is time to stamp out the last remnants of racism. (would he ever have realized this if a child of his hadn’t partnered with a person of color?)

~ Sustainable energy – he “maintains an open mind” on energy issues. Now is the time to pursue green power and renewables while we have the luxury of time to prepare for our future energy needs. (I don’t know what planet he’s on, but on this one we’ve run out of that luxury of time and need to get on it RIGHT NOW.)
  - Create a sustainable energy development campus at the site of the failed Satsop nuclear plant. 
- Set up biomass plants, but not allow use of wood from old growth & other protected forests. 
- Go to Liquid Flouride Thorium Reactor nuclear generation.
(To say that his energy ideas are counterproductive would be a major understatement) 


Again, I’m not seeing any description of the job and how he would do it. At least he has some ideas. He is totally wedded to the public/private partnership model, but he does seem to have looked at some of the issues. I still wouldn’t vote for him.


Denny Heck D

congressman, ex-state rep, businessman, ex gubernatorial aide

according to PDC on 6-29-20 has raised over $609k. A lot of max donations, $4k/ea, 


Retiring from US House of Reps
“These times urgently call out for public service. As Lieutenant Governor I will provide stability and work to ensure fairness and civility”

Why Denny?
civility, decency, experience – the Lieutenant governor “sets the tone” for debate and decorum in the legislature.

He came from working class people and has been a union business agent for many years. He believes passionately in public schools and has rejected any and all donations from pro-charter school groups. 

He will fight for a fair budget that protects the vulnerable and strengthens public schools. He will fight for progressive policies.

He will fight to protect Puget Sound, and has done so in congress. He signed I-1631 & will work on climate change. He has a 96% rating from League of Conservation Voters. 

He will fight for tax reform, leading to ‘a more progressive tax system.”

He will fight to increase access to reproductive health care.

He has written 3 books, one on Washington schools, one a mystery, and one a personal memoir. He wrote and performed a 1 man play.

I get the impression of a good hearted mainstream Dem with enviro leanings.

tps://www.thenewstribune.com/news/politics-government/article242927086.html
Heck has picked up endorsements from more than 230 current and former elected officials, including former governors Christine Gregoire and Gary Locke.

All in all, not a bad fit. At least he acknowledges some of the issues that matter to me and is not allergic to the term ‘progressive.’ But even he does not demonstrate an understanding of the job description and how he will fill it. I won’t cry if his very large campaign warchest wins him the election, but I won’t be voting for him.


James R Rafferty D

Should State of Washington Legislators get pay increases during a Pandemic?  No!
Our focus should be getting people back to work as safely as possible.  We have to be creative and listen to new ideas in how we do this as never before.
Should Public Higher Education in Washington State be free from review from Olympia?  My answer is No!
For more than 25 years Public Academic Bureaucrats have raised tuition and have had too much authority to create strange degrees and eliminate existing ones.  The State of Washington should once again review and regulate Tuition and Degrees and withhold funding for Public Universities that forget they work for the Citizens of the State of Washington.  Common Course Numbering and Transfer policies for existing credits a student has completed need to be reviewed and accepted by Higher Education Officials whether they like it or not!
To avoid confusion, I am Clarifying some statements on the Washington State Website.  Due to word limitations, the Education section is incorrect.
I have completed 37 credits in Paralegal Study at Edmonds CC.  I do not have a Paralegal AA from them.  I did apply for a General Studies AA from them but was denied.   
I have completed a Certificate of 33 credits in International Trade From North Seattle CC in 1992.  I added 16 more science and other credits and have an AA DTA from them in 2004.  After 2004, renamed NSC now have new dedicated 2 year and 4 year degrees in International Trade.  These are different from the Degree I earned.
My first Arts and Sciences Degree was from Tacoma CC in 1982.  Later, I went back and completed a General Studies AA from TCC in 1998.  
I have an Associate Development Degree from Green River CC in 1998.  
I have an Associate in Applied Science in Network Technology from Cascadia CC in 2004.  
I have an Associate in Technology General from Pierce CC. in 2005.  
I have applied several times for a 3rd BA in General Studies from the University of Washington, this has met with some resistance and has not been approved.

It took me a long time to find his website, which is very incomplete and not particularly informative. My impression is that he is having a disagreement with higher education officials about the cumulative value of his varied education. That does not strike me as sufficient basis for running for lieutenant governor.   Another “also ran”


Jared Frerichs libertarian

business consultant, USCG veteran, 2016 county council candidate

Ran for Walla Walla county commissioner, military veteran, evidently works (worked?) for WA State Patrol and a “CO2” (corrections officer) at the Walla Walla prison. 
Active in his police union and lobbies in Olympia.
issues: livable wage jobs, public safety, environment

wants to build a public gun range.

at facebook.com/jared4ww.

“planning ahead, after we decide to solve racism – we should focus on class conflict  . . .”
“our capacity for empathy is limited by our experience”
“we are not born empathetic”
“empathy requires an evolution in our thinking”
“I have a court order to turn over my pugs in 72 hours”
“I am not good at court”

He laments the status of police, who he believes are being thrown under the bus.
“libertarian socialist caucus of the libertarian party”


~ combat veteran
~ volunteer for political campaigns

why Lieutenant governor?
* attend meetings, and hope the governor doesn’t die
* president of the senate
* fills in for the governor
* has a large role in international relations

why vote for you?
I am the only Libertarian. Its time to break the D/R duopoly. 

I just checked out his Facebook page and find among the piles of drivel a thread quite upset with the demands for dealing with COVID. Seems a health officer in Spokane held a person in custody who was positive and refused to isolate. 

Ran for county commissioner as a Dem in 2016.

Gotta say, at least he does describe the job. That’s a point in his favor. On the other hand, I have a prejudice against police in positions of civil power. And I am most unimpressed with Libertarian ideas. And then there’s the fascinating statement about having a court order to turn over his pugs. One wonders just what that is about.

Hard for me to take this candidate seriously.


Joseph Brumbles R

business manager, family court reform activist, 2018 US rep candidate


*Pro Family, Pro Bill of Rights, Pro School's , Pro Jobs, Pro Lower Taxes, Pro Truth In Politics, Pro Clean & Affordable Energy, Pro Quality Of Life, Pro affordable healthcare, Pro Life, Pro Liberty.

Standing up for our rights. I will fight any unconstitutional legislation. I will never sign any unconstitutional (illegal) legislation as Lt. Governor.

1.) Fair (Lower) Taxes - A Balanced Budget:
By helping to create focus on eliminating wasteful spending and reducing unnecessary government control. I will fight to eliminate the tyrannical tax hikes here in Washington state.

2.) A strong state economy:
By focusing support, for local businesses and by limiting unnecessary business tax. Let's make this state business friendly. This in turn will create many new jobs and strengthen our states economy. 

3.) Our Schools - School Safety:
I will do my part to ensure that we eliminate the waste and mismanagement to ensure that our schools and teachers get what they need. I would also like to see our schools primarily controlled and funded at our state level vs. the federal level. This will eliminate a ton of waste and we can better mold the needs of the schools, to what’s needed in our state. (versus a one size fits all direction from the federal government.)

Also I will focus on creating awareness and pushing for policy, that will secure our schools without attacking our constitution, in order to keep our children safe. I will do this by focusing on securing the school buildings themselves. I have spoken with a few security consultants and there are many reasonable, cost effective ways to do this.

4.) Taking Care Of Our Vets:
Our vets are not getting the healthcare that they need and deserve. I will focus on fighting for the vets in our state, so that they can have more choices and receive a much higher quality of care, in many cases, much closer to home.

5.) Clean And Affordable Energy:
I believe and will strive for clean energy, however it also needs to be affordable energy. I am standing for Liberty and in that, for a higher quality of life. We cannot add tax to fossil fuels and penalize people with triple cost energy bills. Energy must be affordable. We can do this by utilizing technology and the free market, among other things. I will be an advocate for common sense, clean and affordable energy within our state.

Hi,
  
 My name is Joseph Brumbles. I am a single father and an oath keeper. In 2018 I ran for US Congress in Washington’s 10th district against Denny Heck. In that race I earned roughly 40% of the votes or 104,000 votes in the general election. I did this with under $10,000 compared to my opponents $1.2 million. 

Fast forward to today and it is time for me to make another firm stand. To volunteer to put my life on hold for our greater good. To fight for my childrens futures here in Washington state. I am running for Lt. Governor here in Washington state for "We The People". I believe in truth in politics and delivering on campaign promises. 

I am running in order to take a stand for Liberty and to protect our constitutional rights. I am also running to help to ensure "A United Washington." I want this for all people, regardless of age, race, religion, life preferences, etc. I believe in personal Liberty. I am truly a person who wants to be THE representative, for ALL people of Washington state. 

I will do everything that I can in order to ensure that our children get to enjoy the same freedoms that we have enjoyed. Being a single father of two daughters and a business leader, I know the struggles of everyday life. I want to take what I have learned from life and use it to help all Washingtonians. I am a constitutional conservative and believe whole heartedly in upholding our constitution. I am confident that I will get the job done as our Lt. Governor.

I will continue to be a true champion for us, "We The People." Enough about me, what about you!? Are you ready to help to take our state back from the oath breakers in 2020!? Are you ready to make a stand!? To be THE difference!? 

We are on the political front lines and our entire country is depending on us! We cannot simply move away it WILL follow. We MUST make a stand! Please help me to help us unite as Washingtonians and to move forward. Help to maintain Liberty, so that we can enjoy all of our Constitutional Rights.

I am a fighter, let me fight for us in the most productive way, as our Lt. Governor. Together 
let’s focus on people over party, let’s unite, 
let’s take our state back from tyranny and 
greed. Stand with me.

"A United Washington." -Joseph Brumbles

What can I add to that? The classic R agenda, with a smattering of what he believes to be bones tossed to Dems. Again, he does not define the job or how he will accomplish it. I take that back. He says he will not sign any legislation which he believes violates the constitution – being the great constitutional scholar that he is, he will have no trouble discerning any such violation.

Thanks, but no thanks.


Marty McClendon R

“A Voice for Us”

~ Government Accountability – out of control government bureaucracies that write their own rules, waste taxpayer dollars and do not deliver on service for you.

 ~ Competitive Pricing to bring free market principles to bear. Hold government accountable for spending. Reign (sic) in out of control spending.

~ Education – he cites to lack of educational success and says “our kids deserve more” but I do not see any proposal.

~ Support Small Business – collaborate with the business community and re-open to restore and restart economic engine. Reduce bureaucratic red tape and costly roadblocks. WA needs to be open for business and get the people back to work.

~ Taxes – we already pay too much. We can’t afford an income tax. They don’t need more tax dollars, they need to invest more wisely.

~ Congestion – don’t focus on mass transit, just add lane miles.

~ Veterans – he loves ‘em

~ Homelessness – causes crime. We need to categorize homeless to match with resources. Collaborate with non-profits and private charities.

~ Housing Affordability & Supply. – its those damned regulations that inflate the price. He has 21 years of real estate and land use experience. Will work on zoning, land use, and streamlining the process. Bring free market principles into play. Expand public/private partnerships.

~ No to Extreme Liberal Policies – Seattle style policies hurt citizens, stifle the economy, lower quality of life.

~ Second Amendment Rights – he will protect gun rights.

~ Healthcare – He’s been there and done that. He will advocate for free market solutions.

~ Strong Families – He will advocate for 2 parent homes for children.

~ Permanent Fund – He will open up logging, keep the snake river dams, remove government intervention in the free market.

realtor, pastor, conspiracy theorist, frequent candidate

Well, this is a great agenda for everything I oppose. I love how he will advocate for 2 parent families. One wonders if that includes two parents of the same gender. And homelessness causes crime and regulations cause a shortage of housing. Oh, don’t get me started.   Luckily this is an ‘also ran.’


Matt Seymour Libertarian

property manager, 2018 state rep candidate, 2019 city council candidate

lives in Bothell
ran for legislature 2018, got 5.91% of the vote
ran for Bothell city council

“Ronald Reagan warned us about today’s Democrats. Chilling.”
My main focus is to minimize the financial impact that Taxation has on everybody.

another perennial candidate ‘also ran.’


Michelle Jasmer D

mortgage & real estate broker
think big, invent and simplify

Found a dormant facebook page which showed involvement with service dogs.

no info, another ‘also ran’


Richard (Dick) Muri R

ex state rep, ex Pierce county councilman, retired USAF Lt Colonel

posts slur take-offs on Biden, a Faux news piece claiming that a Q13 Fox security guard had to disarm 2 “rioters” in Seattle’s CHOP zone, who had stolen police rifles. 
Re COVID, phase 5 = vote out Jay Inslee
“Trump’s judicial appointments are among the most qualified in history”

He does seem to respect the virus, advocating for masks and social distancing and avoiding crowded venues. 

The man is a classic Trump Republican, full of himself and nasty/ugly with any who disagree. I want to see some basis for the claim that anyone in Seattle stole police rifles. I am deeply offended by such patent lies. I just re-checked his Facebook page and find him praising the Rushmore event, along with a link to R candidates statewide.

I just wonder how such people get into state government at all. He does not appear to address the position for which he is running or have any idea what the job actually entails. 

Needless to say, not even on a cold day in hell would I vote for this guy.


Marko Liias D

state senator, ex state rep, ex Mukilteo city councilman, 2016 state treasurer candidate


He is Finnish, speaks the language, and is openly gay.
He has worked his way up from Mukilteo city council to state legislature, state senate, and is now running for Lieutenant governor. 

In his emails he expresses concern re COVID and how both federal and state governments are responding. 
He calls himself a Bold Progressive. 
He has stopped fundraising and instead asks people to support Black and Brown voices fighting for change, and includes a list. 
“As white people of privilege it is essential we be useful in this struggle to ensure Black lives always matter.”
Today, the work we did on passing I-940 has placed Washington state at the forefront of rigorous standards for community-focused law enforcement. These standards include annual training for officers on implicit bias, de-escalation tactics, mental health, and alternatives to the use of lethal tactics.
While I’m proud of the role I played to help bring about these overdue changes, it has been abundantly clear over the last week there is still much more to do.
And this week, I returned a contribution we received from the State Troopers Association.
I want to be clear, I respect collective bargaining. But at this critical moment in our history, police unions too often stand in the way of progress and meaningful reforms.

Additionally, I am deeply concerned to learn about the political pressure being placed on members of Congress by the Fraternal Order of Police to water down or even withdraw the racial justice bills being introduced by House and Senate Democrats.

Among a wide range of reforms, these bills hold the police accountable for their actions, but the Fraternal Order of Police is opposed.

Only through real reform in law enforcement and addressing economic, housing, and education inequities can we achieve overdue change.
And, as for me, whether it’s gun safety laws, policing reform, or working to end discrimination in housing, education, the workplace, or wherever it may be found, I’m going to keep using my position of privilege to help make our state better.

He supports increasing opportunities and eligibility to vote.

He has been very productive in congress, passing 45 bills. His (unnamed) opponent has passed 3, one of which renamed a post office. 

He is endorsed by retiring Lieutenant governor Cyrus Habib

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/politics-government/article242927086.html
Although the lieutenant governor’s race has 11 candidates, only Heck and state Sen. Marko Liias, a Lynnwood Democrat who is Senate Majority Floor Leader, are considered the heavyweights.

Read more here: https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/politics-government/article242927086.html#storylink=cpy
Habib has endorsed Liias, as have most of the Senate Democrats who control the chamber. 

While I won’t cry if we end up with Denny Heck, I far prefer Marko Liias. I will be voting for 
Marko Liias for lieutenant governor.
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Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, Attorney General

Secretary of State
Ed Minger Independent

environmental technician, community activist

refuses to purchase advertising, reducing the need for $ in politics
interesting personal history focused on people working together and mutual support. Sounds like a very good teacher.
Approval Voting – ban candidate advertising. A fairly long tutorial on his proposal, a variant on ranked choice voting.  He’s a bit long winded explaining the concept. 
Proposes an elected research team.
Proposes amended voter’s pamphlet, complete with his Approval Voting.

A lot of interesting ideas. I don’t have time to watch all the videos. Not sure I want to see Approval Voting rather than ranked choice voting, but they are similar attempts to break from the current dysfunctional system.

I would like to explore some of this man’s ideas for more representative voting. For now, though, I consider him an ‘also ran.’


Gentry Lange independent

real estate broker, progressive activist, county exec candidate 2005

2013 item re Sales agent extraordinaire

lives in Seattle, political activist, ardent spokesman for voting reform, experienced independent journalist, worked as campaign manager for a previous candidate for Sect of State. Volunteer reporter for Seattle Indymedia and Real Change. 

article objecting to voting by mail because 47k primary ballots were destroyed for failure to declare party preference. He believes in-person voting would have prevented the problem. He believes voter signature matching further disqualifies ballots. He claims that people submit the wrong ballot, left over from a previous election. He insists that voting by mail is a disaster. He advocates for allowing early voting, for a week, in every county and state.

I am running for office to restore the Secret Ballot, Eliminate Private Vote Counting Software, and bring a voice to the Executive Branch for Small Business, and Worker Recovery

He’s not as crazy as he sounds. He makes some valid points. I still disagree with him, but he has actually thought through the question of how to protect the vote. I would like to see further explanations of his objection to voting by mail, but meanwhile I will not be voting for him.


Kim Wyman R incumbent

she is finishing her 2nd term
she praises herself for improved voter access and turnout
she made many state permit and license applications available on line

She has evidently been quite busy publishing letters and op eds about the benefits of voting by mail.

She has amassed over $566k in campaign funds, which seems a bit of overkill given the lack of visible campaign. 

I found a “stipulation and agreed judgment” from the Thurston County Superior Court dated January 2017, in which Wyman and her campaign agree to pay a fine, with attorney’s fees and 3 years probation, in the matter of the Public Disclosure Commission finding her to have committed a campaign fund violation. 

She has not responded to Gael Tarleton’s challenge concerning the candidate filing process going south during the one week registration period. There is no evidence that she takes the threat to voting by mail seriously, although she has co-authored those articles in national outlets about its desirability and efficacy. 

I do wonder what happened to all that voter information she submitted to that bogus federal voter fraud commission. 

She wouldn’t be awful,  but I prefer someone I think would be a whole lot better.


Gael Tarleton D

state rep, ex Seattle port commissioner, ex university official

“It’s time we had a Secretary of State who is not only prepared for the current threats to our elections, both foreign and domestic, but also supports and leads efforts to expand voter participation and engagement. I’m committed to protecting every voter and every vote.”

She has been challenging the incumbent to defend Washington’s vote by mail system in the face of attacks by Trump. She asserts that a failure to defend our elections will only embolden further strikes.

As State Rep she has called for “an immediate audit of the VoteWA system.” PCOs (Precinct Committee Officers) and candidates have been complaining of problems with the system, which developed problems during filing week.

She raises the issue of incumbent Wyman providing voter data to Trump’s bogus commission on voter fraud after the 2016 election. Most states refused and the commission was disbanded. One does wonder what happened to the information provided to that commission. 

She reports that incumbent Wyman testified against HR 1, the For the People Act of 2019, a bill to increase cyber security in electronic voting and vote counting. HR 1 would also have implemented an automatic voter registration program, prohibitions on foreign nationals advertising on social media, and a national strategy for election protection. 

She reports that Wyman donated to the election of Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger, the man who rather deliberately botched the George primary and will most likely do the same to the November general election.

She is a member of the Northwest Progressive Institute.
She is a national security and defense intelligence expert. 


Endorsed by Washington Conservation Voters and Washington State Labor Council, WA State Federation of State Employees.

As is obvious from reading this blog, I have some very intense feelings about the sanctity of elections and voting. I want to see the integrity of the election process restored and protected.  In that regard, I very much like what I see. I will be voting for Gael Tarleton.


State Treasurer
Duane Davidson R incumbent

He worries about the state’s Rainy Day fund. He says the legislature keeps raiding it.
He has created a funding directory to help local governments find state funding.
He wants to amend federal law to allow for state banks to finance the cannabis industry.
His challenger accuses him of supporting Trump.

His website was not responsive so I was not able to “learn more.”

The PDC lists among other Major donors:
Northwest Credit Union Assoc
Bruce McCaw (McCaw Communications)
Washbank PAC
George Weyerhaeuser
Assoc of General Contractors of Washington Build PAC
CBW PAC- Community of Bankers of WA
Trucking Action Comm
Spokane Teachers Credit Union
Premera Blue Cross
WA Food Industry Assoc PAC
First Financial Northwest Bank
WA Hospitality Assoc PAC
All the usual corporations and business associations. One does wonder what he does for them.

Not awful, but not all that good either.


Mike Pellicciotti D

state representative, attorney, ex Gonzaga U regent

~ He has never accepted campaign contributions from corporations
~ He will stop the practice of the state treasurers investing tax dollars in the very corporations that fund their campaigns.
~ He says the incumbent supports Trump.
~ He has passed legislation to:
-  get dark money out of politics,  
- increase financial penalties for corporate crime, 
- require greater campaign finance transparency by PACs.
~ He has called on the legislature to obey the open public records act and has disclosed his own records.
 ~ He introduced legislation to fix property valuations re property tax.
~ He advocated (and won) an end to corporate tax breaks.
~ He has served as assistant attorney general, managed unit of financial examiners, auditors, & analysts. 
~ He recovered $30 million from financial fraud and government waste.
~ He is the chair of the equal justice coalition of renters, mortgagees, vets, and predatory loan victims.
~ He earned a Fulbright scholarship in economic development, an MA in rural development, and a law degree from Gonzaga.
~ He led a national initiative to reduce student debt for public service grads.

endorsed by just about everybody – except Rs

He has received donations from various unions, and has invested his own money in the campaign.

I like what I see and intend to vote for Mike Pellicciotti.


 State Auditor
Chris Leyba R

police officer, grad student

introduces himself as an 11 year police detective, law enforcement auditor, animal rescue operator, & 21st century Republican. Mission: bring balance back to the assessment of our state financial oversight.
- certified law enforcement auditor
- proud republican
- 11 years of criminal investigations experience
- experience in financial & performance management administration 
- BS, molecular biology, working on MA, business finance @ WSU
- law enforcement trainer, former state contractor

~ He claims that the auditor is no longer non-partisan/neutral. Faults McCarthy for focusing on IT audits, saying it shows a lack of balance.
~ He wants to increase public transparency, and wants the public to have direct input into what is investigated.
~ He wants to audit the hours worked in various government agencies, i.e. state government, representatives and senators, to assure the mental health of decisionmakers.
~ He wants to audit traffic and toll camera contracts.
~ He cites to an auditor’s report of major irregularities in child welfare programs, SNAP, etc and claims that proves his point that the current auditor is biased and not doing the job. 
~ He claims the unions have bought the current auditor. “Are you ready to take back your government agency oversight from the unions?”

He sees everything as criminal misconduct rather than actually auditing the agencies. 
That includes backed up sexual assault testing. He claims that the auditor’s reports will help the legislature allocate funds. 

He’s quite upset by the disrespect shown for police in the Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
He claims that Dems raise far more campaign funds by hustling major organizations and party organizations, while Republicans have to raise $ from individuals. 

He wants to change the office from auditor to inspector general. This shows that he is really running for the wrong office and wants to change what that office does. 

He appears to believe that there is a conspiracy involving state governors to require face masks. 

He wants to abolish the Growth Management Act. “Team Washington. Revise and restrict GMA.”

He doesn’t want cops to have to enforce facemask orders, and says to leave that to public health officers and leave cops to deal with violent crime.

if/when he becomes auditor he will begin by auditing the office of the governor, dept of health, and emergency management.

he comes across as a classic cop right wing republican conspiracy theorist.  I just checked out his accusation that Dems are hustling organizational $ while Rs are stuck hitting up individuals. That is not the case for most of the candidates I have checked. It is true for Mr Leyba, who should be glad he has so many relatives. They’re his major donors. I then checked on Pat McCarthy. She does have a few organizational donations, and you’ll find them listed in the entry for her.

I don’t believe Mr Leyba understands the job, and it appears that he would approach it as a cop rather than an auditor. We’re seeing enough of that on the streets. We really don’t need it in the halls of government. 


Joshua Casey D

accountant

He touts his CPA and educational credentials as essential to the job. 

He implies that incumbent McCarthy is a political insider and therefore not qualified.

He has almost no experience in government and does not list any interests other than CPA. He interned for a member of congress. There’s a photo of him at a peace march to end the Iraq war.

He is gay and married.

My impression is that he doesn’t quite get the job description. Yes, his CPA credentials would be helpful, but that’s only a small part of a very big job, and I don’t see that he addresses those other parts of the job at all.

I’m afraid he’s an ‘also ran.’


Pat McCarthy D incumbent

currently state auditor, previously Tacoma School Board 1987 – 1999, Pierce Co Executive

“Pat is dedicated to shining a brighter light on government operations for the public. She believes audits increase public trust in government.”

McCarthy was elected to replace a Republican fraud in that position (he resigned. I think he was arrested). She ran on restoring trust in government. She has been honored for changing policy re: email. It was previously kept only 2 weeks. She changed that to 6 years. 

Helping local governments move into the digital record keeping age. 
Making that information available to the public.

McCarthy announced investigations into WA Employment Security after significant fraud and loss of state funds. Needed benefits were stolen and/or delayed. Criminals in Nigeria stole $500 million in unemployment benefits. WA has recovered $333 million. She’s not blaming Employment Security. She just wants to recover the funds and prevent a repeat. 

6-25-20 Tacoma News-Tribune story. McCarthy donates pay raise to charity. Can’t get the story because of a paywall.

introducing report re Alternative Learning Experiences. I’ve not checked out the report, in part because I had trouble finding it on the Auditor’s website. There are a LOT of reports dealing with all sorts of questions and issues. The Auditor does a whole lot more than I ever knew.

In 2019 she discovered and dealt with shenanigans in the Wapato city council/mayor/city manager offices, including misappropriation of funds, missing funds, and nepotism, among other things. She blew the whistle on the city, which has theoretically cleaned up its act. 10 citizens of Wapato complained via the auditor’s citizen hotline. “I feel strongly that if you have a problem you’re better off embracing it, owning it, and trying to turn it around.”

State auditor’s office reports more than $6.9 mil stolen from Pierce Co Housing Authority by its former finance director, from 2016 to the end of 2019. And this is precisely what the Auditor’s job is about. 

I just checked out her challenger’s accusation that Dems are hustling organizational $ while Rs are stuck hitting up individuals. That is not the case for most of the candidates I have checked. It is true for Mr Leyba, who should be glad he has so many relatives. They’re his major donors. I then checked on Pat McCarthy. She does have a few organizational donations: WA Education Assoc PAC, Boeing PAC, Iron Workers District Council, Justice for All PAC, Citizens for Better Government, and the Hospitality Association. None of these are particularly large donations. This is an unfortunately low key race. I think it deserves a lot more attention.

This job is far bigger than I realized, and I think we are lucky to have Pat McCarthy covering it. I will be voting to re-elect Pat McCarthy.



Attorney General
Brett Rogers R

attorney, ex police officer, ex correctional officer

~ focused on the RIGHT Washington
~ was a Seattle cop during what he calls the WTO “riots.”
~ earned law degree while working as cop
~ small solo practice with focus on pro-bono work

Under ‘issues’, there is a diatribe to the effect that it is unacceptable for the state to use the courts to settle differences with the federal government or, as he puts it “to obstruct the federal executive.” Calls Ferguson a “Sideshow.”

He objects to I-1000, thinks free speech is being squelched on campus, doesn’t like “illegal immigrants” or sanctuary. 

“Unconstitutionally subverting the electoral college.” – The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact makes him apoplectic. 

He has run previously as an independent, but the two party system makes that impossible, so this time he’s running as an R

He supports capital punishment.

He “unapologetically” supports the 2nd amendment.

He supports Trump without question.

Ok, he’s pushed just about every button I’ve got. I was going to list the ways, but I think his agenda speaks for itself. We are currently witnessing a federal government notable for its embrace of sadism. We are seeing officials who openly take pleasure in causing pain to the people of this country. We really don’t need another one of those in state government. 

Late breaking: Brett Rogers attended a Republican event in Oak Harbor on July 4. It was hosted by Mr Scott Thompson, the man who is trying to foist Wright’s Crossing on us all. In part he is doing that by buying himself a commissioner. This event was partly an introduction for his candidate, Dan Evans. There is video of this event/incident. It involved a more liberal individual who came to observe the event. Thompson took umbrage at that and kept pointing to the man and calling him “Antifa.” This riled the crowd until a bunch of them knocked this man down and then beat up on him until he had to be taken to Harborview to deal with the concussion and other injuries. Meanwhile, Scott Thompson grabbed and broke his camera. What is truly disgusting is that not a single one of the whole crowd of candidates did anything to stop the beating. I am following up on this because I want to know which other R candidates were present. Ron Muzzall is easy to spot, standing on the stage with mic in hand and Eyman sticker on his shirt. Brett Rogers is heard ending his speech at the start of the video. I’m hoping others can identify some of the other candidates. 

I really really REALLY do not like the idea of anyone in a position of political power who thinks its alright to commit violence against people with whom they disagree. 


Matt Larkin R

attorney, ex GW Bush White House aide
former Spokane and Pierce county prosecutor
“worked across the aisle”

He worked in Bush’s White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, “empowering private charities to obtain federal aid.”
He was also Associate Director of Presidential Speechwriting
He is currently chief corporate legal counsel for his family manufacturing business in Bothell.

“Washington cannot afford another 4 years in the wrong direction. We need a fresh perspective and real solutions to homelessness, drug abuse, and crime.” 

His agenda:
~ clean up our streets
~ hope for the homeless
~ reclaim our city parks

His issues:
~ enforce the laws
~ crack down on drug abuse
~ support police
~ provide real solutions to homelessness
~  lower taxes
~ make government accountable 
~ run the state like a business

lot of east side endorsements, especially east side sheriffs

under COVID-19 he lists a couple of websites. period.

I’m not sure this is a serious candidate, although he would be happy to push the R agenda on us. I consider him an ‘also ran.’


Mike Vaska R

attorney, GOP activist

His agenda:
~ protecting our economy and creating jobs
* reducing regulations and bureaucratic burden on our businesses and workers
* convene a “create jobs now” task force to streamline permitting and reduce regulatory burdens, especially for small employers, the self employed, and independent workers.
* work to provide more certainty and reduce the fear of liability lawsuits for front-line health providers and businesses, better defining their responsibilities to avoid claims during the pandemic and recovery.
* help small businesses, local government and the state protect themselves against the onslaught of cybercrime.
~ protecting communities, consumers, and your tax dollars
* taking on homelessness and public safety issues, consumer scams, fraud against government 
programs
* rampant homelessness
* unpunished criminals
* consumer scams
* massive cyber-fraud against government programs
He claims Ferguson is diverting millions to pay for his obsession with partisan national suits.
He claims Ferguson disbanded the computer crimes unit and has failed to address homelessness and related public safety issues.
He says he will follow in the steps of Rob McKenna to create task forces to address homelessness, cybercrime, and monitor for potential fraud in government programs
~ protecting your rights as an independent watchdog over state government
He complains that Ferguson has turned the AGs office into a partisan shop and has abandoned his oversight responsibilities.
He complains Ferguson has been silent while Inslee has led the state into a constitutional crisis over his partisan and unequal use of his emergency powers (does this refer to the shutdown?)
He proposes to exercise his independent power to advise government on the limits of their powers, including limits on emergency orders.
* He will issue public AG opinions on the limits of emergency and other powers
* He will propose amendments to the emergency power laws to require AG review

He supported the $30 car tab legislation after Eyman’s initiative failed

He is on the board of Mainstream Republicans of WA

He claims to be the only candidate with decades of legal experience. 

This is definitely the machine R running against Ferguson. As with other Republicans, he wants to change the mandate of the job. He is wrong on just about every factual statement. Governor Inslee has done what had to be done to slow the COVID pandemic. Yes, it has hurt. Yes, it could have been done with more finesse. But as I pointed out in the discussion of governor candidates, when the train is about to smash into the whole crowd of you, there’s not a lot of time for finesse as you shove people out of harm’s way. Mr Vaska wants to limit the power to address the crisis. Good plan. He wants to prevent the kinds of lawsuits Bob Ferguson is filing on behalf of Washington residents against that over-reaching federal government. And incidentally, winning. Check the entry for Bob Ferguson for a summary of his wins. Mr Vaska likes Tim Eyman’s initiatives. Gee, thanks. Next time I’m stuck in a parking lot which claims to be I-5 I’ll remember that. Think about the chokehold on our transportation alternatives Mr Vaska supports. And of course there’s the “reduce regulations” plank. That one seems to show up in all R agendas. A very big issue is the one about reducing fear of liability lawsuits for health care insurers and providers. That translates to “oops, sorry ‘bout that, guess you’ll just have to die. No, you can’t hold us responsible.” Activists have worked a very long hard time to hold medical insurers and providers liable for their actions. I really don’t want to go back to square one on this issue. 

If you like what you see at the federal level, I’m sure you’ll like Mr Vaska at the state level. It ain’t me. I will most definitely NOT vote for this man.


Bob Ferguson D incumbent


experienced lawyer, independent leader, 4th generation Skagitonian, internationally rated chess master.

He has filed more than 60 lawsuits against the Trump administration. He has won all those which have come to trial. 21-0. 12 of those are final and unappealable.
- defeated the original Muslim travel ban
- blocked the decision to rescind DACA
- blocked allowance for 3D printed gun plans on the net
18 enviro & climate change cases 13/0
8 immigrant protection cases 4/0
7 health care, reproductive care cases 3/0
2 consumer protection for student borrowers 1/0
2 LGBT
1 firearm access 1/0
1 net neutrality
WA is lead plaintiff in 14 cases, 7/0

https://ballotpedia.org/Bob_Ferguson_recall,_Attorney_General_of_Washington_(2020)
There was an effort to recall Ferguson inDecember 2019, which was heard by a judge in January 2020 and found to be insufficient to move forward. Proponents of the recall were unhappy with his support for I-1639, which set limits and standards on gun ownership. They were also unhappy that Ferguson did not support Eyman’s I-976, the $30.00 car tab initiative. 

He has ordered a Seattle business to quit marketing what it claims is a COVID vaccine. 

There are so many cases, now that I know where to look. This is one busy office, and all the cases I see are ones I would support: preventing immigrants from being arrested at the courthouse, suing Monsanto over PCBs, suing Johnson & Johnson over deceptive marketing of opioids, preventing the Navy from scraping the hulls of their ships in Puget Sound, and on and on. 

https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/ferguson-file/ferguson-file-january-2020

Agenda:
~ protect the Constitution
~ protect civil rights
~ protect consumer rights
~ protect environment
~ fair elections
~ open government
~ protect veterans
~ protect seniors
~ protect workers
~ end human trafficking, stop sexually violent predators, end sexual assault

independent leader
lots of national recognition

Note that the focus is on protecting the land, the people, and their rights. That is refreshing.

Incidentally, he has filed a case against the US Navy over the Growler noise and its impacts on the people of central Whidbey. That was a politically risky thing for him to do, but all of us on the island appreciate his considerable support. 

His office is investigating a police involved killing in Pierce County which was ruled a homicide but was not investigated under the new rules which resulted from I-940. The intent is to review at least 30 police use of deadly force investigations. And that’s just this year. And here is a relevant report to the effect that Ferguson has asked the legislature to require that law enforcement statewide be required to disclose all use of deadly force, and that such information should be available to the public on a website. This would be consistent with the intent of 2018’s I-940 to hold police more accountable. There is already an FBI reporting system which could easily be applied to Washington. 

This man is exactly the right person in exactly the right place to protect Washington’s land and people from the thrashing and trashing coming out of the White House. We need him to keep doing what he’s doing. 

I will be voting enthusiastically for Bob Ferguson.






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