Archive for September, 2007

Um…

Yea… well, I gotta hand it to Ahmadinejad for the grilling and mocking he met. Unlike our current fearful leader who simply employs the secret service to toss out or have arrested any dissent all while keeping the mass of disent at least a city block away. She also avoids the fact that a debate on Fox News is actually a good idea unless you want questions like “So how long have you been beating your Mother”. Or that Edwards and every Democratic candidate for president actually are actually interested in debate vs. a President who simply will not answer questions either because the answer is bad for him (or more likely he simply hasn’t a clue).

Yeah, Ann Coulter is pretty much full of shit, and it looks to me that Miss Coulter also has memory troubles. But at least she is seeking treatment.

Since I’m sitting here doing nothing… well, I am watching the Seahawks… but I see this page all the time and I wonder how many folks pay attention to it.

How your US Lawmakers Voted

Good little something to watch. I would bet that if folks watched this more it would really change how they vote. For instance, for all the posturing on Terrorism, Hastings and McMorris-Rodgers vote against terrorism insurance, Hastings votes against legislation to help folks in shakey mortgages to get in a better deal under an FHA loan, and Hastings gives the thumbs down on FAA improvements.

Check it out for yourself! What do you think about the votes?

Winding down the riding season somewhat. I guess I won’t get those epic rides for awhile but at least I have what’s left of the cool fall days to enjoy. I think some heated gear is in order as I would rather ride year round. Last Friday was another Palouse Falls loop through Lyons Ferry with a bunch of hooligans. Saw some familiar but no less great roads. A bunch of wheeliemonsters and the occasional drag on some very empty roads. Gotta love it!

I’ll be wonking it up on the David Goldstein show (710 KIRO Seattle) tonight at 9pm along with TJ from Loaded Orygun talking about NW Politics. Since we can’t tune in 710 KIRO here in our neck of the woods, you can listen via the live stream! (may require registration)

Afterwards, I’ll be at the CK Sausage Fest!

There was a time when Republicans would have been screaming at the top of their lungs over the actions of this President. What happened to the Republican party?

Changing things around a bit. Looking for a better theme and I think I’ve found one. Bear with me as I move things around. If you think anything is just totally ugly, leave a comment.

You knew it… that title had to come… It’s just too easy.

onward

So yesterday Governor Gregiore approved the dreaded windmill project in Kittitas. I was riding through that area not long ago and stopped in the driveway of the project HQ on the old highway. Dropped my motorcycle helmet on the gravel. A sign? Nope, nothing, I felt nothing. And that is exactly how I feel about this project. Because at this point, it’s pretty much guaranteed to make it to the Washington State Supreme Court docket. What is really going on here, besides political posturing, is government working. That’s right, government works. Not always the way we like but it works.

So on to posturing and more importantly, Doc Hastings posturing.

On location at camp Hastings

It was real easy for Doc to get in on this game. He got some letters from the locals who opposed the project and “poof”! (Visualize here with me for a second) that a bright cloud appeared over Doc’s small cranium and in that cloud were the words “eminent domain”. Powerful words… popular words… words to use, you know… around election time! Getting the chance to defend the little guy against the evils of government, especially when your deeply tied to that evil…. ahhh priceless.

meanwhile back at camp wind farm

We at Camp Wind Farm are here to provide a valuable service. A service that was born out of a mandate by the voters of this state to provide alternative, renewable energy to this state. Up to 20 percent! We are happy to provide this service and we showed up on this hill and all we found were a few farms and a bunch of wind! But the locals don’t like us… well a few of them anyway. The county commissioner’s voted us off the island. Well… hmm… what is the law? Let’s ask the Gov!

Back at McCranium HQ

Ok, enough fooling around. The deal is, the law allows the wind farm to move forward.

From the PI:

Local landowners in the area near Cle Elum and Ellensburg fought the plan to build structures up to 410 feet tall to capture energy from the wind. They said it would destroy views and reduce property value, create noise and flickering shadows, and kill birds.

The project, which has been in the works for five years and is being proposed by Portuguese-owned Horizon Wind Energy, was scaled back from plans for 150 turbines.

Kittitas County commissioners last year rejected the wind farm as incompatible with local zoning rules. The state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council reversed that decision. Gregoire asked the siting council to reconsider the project and the council in August recommended it with revisions that could put the turbines 2,500 feet away from homes.

And an important ironic note and that law (Tri-City Herald):

Gregoire also sent a letter to Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., who previously cautioned the governor about overturning a local land-use decision. She noted the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which Hastings supported, pre-empted state authority in the siting of liquefied natural gas plants and transmission projects “so I understand and empathize with local government faced with federal or state action to preempt their decison.”

Oh, Doc Hastings is a Republican!

Look, the bottom line here on Hastings is that he wants it both ways. If he could have an oil refinery right next to my house (especially next to my house) he would. But he can’t posture on this issue and well… he knows it. Sort of…

“This decision is the governor’s alone to make, and the governor seems very confident she’s right and the local elected leaders are wrong,” Hastings said in a statement.”

Yea, and so was that law you voted for… Doc!

Gregiore’s decision was the correct decision to make. Although I would have preferred the onus be on Horizon Wind Energy to carry this to the Wa. Supreme Court instead of Kittitas county, she followed the will of the voters and the law.

But according to today’s press release from Hastings, he is still confused.

“This has never been done before in the history of our state. This decision is the Governor’s alone to make, and the Governor seems very confident she’s right and the local elected leaders are wrong. This isn’t a not-in-my-backyard issue as Kittitas County is already home to the largest wind farm in the state. I fear this precedent will embolden energy companies to bypass local leaders and go to the Governor to have projects imposed on communities.”

Um… wow! How completely stupid. As if Hastings hasn’t emboldened energy companies enough already (And I wonder why I couldn’t find the whole press release in any of the quoted articles when it is so telling).

But hey, there is more interesting Hastings news. This time for the really cool water storage area proposal called Black Rock.

The proposed Black Rock reservoir could undermine efforts to clean up the Hanford nuclear reservation by pushing more radioactive and hazardous chemical contamination toward the Columbia River, a new study indicates.

Most of the seepage from the proposed reservoir would head downhill toward Hanford, raising the water table there, according to a federal Bureau of Reclamation study released Tuesday.

And yet another embarrassing press release from Doc Hastings:

“I’d caution everyone against jumping to conclusions with just half the facts. This analysis only forecasts what seepage could occur if nothing was done to stop or contain it. Possible ways to prevent and capture seepage will be coming in the months ahead. The Yakima Basin needs more water storage and we need a full accurate study to make informed decisions on how to best achieve it.”

Having a light background in geology, and knowing a bit about the unyielding nature of water, and top it off with the fact that a bunch of really bright and great engineers are working their asses off at Hanford to keep contamination out of the river as it is, it seems Doc Hastings is the one “jumping to conclusions with just half the facts”. Quite likely much less.

Oh, and Doc Hastings makes a list as one of the nations most corrupt politicians.

Brrr… it’s a chilly 70 or so degrees outside (intentional slice to all you west siders). But hey, we can always go inside!

Drinking Liberally is Tonight!! And every Tuesday night.

O’Callahans - Shilo Inn
50 Comstock Rd.
Richland

7pm till?

Darryl’s weekly multimedia roundup is up and as usual, it’s great!

What’s in the News

Joel Connelly hits the political hit pieces:

As big-name Democratic lawyers endorsed the Republican interim King County prosecutor this week, and stressed Dan Satterberg’s non-partisan virtues, a nasty partisan hit piece went out in the mail.

King County Republicans smeared Bill Sherman, the deputy prosecutor and Democratic nominee who is challenging a 60-year GOP lock on the office.

“Now is not the time to surrender this office to an extreme fringe liberal who is incapable of administering justice for all King County residents,” county GOP Chairman Michael Young wrote in a fundraising letter.

Joel goes on defending the records of both candidates, and in the comment thread, King County Council candidate Richard Pope meaninglessly disagrees on the details, and in general people disagree with Joel. As one commenter quipped:

Am I the only one who finds the irony in Connelly complaining about “hit” pieces?

In in a sense I agree with Joel. These non-partisan races are probably going to keep getting uglier. Heck, I’m basically guilty of “the hit” myself and probably will be in the future. Why? Well, I think it is the pressure of supposed party grassroots to get party faithful to sign on as candidates for many lower level positions. [edit for clarification] Candidate recruitment not a bad thing at all really. Afterall, it gets people involved who might not have otherwise and judging from the amount of unopposed incumbents in past years, it will fill the ballot with good qualified people. The problem seems to be the tactics where these lower level positions (not that the King Co. Prosecutor is exactly lower level but for the sake of example forgive me), especially the non-partisan ones, come with the backing, support and tactics of the party. This is where we are though. Democrats lost big in the 90’s by being too damn nice if you ask me. And swiftboating is now a household name. Welcome to politics you moonbat/wingnut freak!!

What Will Be News

My prediction today will be on yet another Seattle issue but bear with me. David Goldstein of Horsesass.org filed a public records request on a hunch that anti-transit folks were leaked information ahead of the actual performance audit reports after reading this from PI Columist Ted Van Dyke:

Later this month, state Auditor Brian Sonntag will release such audits of the Washington State Department of Transportation and Sound Transit and, shortly thereafter, of the Port of Seattle. All three audits will precede fall elections and could have important impacts on voter decisions about the Sound Transit-RTID regional transportation package and Port of Seattle Commission races.

This, after Van Dyke lauds the “broad appeal” of the persistent failure of Eyman initiatives. David writes:

The more I re-read that paragraph the more suspicious I got, especially in light of recent rumors and hints that the anti-transit crowd has been leaked information regarding the upcoming reports. Van Dyk seems to think it a great thing that performance audits be timed for release just weeks before crucial votes regarding these agencies, but I can’t help suspect it an overtly political maneuver. It is also potentially the death knell for performance audits as a useful tool in Washington state.

Performance audits are not comparable to financial audits in either scope or purpose. You don’t just bring in a third party to examine the books in search of waste, fraud or abuse, but rather, you observe and analyze the performance of an agency and its procedures for the purpose of recommending changes that could lead to greater efficiencies. While in a worst case scenario a performance audit could conclude that an agency does not fulfill its mission at all, it is mostly meant as a productivity tool, and as such requires the full cooperation of the management and staff being audited if it is to be effective. If instead, performance audits are used as a means to politically punish and embarrass an agency — including, say, influencing elections — then future audits on other agencies will never gain the inside trust and cooperation necessary to conduct them.

Why does Eastern Washington care? Well, this is exactly (if David’s suspicions are correct) what the right wing, being in the minority, will capitalize on in the coming months. Instead of using performance audits as a measure for improvement, it will be the yardstick of failure for any report that is less than favorable giving posture, however ill gained. Let’s hope the traditional media doesn’t buy in. That wouldn’t serve the purpose. Lessons here for everybody.

The Really Really Cool News

Washington State’s Own breaks the land speed record for a production automobile.

Zoooooooom! What was that? A Ferrari, a Bugatti, a Lamborghini?

No, at a blurring speed of more than 255 mph, it was West Richland resident Jerod Shelby’s Ultimate Aero, a two-seater supercar designed and built to go faster than any other street-legal automobile.

I had the unique opportunity to work the road crew for this car some months back on one of their test runs. On Wednesday, I got a call to come work it again and watch the car but I had to work my “real” job. I am full of regrets! This is a big deal on a grand scale. A small American car maker, in West Richland Washington, beats out the european engineering gods and if all goes well as I am sure, will officially be in the record books for the fastest production street-legal automobile. Congrats to Jerod Shelby and his team!!

I’ll leave you with some pics from my earlier adventure with the Ultimate Aero TT. That’s the news!

Man oh man… as we saw in the Pasco City Council Primary, just one vote can make the difference.

Pasco Councilwoman Rebecca Francik and challenger Shane Thorson will face off in the Nov. 6 general election, a hand recount determined Monday.

The recount was forced when the initial vote count showed Thorson led Webster Jackson by a single vote in last month’s primary election.

The hand recount affirmed that margin as the vote totals stayed exactly the same: 614 for Francik, 266 for Thorson and 265 for Jackson.

And now [via The Other Side Online] we have another one…

A hand recount of ballots Wednesday morning by the Yakima County Auditor’s Office showed that challengers Jim Lemon and Dan Olson, both city councilmen, will vie for the mayor’s job in the Nov. 6 general election.

Olson and Lemon collected 274 and 270 votes, respectively, in the Aug. 21 primary, while Reeves came in third with 269 votes. The vote totals did not change in Wednesday’s recount.

Gotta love it. I mean… one freaking vote, no matter how many were cast, is amazing.

Congrats to those who advanced.

I got an e-mail from Ann Coulter today. Well… I subscribed to a wingnut mailing list just so I could get depressed and/or pissed off and occasionally laugh my ass off. But today’s message was a gem. Mostly because of the ad below…

If only more Republicans would just stop drinking water…

Insert your joke in the comment thread!

Two posts really caught my attention yesterday. Dan K Remembers 9/11 and the following chronological events. We hear the comparisons of Iraq to Vietnam quit often and can’t say that I disagree. But we should also be aware of the comparison to Russia’s Afganistan from Charles Mudede.

DL is tonight. Tuesday September 11, 2006. Come join us with the flags half staff, and pints arm high as we celebrate democracy, one pint at a time.

Drinking Liberally in the Tri-Cities
O’Callahans - Shilo Inn
50 Comstock Rd.
Richland

7pm till?

Not in the Tri-Cities? Check out the Drinking Liberally web site for dates and times of a chapter near you.

This quote just in from the Seattle PI from Doc Hastings:

“We got an honest assessment of progress that is being made, the tough challenges that remain and what to expect going forward. Thanks to our troops, evidence shows success in many areas, but careful attention must be paid to resolving political challenges more quickly, stabilizing the economy and addressing regional relations. While the Iraqis must gradually assume more responsibility, the consequences of a premature pullout for our national security were laid out in no uncertain terms and cannot be ignored.” - Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash.

Did we get an honest assessment? Really? No! We got virtually nothing. And those “consequences of a premature pullout for our national security” that were laid out in “no uncertain terms”? The General said nothing of the sort folks. Nothing of the sort. Why does Hastings keep repeating this when 911 and Iraq have nothing to do with one another?! And this was illustrated by the General’s exchange with Sen. Warner:

He then asked Petraeus a pointed question: “Do you feel that [Iraq war] is making America safer”?

Petraeus paused before responding. He then said: “I believe this is indeed the best course of action to achieve our objectives in Iraq.”

That was, of course, a non-answer. And Warner wasn’t going to let the general dodge the bullet. He repeated the question: “Does the [Iraq war] make America safer?”

Petraeus replied, “I don’t know, actually. I have not sat down and sorted in my own mind.”

So Doc, “in no uncertain terms”, did the General lay it all out there? It doesn’t look like Hastings was even paying attention and if I wasn’t disgusted before, I certainly am now.

Update: Hey Doc, here is the video!

If you are as worn out as I am of Doc Hastings, please support George Fearing on my Act Blue Page.

Update Update: I viewed this several times and I must say that I really appreciate the honesty of the General in this respect. It’s probably the most honest answer I’ve heard in some time.