Northwest Progressive Institute

• Sound Transit inaugurates service on Airport Link, bringing light rail into SeaTac at last

  Six years, one month, and eleven days after Sound Transit broke ground on Central Link, construction of the region's first light rail line has finally been completed with the opening of Airport Link, which brings reliable train service right into Seattle Tacoma International Airport.
  
  Amidst a backdrop of misty [...]
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  Posted: December 19, 2009, 11:55am EST
  

• Cantwell, McCain team up to introduce bill that would restore Glass-Steagall Act

  Washington's own Maria Cantwell and John McCain of Arizona - the 2008 Republican presidential nominee - are teaming up to introduce a bill that would restore the Depression-era Glass-Steagall Act, the two senators announced today.
  
  Glass-Steagall (officially known as the Banking Act of 1933) created the Federal Deposit Insurance [...]
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  Posted: December 17, 2009, 7:01pm EST
  

• LIVE from Link: Taking the train into SeaTac

  This morning Sound Transit was kind enough to invite representatives from local media outlets (including NPI!) aboard for a special ride to preview Airport Link, which will inaugurate service in just forty eight hours.
  
  The trip began at Tukwila International Boulevard Station, which will soon relinquish its title as [...]
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  Posted: December 17, 2009, 9:44am EST
  

• Progressive support for Senate's current incarnation of healthcare reform bill collapses

  The Obama Administration's months-old decision to let the likes of Max Baucus, Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson to dictate the shape and the language of the Senate's version of healthcare reform is having serious, major repercussions.
  
  Hours after Harry Reid and the White House agreed to Lieberman's demand [...]
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  Posted: December 17, 2009, 11:33pm EST
  

• Breaking - WA-03: Fraser and Williams not running

  Full Disclosure: I am a supporter and volunteer for Senator Craig Pridemore's campaign to succeed Brian Baird.
  
  A source in the Thurston County Democratic Party has confirmed to NPI that State Senator Karen Fraser (D-Olympia) and her seatmate in the 22nd Legislative District, State Representative Brendan Williams (D-Olympia), have' [...]
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  Posted: December 16, 2009, 8:45pm EST
  

• Bernanke renomination in trouble?

  Well, this is refreshing... it looks the Senate might finally push back against the Obama administration on something.
  Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) said he was leaning against voting for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to have a second term at the helm of the central bank.
  
  [...]
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  Posted: December 16, 2009, 4:53pm EST
  

• The tragic irony of the climate crisis

  Reports are that things aren't going so swimmingly well at the Copenhagen climate change conference. In fact, as one NPR person put it this morning, this last round of negotiations may have created more disagreements than it solved.
  
  Then again, maybe it is going swimmingly well, if swimming is' [...]
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  Posted: December 16, 2009, 11:38am EST
  

• WA-03: Pridemore enters the race

  Add state Senator Craig Pridemore (D-Vancouver) to the mix in the 3rd Congressional District race. Pridemore, a U.S. Army vet, former Clark County Commissioner and two term state Senator announced his bid for the seat being vacated by Brian Baird earlier today.
  “Look around this district; we are suffering [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 6:04pm EST
  

• Boeing 787 Dreamliner flies at last, to the delight of the whole Pacific Northwest

  Earlier today, The Boeing Company's next-generation jet airliner, the 787 Dreamliner, finally took flight amidst a backdrop of cloudy gray sky. The test flight, which began after 10 AM this morning, came to an end just a few hours later when Dreamliner No. #1 touched down at Boeing Field - [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 2:59pm EST
  

• Lieberpoision said to be wrecking healthcare reform to revenge himself upon netroots

  So this is what it's really all about...
  CHRIS MATTHEWS: Uh, let's talk about this thing with Harry Reid and Lieberman. I call him "Joe the bummer" as in "Joe the plumber," because he's brilliantly timing this thing. 'I'm not for this, I'm not for the public option, now [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 11:13pm EST
  

• Breaking - WA-03: Maria Rodriguez-Salazar running

  According to sources, earlier tonight at the Clark County Democrats meeting Maria Rodriguez-Salazar, an active member and local and national leader of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), announced her candidacy for the 3rd Congressional District seat being vacated by Brian Baird. A mother of three, Salazar currently [...]
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  Posted: December 15, 2009, 10:31pm EST
  

• Republicans defeat attempt to appoint Joe McDermott to King County Council

  The King County Council has just voted on - and defeated - an amendment to name Joe McDermott as the appointed replacement for Dow Constantine, who resigned as Councilmember upon becoming County Executive.
  
  The vote was four to four, with all the Democrats (Julia Patterson, Bob Ferguson, Larry [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2009, 5:50pm EST
  

• Ecuador wants to "keep the oil in the soil"

  Located deep within the Amazon basin, Ecuador’s Yasuni National Park is not only home to the world’s largest living rodent (a dubious honor), it also contains some of the world’s most endangered and beautiful animals, the jaguar and the ocelot. Although it’s a small country, Ecuador is one of [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2009, 2:42pm EST
  

• WA-03: Pridemore for Congress?

  It looks like state Senator Craig Pridemore (D-Vancouver) is getting ready to throw his hat into the ring in the race to replace Brian Baird in the 3rd Congressional District. Pridemore is not up for re-election to his Senate seat in 2010, and his campaign website has remained dormant [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2009, 12:42pm EST
  

• Cherisse Luxa, 1947-2009

  This morning, Washington's netroots community lost one of its most wonderful and spirited activists when Cherisse Luxa, the founder of Burien Drinking Liberally, succumbed to stomach cancer. Cherisse was sixty two. She resided in the 34th LD, known for its strong and vibrant Democratic Party organization.
  
  Over at Daily [...]
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  Posted: December 13, 2009, 5:50pm EST
  

• Happy Hanukkah!

  Tonight marks the first night of Hanukkah, one of the most joyous Jewish holidays. Most people know that Hanukkah lasts eight nights, and that children receive gifts as part of the holiday.
  
  What many may not know is that Hanukkah is about strength of character, a willingness to maintain [...]
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  Posted: December 11, 2009, 8:52pm EST
  

• The real War on Christmas

  I should probably say something about the whole health care thing, except that I'm pretty depressed about it so I won't. Instead, because of my obsessive need to point out hypocrisy wherever I see it, I'm going to talk about that whole "War on Christmas" thing.
  
  You know, the' [...]
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  Posted: December 10, 2009, 11:24am EST
  

• WA-03: Campaign finance law to consider

  CORRECTION, December 15th: State rules, crafted to interpret the law, actually allow legislators who are running for federal office to raise campaign funds immediately before, during, and after, legislative session, contrary to what this post (which can be found below) originally asserted.
  
  So any state legislator running to [...]
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  Posted: December 10, 2009, 7:00am EST
  

• WA-03: Baird not running for re-election

  Congressman Brian Baird (D-Vancouver) announced earlier today that he won't seek re-election for his seventh term in the House of Representatives, citing family reasons. Below is the text of his statement:
  Congressman Brian Baird Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection
  
  Washington, D.C.--Serving our country and representing the' [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2009, 7:19pm EST
  

• Kitzhaber: I'm running for Governor of Oregon to help make Americans healthier

  Editor's Note: We are pleased this afternoon to welcome Oregon gubernatorial candidate John Kitzhaber to the NPI Advocate to briefly talk about what motivated him to run for office again, seven years after he left the statehouse. His successor, Ted Kulongoski, elected in 2002, is ineligible to seek a third [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2009, 12:55pm EST
  

• Governor Gregoire unveils 2010 supplemental budget with jaw-droppingly awful cuts

  Governor Chris Gregoire is currently speaking to a roomful of reporters in her conference room at the statehouse to outline the 2010 supplemental budget that she's prepared. This budget, which is required by law, has to be balanced without any new revenue, meaning that the cuts pretty much have to' [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2009, 10:06am EST
  

• U.S. Senate defeats Ben Nelson's anti-choice amendment to healthcare reform bill

  Good news from the District of Columbia: The U.S. Senate has just voted fifty four to forty five to table an amendment offered by Ben Nelson of Nebraska that would have inserted Stupak-Pitts language into the Senate's version of the healthcare reform bill. The motion's passage basically means [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 2:10pm EST
  

• Judiciary 101: An overview of how our court system is organized (Part I)

  Unless you are an attorney, there is a strong probability that the court system is a mystery to you. This is the first installment in series describing the different types of courts, their functions, and how people become judges.
  
  All fifty states have two general categories of courts: appellate [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 9:55pm EST
  

• Washington and its schools depend on levy dollars

  In my spare time last week, I made phone calls on behalf of my school district’s levy campaign. I would rather scrub toilets than phone voters, but I powered through it because I know how serious the consequences would be if my school district’s levy and bond measures were to [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 12:47pm EST
  

• The state of Washington's working families

  With the economy still struggling, unemployment increasing, and a continued strain on social services dealing with budget constraints while demand for services skyrockets, the Economic Opportunity Institute recently released a report on the status of working families in Washington in 2009. Some background from the report:
  Compounding the economic [...]
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  Posted: December 06, 2009, 11:40am EST
  

• The silent costs of battle: Talking about PTSD

  I have nightmares at night, and sometimes I get maybe a handful of hours of sleep for a couple of days straight.
  
  This is one of the many marks that battle leaves on the human mind.
  
  During my campaign for city council, I was terrified people might [...]
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  Posted: December 06, 2009, 11:34am EST
  

• Brightening up the riverside: Grand balloon display greets participants at RedmondLights

  Every December, for the past eleven years, the City of Redmond has held a community celebration called RedmondLights to mark the coming of the winter season, including the holidays of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's.
  
  It's one of my favorite holiday traditions because it revolves around people' [...]
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  Posted: December 05, 2009, 7:39pm EST
  

• Higher education, Kafka-style

  There's plenty of chatter on the Net this week about President Obama's Afghanistan speech on Tuesday, so I'm going to talk about something else.
  
  Funding for higher education in America.
  
  Presently, we have a system only Franz Kafka could love. It's a system that literally undermines the' [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 3:52pm EST
  

• Domestic partnership law takes effect today following approval of Referendum 71

  Readers, here's something to be cheery about as the holiday season gets into full swing: One of the greatest civil rights victories in Washington's history - the expansion of our domestic partnerships law - is, as of today, finally on our books following the certification of the 2009 general election. [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 2:51pm EST
  

• State's environmental movement announces its priorities for 2010 legislative session

  This evening the Washington Environmental Priorities Coalition - a combined effort of more than two dozen leading environmental groups based in the Evergreen State - announced its agenda for the 2010 legislative session.
  
  The agenda, made public in advance at the end of every year, typically consists of [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 9:00pm EST
  

• Tim Eyman's 2010 scheme will be an Initiative 960 redux (or so he tells the Associated Press)

  Not content to take a Christmas break from hawking bad ideas, initiative profiteer Tim Eyman has told The Associated Press that his 2010 initiative will be a redux of his 2007 measure, Initiative 960, which narrowly passed statewide two years ago and imposed unconstitutional limits on the Legislature's ability [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 1:15pm EST
  

• Cantwell, Murray honor slain Lakewood officers on Senate floor

  Earlier today, Washington's two United States Senators appeared on the floor of the Senate to remember and honor the four officers who were killed on Sunday in an appalling act of destruction.
  
  Murray, who spoke first, repeatedly called the slayings senseless, and noted that they came on the [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 8:01pm EST
  

• In West Point speech, President Obama tries to justify escalation of Afghan occupation

  Earlier this evening, in a major primetime speech at the United States Military Academy at West Point, President Barack Obama officially announced his decision to temporarily escalate the occupation of Afghanistan, and, unlike his predecessor, managed to defend his rationale for doing so without resorting to sloganeering.
  
  "I" [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 7:07pm EST
  

• Google says Tim Eyman's website could be dangerous (No, seriously!)

  This is really funny (well, sort of...) Via the Seattle Weekly:
  According to a "Safe Browsing" advisory from the search giant, Eyman's site [don't click, for the love of humanity!], is "listed as suspicious" and "may harm your computer."
  
  It seems that destroying our state's tax base, abolishing' [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 6:16pm EST
  

• Senator Cantwell opposes "casino capitalism"

  Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) plans to make it harder for Wall Street to gamble with the public’s money. As the House of Representatives wraps up work on its financial reform bill, the Senate is crawling ahead with its own measure. Not too impressed with the House bill, Cantwell and [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 4:57pm EST
  

• Four Lakewood police officers shot to death in cold blood at Parkland coffee shop

  This is horrible... just horrible...
  Four local police officers were killed this morning at a Parkland-area coffee shop, and dozens of investigators backed by search dogs and a helicopter were hunting for their killer.
  
  Witnesses described the killer as a black man, 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-9, in his 20s [...]
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  Posted: November 29, 2009, 12:47pm EST
  

• What I'm thankful for today

  Yesterday, as we were going around the Thanksgiving day table sharing what each of us was thankful for, after listing friends, family, and a roof over our heads, I had to add that I'm thankful that debate has finally begun on the Senate's health care bill.
  
  It's a long' [...]
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  Posted: November 27, 2009, 2:11pm EST
  

• Happy Thanksgiving 2009!

  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
  
  Today we take the opportunity to reflect on all the blessings that are ours, and gather with family and friends to be nourished by good food and drink. Even though times are tough, and we have so much work to do to reduce suffering in America, [...]
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  Posted: November 26, 2009, 10:09am EST
  

• Dow Constantine sworn in as King County Executive in ceremony at Daniels Recital Hall

  Nearly ten months after Ron Sims announced he was resigning as King County Executive to become the Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, his successor, Dow Constantine, has finally taken office.
  
  In a simple, cheery ceremony at Daniels Recital Hall (which he helped to save from destruction) [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 7:53pm EST
  

• Slow sewage flowing into the Puget Sound while creating jobs

  The life-giving, ever-present rain that falls on Western Washington also has a dark side. Every time it rains, the Puget Sound gets an unhealthy drink of oil, fertilizer, pesticides, and animal wastes. Unhealthy levels of water pollution have made our region noncompliant with the federal Clean Water Act, and have [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 2:21pm EST
  

• Washington crushes Oregon in eleventh annual Cross Country Border Clash

  One of the things I like to do to take a break from politics (at least during autumn) is watch cross country meets. The sport runs in the family; my father is the head coach of the cross country program at Redmond High School, and my brother and sister have [...]
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  Posted: November 22, 2009, 2:31pm EST
  

• Reid gets sixty votes; debate to begin in United States Senate on healthcare reform

  It's nice to see Senate Democrats finally voting in unison for a change:
  The Senate voted on Saturday to begin full debate on major health care legislation, propelling President Obama’s top domestic initiative over a crucial, preliminary hurdle in a formidable display of muscle-flexing by the Democratic majority.Don't expect' [...]
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  Posted: November 21, 2009, 5:14pm EST
  

• Stanwood Amtrak station opens tomorrow

  Great news for rail fans: Tomorrow Amtrak Cascades will begin stopping at Stanwood in Snohomish County on its way to and from Seattle or Vancouver, British Columbia. The town and nearby Camano Island have been without passenger rail service for decades, but that travesty will end tomorrow morning with the [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 2:16pm EST
  

• Governor Gregoire: State must raise revenue; all cuts budget in 2010 "not an option"

  It looks like the Governor Gregoire that we know and love - the courageous governor who's not afraid to stand up to Tim Eyman and conservative editorial writers - it looks like that governor, at long last, is finally back in action.
  
  Minutes ago, at Senator Jeanine Kohl-Welles' [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 6:34pm EST
  

• Google unveils Chrome OS: Like a library workstation, minus privacy protection

  A few months after confirming its intention to turn its "Chrome" browser into an operating system, search giant Google has taken the wraps off its product plans, eliciting breathless coverage from tech blogs and traditional media outlets.
  
  The basic gist is this: Google ois slapping its name, logo, and [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 4:27pm EST
  

• NIMBYism casts specter over Sound Transit's fourth East Link workshop in Bellevue

  Earlier tonight, a packed house attended Sound Transit's fourth East Link workshop, held in at City Hall in downtown Bellevue, where residents were invited to submit comments about Sound Transit's plans for the voter approved project.
  
  Throughout the presentation, we were given an overview of the different ideas. The [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 8:58pm EST
  

• Worsening budget deficit will interfere with Democratic legislative ambitions

  Tomorrow, the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council is due to release its latest revenue forecast, which is expected to show that the state's budget shortfall will reach a staggering $2.5 billion.
  
  Governor Chris Gregoire and legislators have been preparing for the 2010 session under the assumption [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 2:05pm EST
  

• The Stupak/Pitts pro-death amendment

  Yesterday, George Washington University released an analysis of what's going to happen in the health care industry as a result of the Stupak/Pitts amendment to the Affordable Health Care for America bill (H.R. 3962).
  
  The GWU report nicely summarizes the language of the amendment:
  The amendment bans federal [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 11:37am EST
  

• Al Gore visits the Pacific Northwest to talk about his new book, Our Choice

  Vice President Al Gore is back in our beautiful corner of the country this week to talk about his new book Our Choice, which is a sequel to An Inconvenient Truth, although Gore wrote The Assault on Reason in between.
  
  Our Choice focuses on solutions to the climate [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 9:59pm EST
  

• SR 520 working group votes eleven to two to adopt A+ option for new bridge

  We've just heard from several members of the State Route 520 workgroup that they've finally settled on an option to rebuild the highway from Interstate 5 to the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge across Lake Washington.
  
  By a vote of 10-2, the workgroup (comprised of lawmakers representing neighborhoods on [...]
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  Posted: November 17, 2009, 1:40pm EST
  

• Link train derails; traditional media foolishly rush to make a big deal about it

  I wasn't going to say anything about the Link light rail train that derailed earlier today, but I feel compelled to after seeing the Seattle Times put the news front and center at the top of their website earlier this afternoon.
  
  There really isn't much more to [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 8:51pm EST
  

• Implement Core 24 to prepare students for a successful life

  In 1985, Microsoft released the first retail version of its wildly successful Windows operating system. You probably can’t remember life before MS Windows, but this was actually the same year that Washington state last updated its high school graduation requirements. A lot has changed since then.
  
  Globalization and new [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 2:55pm EST
  

• The ten best add-ons for Mozilla Firefox

  Longtime readers of the NPI Advocate know that we're big fans of Firefox, the free software browser by Mozilla. One of the reasons we think it's the best browser out there is the incredibly rich and useful add-ons that are available to extend Firefox and make it infinitely more powerful.' [...]
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  Posted: November 15, 2009, 9:19am EST
  

• Sound Transit Board of Directors will look somewhat different in 2010

  One of the consequences of the 2009 elections that hasn't been widely discussed is the forthcoming changes to the Sound Transit Board of Directors, which will look somewhat different next year with the departure of several current boardmembers and the addition of several new ones.
  
  The most' [...]
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  Posted: November 14, 2009, 10:25am EST
  

• Got a question for Mayor-elect Mike McGinn?

  KCTS 9 has just announced that it will be airing the first in-depth post-election interview with newly elected Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn a week from today.
  
  KCTS Connects host Enrique Cerna will be asking McGinn about who he plans to tap for key administrative positions like Deputy Mayor [...]
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  Posted: November 14, 2009, 9:41pm EST
  

• Sound Transit's Airport Link to begin service on December 19th at 10 AM

  This morning, flanked by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and King County Executive-elect Dow Constantine, Senator Patty Murray announced that Sound Transit will inaugurate service on Airport Link on Saturday, December 19th at 10 AM.
  
  
  Airport Link - which runs [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 11:54am EST
  

• KVI axes longtime host Kirby Wilbur

  After sixteen years on the air, KVI's The Kirby Wilbur Show is no more, according to our good friend Michael Hood at blatherWatch, who writes:
  The Seattle early morning earscape has again felt a seismic shift: With the typical Fisher aplomb, Kirby Wilbur has been fired from KVI, the' [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 7:55pm EST
  

• Organized labor will work to elect progressive Democrats

  Organized labor knows that money is too tight to spend on would-be Democrats. Despite holding a majority in both chambers of the state legislature, plus the governor’s office, Democratic lawmakers so severely disappointed labor groups during the 2009 legislative session that the groups have either stopped or significantly reduced their [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 2:01pm EST
  

• Lou Dobbs resigns from CNN

  Wow, talk about an early Christmas present:
  Lou Dobbs, the longtime CNN anchor whose anti-immigration views have made him a TV lightning rod, plans to announce Wednesday that he is leaving the network, two network employees said.
  
  A CNN executive confirmed that Mr. Dobbs will announce his resignation [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 4:12pm EST
  

• Happy Veterans' Day

  Today we pause to thank the many brave men and women who have valiantly served our country in the armed forces, defending this great nation so that the rest of us may go about our lives freely and peacefully.
  
  We at NPI are especially grateful for the service [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 1:31pm EST
  

• We need more revolutionary politicians.

  Representative Alan Grayson made a whole bunch of waves last month--good ones--by finally telling it like it is about the Republicans position on health care reform. Don't get sick, and if you do, die quickly.
  
  Blunt. Honest. Refreshing.
  
  The response was predictable. Indignation and outrage from those whose' [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 10:28am EST
  

• Dow Constantine taps Fred Jarettt to be Deputy King County Executive

  Great move, Dow! Via news release:
  King County Executive Elect Dow Constantine announced today that his former primary rival, State Sen. Fred Jarrett of Mercer Island, will join his administration in the critical role of Deputy Executive, the highest ranking staff position in the incoming administration.
  
  Jarrett, who is [...]
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  Posted: November 10, 2009, 10:48am EST
  

• Okanogan County now saying NO to Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033

  Yet another county has joined the NO on Initiative 1033 camp.
  
  This week, it's Okanogan, where Initiative 1033 had previously been passing by just a handful of votes, and which we predicted was the most likely candidate to switch sides. Today, it finally happened, as Okanogan's Auditor posted new [...]
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  Posted: November 10, 2009, 9:53pm EST
  

• Joe Mallahan concedes as future Seattle mayor Mike McGinn again expands his lead

  We called it last Friday... today, everybody else is acknowledging that Mike McGinn has prevailed in the contest for Mayor of Seattle. McGinn's rival Joe Mallahan, who also advanced from the August primary election, conceded gracefully at a press conference earlier this evening in Seattle, wishing McGinn the best as' [...]
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  Posted: November 09, 2009, 5:30pm EST
  

• Schmatta: Another name for a dying industry

  When was the last time you bought a piece of clothing that was made in America? You'd have to look long and hard before finding any these days, yet it wasn’t long ago that we all wore clothing made in the U.S.A. In 1995, half of America’s clothing was made' [...]
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  Posted: November 09, 2009, 2:39pm EST
  

• Banking, social justice style

  Editor's Note: Readers, we hope you'll join us in giving a warm welcome to our newest staff member, Dorsol Plants. Dorsol is a veteran who recently ran for Seattle City Council Position 4. He made a strong showing for a first time candidate, coming in only a few percentage points [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 5:02pm EST
  

• Healthcare reform bill passes U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 220-215

  Earlier tonight, by a vote of 220-215, the House passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, the first significant health care reform in decades.
  
  Representative Ahn "Joseph" Cao of Louisiana was the only Republican to vote in favor of the legislation. An astounding thirty [...]
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  Posted: November 07, 2009, 8:56pm EST
  

• Mike McGinn: Seattle's next mayor

  Looks like it's time to say hello to the next Mayor of Seattle: Mike McGinn.
  
  The race has finally changed from "too close to call" to "it looks like we have a winner." In the afternoon returns reported by King County Elections around 4:30 PM, McGinn doubled his lead' [...]
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  Posted: November 06, 2009, 8:47pm EST
  

• NO on I-1033 reaches 57% of vote statewide

  Another day, another milestone for NO on Initiative 1033.
  
  A day after Pierce County flipped to the light side, following in the lead of Benton County, which had done the same the day before, NO on I-1033's total percentage of the vote statewide has reached fifty seven percent. If' [...]
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  Posted: November 06, 2009, 6:33pm EST
  

• Action alert: health care reform

  Editor's Note: This post has been updated to include Congressman Adam Smith of Washington's 9th Congressional District in the call to action.
  
  On Saturday, the U.S. House of Representatives is poised to vote on HR 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. This evening, we received an [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 8:09pm EST
  

• Governor Gregoire issues statement on the passage of Referendum 71

  Via email from Governor Chris Gregoire's office:
  I am extremely pleased that voters have approved Referendum 71. I signed the original bill and believe it is the right policy for our great state. Washington state has a history of fighting to ensure everyone – mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters' [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 5:17pm EST
  

• Pierce County finally flips, joins majority of state in saying NO on Initiative 1033

  Amazing!
  
  A little less than forty eight hours after Election Night, Pierce County has finally flipped and joined most of the rest of the State of Washington in saying NO to Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033. Pierce gained notoriety last year for being the only county to (narrowly) support Tim' [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 5:15pm EST
  

• Mike McGinn's lead over Joe Mallahan widens to five hundred and fiftten votes

  Not much movement in the numbers today from King County Elections in the Seattle mayor's race. Mike McGinn increased his lead over Joe Mallahan, but only very slightly. In fact, Mallahan's total percentage of the vote is also higher than it was yesterday too. (This is possible because the percentage [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 4:46pm EST
  

• Tragedy at Fort Hood in Texas

  Grave news this afternoon:
  The Army says seven people were killed and 20 wounded in a pair of shootings at the Fort Hood Army base in Killeen, according to the Associated Press.
  
  An Army spokesman at the Pentagon says the shootings began about 1:30 p.m. Thursday at a [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 3:45pm EST
  

• Congress expands first time homebuyer program too far

  Despite criticisms of the program, the Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved an extension and expansion of the popular homebuyer tax credit. Since January, the tax credit has given first time homebuyers with incomes of $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for couples an $8,000 tax break. The House approved the bill [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 12:06pm EST
  

• Benton County, home to the Tri-Cities, joins NO on Initiative 1033 column

  A stunning turn of events tonight: After giving Initiative 1033 its support in early returns, Benton County has done an about face and joined the NO on Initiative 1033 column. As of this evening, voters there were very narrowly rejecting Tim Eyman's anti-government scheme, 50.07% to 49.93%.
  
  Other' [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 7:17pm EST
  

• Susan Hutchison concedes race for Executive

  We've gotten word that Susan Hutchison has conceded the race for Executive to Dow Constantine. Obviously, not earth-shattering news, as Dow declared victory last night, and the trends looked great for him.
  
  Hutchison has not updated her website, Twitter feed, or Facebook page with the news that she' [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 5:03pm EST
  

• NO on Initiative 1033 reaches 56% of vote statewide, Referendum 71 close to 52%

  The Secretary of State has factored the latest numbers from King County into its vote totals for and against our two statewide ballot measures.
  
  The news is good all around: NO on Initiative 1033 has reached 56%, while Approve Referendum 71 is approaching 52% (it's at 51.83% as' [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 4:52pm EST
  

• New numbers from King County: Mallahan gains, Constantine holds steady

  King County has just updated its election results to include new returns tabulated today. It's mostly good news: Referendum 71 continues to enjoy widespread support and Initiative 1033 continues to face widespread opposition.
  
  Our next King County Executive, Dow Constantine, is holding steady with more than 57% of [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 4:34pm EST
  

• Washington Poll projects passage of Referendum 71, 52% to 48%

  While we're waiting for King County to post its numbers later this afternoon, here's some data to chew over courtesy of the Washington Poll about the fate of Referendum 71, which as of last night's results, is leading narrowly.
  
  The Washington Poll, which is sponsored by the University' [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 3:19pm EST
  

• Referendum 71 winning, but not by much

  Referendum 71, which would same-sex domestic partnerships many of the rights currently available to married couples, is leading with 51% of the voters approving and 49% rejecting the Referendum. That is at the state level.
  
  It is a different story in King County, where R 71 is carrying a [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 1:06am EST
  

• Collapse of Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033 proves that teabaggers are just a fringe

  "Let’s make Initiative 1033’s vote in November the ultimate tea party."
  
  - Tim Eyman, April 15th, 2009
  
  Tim Eyman's most destructive initiative yet has met a fitting fate.
  
  Voters across Washington State - from Clallam County to Asotin County - are overwhelmingly rejecting the Mukilteo watch salesman's [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 11:48pm EST
  

• Governor Gregoire releases statement on failure of Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033

  Governor Chris Gregoire has released a statement (via email to NPI) on the overwhelming defeat of Tim Eyman's most destructive initiative ever:
  I am pleased that the voters appear to have rejected Initiative 1033. Voters understood that this misguided proposal would have precluded our ability to recover from these extraordinarily [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 10:20pm EST
  

• Kim Allen wins another term on Redmond city council in early returns

  Redmond city council member and fellow progressive Kim Allen has a large lead over her opponent, Sally J. Chen, in early returns from King County Elections. Allen is winning with 61.9% of the vote. If she should keep her lead, Allen will serve her second term on the council.
  
  [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 10:02pm EST
  

• It's close for I-1033 in Pierce and Yakima county

  Pierce county is going for Inititative 1033, but just barely:
  
  Yes - 50.32%
  No - 49.68%
  
  The statewide totals, now including heavily populated Pierce county and Yakima county, have changed just a bit but are still a substantial defeat for Tim Eyman:
  
  Yes - 44.54%
  No - [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 8:54pm EST
  

• Dow Constantine declares victory, looks to be our next King County Executive

  Hello everyone! I'm here at Dow Constantine's Election Night party and it is rocking. The first (and only results for tonight) from King County put Dow at 57% and Susan Hutchison at 43%. People are ecstatic! Cheering of "Dow Now" are rampant through the packed ballroom at the Edgewater Hotel.
  [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 8:51pm EST
  

• State election map shows where the I-1033 votes are falling

  If you take a look at the Washington state elections map, you'll see a large swath of green down the center of the state indicating approval of Initiative 1033, with yellow (that's our color) flanking it on both sides.
  
  Most Puget Sound countes except for Mason county are' [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 8:24pm EST
  

• Elections roundup - Thurston County

  With the election results from Thurston County coming in, even with 20,000 votes yet to be counted, it's shaping up to be a great night for Democrats.
  
  Change is coming to the City of Lacey, where the Mayor and Deputy Mayor are being blown out by Democrats Ron' [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 8:23pm EST
  

• King County is rejecting I-1033

  With 23.5% of the King County vote counted, you could drive a truck through the gap between votes for and against Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033.
  
  Yes - 34.28%
  No - 65.72%
  
  Let's hope these numbers are sustained through the evening. Stay tuned. [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 8:15pm EST
  

• Initiative 1033 failing in Spokane County

  Spokane is rejecting Tim Eyman's latest bad idea. Current results from Spokane County are 43% in favor and 57% against the initiative. This important swing county has looked at the damage this measure would do to its already beleaguered governments and said ,"No."
  
  With just four counties reporting, I-1033 [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 7:45pm EST
  

• Maine voters preserving marriage equality

  The news was good early on from Maine on Question 1:
  Early returns showed a close contest, as had been forecast. With 70 of 608 precincts reporting, the gay-marriage side had 53 percent to 47 percent for the other side.
  
  A vote to uphold the law would mark [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 6:55pm EST
  

• Election results reporting schedule

  For our Western Washington readers who aren't out watching results come in while partaking in election night festivities, here is an alphabetical guide to when you can expect election results to be reported in your county (click on the links for results as they are reported):
  
  Clallam County' [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 6:24pm EST
  

• How the counties could fall tonight: A projection map for Initiative 1033

  Here's a little something to whet the appetites of those anxiously awaiting election results tonight who are not otherwise engaged in get out the vote efforts (and if you aren't, you better have at least contacted your closest friends and relatives and reminded them about the election).
  
  The' [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 12:15pm EST
  

• Time to vote! Election Day 2009 has arrived

  This is it.
  
  In less than twelve hours, it'll be curtains for the 2009 general election as the deadline passes to get ballots to drop sites. Those who are planning to mail in their ballots should get to the Post Office several hours in advance of 8 PM to' [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 10:10am EST
  

• Ten good reasons to vote NO on Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033

  In just twenty four hours, the 2009 general election will come to a close. The most important thing on this year's ballot is Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033, which would, if passed, devastate our economy and make it impossible for us to ever climb out of the Great Recession. For those [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 8:00pm EST
  

• Cutting library hours hurts all of us

  To balance their budgets, cities could cut money from public libraries, but doing so would affect people from every corner of the city, and would cause more money to be spent elsewhere. Is it worth the cost?
  
  As I mentioned last Monday, the Seattle Public Library has been [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 1:21pm EST
  

• Tim Eyman to crash Susan Hutchison's Election Night party at Bellevue Hyatt

  As longtime readers know, we often take the trouble to remind the traditional press that Tim Eyman's campaigns are not grassroots. Anyone who carefully tracks Eyman, as we do, can see for this for themselves, because Eyman depends on one rich guy for the vast bulk of the cash he [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 12:54pm EST
  

• In King County, 2009 will be the first general election without voting booths

  Last year we in King County experienced the last election we may ever have at the polls, as we have only held vote by mail elections this year. I was fortunate enough be involved in to what turned out to be an unnecessary part of the process.
  
  The Democratic [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 8:25am EST
  

• Not sure who to vote for? See who the King County Democrats have endorsed

  If you haven't sent in your ballot yet, you might want to take a look at these endorsements by King County Democrats to help you make an informed decision.
  
  Unlike in previous years, candidates on this year's ballot won't have any party labels next to their name. That's' [...]
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  Posted: November 01, 2009, 7:12pm EST
  

• Happy Halloween!

  The trick or treaters are certainly out in force tonight (well, at least in Redmond!) Fortunately, I've got plenty of candy to hand out, when I'm not making phone calls in support of NO on Initiative 1033 and Approve Referendum 71.
  
  Here's a quick Halloween roundup:
  There was a [...]
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  Posted: October 31, 2009, 7:49pm EDT