A Time And Feeling Reminiscent Of November 5, 2008

Right now I feel like I did on November 5, 2008.  The candidates and measures that I voted (and lobbied) for all won their respective offices, but in another state, gay marriage was voted down.  Last year, Californians went to the polls to strip away marriage--equal protection--rights from gay couples.  In 2009, in Maine, voters went to the polls, driven by the same fear tactics used in California, to do the same.  While we may be 'losing' at present, rest assured that this is not the end.  We're not going to just go away and accept your own insecurities and bigotry as the law of the land.

Update: 12:59pm (Eastern) - With 589 of 605 (97%) of Maine's precincts reporting, the totals are now: 298,002 voting 'Yes' (reject the same-sex marriage law) and 266,599 voting 'No' (uphold the same-sex marriage law).  That's 52.78% to 47.22%, and a difference of 31,403 votes.

While the ballots are still being counted here in Washington state, it looks as though Referendum 71--on whether or not to allow a legislative bill expanding the rights and responsibilities of domestic partners to pass--is going to be approved by the electorate.  We could not have done this without your support, outreach, and most importantly, your vote.  This is a big win for us today, and I couldn't be happier.

On that note, I would like to take this time to thank each and every one of my friends, family members, and coworkers for putting up with my incessant heckling to get their voter registration up-to-date and voting.  Your support means the world to me (and to everyone in the gay community).  Again, thank you.  Now, let's roll up our sleeves and get to work!

Lacking Creativity's August 18th Primary Endorsements

As listed in order on the ballot*:

King County Executive - Dow Constantine

Court of Appeals, Div. No. 1, Dist. No. 1, Judge Position No. 3 - Anne L. Ellington

Port of Seattle Commissioner Position No. 3 - Al Yuen

Port of Seattle Commissioner Position No. 4 - Tom Albro

City of Seattle, Mayor - Mike McGinn

City of Seattle, Council Position No. 4 - Sally Bagshaw

City of Seattle, Council Position No. 6 - Nick Licata

City of Seattle, Council Position No. 8 - Mike O'Brien

City of Seattle, Referendum No. 1 - Rejected (No)

Seattle School District No. 1, Director District No. 5 - Mary E. Bass

The mail-in primary is August 18th. Vote!

*Your ballot may be different depending on where you reside.

Lacking Creativity Says Reject The City Of Seattle Referendum 1

On July 28, 2008, the Seattle City Council voted (6-1) to pass Ordinance 122752, which refers to the 'disposable bag fee'. Enough valid signatures were gathered to refer the ordinance to a public vote; this is Referendum 1, and it is being voted on on the August 18th primary (for Seattle voters). At first I thought it ideal to implement the policy--Effective January 1, 2009, all grocery stores, drug stores, and convenience stores...shall charge and collect a twenty cents ($0.20) advanced recovery fee, a Green Fee, for each disposable shopping bag provided to customers--because it would encourage people to use reusable bags for their grocery items. If you don't want to pay a surcharge, then you'll buy the (usually $3.00) reusable bag, and bypass it altogether. Sounds like a simple enough plan, right? Wrong.

If this ordinance is approved by the voters, which it shouldn't be, then we will be increasing the government spending by creating two new positions in the Department of Executive Administration--Administrative Specialist II and a Tax Auditor--and to "conduct an intensive public education and outreach campaign starting at least 90 days before the effective date of the green fee. SPU (Seattle Public Utilities) shall incorporate within that campaign, messages about the importance of keeping reusable bags clean and properly containing meat to prevent leakage."

Is this what you want your tax dollars to go towards? Do we need a program that teaches us how to use a reusable grocery bag? I hardly think so. This is an absolute waste of time and money. People are becoming more and more inclined to use their own shopping bags without this increase in government spending and red-tape. Vote to Reject Referendum 1. Thank you.

Note: all this information was provided via the King County Local Voters' Pamphlet. Read it, then vote.

It's An Election Year In Seattle

Okay, so you went to the polls back in November to vote for national (and some local) change, but we have more elections coming this fall. The Seattle School Board Position 5, Seattle Council Positions 2, 4, 6, and 8, and Seattle Mayor are all up for grabs. There are a total of 28 candidates running for any of those offices. Mary Bass, Richard Conlin, Nick Licata, and Greg Nickels are all up for re-election for SB5, SCP 2, SCP 6, and SM, respectively.

The role these offices play in Seattle are integral and should not be taken lightly. Education, budgets, transit, et al., are all things that get determined by the people we elect into these positions. Therefore, I highly recommend you attend the Seattle Candidate Forum at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church Monday, July 27th, from 6-9 pm. A flyer with all the information is here.

In addition to these city positions, the August 18th primary will include County, City, Judicial, School, and District elections as well. It's time to do your proverbial homework. Read up on these candidate. What can they do? What experience do they have? What does their record indicate? You can see the full list of candidates here. The general election information is here.