State Caught Using Illegal Body Gripping Traps
News by Nansen on February 2nd, 2010 with No Comments so far.
Kretz wondered what was under the black plastic pots scattered around the Capitol grounds. Turns out there were no fewer than 10 ‘body gripping traps’ placed at the Governor’s Mansion and Capitol grounds. These traps were outlawed in 2000 with Initiative 713 and became law under emergency rules a few months later.
Kretz immediately informed WDFW of these illegal traps. The General Administration claimed ignorance. They didn’t know the traps were illegal and have been using them for years.
“I can’t use that excuse if I broke the law!” Kretz exclaimed. “I find it hard to believe they didn’t know about the law. This is a big issue! Every year, for the past 9 years we have had lengthy floor debates about these traps.” Indeed, in 2002, then Attorney General Christine Gregoire wrote an opinion about the use of such traps.
While farmers struggle with less effective substitutes for controlling dangerous coyotes attacking livestock, our Governor has a mole problem so it is just fine to place these traps in heavily trafficked areas of the Capitol campus. Imagine if a visiting child (or angry Senator) accidently stepped off the curb and became trapped?
Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Unless of course you are the Governor.
Update: King 5 News visited Olympia and the traps have been removed. Story at 5:30pm.
Gregoire Breaks the Law to Help Denny Heck
Politics by Nansen on January 28th, 2010 with No Comments so far.Photo courtesy of the AP.
State PDC regulators are crying foul and again Washington’s 3rd Congressional District is in the national news. It turns out Governor Gregoire isn’t just anointing a candidate to replace the Democrat Brian Baird. Nope, she is apparently also willing to break state campaign finance law, yet again, in a deliberate attempt to gather all the money she can for the State Democrat establishment’s darling, Denny Heck.
Washington State has a pesky little law that prohibits elected officials from raising money for most candidates while the Legislature is in session. Gregoire played her lawyerly self, speaking through a spokesperson and lambasting the long established rules of the game as “ambiguous.” Funny talk coming from the former Attorney General, who should obviously know better. What’s truly ambiguous is whether Chris Gregoire herself is running for re-election; it was a “campaign spokesperson” who she trotted out to mount a half-hearted response.
Heck is a long time Olympia insider who knows better than to pull something like this. He is either not minding the shop or simply willing to defy the law in his quest to be Congressman. I am not surprised Governor Gregoire also wrangled Washington State Insurance Commish Mike Kreidler to sign the fundraising email—afterall, friends are scarce for the Guv in Olympia these days.
What this all boils down to is our Governor and Insurance Commissioner appear willing to sidestep campaign finance laws. That is sure to encourage more confidence and trust in government. But hey, if you’re on your way up or out, why not bend or break the rules, right?
For those keeping track, Gregoire is a repeat offender when it comes to campaign finance law; just Google “Gregoire+PDC.”
DNC Ad Boosting “Jay Inslee for Governor”?
Politics by Andrew on September 3rd, 2009 with No Comments so far.That’s the speculation over at Red County. Blogger Tom Forbes connects the dots on the Democratic National Committee buying up Puget Sound region ad time for Rep. Jay Inslee:
In fact, Josh Kraushaar of Politico is reporting that the Democratic National Committee is providing “political cover” for select House Dems, including Inslee, by running radio ads praising them for their support of Obama’s stimulus package.
Doubts About Effectiveness of NW Stimulus $
Politics by Evan on July 29th, 2009 with No Comments so far.The writing for workers in Oregon is on the wall: jobs are becoming scarcer as pink slips increase. The state is currently experiencing 12.4 percent unemployment. That’s nearly 3 points higher than the national average.
Discontent Brews with Murray As Ferry Godmother
Opinion by Evan on July 19th, 2009 with 1 Comment so far.While the opinion pages of the Seattle Times continue to shrink in stature and size, one of my favorite reads continues to be the letters to the editor section.
Last week, our state’s senior Senator, Patty Murray, recently attracted attention from readers who cried “pork” over Murray’s role in a last minute deal arranging millions more in pork barrel bucks for our problem-ridden ferry system–after first being snubbed by the Obama Administration.
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