there oughta be a law...kvi, john carlson, & kirby wilbur's dirty anti-road repair I-912 campaign

We're not lawyers, but can this heavy stumping for the No Road Repairs Initiative heard daily on KVI's morning and evening drive time talk shows by Kirby Wilbur (m-f, 5-9a) and John Carlson (m-f, 3-6p) be legal?

These guys, both long time GOP operatives, are not only drumming their message--that this is about gas taxes--into the heads of 1000's day in and day out, but they're organizing and brainstorming petition distribution; making signature-gathering plans and strategies with the campaign workers and volunteers among their listeners. 

This is grossly unfair. The opposition couldn't buy this valuable airtime--no activist group could afford even a fraction of the continuous daily political infomercials afforded the Just Say No To Roads campaign by these talk shows.

These are public airwaves, they do not belong to this Republican cabal bent on vetoing a roads repair package passed painfully by a Legislature who, for once, did something both important and brave. 

The fact is, there's a billion dollars and decades worth of work needed on state roads and only two legal ways to fix or build roads and bridges: car tabs and gas taxes. Tim Eyman neutralized the car tab option years ago, leaving only gas taxes.

Even though some brave Republicans (now being savaged on KVI) helped pass this much needed package, the GOP is endorsing the anti-roads bill county by county.

It's a cynical Karl Rove neocon strategy in micro, using talk radio to demagogue an issue making Democrats look bad in a state where R's can't get elected--and damn the consequences.

Here's what this is really about:

I-912 is designed to embarrass a Democratic Legislature and Governor Gregoire.

I-912 is meant to win Republicans power and influence disproportionate to their minority status.

I-912 is made to drive up Carlson and Wilbur's already considerable clout in the Republican Party.

I-9-12 is designed to keep government barefoot and pregnant---at least while the Democrats are in charge.

I-912 is to defeat Democrats and elect Republicans.

KVI has been used as a mouthpiece for illegal or questionable political campaigning before. Mike Siegel,(KTTH m-f,6-9a) on KVI back in the '90's, ran an entire (losing) campaign for a pissed-off woman running against a legislator who Siegel hated. He's not helping with I-912, (too many pother huge egos in the room for him) but he's tub-thumping Tim Eyman's latest initiative (something to do with monkeys) and riding the coattails of the Carlson/Wilbur efforts. Many signature gatherers carry both petitions, according to what callers say on the Carlson show.

In 1997, Carlson tried to run the anti-affirmative action initiative campaign on-air from KVI even though he was being paid by them. When 2,500 mostly black high schoolers marched around the station with signs reading "KKK: KVI, Karlson, KOMO," Fisher Broadcasting, faced with a broadside of blistering editorials and retreating advertisers, fired him.

But Carlson came back to KVI a hero and victim of political persecution after the measure passed--as if winning exonerated him for the unfair and illegal practices that got him fired.

The opposition is led by Citizens led by Republican ex-Governor Dan Evans, and former Democratic Seattle Mayor Wes Uhlman (an ex-Assoc. of Washington Business President) and Richland Republican Rep. Shirley Hankins.

Carlson's usual allies, like the business community, are joining environmentalists, labor and responsible Republicans to fight this irresponsible partisan maneuver.

Carlson slurs them as "elites," but no matter how elite they are, they're at a tremendous and unfair disadvantage trying to counter in kind the unfair way this is being promoted gratis on the radio.

We beg the Public Disclosure Commission to look at this. Initiatives have become potent political tools for special interests---this time, for Republican partisan surrogates. NWPT54

Comments

[taxed2muchalready]

I thought Washington State just found a bunch of money.

Oh well, neither demorats or rethuglicans would even think about postponing or repealing a new tax or otherwise refunding an unexpected windfall. The 2 party squeeze!

It's time for a 3rd way.

Bob said "Now you get...what you want...do you want more? Down back biter down"

[sparky]

Its amazing to me how people want the best roads, the best schools, the best police and fire departments who will answer a call of distress in mere minutes-----but scream like pigs when asked to pay for it through higher taxes. Add to that, the very wealthy who actually have their taxes reduced, forcing the working poor to shoulder more of the burden--the very people who most often take public transportation paid for with those taxes.
Mike, where can we write or call to bring more attention to this to whomever could stop this free advertising? ( other than KVI, which would most likely just blow off any request for fairness)

[Lush Flimbaugh]

I for one am filing a formal complaint with both the FCC and the state elections watchdogs. I hope others will follow suit. We need to see that these thugs, crooks, lowlifes and false patriots at KVI pay for their deeds.

I think it might also be time to organize another march around KOMO/KVI HQ. We were able to get that Hitler-loving fool JohnBoy Carlson fired once, we can do it again.

[blathering michael]

Sparky: you could start by going up to the Public Disclosure Commission's site http://www.pdc.wa.gov/ and find out if and how you could make a complaint.

[Lump]

"It's a cynical Karl Rove neocon strategy in micro, using talk radio to demagogue an issue making Democrats look bad in a state where R's can't get elected--and damn the consequences."

You don't need talk radio to make the Dems look bad. Just stand back and let them do it to themselves. When politicans enact hundreds of millions of dollars in new taxes without cost estimates, budgeting, and without providing ideas on what will be spent where, there will be considerable debate. It appears the Dems have forgot Gary Locke raised the gas tax before he left office. What has that money done?Would you run your business and your household like government does? If you do, then you're just as broke as they are. When one uses the name of Karl Rove, it just shows desperation against a person who has continually left the Dems swimming in the tide pool. Afterall there is a reason the Jackass is the symbol of the Democrats.

[Brent]

Re: Gas Tax

I'm rather undecided on the whole gas tax issue. I acknowledge the need for better roads, but I'm rather bitter about Gov. Gregoire's promise not to raise the gas tax until voters are satisfied that the last tax was well used, not to mention her promise not to raise the gas tax without voter approval. Those two issues quite trouble me as a forecaster of things to come from her.

All that said, is it too much to ask for to know what the plans are to use this money? All we hear is talk talk talk, but no formidable ideas that we can 'see.'

I consider myself middle of the road, and listen to both KVI and AM 1090, as well as reading this blog, Sound Politics, & Goldy. As for this posting, I'd have to say I disagree after hearing from Wilbur & Carlson that they CLEARLY aren't against a higher gas tax, but simply want a plan. They've both said time and time again that they are wanting accountability for how the money will be spent. I think that is not too tall of an order to ask for, and here's why:

I travel daily across the Narrows Bridge in Tacoma to my employer in Gig Harbor. I've done so for the past 6 years, so I'm well aware of the situation behind it. When voters approved the measure to build the new bridge, the voters approved $350 million towards the construction of the new bridge. As of the last calculation, the costs were well over $850 million, and that was a year or two ago. I wouldn't doubt if it wound up costing over $1 Billion by the time all is said and done. As you can see, increased gas tax for road improvements leaves me rather skeptical, considering that the new Narrows bridge is unlikely to relieve much, if any congestion by the time it's done. Two standard occupancy lanes each way is no different than it is now, just with a commuter lane added. Ouch, that's a lot of hope that more people carpool!

With this just one example of the State's DOT lack of honesty, why in the world should we empower them with all of this money from a raised gas tax?

I'm not being cynical; I sincerely would like to know why. After being burned in the past, I'm hesitant to have any faith in them.

[snoutcounter]

seems you guys have a problem with so called"un fair"premotion of I-912,yet don,t have a issue with the way our law makers are taking this chice out of the voters hands...

[Bush Lies]

I agree 100% with Blathering Michael. I'm sick of the Republikans exercising a disproportionate amount of power as a minority party. All they want is power. They tried to stop the fillabuster in D.C. and we won out over them. We can beat them at any game. I'm sick of them getting these stupid initiatives on the ballot and then having them get passed into law. This country was not formed so that a minority of people could have their way and get their initiatives passed all of the time by a bunch of ignorant voters.

Blathering Michael - you keep telling the truth brother. Guys like you and me will keep this state (and this country) straight!

[umo]

KIRO-AM is by far the highest rated talk station in Seattle. KIRO is nearly two full ratings points ahead of the nearest news/talk competitor.

[sparky]

Whether or not you agree with what they are doing or what they stand for, to use the airwaves gives them an advantage that cannot be matched by the opposition. Blather's point was that it is a misuse of the venue -free advertising for one side only.

[Lump]

"I agree 100% with Blathering Michael. I'm sick of the Republikans exercising a disproportionate amount of power as a minority party. All they want is power."

Oh, you mean they are acting like the Dems in DC?

"I'm sick of them getting these stupid initiatives on the ballot and then having them get passed into law."

You mean a legal right guaranteed by Washington state law? And again you mean that a majority of voters casting their legal vote, cept in King County of course,
by voting a citizens iniative into state law?

"This country was not formed so that a minority of people could have their way and get their initiatives passed all of the time by a bunch of ignorant voters."

Really? I suggest that you quit ripping off the school lunch program and go back to
studying government civics and really learn how a representative republic works. Laws only count when they are the ones you like?
Pretty pathetic.

[bob]

Anyone else notice that while wilber and carlson are urging listeners to volunteer for the petition drive, they refuse to ask their listeners to enlist in the military to fight in a war they support. I e-mailed Brian Suits a few weeks ago, asking him to urge his listeners to sign up. He e-mailed me back and actually said, "He wouldn't waste his ballon juice asking kvi listeners to enlist" Not surprising is it. Sacrifice is fine as long as it's not the wingnuts having to sacrifice. Peace

[Amused by liberals]

Sad. You are willing to suppress free speech because you don't agree with it, even if it's commercial, private speech, with no tax-payer subsidy.

Yet you oppose the flag-burning amendment on the basis of the first amendment.

One is talk, the other is arson.

You're a hypocrite, blatherer.

[John]

You are a bunch of Stalinists, and I and all my friends will fight you by all means necessary. But first, we'll defeat you as usual at the ballot box.

Democrats or should I say, Copperheads, are what is wrong with the US and need to go. And when I say they need to go, I mean get out of the US as they are opponents of freedom and of the United States Constitution. They are the enemies of the USA, and enemies of mine.

You only like free speech if it supports your causes. You scream bloody murder when anyone even mentions a possible amendment to ban flag burning (amending the Constitution is the legal way of doing anything speech limiting) yet you lionize the judiciary when it makes unconstitutional rulings banning free speech.

The campaign finance reform bill is also against the Constitution and needs to go. Bills cannot change the Constitution, only amendments can. When will you libs figure that out? My guess is never.

[TJ]

Well I guess this heavy stumping against the gas-tax increase(in some quarters called FREE SPEECH) CAN be legal. Did you hear? John & Kirby just won their case before the state supreme court against a consortium of tax-hungry local pols who tried to make them report their airtime advocacy as an "in-kind campaign contribution." They won 9 to 0. That's nine-zip. And the court reinstated their civil rights infringement lawsuit against the local politburo types for MONETARY DAMAGES. Ahhhhh, hurts doesn't it.