The go-to mouthpiece for County Executive Ron Sims, Sandeep Kaushik came to the Ron Reagan Show (KIRO m-f, 12-1p) Tuesday to talk about the all-mail voting ordinance the King County Council has approved.
We were hoping for a fight, or at least a robust discussion, but there wasn't much challenge for Kaushik,(or the listening audience) as he was licked to death by perennial KIRO fill-in John Procaccino.
Although it was entirely ignored by the host, there is some local controversy- and we're sure Kaushik's loins were well girded for it.
The plan is opposed, of course by the hapless Council Republicans whose political impulses are vestigial of their Whiggish/Tory antecedents, in whose heydays only white, male landowners got to vote or have any fun, for that matter.
There was opposition last week from the Silly Side which provided some laughs on an otherwise dull afternoon when a half dozen protesters trooped down to the county administration building. They were from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, a grumpy, Republican Olympia think tank (they're the pones who wear the funny little hats) and the Green Party, a small group who were once a political party but are now just a party with Koolaid and cookies.
They were accompanied by Republican King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert who had supported the balloting measure until someone explained that the plan was all-mail voting, not all-male voting.
"Never mind," she told reporters.
Republicans don't win much around here anyway, but it's a political truism that the more people are franchised to vote, the fewer Republicans get elected. That's why they've historically opposed every reform that makes election laws more inclusive- from women's suffrage, to the 18-year old vote, to Motor Voter.
(If you listen to talk radio as we do, you can hear conservative callers frequently decrying that people who do not own land and pay property taxes should no have a say in the government. You can also hear conservatives claim that Democrats don't want stricter immigration laws because they expect to sign up all the wetbacks and rule the world. We must say, though- the Republicans already are doing a great job making sure the new Latino citizens will vote Democratic).
Of course the people are way out ahead of the Republicans- and all the politicians on this issue- about 60 percent of the county's roughly 1 million voters already cast ballots by mail. Thirty four of the state's 38 counties already do.
King County will be the largest single government in the U.S. that votes entirely by mail. The State of Oregon approved it in the late '90's.
"There was opposition last week from the Silly Side which..."
The "Silly Side"? Is that really the kind of hurtful name calling that we have resorted to? Why is it that the right and the left are completely unable to have an intelligent discussion based strictly on the issues?
I assure you, I do not agree with the Republican Party on everything, but I do consider myself a conservative. As a conservative, I take a great deal of pride in the fact that our side has generally stayed above most of this childish behavior.
In my experience, it has always seemed that the side who has fewer ideas, holds less national offices and is scrambling just to stay in the game is always the one to resort to something along the lines of name calling. Judging from the current political landscape (and the writings of democrats on sites such as this), it is the left who is scrambling to stay in the game.
My advice to all my liberal friends: If you want to be a winner, start acting like a winner- not a sore loser.
Posted by: CurtisOnTheAir | May 24, 2006 at 08:24 AM
"it is the left who is scrambling to stay in the game."
Curtis: do you read the papers?
Posted by: blathering michael | May 24, 2006 at 11:30 AM
Inasmuch as getting into office carries a lot of power, clout, financial advantage, etc., ad infinitim, the election process will always attract some who are dishonest. Sometimes they will even believe that corrupting the system so that they get into office is truly for the best.
Because of this, it is incumbent upon all to make it as unlikely as is practicable for any false votes to get counted as legitimate votes.
It is just because elections steer societies that we prohibit foreigners from contributing to campaigns, for example.
But in the same way, if those who are not within the duly established class named "the enfranchised" get their votes counted, the system is open to being 'steered' by those who have no right to steer it.
Those outside the class might include eg, children, foreign exchange students, those who have long-since died, those who have moved out of the district under consideration, and so on.
There is a tendency, when hearing about restricting those registered as being within the class, to fear for disenfranchising those who should legitimately be within the class. And we should guard against that.
But it is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater (though the metaphor is inverted; sorry) to avoid properly restricting the class due to fear of inappropriate disenfranchisement. Perhaps I should say that while we don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater, neither do we want to throw dirty water onto the baby.
In serious undertakings--such as maintaining voter rolls--we need to be as accurate as possible, refusing to open the door too wide, and refusing to close it too far.
In my opinion, voting should not ever be by mail except in cases where there is an affidavit on file showing the necessity.
All other votes should be cast in person on paper. The paper should then be placed into a glass or clear plastic locked receptacle so that all can see that vote enter, and verify that it is only one ballot.
When the polls close, the poll workers--ALL of them together--should count the ballots.
Then the ballots should be put back into a locked box, and sent downtown to be separately counted, and the precict's count should be sent in under separate cover.
This would not end all sculduggery, but it would dramatically reduce it.
Posted by: Brian | May 24, 2006 at 11:54 AM
I've been racking my brain to try to remember who it was that talked pretty convincingly against all-mail voting recently. I'm thinking perhaps Greg Palast but not sure . . . anyway, whoever it was claimed that the lost-in-the-mail numbers were pretty significant; that whomever opened them would have opportunity for fraud; that disappearing ballots might never reappear . . . I don't know it all! I just remember whomever it was made an interesting case against it!
And it wasn't a republican . . .
Posted by: joanie | May 24, 2006 at 12:06 PM
So Curtis, is this one of those times where Republicans are acting responsibly?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/5/24/115758/212
Posted by: sparky | May 24, 2006 at 01:15 PM
The left IS scrambling to stay in the game! I READ THE PAPERS and all I see is a bunch of commuhomos wining and moaning about the fact that AMERICANS LOVE REPUBLICANS! Its written on all of there faces when they go and cast there votes for the right... AND CAST THE LEFT OUT INTO THE COLD! Curtis is dead on. The left is loosing and there sore losers. You comunists should read the papers. WE HAVE IDEAS. WE HAVE VISION. WERE THE SMART ONES AND YOU ARE STUPID HOMOS THAT ARE TRYING TO CONVINCE US TO HAVE AFFAIRS WITH ATTRACTIVE LITTLE 19 YEAR OLD GIRLS! Your time is up and now were in charge. Your all going to tell us how to live are lives? Im sorry but if I want to clean my house in the middle of January you cant just come in here and say that I should be worried about who the next winner on American idol is going to be! DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT I SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT DO WITH MY ELDERLY PARENTS! Curtis is right your all just a bunch of name calling homos. Were the winners and your all the losers. Your all a bunch of crazy nuts! We are more mature than you are so get with the program you stupid money grubbing idiots!
Posted by: RedRachel | May 24, 2006 at 01:16 PM
Red Rachel: this is getting tiresome. We don't really think you're a conservative, but rather a liberal with an overly broad sense of parody. We don't want to ban your IP, so please desist. If you want to post using another name- even your real one- we won't bust you. But Red Rachel is now dead to blatherWatch.
Posted by: blathering michael | May 24, 2006 at 01:40 PM
Thank you for the link, Sparky, but I fail to see your point. Unfortunately, many people in your party don't really understand the complex relationship between business and politics. I am assuming (please forgive me if I'm mistaken) that you too fall within that category, so for you to classify the administration's actions on this particular topic as irresponsible is, in itself, irresponsible.
Posted by: CurtisOnTheAir | May 24, 2006 at 01:42 PM
Meanwhile, ReRa apparently took my advice, and checked the girl's ID...
Posted by: TJ | May 24, 2006 at 01:43 PM
Yea!
Posted by: stodge charger | May 24, 2006 at 01:50 PM
You know, I watched the Mainstream Repubs on TV last night and the Elway poll said that their priorities are the war (first place), taxes, energy and the economy. I think we see the connection between business and politics! Too bad health care, the environment and education aren't up there! They, too, will affect the former four! Big time in the long run. Perhaps business is a little short sighted?
Posted by: joanie | May 24, 2006 at 02:03 PM
Curt..you must think that its ok to excuse businesses to be up front about their securities practices because somehow this protects me from the terrorists???
You must think it is ok to let someone have a "function of the President" who has not been elected by the people?
You think accountability is optional??
Separation of powers and checks and balances are very antiquated notions now. If that doesnt scare the hell out of you, perhaps you would like to imagine Hillary Clinton as your President, with NO accountability and NO oversight from anyone, announcing that SHE can break the laws whenever she sees fit.
Or else I would like you to share whatever it is that you smoke, inhale, drink or shoot up.
B'Michael..thank you for finally reaching that point of despair about ReRa's posts that most of us reached a month ago :-) We 'preshiate it!
Posted by: sparky | May 24, 2006 at 03:25 PM
Ditto Sparky!
Ditto again!
Posted by: joanie | May 24, 2006 at 03:44 PM
The interesting thing about the right's resistance to vote-by-mail is that for the longest time, it is what kept them in power in King County. For most of the 80s the GOP canidate for Executive, etc. would be behind after the poll votes were counted, only to come out ahead after all the absentees were counted.
Then (I believe with Gary Locke), the Demoncrats finally got wise and started getting more of their voters to use vote-by-mail. What had been a GOP strong point faded.
Now, we see the far right is against vote-by-mail. Strange how that works. Never mind that unlike most electronic voting that you have a strong paper trail that can be followed if there are any problems.
Posted by: JDB | May 24, 2006 at 05:09 PM
Republicans NEVER want all votes to be tallied-they would not win another election. Democrats want to increase the taxes on the top 1 percent of the population, republicans want to lower the standard of living of the lower 99 percent of the population...
Posted by: Rick | May 24, 2006 at 06:43 PM
Greg Palast wrote the article on absentee ballot problems in Florida:
http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=366
And BTW, Kathy Lambert couldn't make it to the protest, so your libelous statement is only a way to show you are making things up without actually trying to counter the argument, or have a rational discussion about voting integrity issues. Calling people names is not actually making an argument.
Posted by: Gentry | May 24, 2006 at 10:39 PM
Thank you Mr. Gentry, for participating in our comments strings. We're honored to hear from the esteemed real estate agent/2005 Green Party candidate for King County Executive.
My remarks about Kathy Lambert, the right-wing goofy you find yourself in bed with, were parody, of course. And we didn't call anybody names; though inspired by your letter, we're tempted to hang one on you- something like "deluded political dilettante," but since we're liberals around here, we'll resist the temptation. Thanks for reading, writing.
Posted by: blathering michael | May 25, 2006 at 12:46 AM
Ah, your logic is unquestionable, defending name calling with more name calling.
And so what do you think about the nice new Diebold TSX touchscreens that King County is installing now as well?
Vote fraud is vote fraud, regardless of partisan politics. I oppose VBM, others are welcome to join me, regardless of party.
Posted by: Gentry Lange | May 25, 2006 at 12:58 AM
At this point, I will take my chances with my mail in absentee ballot over using a Diebold that has been demonstrated time and time again to have the ability to be changed with no paper trail as evidence.
In California yesterday, it was discovered that the GOP had changed Dem voter's registrations to Republican via a computer, thus effectively preventing them from getting a ballot when they showed up at their precinct, depending on the local rules.
Posted by: sparky | May 25, 2006 at 08:30 AM
I have voted by mail for a long time and appreciate the opportunity to do so. However, I strongly support maintaining a choice. What technology is used at the polling place is another question and one that demands investigation and change.
Unfortunately, I also think that VBM creates as many problems as it addresses. Lost mail and the ability to "lose mail" from areas that are either liberal or conservative being two of them.
In discussing this with a friend yesterday, she thought it would empower more people to vote. I think it will make sound bites and ads even bigger players in the process. Call me an elitist, but I think voting is a right that carries with it the significant responsibility to be informed.
Not an easy issue . . .
Posted by: joanie | May 25, 2006 at 08:42 AM
Interesting..I am LESS likely to vote if I have to drive someplace in what is usually horrific weather ( in November) and find a parking spot, wait in line....aghhhhhhh!!!!
I have become a much more thoughtful voter in the last 20 years since I can sit down with my ballot, a cup of coffee and my voters pamphlet and take the time to read it carefully.
People with busy lives are all about convenience nowadays.
That said, I dont put mine in the mail sometimes..I often drop it off at the county court house!
Oregon has managed to do pretty well with vote by mail...has anyone hear of any problems there?
Posted by: sparky | May 25, 2006 at 09:13 AM
Another thought I had was that for some of us, we do vote thoughtfully. I'm not as sure that will apply to all people . . . sorry to be so skeptical/cynical? I think people who actually take the time to go to the polls may be the more committed and thoughtful.
Besides that, one of my fears is the degree to which people will vote emotionally. They will hear a Swift Boat ad and "goddammit, where is that ballot! I don't want that SofaB for my president!"
I so agree with Richard Reeves who said that Reagan dumbed down our country and created a more emotionally responsive electorate than we had before which may be one of the reasons politics has become so hostile.
Sparky, I totally love voting by mail and do it just like you do. The option is there for those who want it. I think we should leave well enough alone and clean up the mess where it exists.
Posted by: joanie | May 25, 2006 at 09:38 AM
sparky:
Do you have a link on the California GOP computer mischief? It would be nice to have.
The interesting thing on electronic voting is that it isn't that hard to make it work well, but for some reason, Diebold, etc. have not done so on most of these machines. All you need is to print out a receipt that can be used to check against the electronic count. Diebold makes ATMs which do this all the time, and in fact there are electronic voting machines that will do this (you get to see the printed receipt of how you voted, verify it is correct, and then deposit it just like you do with a paper ballot).
There should always be a paper trail with votes that can be followed. One of the great advantages of all mail in voting is that there is a very good paper trail.
Posted by: JDB | May 25, 2006 at 11:07 AM
How do lost or stolen ballots from the mail result in a good paper trail?
Posted by: joanie | May 25, 2006 at 12:10 PM
I agree with you about the ATM technology. Don't know why it isn't used.
Posted by: joanie | May 25, 2006 at 12:12 PM
JDB, your post just doesn't make any sense to me at all. If you take 5, 50 or 500 voters who are voting in person and get them to vote by mail instead, how could that benefit anyone? If Democrats got voters to vote by mail instead of in person, they ought to have the same number of votes either way, no?
The common thought on why absentee ballots trended toward the right is that a significant proportion of the absentee ballots came from military personnel, who trend toward the right.
The right is not against absentee voting. Rather, the cause surrounds ALL mail-in voting (meaning, no voting that is NOT mail in). A really large component of those who oppose all mail-in voting also oppose pure electronic voting for the same reason: no verification process having its roots in reality.
With all mail in, if fraud has taken place a recount will recount the fraudulent ballots. With electronic, if fraud has taken place the recount would recount THOSE fraudulent votes.
I don't know whether you read my post (above), but the system I recommended had a solid paper trail.
Rick,
I see your post is just wishful thinking/whistling past the grave yard.
The pendulum swings back and forth.
If you understood the situation with taxation, you would never say something as uninformed as you did.
The goal of tax cuts is to reduce taxation. Since the bottom 50% of the tax base pay less than 4% of the revenue, cutting their taxes has a really limited span of potential influence. If you eliminated their taxes altogether, you would reduce the total taxation by less than 4%.
You HAVE to cut the taxes of those at the top if you are to meet with any results whatsoever.
It is just inane to assert that Republicans “want to lower the standard of living of the lower 99% of the population.” By definition they would be cutting their own throat. Try to think clearer.
The Bush tax cuts remove ALL taxation for persons who had been at the bottom of the tax tables. You better believe that meant a lot to them.
Plus, at a deeper level, when Kennedy cut taxes in the early 60s, revenues increased dramatically; when Reagan cut taxes, revenues virtually doubled; with the Bush tax cuts revenue has risen dramatically. Spending has grown more quickly, so the NET result is lower, but that is not the result of the tax cuts.
The economy grew at a greater than 5% rate as of the latest reporting. Unemployment is less than 5%. (Economic theory from the 60s asserted that 5% unemployment equaled full employment.) Even if this figure is off, and the real unemployment is closer to 6%, that is still pretty robust employment.
The signs seem (to me) to indicate that cutting taxes has not harmed, but has helped. Why would you oppose that?
Posted by: Brian | May 25, 2006 at 12:56 PM
Geez, Brian! Talk about "truthiness." Yours takes the prize!
Posted by: joanie | May 25, 2006 at 04:47 PM
Brian:
I am sorry, but you are misinformed. At the time when the GOP used it to their advantage, it was because they did a better job of locating voters who didn't usually make it to the polls (mostly the elderly), and signing them up for absentees. The Democrats finally caught on. Since the elderly as a whole trend Democratic, that finally swung the absentees there way. Since voting absentee became easier (and now is the preponderance of the votes), it mostly reflects the general population (i.e., in Washington, it trends Democratic).
Also:
The Bush tax cuts remove ALL taxation for persons who had been at the bottom of the tax tables. You better believe that meant a lot to them.
Simply not true. Bush did reduce the lowest marginal rate, but didn't get rid of it. And you seem to have forgotten payroll taxes, which are significant if you make under 30k, but capped on the Ken Lays of the world.
As to your "Kennedy lowered, Reagan Lowered, Bush Lowered" and receipts went up, you miss the point that Government spending under all three sky rocketed. That is classic Keynesian economics. If the government primes the pump by gigantic deficit spending, you will get increase tax receipts. Please name one case of massive tax cuts that wasn't associated with skyrocketing deficit spending? Oh, that's right, you can't. Tax cuts do nothing for the economy. Government spending does a lot.
You also avoid the fact that Kennedy also put into place significant tax reform which got rid of a lot of tax shelters, as did Reagan. Bush, on the other hand, has expanded tax shelters, meaning that the rich are paying an even smaller percent of their fair share in comparison to their wealth.
Posted by: JDB | May 25, 2006 at 06:01 PM
I'm going to miss going to my local polling place after work to vote at each election. I got to know a few of the senior citizen volunteers that worked there and it was the same folks handing out ballots everytime I went to vote. I'd always show them my driver's license, and even though that wasn't necessary to get a ballot, they would always look at it and smile and say, "Yep, that's you". More than once the person beside me would also pull out their license and I got to thinking, wouldn't it be a nice thing if that was actually required to vote?
I also had a better feeling about my ballot being counted when I got to put it into the scanner myself and note the count increase on the LCD panel on the front of the machine. I'll be honest with you, I won't feel the same amount of confidence when I put my ballot in a mailbox.
I guess I'm going to miss the polling place and it's small town feel, but after thinking about it, I'm one of those heathens that loves to shop at Wal-Mart over wasting time looking for parking to shop in downtown Kirkland. Go figure.
Posted by: $30(bar)Tabs! | May 25, 2006 at 06:36 PM
Yes Brian. If you earned 30 grand last year your tax cut was about 9 bucks.For the year. Wow. If you made 1 million, your tax cut was 42,000.00. Cool.
I'm not complaining about those people who make that kind of money. Good for them.
If I was king I would institute a flat tax where everyone, regardless of income would pay the same percentage of their total income to the Treasurey. Dividends, Capital gains, royalties or straight income would all be subject to the same percentage. All people who could show income would be entitled to a 20,000.00 dollar deduction. If you made 25K you would pay income tax on 5 grand, if you made 2 million you would pay tax on 1,980,000.00. Its fair and makes sense but it will never happen because the "elites" in America don't want to pay that kind of money.
Posted by: Rick | May 25, 2006 at 07:05 PM
"I know you'll think I'm easily amused, but I did get a chuckle out of this."
Posted by: joanie | May 25, 2006 at 10:50 PM
joanie I think the link is not what you intended..did you mean the false warning on the radio about the mucflows? right now the lead story is about an assault....
Posted by: sparky | May 26, 2006 at 05:45 AM
I didn't link a story, Sparky. I linked a simple picture of a chimp and a president. It is part of the page to which I linked. That's all. The pic's still there - center of page.
Said I was easily amused . . . :)
Posted by: joanie | May 26, 2006 at 08:21 AM
got ya...my screen at home did not display the picture and I thought..what the....?
Posted by: sparky | May 26, 2006 at 01:29 PM
joanie, check this out
http://www.dailykos.com/story/
2006/5/26/142512/143
Posted by: sparky | May 26, 2006 at 07:58 PM
Thanks Sparky. Some funny stuff there . . . Markos was interviewed last week on CSpan. Interesting guy.
I wonder if there were as many charicatures and as much mocking of Clinton but I just wasn't aware of it?
Posted by: joanie | May 27, 2006 at 11:16 AM
I agree with Gentry's post. There is predominantly smoke and mirrors being bloviated by partisan Democrats who want vote by mail (because they know that they have the inside track on illegal votes,which are more likely to be counted). Honesty and integrity in elections have gone by the wayside in King County - in favor of the elitist Dem machine that is prevalent and has their way with Government - the big loser is and will continue to be the people (except those of you to choose to remain in denial), unless there is a more bipartisan Government in this State.
Don't equate the local Repubs with the Federal GOP - that is more of the same smoke and mirrors. There are few if any links from the State and local to the Bush Administration.
Posted by: KS | May 27, 2006 at 02:10 PM
Few if any links? Like how Chris Vance met with Darth Cheney to hand-pick Dino Rossi as the GOP candidate for Governor? Like how Karl Rove came out and influenced the local courts in Klamath Falls to allow farmers to use a lot of water for irrigation, thus ruining the salmon runs, which now has shut down salmon fishing along the Oregon and part of the California coast? Like how Cheney and his now convicted friend Kenny Boy Lay influenced the amount of energy the PNW and California got a few winters ago?
If you think the Federal GOP has no link to our local, state and regional politics, you are SERIOUSLY naive.
Posted by: sparky | May 27, 2006 at 02:18 PM
He's not naive . . . he's TOTALLY MIS-IN-FOX-EFFING-FORMED! None of his posts make sense. He's totally KLUELESS!
And it appears he's agreeing with a post he doesn't even understand!
Posted by: joanie | May 27, 2006 at 02:42 PM
You are anti-Republican to the core - it might help if you look at both sides of the story. Open minded - thats a joke !. I said they may be a few links with the Federal Repubs - so now that you pointed a few out - how significant are they ?
Chris Vance is gone, which is a good thing. The Klamath River debacle was a screw job on the farmers, because of a sucker fish- not salmon runs - thats pure BS. Envirobusiness promoted that fraud and were at work and common sense prevailed, that was way back in 2001.
I'll take Fox over CNN most of the time and the ratings show that others outside of this microcosm believe the same way. Kenny boy Lay was more affiliated with Clinton, although I won't deny Bush/Cheney doesn't have a few ties with him - How about telling the whole story, not just the CNN verison Joanie ?
Posted by: KS | May 27, 2006 at 10:47 PM
Back to how significant the National Repub ties are to the local ones ? Dino Rossi was the best R candidate for Governor in the last 20 years.
The so-called culture of corruption drifted back to the Dems with William Jefferson - D where there was > $100K found in his freezer as part of an FBI operation. It's funny that both parties are getting nervous about that because they know that they both have dirty laundry that they don't want the public to know about.
Don't come around with the notion that the Dems are squeaky clean - just because they aren't in power at the Federal Level, although I find it incredibly naive for anyone to believe that. One just has to note the crap that has gone on in King County and with her highness Queen Christine and the legislature to realize the Dems are the party in power and predominantly the culture of corruption in this State.
Posted by: KS | May 27, 2006 at 10:57 PM
I'd ask you to be more specific but I know you don't know the facts so I'll just let you continue to bloviate - isn't that your favorite word?
But, let's clarify one little item you seem not to know: I DON'T HAVE FULL CABLE! All I get is a clear screen, network TV, the government channels, and CSpan. I do not get CNN . . . I don't get FOX. No TV station DOES MY THINKING FOR ME. I have your example for what too much commercial cable TV (specifically Fox News) can do to a brain.
I can see your obit now: ". . . and the last words Klueless, as he was fondly called on the popular blog, Blatherwatch, said as he lay dying, '. . . it was all Clinton's fault. . . . uh, gasp, uhhhhh.' "
Posted by: joanie | May 27, 2006 at 11:31 PM