Did you vote yet? Deadline’s coming up, get ‘er done.
Need some help? Much to the chagrin of the FOX News set, we offer here, as we do every election, Wallingford’s own DOUG.’s Voter’s Guide, a progressive analysis of the decisions on the ballot. Hat tip to DOUG.
Also annoying to the FOX News set will be the presence of actual facts in the guide, left unbalanced by the exclusion of facts that are not actually true. However, these facts are cushioned with opinions which I share. For example, the Second Amendment Sisters web site is an abomination.
If the bar association’s “not qualified” rating knocks out Tavel, how come Jon Zimmerman gets a pass? It looks like Kondo’s getting the blame for the police dept.
Glad to get another chance to vote for Spear. I see even the Stranger got sucked in by the liberal-vs-conservative hostage strategy. Evidence suggests your representative may be affluent corporations’ stooge, but what would become of our cherished causes if we dumped him? Well, actually, it wouldn’t make any difference. Those cherished causes, liberal and conservative alike, are gimmicks that they use to stay in office and keep the gravy flowing – it isn’t even in their interest to make anything happen.
Voters might also be interested in a more widely vetted voting guide – see http://progressivevotersguide.com/ – use the index along the left side of the page to select particular races and the legislative district you live in – Wallingford is in the 43rd district. It asks you for your name and address but you don’t really have to put that in. Just put in your zip code and it will pull up a second page where you can select the 43rd district from within the King County list. The list represents a consensus of many liberal and labor organizations, not one person’s private opinion.
You can also find a progressive recommendation on the intiatives endorsed by the Statewide Poverty Action Network, a program of Solid Ground: http://povertyaction.org/ballotmeasures/
In addtion, candidates’ responses to questions are published in the Poverty Action Voter Guide:
http://povertyaction.org/voterguide/
Good question, donn. I found Tavel’s website woefully lacking on any specific information about the candidate. And while Zimmerman is indeed rated as “not qualified” by the King County Bar, he has experience as a Judge Pro Tem and legitimate endorsements behind him.
And I’m not blaming Kondo for the actions of the SPD. I’m blaming her for boasting in the very first paragraph of her “Message to Seattle Residents” about the money the court has raked in during her time as the SMC Presiding Judge. To me it reflects her priorities as a judge, and as someone who’s been victimized by egregious and illegal actions of SPD, I take this very personally.
Thanks for reading!
Thank you for choosing to not present a discussion on voter’s information in a clear, unslanted manner. This is your website and your choice as to how you present information, so good for you to choose to add in snark and insult to what could have been a reasoned interchange and discussion of the issues.
I read Wallyhood for the great information and discussions on neighborhood issues and events, and much enjoy it. It is dismaying to realize that the web master holds some of us in such contempt. I await the calm, rational, reasoned retorts of the folks who support your approach.
So is Wallyhood taking the official position of supporting this voter’s guide or are you just presenting it as a choice for people to peruse? I appreciate everyone’s contribution to the selected voter’s guides out there, but prefer not to be included as a Wallyhood reader who supports any one candidate or voter’s guide selection.
Nice response Rickvid, I thought Wallingford was a “Hate Free Zone” I guess there are some groups its okay to hate!
A calm, rational, reasoned retort, from folks who support Wallyhood blog’s approach? Well, to start with, let’s consider the question of support. Who supports the blog? Advertisers, am I right? Are you asking them what they think of this article? Don’t bother, they aren’t reading and if they are, they won’t answer anyway. They’re happy you’re reading, though. Past that, this Jordan guy puts up whatever he likes, and we stop by if we think there might be anything of interest in it. That is not support, so if we’re offended, we don’t have any support to withdraw.
Based on the stuff he’s posted, and his comments when questioned over particularly inane contributions, I don’t think you could have expected him to rule out DOUG’s guide because it was slanted. I do think that if someone else here has a similarly articulate and readable page on the issues that doesn’t just rehearse the usual BS, it would be worth trying him on it even if it’s somewhat on the opposite side of the political spectrum. I don’t expect that to happen, but only because that seems like a lot to expect from the opposite side of the political spectrum.
“Is Jess Spear a better choice? At this point I have no idea.”
That is helpful to know. Maybe Doug and Our editor can prep end that kind of clarity right up front from now on. “I don’t know what I’m talking about, but I consider my uninformed opinions important.” Or “editors note: I can’t discern the difference between Fox News GOP supporter and Democrats who are slightly more moderate than I am.”
I don’t hate much of anyone. I have no respect for FOX News, its sins and lies are beyond count. I believe that the selfish agenda it promotes, and the cynical way it promotes it, is not only bad for America but bad for humanity.
Note that I specifically did NOT say “right-wing” or “right of center” or “Republican” or “Conservative”. I said “the FOX News set”, because that is _specifically_ their agenda, and those that blindly support it (or are blinded by it) that I have no respect for and will not give a platform to.
If there are some who fall into those other categories (“right-wing”, “right of center”, “conservative”, etc.) but don’t consider themselves adherents of FOX News, then no offense should be taken.
Regarding the Jess Spear comment (#9): you’re taking the statement out of context. What he’s saying, I believe, is “I don’t know whether she is a better choice, but because she’s not going to win, that isn’t germane. Other goals can be achieved by voting for her.”
I much prefer the honesty of someone saying what they don’t know versus the false certainty that we hear so much of today.
@9: I really don’t think that the two sentences you pulled out of context equate to “I don’t know what I’m talking about.” I mean, does anyone really know if Jess Spear is a better choice? There are good reasons to vote for Chopp (experience and influence), but the rest of the paragraph that you omitted says pretty explicitly why I’m voting for Spear instead:
“Is Jess Spear a better choice? At this point I have no idea. She represents the same Socialist Alternative Party (ohhhh, scary!) that new Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant does, and I think Sawant is doing a fine job of rattling cages at City Hall. Perhaps Spear can do the same in Olympia.”
Rickvid, When FOX starts actually reporting news, instead of blatantly pushing an agenda, maybe then it will get the respect it deserves. Hardly a week goes by that Hannity or some other blowhard doesn’t take some chart or study and totally change it’s context in such a way as to bash Obama and the Democrats.That FOX and it’s apologists are constantly blaming the so-called librul, lamestream media for supposedly supporting Democrats while FOX tells outright lies on a regular basis is totally disingenuous.
You mean this slog, I mean blog, is politically slanted like pretty much every site on the Web which reports “news”? I never noticed till now ;D. Wow, what a shocker!
The difference, evon, is that unlike FOX, Wallyhood doesn’t pretend to be “fair and balanced.”
hayduke,
When Leftwing media starts actually reporting news, instead of blatantly pushing an agenda, maybe then it will get the respect it deserves. Hardly a week goes by that some other blowhard doesn’t take some chart or study and totally change it’s context in such a way as to bash the GOP and the Republicans.The Leftwing media and it’s apologists are constantly blaming the so-called conservative media for supposedly supporting Republicans while The Leftwing media witholds stories that show their party in a bad light, but go on forever on any story the promotes GOP hate!
As to whether there was ever a fiery debate between Chopp and Spear: http://www.SpearVsChopp.com
This is the last week to postmark your ballot! If you need an urgent reason to vote, watch this debate!
Well, the only thing Fox I watch is sports, so I have no comment on that. However, I wonder what our gracious host was thinking when he, twice, made disparaging reference to “the FOX News set?” That maybe we’d figure he was not speaking to “right-wing” or “right of center” or “Republican” or “Conservative” but rather reader’s whose political leanings are, um, well, I have no idea. If he’d made snarky reference to MSNBC viewers, I’d right off NOT think of “statists,” “leftists,” “liberals,” or “Democrats.” I’d think he was referring to, uh, well, I don’t know. A bit disingenuous, I think.
As to Spear vs Chopp, I feel a bit like Poland in 1938 – 2 really bad choices.
Thanks for the link to that Seattle Channel debate, that was good stuff. I hope Spear goes on to continue to shake up the progressive establishment and breathe some life into the idea that we can make our state government work for us.
Thanks for the link to the Second Amendment Sisters. Their website does look a little rough, but it’s always great to find people out there who are working to protect our constitutional rights from the so-called “progressives,” who are the kind of folks the Bill of Rights was designed to protect us from.
By the way, if someone were to refer to “the MSNBC crowd,” I sure WOULD right away think of “statists,” “Stalinists,” “facists,” “demagogues,” etc.
😉
AW, their is a great movie that shows how well society works when only the government and military have weapons. Schindler’s List. Check it out.
rickvid, I could hardly agree with you more.
Just to be clear, some folks would have us confused about what means what. They try to muddle and subvert our language so that up seems like down and out seems like in. Fox news is committed to this and as ridiculous as many of us find them, they do this purposefully. I would encourage everyone to pay attention to what these people try to do. It is not funny or benign or innocent. Please pay attention and don’t take these propagandists lightly.
Remember what progressive means. It means modern, liberal, advanced, forward-thinking, enlightened, enterprizing, innovative, pioneering, dynamic, bold, avant garde.
Remember what fascist means. It means dictatorial, totalitarian, autocratic, undemocratic, illiberal, intolerant, and extreme rightwing.
Who do fascists want to eliminate? Thoughtful, committed, kind, brave, intelligent, progressive people.
Although I don’t patronize FOX News, anybody that doesn’t recognize that Main Stream Media is just the opposite of FOX is pretty blind.
Steve
Yeah – see Public Opinion, Walter Lippman, 1922, for the basic argument that the traditional notion of democracy doesn’t fit in the modern world, and instead we depend on persuasion from professional journalists to make important decisions involving modern complexities.
We can thank DOUG for proving that it isn’t true!
I guess, walk, that is why the left have brought us speech codes, political correctness, 1st amendment zones, X-free zones, thought crime, and other facets of what an early leader of the 19th/20th century “progressive” movement called “liberal facism.” Freedom is antithetical to leftism. Leftism controls what we think, eat, say, do to the smallest detail. Your “Life of Julia” is a dream of the smiling, happy, compliant, quiet, obedient slave.
Behold. Up is down and in is out.
There’s a real leftist on the ballot, at least labelled as such. If she has the ability to control what we do to the smallest detail, it looks like she’s a shoo-in. I know I am her happy, obedient slave! Well, for the purposes of filling out the ballot anyway.
No, donn, you are happy to be her obedient slave for life. That is what socialism is all about: Rule by a self-appointed and self-perpetuating “elite” that through its control of education and the media dupes the low-information voter into believing that they stand up for and protect the “little guy” when in fact they are all about gratifying their own greed and lust for power, as is becoming all to obvious in Obama’s America.
Wow, there’s some scary people in my neighborhood. Happy Halloween!
Yes, there are aren’t there, Doug? 🙂 I was afraid Wallingford was a solely liberal enclave. Glad to see there are dissenting views. It what makes diversity so great.
A couple of crackpots doesn’t really make this into a diverse community. As I mentioned above, if someone had a different but equally thoughtful analysis of our choices in the election, that could be an interesting read. What we’re getting instead is not effective dissent, it’s just recitation of some ideological dogma that’s completely decoupled from the election or for that matter anything in the real world around us.
The problem with the written word is you really don’t get the full effect of someone’s words. Several of these posts could be earnest, could be sarcastic, could be ironic, who knows…
How typical of the neo-fascist left to attempt to marginalize anyone who doesn’t agree with them as a dogmatic “crackpot.” In fact it’s usually the left in this country that never lets the facts get in the way of a good narrative.
Well, AW, the best I can say for the leftists here is that nobody indulged in saying “Faux News” thinking themselves to be clever.
Thank you to Jordan for publishing DOUG’s great Voter’s Guide. Thanks also to Jordan for providing this neighborhood forum and taking seriously the grand notion of local investment and involvement in our neighborhoods and communities as one of the best ways for people to come together and move forward. He and I have not always agreed, but I have rarely hesitated to share my honest opinion on this board.
Therefore, it is no small matter to me that certain posters on this particular thread, who have poked up on other threads as well, are consistently introducing what I believe is an ugly, deliberate, inflammatory and regressive discourse directed against progressive people and causes. Those of us who have been involved in progressive causes for many years know this is nothing new. However, the extreme right-wing elements in the past were not as disguised or deceptive or sophisticated or coordinated or well funded as the current ones. This presents a challenge to progressive people and to anyone who values honest debate and expression. Do we ignore them or do we respond to them.
I do not believe it is just a coincidence that they are popping up here in one of the most liberal and progressive neighborhoods in the United States. I do not believe they are interested in debating issues, ie., Proposition 1a or Proposition 1b. You will not hear them challenging candidates on their ideas or considering the effects of funding proposals. These posters dive in with inflammatory labels – “libs” “libruls” “neo-left fascists” “statists” “Stalinists”, etc.,: rhetoric right out of Jonah Goldberg’s spooky theories about “liberal fascists” and “leftists”.
Their intent is not to contribute to “diverse” discussion, but to stifle discussion, to ridicule progressive causes and institutions and the people who support those causes, and sabotage genuine civic participation through name-calling, bullying, misinformation, the pretense of their own victimization, and ideological rhetoric. Alternet carried an interesting article recently about Richard Berman on his tactics to disrupt progressive causes and activists. http://www.alternet.org/corporate-accountability-and-workplace/corporate-propagandist-richard-berman-secretly-taped-bragging
Someone I greatly admire, a Quaker who worked for years in Wallingford – who engaged in a lifetime of local, national and international humane, intelligent efforts to empower poor people, give voice to the disenfranchised, and extend resources to those struggling for justice and freedom from oppression – said that Quakers were really good at recognizing the good in people and not so good at recognizing evil. I think people with a humane, just, democratic vision need to continuously confront those who zealously pursue an agenda at polar odds with this vision.
So, walkinroun, it sounds like if I disagree with your opinion, I’m “…introducing ugly, deliberate, inflammatory, and regressive discourse directed against progressive people and their causes…”. Somehow I think Quakers would be more open-minded than you about people with different outlooks. But, since you live here in Wallingford, as I do, you should feel secure that it seems the larger number of our neighbors are the liberal progressives you identify with.
@Lisa, no I don’t think walkinroun is saying that merely disagreeing is “introducing ugly, deliberate, inflammatory, and regressive discourse”. Introducing ugly, deliberate, inflammatory, and regressive discourse is introducing ugly, deliberate, inflammatory, and regressive discourse. Scroll up through this thread to see examples of it.
Of course they’re not interested in useful discussion of matters at hand. In internet parlance, they’re “trolls.” They come here with an armload of rhetorical weaponry to fling at us, and that’s all. They aren’t going to add anything to the discussion, they aren’t going to learn anything from it, they just have this game. The only thing you can do, is not play.
There’s a possibility that one or more of these entities actually are Wallingford residents, maybe your neighbors. They may feel like they’re here trying to serve some legitimate purpose. Whatever. It doesn’t matter what they think, they’re either engaging in genuine discussion related to this topic, or they aren’t, and the difference is clear as it could be.
walkinround and donn, you may think it’s only “useful” and “genuine” to debate the fine points of 1A versus 1B, but in the view of many people (a few of whom live in Wallingford), that’s a waste of time. It’s like arguing over whether you’d prefer typhoid or dysentery. I’m sure I’m not going to be the only person in Wallingford (yes, I live here) to vote against them both. But it’s just like you “progressives” to try to marginalize through Alinsky-style smear tactics anyone who “pops up” in a public forum with a viewpoint that diverges from your party line.
This to me is just further evidence that the “vision” of today’s so-called “progressives” is anything but “humane, just and democratic,” it is elitist, dogmatic, authoritarian and utterly corrupt.
Well, we who are skeptical of the unbounded benevolence of big government are sick and tired of the rhetorical bullying. We’re used to being a minority in places like this, but that’s fine. We’re going to keep on “popping up,” at least until you get the Constitution repealed altogether, so you may as well get used to it.
Belated Halloween greetings to all. The “vast right wing conspiracy” is everywhere, and they’re coming to get you, Barbara!
Please refer to my comments above.
Hey, Neighbors! It looks like we can all agree that Fascism = Bad! Great! Some common ground.
Do you know that one of the greatest tools of fascism is turning the citizens against each other? Well, we are ALL playing right into their hands, aren’t we?
Let’s set aside labels and figure out how we can all work together against the fascist takeover of our democracy. “Left” and “right” don’t matter anymore. We are all being screwed.