Governor Gregoire chalks up newspaper endorsements across the Evergreen State

With October half-over and ballots about to head out in the mail, newspapers across Washington have started releasing their endorsements, including the most important statewide race on the ballot: the close and fierce contest for governor between Governor Chris Gregoire and Dino "Lower the Minimum Wage" Rossi.

Despite the strength of Rossi's campaign, which is the best-funded and best-organized Republican campaign for the governor's mansion in recent history, and despite the conservative leanings of most newspaper publishers and editorial boards, Rossi has so far received no major newspaper endorsements.

Why?

Maybe it's because Chris Gregoire is one of the most dedicated public servants in Washington's history, who has successfully negotiated compromises on tough issues like medical malpractice and water use.

Or maybe it's because her job performance as chief executive earned Washington an "A" grade from Pew Research's Grading the States project. (Washington was only one of three states to receive the prestigious "A").

Or maybe it's because (according to Forbes Magazine) Washington is the third best state in the country to do business - up from fifth last year.

Or maybe it's because Chris Gregoire had the courage to push through enactment of the 2005 Transportation Package and restore the Education Legacy Trust after the estate tax (which funds it) was struck down in 2006. (Voters ratified both of those decisions by rejecting right wing attempts to undo them).

Or maybe it's because Gregoire implemented the voters' will by putting money into lower class sizes and cost of living increases for underpaid teachers.

All of the above are compelling reasons for Governor Gregoire's reelection - and they explain why Team Gregoire has seven times as many major endorsements.



But let's give our state's newspaper publishers a chance to explain their rationale for backing Chris in their own words.

Let's begin with The Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

Gregoire is a known, trustworthy performer. She led state agencies well for years, and has done the same for the whole state. Gregoire has made improvements and smart choices in perhaps every area of major responsibility, many long neglected.

Here's The Oregonian:

Gregoire has brought Washington to within sight of becoming the first state with health coverage for all its children, persuaded voters to increase the gas tax to help take on the state's sclerotic transportation system, and begun a major effort -- with a long way to go -- to clean up Puget Sound.

Washington voters closer to the Columbia should also appreciate her energetic efforts to prod the feds to speed the cleanup of Hanford.

And The Columbian, which endorsed Dino Rossi in 2004:

Gregoire knows how to help Southwest Washington. Last November, within two weeks of extensive reporting in The Columbian about foot-dragging by the state Department of Ecology in cleaning up the old Alcoa waterfront site — plus a stern “Help us out, Chris” editorial — Gregoire ordered the DOE officials to get cracking, and they did.

Last month, within one hour of the Community Economic Revitalization Board abruptly withdrawing a $12.5 million grant it had mistakenly awarded Vancouver’s waterfront redevelopment project, Gregoire promised capital-budget funding for the project and vowed to expand the program to include Vancouver’s efforts.

And the News Tribune of Tacoma, which has also switched to Team Gregoire:

There’s a reason Rossi was able to fight Gregoire to a statistical tie in 2004 – one ultimately decided by an infinitesimal and fiercely disputed 133 votes.

Yet we’re endorsing Gregoire this time around. Although we’ve had disagreements with her, we’ve been impressed by her overall performance as governor. Some examples:

Gregoire “gets” early childhood education. She has worked to turn the state into a leader in this field.

She’s been a champion of higher education. In Pierce County, for instance, she secured funding to expand both the campus and the enrollment of the University of Washington Tacoma.

The Olympian says:

When revenues began to slide, Gregoire, like any good manager, took immediate steps. She imposed a state hiring freeze, limited consulting contracts and discontinued unnecessary travel. Coupled with 1 percent across-the-board spending cuts, Gregoire says she has already taken steps to trim the projected $3.2 billion deficit by $1.5 billion. And let's not forget Gregoire balanced a budget with a $2.2 billion deficit when she took office after beating Rossi by 133 votes in 2004. She created the rainy-day fund and has been a solid steward of state resources.

Gregoire also has the support of two weekly newspapers, The Stranger of Seattle and the Inlander Northwest of Spokane:

By all indicators, we're entering a tough stretch here, and Washington state will feel it. In times like these, we need to choose the kind of competence and experience that Gregoire offers, not the false promises of a man who, until very recently, was proud to be a chip off the old Bush block.

- Inlander Northwest

Want some reasons to get fired up about Gregoire? Here are a few: She pushed through climate-change legislation, added tens of thousands of kids to the state's children's health-insurance program, increased the state housing trust fund by $50 million, and has consistently signed Democratic-agenda legislation that her opponent would have vetoed.

- The Stranger

What does Rossi have?

Well, he's got the right wing Centralia Chronicle (the owner of that paper is a big, big, big supporter of Tim Eyman) but that's about it.

Rossi has lost the The Columbian and News Tribune. It's possible he will also lose The Herald of Everett and The Seattle Times.

The Spokesman-Review, Yakima Herald-Republic, the Walla Walla Union Bulletin, and other newspapers also haven't weighed in yet.

Will Rossi even the score a little bit or get shut out? We'll get the answer within a couple weeks. But there's one thing we already know: Rossi would have to net all of the major remaining papers just to catch up with Chris Gregoire.