The State of Washington’s project to replace the aging, crumbling Alaskan Way Viaduct has just received its final political green light. After enduring several months of debates, forums, and advertisements, Seattle voters have resoundingly chosen to bless the construction of a deep bore tunnel under downtown. Early returns indicate a landslide victory for Let’s Move Forward, […]
Tag: WA-Ballot
Posted inEconomic Security, Elections, Policy Topics
Today is Election Day: Don’t forget to vote!
Today is winnowing election day across Washington State. Although it’s possible that you’re one of our readers who lives in a jurisdiction where there is nothing on the ballot (and thus there is no ballot), chances are, you were sent a ballot with at least one contest on it. Please don’t forget to take your […]
Posted inAnnouncements, Elections, Open Government, Policy Topics
Permanent Defense launches Eye on Money
This morning, we’re proud to announce we have added a new tool to Permanent Defense’s website called Eye on Money, which can be found under Research & Reports. Eye on Money uses StopGreed-style charts to visually break down contributions to Tim Eyman’s initiative factory. As the chart for Tim Eyman’s current measure shows, the vast […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Elections, Policy Topics, Public Planning
OFM: Tim Eyman’s I‑1125 would imperil key transportation projects, raise borrowing costs
A few months ago, when we took an initial look at the details of the scheme Tim Eyman said he was going to attempt to force a vote on in 2011, we concluded that it would interfere with vital transportation projects around Washington, including many under or nearing construction, and many more on the drawing board. […]
Posted inElections
RE: Grassroots missing from this year’s initiatives — What about last year?
Nearly one hundred years ago, progressives succeeded in amending the Constitution of Washington State to provide for three powers of direct democracy: The initiative, the referendum, and the recall. The purpose of establishing these three powers was not to supplant or replace our republican form of government, but rather, to give the people a way […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Elections, Policy Topics
Tim Eyman turns in signatures for I‑1125 in Olympia; NPI and Doug MacDonald respond
This morning, Tim Eyman and his cohorts from Spokane, the Fagans, showed up in Olympia at the Secretary of State’s Elections Annex to deliver boxes of petitions for Eyman’s latest scheme to wreck government — Initiative 1125, which would interfere with WSDOT’s ability to successfully complete the new Evergreen Point Floating Bridge over Lake Washington […]
Posted inOpen Government, Policy Topics, Public Planning
Tim Eyman reveals that his old buddy Kemper Freeman Jr. is bankrolling I‑1125
When Tim Eyman announced a few weeks ago that he would be attempting to qualify a measure for this year’s ballot, we were immediately sure that he had convinced somebody to put up a lot of cash to hire mercenary petitioners (because Tim doesn’t do volunteer signature drives). On May 1st, I wrote the following: […]
Posted inCivil Liberties, Elections, Policy Topics, Public Planning
Mercenary petitioners hawking Tim Eyman’s l‑1125 target Bellevue College students
Though it’s not apparent from looking at Voters Want More Choices’ most recent reports to the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), NPI can today confirm what we have suspected since the beginning of the month: Tim Eyman has found a new wealthy benefactor to put up the money for his latest scheme, Initiative 1125, which he […]
Posted inElections, Policy Topics, Public Planning
Who’s responsible for the Associated Press’s ongoing Tim Eyman worship?
A few moments ago, NPI’s news crawler alerted me that the Associated Press has just dumped another half-baked — no, make that quarter-baked — “story” out on the wire, glorifying an announcement Tim Eyman supposedly made about attempting to qualify an initiative for the ballot this year. I say supposedly because I haven’t seen any other […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Policy Topics, Public Planning
Tim Eyman gloms onto another anti-red light camera measure — this time in Redmond
I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve been asked (usually in conversation) what motivated me to create Permanent Defense more than nine years ago. Regular readers are undoubtedly familiar with the story of PD’s founding, because I’ve told it or referred to it many times over the years. The catalyst, of course, was Tim […]