Tim Eyman’s career as a grassroots initiative sponsor ended a couple years ago. (Actually, it probably ended with I-695, but let’s not get too technical.)
And so, when on election night, in an effort to deflect attention away from the spectacular defeat of his gambling industry backed Initiative 892, Tim announced to the media his plans for a performance audits initiative, I was more than comfortable predicting that he didn’t have a snowball’s chance of qualifying for the ballot without the financial support of a sugar daddy.
Well, as David Ammons of the AP reports, Timmy’s pinched his pigeon:
Michael Dunmire, 60, a wealthy investment executive from the Seattle suburb of Woodinville, has contributed nearly $240,000 to Eyman’s Initiative 900 and says more could be on the way. The initiative, now circulating for signatures, would require regular performance audits of state agencies and programs.
The Dunmires have also given $20,000 to Tim’s personal compensation PAC “Help Me Help Myself” (or whatever he calls it.)
Oh, I could go on and on about how Tim hasn’t qualified a grassroots initiative for the ballot in over two years, and about how people need to get it through their heads that he is just a shill for wealthy special interests, and about how Dunmire is just propping him up. But I think the expert quoted in the AP story sums it up best.
Eyman critic David Goldstein, a Seattle software designer and blogger, said Dunmire is “basically propping up Eyman. People should finally get it through their heads that Eyman is not some grassroots guy. He is a front for the monied special interests.
“It’s not scary. It’s disappointing. There is no way he gets on the ballot without a Sugar Daddy. Clearly, Eyman is no longer a grassroots activist in any way whatsoever. For two years running, he couldn’t get a grassroots initiative on the ballot.”
Now that guy knows what he’s talking about.
I hate to give incredibly wealthy right-wingers, eager to distort our political system, any free advice, but the Legislature just passed a very thorough performance audits bill, so perhaps you could have marshaled your resources a little more efficiently, huh? Hey, I know… how about financing a bill that legalizes discrimination against gays and lesbians!
Anyway, so now we know why Tim chose this dog of an initiative in the first place: Dunmire told him to… and the customer is always right. Sure, I-900 generates about as much excitement as a Pam Roach Pin-Up Calendar… and yeah, it’s almost totally superfluous now that the Legislature has passed its own performance audits bill. But Timmy knows a meal ticket when he sees one, and Dunmire is his a free pass to, um… less irrelevance.
My only hope is that Dunmire is as sharp a businessman as he claims to be, and eventually realizes what a crappy investment Tim Eyman really is.
Who is “proposing a bill to legalize discrimination against gays and lesbians”, Goldy????
Goldy===Whore of Initiative Whores! This must be music to your “cynical” mind. Another 15 minutes of fame. Yippee!
No matter what any of your enemies are involved in, it’s wrong before you ever assess the wording. How open minded & tolerant of you.
Eyman is an a$$hole…not a horsesa$$. But when I vote on his Initiatives, I’ve never seen Eyman’s name mentioned even ONCE in the actual text. Hmmmmmmm? It’s cool that you hate Eyman and his lack of being forthcoming about his finances. If anyone should be pissed, it’s folks that actually gave him money for some of these initiatives like ME!!!! The fact is, I would have still sent the money on the car tab initiatives even if I knew he was taking something out for his time and costs. No big deal.
Most reasonable people will take a hard look at the TEXT of the Initiative and vote accordingly.
Nice post Mr. C. I tend to agree that intelligent people will try and understand the wording before they make up their minds. I also understand Goldy’s point of view, because in my vision, Eyeman is an EYESORE, but if he helps to push the public to get involved, all is not lost
NEWS FLASH!!!
by David Enema of Associated Press
GOLDSTEIN CRITICIZES EYMAN FOR TAKING A DUMP!
Part-time Activist and Full-time loser David Goldstein responded to rumors that his arch-nemisis Tim Eyman took a #2 yesterday. “My whole campaign is based on the perception that Eyman is full of shit”, said the ever-constipated Goldstein. When asked what Eyman’s motive was Goldstein babbled, “that bastard will do anything to undermine my campaign!”
Goldstein, a known peeping-Tom, recently was accused of peeking into the bathroom of world-reknowned blogger Stefan Sharkansky of SoundPolitics fame. Goldstein’s efforts landed him in Harborview when an unfortunate collision with a hanging basket of stinging nettles resulted in serious scrotum damage. When asked if he was becoming obsessed with other famous people, Goldstein broke out into a Brad Paisley song in his piercing, ever-irritating wretched voice screeching:
“Some day I’m gonna be famous,
Do I have talent….well, no.
These days you don’t really need it.
Thanks to reality shows.
I can’t wait to date a supermodel
I can’t wait to sue my dad.
I can’t wait to wreck a Ferrari.
On my way to rehab.
Cuz when I’m a celbrity.
It’s adios reality.
I can act just like a fool
And people think I’m cool just cuz I’m on TV
Bein’ a celebrity.
Goldy–How about something more “pro-active” as opposed to reactive?
Goldy, you should credit Eyman for being smart enough to be a mercenary. Forget principle, take the money and run.
I just add this web site to my favorites, it appears that the webmaster is not taking his med’s. Nobody in their right mind hates gays they just have a different oppinion about the subject matter. You folk’s in the Republic of Seattle need to get a real life, not everyone likes you, but we hold you dear to our hearts.
Anyone who spells “opinion” with two p’s is a right-wing wacko. Satire is lost on people like you. Way over your head. Get a sense of humor before it’s too late.
I hope Seattle’s cadre of political reporters keep that Goldstein fellow on speed dial … he sounds like he knows what he’s talking about!
ken lake @ 5
There must be a lot of people out there who aren’t in their right mind. Let me guess, they’e are in a right-wing mind instead …
http://www.thelantern.com/
http://www.qrd.org/qrd/world/m......worldwide
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld.....510697.htm
http://www.soulforce.org/main/hatecrime.shtml
Right-wing arguments against hate crime legislation are specious rationalizations. What the right-wing really wants is a license to attack people they hate — gays — and lesser criminal penalties for doing so.
Maniacal;
Goldy–How about something more “pro-active” as opposed to reactive?
How Ironic of a Business Is Ass Wipeing CPA the leading REACTIVE shill group in the state (living of Guvment rebates) to accuse Goldy of not being proactive. If it wasn’t for your slush fund, Snarky’s blogs would have to go after the “SOUND” gay community instead.
You are the worst type, you claim these Christian values (albeit for the tax write offs) and come on here and say the nastiest things….run the things by your priest that you post here and see if you still qualify for that ticket to paradise.
PS when you alone rapture,(soon please) can I have your car. I want to sell it and give actual safety training to the workers.
danw @ 9
I think you’ve hit on something, Dan. Tithes are good because you can deduct them, but taxes are bad because you can’t deduct them. (You can deduct certain state and local taxes, but they’re still bad because, well, because they’re taxes.) Good deeds done in God’s name are good, but good deeds done by government are bad because they promote secularism. And so it goes, as Kurt Vonnegut would say.
Cynical @1,
Actually, I’m one of the few people in the state who has actually read the full text I-900. Reporters come to me to comment on Eyman’s initiatives because they know I understand them. Read back on this blog’s early coverage of I-892… I understood the initiative better than Eyman did, and repeatedly pointed out his math errors in predicting the problem gambling funding it would produce.
As to being reactive vs proactive, either you’re talking out of your ass, trying to get my goat, or you and your BIAW buddies need to do better research on my media outreach and other activism. This blog is the tip of the iceberg. You don’t see good PR in action… just it’s result.
Think about it… I came on the scene with a joke initiative. How much work did I have to do to gain the credibility with the media that I have?
Goldy,
Don’t you have anything of substance to say about Eyeman? He was responsible for removing the outrageous car tab tax and he forced the legislature to make an attempt at addressing performance audits – even if the Democrat apparatchik’s version is all bark and no bite.
Your rant makes you sound kind of petty. Oh well, it is your blog.
ken lake @ 5
Welcome to Goldy’s blog, Ken.
“Nobody in their right mind hates gays they just have a different oppinion about the subject matter.”
. . . . but I see you are, in fact, a moron. Get a life, fuck head, people get murdered because they are gay. And, they lose jobs, and they get turned down for loans, and they don’t get promoted, and . . .
Nothing personal Ken, let’s just call this a blogger’s baptism.
Mr. Cynical @ 3
“Most reasonable people will take a hard look at the TEXT of the Initiative and vote accordingly.”
Sorry, but Eyman is a political gimmick. After his pseudo-success in trashing our transportation infrastructure (or at least shifting the burden of transportation infrastructure to the poor), I am extremely leery of promoting success of this clown and his circus side show in any way.
Eyman is a political parasite, and I don’t feed parasites, even if they inject a little morphine back into the body politic.
If I want tax reform, performance audits, or free ice cream cones for all non-felons every Friday, I’ll discuss it with my elected representatives, thank you.
ken @ 5
Don’t worry about dj’s remarks @ 13. HorsesAss is a saloon brawl; everybody gets bashed here. It’s what we do best. Welcome to the saloon.
VRWC @ 12
As usual, VRWC proves himself to be the troll with the biggest mouth and least substance. Eyman’s car tab initiative was thrown out by the courts because he wasn’t smart enough to comply with the state constitution, remember? The actual lifting was done by Gov. Locke and the legislature. In fact, most of Eyman’s initiatives that passed were subsequently invalidated by the courts. I can’t remember even one that became law. Eyman “forced” the legislature to enact performance audits? Give me a fucking break. That legislature was working its way through the committee process long before Timmy-come-lately even thought of it. And when he did come up with an initiative, it was inferior to the pending legislation. Eyman deserves ZERO credit for performance audits. VRWC, either you live in a fantasy world, or you’re a shameless propagandist for right-wing bullshit.
Goldy,
Please, please, please … for the sake of the children, do not use the words “Pam Roach” and “Pin-up calendar” in the sentence again. I’m going to have to go have some sorbet and a bran muffin.
dj@14
You already feed the parasites starting with sweet chrissy, wake up and smell the coffee….
Goldy…
We keep hearing on how you are a software developer.
Considering you work in the industry, I am surprised at what a piece of crap your website is.
The design is weak, the mssion statement is off the mark (Washington politics? Give me a break) and you pander for donations without actually giving levels of what sposnorhsip wold buy.
Possibly , you may want to hire Eyman as a consulatnt. It appears he has his business and activism ducks in a row.
Goldy,
Money talks. If you don’t like it, raise some money yourself, but money is how politics happens here in the US.
Kudos to Eyman for getting money together and getting initiatives on the ballot. If you don’t like them, you can vote against them and speak out against them, but there’s nothing wrong with the process.
Like you do with Stefan as well, you’ve got an irrational anti-Eyman fixation that’s entertaining.
The constant ad-hominem against Eyman is not an argument, and if anything, it causes those moderates on the fence to say, “Hmmm, if a lefty blogger like that guy Goldstein is this riled up about Eyman, the initiative must be something worth voting for.”
dj@14–
I said “most reasonable people will take a hard look at the text of the Initiative and vote accordingly”.
When I said that, I wasn’t dreaming for even a nanosecond that unreasonable jackasses like you would do that.
Goldy–your head continues to swell with self-pride. That’s a train-wreck waiting to happen. Your whole tact has been to continue taxing and taxing and government will make our lives Utopian. Sorry…no sale here.
You honestly believe we are undertaxed?
You honestly believe the smoke filled performance audit Legislative package is going to hold those in power accountable?
Goldy—trusting of LEFTIST government. Loves tax increases.
Tim Eyman grassroots activist my a**.
Timmy boy is a con-man. Remember the “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time”.
Well that’s about where old timmy is right now…only he’s just fooling himself and the fools that contribute to his scam.
How many watches do you need to sell in order to buy a BMW? One plus $100,000 from an idiot contributor.
mickh
Mickh..
You are confusing Eyman with the Democrats in this state.
So far, they have reveresed voter imposed iitiatives, overturned a 2/3 majority rule in increasing taces, raised taxed, given themselves a raise and their work is not done yet.
By the time they are done, our asses will be red and swollen and our bank accounts will be empty.
GO TIM GO!
GO HUTCH GO!
If these guys weren’t effective the left wouldn’t be so pissy.
the longer you liberals listen to air america the more f’d up you become. They are giving you bad info, please listen to Rush for the truth.
Alan@15,
Locke wanted no part of I-695. He was against it. Yes, it was thrown out, but Locke saw the inevitable and he was up for reelection, so he passed it anyway. Talk about turning on a dime.
That you tried to spin it as some sort of Gary Locke initiative only shows your ignorance. After 60 years of the oppressive car tab tax, Tim Eyeman finally brought a public spotlight on the topic and got results. That is really what you despise about him isn’t it?
And if Eyeman hadn’t been successful, the “Eyeman is a horses ass” would never have happened. So all of you can thank Tim Eyeman for the BLOG too because without him, there would be no David Goldstein.
Alan@12,
I hope the Democrat party is paying you well for your PR damage control. After 40 years of Democrat domination of Washington Politics, performance audits NEVER once were brought to a vote. Now all of a sudden they are. And it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Tim Eyeman created his initiative. You really think people are dumb enough to believe that?
The window dressing they created was a phony performance audit bill where the auditor’s office is too underfunded to do any good. The same Democrat’s who threw out the will of the people by voting out I-601 to make it easier to steal our money, don’t want any pesky auditors asking questions. That is also why they tightened the public disclosure laws, so they could hide their dirty deeds from FOI reuqests. Stalin couldn’t have done any better.
Eyeman is easy to attack, but he tapped into real anti-tax sentiment and widespread resentment against the insular club in Olympia. That’s going to endure.
. . . but I see you are, in fact, a moron. Get a life, fuck head, people get murdered because they are gay. And, they lose jobs, and they get turned down for loans, and they don’t get promoted, and . . .
Nothing personal Ken, let’s just call this a blogger’s baptism.
Gay’s aren’t only victims in life who meet that same faith, and they don’t make laws just for them either. You will not see me or any of my friends walk away and let anyone murder a defenseless person, including yourself.
ppr @ 18
“The design is weak, the mssion statement is off the mark (Washington politics? Give me a break) and you pander for donations without actually giving levels of what sposnorhsip wold buy.”
SHUT THE FUCK UP DICK HEAD…AT LEAST HE CAN SPELL!!!
Three grammar errors in one sentence…and dont know what to call a “?” in the middle of a parenthesized statement! Hypocritical jackass, Wake the hell up!!
Let me help you understand…
A)The design is a basic cascading style sheet layout(
), typical of roughly 60 percent of all web sites on the internet.
B)the “mission statement” is simply, oh, (politics as unusual).
C)Donation go to buying him beer, hence the link “Like my blog? Buy me a beer!
OH, i’m sure YOU have the talent, moxy and perseverance to out do this site? But don’t hurt yourself, start slowly, say with 6th grade spelling…that could be VERY helpful when you have to really code HTML, asshole.
me @ 28
..I ment to prr…friggen spelling errors must be contagious.
Comment by chardonnay— 4/22/05
Never mind…
ken lake @ 27
Reason and reasonableness have no place here, Ken. Goldy has admitted that his articles are meant to “fire up the base” in a highly partisan manner. 90% of the commenters here have zero affect on each other’s already-formed opinions, and the other 10% are constantly amazed at the “shoot the messenger” mentality of Goldy’s “Progressive” fan base.
Zip–
Dammit “Progressive” means you are progressing toward something, doesn’t it?
Goldy’s base is more like the Progressives of the 1950’s (aka Communists). They sit around pissing and moaning and then scheme up ways to get others to pay for bullshit they want.
Selfish, arrogant, pompous pricks=====SAPP
These are Goldy’s Heroes!
Ya’all got a lot of nerve barking up a tree at Tim Eyman, with the BS that this legislature is pulling, No New Taxes…BS, Killing a voter approved 601 …BS, killing voter approved $30 car tabs.
Yup you folks are the moral equal to Mother Teresa!
Ha ha ha ha ha
And I cannot wait to see the next election cycle after all the BS
ken @ 27
“You will not see me or any of my friends walk away and let anyone murder a defenseless person, including yourself.”
I am happy to hear that, Ken, you sound like a find person. I’ve addressed this topic in a later thread: http://www.horsesass.org/my-co.....ment-25787
Other posters in that thread address the issue, too.
ummmm. . . make that “fine person” @ 34