Dear Supporters,
Last night, I was cited for driving under the influence. I take this charge very seriously and accept full responsibility for my actions.
Today, I want to apologize to all of you, who have supported me since I began this campaign, given me your trust and invested so much of yourselves in this journey.
I am more sorry about this incident that I can express in words. I am also sorry for the impact this will have on you, my supporters. I would never intentionally put others at risk or violate the great trust so many of you have given me.
And I respect the system that will ultimately judge my actions.
I am committed to serving you, the voters and the city of Seattle. I will continue to talk about the issues that matter and why I decided to seek a place on the city council, but not here. Here I accept responsibility and hope you will accept my apology. And I hope I will continue to have your support on November 6th.
Please don’t hesitate to call me at [phone number redacted -Will] if you would like to talk more about this with me. I welcome your call.
Venus
I have family who are in the drug and alcohol rehab business. People who gets nailed for DUI usually go one of two ways. If they take full responsibility for their actions and avoid blaming others, they have a good chance of not reoffending. If they don’t, well, you know the rest of the story.
I talk trash about Dori Monson on a regular basis, but on alcohol and driving, he’s dead on. Drinking alcohol and driving is entirely unacceptable. Getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol is gambling with other people’s lives. When I’m driving, I don’t drink. At all.
Other people have different rules. At Drinking Liberally, our Tuesday evening get-together, I know for a fact that many of the fellow participants are drinking, and then driving. Maybe it is only one or two beers spread out over an evening, but alcohol affects fine motor skills even when you don’t feel tipsy. Also, DUI stands for “driving under the influence” of drugs or alcohol. “Driving under the influence” doesn’t necessarily mean a .08 blood alcohol level. You can get nailed for less than an “oh eight”, but it is somewhat harder for the state to prove that alcohol was the cause of your impairment.
Drunk driving isn’t a liberal or conservative thing. As one political operative told me back in ’02 on my 21st birthday, “everyone drives drunk, especially in politics.” Drunk driving isn’t taken very seriously in the USA. Other countries, many of them European, take it much more seriously. One of the reasons I’m such a fan of public transportation is that people should be able to go out and party without having to worry about driving home. When I go to Pioneer Square to “tie one on,” I’m usually walking or riding the bus or cabbing it, but that’s because I live close to downtown.
I really care about my friends who drink alcohol and then, sometime later, drive home. It scares the shit out of me, to be frank with you. I don’t want to seem “holier than thou” about it, because I don’t care about being holier than anyone. I just want the people I know to get home safe.
Roger Rabbit spews:
I agree with you 100%, Will. Even though the DL gathering place is an ale house, I would like to see a 100% switch to coke consumption at these gatherings. I know most everyone is driving, except for one very occasional participant who hops in and out now and then. I don’t drink at DL, and I would love to see the idea of non-alcoholic socializing catch on among the group.
Charles L. Smith spews:
Hey, Roger– You’d like to see 100% coke consumption? Will you bring the mirror and razor blade? Hell, Bush will probably wander in for some snow!
Piper Scott spews:
Given what you say about not tolerating combining alcohol and driving, why do you endorse/sponser/participate in Drinking Liberally? Consider your own words:
“At Drinking Liberally, our Tuesday evening get-together, I know for a fact that many of the fellow participants are drinking, and then driving. Maybe it is only one or two beers spread out over an evening, but alcohol affects fine motor skills even when you don’t feel tipsy. Also, DUI stands for ‘driving under the influence’ of drugs or alcohol. ‘Driving under the influence’ doesn’t necessarily mean a .08 blood alcohol level. You can get nailed for less than an ‘oh eight’, but it is somewhat harder for the state to prove that alcohol was the cause of your impairment.”
Nothing wrong per se with those of like mind meeting socially on a regular basis, but by its very name your weekly function implies that copious amounts of alcohol are consumed at these functions.
But what will happen when what you implictly fear – what’s only a matter of time, frankly – happens, when a Drinking Liberally celebrant gets involved in a serious, possibly fatal, accident? What will you do, how will you feel when a victim or the estate of a victim looks to those who organize or sponsor Drinking Liberally for damages?
A not unnecessarily expansive reading of the state’s Dram Act, if you must know.
One of your fellow bloggers is on record as saying that the penalties for DUI in this state are too severe, citing experiences of several of his friends. What do you think, how do you feel about this?
You’re right: drunk driving isn’t a liberal or conservative thing; drunk driving is simply a WRONG thing. Those who participate in it in any way, from the drivers themselves to those who either provide alcohol to or encourage the drinking by drunk drivers, need to take stock and consider their responsibility bringing this stuff about.
If you “know for a fact” that what happens at Drinking Liberally is what you personally condemn, why do you continue to participate? Why must your weekly gathering center around alcohol?
I’m not a tea-totaler, so this isn’t a case of a reformed rake or righty-tighty wagging a finger. Instead, it’s a serious question to you as to how you’ll bring your political values into conformity with your personal values.
The Piper
GA spews:
This only gains you votes in the immoral, pro-criminal, leftist, DEmcorap party. Shes a shoo in
Roger Rabbit spews:
@3, 4 – Everything else considered, I still prefer our drunks to your drunks, even though I’d really prefer no drunks at all.
Lee spews:
@3
Crackpiper,
Thanks for helping to re-brand the Republicans as the nanny state party.
Nothing wrong per se with those of like mind meeting socially on a regular basis, but by its very name your weekly function implies that copious amounts of alcohol are consumed at these functions.
In the almost 3 years we’ve been doing the Drinking Liberally events, I can’t think of a single time where someone drank enough alcohol that they were sloppy drunk. This is primarily because Mike McGavick has always turned down our invitations (and unlike Velazquez’s DUI, McGavick was sloppy drunk when he was arrested for it).
But what will happen when what you implictly fear – what’s only a matter of time, frankly – happens, when a Drinking Liberally celebrant gets involved in a serious, possibly fatal, accident? What will you do, how will you feel when a victim or the estate of a victim looks to those who organize or sponsor Drinking Liberally for damages?
A not unnecessarily expansive reading of the state’s Dram Act, if you must know.
Yeah, and I saw the Loch Ness Monster swimming in Green Lake today.
One of your fellow bloggers is on record as saying that the penalties for DUI in this state are too severe, citing experiences of several of his friends. What do you think, how do you feel about this?
I’m hoping to introduce Will to some people I know who’ve been impacted by the DUI laws so that he can get a better understanding of this issue and what’s going on. I know people who’ve had DUIs who really had problems with alcohol, and I know others who are not problem drinkers who got unlucky.
If you “know for a fact” that what happens at Drinking Liberally is what you personally condemn, why do you continue to participate? Why must your weekly gathering center around alcohol?
It doesn’t have to. But Drinking Liberally has been a phenomenally popular event nationwide because – drum roll please – people like to drink in bars. Not everyone who comes drinks, but a bar is a great social setting for people who spend arguably too much of their time online.
I’m not a tea-totaler, so this isn’t a case of a reformed rake or righty-tighty wagging a finger. Instead, it’s a serious question to you as to how you’ll bring your political values into conformity with your personal values.
No one anywhere is arguing that drinking and driving is not a problem. And Will’s concern for drinking and driving is not incongruous to any of his other viewpoints. I have disagreements with a lot of liberals on this issue, including Will, but it’s not primarily about the risks of drinking and driving, it’s about the smartest approach to dealing with it in our justice system.
Will spews:
@ 3
There’s no contradiction. I’m responsible for me, and others are responsible for themselves. Other people consume alcohol in moderation and then drive home. I don’t. It’s up to each person to decide for themselves what they’re comfortable with.
I think DUI laws should be stronger. But I don’t know enough about it to say how.
Drinking Liberally the organization promotes responsible drinking: http://drinkingliberally.org/
Why do I participate in DL? Because it’s fun. And, to tell you the truth, there really isn’t that much drinking going on.
The Will
drool spews:
It should be more than DUI.
Driving impaired in any way or driving while stupid is a problem.
In Europe they do more than not put up with just DUIs. A significant number of th efolks over here would get cited just for driving like idiots, doing things like impeding traffic, yacking on the phone, eating, doing their makeup, being sleepy, etc.
BTW: When Dori stayed up all night for his wiffle ball charity thing, did he drive home?
Scott Tenorman spews:
What exactly does she mean by “take responsibility”? She can’t just say she takes responsibility; she has to actually do something. So what is it? Admit that she shouldn’t have been drinking and driving at all at this stage of the campaign but fight the DUI? Plead guilty to the DUI? If she “takes responsibility” for what she did but fights the DUI, she’ll need to offer a more precise explanation than that offered in her letter.
Douglas Tooley spews:
Responsibility?
She refused to take the BAC test – which most likely means she is lying about having only two drinks.
She’s not taking responsibility, she’s following the example of Jane Hague – admittedly with a bit more class, but then again, she’d likely show the same trashy behavior as Hague after spending a few years in office.
Taking responsibility is resigning from the race and moving on…
Liberal Dragon spews:
Venus Velasquez is not fit to take a leadership role. SHe’s had 11 other citations from the SPD and had all of the tickets “magically waived” which reeks of priviledge.
I’ve met VV on two occasions and I’m completely unimpressed. She’s snippy, arrogant and her personality edges on narcissism. So, after 11 citiations for “driving issues” she hauls off and ties one on with a staffer?
All around, poor judgment is what I’m picking up with regard to Ms. Velasquez and frankly, we need leaders who excercise poor judgement like we need a hole in the head.
I’m a democrat and honestly, Bruce Harrell would be a fine councilman (and no I don’t work for Bruce). Sorry, but she’s lost my vote and I’ve asked for my initial campaign contribution to her to be returned.
Chris spews:
This incident shows incredibly poor judgment on Venus’ part.
It really doesn’t look good with both County Councilwoman Hauge and City Councilman McIver being in the news recently for alcohol related incidents.
A cab home would have been much cheaper than the DUI ticket and wouldn’t possibly have pissed away all of Venus’ supporters hard work and contributions over the past several months.
Venus Ole! spews:
The Daily Venusian
Is is true that you Goldycrats are doing a good-bye liberally drunk blowout for BobbiBridge, just to see if she can beat her personal best (0.8, 0.08, 8.0 … whatever)? Tell Venus to bring her own bottle.
Venus Ole! spews:
Bottles.
YLB spews:
Wingnuts: you’re hypocrites because you believe that your politicians are the true “adults” when they more often than not turn out to be swine:
See Cunningham, Abramoff, Ney, Safavian, Tobin, DeLay and locally – Hague.
We never claim to be perfect.
That being said I can’t support Venus Velasquez if she doesn’t have the sense to call herself a cab.
Zander spews:
Will-
I get that you want to help Venus on a personal rather than political level. I also get that by helping her you help her candidacy.
Politics is not a game for mulligans. Actions or inactions have real consequences.
Every Councilmember must take an oath upon taking office. I have copied it below. My question is does her behavior meet this required test.
ARTICLE XIX. Officers; Terms and Vacancies
Sec. 4. OATH OF OFFICE; OFFICIAL BOND
Every Councilmember and every other officer of the City and the head
of every department, before entering upon the duties of his or her
office, shall take and subscribe an oath or affirmation that he or
she possesses all the qualifications prescribed for his or her
office, by this Charter; that he or she will support the Constitution
of the United States, and of the State of Washington, and the Charter
and ordinances of The City of Seattle; and that he or she will
faithfully conduct himself or herself in office.
KC Dem spews:
YLB you’ve dropped the ball again and have given the Rs another execuse not to vote D
We’ve had our own problems with Kennedy, Dodd, McDermott, Bridges, Dicks, McIver, Venus and others.
Excess consumption by either party is wrong
rhp6033 spews:
I posted this on one of the comments below, but it seems appropriate here, also.
Just a comment regarding the effect of alchohol on a “petite” and “buff” person, as was described in the original post:
A lot of us fall into the trap of using calculators or tables to figure out how many drinks we can safely have and still drive below the .08 B/A level. Most of those calculators or tables rely upon the user entering their body weight.
But what most of us fail to realize is that FAT DOES NOT ABSORB ALCHOHOL. Therefore, a big guy approaching 300 lbs should enter his “normal” weight – that is, what he would weigh if he was down to his high school weight (in most cases). If you do that, you suddenly find the numbers are quite a bit different – those four drinks you think you think can safely drink over two hours suddenly become only one. But muscle will absorbe and burn off alchohol, so if you “bulk up”, you can take that into account.
Better yet, play it safe, and use the “12 hour” rule proposed by earlier posters.
What I hate are the business dinners where the only drinks served are wine and water, and there are frequent toasts. The waiters keep re-fillling the wine glasses before they are half empty, so you never really know how much has been consumed.
In Tokyo, they have lots of business-related dinners where lots of drinks are served. I’ve attended quite a few. But everyone takes the train/monorail home, so it’s not a public safety issue like it is here.
GS spews:
Come on Roger, I thought all you Wabbitts took the transit to the DL Drunk a thons?
Simms picks up the tab I am sure….
Zzzzz spews:
@3:
This is all a great argument for increases in public transportation to allow us liberal drinkers to get home safe, but that IS an unnecessarily expansive, and wholly unsupported, reading of our Dram Shop Act.
Pingslee Jones spews:
I havent been a VV supporter since I saw her YouTube video a few weeks ago and decided I couldn’t support her due to her racist and divisive comments. The person I saw on that Hate Free Zone video is arrogant and confident in her close-minded divisive position.
What we see now is just more of the same self-centered behavior. She’s let down all of you who believed in her. She drank away hundreds of thousands of dollars of investment in her campaign–not to mention the sweat equity so many of you gave.
Too bad for her that Harrell is such a great alternative. He’s intelligent, ethical and kind. We’ve watch his family for over 4 generations and know them to be credible and hard-working people.
Venus is a flash-in-the pan. She’s got a lot of trust to rebuild and she won’t be able to do that quickly.
So suck it up; concede to Harrell and get behind him solidly because he’s going to win this seat.
Bill Cruchon spews:
You liberals seem to be afraid of your own shadows. Suddenly you’re afraid to go out and have a couple of drinks because of the hysteria your fellow libs have caused. Enjoy!