I get mail from County Councilman Larry Phillips.
William-
Lately it seems that every place I go I am asked the same question: “Larry, you are running for King County Executive, aren’t you?” Whether it’s a small business owner, a Democratic precinct committee officer, a County employee, a teacher, or a doctor in a public health clinic, they all want to know if I will run for the County’s top post.
Today, they get their answer: I am announcing the formation of an exploratory committee to consider a run for King County Executive. This committee will provide me with an organized structure to not just talk with citizens, but to hear what they have to say about how King County can best serve their needs.
Running for County Executive is a big undertaking and one I do not take lightly. I have a deep respect for the incumbent, as he’s done many good things in King County, and I realize that it’s hard to move on. But 13 years in office – with an unprecedented fourth term on the horizon – is a long time. The times are changing, the problems are changing, and too often they are left unattended and without effective Executive leadership.
There are County concerns that have turned to problems and then to crises. Transportation, light rail, computer systems, animal control and now the budget. Police coverage, basic public health, jail services – you name it, it needs focused attention.
So to all of those who have asked me to run, I say, let’s see how broad a team we can build in the coming months. And once the will is there and we’re an established force to contend with, we’ll take the next steps.
Within weeks, we will launch “GoForItLarry.com” – a web site for your thoughts about why we need change and what you are willing to do about it. Go on the record, send a contribution, enlist your friends and address books, and help make the change we need.
With the new “Top Two” elections system, the opportunity presents itself even more – there’s plenty of room for two from the same party to run.
Now it’s up to the people who want new, effective leadership in the Office of King County Executive, the people who have asked me to run, and many, many more. And with your help, I will be adding to that already growing list everywhere I go.
If you have any questions, please contact Abbot Taylor at (206) 218-3108 or at GoForItLarry@mac.com. I hope to hear from you soon, and thanks for all you do.
Larry Phillips
It’s pretty clear that Ron Sims is bored in his current job.
He rarely shows up at Sound Transit board meetings, and when he does it’s to fight the expansion of light rail. When an independent consultant found animals at King County’s Animal Shelter wallowing in their own shit and piss, Sims lashed out. (When pressed by the County Council, he reversed himself.) After declaring that “the era of deficits is over”, King County faces a significant budget deficit this year. Sims isn’t entirely to blame, but for him to be proved wrong so soon is disappointing.
Ron Sims should have to defend his record during the course of a campaign. For that reason, I hope Phillips runs.
Larry Phillips is too much in bed with the Republicans and the developers. But I can see how he could beat Ron Sims with our new Top Two primary system. The Republicans won’t bother putting up a serious candidate next year for County Executive. And if someone files on the GOP side, they will encourage other avowed Republicans to run, to split up the vote. That way, Phillips and Sims end up in the general election in November 2009, as the top two finishers. With Phillips having a fair portion of the Democratic vote, and with developers and Republicans such as Reagan Dunn, Pete von Reichbauer, and Jane Hague throwing in their support, Phillips should have a fairly good chance at knocking off Sims. Let’s keep a REAL Democrat in office, and re-elect Sims.
I can hardly wait to see who (or what) the GOP serves up this time around. It will be tough for them to top Motherbeater Irons, but maybe they could recruit Gary Ridgway? He has time on his hands.
Wow. Trade one democrat,commie, vote stealing hack for another democrat,commie, vote stealing hack. What a concept.
@3 Our hacks are light years better than your hacks. Speaking of vote-stealing canine felons, why haven’t you been euthanized yet?
The last time there was speculation of Larry Phillips running against Ron Sims was for the 2005 race. So Stefan Sharkansky kindly referred to Ron Sims as “the Robert Mugabe of Washington politics”.
http://soundpolitics.com/archives/003189.html
Maybe Phillips can get Sharkansky to work on his public relations team?
“Larry Phillips is too much in bed with the Republicans and the developers.”
That’s hilarious, Pope. Sims is the one who pushed for Redmond Ridge and Brightwater.
@6
Ditto. It is laughable to suggest that any Republicans on the council will throw their support behind either candidate.
@5
But Jimmy Carter loved Robert Mugabe, what’s the problem?
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot......worst.html
I don’t know much about Larry Phillips, but I agree that Ron Sims checked out of his job a long time ago. He gives really nice speeches, but he neglects his job, which is to run the county bureaucracy. Without leadership the county staff just does what they feel like, and at their own pace. To say the county is dysfunctional would be a huge understatement.
Phillips big campaign issue is that Sims shouldnt have declared we were out of the budget crisis?
1) Larry u opportunist douche bag, you were budget chair, council chair and should have known.
2) You approved the budget.
So I say, is a little stupid to cry ignorance when you knew just as much as Sims.
But what the hell, it might work, is not like the electorate gets deep into the issues.
Repeat it enough and preppy boy Phillips will get what he has always felt was his right.
I don’t know a thing about Larry Philips. But I do get exasperated at this little dance all politicians go through now, which he entitled ” I am announcing the formation of an exploratory committee to consider a run for King County Executive.”
In a way, it is humerous. He’s not announcing an exploratory committee to run for office. Instead, he’s announcing an exploratory committee to consider a run for office. Kind of a committee to decide whether he should consider forming another committee which will help him decide whether to do something?
Of course, its probably just poor wording in the letter – it’s clear from the remainder of the letter that he’s decided to run. He’s trying to position himself as the reluctant candidate, who will eventually give in to public acclaim that he take on the mantle of public office (including a website already registered as “GoforitLarry.com”.
In reality, he’s trying to test his fundraising potential. If he can’t generate enough contributions and promised endorsements by the filing deadline, he could simply announce that he’s decided not to run, and he isn’t stained by the stigma of having been defeated in the early stages of an election campaign.
Anyway, it’s a silly little dance that all the politicians go through right now. Scharzenager in 2004 and Thompson in 2007 probably took it to extremes, using it to make multiple “announcements” of non-events (“I’m announcing that I’m considering forming a committee to evaluate whether I should form an exploratory committee to advise me while I am making a decision on whether to run for office…”
By the way, I’ve started giving $1.00 to local Republican candidates, just to get their mail. It’s pretty interesting. Lots of claims of how “independent” they are, but they still have classic Rovian scare tactics of how they “need my support” to keep the Democrats from taxing me out of house and home, or keeping terrorists from blowing us all up. You know, so they can be just like George W. Bush, but – you know – “independent”.
And they are obviously sharing mailing lists. I give $1.00 to a local Republican candidate, and I’ve even gotten mail from Republicans campaigning for Congress in other states. Apparantly they want to make sure I understand the “importance” of restoring Congress to Republican control with my donations. I’m reminded that I can give the maximum amount to EACH candidate, no matter in what district they reside, so contribution limits aren’t really a problem. And to make it easy I should give them my credit card number so they can take it out in easy monthly installments until my maximum contribution limit is reached!
Quite a lot of entertainment for a measly $1.00.
By the way did you hear this comment by George Bush, regarding flooding in Iowa?
“I’ve unfortunately been to too many disasters as president.”— George W. Bush
I’m sure the White House Press Office groaned when they heard him say that.
so what’s Larry Philips done?
what accomplishments?
So, is Richard Pope now the arbiter of what is truly Democratic?
Ron is clearly very much in bed w. many developers. He’s got to be tired…
Beyond Redmond Ridge are any of you following the real cesspool that Sims is lurking in (no, not Brightwater) w. the Maple Valley Donut Hole? The Times covered the latest installment of it the other day – http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....e18m0.html
And this article gives more background on some of the smellier aspects –
http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....le02m.html
Ron has so many scandals out there that they are hard to keep track of. This Donut Hole has much of SE King County up in arms at the hyposcrisy of Sims to ignore all of his own policies.
Time for Ron to go work on the Hillary 2012 Campaign and make way for someone who has a more-intact sense of right/wrong.
I feel bad for Ron Simsat times…