Has anybody seen people gathering signatures for I-900, Tim Eyman’s superfluous performance audits initiative? He’s got the sugar daddy, so he’s got the money… and he claims to be spending it. But I haven’t seen a single signature gatherer myself.
This weekend kicks off the stretch drive of the signature gathering season, so I’d welcome reports of where you’ve seen petitioners, professional or otherwise. Particularly for those of you attending Folklife and other such events, a little recon would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
No Sig gatherers of any kind, any time in West Seattle.
I always carry a broad-tipped bright red indelible Sharpie marker on me. every time I see a signature gatherer for one of his initiatives, I always print in big block letters: “FUCK YOU EYMAN!”
Haven’t seen one. Ivan — great idea!
Once, a few days ago, at Seattle Community College, just prior to a SIFF showing. “Ban smoking in bars” he asked me. I looked at him as if he had just proposed to ban fucking in whorehouses. “Okay, then, how about getting rid of government waste?” No, I like government waste …
I always carry a broad-tipped bright red indelible Sharpie marker on me. every time I see a signature gatherer for one of his initiatives, I always print in big block letters: “FUCK YOU EYMAN!” -Comment by Ivan— 5/29/05 @ 1:32 pm
Which is the exact reason they don’t ask/allow 12yr olds to sign petitions.
Caterwailing @ 5
I didn’t know 12 year olds were allowed to comment on HorsesAss.org. You’re clearly violating your internet code of conduct, Caterwail. Time to clamp down with Parental Controls.
Ivan @2 —
That’s why we love ya, man.
My Wife and I saw 1 at the University Street fair last weekend.
It has the term “900 pound Gorilla” on it. Goldy did you not have an expert explain the actual size of Gorillas, one time?
Maybe there’s no sig gatherers because there wasn’t any money left to pay them after Eyman took an advance on his salary.
I’m trying to decide who was more hilarious, Ivan @2 or Alyosha` @4…
Damn, they were both good…
I got hit up by a pro up at Larry’s Market on Aurora 4-6 weeks ago. He presented me with the No Smoking initiative (which I had been looking to sign), and then he flipped it over and asked me to sign the performance audits initiative – which I declined (not as kindly as I could, I might add). That’s all I’ve seen this whole signature gathering season.
Hmmm … Stefan over at Sound Pisspot is playing with statistics again. He says:
“Let’s … look at the distribution of the net surplus 808 absentee ballots over absentee voters. Among the half of the 565,014 absentee ballots that were cast in the most pro-Gregoire precincts, there were 574 net uncredited ballots. The remaining half of the ballots had 234 net uncredited ballots. If we assume that the 808 uncredited ballots should be evenly distributed between these two halves, then the probability that at most 234 are in the most pro-Rossi half is calculated by the Excel function =BINOMDIST(234,808,0.5,1) = 4.6×10-34 … This doesn’t prove that it was ballot-stuffing that caused the extra ballots to show up mainly in pro-Gregoire precincts. But there has to be some explanation other than chance.”
Ummm … maybe because the “most pro-Rossi half” is concentrated in roughly 29% of the precincts?*
(* This is the number you get if you divide 234 by 808.)
Stefan also predicted Judge Bridges will decide in Rossi’s favor because he realizes he’s setting a precedent for future elections.
No, Stefan. Judge Bridges will decide in Gregoire’s favor because Rossi hasn’t met his burden of proving that Gregoire got at least 129 more illegal votes than he did, which is what the statute requires.
Yeah I saw one in Olympia a couple months back. I told the guy I didn’t want to have anything to do with Tim Eyman and then he started giving me a guilt trip because he was homeless and gets paid by the signature.
God Eyman is such a piece of shit!!
Goldy,
Just saw it at Lowe’s. Signed it too. Thanks for asking.
Remember, without Tim Eyeman there would never have been HA. You know that is true deep down, even if you won’t admit it.
Patrick@12,
Just so we can assess your authority to speak on the subject please inform us of your mathematical background. College degree? Minor or major in mathematics or statistics?
We know Stefan has the credentials. Do you?
Patrick@13,
Well, now we have two diametrically opposed predictions. On ewill be right, the other wrong. If you are wrong and the judge rules for hte Republicans, will you admit it?
I have decided that I will no longer sign ANY initiatives. They make for bad law. Say what you will of the legislative process, it does provide the opportunity for some moderation of extremes from any position.
If I could figure out how to get these dummies that have more money than they know what to do with to give me a couple hundred grand to promote some asinine iniative, I’d do it. It hurts no one and redistributes the wealth to those who really need it.
Stefan Sharkansky? Is this guy even a citizen?
Ivan@2
Usually it is best to say nothing and let people think you are a moron, but I notice that you tend to speak up and remove all doubt…
rujax206@1
You can go to the Walmart in South Hill, or Spanaway, Fred Meyer in Spanaway, or Oly, many gun shops, Pacific Run Antique Mall, as well as the Lakewood Lowes if you want to sign up. I can also get you one to sign.
pbj @ various
I took one course in college statistics in which I got an A, which is one more course than anybody needs to see through Stefan’s illogic. As for your post asking if I’ll admit I was wrong if Bridges rules for the Republicans … remember the old saying, “There’s no such thing as a stupid question?” Well, I gotta hand it to you, peebee, you just proved ’em all wrong! There is indeed a stupid question, and you managed to ask it. OF COURSE I’LL ADMIT MY PREDICTION WAS WRONG IF JUDGE BRIDGES RULES IN FAVOR OF ROSSI, IDIOT!
Reply to 20
Most likely yes, but we’re not sure which country he’s a citizen of.
Cheesy Chuckie @ 22
It doesn’t surprise me that gun shops and Tim Eyman initiatives go together.
Patrick@25
Yes I know, they both stand for freedom of the people.
Cheesy Chuckie @ 22
It doesn’t surprise me that gun shops and Tim Eyman initiatives go together.
Comment by Patrick— 5/30/05 @ 12:15 am
Hey Patrick if thats true you better start packing for Canada or you could be in trouble, remember you can’t own a weapon here or there. Love and Pease folks you can’t deal with FEAR and death.
Chuck, I was watching the Mainstream Republicans meeting a few days ago on TVW, and they brought up something interesting – even the current auditing agency doesn’t recover as much money as it spends to audit. They’re against Eyman’s initiative because they see it as government waste – Eyman’s auditing program will spend more money than the best predictions of what it may recover.
Cheesy Chuckie @ 26
I usually associate gun shops, and the people who frequent them, with stuff like this:
“Four-Year-Old Killed During Target Practice
“TOWER, Minn. (May 30) – A 4-year-old boy was fatally wounded when he wandered behind a paper target while family and friends were practicing shooting, authorities said.
“Evan Davis Klassen, of Chisago City, was shot around 1:45 p.m. Sunday at Lake Vermilion, where a group of about a dozen people had gathered for the Memorial Day weekend.
“‘They thought they had the kids under control,’ said Sgt. James McKenzie of the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department.
“While the paper target didn’t completely obscure the child, he was wearing camouflage pants that made him difficult to see against the foliage, McKenzie said.
“A 40-year-old man fired a handgun about 30 feet through the target and into the boy, he said.”
…
Reply to 27
Hey shit-for-brains, I served with a combat unit in Vietnam and was an infantry weapons instructor in the Army reserve.
“Gun control” is not blowing away your kid because you have enough smarts to put the guns away when little kids are running around.
Comment on 28
Wasn’t so long ago — last fall to be exact — that Eyman was predicting his gambling initiative would cut property taxes by $400 million. If you figure the state’s cut is 10% of gambling revenues (actually, I forget what the number was, so I’m using 10% for illustration purposes), then to raise $400 million in new revenues the good people of our state would have to increase their wagering activity by $4 billion a year. Divide that by 7 million state residents and you get $571 per capita. In other words, Eyman’s math doesn’t work unless EVERY state resident (including babies and grade schoolers) wagers $571 a year in casinos over and above what they’re wagering now. Obviously that’s ridiculous, and you see where I’m going with this, either Eyman is a liar or his math sucks, or more likely both.
Hmmm, my back of the envelope math is a little off, Washington currently has 6.2 million residents, so a more correct number is $645 per person, or roughly $2500 for a family of four. And remember EVERY person in the state has to gamble that amount for that number to work; if only 1/4 of state residents go to Eyman’s casinos the number quadruples to $10,000 for an average family of four. Ridiculous!
Patrick@20
The unfortunate death didnt happen in a gun shop Patrick. But now that you brought it up, how many 4 year olds die in traffic accidents because the driver didnt know how to drive? Cannot blame a gunshop for ignoance. If we lock our kids in a rubber room they will have no life…or common sence for that matter. Guess what, my kids didnt wear a bicycle helmet…and they lived normal lives!
Hey pbj,
I have a doctorate in epidemiology, and took two courses in basic statistics, two in statistical theory, one in linear regression, one in logistic regression, one in multidimensional contingency tables, one in time series analysis, and maybe another couple that I don’t recall specifically. Does that give me enough academic background to assess the statistical capabilities of someone alleged to have an undergraduate mathematics (not statistics) degree?
Sharkansky’s “statistical analysis” is flawed, improper, unfounded, meaningless.
N in Seattle@33,
Great. Since you are a ststistics expert with a PhD to boot, you can help me out with the following problem taken from a student book and statistics for engineers and computer scientists:
A study of the computer market is conducted. Random samples are drawn from among the users of two leading mainframes. The purpose of the study is to estimate the proportion of users in each population that either do use or would like to use the small office system built by the mainframe supplier, These data result:
Type I Type II
—————————–
n1=200 n2=190
x1=62 x2=76
(a) Find point estimates for p1,p2, and p1-p2
(b) Find a 90% confidence interval on p1-p2
(c) Would you be surprised to hear someone claim that p1=p2? Explain, based on the confidence interval of part(b)
Oh, and can you please show your work?
Patrick@23,
You mean you won’t try to say “well the judge clearly misundersttod the case” and blather about it? They way you defend Gregoire as not being responsible for the $10 million she lost the state?
Cheesy Chuckie @ 32
Who’s blaming the gun shop? I’m blaming the fucking idiots with the guns. Bet they vote Republican, too.
peebee @ 35
Hey let the chips fall where they will. If Bridges blows it, why should I defend his work product? I’ll have to read his ruling before I can tell ya whether he got it right or wrong. From what I’ve seen so far, though, this guy doesn’t strike me as a small town dummy lawyer.
Patrick@36
How many kids are shot in public schools (mostly democrat controlled). You cannot make open statements like that, it makes you appear less than educated.
Patrick@37,
So if he finds for Rossi, he “blew” it? Please don’t go ballistic now I just want to know if you are indeed a practicing lawyer. I need to know if I should file your opinion in the “internet yahoo” category or the “may actually know something about the subject” category. We already have Goldy as the entertaining internet yahoo, so that job is filled.
pbj,
Do your own homework.
N in Seattle@40,
Translation – your are full of shit! Another 16 year old passing himself off as a PhD and expert in statistics. Thanks for proving my point.
Anymore “experts” out there in the peanut gallery? You see, I actually did take statisics when I got my Computer Science degree. I by no means call myself and expert and won’t attempt to analyze the governor’s race with it, nor will I do any statistic problems for you because I do not think it is my strong suit. But when one of you pinheads steps forth and can answer my statistics problem then I will listen.
Oh I am sure many of you had to take the “statistics for beginners” courses where they were not calc based. I had to struggle through this crap in college while the poli sci majors and other wimps who couldn’t handle the calc based stats course took the “seminar in statistics” type course where no knowledge of how to derive such thing as a distribution for a given situation was required. At best they were given already derived equations to “plug in” the numbers with no understanding as to how they were determined.
Hey, since this is the internet, I too have 3 PhD’s: Computer Science, Astrophysics and Nuclear Science.
Damn. And to think I was foolish enough to believe you had to spend years in school to get one of those things!
Cheesy Chuckie @ 38
“How many kids are shot in public schools (mostly democrat controlled).”
Chuckie, I admire your highly imaginative — albeit silly — attempt to blame school shootings on Democrats!
School boards are non-partisan, dope! I wonder how many Democrats there are in whatever Colorado suburb Columbine H.S. is in, hmmmmmmm? That area looks pretty Republican to me.
You’re a dipshit.
Patrick@44,
Are all the “gangsta” shooters Republicans too? Yeah the crips and the bloods are GOP strongholds too I bet eh?
Reply to 37
My dear simple-minded Republican troll, that’s not how it works. You see, the problem lawyers have is they don’t know what the right answer is. You never know for sure if the guy was really guilty, or which driver ran the red light. Consequently, because there’s no way to check the answer, lawyers focus on process. If the process looks good, they take the result on faith, i.e., good process produces good result. So I will look at HOW the judge arrived at his decision, not WHAT the decision is. Comprende, amigo? It’s hard to explain what sound legal reasoning looks like, but I know it when you see it, and I can tell the difference between a legal opinion that hangs together, and one with shitty reasoning or sloppy application of law to facts. Are you getting the drift yet?
ooops that should be “Reply to 39” — that’s you, peewit.
39, yes I’m licensed to practice to law in Washington, not that it’s any of your business.
Patrick@46,
Yeah I get it. You aren’t a lawyer. Ergo the “internet yahoo” club. Next.
42
Peewit, I admire your candor and modesty in admitting your mathematical limitations. Most Republican trolls won’t admit anything, no matter how painfully obvious it is to everyone else.
For my part, I don’t pretend to be a mathematician or statistician. Lawyers don’t have to be. The nice thing about law is you can round numbers off and deal with approximations. For example, if you’re suing the manufacturer of a defective product, you don’t have to calculate your client’s exact damages, you can round off $97.50 of medical copays to $10 million with no problem.
This should help you understand where Rossi’s lawyers are coming from. Any given 1,000 illegal votes probably splits 700 for Rossi to 300 fr Gregoire, but if they round that off to 1,000 for Gregoire and 0 for Rossi, nobody will bat an eyelash. You see how that works? It isn’t really lying, it’s ESTIMATING, and lawyers and judges traffic in approximations and estimates every day, and don’t know a damn thing about statistics and can’t do even simple math, so it’s all on the up and up and there’s nothing dishonest about it.
That’s also why lawyers try to settle out of court whenever possible. Because in court, 700 to 300 has a funny way of turning into 1000 to 0.
This also explains why so many lawyers become legislatures. In a legislature, the books don’t have to balance, and 2 + 2 can equal anything you want it to. Just ask Dennis Hastert.
Reply to 45
I doubt the gangstas have a political affiliation. They don’t even vote. Sheesh.
Patrick@50,
Yes or no. Are you a lawyer?
Reply to 49
Tell somebody who cares. Next.
Reply to 52
I do believe I answered this question @ 48, but if you’re still in doubt see # 53.
Patrick,
Can’t a Democrat simply answer yes or no? Must you always obfuscate?
Patrick,
OK. I have officially put you in the “internet yahoo” club. You aren’t a lawyer or you’d have admitted as much already. Nice dodge though. Frankly you need to ask Goldy about being more entertaining. Otherwise, why would anyone care what you say?
Patrick@50,
“This also explains why so many lawyers become legislatures.”
Really? They become legislatures all by themselves? I always though they were legislators that were part of the legislature.
Silly me.
Oh, was that the entertainment part? I see Goldy has competition.
Patrick @50
Classic!
It is well known that for lawyers and elected officials numbers are arbitrary. This is why actually reading the State/Federal budget leads to motion sickness.
pbj @41,
You think I’m bluffing? What a maroon.
Drop me a line privately, and I’ll send you my CV. Unless, that is, you’d prefer links to some of the 21 peer-reviewed research papers listed when you search my name in PubMed. Or maybe you want to peruse the photo at the top of page 3 of this article … I’m one of the former students pictured with my dissertation advisor as we feted his 30-plus years of leadership in cardiovascular epidemiology.
IOW, you lose your bet.
Reply to 55
What the fuck is obfuscating about “yes I’m licensed to practice to law in Washington”?
Anyone else want to try explaining it to him?
Reply to 56
Tell somebody who cares. Next.
Reply to 57
It appears you’re also too stoopid to know a typo when you see one.
Cynical — do you see how “appears” works? Something “appears” to be so BECAUSE OF FACTS. For example, if post #1 said pbj appears to be stupid, it would just be blowing gas, because nothing shows pbj to be stupid. However, after posting a number of comments on this thread, pbj “appears” to be stupid. Do you see the connection between pbj’s posts and his apparent stupidity, paying special attention to which must precede the other? That’s what Rossi’s going to lose. Before it “appears” that illegal votes changed the election result, there have to be some facts, and the Repubs don’t have any facts. Just conjecture and speculation.
Advice to 59
I wouldn’t tell these trolls who you are, if I were you. They’re nuts, and they like guns.
Thanks for the advice, Patrick. Best I can tell, though, they’re all hat, no cattle.
Cheesy Chuckie @ 38
“How many kids are shot in public schools (mostly democrat controlled).”
Chuckie, I admire your highly imaginative – albeit silly – attempt to blame school shootings on Democrats!
School boards are non-partisan, dope! I wonder how many Democrats there are in whatever Colorado suburb Columbine H.S. is in, hmmmmmmm? That area looks pretty Republican to me.
You’re a dipshit.
Comment by Patrick— 5/30/05 @ 1:25 pm
Don’t fool yourself Patrick Most schools are run by your type not Republican. The Republicans were gag with Political Correctness leaving the far left incharge. Did you say you were in the Army Res at one point in your life, at least you did something right in your younger life. Remember Love and Pease and don’t forget to drag on that good Canada Bud.
Reply to 64
I’m sure you’re right, but they might egg your car, or tee-pee your shrubbery.
Reply to 65
You sound like the scripte for a Rainier beer commercial.
whhhhhhhiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
pbj above
What an ignorant fuck you turn out to be. It is too bad you are so blinded by your rage. Sometimes I see a glimmer of intelligence in your post, but then you fuck it up with bullshit like you demonstrate on this comment thread. . . .
I have met N in Seattle. He, indeed, is older than 16. While he did not exactly bring a PhD diploma to show me, it was clear from our “shop talk” that he has a PhD and is gainfully employed as an epidemiologist. This is also documented in HA comment threads long before your sorry ass showed up here.
Likewise, it is widely known around here that Patrick is not only a lawyer, but a retired judge as well. Even Mr. Cynical has (in his cynical, joking way) acknowledged this. Imagine what an idiot you come off as in this thread when everyone around here either personally or by second hand information knows this.
pbj, for the people who hang out on these blog comment threads for awhile, there is something of a social group here. Sure, we argue and cuss at each other, but we also get to know each other. I suspect that to many of the old timers at HA, whether conservative or liberal, you look like a complete ass in this thread. Here is a suggestion: go back and read the archives. You will learn a lot of stuff about people that will allow you to avoid looking like an complete idiot.
If Patrick is a retired judge…
1. Thank GOD, he’s out of office and off the bench.
2. No wonder this county, city, state, country is so screwed up.
3. What an embarassment he must have been to the judiciary that still beleives in decorum.
4. Did he recuse himself from all things political because of his clear and discernable bias (not to mention his rude attitude and filthy mouth)?
I have seen a few, a few months ago, outside of WalMart, but I did not sign. I do not sign Eyman Initiatives. He also hires signature gatherers that do not care to find out what they are pushing. I remember talking to a Spokane Transit Authority bus driver(It’s a long trip from SPokane to EWU) about Eyman, and he was telling how a signature gatherer asked him to sign a petition that was for I-745. That is wierd, they ask a bus driver, who faced losing his job due to the initiative, to sign said initiative. What were they thinking? My guess, is the $2 for his signature.