“Why am I here?” It is a profound question, and one every Democratic lawmaker in Olympia should ask themselves during the final weeks of this chaotic session, especially when it comes to the issue of whether to put a revenue proposal on the fall ballot.
Why did you run for public office in the first place? What exactly brought you to Olympia? And when you retire (voluntarily or otherwise), how will you judge the success of your legislative career?
Over the past five years or so I have had the opportunity to talk one on one with a number of Democratic legislators, and I think it safe to say that an overwhelming majority agree with me, at least in principle, on the necessity of revenue reform. There is near unanimity in the Democratic caucuses that our current tax system is overwhelmingly regressive and unfair, and a strong consensus that it is also inadequate and unsustainable as is… that there exists a long term structural revenue deficit that, regardless of the economic cycle, virtually assures that the ability of state government to deliver services and invest in infrastructure will gradually erode over time.
Privately, off the record, most Democratic legislators will tell you that they support an income tax, and that they truly believe such reform to be in the best interest of the people of Washington state. And the majority of them even have at least a basic understanding as to why. But I am now pretty confident that a majority of Democratic legislators also believe an income tax to be a political impossibility… that it will never happen, and that it is futile to even try.
And it is these conflicted naysayers most of all who should ask themselves the question: “Why am I here?”
Did you come to Olympia simply to balance the budget as best you can? To do less damage to our environment, our schools and our social safety net than your Republican counterparts? Did you really come to Olympia to fix problems in the short term that you full well know our structural deficit will inevitably unfix over time? Are you comfortable being caretakers of our state’s slow decline?
If you understand that we need to move toward an income tax, yet cannot imagine a path toward getting there, why bother even showing up? Shouldn’t you just step aside and make room for somebody who is at least willing to try?
And no, that’s not meant to be a rhetorical question.
Well, when a Mommy and a Daddy love each other very much…
My understanding is that a deal has been reached between the House and Senate and that budget bills are moving based upon no new taxes. A sales tax looks to be off the table, though the .3%sales tax may come up.
Things in this session are often hard to read and remain very fluid.
The most interesting factoid is that Sen Tracey Eide is off the charts crazy in support of shifting funds in order to fight sea lettuce.
Once they get there, they want to stay there. They’ll be less repercussions from doing nothing on this issue, than doing something.
Why am I here? To remind Publicans that they are cowards, inbred fools, traitors and worthless turds. Why else?
What’s the political fallout from proposing a tax increase when it goes to a vote of the people?
Daddy Love @5,
I assume, regardless of whether it passes or fails, it would cost Democrats some swing-district seats in both houses. I can’t really argue with that analysis.
But what’s the use of holding these majorities if we’re not willing to use them for the public good?
Dead on, Goldy. I get the same response from my LD reps (all dems).
The rationalization: “I can do so much to push progressive legislation in other areas.” That pretty much sums up their attitude.
That and Jonathan Schwarts’ first theorem of political power (those in power would rather see their insitition destroyed rather than lose their power–A Tiny Revolution blogsite).
Keep up the good fight.
Goldy–
Your heart is obviously aching because your so-called Progressive allies are more interested in winning the next election rather than doing the Progressive thing.
Welcome to reality dumbass!
@2: Tell us more about the war on sea lettuce!
Dow down 283…with all the Obama “borrow & spend our way out of a recession” bad ideas…it’s not a surprise.
Obama is in huge trouble if the Dow is in this postion or worse at year-end.
Americans are impatient…especially with a guy who panders to our evil enemies and makes all kinds of promises.
Goldy ..
I can answer your question for most of the ligislatives .. right and left.
“I am.here to reprsent my district, not to provide leadership.”
SJ hmm… then who does have the job of leading?
Representative: “Tim Eynman, Hannity, Fox, ……..”
This why I remain in despair. If the Dems want to lead, we need to elect LEADERS.
Can you spell Obama and Gregoire in onefont?
The Dow has nothing to do with the health of the economy, anymore than the tulip market had anything to do with the health of the Netherlands’.
It’s not Obama’s borrowing that’s a terrible idea, it’s his giving it with no strings attached to the same crooks that traded worthless pieces of paper to each other and called it a finance ‘industry’.
@10: KKKlown. Tell us more about that great buy, Wells Fargo, and its juicy dividend. I see now it’s been cut to 20 cents. What a buy!
Oh, that’s right. You’ll claim you bailed out of your ‘buy and hold’ stock.
Liar.
Why are they here?
I wonder if Piper, Pudge, Mr. Klynical and Puddy celebrated the 14th anniversary of the OKC bombing (and the deaths of 168 people, including children in day-care) by their fellow traveler – right-wing extremist and home-grown terrorist, Timothy McVeigh?
Come July 27th I’m sure they’ll celebrate the murders committed by Jim David Adkisson. You remember him, don’t you, trolls? Another fellow traveler. Motivated by a desire to kill liberals and Democrats, he fired a shotgun at members of a church congregation during a youth performance of a musical, killing two people and wounding seven others.
@10: The market is waiting for earnings to be reported this week. So of course it would soften today.
@13: Wells Fargo is a bargain, buy it on the dips. You don’t make money without taking some risk –
kind of like politics…No risk, No gain.
10 Cynical
Just shut the fuck up unless you’re ALSO willing to come in here every day that the Dow is up and tell us how it indicates deep and broad-based satisfaction with the wise and visionary leadership of Barack Obama.
Yeah funny how that child rapist CYNCYN wasn’t quoting the DOW when it was up = of course he’s a publican, dick-licking hypocrite so no surprise there. The little bitch wasn’t quoting poll results daily in Nov either. Even the Faux News Controlled Rasmussen had PRESIDENT OBAMA beating McSame back then and the cunt CYNCYN wouldn’t want to talk about THAT!
6 Goldy
I really have a hard time believing that. The deep current antipathy toward Republicans is unlikely to soften based on a high-income tax.
In a blue state and in a time in which the Democrats hold both houses comfortably and voters detest Republicans in general and WA Republicans in particular, if now ISN’T the time to grow a fucking pair and take a few timid steps toward a more progressive and equitable revenue base, when WILL it be?
IOW, if not now, then they’re all going to be useless tools for all time.
Hey speaking of McSame – his daughter is speaking to the Log Cabin Republican group this week. I assume Puffybutt and CynCyn will be there, along with Woman of Lies and Troll.
I’ll give you a little push start, Cyn. It’ll get real easy once you get used to it.
On April 14, the Dow closed at 7920.
On April 15, the Dow closed at 8003, up 83 from the day before. This obviously indicates deep and broad-based satisfaction with the wise and visionary leadership of Barack Obama.
On April 16, the Dow closed at 8125, up 122 from the day before. This obviously indicates deep and broad-based satisfaction with the wise and visionary leadership of Barack Obama.
On April 17, the Dow closed at 8131, up 6 from the day before. This obviously indicates deep and broad-based satisfaction with the wise and visionary leadership of Barack Obama.
See how easy?
Courtesy Polling Report.
Obama job rating approval/disapproval:
Cook/RT Strategies RV
60%/30%
Ipsos/McClatchy
63%/33%
Pew
61%/26%
CNN/ORC
66%/30%
CBS/New York Times
66%/24%
ABC/Washington Post
66%/29%
I’ll bet that President Obama is really worried about what the Dow is telling him about how he is regarded.
@19 Alas, Meghan McCain was thrown under the bus driven by the Bloated Bloviator shortly after she dissed the Republican she-male Godess, Ann Coulter. Poor Meghan. She’s now road kill along with her father, David Frum, Kathleen Parker, Jesus and a number of others.
It’s going to take take generational change for an income tax to happen. I say that becasue clearly many the current generation of D’s in the State legislature are more worried about building their political resumes than doing what’s right for the people that put them there in the first place.
Public service should be about just that, public service, rather than career-building.
Look for that piece of shit CYNCYN to run for cover from this thread PDQ!
Hey the NYTimes just won 5 Pulitzers – how many did Faux News win – Z E R O LOL!
23 BJ
But why do you think this will change?
RESPONSIBILITY
Paying ones bills, something alcoholics, coke heads, playboys, and republicans seen unable to understand.
http://finance.yahoo.com/focus.....gingwealth
250K != rich
The Ds should just shove their agenda down the Rs’ throat in this state. This state is so solidly D that the lack of aggressiveness in our legislative agenda is not justifiable. The Rs here are so few in number, though the volume of their whining is high, that they should simply be ignored. They are petulant children, who really don’t have anything to add to the conversation.
re 20: To Cynical, it only means that someone else was secretly president on those days. (Comic idea courtesy of Clbert)
I agree with @29. We OWN the fucking government. Both state and federal. We should just do what needs to be done and bitch slap silly the right wing traitors. They lost. They can sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up. They don’t get an opinion as far as I’m concerned. Nobody cares. We won by a fucking LANDSLIDE. We have what they call a MANDATE. Let’s start acting like it. The righties can call 1-800-WAAAAH. Fuck em. They are worthless and have no ideas.
31
They are the lamest, most immature losers on top of it. How do they react to getting their asses kicked? They buy guns, talk about secession, and propose that somehow Obama, before even taking the oath of office, had committed the high crimes and misdemeanors that would justify impeachment. We should, for the most part, just ignore them rather than respond to their irrational, whiny bleatings.
12. kirk91 spews:
It’s your bud GBS and NutRight who last week told us how the Dow was up and things were looking rosy! It was many extreme HA weasels who told us how the economy was so bad because the Dow was dropping.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAhahahahahahahahahhahahahaha
@33 What a fucking loon you are. Refer to Mr. Klynical’s post @10.
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAhahahahahahahahahhahahahaha”
That must be the laugh of a fool who’s political party has lost all power and won’t regain it for a couple of generations.
Based on their performance this year, you can add the Washington State Parks Commission to the list of folks who should be asking themselves, “why am I here.”
Perhaps I’m more of a glass-half-full type.
Why Am I Here? To get re-elected so I can tell you privately about my hopes and dreams and NOT LEAD. More people are talking about tax reform, and not just the political blogs, with hardly a peep from the legislature.
I have written my scathing email to my legislators. I have also turned down people asking me to sign petitions and beg to save programs.
How about you all?
They are right, an Income tax on top of a ten % sales tax and on top of the massive Property taxes hikes every year plus 40% PLUS College costs increases, and well no cutting of state employees, they are hiring ten Plus new ones every week, they are taking in more revenue this year then last, and still have a massive appitite for more, while businesses are closing everywhere in this state, moving out of state, and shedding jobs with now a 9.3% unemployment in this state, not counting those who have run out of benefits, so much much higher unemployment.
So put the Dagger in their back Gregoire, with higher everything…….
Keep it up! One more year of this crap and you will see a Tax revolution in this country like non you have seen since the founding of this country.
What, 600,000 racist douchebags instead of 300,000?
You go play with your army of bubbas, junior. Your-president-not-mine created this mess, so now it’s up to the grown-ups to fix it. All you assclowns bring to the table anyway is empty hatred and bigotry that fails to disguise the utter, unequivocal stupidity.
FYVM
KLOWNS–
Here is why nothing is happening for you 14%ers
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Obama continues to plummet.
Taxes & cost of government are huge issues..except for NON-TAXPAYERS like most of y’all.
Hey CYNCYN we ran you off the other thread where you post your shit. We’ll do it again you lying cunt. You’ve never posted a relevant poll in your life – it must really make you worry to know that 64% of Americans support our President. Only extreme, America-hating, baby-raping cowards like you want it to fail.
Rasmussen & PEW ranked #1 shitferbrains.
KLOWNS like you are living in a fantasy world.
Wake up and grow up.
Your PROGRESSIVE agenda is hitting the skids on a State and National level.
Goober–
Ran me off? You are a sick bastard.
I’m in Arizona dumbass..enjoying the 90 degree temps. Enjoying the fruits of my risk-taking ventures that have been very profitable.
I have a wonderful life…as opposed to you envious, jealous Atheist Progressives who are filled with anger, rage & envy.
If you put half the effort into making money that you put into being pissed..success would be yours for the taking.
But alas, you choose to be angry Atheist Progressive Leftist Pinheaded KLOWNS on a ship going absolutely nowhere.
Hey, did you see where Obama is now turning his back on the Black Farmers lawsuits he championed?
What a guy you got in Barrack!!
>>>We won by a fucking LANDSLIDE. We have what they call a MANDATE.
Do you really believe this? Let’s see how the election played out. The R’s had a geriatric candidate, a borderline retarded VP candidate, the economy was in the toilet, and the sitting R president was perhaps the most despised prez in recent memory. And, you managed a whopping 54% of the vote. Until the economy took a nosedive, the polls showed almost a dead heat.
Govern like you have a mandate and your majority will last until the mid-terms.
MOR–
They have already created 1994 all over again.
The 14%ers on the Fringe Lunatic Left represented proudly by Goldy and his Northwest Division of Lunatic Moonbats…some of them still think they won something. But they cannot say what they won specifically.
Talk of tax increases & increased government spending in a recession ==Conservative dream.
Cynical – in general I agree with you, but I don’t understand why being an atheist automatically means one is a liberal and supports socialism? You do realize that there is a significant libertarian movement in the USA?
Crusader–
It doesn’t..
Not all Atheists are LEFTIST PROGRESSIVES…just the vast majority of HA’ers are both. And they are very vocal of their hate for God and especially Christians.
Hence, they are Atheist Progressives.
I have Conservative friends who are Atheists.
They aren’t Atheist Progressives.
They also respect the views of Christians and Jews.
PS–
Many of the posters here claim to be Jewish…but “in name only” and only when it is convenient. They have no faith. It’s their choice…just odd.
Cynical – it’s just that I don’t see the relevance in pointing out that progressives are atheists. they are are plenty of Christian progressives – after all socialism has its basis in the Bible:
http://www.biblegateway.com/pa.....version=31
Luke 18:24-25 (New International Version)
24Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Crusader-
I believe someones faith or lack thereof is relevant. It helps one understand where that person is coming from.
As far as Socialism goes…there is nothing in the Bible that says the Government should redistribute wealth. We as individuals have that responsibility.
This is where the KLOWNS lose it…the Bible is very cautious about the role of government and those who govern.
@49 Cynical – I just proved that the Bible hates rich people. It’s not a far leap to say that it advocates redistribution of wealth.
Matthew 6:20-21
“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Crusader–
Here is a decent article (and there are many) about what the Bible says about the role of government.
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-.....id=1887138
http://www.pollingreport.com/
Hey CYNCYN – stop raping kids and start telling the truth.
Obama job rating approval/disapproval:
Cook/RT Strategies RV
60%/30%
Ipsos/McClatchy
63%/33%
Pew
61%/26%
CNN/ORC
66%/30%
CBS/New York Times
66%/24%
ABC/Washington Post
66%/29%
Again Crusader–
It is about Individual Choices…NOT the government.
Keep seeking the truth.
Goober you PINHEAD–
Those polls tell you nothing about the DEPTH of the approval…it is very shallow.
Rasmussen proves that.
ABC/CNN/CBS are so over-weighted Democrat as to be unreliable. They all have poor track records.
Yeah sure you lying piece of shit CYNCYN Rasmussen is owned by Faux News so NOTHING it reports means a thing – sort of like you. Rasmussen proves nothing. You prove nothing.
And as far as general approval goes? When it counted on Nov 4, we saw that answer loud and clear and oh yeah – YOUR SIDE LOST BITCH!
You can’d DISPROVE any of these results
http://www.pollingreport.com/
Obama job rating approval/disapproval:
Cook/RT Strategies RV
60%/30%
Ipsos/McClatchy
63%/33%
Pew
61%/26%
CNN/ORC
66%/30%
CBS/New York Times
66%/24%
ABC/Washington Post
66%/29%
We have already cited the facts on Rasmussen – they ask biased questions. They may have accurate polling of simple election questions (like who do you support) but their poll questions are biased – period.
I’m a Christian but Mr. Cynical keeps telling me and other Christians that we’re Godless heathens. To tell the truth, I think he’s got a screw loose. He does not hesitate to spew his harsh judgment of other people’s faith all over this blog.
These matters are deeply personal. There is no call for me to judge you, Crusader, for whatever faith or deeply held frames of orientation you might have in this life. Politics? Yeah, we can argue and disagree. But I have no issue with your being an atheist. However, I will go after Cynical for his twisted reasoning and judgement of the faith of others, though, as his hypocrisy is more than just a little too much to let slide.
There wouldn’t be such a money crunch if the state didn’t INCREASE spending.
The Dems are whores to those who pay for their campaigns and the Repubs are pussies for sitting back instead of fighting back.
IMO: BOTH sides of the aisle have lost sight of what it means to serve the people.
**Do I sound like an extremist?**
@Sam you got that backwards. The Publicans are whores to those who pay for their campaigns and even though the Democrats beat the Publicans like stepchildren on Nov 4, the Democrats have been acting like pussies for not just telling the Publicans to sit down and shut up.
@15: “@13: Wells Fargo is a bargain, buy it on the dips.”
Buy it yourself, dip. It’s a dog pretending to be a profitable financial institution. Dolts like you rode WaMu all the way down to nothing because they had “lots of assets”.
What ignorance!!!