Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} In discussions about Brian Baird’s votes (most recently against the health care bill), it is often said that Baird’s 3rd Congressional District is quite conservative, at least compared to the districts of the six other Democratic members of Congress from Washington and to the state as a whole.

According to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), and other information, it seems that there are 11 candidates competing for 4 positions on the Olympia City Council.

Positions 4, 5, 6, and 7 are up for election this time around. Position 4, the open seat being vacated by Karen Messmer, has the most contenders so far. Lisa Hayes, Karen Rogers, Amy Tousley, and Karen Veldheer form the field in this race.

Position 5 currently has three candidates. They are Stephen Buxbaum, Janine Gates, and the incumbent, Jeff Kingsbury. (Hava Aviv has withdrawn from candidacy.)

For Position 6, the incumbent Joan Machlis has thus far been joined by James Wellings. [there is rumor of another candidate joining this race.]

Position 7 presumably has Joe Hyer (the PDC site doesn't list Joe as having declared a position.) Also (officially) running for Position 7 is Anthony Sermonti.

Is that all so far?

* I made an effort to locate official campaign websites for all the candidates. If I missed any, I apologize, and will make corrections upon request. ** [campaign website information updated for Karen Rogers and Karen Veldheer, Lisa Hayes withdrawal from candidacy indicated by strike throught text.]

Warm Regards,
Berd

p.s. What are the most important issues that you would like candidates to address in relation to this City Council election cycle - and (if you care to expound) why?

This past Tuesday found me again speaking before the Olympia City Council. During the prior week's meeting I had commented about harmful economic activities and the need for all levels of governmental institutions to be responsive to the problem. I believe that radical changes to polices and practices are necessary to ameliorating the harmful relationships that exist between human societies, and between humanity as a whole and the planet (including wilderness, wild plants an animals, the built environment, basically the environment in the broadest sense of the term.)

I wanted to follow up on what I mentioned as one possible way that I believe we can achieve a government that is more responsive and sympathetic to finding genuine and true solutions to the problems of harmful economic activities. I want to find solutions to social and environmental degradation.

The solution that I mentioned during my public comment testimony to the Council was electoral reform. I suggested two different types of electoral reform, although there are many other ways to approach the topic. The two I mentioned were IRV and publicly financed elections. The following is a brief synopsis of what I said last Tuesday at the City Council meeting. My testimony came at about 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 40 seconds into the meeting. Here's a link to the Council Meeting Video where you can find the January 20th, 2009, which is available online: olympia.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2

and the Need for Responsive Governmental Institutions and Public Officials

The Olympia City Council's recent passage of an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan, which weakens building height zoning regulations on specific areas of Isthmus in downtown has a prompted further interest for me in the affairs of the Council, and government in general (local and otherwise.)

So here's a short report back from this past week's City Council Meeting. Also included is a description of my testimony from the public comment period, which is an expanded account of what I said during the meeting.

You can find a link to the video for the January 13th, 2009 meeting here.

Staring with brief description of a few aspects of the meeting, the Council mentioned meeting for a retreat last weekend, and it seems that one of the decisions they may have made was to limit public comment to only those who have signed up to comment. In the past, the Mayor has made a specific effort to solicit further comment once all those who were signed up had finished. It seems that the rules may have changed, so that if you want to comment, you will need to sign up, and if you change your mind during the meeting, well—tough luck. This first happened to me at the December 16 meeting, when I was denied a chance to speak after deciding that I wanted to provide comment toward the end of the extended public comment period at the end of the meeting. At the most recent meeting, after all of those who had signed up to speak had already spoken, there was no question about allowing late-comers, stragglers or late deciders to comment. At last week's Jan. 13 meeting, public comment was not extended because all 13 people were fit in prior to the remainder of the meeting. Anyway, it's unclear as to what the Council's policy is. I hope to further clarify this. I don't like the idea of the Mayor or anyone on the Council trying to limit, or objecting to, public comment, in any way.

via OVOE email:

Olympia Voter-Owned Elections
Informational/Organizing Meeting
7pm, Wednesday July 2
Traditions Cafe
300 5th Ave SW Olympia

Adopting a system of "Voter-Owned Elections" will:

• Eliminate financial barriers to running for local office for persons demonstrating community support
• Expand voters' choice of candidates
• Allow candidates to focus on public issues instead of fundraising
• Discourage excessive campaign spending

With the recent passage of the "Local Option" bill, public financing of local elections is possible once again in Washington State! Talk has started in the Olympia area of bringing "Voter-Owned Elections" here.