The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee approved Senate Bill 5329 this week on a party-line vote. The bill opens government collective bargaining negotiations to the public by removing union exemptions from the state Open Public Meetings Act. Of course, the bill did not pass out of committee without contention—labor executives and Democrats were not pleased and their reactions grant valuable insight into the left’s non-existent commitment to government transparency.
The only testimony against the legislation during the committee hearing came from two union lobbyists. The Freedom Foundation,
Sofia Aragon of the Washington State Nurses Association contended that keeping the negotiations out of the public eye was necessary to ensure “frank conversations between the parties” and bemoaned that “opening these meetings changes the dynamics of negotiations.”
Vince Oliveri of Professional and Technical Employees Local 17 claimed that, while “[PTE] Local 17 is a full supporter of accountability and transparency in state government,” he opposed SB 5329 on the grounds that it would “throw our collective bargaining process into chaos.”
Echoing some of Aragon’s points about how “difficult-but-necessary conversations” would be hindered by a transparent process, Oliveri noted the tone of negotiations could shift with public oversight. He also implied that only “educated and experienced” insiders who have built up trust between each other are qualified to “craft the best possible solutions for both the employer and the employees.”
Both arguments centered on what best serves union executives. No mention was made as to how closed negotiations serves the interests of the taxpaying public. This response is typical from what we’ve come to expect from unions. The reactions of labor-backed Democrats offer the most telling comments.
According to the Freedom Foundation, Democrat Sen. Bob Hasegawa (longtime Teamster official) “couldn’t come to terms with the need for public access to the negotiations.” Hasegawa said, “What does [seeing how the parties conduct themselves in collective bargaining] have to do with the public interest? I don’t see any compelling public interest need there.”
An expert from the Washington Policy Center offered Hasegawa an explanation, pointing out the inherit public interest in government transparency particularly when a potential conflict of interest exists like the “governor secretly negotiating over public money opposite his biggest campaign donors.” Hasegawa was not happy with the remark. He said:
“The governor is responsible for representing the entire interests of the state of Washington, so I would take exception to the fact that you are saying that he is catering or any of the past governors or any future governors are catering to a special interest.”
The Freedom Foundation countered Hasegawa’s retort with the perfect response:
“The fact is, we don’t know (if the governor is catering to a private special interest group) because the negotiations are taking place behind closed doors. If he is, that would be something that the citizens of this state need to know and that can only be done through a more transparent process.”
Democrat Senators Steve Conway (longtime UFCW official) and Karen Keiser (former communications director for the WSLC) gave up all pretense of attempting to debate their side by offering reasoned arguments, likely because they lacked them and knew it. The senators introduced two amendments out of protest. Conway admitted the amendments were “way outside the title of the bill” and claimed they were intended “to expose the kind of idiocy we have going on here.”
Republican committee chair Sen. Michael Baumgartner responded that he would take the “satirical” amendments seriously if he thought it would make difference for their support of the underlying bill. Since Conway and Keiser would vote against they bill anyway, he wouldn’t waste time on them.
The distance Democrats would go to protect the interests of big labor at the expense of public interest reveals where their priorities lie. Clearly, labor-backed Democrats would happily sacrifice public interests—and government transparency—if it means big labor continues to receive special privileges.
The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee approved Senate Bill 5329 this week on a party-line vote. The bill opens government collective bargaining negotiations to the public by removing union exemptions from the state Open Public Meetings Act. Of course, the bill did not pass out of committee without contention—labor executives and Democrats were not pleased and their reactions grant valuable insight into the left’s non-existent commitment to government transparency.
This is the same Senate where, two years ago, the Republicans used sleazy, back-room, no-voters-allowed wheeler-dealing to create a “Senate Majority Coalition” of all Republicans and a couple of Democrats. ShiftWA then told us, repeatedly, how great was the governance by this Majority Coalition.
If the Republicans set such a great example of how to use closed-door negotiations, why isn’t ShiftWA advocating this method for other employees of our state government?
So a couple of Senators decide to caucus across aisle, you see this as worse than our Governor secretly giving public unions a half billion taxpayer dollar payback to fill the union coffers. Which union are you in, Comrade? Besides your dream of a new Soviet kind, that is
So a couple of Senators decide to caucus across aisle,
After telling their voters they wouldn’t do that. And what were they offered to do so? Nobody knows, because transparency is for other people.
The crowd which failed utterly to address our state’s transportation needs now wastes our time yammering about how other state employees need “reforms.” The gang which built an ineffective majority coalition via secret deals wants other state employees to hold open negotiating sessions. And, of course, they want to starve their way to prosperity by cutting the wages of other people — people who actually do useful work.
Any betting line on what part(s), if any, of this monumentally hypocritical idiocy will survive to get Gov. Inslee’s well-deserved veto(es)? Amusement gained from watching our Senators’ resulting temper tantrums would be the only useful result of their “work” in these areas.
I beg you to seek help for your mental disorder.
The social controlled doctrine of your party has crippled our state. You need to move to China where your ideals will be welcomed by their government who, I’m sure will take care of you and put you to work in a rice paddy somewhere.
Ah, red-baiting the liberal. It’s the freshest, most relevant idea you’ve posted here yet. Can’t wait to read your next comment, about how Elvis is corrupting our girl-folk with that horrible, rock-and-roll, so-called music.
How do you go through life with your head in the sand? Letting the liberal elites feed you with a message of tax & spend for every cause the can think of with no accountability of cost? Do you make so much money that the cost of living doesn’t effect you in the slightest way? How can you live with yourself when all you ever do is take from your fellow citizens? What is wrong with you?
How can you live with yourself when all you ever do is take from your fellow citizens?
According to the statistics compiled by the state, we liberals in King County provide for our fellow citizens on the east side of the mountains:
Indeed, if Washington is a welfare state, it is residents in these mostly rural, mostly Eastern, mostly Republican counties who are the biggest beneficiaries, while taxpayers here in the blue parts of the state are left footing the bill.
Okay, what about the homeless in tent city? They are part of the “blue parts of the state” are they paying rent on where they camping out? I thought you said “we liberals in King County provide for our fellow citizens on the east side of the mountains…”
.
I know you will not answer me because Seattle is trying to keep the homeless issue as if they don’t exist. Perhaps, Seattle needs to tax themselves more to help the homeless getting those $15 per hour jobs and help the mentally illed as well.
What has the sad plight of homeless people in Seattle to do with anything in this discussion?
You said that the east of the mountains are getting money from the blue parts of the State. — Believe me, I don’t doubt it at all. If the government was to help the people they would clean their own sidewalk before they they clean someone else’s sidewalk. I am not saying that the east of WA deserve no help, but the homeless in Seattle should benefit from your taxes however, with strings attached. Money should not be given freely to anyone unless they work for it.
.
WA has over 150 government agencies, and you mean to tell me that none of them can diminish the number of homeless in the city. The bigger the government the less productive it becomes.
.
Homeless are comprised of the mentally illed who need psycatric help and a secure place for them to live and be cared for; the drunkards and drug addicts who needs detox, counseling and jobs; the unfortunate, who lost their home and finances due to loss of job who need help to get on their feet once again by helping them get a job.
.
Unfortunately, the government, in general, has become a nanny, that they just give the homeless and the poor money without strings attached. If there were strings attached the majority would be motived to help themselves too. Why bother to better themselves if they get guaranteed money from the government?
.
Tax revenue is not a problem in WA but the mismanagement of your tax dollars going to big shots running the 150 plus government agencies over $80,000 per year per big shots per agency, that you allowed the poltiicans to make a behemoth, big, strong, and more powerful government than its citizens. My answer to that either the government closes half of its agencies, realign the remaining or just keep up with the behemoth and have the slaves, I mean the dumb down citizens, pay more taxes. The behemoth that you (not you specific) allowed to create also allowed to create a modern day slavery of willing dupped citizens to pay taxes. .
.
Where is the good old Boston Tea Party to reclaim what belongs to citizens. I forgot, there is no self reliant and self responsibility anymore. It died after the mid 1960’s. I know it is antiquated thinking, look at the Amish self reliant and self responsibility is still within them. They don’t need any government help.
.
If liberals pride themselves that they are for the people they sure don’t act like it. I feel that liberals are like conservatives that they are out there for themselves and their wealthy friends.
.
Today’s Liberal America mantra: “Ask what your country can do for you; ask not what you can do for your country”.
Homeless are comprised of the mentally illed who need psycatric help and a secure place for them to live and be cared for; the drunkards and drug addicts who needs detox, counseling and jobs; the unfortunate, who lost their home and finances due to loss of job who need help to get on their feet once again by helping them get a job.
Well, since there’s no short-term profit in detox for the homeless who need it, you’re advocating either private charity or government programs, or both. For a problem like homelessness, there are multiple problems and, therefore, multiple possible solutions.
You said that the east of the mountains are getting money from the blue parts of the State. — Believe me, I don’t doubt it at all.
I don’t have any problem with exporting tax money to Eastern Washington; we city residents have an obvious interest in a reliable supply of inexpensive food. That the “free market” would shutter many of the farms out there doesn’t mean anything to me; I’m perfectly willing to pay a little bit more in taxes so that we all can pay a little bit less for food, food which is reliably available to us.
Today’s Liberal America mantra: “Ask what your country can do for you; ask not what you can do for your country”.
And yet, so many of the people taking my tax money are die-hard conservatives. Have you an explanation for that?
People who vote for subsidies are the people who believe in them & most likely will keep voting for the party who provides them because they get them. That sounds a lot like liberal democratic voter to me. But we’ve been down this road before haven’t we.
Good point. Conservatives are another hypocrite cry babies that say one thing and do another. If you say they are the one that take those benefits, well can you blame anyone if you give money away with no string attached? Those folks are a bunch of mooches, sucking the Big Daddy’s udder. What happens when the money dries out?
.
1. Do you believe that all benefits should come with string attached and for a limited time only?
.
I bet if Big Daddy fixes the welfare system by weaning the people off the “free money” it would help to elleviate the homeless problem, more people working, more tax revenue collected, more people will have initiative to innovate and be more business minded, and most of all the State will have less debt.
.
Again, we the people, to make a better America, need to go back to basic where you work hard, earn a paycheck, save your money, give to charity, invest in businesses or open your own business. If we need to compete with China and India we need to be self-sufficient, self-reliant, self-responsible.
.
People should stop crying to Big Daddy about what’s in for me, I am entitled to whatever, etc…
The more we depend, the more we cry and ask to solve everything for us, and the more equality we request from Big Daddy the less freedom we will have. The people created a monster that is more powerful than the people.
.
Just remember this: A GOVERNMENT BIG ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT IS BIG ENOUGH TO TAKE EVERYTHING FROM YOU.
.
2. Do you believe that the government have the people by the, you know what, when people depend from the free money? The government pretty much tells the benificiary where to live (Section 8), how much food and what to eat (EBT), what free phone they can use, and what free internet they can use. They have become the puppets of the government and the puppeteer will easily influence the puppets to vote a certain way and to think a certain way. It sounds like modern day slavery.
A GOVERNMENT BIG ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT IS BIG ENOUGH TO TAKE EVERYTHING FROM YOU.
*Every* government, throughout all of recorded history, was “big enough” to take everything it wanted from its aptly-named “subjects” — and the governments which did the least for their peoples were the biggest “takers”.
I don’t have any problem with the idea that everyone should be productive. That’s one of the reasons I’ve always supported higher taxes on rich people — they should get off their butts and work, too. Just because your great-great-grandfather invented the paper clip and invested the proceeds shouldn’t mean you get to loaf around for all of your days, slacker.
Again, we the people, to make a better America, need to go back to basic where you work hard, earn a paycheck, save your money, give to charity, invest in businesses or open your own business.
Seattle knows all about this. Do the names Boeing, MicroSoft, Starbuck’s, and Amazon mean anything to you? They were all founded in Seattle, or by persons from Seattle.
Seattle, King County, and Washington state are prospering from our liberal policies. We know this, and we don’t care whether you believe Bloomberg News or not. If you think you can do better in Mississippi — or Somalia — please feel free to go try.
Well, we do have a big government and they will take more out of us in taxes.You need to vote that new liberal policy to take your money from your income. it is called income taxes, I mean Capital Gains Taxes, better yet Capital Gains fees.
“Seattle, King County, and Washington state are prospering from our liberal policies.” Again, look at the homeless with your nice liberal policies.
” Do the names Boeing, MicroSoft, Starbuck’s, and Amazon mean anything to you?” Sure, they started back then and the liberal politicians still bribe them with tax cuts to stay in the State. Try to open a business now in WA and see what happens, fail!
“I don’t have any problem with the idea that everyone should be productive. That’s one of the reasons I’ve always supported higher taxes on rich people…”
You know when you tax rich people the cost gets passed down to you, right? I know you knew that, but let’s tax the rich corporations that are taxed the highest in the world at 39%.
.
So after all, I did strike a chord in your soul, and now you tensed up because you don’t want to think about the truth, because it will destroy your whole world of lies that you were fed.
.
As I said in the past, if people knew what the 10% knows they will go out of their minds. I know I don’t conform to the left or right group that is because I chose after I did try to comform with the left first than the right and I did saw the poison that people were taking in and I chose to become the 10%.
.
I thought I was alone at first, but I did meet lots of people like minded that are not poisoned by the left or right. If your mind is closed and can’t see in the other side of the hill than I cannot help you. You need to start questioning everything and you will see the other side of that hill. First you need to remove those blinders that don’t allow you to see around. The 89% are just followers of their own demise, where the 1% and the politicians want you to go to however, the end of the road you shall see a cliff and will succumb to your demise. .
.
I wanted to meet you and talk to you in detail about the 10% but you refused the opportunity to see the other side of the hill. I understand people like to stay in their comfort zone, but once you take that leap of faith you will see what the 10% saw and still see what’s to come. As I revealed some things to you they were dismissed as ustopia, well live the left or right wing Big Daddy government path of your demise. You will see in your lifetime that things I have said will come to be, and you shall remember how you did in fact dismissed it and lost your chance to freedom.
.
The 10% will be the free people, enough said. I think I revealed a little too much. Good luck! Remove the blinders and that yoke that Big Daddy put on you.
“Seattle, King County, and Washington state are prospering from our liberal policies.” Again, look at the homeless with your nice liberal policies.
Yes, trickle-down economic theory was either a mere failure, or an intentional fraud; thank you for noticing. Washington State, King County, and Seattle are doing better than the rest of the country, even though you refuse to recognize this.
So after all, I did strike a chord in your soul, and now you tensed up because you don’t want to think about the truth, because it will destroy your whole world of lies that you were fed.
You read about *one* business in Seattle expanding to Reno, and accepted as gospel truth their dodgy and self-serving claim that Seattle’s rising minimum wage made them do it. You hectored us Seattle liberals to recognize the “truth” of this claim. When I quoted you the years of hard economic data, showing how Washington state has done well with a high minimum wage, you ludicrously called this “biased” and said Bloomberg News was “left wing.” You can talk to me about “truth” once you explain how Washington state’s minimum wage — the highest in the nation — co-relates to our strong economic growth, low unemployment rate, and low poverty rate. You can lecture me on “lies” once you stop telling whoppers like, ” Try to open a business now in WA and see what happens, fail!”
I wanted to meet you and talk to you in detail about the 10% but you refused the opportunity to see the other side of the hill.
After you’d repeatedly called me a “sheep” and a drug user, I refused to take your verbal abuse in person. Now, you refuse to recognize obvious economic facts, and tell tall tales about the business climate here. Why should I bother listening to your denial of reality in person?
The yoke and blinders tha you are wearing is taking a toll on your brain. Are you dense? Who owns Bloomberg News, let’s see, wealthy, liberal, yes, his name is Michael Bloomberg, I rest my case. A left wing biased news group. There you have it!!
.
You don’t need to believe me and honestly you are so far from help that I don’t expect you to believe what I say however, mark my words when the mirror break and and the smoke clears it all make sense what I have mentioned. Once you face the truth you will be in disbelief, and right before you can think for yourself, your Shephard Pappeteer Liberal Daddy will blame the REP, and the Antiquated US Constitution for all the mishaps and failed liberal policies. You and the rest of the flock will commence to vote off all REP and put some hardliners left wing bafoons in place. Riots will commence as well that is sparked by something that I don’t want to reveal, and in turn the WA Army National Guard, State Troopers will commence the whooping to quell your crying anus.
.
Don’t believe this either, okay? I want you to be surprised when all unfoils right in front of your face. Have you noticed that your State and many other States have hired many new troopers? Did you know that WA Army National Guard are boosting their riot gear and positioning them around the Emerald CIty, Tacoma, Olympia, Chehalis, Spokane, Yakima, the Tri Cities, and etc… Now, please don’t believe me, I don’t want you to get alarmed. The Big Daddy Government that you love, trust, and give all your money to, and defend, knows what will happen next, because it is orchastrated by the Pappeteers that you puppets voted for. This time I laid it all out nice and clear for you to see what will take place, again please refuse to believe me. I am only the 10% I don’t know anything. Just keep voting in the same corrupted elloquent talkers with a fake smile and they will take good care of you.
.
You said, “Why would I bother listening to your denial of reality in person?” I am not in denial of reality I am very well aware of my sorroundings and I don’t have that have yoke and blinders that you are happily carrying with a smile. People like you are far too dense to help, but I did try to detox you from the politician poison that you have been partaking with the other puppets. DON’T BLAME ME IF THINGS WILL NOT BE SO PROSPEROUS IN THE NEAR FUTURE IN WA, I WARNED YOU.
Who owns Bloomberg News, let’s see, wealthy, liberal, yes, his name is Michael Bloomberg…
In addition to founding the business news organization which bears his name, he served as Mayor of New York City — you know, the home of Wall Street — as a Republican.
Again, when you can explain how fifteen consecutive years of raising Washington state’s minimum wage, to become the highest of any state, resulted in our state’s unemployment and poverty rates being below the national average, to Seattle having tremendous job growth, and to the bevy of construction cranes across the Seattle skyline, then you might get my attention as a person worthy of constructive dialog on economic issues. Until then, you’re just muttering vague nonsense about threats to prosperity and freedom.
Bloomberg is more to the center than anything else. Also, I did explain to you about the $15/hr minimum wage with positive results is smoke and mirrors, just wait until it all goes away. Poverty rates? Clean up your sidewalk with the homeless problems that you have, and we will talk about it after. If you succeed to get the homeless off the street than WA State will be a success with the policies, and I will concede and tell you that I was wrong, until then I will not say anything. Also, I did gave some inputs on how to clean that sidewalk, so get started.
…I did explain to you about the $15/hr minimum wage with positive results is smoke and mirrors, just wait until it all goes away.
You didn’t “explain” anything, you just kept muttering the same vague prediction of doom over and over and over. We were told the same things before we passed I-688, and they have not come true, either. Rather than wondering why previous predictions of doom on this issue haven’t come true, you just keep reiterating those same failed predictions. When you could no longer deny that Washington state’s high minimum wage has resulted in better economic performance here than in other states, you invented a new measure, homeless people on the street. Well, here’s some news for you: Seattle has *always* had homeless people; we gave the world the term, “Skid Row.” (It’s a corruption of “Skid Road,” an old nickname for Yesler Way.)
Since you won’t deal in facts or reason, we’re done here.
Okay, whose corruption is Skid Road? I know it’s not the liberal government, it must be the Republican.
.
What did I say? I will admit what you want me to admit when you clean up that sidewalk. Your State have over 150 state agencies and still can’t take care of the homeless, maybe you need ten more agencies to take care of the homeless. Don’t worry about the dooms days, we will talk again once it commence. I am sure the REP will be at fault as well. If I were you, I would advocate to remove all REP politicians in WA and just have DEM, perhaps then you will have clean sidewalks.
I will admit what you want me to admit when you clean up that sidewalk.
No, you won’t. Have the authors of the No on I-688 statement ever admitted they were wrong? No. Have the opponents of Seatac’s minimum wage explained why businesses there continue to thrive? No. Has Mr. Friedman, owner of Liberty Bar on Seattle’s Capitol Hill, and vocal opponent of Seattle’s $15/hour minimum wage, explained why he now owns two bars on Capitol Hill? No, no, and no. You people make all of these scary, threatening predictions of gloom, and when they don’t come true, you simply abandon all of your impassioned words. Like the welfare queens of Eastern Washington, responsibility and accountability are for other people, never yourselves.
“Again, when you can explain how fifteen consecutive years of raising Washington state’s minimum wage, to become the highest of any state, resulted in our state’s unemployment and poverty rates being below the national average, to Seattle having tremendous job growth, and to the bevy of construction cranes across the Seattle skyline, then you might get my attention as a person worthy of constructive dialog on economic issues. Until then, you’re just some guy on the internet, muttering vague nonsense about threats to prosperity and freedom.”
I told you that I will admit what you wish me to admit, you got my word. If you feel that my word is not enough draw up an agreement form and I will sign it. Clean your sidewalk and you shall see. Clean it first. I am not like them if I am wrong I will admit it.
“Again, when you can explain how fifteen consecutive years of raising Washington state’s minimum wage, to become the highest of any state, resulted in our state’s unemployment and poverty rates being below the national average, to Seattle having tremendous job growth, and to the bevy of construction cranes across the Seattle skyline, then you might get my attention as a person worthy of constructive dialog on economic issues. Until then, you’re just some guy on the internet, muttering vague nonsense about threats to prosperity and freedom.”
I said that I would admit what you wish me to admit and explain what you want me to when you clean that sidewalk. Now you guys are pushing the homeless away from that land to somewhere else instead to help them as I mentioned to you.
.
“…Until then, you’re just some guy on the internet, muttering vague nonsense about threats to prosperity and freedom.” I gave you citation to look at and you still refuted the citation and say I mutter nonsense. Well, as they say, you can bring the horse to the water but you cannot make the horse drink the water.
.
I am telling you now, once you clean the homeless issues I will then explain your comments until then I will not answer.
.
Stop being so blind by the shiny objects that the politicians are showing you and see the reality. Look at the homeless that you are sweeping from one sidewalk to the other, first. You have been blinded by the lies your faithful, truthful and honest politicains. Once your State gets that done I will explain whatever you want.
.
I told you that you will not believe me because you are driven by the politicians that you voted for and there is nothing I and the 10% can do for you. Again, remove that yoke and blinder that you willingfully wearing. If you think that we are prosperous country and we have freedom, you are fooling yourself.
.
“Remember the more equality and security you have the less freedom you have.”. I know you don’t believe that just talk to me in 10 years and see where your freedom is standing. It is an illusion that you bought from the poltiicians with those nice shiny objects that they are showing you. How can one State have more taxes imposed on their people and still are in debt and short of funding your public transportation, but the welfare is well funded. They keep smiling on your faces and request more taxes, and you keep saying yes. You are not free, but a slave of the State.
.
Again, you created the big government with more than 150 agencies that are useless and syphoning your money and more red tape for you to stay out of their hair and keep and rob you blind. Again “A government big enough to give you everything you want, is a government big enough to take away everything that you have.” Please don’t give me the same rant about small government takes more than a big government or history shows that big governments always take everything. You and the rest keep repeating history in the hope that you have a different outcome, and you know that is like cooking fish and spice it up like you were cooking beef stew, but in the end it smells and taste like beef stew.
.
Now, you are stuck talking to me about the last 15 years prosperity, and I did said that it all will go away once those mirrors come down and the smoke settles. I don’t know what else to say. I gave more information with citations and you still live in a denial of politicians lies. Do you remembere the real estate prosperity? What happened? Someone, a 10%, did write about it and you and the politicians did not believe that the bubble will bust and so it did. You need to wake up to reality and stop staring the shiny objects that the poltiicians show you, and stop beiing so amused about the smoke and mirror that you call prosperity in WA. You are not looking in the other side of the hill like the 10%.
.
Last, stop sweeping the homeless from one area to another. This will not solve anything. You say that I am muttering vague nonsense, but here is what is about to happen once the homeless are pushed away from that land — a new construction is going to take place there, and your honest and truthful politicians will benefit from it with kick backs from the corporations that wants to build there. Do you know what you will gain from that, nothing either you spend your money there in the possible strip mall or housing that they will be building. You don’t need to believe what I just said — I will mention it as soon you notice what you call my “muttering vague nonsense” will take place. I am sure you still will not admit that I was right and will have some politician explanation for the whole thing. You are a blind fool!!
I am still waiting on the answer, tensor. So be kind and enlight/teach me.
So you actually saying that you are against taxing yourself & spending on the needs of your fellow citizens in our state & that you will actually discriminate against someone you think is not deserving because they don’t agree with your beliefs? Please, yes, tell me that is what you are saying. Classic! You made my week!
I’m merely pointing out how the “tax and spend” liberals whom you decry are spending our tax money to subsidize the very people who loudly object to our policies — but who still take our money. Have you any idea why they continue to benefit from the policies they claim to despise?
Well, I like the fact you use the term “our money”, as though it just might have bothered you a little bit that you checked your last pay stubs tax column. It makes me think there is hope for you yet, however, “the very people” you speak of continue to benefit from these policies because you keep supporting the social welfare programs of this nanny state with the Tax & Spend doctrine of the Democratic Party. It’s that simple. You can’t be so blind to not see what over 40 years of one party rule has created, or you know the truth & refuse to accknowlage it with denial at every turn. To think that the opponents of Washington States socialized policies are the ones who benefit from them is laughable. The ones who benifit from your programs are the very ones who will vote for the people who get them those subsidies, and that my friend would be the Liberal Progresive Democratic Voter…… & it’s only Monday.
To think that the opponents of Washington States socialized policies are the ones who benefit from them is laughable.
No, it’s factual:
King County, home to our state’s largest concentration of urban poor, drew only $538 of DSHS expenditures per capita, ranking it 30th out of 39 counties. Meanwhile, such bastions of self-proclaimed self-sufficiency as rural Adams, Ferry, Pend Oreille, and Okanogan Counties consumed per capita DSHS benefits of over $900, while Yakima County—Washington’s “fruit basket”—topped the charts at $1,129 per person.
Meanwhile, “over 40 years of one party rule” has produced, for Washington state, high wages, low unemployment, and a poverty rate below the national average. In King County, it has produced a population less dependent upon government welfare than in most other counties of our state. In Seattle, it has produced a economy so robust we can’t build new residential towers fast enough to meet the needs of all the people moving here to take tech jobs. Please tell us what, exactly, bothers you about all of this innovation, productivity, and creation of wealth. Or are you too much in denial?
Sorry friend, back to the issue, democrats vote for democrats and their policies because they benifit from those policies. If you get federal or state assistance from a party who provides that assistance, you are not going to vote against it & it doesn’t matter where you live as long as that check arrives on time. Liberal Progressive Socialized programs are in every area of this state. For you to believe that 100% of everybody east, south & north of King County is a conservative, is insane. People vote what benefits them & that has been true from the beginning of the Republic.
For you to believe that 100% of everybody east, south & north of King County is a conservative, is insane.
No, it’s mostly factual. Here’s the map, showing the voting patterns and state government money spent, per county. Note the following:
— Every county in Eastern Washington votes Republican;
— Of all the counties in Eastern Washington, only Kittitas County sent more money to Olympia than it received in state government services;
— Of the the six counties which send more money to Olympia than they receive in state government services, four vote liberal: King, Island, Whatcom, and Snohomish.
— Of all 39 counties, King County receives the least in state government services for tax money sent to Olympia. It votes heavily liberal.
Liberal Progressive Socialized programs are in every area of this state.
And the conservative parts of the state benefit most from those programs — while speaking out against them.
Whether you want to admit it or not — and your refusal to do so says more about you than anything you do say — wealth is generated in the liberal counties of central Puget Sound, and redistributed to the conservative parts of the state via our state government. It’s the liberals of King County who are the makers, and the conservatives of Eastern Washington who are the takers.
Wake up, you blind fool! it’s percentages of voters in those counties. No county in the state votes 100% one party. Holy Hell, where did you go to college? If you can’t understand how your liberal progressive democratic policies attract their voters with these free giveaways, you are brainwashed. This is classic, I can’t believe I’m actually having this discussion, Lol!!! You are too much! lol!!! Is everybody else catching old copy & paste here? Lol!!! Tensor, you’re killing me, Lol!!! I got to save this & send it to my friends, Lol!!!
it’s percentages of voters in those counties.
Um, yes, that’s why Eastern Washington sends so many Republicans to Olympia.
No county in the state votes 100% one party.
Of course not. Nobody here has claimed otherwise. Your point?
… liberal progressive democratic policies attract their voters with these free giveaways…
The voters getting the most “free giveaways” are the ones in Eastern Washington, who vote overwhelmingly for conservative Republicans. Please do try to keep up.
I can’t believe I’m actually having this discussion…
You’re not. You’re repeating the same discredited claim over and over and over, and becoming ever more desperately silly as you deny obvious facts, ZOMG LOL!!!1!
Thanks for the laughs. You can now resume mooching and taking from us productive, job-creating liberals.
With every statement you make, it only confirms what we all see in you. The liberal progressive who only believes his own narrative, the one of the democratic party who has caused all the problems of our state for half a century. it is truly sad that you have lost your way and will only know it many years from now when you look back on the life of regrets you will have accumulated at the expense of your fellow citizens.
Wouldn’t want the voting citizens to know what their government is doing to them, would we. Just get in line with the rest of the liberal sheepople.