Another round of secret negotiations between Jay Inslee and and the state employee union executives who put $1 million into his last campaign kicked off this week. The “negotiations” — which, like last time, will be more like “concessions” on the part of our green governor — concern the unions’ 2017-19 contract.
Just to be clear, that means Inslee has control over the contract cost to taxpayers for the 2017-19 budget even if he is not re-elected come November. And, he is free to run these negotiations in secret — so much for his pledge to run a transparent administration.
The situation for hardworking taxpayers gets worse when you consider that the state Legislature — the people’s representatives — cannot make any amendments to the contacts that result from the secret negotiations. Lawmakers are restricted to a simple up-or-down vote.
Last time around, Inslee walked away from his secret negotiations with a 2015-16 contracts that cost taxpayers more than an additional $300 million over the previous agreements. Given what is at stake (and for the sake of government transparency), it’s time for the state Legislature to take back the power to determine the compensation costs for state employees — that’s how it was prior to 2004 and that’s how it should be again.
Here is my grievance to my state, your sole purpose is to protect your citizens and their rights. My charge against my state and the states of all the political prisoners is this. Why are you not protecting your citizens from the brat child you helped create.
So, the web site with anonymous posters, the web site which will not reveal who owns it, is again complaining about secrecy by other people.
No problem, though. Shift can still lead by example on this point, without exposing the excruciatingly tender sensibilities of the contributors or funders here. Shift can simply recount, in all of that glorious detail, how the Senate Majority Coalition was brought into existence, over the objections of real Washington state voters in real elections. This heartwarming tale of back room deals and never-before-revealed promises — some of which may even have been legal! — should fill all of Washington state’s voters with pride. (Or, at least, the closest thing to pride which Shift’s posters and sympathetic commenters can ever feel.)
So, tensie, you’re complaining about “anonymous posters” on a “web site which will not reveal who owns it”, huh? Well, who are you, if not one of those “anonymous posters” anyway?
“Pseudonym” and “anonymous” don’t actually mean the same thing. Do try harder next time.
Like the pseudonym ShiftWA?
No, that’s the actual name of the site. (Look all the way up to your web browser’s location field, and you’ll see.)
What I’m referring to is who owns and operates this site — you know, the people to whom you entrusted your hard-earned money. Those folks.
Why do you care about who owns the website. You have been obsessed with this for the past 2 years. Do you sleep at night?
What I’m referring to is tensor isn’t your real name any more than Biff is mine. Along with ShiftWA, we’re anonymous posters. If you don’t like it, you’re free to not participate if it hacks you off that bad. I’d rather entrust my hard earned money to ShiftWA than the Choppster. At least I get a website and not just supporting his sponging relatives.
“Along with ShiftWA, we’re anonymous posters.”
shiftwa.org is the actual name of this site; this site is the very opposite of anonymous, because putting “shiftwa.org” into a web browser will always instantly identify it.
The person(s) who post here do so anonymously, while at the same time demanding public accountability from some (not all) other persons. I ask the anonymous persons here to lead by example on this point, but they have yet to do so.
You and I are posting comments here with pseudonyms; we can refer to each other by our chosen names, which gives some accountability to our words. We don’t have that ability with the ever-anonymous front-page posters here at Shift.
f you don’t like it, you’re free to not participate if it hacks you off that bad.
Far from annoying me, it deeply amuses me that the ever-anonymous posters here absolutely refuse to practice what they preach, and that the rest of you don’t ever call them on it. And yet, you still seem to believe that we liberals will care when you loudly demand we consider ourselves accountable to you. Priceless!
You can also type “John Wayne” and “Mark Twain” into a browser and it instantly identifies them, even though they’re fictitious names. Anonymously posting using a pseudonym gives you not one shred of accountability to anything. It must really deeply, like Marianas Trench deeply, amuse you because you just can’t seem to let it go and are too dense to see the irony of an anonymous poster calling out another anonymous poster for posting anonymously. What a dolt.
…and you entrust your precious time here with us–instead of you could be thinking how to create a new tax to support the lavish politicians in WA.
Hello Tensor. How goes it? The last time we talked you were suppose to pick me up, but you chose to bypass me with your little beater. Unfortunately, i had to hail for a cab. I was the one with black slacks and red shirt. I knew you were in your 20s. Anyway, let me know how is everything.
Here’s my little contribution to your edification… posting under a pseudonym is posting anonymously. The reason people use pseudonyms is to remain anonymous. BTW, I didn’t say there’s anything wrong with it, my comment was aimed directly at you, and it is you that is the one complaining about anonymous posters. There’s more than just a little hypocrisy in you, tensie.
…posting under a pseudonym is posting anonymously.
No, because having a name and not having a name are actually two different things. (Please feel free to continue telling us how you just can’t understand how two opposite things are not one same thing. We’ll believe you.)
The Federalist Papers were published under pseudonyms. Swift published “A Modest Proposal” anonymously. This was because Hamilton and Swift had two different reasons for their actions.
Do try harder next time.
“So, the web site with anonymous posters, the web site which will not
reveal who owns it, is again complaining about secrecy by other people”
So, the anonymous poster, the poster who will not reveal who owns him, is again complaining about the website with anonymous posters.
The definition of “irony”
Tensor,
are you dense? Government should not have Secrecy. The owners of the website doesn’t have to reveal anything to you. Why are you complaining about this again? Why don’t you tell us your real name and I will tell you who owns this website. I know you don’t sleep at night thinking who owns it. Tell us your real name first, hypocrite!!
Government should not have Secrecy.
I could not possibly agree more. Yet, we still don’t know how our Senate’s Majority Coalition was formed. Why not?
The owners of the website doesn’t (sic) have to reveal anything to you.
They claim to oppose secret negotiations, but show not the slightest interest in the still-secret negotiations which created our Senate’s Majority Coalition — a coalition they have praised. Why do they not care about such secrecy?
Why are you complaining about this again?
Because government should not have secrecy, just as you said.
I know you don’t sleep at night thinking who owns it.
I already know who owns it. I’m asking for them to admit to owning it. Why do they not do so?
You just want me to admit that this website is biased. Yes, it is a right wing biased propaganda. I told you before I don’t affiliate or vote the 2 party system. I am the 10%.
If you know who owns this website, please do tell us. We would like to know. Give us names of individuals and other pertaining info.
Sure. Joel Connelly did the work awhile ago:
The first sign came when Publicola revealed that the website for an anti-Prop. 1 front group — “Families for Sustainable Transit” — had been set up by a firm called Sermo Digital LLC. Its principals include Josh Amato, former communications director for the state Republican Party, and Matthew Lundh, who was digital director in the McKenna for Governor campaign.
The Sermo Digital team are also behind shiftwa.org, a new and intensely partisan Republican website that has in its sights the usual Republican bogeymen — “labor bosses,” the Washington Education Association, greens and the Democratic challenger to GOP state Sen. Andy Hill.
Okay, it’s wide open and Sermo Digits owns the website. Case closed.
Since you knew this you still want confirmation? Why? So you want these guys go on the Media and say “I own ShiftWA” What goodis going to come out, except for negative responses from people.
What is your purpose for them to admit ownership?
What is their purpose in not admitting ownership?
Seriously? You broke out the tinfoil for the Senate Majority coalition?
The point you seem to be evading here is that the taxpayers aren’t paying SHIFTWA, they’re paying Jay Inslee, who is obscuring negotiations he’s making with the unions using taxpayer money.
Your argument is not only invalid, it’s irrelevant.