“This initiative doesn’t value democratic choices; it values the choices of insiders, its chosen clique,” the Longview Daily News wrote in urging a no vote on the carbon tax initiative, I-1631. The paper said the initiative is full of loopholes, ignores tax fairness, and puts important decisions in unaccountable hands. “This unelected group, along with three sub-panels, would distribute billions to its chosen environmental projects while safely insulated from accountability to voters.” (Longview Daily News)

“Legislators are not that special,” a testifier told the Legislature’s public records task force. “Other policymakers live with transparency.” Despite the blowback earlier this year to their hasty passage of a bill largely exempting themselves from public disclosure (which was vetoed), some legislators still seem to be looking for ways limit disclosure. State law already provides exemptions for certain situations that require privacy, and if legislators think more are needed, they’re the very same people who could pass those exemptions into law. (The Spokesman-Review)

Setting state officials’ salaries through a 17-member commission is “a ridiculous system,” the Union-Bulletin says. The state’s salary commission is chosen in part by selecting 10 people at random from among Washington’s 10 Congressional districts. “It’s like a business asking the first 17 people to walk by to set salaries for its company’s managers.” Who is to blame? Voters, the paper admits. The salary commission was passed by initiative in 1986. (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)

Mercurial Pierce County councilmember Pam Roach lobbed an f-bomb on another councilmember attempting to gavel her down – her own son. Roach and her son, Dan Roach, both serve on the Pierce County Council. During a budget retreat, Dan Roach attempted to end a heated argument between Pam Roach and councilmember Derek Young. “F*%$ you,” his mom told him, before soon walking off. (Tacoma News Tribune)

The Seattle Times editorial board is sticking by its endorsement of state Sen. Joe Fain (R-Auburn) after a Seattle woman accused him of sexual assault in 2007 in D.C. Noting that Fain has called for an investigation and for respect for his accuser, the paper wrote: “The Seattle Times editorial board has considered [the accuser’s] allegation and writings, and talked to a number of Fain’s colleagues on both sides of the aisle…It is difficult to fairly determine truth in a situation where the accuser chooses not to pursue any legal recourse.” A group of female elected officials from South King County is calling for a fair investigation and said of Fain, “We know who he is, his character, his heart and his motivations.” (Seattle Times)

A new Elway Poll conducted for Crosscut found a big jump in support for Dino Rossi in the 8^th Congressional District race. It shows Rossi with a 10-point lead over Democrat Kim Schrier, 49% to 39%, with 12% undecided. “The question is, did we happen to be in the field and catch this blip that will even out over time or has there been a real shift there that has fundamentally altered the race?” pollster Stuart Elway asked. “We can’t know that yet.” (Crosscut)

The state’s elected Lands Commissioner, Hilary Franz, is asking the Legislature to greatly increase the budget for fighting and preventing forest fires. Franz is requesting $55 million in the next two-year state budget, hoping to do more forest thinning, add more firefighters, and purchase new equipment, including two new helicopters. (Seattle Times)

Normally a newspaper editorial on marketing and promoting a region wouldn’t catch our eye, but the Yakima Herald-Republic’s musings on the subject were notable for one item. The paper wrote, “That kitschy ‘Palm Springs of Yakima’ billboard off Interstate 82? A great start. Brilliant, in fact.” Brilliance, too, must be in the eye of the beholder. The famous sign, by the way, is private, not an official city effort. (Yakima Herald-Republic)

Please note: If women hold different political views than local Democratic campaign consultant Nathan Schneider, they’re “shameful” and incapable of thinking for themselves.

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