Comments on Burgess Raises A Lot, But Less Than Della

Can we get some kind of checklist or graphic showing where Della and Burgess stand on the issues?

A Venn Diagram would be even better : )

Here's a comparison of neighborhoods and number of small, grassroots donors:

http://thepapernoose.blogspot.com/2007/07/della-vs-burgess.html

Ugh, ugh, ugh. CWA on one side, Selig and MoneyTree and Suzie Burke on the other.

Will there be a "None of the above" oval for me to fill in? (I want one for City Council position 1 too).

@3, that's sheer hyperbole - CWA is not on Tim Burgess' side. CWA would never support a lifelong Democrat who is pro-choice and favors equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.

@3 CWA hasn't contributed any money to the Burgess campaign. Nor have they endorsed him in any way for this position.

Martin Selig is enough to drive me to Burgess.

That man is on the wrong side of all issues facing this city.

#4

Perhaps he, Tim Burgess, saved some of the millions of blood money he took from Concerned Women of America - and good democrat? How so? Good Dems don't give money to Rs and vote for Bush and, and, and......

He is a sleaze ball.

You been hood winked.

@3

So then I'm assuming you don't support Rasmussen or Clark either, since they have almost identical voting records to that of progressive incumbent Jean Godden. There is a reason no one credible ran against her, and there is a reason she has secured the endorsement of every progressive organization you can think of.

#5

Concerned Hate Mongers of America would not donate in their own name.

The fun thing would be to find out if any of their top twenty staff donated to him???? Close in relationship for years, Burgess is an ex cop, might be their type of "Democrat" - and oh, self proclaimed person of great faith.

Go for it Erica ..... scoop.

My bet is yes, they have.

Remember, Suzie maxed out to GWB in both 2000 and 2004, both for the Primary and the General - and so did Fremont Dock ...

sure not looking like a Dem candidate ...

@4 and @5

Burgess touts his "business owner" creds. Here's how he does business:

The issue isn't whether Concerned Women for America has endorsed Burgess, it's that as OWNER of a direct mail firm, he CHOSE to spread their message over a period of years, and got paid royally to do it. Contrary to his claims, his firm only boasted progressive clients AFTER they merged with Merkle.

He may not have believed a word he and his firm wrote (unlikely, but possible), but the hateful anti-gay and anti-choice message was produced by the COMPANY HE OWNED, and it pushed a right wing agenda that has hurt America.

Burgess' words are pretty, but his actions are toxic.

@3 - you can write me in, N in Seattle.

Y'know what, #4 and #5, I shouldn't have limited my Burgess list to CWA (they "supported" him by paying his firm lots of bucks to work on their advertising). I should also have mentioned his $1350 contribution to Rob McKenna in 2004 See page 2 of this PDF from the PDC.

Burgess backed Mark Sidran for Attorney General in the primary. I have no problem with that, though I was a Senn backer. When a real Democrat's favorite loses in the primary, a real Democrat usually sucks it up and (lukewarmly, perhaps) backs the victor. See Kerry, John as an example. Perhaps, if the disappointment is really strong, a real Democrat might sit it out in the general election (that's what Sidran did). But a real Democrat does not make the maximum possible contribution to the Republican.

Tim Burgess maxed out to Rob McKenna in the 2004 general election.

As long as we're arguing issues here, let's look at Della's contributor Glacier Northwest - a horrible mining company facing a huge political battle over whether they will be allowed to destroy Murray Island or not. Environmentalist County Council member Dow Constantine has been leading the battle to Glacier Northwest. Della is taking campaign donations from them.

Burgess is an environmentalist. Della, not so much I guess.

If you're pro-environment, Burgess is your candidate. And local laws and permits regarding issues such as Murray Island are actually things council members will be involved with.

read more at http://www.preserveourislands.org/

Understood, Meinert. I ask again -- can I vote "None of the above"?

Above - Good tag - Concerned Hate Mongers of America ...

I am more queer than Dan Savage by a long shot .... kinks.

I do not know a single gay person who will now vote for Burgess.

Those that do are just beyond reason. Closet gay Republicans maybe.

Why hasn't the Stranger printed copies of the hate mail Burgess wrote? Imagine a lackey of the hate mongers, taking their blood money and running for elected office in Seattle as a "progressive" - welcome to the twisted PR world of Carl Rove.

I know gay people and women who will vote for Burgess. And who supported Della last time but won't again.

Unfortunately, we can't vote for "none of the above". All candidates are flawed, we have to look at who will be better in context of those flaws. After working with Della and having him break promises on positions, and having met several times with Burgess, Burgess gets my vote.

above -- that gravel pit will never dig - been blocked for years and years

you are getting thin on arguments Dave

Sally Clark endorsed Della - open Lesbian on the Council

Ed Murray endorsed Della - THE power leader in the gay community, State Senator Murray

SGN, Seattle Gay News, endorsed Della in a very strongly worded editorial

SEAMEC endorsed Della, the 25 year old GLBT rating service, hard working people if you have ever been part of their process

Burgess got a chilly reception at a GSBA lunch ten days ago

And Dave Meinert is more expert on the gay vote than the above list?? Think not.

And then there is NARAL, and Gov. Christine Gregoire, and Frank Cohpp and Ron Sims ... some party unity brewing perhaps? And backing Della pointedly.

Hey Joe, earl, HIMBO, alcinia, jack wong, lloyd rockefellar, Kenneth E. Bay, etc.

Everybody can tell you're the same person. If you want to pretend there is more than one of you, you have to disguise yourself a little bit better.

It's pathetic and creepy, by the way.

Just vote for Burgess this time and then vote for his (hopefully better than Della) opponent in the next election. The important thing right now is to get that Selig-, mine-, loan shark-loving Della out of office.

Give it a rest ECB. All candidates give to themselves and all candidates consider that in their contribution totals. This was just an excuse for you to rile up the anti Burgess troops again. Are you new or something?

@13- Mark Sidran has endorsed Della. Maybe he's ticked at Burgess maxing out to McKenna too.

@21 - That is one crazyass idea: vote for Burgess so we can vote him out in 4 years? Huh?

@22- Della hasn't donated at all to his own campaign. Neither has Clark. Check your facts. Burgess' contribution to his campaign exceeds every other candidate in Seattle.

@23 So are we punishing him for being able to contribute to his own campaign. I never said Della gave to his campaign. I said campaigns do it all the time. Check the records right before the election and I'll bet you that Della will give his campaign $$.

In fact many lobbyists look to see if you have contributed to your campaign to determine if you are invested in the race.

Venus initially accepted contributions from MoneyTree, but she eventually returned the money. Della should do the same.

Glacier NW has pulled out all the stops in their campaign to stripmine Maury Island and pollute Puget Sound. Della is paid-in-full property of Glacier. Vote Burgess if you care about the environment.

Della was one of the sponsors of the resolution which passed the council a few days ago to make the cops more accountable, along with Licata.

No coverage of that vote yet on the Slog or in the Stranger.

Wonder how ex cop Burgess would have voted on the issue of more over sight on the cops in Seattle? I think not on the progressive side.

At the same time Della favors hiring more cops as the force number is in decline. To me, this sounds like solid political work and represents my views 100 per cent.

lorax - Gravel is essential to make concrete. Where is a better supply in a regional construction boom that really has just started?

Trucking vast amounts, hundred of trucks per day, long distance seems against the environment too and very expensive.

Is there no way the environmental issues cannot be addressed to mine gravel? This is new to me. After all, aside from sediment and dust, isn't sand and gravel non toxic? I bought a load of gravel for the driveway once and it seemed totally benign to me as we spread it about.

@28 Gravel in your driveway may be benign, but what Glacier NW wants to do on Maury Island is not.

If Glacier gets their way, they will be barging gravel off the Island in gigantic football field sized barges through an aquatic reserve where, among other things, orcas go to feed. Further, the mine will threaten the aquifer, which is the only source of drinking water for the people who live on Maury Island, and it will be devastating to the shoreline and ecosystem.

To learn more, go read these bills related to the Glacier mine on Maury--SB6011, SB6012, SB6035--all sponsored by Sen. Erik Poulsen (34th LD) last year.

@27: Um, yeah, that vote was covered here in slog a few days ago. So good job backing up your guy there, newbie.

ECB: could you clarify the donor "the City of Seattle"? You can't mean city government, is this some PAC i've never heard of that lucked out with a good name?

Della votes the right way on some issues for sure, definitely on the Police oversight issue. But he doesn't lead on these issues. He follows. Ok fine. But on other issues like nightlife, he wavers, then votes exactly the opposite of how he publicly and privately said he would. That's 'flip flopping' in a nice world, dishonest in the real world.

Burgess is for more SPD oversight.

Burgess is an environmentalist. Della? Taking money from a company looking desperately for political allies to allow them to ruin puget sound for profit. Not in the past. Not something he says is a mistake. Now, today, taking money from this fucked up company who is giving it to influence current political policy.

No. 27: Not true: http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/opa_oversight_to_increase

No. 30: Yes - I was referring to employers of contributors. So that's the amount given by people employed by the City of Seattle in any capacity.

PS - I am not touting myself as an expert on the gay vote, nor any voting block. Just saying, Burgess has at least some support in the LGBT community that I know of first hand, like it or not.

On current issues, issues that are important, and could actually be issues that come in front of the council, Della getting money from Glacier Northwest is a huge red flag. He should explain. Unless of course you're a 'progressive' who thinks ruining drinking water and destroying a wildlife reserve is cool.

Is Maury Island part of Seattle? Will study this some more, you have no answer where the alternate source is for millions of tons and yards of gravel and sand needed for the next 40 years - tens of thousands of truck loads.

Going to run the trucks down your street from 100 miles away?

Not very green. I will get more informed, but it sounds like in the present boom this could be some important discourse.