Comments on Last Night at the 36th

What was the "inexplicable event involving state Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles"?

ECB - Who won the majority vote on the Roads & Transit measure?

You said it was 44 to 38.

Well, you didn't bother going to the 34th District meeting last week where Roads and Transit was endorsed 86-2. Perhaps the working class nature of much of this district and the real surface/transit improvments for West Seattle in the roads plan swayed them.

Tommy: You don't think Ballard counts as working class?

Who won: Sorry - it was 44 to 38 in favor of RTID/ST.

Ballard was working class 20 years ago, maybe. Queen Anne and Magnolia are also included in the 36th and were working class 100 years ago. The 36th District Dems tend to be white, homeowner, affluent types.

So, how does challenging an incumbent (Heidi Wills) included constitute "political gall?" Only in Seattle, folks.

Oops, that should have been (Heidi Wills included). Damn parentheses!

ECB - that's the way these endorsements work - campaigns recruit people to join the dems so they can vote on endorsements - it's one of the only ways that the dems actively recruit new members. So the fact that Della didn't have people there should not diminish the fact that Burgess did. And what were the votes pro Della and pro Burgess?

Nice work getting the Concerned Women story in for the 36th time. Thanks for mentioning the ratehikeheidi story for balance.

The real story is that 100 people are given so much press in a district of 100,000 people. How many total members are there in 36th, 300?

Tiptoe Tommy @3:

Well, you didn't bother going to the 34th District meeting last week where Roads and Transit was endorsed 86-2. Perhaps the working class nature of much of this district and the real surface/transit improvments for West Seattle in the roads plan swayed them.

ECB @4 on 36th:

Tommy: You don't think Ballard counts as working class?

Who won: Sorry - it was 44 to 38 in favor of RTID/ST.

Y'know, even if it wasn't enough to garner an endorsement, I'll take that margin in the 36th. This joint ballot is such an unusual beast, I'm not sure if a heavy yes vote in Seattle is going to be needed to prop up the rest of the region.

I recall that the 43rd didn't endorse one way or the other. But does anyone happen to know what the margin was there? And while I'm at it, what about the 46th, which met last night?

no report on the 43rd's endorsement meeting on tuesday?

yes - godden
yes - venus
no - della / burgess
no -rtid

J.R. @ 5 & 6 - Della's "gall" was not in challenging the incumbent Wills, but in the way he did it. The RateHikeHeidi.com web site that his paid political consultant/attack dog Michael Grossman put together was an insulting smear directed at Wills over an electricity rate hike that was made necessary by conditions in the utility market like the California drought, Enron's criminal market manipulation, mismanagement by former City Light chief Gary Zarker (since removed), and, to be fair, a decision by the entire council (not just Wills) to sell off some guaranteed sources of power generation that might have made the situation marginally better had they been available when the crisis hit. Della, after blaming Wills personally for all of this, then turned around and, first thing after being elected to office, turned down the opportunity to chair the council committee with oversight of City Light. That's gall. That's not leadership, courage (Jesus Christ, Mary Lou!) or any other characteristic I want to see in an elected official.

As a newcomer to the 36th, I found the meeting fascinating. They considered every race and ballot measure thoughtfully, and the guy who ran the meeting was great. Thanks for the report.

Here are some points of info and impressions from the meeting. Vote for Burgess was 30; from my line of sight, more than half the room voted against his endorsement. All those "new" people didn't help much. For some reason, they never counted the votes against Burgess. Heard that it was a gay guy who works for his campaign spoke on his behalf.

Votes for Della: 44. He had an all-star line-up speak for him-- a State Representative, School Board member, and someone from the social justice community. I arrived curious and voted for Della. I don't understand how all those people for Burgess thought that right wing connections in the recent past are a "distraction" rather than a reason to vote against him.

You are correct Roger but you left out Pageler - as the chair before Wills she shifted CL to more debt financing instead of rate increases which left CL much more vulnerable

Well, newcomer, those "right wing connections in the recent past" are actually connections between Burgess' company and a right-wing group, not connections with Burgess himself (he declined to work on that account). Holding Burgess responsible for this is about as sane as, say, holding Jamie Pedersen responsible for the actions and views of Jack Abramoff and all of Abramoff's clients, because, technically speaking, Jack Abramoff was Jamie Pedersen's law partner at Preston Gates & Ellis. See how silly it gets when you try to hold people in the private sector responsible for every connection their company may have ever had?

An article in the Times about a month ago described Ballard real estate this way:

In the Ballard and Green Lake neighborhoods, for example, buyers last month bid up the median list price of $450,000 (for houses, condos and town homes combined) to a median sales price of $453,000. Homes priced below the median sell briskly.

Not the working class I know...

And I might add, Roads and Transit would have received the endorsement anywhere but the overinflated 36th. If you don't get the e-board endorsement you need two-thirds. Anti-democratic if you ask me.

Anytime that Burgess gets beat, it's a win for Della. Burgess has personal wealth -- how else could he affort to give ten$ of thousand$ to GOP candidates? Della is a working class dude from the non-profit and Labor sector.

Anyway, Marylou Dickerson was right about the courage that Della has. So some of you SLOGGERS wanna get snotty about Della opposing the Sonics. La de dah. Standing up to the corporate and downtown folks who typically run this town (see the wealthy, white slate they're pushing for Seattle Public School Board members?!?) is difficult. Della has stood up to Nickels, clearly no friend of the 36th, on both the Viaduct AND parks. Heidi was Nickels' puppet and she suffered miserably for being loyal to that fat fucker (and too bad she did). But I digress. Della is no fool AND he is consistently sticking up for the little guy. That puts him a league with only one other city councilmember: Nick Licata. Della should be a hero to all who really care about keeping some working class in the 36th, and indeed, any part of Seattle.

But tell us, Erica: what the hell did that nutty Jeanne Kohl-Welles do NOW?

Rodger - you are a shill for Burgess and Hiedi.

She was an air head - and took Mafia money as I remember.

Get over it, her sense of politics was nil - nada - she was in the wrong business.

And repeating the personal angst you have, all all the burgess folks repeat this over and over and over - it is their taLking point - how the evil dark skinned Dave took the lily white Virgin Princess out of politics - sold old, so dreary, so has nothing to do with anything.

AND YOU THINK THAT CAMPAIGN WAS WORSE THAN HELPING TO PUBLISH HATE MONGER MAIL
FOR SEVEN YEARS? TAKING IN TWO MILLION OF BLOOD MONEY IN THE PROCESS?

YOUR SENSE OF PROPORTION SUCKS.

I hear Heidi is doing well at a greenie foundation - she was never destined to be a political leader from day one.

SEAMEC has endorsed Della.

They are sending around a press release dated yesterday am, suspect the Stranger got it. Their board endorsed on Wed. - no dissent at all.

They have rated candidates for about 25 years and are actually a PAC.

Look for SEAMEC PAC and NARAL PAC to kick in some help for Della. Both are important grass roots endorsements, far more important the the politically dull brain dead yuppies on Queen Anne.

The 37th is the only really rad Dem. district left in Seattle. They, of course, endorsed Della.

Joe @13 -- that is totally asinine. The point is that the Burgess OWNED the PR firm that took on clients such as CWfA. It was his DECISION to work with an anti-women's rights and anti-gay rights group. He made MILLIONS honing and spreading the message of these scumbag groups. As the leader of the group, he had the CHOICE to drop them as a client, and choose not to for nearly a decade.

@16: A little over the top, maybe, but Angel makes her points. Della doesn't have to apologize for taking out a weak incumbent Councilmember with a hard-hitting campaign. In fact, it was a positive development for rubber stamp Seattle city politics. And Heidi's doing great work teaching poor kids how to play golf. Everything worked out for the best!

Meanwhile, Burgess wasn't just a wage earner at some huge company--he was a major partner in a firm he co-founded that took millions in Christian right-wing hate-group money through the 2004 presidential election. This is an easy choice for people of principle. Go Della!

Angel @ 16 - I hope you're not so wrapped up in your Della ardor that you failed to notice this: you answered my criticism of Della's attacks on Heidi Wills with...more attacks on Heidi Wills. As for your suggestion that this issue should be viewed in a racial context, that's just plain reprehensible.

Aw, Roger, Heidi Wills was chair of the committee that governed City Light, so criticisms about electricity rate hikes are fair game. It's OK to question the performance of Council incumbents. It's also OK to run against them.

So, let me get this straight. The RTID/ST2 package is not only not getting endorsed by the 43rd District Dems, it's not getting endorsed by the 36th District Dems, and in FACT more people at BOTH the 43rd AND the 36th - which is ONE-QUARTER OF SEATTLE - voted for a NO endorsement than a YES endorsement on ST2/RTID?

Man, that is MAJOR news.

Looks like it's gonna die in November. I'm looking forward to voting for ST2 itself in February.

Voters MUST make an example of Burgess in November and vote against him. Much in the same way animals sometimes eat their own young for good of the species. The political future of such haters should be nil.

The 46th District Dems voted to "Take No Position" on the RTID/Roads package at their meeting last night. This is probably bigger news than what happened in the 36th and 43rd because it was expected that those two districts would either not take a position or actually oppose the measure. At least there was a chance of support in the 46th, but it was not to be.

Oh, Rodger - ask Charles.

Hey, Rog, isn't it quaint how minority groups are all put down for what they do - in any direction.

White man upset siting incumbent because of brilliant tactics, strong purpose. blah de blah. Asian guy is a horror, defamed her name, accusing him of poor skills --- I see institutional racism.

And Heidi was quite lovely and sexy - arch type - what a surprise in politics. The Princess under sordid attack by the Asian do no good.

Get over it. So old news most posters - except for the Bugress trolls - don't know what the hell you are talking about.

Footnote - you must be a rabid fan of Jean Godden - who seems to have done a really good job with City Light..... but bet you think she is a wrinkly old sack.

Your types are so, so , so .... yuppie.

Is Rodger Heidi Wills in drag?

Or do some still obsess about laying her?

Will in Seattle kan't read--Roads and Transit got a majority at the 36th--just not two-thirds.

@27 - that got posted later (the info that is, I had my browser tab sitting open).

@24 - so, unless my math is wrong (which I'm sure the CO2 spewing @27 tiptoe tommy will remedy), you're now saying that:

Even though no MSM rag will admit it, the RTID/ST2 package has been NOT endorsed by the three LARGEST Dem groups in Seattle - 43rd, 36th, and now 46th.

It's going DOWN.

Bring back ST2 unencumbered and we Seattleites will vote for it - and it will win. But stop trying to force us to build global warming increasing pollution increasing new highways with Seattle tax dollars.

Is Burgess Nickels' lapdog? Where is he on the nightlife ordinance? Does he toe the Della/Nickels line? Am I a racist, troll, or anti-woman for asking?

Most members of the 36th have a policy of not endorsing anyone running against a sitting Democrat. They're mad because Della ran against a sitting Democrat. They're even madder because Burgess is running against a sitting Democrat. They're in the business of electing Democrats.

They would never endorse Burgess, and this has nothing to do with Concerned Women for America, Rate Hike Heidi or Della's environmental failures.

The news is that they didn't endorse Della.

#15 Burgess has contributed thousands of dollars more to Democrats than he has contributed to Republicans. What do you think of the fact that Della contributed to Republican Norm Maleng?

Della's not so pure. Della takes contributions from predatory payday lenders like MoneyTree, the odious developer Martin Selig, and Glacier Northwest, the company that is trying to destroy the environment on Vashon Island shoreline by building a big gravel pit there. Guess what? Burgess has not and will not take contributions from predatory payday lenders, Selig, or Glacier NW.

# 29 - You need a better spin doctor -

The news is they did not suck off Burgess - sweet talking, white man, PR guru heavy duty, big house on Queen Ann, thousand dollar suits, Tina Buddy Buddy, had them all fooled, Tim Burgess. ( and the ONE with all the millions, isn't that sweet, incl. all the hate monger money )

Grasping at one old straw, Burgess is toast --- and by the way, in the 36th, doesn't NARAL mean shit? Yeah, yeah, all the good pro choice Dems, shit on NARAL, and shit on all the people of color and fags that have endorsed Della.

Good Dems in the 36th - the have embarrassed the Democratic party from the Gov. to Ron Sims.

Glad they are not the last hope of progressive politics in Seattle.

Alcina -

Do you really know how funny you sound??

You guy, Mr. Burgess took millions from the worst hate mongers of the modern era, Concerned Women of America.

And you are concerned about money from someone who wants to dig a gravel pit - the project has stalled for 20 years and which has little chance of ever happening?

Honey, your guy is a really big time creep. And Della doesn't have to be a saint to top that fact.

I don't know why my event that was announced at the meeting was referred to as "inexplicable." Bill Elder, the 36th's fundraising chair, and I announced planning for my 14th annual post-election analysis fundraiser combined with the 36th's 7th annual silent auction to be held at Hale's Ales on Thursday, Nov. 15. The 36th Democrats will not hold its monthly meeting that night, instead encouraging people to attend the joint event during which a panel will be discussing the results of the result elections and their implications for the 2008 legislative session and the Presidential, Congressional, and Legislative campaigns.

State Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles
36th Legislative District

Senator Kohl-Welles event is among the best of the year. Feit and Barnett should attend. It has outgrown her house and her neighbor's house. The senator and district work together on the event.