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Thursday, August 6, 2009

City Drago in Denial

Posted by Dominic Holden on Thu, Aug 6, 2009 at 12:48 PM

Jan Drago has released a new television ad that incorrectly argues she's the only major candidate in the mayor's race in favor of scrapping the bag fee. "Only Jan Drago stands against the bag tax,” the narrator says plainly. It then shows Drago's photo beside pictures of Joe Mallahan and Mayor Greg Nickels.

But Drago isn't the only major candidate against the bag tax.

"I’m definitely against it," says James Donaldson, who is running for mayor in third place. "As a matter of fact, I spoke out against it at a public hearing at City Hall. I was there that day that Jan Drago voted against it. I was in the audience and on the open mic," he says.

It's unclear if Drago's campaign is trying to parse the race semantically by referring to the "major candidates" in the race. But regardless of Drago's preferences for who is considered a major candidate, Donaldson is a "major candidate"; he's one point ahead of Drago according to the mayoral poll released Tuesday by the University of Washington. Donaldson, who hadn't yet seen the ad, says that "It is a misrepresentation because every step along the way I have clearly spoken up against the bag tax."

The ad is apparently trying to capitalize on falling support for the disposable bag fee, which earlier this week was losing by a 14-point margin.

Drago's campaign has not yet returned calls to comment on why she's campaigning as the only candidate who wants to kill sea turtles.

Comments (13) RSS

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I think Mike would do better at adapting when the Bag Tax on the Poor loses - he knows that most of us who voted No who live in Seattle would vote Yes on a Ban on Plastic Bags and push that through instead.

So, I like Mike on this. He's got a big practical streak.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on August 6, 2009 at 12:53 PM

I'm not voting for Drago or Donaldson and I am voting for the bag fee.

Posted by crazycatguy on August 6, 2009 at 12:57 PM

@2 - then pick up your cat poo from my front yard, I'm getting sick and tired of using my plastic bags to remove it from the sandy soil near my pampas grass bunches.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on August 6, 2009 at 1:07 PM

Dominic, do you always poach your ideas from the PI? Does this mean that you consider Donaldson a viable candidate?

If you knew much about campaigning you would know you don't mention people unnecessarily in tv ads, and Donaldson isn't necessary to mention.

Posted by Mehh on August 6, 2009 at 1:28 PM

@ 4) I haven't looked at the PI today.

Posted by Dominic Holden on August 6, 2009 at 1:31 PM

@5 - you should get it delivered to your doorstep.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on August 6, 2009 at 1:54 PM

Staking and defending a position against the bag fee is not a way to earn my vote.

Posted by Greg on August 6, 2009 at 1:56 PM

Bag tax is toast - and so are its supporters.

Now, a new group who writes the model law to even further embarass the robot people and the present council who can't write a good law - and embarass the robot people who can't talk back to the ninnys on the council.

"Conlin say it good, it good"

No bag tax - better law in the future.....

Posted by Gary La Rouge on August 6, 2009 at 1:57 PM

The ad says MAJOR candidates, so there's no denial happening here.

Posted by julie russell

on August 6, 2009 at 2:48 PM

One more reason not to support Drago

Posted by petenice

on August 6, 2009 at 3:54 PM

Do people seriously care about the bag tax that much? REALLY?

Posted by undead ayn rand on August 6, 2009 at 4:22 PM

I'm for it, but It'll get voted down...this time...next time...and the next.

Posted by julie russell

on August 6, 2009 at 4:53 PM

That bag tax is just plain nasty and will only hurt the environmental movement in the long run. It is something Pol Pot would have come up with. Soon we'll start chopping off hands of the counter-revolutionaries that use plastic bags.

Posted by ralph on August 10, 2009 at 10:40 PM