This weekend, legislators across the state are taking a break from session to hold town hall meetings in their home districts. This is a rare chance to talk face-to-face with your legislators while they are working on critical legislation that will impact the future of our communities. Click here for a schedule of legislator town halls that we know about in February 2012.
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We're finally turning the tables on investment bankers and Wall Street fat cats. State representative Laurie Jinkins has introduced a bill that would creat a 5 percent tax on profits of more than $10,000 from the sale of stocks and second houses. It would raise $500 million or more each year for education, health care, and essential public services, and it would only apply to the wealthiest 3 percent of Washingtonians. This is our best chance this year to reform our tax system this year.
Rob McKenna slips up sometimes. When he does, it’s usually very revealing.
McKenna has worked hard over the years to hide his conservative values so that most voters don’t know what he really stands for. But his latest get rich quick proposal for corporate special interests makes it clear whose side he’s really on.
From weakening protections for injured workers to devaluing the minimum wage, McKenna’s true priorities are clear: helping powerful, conservative corporations at the expense of working families.
Can you help us spread the truth about McKenna’s agenda? We need to spread the word before his conservative corporate supporters launch their deceptive multi-million dollar ad campaigns. Please forward this summary of McKenna’s true campaign platform to at least three friends. They can also sign up to receive the latest updates about McKenna’s campaign.
http://fusewa.me/rEH3bP
Insurance industry profits over injured workers:
It’s simple: if you get hurt on the job, you should be able to see a doctor and receive support for your family while you recover. However, Rob McKenna is siding with big insurance companies and his campaign donors that want to pad their profits by slashing workers’ protections.1 He’s pushing this scheme at the behest of big insurance companies, despite the fact that voters overwhelmingly rejected a similar proposal — I-1082 — just last year.2
Wall Street profits over homeowners:
Rob McKenna is part of a national settlement that would let some of the nation’s biggest mortgage companies off the hook with a slap on the wrist. Some progressive Attorneys General have withdrawn from the settlement because it doesn’t hold Wall Street Banks accountable for destroying our economy and foreclosing on millions of families. McKenna not only thinks it’s a good deal — particularly for his campaign donors — but he’s serving as a lead negotiator for this Wall Street giveaway.3
Health insurance profits over patients:
McKenna is a national leader of the effort to throw out the Affordable Care Act, which is already helping millions of Americans. Thanks to these historic reforms, children can’t be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions, young people are now covered under their parents’ health plan until the age of 26, and health insurers must use health premiums on actual health care. Health insurance companies want to return to making billions at the expense of patients, and Rob McKenna is leading the way.4
Corporate profits over working families:
McKenna authored a legal opinion last year saying that the state did not need to raise the minimum wage. Following his lead, a coalition of corporate special interests and McKenna’s campaign donors sued the state to prevent an increase in the minimum wage.5
Corporate special interests and the wealthy should pay their fair share, not get more tax giveaways and sweetheart deals. Unfortunately, McKenna has a long track record of siding with corporations and the wealthy over working families, and he’s promising more of the same in this campaign.
We need to spread the truth about McKenna and his dangerous policies for Washington. Forward this email to three friends and ask them to sign up for the latest updates:
http://fusewa.me/rEH3bP
1 http://www.theolympian.com/2011/11/08/1868521/mckenna-cut-number-of-state-workers.html
2 http://vote.wa.gov/results/20101102/Initiative-Measure-1082-Concerning-industrial-insurance.html
3 http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/foreclosures/principal-reduction-plan-for-struggling-homeowners-could-be-1895761.html
4 http://dropthehealthcarelawsuit.com/
5 http://www.theolympian.com/2010/11/15/1440898/farm-bureau-sues-to-halt-minimum.html
On Election Day, voters in Washington and across the country rejected conservative extremism and took a stand for the 99%. While we didn't win every race, we won most of the big ones and showed that we can defeat conservatives' deep pockets when we come together and organize for progress.
Fuse members rocked this election. Together, we made tens of thousands of phone calls against Initiative 1125, knocked on thousands of doors in Spokane, funded TV ads in Bellingham and mail in Bellevue, and supported an ambitious online outreach program across the state. Here are the highlights and lowlights:
- Tim Eyman and Kemper Freeman lost to common sense and transit. Eyman's I-1125, funded by $1.2 million from conservative developer Kemper Freeman, would have undermined transportation projects and blocked light rail to the Eastside. Fuse members made tens of thousands of phone calls and played a huge role in defeating this dangerous initiative. And just as importantly, we sent a message to legislators and the media that Tim Eyman doesn't represent the people of Washington.
- We also went toe-to-toe with Kemper Freeman's millions in the Bellevue City Council races. Kemper has been obsessed with blocking light rail to the Eastside for decades. As part of his last-ditch effort, he bankrolled a slate of conservative, anti-transit candidates for City Council. While one of the races is still close, it looks like all three of our pro-transit candidates will win. This victory is testament to the fact that hard work and grassroots organizing can still overcome millionaire conservatives.
- Environmental values win in Whatcom County. Christina Maginnis has pulled ahead of her conservative, developer-backed opponent in a County Council race that has big implications for the environment. Conservative business interests are also taking losses in another council race and the County Executive's race.
- Beyond Washington, voters rejected conservative extremism in every corner of the country. In Ohio, voters overwhelmingly repealed a union-busting law pushed by the Koch brothers and corporate special interests. In Mississippi, voters rejected an extreme "personhood" measure. In Maine, voters overturned a regressive voter suppression law. And in Arizona, voters recalled the author of the state's blatantly discriminatory anti-immigrant law. Voters across the country want leaders who will focus on creating jobs and rebuilding our economy, not divisive wedge issues.
- Of course, we couldn't win every race. Despite our best efforts, we were unable to re-elect Mayor Mary Verner in Spokane. In the end, a series of negative news events and devastating media coverage were simply too much to overcome. The only consolation there is progressive Ben Stuckart's election as Spokane City Council President.
- Costco's $22 million purchase of a win on I-1183 is also disturbing. Following a precedent set with I-1107 and I-1053 last year, it appears that businesses are now simply calculating their returns and spending whatever it takes to win on the ballot in Washington. It's hard to find a better example of the need for stronger regulation of our campaign finance system.
In the end, Tuesday was a pretty good day for all of us working to create a more progressive future. But it's also just one step in the right direction. We're already planning and organizing for the upcoming legislative session and the 2012 elections. We're starting early because we know that our challenges are great and our opponents have deep pockets. But this election shows that the 99% can succeed when we come together and organize for progress. That was the key to our victories on Tuesday, and with your help, it will also be our ticket to victory in 2012.
In his campaign announcement last Wednesday, Rob McKenna proposed $5.76 billion in new spending but left voters in the dark about how he would pay for it. He's even relying on budget projections he repeatedly criticized just two months ago.
Rob McKenna has announced his candidacy for Governor of our state, and we believe he would roll back years of progress that we've worked for in Washington. He has established a clear track record of rewarding conservative corporate interests and pandering to Tea Party extremists, all while trying to sound like a moderate in public. Check out our rapid response video exposing McKenna's conservative record.
Attorney General Rob McKenna called unionization of teachers, firefighters, and other public employees unnecessary and "dangerous." And last year he tried to block a voter-approved minimum wage increase. McKenna is the poster child for union busting conservatives and big corporations here in Washington, and his clear goal is to be our next governor.
Click here to sign our petition calling on Rob McKenna to stop attacking working families!
More than 2,500 people rallied in solidarity with working families in Wisconsin.
We've launched a fun new website called LivingGreedy.com to turn the table on greedy special interests, and to show exactly which essential services we could save by closing their loopholes.
  
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The Sizzles...
True Patriot: to Rep. Tami Green, for courageous and principled leadership based on the progressive values that make our country great. She speaks truth to power, stands up to special interests, fights hard for her community, and challenges her colleagues to do what's best for Washington. Her leadership, courage, and passion were instrumental to protecting jobs, our schools, and our health care system.
Strong Man: to Rep. Ross Hunter, for flexing his political muscle to close wasteful tax loopholes and support a balanced approach to the state's financial crisis. He body-slammed big business interests to protect our kids
and the economic recovery of our state.
Jolly Green Jobs Giant: to Hans Dunshee, for almost single-handedly moving the "Healthy Schools Act" through the legislative process. His referendum to voters funds construction and repair projects that increase energy efficiency in schools, create 38,000 jobs, and save districts money on energy bills. You won't find a legislator who is bigger or jollier and no one has done more to create green jobs in this state.
Rookie of the Year: to Sen. Randy Gordon for hitting home runs on funding for schools and healthcare, and sporting one of the best batting averages in the Senate when it came time to stand up for progressive values during his first year in the legislature.
Knight in Shining Armor: to lobbyist Nick Federici for leading an unprecedented coalition of public interest lobbyists in a successful campaign to protect the public structures and systems that are the foundation of our future prosperity and quality of life. He has been protecting social justice and the common good in Olympia for 20 years.
The Fizzles...
Supreme Injustice: to Supreme Court (In)justice Jim Johnson, for completely thrashing any notion of fair and impartial. He sided with his former employer, the ultra conservative Building and Industry Association of Washington (BIAW), 16 of the 17 times they filed a brief before the State Supreme Court. That's 94% of the time. Of course that's exactly what the BIAW and its allies were paying for when they provided 60% of the contributions to his campaigns. Before the BIAW's money elected him to the Supreme Court, he also served as an attorney for Tim Eyman and the far-right Evergreen Freedom Foundation.
Rent a Senator Award: to "Big Business Berkey" (aka Sen. Jean Berkey) for consistently "delivering" to her big business contributors while ignoring the needs of our communities, families, and citizens. Ninety percent of her campaign contributions have come from corporate special interests. She took tens of thousands of dollars from BP and big polluters, Wall Street banks and insurance companies - while working to block predatory lending reforms and protect tax breaks for big, out-of-state corporations. At the same time she voted to end unemployment benefits for struggling families and cut funding for public education and health care.
Cynic of the Year: to Congressman Dave Reichert for extraordinary shamelessness. What he says and how he votes have never met each other. His explanation to local Republicans about why he occasionally votes for the environment (leaked to HorsesAss.org) is an insult to anyone in the 8th District who cares about the environment.1 His vote against repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell while claiming he supports gays in the military is an insult to anyone in the 8th District who cares about equal rights.2His vote against financial reforms to rein in big Wall Street banks is an insult to... you get our point.
Rogue: to Rob McKenna for abandoning his responsibilities as Attorney General for the State to pursue a right wing agenda. Just weeks after "going rogue" by joining a partisan lawsuit to block health insurance reform, McKenna went AWOL on the Department of Natural Resources and refused to defend them against a utility's efforts to condemn environmentally sensitive trust lands. The Lands Commissioner is now suing him for an attorney.
1 http://horsesass.org/?p=27103
2 http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/trying-to-have-it-both-ways-on-the-gays/Content?oid=4180403