Fuse Newsroom

Collin Jergens of Fuse, the state's largest progressive organization, talks with Gavin Dahl about a new proposal in Olympia that could generate $500 million of new revenues annually in the state of Washington.

Fuse Washington, a group that promotes progressive candidates and causes, took issue with the examples Republican state AG Rob McKenna, who's running for governor, cited at a recent health-care conference as evidence that Massachusetts' mandatory health care system doesn't work.

Eisinger says the state needs to pursue something that goes into effect immediately. "The best revenue package there is in some respects is the package that can get through," she said. At the same time, she and others want to find a long-term solution to Washington's revenue problem.

"We already have one of the most regressive tax systems in the nation," said Collin Jergens, spokesperson for Fuse, a nonprofit advocating for progressive change in Washington.

King County Elections won't post the final tally until late this afternoon, but civic activist John Stokes has apparently won an open Bellevue City Council seat over Kemper Freeman, Jr. -backed attorney Aaron Laing.

"It means Kemper has gone  zero-for-four this year," joked Collin Jergens of Fuse Washington.  The progressive group put energy into the Bellevue contests and has watched the recount.

After years of debate and months of suspense, an often-divided Bellevue City Council put its differences aside Monday night and unanimously approved an agreement with Sound Transit for a light-rail route that tunnels through downtown. The 7-0 vote finalizes an agreement on the East Link rail route and funding for the downtown tunnel.

Saturday's march was part of a larger event called "move your money day" or "make Wall Street pay" in which people were encouraged to switch their accounts to credit unions or community banks from national banks.

In Olympia, the event was organized by the Occupy Olympia outreach committee, as well as MoveOn Olympia and Fuse Washington, a progressive advocacy group, said Fuse campaign director Jim Dawson.

The state Republican Party gave David Condon's campaign for mayor $25,000 on Oct. 27. It's easily the largest contribution to a Spokane candidate this year, and has supporters of Mayor Mary Verner calling foul.

State law bars parties from promising donors that their contributions will go to certain campaigns, a practice known as "earmarking." Tanya Riordan, an organizer for the activist group Fuse Washington, filed a complaint with the Public Disclosure Commission this week.

A dueling group of protests occupied the corner of Bellevue Way and Northeast Eighth Street Wednesday night in response to rampant spending in Bellevue City Council races.

The rally was originally planned by Fuse Washington, a progressive public policy group, to protest negative mailers sent out against council candidates Claudia Balducci and John Stokes. The protestors were upset about what they said were negative mailers were sent by a political action committee tied to local developer Kemper Freeman. They accused him of attempting to buy an election.