Thurston County Democrats

Chair's Message

A little over 6 months ago, we pulled together to publicize the little-known Thurston County Conservation district election, ultimately reelecting Doug Rushton, the qualified incumbent over his Farm Bureau – building industry allied challenger, Tom Crowson.*

It’s time once again for us to pull together and get out the vote to defeat similar interests, but this time on a larger scale – the State of Washington is now at stake, not just the cities in our county’s conservation district! As former Supreme Court Justice and State Senator Phil Talmadge notes and our Treasurer Jane Johnson further details below, wealthy special interests hope to buy some new justices for our nationally renowned State Supreme Court. You may rest assured their shopping spree is not intended to ensure a fair, equitable justice system accessible to all citizens, regardless of income!

Be sure to vote in this primary (by September 19th) and remind all your friends, family and neighbors to do so, too. Compare the qualifications and judicial experience of the incumbent judges we support (Chief Justice Alexander and Justices Chambers and Owens) and follow the money that’s behind their challengers. The choices are clear and critical to the future of our State!

Looking forward to the general election, we also need to educate ourselves and others about and ultimately defeat Initiative 933, funded and pushed by the Farm Bureau and patterned after the onerous “Measure 37,” with which Oregon is now suffering. For the absurd extremes to which this has gone see The Oregonian’s June 27 article “Owner seeks to build in Newberry Crater”, describing James Miller’s claim for $200 million against Deschutes County because it won’t allow him to build and mine in the Newberry Crater National Monument.

Join the “No on 933” kick off on September 9th and make sure to attend our October 19th forum to consider ways in which growth and development may be managed with minimal adverse environmental impacts.

*Mr. Crowson appears to be the Republican’s candidate of all trades, master of none, having previously run against Congressman Baird and most recently filed against County Assessor Patricia Costello.

Supreme Court and other Judicial Races are Critical

By Phil Talmadge, Former State Supreme Court Justice

Too often, voters overlook the importance of their vote on judicial candidates. Because voters feel ill-equipped to decide which of the candidates are best qualified to serve on the municipal court, the district court, the superior court, the court of appeals, or the supreme court, the voters skip voting in these races. That is a big mistake in this year’s primary election, particularly in the races for the Washington Supreme Court.

Supreme Court justices are elected, unlike their counterparts at the national level. Each justice serves for six years. This means, every three years, a third of the Court is up for election. Increasingly, organizations with an agenda have attempted to impose their agenda on the Court by funding candidates or making independent expenditures. This year is no different, and in fact, it has become even worse. This year’s Supreme Court candidates too often have an agenda instead of the better focus for judicial candidates: promising to uphold the law, the Washington Constitution, and the United States Constitution.

If a candidate for the Supreme Court receives 50% or more of the vote in September’s primary election, that candidate will, in effect, be elected. A candidate getting 50% or more of the vote in the primary will be the only candidate advancing to the general election. This means it is particularly important for each of us to be involved in the selection of candidates for the Court in this primary.

As a former justice of the Washington Supreme Court, I know the importance of the Court’s work. The Court adopts the rules by which the court system functions, including the disciplining of lawyers and judges who engage in misconduct. The Court is also the final word on the Washington Constitution and law. The Court’s decision-making touches every single citizen in his or her daily life. The Court’s recent decision on the defense of marriage act makes that clear. But the Court also makes decisions on criminal law, civil rights, public disclosure, land use and environmental law, and our political system that impact us. The Court has invalidated many Eyman initiatives. It struck down term limits measures. The Court would have been the final word in the case between Christine Gregoire and Dino Rossi, deciding who could sit in the governor’s chair. None of us can afford to ignore the Court’s importance.

This year, three Court incumbents are seeking reelection: Chief Justice Gary Alexander, Justice Tom Chambers, and Justice Susan Owens. Each of the incumbents will be facing challengers, in some instances challengers who are receiving substantial funds from business-related groups with a particular agenda for the Court.

This year, more than ever, it is important for each citizen to be fully aware of the candidates for the Court and to make a careful judgment about the type of person to sit on the Supreme Court.

Each voter should carefully read information available in such places as the web page for the Thurston County Democrats. A review of each candidate’s website is important also. Perhaps the most objective source of information about the candidates for the Court is the judicial voter’s pamphlet that is available on the Washington courts website at www.courts.wa.gov. The judicial voter’s pamphlet is a direct analog to our state voter’s pamphlet.

Our Supreme Court must be fair and impartial, with a reasoned perspective on the law, and appreciative of the diversity of Washington’s people. We can’t simply leave the election of judges to the lawyers.

Follow the Money

By Jane Johnson, TCD Treasure and PCO Bigelow 107

The Washington State Supreme Court races have become politicized, with special interest groups getting involved. The Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) is leading an effort to put more judges supportive of individual property rights on the bench, contributing heavily to its “Walking for Washington” campaign to accomplish that goal in the three races.

The Faith & Freedom Network, which helped lead efforts to stop same sex marriage and to overturn civil rights protections earlier this year, is targeting Justice Tom Chambers and the other incumbents. Chambers authored a dissenting opinion in the recent decision concerning same sex marriage.

Contrary to charges from its detractors, the Washington Supreme Court has been a national model of impartiality and judicial restraint — a clear example of what democracy needs and requires.

The complaint by opponents about a “lack of judicial restraint” is a baseless charge and a Trojan horse being used to camouflage an attempt to take control of our courts by a moneyed group of special interests and their allies. These charges by the Building Industry Association of Washington and Constitutional Law PAC have nothing to do with reverence for our constitution or “restraint.” A look at who’s funding the opponents’ campaigns is very illuminating. Clearly, development and “property rights” interests hope to benefit from electing activist Supreme Court justices.

As an example, the table below shows contributors who gave $5,000 or more to John Groen, the attorney who is opposing incumbent Chief Justice Gerry Alexander.

You can see a complete list of contributions to all races at the Public Disclosure Commission web site www.pdc.wa.gov/searchdatabase.
Editor’s Note: The Thurston County Democrats are supporting Chief Justice Gerry Alexander, Justice Susan Owens and Justice Tom Chambers.

You should receive your ballots very soon. If you’ve not taken the opportunity to vote in Primary Elections in the past, now is the time to do it! These races most likely will be decided during the Primary Election NOT the General Election in November. Your vote will count and it’s very important that we oppose this push by special interests to take over our Washington State Supreme Court.

No on I-933 Kickoff

Join former Representative Sandra Romero, Peggy Bruton and 97 others to formally kick off the No on 933 campaign at the office. When: September 9 - Time: 10:30am Where: Washington State Council of Firefighters, 1069 Adams St. in Olympia We will be having a check in by phone of all the assemblages across the state. After the phone check in we will hit the streets to door bell.

Bob Macleod for Thurston County Commissioner District #3

Please join Commissioner Bob Macleod, Chef Michael Murphy, and Michael Moore at the piano for a gourmet Northwest Buffet. When: September 10 - Time: 4:00pm - 6:00pm (remarks at 5:00pm) Where: Ben Moore's Restaurant, 112 4th Ave W, Olympia RSVP: Reservations requested for accurate dinner servings. Please call 280-1512 or info@bobmacleod.com to reserve today! Suggested donation - $50. All donations gratefully accepted. Campaign Name: The Committee to Re-Elect Bob Macleod Phone: 360-280-1512 Web: www.bobmacleod.com

Primary Election Party

County Treasurer Robin Hunt and Former Lacey Mayor Jon Halvorson are hosting a Primary Election Day Party! Join us at the Campaign HQ for food and beverages and help celebrate our successes! When: September 19 - Time: 7:00pm Where: Campaign HQ - 506 Columbia St., Olympia

Conserving Communities - a Forum on Growth and the Environment

When: October 19 - Time: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Where: St. John’s Episcopal Church, 114 20th Ave SE, Olympia

By Emmett O’Connell, Forums Committee Chair

The Thurston County Democrats will hold a forum October 19th on growth and environmental issues. Because of the upcoming vote on Initiative 933, which would strip away many of our rules regarding protecting natural resources and managing growth, a lot of attention is on these issues.

This is a good time to bring these issues out during a public forum. You can also start the discussion early at Thurston County Democrats blog at thurstondemocrats.org/blog/

Measure 37, a proposition similar to I-933, passed overwhelmingly in Oregon two years ago, has had a disastrous effect on growth management and local government in Oregon. Both initiatives call for local governments to either waive local land use rules when they lessen the value of a piece of property or pay the landowner the difference. Obviously, most cash strapped local governments will choose to waive the rules rather than pay off every potential developer.

Thousands of claims have been filed in Oregon so far, putting pressure on farm land immediately south of Portland. In Washington County alone over 500 claims have been filed for relief under the initiative. In that county over half of the claims have been approved, leading to 2,000 new homes in the county’s rural areas. Initiative 933, because it doesn’t make allowances for federal rules like the Endangered Species Act, sets no time frame for making claims, and makes a much smaller allowance for human health, is much worse than Oregon’s Measure 37.

Come to the forum and participate in a discussion about how groups are working to defeat this initiative and how local organizations are working with landowners to protect natural resources without fighting over rules.

Forum Speakers

Eric de Place - a senior research associate, with the Sightline Institute and blogger at the Daily Score (www.sightline.org/daily_score). He has written extensively about the property rights and the impact Measure 37 has had on Oregon.

David Trout - chair of the Nisqually River Council, a decades long effort to bring together residents of the Nisqually watershed to assure protected natural resources and a strong economy. The council recently released a sustainability plan that will advance these goals.

We will also have a representative from the No on 933 campaign to update us on the campaign. Senator Karen Fraser will moderate the panel and discussion.

Judicial Candidates for Supreme Court and Superior Court Races

The Primary Election is September 19th. There are many candidates who are worthy of our support and our vote.In particular, this the Supreme Court races! The following candidates are exceptionally well qualified and supported by the Thurston County Democrats. Please be sure to vote and get your ballot mailed by September 19th.

Supreme Court Candidates

Gerry Alexander - Washington State Supreme Court Position 8

Elected to the Supreme Court in 1994, Chief Justice Gerry Alexander’s judicial experience is unequalled. The only justice having served at three court levels, his judicial service includes 10 years on the Court of Appeals and 11 years on the Superior Court of Thurston and Mason Counties.

Chief Justice Alexander is a leader in the judiciary. His accomplishments include opening all Supreme Court sessions to television, holding some court sessions in locations around the state for greater public visibility, opening access to court records at all levels and successfully advocating for an increase in the fee paid to jurors. The Chief Justice lobbied the Legislature successfully for campaign contribution limits on judicial candidates. Chief Justice Alexander voluntarily implemented campaign contribution limitations on his campaign as a way to provide ethical leadership to judicial candidates. All judicial candidates in the state followed his leadership, except his opponent.

Chief Justice Alexander is endorsed by a wide range of groups interested in a competent and impartial Supreme Court, including: Washington Democratic Party; Mainstream Republicans; Association of Washington Business; Washington Conservation Voters, Washington State Labor Council; Washington Education Association; former Governors Dan Evans, Booth Gardner, John Spellman and hundreds of others. Chief Justice Alexander received the King County Bar Association’s highest rating of “Extremely Well Qualified”.

Before election to the bench, Chief Justice Alexander practiced law in Olympia, where he still lives. He earned his law and undergraduate degrees at the University of Washington. He served as an infantry lieutenant in the US Army.

Web: www.justicealexander.com Email: info@justicealexander.com Address: 525 Columbia St. NW, Olympia, WA 98501-1098

Tom Chambers - Washington State Supreme Court Position 9

Friends, thank you for your support in this important election. So few voters really know much about how to select a judge, and I know that your efforts in reaching people will make a difference on Election Day.

I work to serve you as an honest, principled, and independent voice on our Supreme Court.

Raised behind my parent's gas station in Eastern Washington, I learned my work ethic and core values. In six years on the Supreme Court, I have built a powerful record protecting the rights of working people, property owners, and crime victims. I defend the constitution, your individual liberties, and your property rights.

I am honored to have been awarded the 2006 Outstanding Judge of the Year Award by King County Washington Women Lawyers. A past president of the Washington State Bar Association, I have earned the King County Bar Association’s highest rating, “Exceptionally Well Qualified.”

My opponent is not only unqualified (rated “not qualified” five times in her continuing efforts to find work as a judge), but in the short time that she did serve as a judge she became notorious for threatening to censure women lawyers for not wearing skirts in her courtroom.Yes, really.

I need your help—my election will be decided in the PRIMARY, so your doorbelling efforts, donations, and endorsements are particularly meaningful NOW. Visit www.tomchambers.com for more information on how to help, and please participate in the ongoing efforts to reach voters in the September 19th election! Thank you!

Web: www.tomchambers.com Email: joinus@tomchambers.com Phone: 206-328-5564 Address: P.O. Box 21508, Seattle, WA 98111

Susan Owens - Washington State Supreme Court Position 2

I bring a different perspective to the Supreme Court. I’m a rural judge, mother and independent voice for common sense rulings that respect our rights, privacy and Constitution. My voice on the court is plain spoken and honest.

I am the only candidate with real judicial experience. I have served on the Supreme Court for six years. For nearly two decades I served rural communities in the Clallam County District Court and with tribal courts on the Olympic Peninsula.

I have earned a national reputation teaching judges how to enforce tough new domestic violence laws. I have earned the respect and recognition of my colleagues and legal groups for my fair and balanced interpretation of the law.

Justice should be affordable and accessible to all. I seek fairness above everything else, and I am eager to continue my work on behalf of our citizen’s and the laws of our state.

Big money is working hard to elect partisan interests to the bench. We need to protect the independence of our judiciary. A conservative PAC has been formed and is already supporting a partisan candidate, State Senator Steve Johnson, against me. The Constitutional Law PAC’s backers include well-known Republicans, pro-property rights special interests, and other conservative organizations. This PAC will be very well funded and very aggressive.

Our courts are not for sale. Now more than ever we must retain strong, independent voices in the judiciary. I appreciate your support in both the Primary and the General Election. Thank you!

Web: www.justicesusanowens.com Phone: 206-841-9715 Address: 6963 Littlerock Rd SW, Tumwater, WA 98512

Superior Court Candidates

Anne Hirsch - Thurston County Superior Court Judge - Position 8

Anne Hirsch has the experience, integrity and leadership that we expect from our judges. Since 1992 Anne has presided over thousands of court cases as a part time Superior Court Commissioner. She brings a balanced approach to the courtroom and understands that her decisions affect the daily lives of real people. Anne protects victims and holds offenders accountable.

Anne is an experienced attorney, mediator and children’s advocate in addition to being a court commissioner. As an attorney for over twenty years, Anne has represented low income families and the elderly, had a private law practice and was a founder of the Volunteer Legal Clinic. Anne served on the steering committee that created the Unified Family and Juvenile Court and is a member of the local domestic violence fatality review board. She will use her experience and problem solving skills to continue to improve the way the court works and protects the public.

Anne volunteers at her children’s schools and the Farmers Market. Please join your neighbors and many community leaders, including Ralph Munro, Representatives Sam Hunt and Brendan Williams, Thurston-Lewis-Mason Central Labor Council, labor leaders, city council and school board members and other bipartisan supporters of Anne. More endorsements and information at www.annehirsch.com.

Web: www.annehirsch.com Email: info@annehirsch.com Phone: 360-866-6070 Address: 1910 4th Ave East PMB 64, Olympia, WA 98506

Jim Powers - Thurston County Superior Court Judge - Position 8

My name is Jim Powers and I am a candidate for Thurston County Superior Court Judge, Position No. 8. I have served this community as a Deputy Prosecutor for over twenty-three years, prosecuting primarily those responsible for violent crimes including homicides, sexual assaults, domestic violence, and crimes against children. I have been a finalist for the Thurston County Bar Association’s lawyer of the year award in each of the past five years. This year I received an award from the Washington State Bar Association for professionalism. Previously, I received an award from Safeplace for service to the community.

In the 1990s, I chaired the committee which created Thurston County’s Drug Court, which has become one of the strongest of such programs in the state. I am firmly committed to the continued vitality of our Drug Court program and to help bring similar changes to our criminal justice system in order to improve the manner in which the mentally ill are treated.

As a judge, I would strive for true impartiality, which includes following the law as intended by those with the responsibility for enacting it, even if I disagree with that legislative intent. I believe that a judge must show compassion whenever warranted, but must also be prepared to respond harshly to those who choose to commit violence upon others, or who abuse the most vulnerable among us, particularly our children.

I would appreciate your support of my candidacy for the position of Superior Court Judge.

Web: www.jimpowersforjudge.com Email: jamescpowers2004@yahoo.com Phone: 360-259-4246 Address: PO Box 12952, Olympia, WA 98508

Charles Williams - Thurston County Superior Court Judge - Position 8

“We don’t care, we don’t have to.”

This popular bumper-sticker slogan caricatured the customer-service philosophy of AT& T back when it was a nationwide telephone monopoly.

The Thurston County superior court is no AT& T, but it is the only place that victims of crime, distressed families and civil litigants can lawfully go to obtain justice. There is presently a disconnect between what the court offers users and what they need and want.

To cite an important example, because 85 percent of the persons using family court are not represented by lawyers, the court needs to adopt a ‘customer-service’ philosophy and make justice truly available to everyone, not just those who can afford lawyers. The court’s local rules, which rival those of King County in length, complexity and traps for the wary, need to be simplified. Users should be able to request hearings and retrieve and submit documents on-line. The court’s website should show users how to select and complete necessary forms.

I have been a trial lawyer for 25 years and a judicial officer for 11 years. I have a history being a change agent in the organizations that I have headed. If elected, I will work hard to make the superior court more efficient, user-friendly and just.

I have been endorsed for election to this position by 19 judges, including Supreme Court Justices Richard Sanders and Robert Utter (ret.), by former U. S. Attorney Kate Pflaumer, and by County Commissioner Bob Macleod.

For more information, please visit my website at www.williams4judge.org.

Web: www.williams4judge.org Email: attywilliams@comcast.net Phone: 360-786-8000 Address: PO Box 2884, Olympia, WA 98507-2884

"NOTICE TO VOTERS (Required by law): These advertisements (above) are not authorized or approved by any candidate. It is paid for by the Thurston County Democrats, PO Box 164, Olympia, Wa 98507.

Voting in 2006

By Sam Cagle, PCO Mullen 187

It’s certainly not your Grandpa’s election.

Following the close and contentious election in 2004, the Washington State Legislature and Governor Gregoire enacted a series of changes to how voting would take place in the future. The Secretary of State and the County Auditors then undertook a process to see how many counties would move to a vote by mail only system. Thurston County was one of 34 that chose to move in that direction, starting with this year’s primary election. Only 5 – including King County – chose to remain with a combination of poll sites and absentee ballots. The following is information that may help you be sure your vote will be counted.

Registration

The first step in the process is registration. You must complete a voter registration form if you are registering for the first time in Washington or if you have moved to a new county. If you have moved within Thurston County, you may transfer your registration by completing a new form or contacting the County Auditor by mail, email, or phone. There is no registration by political party in Washington State.

To register to vote in the state of Washington, you must be:

• A citizen of the United States
• A legal resident of Washington State
• At least 18 years old by election day

You may not register to vote if you are:

• Presently denied your civil rights due to a felony conviction.
• Judicially declared mentally incompetent and ineligible to vote.

If you meet the above criteria you can register by completing and mailing in a voter registration form.

The deadline for registering or transferring your voter registration by mail is 30 days before an election. The mail-in registration date for the 2006 General Election is October 7. If you register by mail, your application must be postmarked by the 30-day cutoff, or it will not become effective until after the election and your vote won’t be counted in this election. If you are not already registered to vote in Washington and you miss the 30-day deadline, you can register in person at the county auditor’s elections department until 15 days before the election. If you haven’t registered for the Primary Election (September 19th) you may have time to go to the Auditor’s office in person and register. Deadline for registering in person for the Primary Election is September 1st.

If you register by mail and do not have a Washington State driver's license, Washington State ID card, or a Social Security number, you will be required to provide one of the following items when you cast your ballot.

• Valid photo ID
• Valid tribal ID of a federally recognized Indian tribe in Washington State
• Copy of a current utility bill
• Current bank statement
• Copy of a current government check
• Copy of a current paycheck
• A government document that shows both your name and address

If you do not provide one of the above items either before or at the time of voting, your ballot will be treated as a provisional ballot and will have to be processed separately from all the other ballots.

Voter registration forms are available at the Thurston County Democrats Campaign headquarters (506 Columbia St., Olympia), the Thurston County Auditor’s Office (360) 786-5408, your Precinct Committee Officer, drivers licensing offices, fire stations, schools or at various community events.

You may also download the Washington Voter Registration Form from the Secretary of State’s web site, www.secstate.wa.gov/elections.

Registration forms are available in eight different languages, including English, Chinese, Spanish, Cambodian, Korean, Laotian, Russian and Vietnamese.

The ballot

Once you have a current registration, you can receive your ballot in a number of ways. Typically, it will appear in your home mailbox about three weeks prior to election day. The Thurston County Auditor also has an email ballot program for registered voters who are working or stationed out of state or planning to travel abroad. This means that voters can receive their ballots anywhere in the world in a matter of minutes, provided they have internet access, an internet mail address, and access to a printer. Qualified voters receive their ballot and instructions as Microsoft Word documents by e-mail. The voter then prints out and votes his or her ballot and mails it to the auditor’s office along with an original signature. They cannot accept electronic ballots and signatures. E-mail ballots are sent and received by the voter approximately 30-45 days prior to the election. In addition, a regular ballot is mailed via airmail. Only one of these is counted. More information can be found online at www.co.thurston.wa.us/auditor/Elections/2005_Primary/PrimaryPamphlet/eballot.pdf

Even though you live in a county that votes by mail, you may still vote in person at the Auditor’s Office between 7:00 am and 8:00 pm on Election Day. You can drop off your completed ballot in one of 16 official drop box locations around the county that will be open 24 hours per day, beginning August 30 and locked at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. Location information is listed at www.co.thurston.wa.us/auditor.

Voter information

Washington State and the League of Women Voters, provide state voters with an incredible resource, the local and statewide voter information pamphlets. These pamphlets, which are mailed to every registered voter at about the same time the ballots are sent out, are a one-stop information source for candidate statements, initiative and election issues with pro and con positions on each. In addition, Thurston Community Television runs candidate statements and forums on local campaigns, and the Olympian newspaper regularly carries articles and letters to the editor.

Other resources

More information on registration, ballots, and voter information are available from these Web sites:
Secretary of State: www.secstate.wa.gov/elections
League of Women Voters: www.washingtonvoter.org
Thurston County Auditor: www.co.thurston.wa.us/auditor/Elections/electns.htm

Voting

The judicial races will be decided at the Primary Election so pay particular attention to those non-partisan races. These candidates will be listed on the Party Ballots (Blue for Democrats!) or separately on the Non-Partisan Ballots.

There’s really no reason for not doing your civic duty as a conscientious voter.

So, get your cup of coffee, or tea. Bring your voter’s information pamphlets for local and statewide races. Take the time to read the candidate statements (all of them, not just those for your favorites) and the information provided on the issues, consider what you have seen and heard. Mark the ballots appropriately with a dark pen. Follow the instructions on the envelopes for security and signatures. Then mail it before the deadline. That’s it.

You have voted…and made a difference. Thank you!

Advertisement Deadline is Approaching!

If you have been thinking about advertising in the popular Thurston County Democrats newsletter, the last opportunity to do so this year will be in our October edition. Our newsletter reaches over 6000 households in the Thurston County area.

If you already have an ad that you’d like us to run, we are happy to us it or we can have our very own highly talented professional graphics designer prepare one for you.

Deadline for ads in the upcoming October edition of the Thurston County Democrat's newsletter is September 25th.

Call Christi at 360-459-4024 for more information or download the Advertisement Form at www.thurstondemocrats.org/newdocs/TCDAds.pdf