Longview Daily News blows it: Radical steps necessary to improve elections

At first blush, I was heartened to read the Daily News's commentary on Ron Sims' whitewashing effort in King County. But then I got to this line:

"It seemed another way to deflect political heat over last fall's elections fiasco in the state's most populous county. We were wrong."

It was and you are now. Wrong, that is.

Sims' "task force" was designed to rid him, Sims, of any responsibility for the ongoing debacle of fraud, incompetence, interference and smoke-filled room deal-making that were hallmarks of King County elections.

Full responsibility for that debacle rests with Ron Sims. No amount of smoke and mirrors can change that, and that the Daily News was taken in by that charade is troubling, indeed.

Far more important then anything else Sam Reed or this taskforce has recommended are the steps deliberately left out. More important then moving back the primary... more important then changing the funding and fund-raising rules for incumbents.

Sims', Reed's and the "taskforces" recommendation completely ignore the substantive reforms required to restore voter confidence.

Forget mail only ballots. Forget dog and pony shows like Sims' self-serving pap.

Restoration of voter confidence will require cancellation of ALL current voter registrations, re-registration with proof of citizenship, and legal ID to vote, either at the polls or when requesting an absentee or mail ballot.

Anything else is eyewash... the confusion of motion... with action. And it is highly disappointing that the Daily News doesn't get it.

Radical steps necessary to improve elections
Jul 30, 2005 - 09:03:40 pm PDT


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We never expected much from the independent task force appointed by King County executive Ron Sims to recommend ways to fix that county's broken elections process. It seemed another way to deflect political heat over last fall's elections fiasco in the state's most populous county. We were wrong.

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The nonpartisan body of volunteers last week issued a set of no-nonsense recommendations with the potential to greatly improve the elections process both in King County and statewide.

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The chief proposal for King County is somewhat radical --- turning over management of the elections division to a "turnaround team" of outside experts. But radical steps would seem appropriate, given the obvious failure of leadership in last fall's botched election. Sims apparently thought so; he immediately embraced the proposal, saying he would begin looking for "the resources to make it happen."

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