Initiative guru Tim Eyman sent an e-mail out to supporters Tuesday, saying his push to limit the spending of toll money had brought in $1.27 million.
There is a strong liklihood that I-1125 will pass... Thank God. Hopefully, it will have the needed impact down here and drive yet another stake through the heart of this massively wasteful, unneeded, unwanted and unaffordable CRC project, despised by so many but the special interests who will benefit of it. Eyman (seattlepi.com file photo)
Of that total, Bellevue developer Kemper Freeman gave a total of $1.09 million, Eyman said. A half-million dollar contribution from Freeman was already public knowledge. Eyman’s e-mail revealed that Freeman has now doubled his financial support. If voters approve Initiative 1125 in the fall, it would require a majority legislative vote for new highway tolls.
It would also prohibit the use of motor vehicle fund revenue and toll revenue for non-transportation purposes and require that the Legislature set toll rates and that these rates be specified for particular project. And it would prohibit variable rate tolling (charging more at different times of the day), something planners say is key to raising enough revenue for big mega projects like the 520 bridge replacement and the Alaskan Way Viaduct tunnel.
Eyman’s measure could take $2 billion from the already-financially shaky plan to replace the 520 bridge connecting Seattle and Bellevue, critics say and cause the $3.1 billion tunnel project to run short of funds.
In his e-mail, Eyman included this statement from Freeman: “…I-1125′s policies and principles really struck a chord with me because of my sincere belief that improving our transportation infrastructure is vitally important. Our state’s economy will never reach its full potential unless we strengthen our transportation infrastructure and I firmly believe I-1125′s policies are critical to making that happen. Citizens are rightly suspicious of tolls because of a valid concern that Olympia will raid such revenues during ‘emergencies.’ That’s why I-1125′s policies requiring accountability and transparency are so necessary. Tolls aren’t taxes and I-1125 keeps it that way. I’m firmly committed to helping the campaign get its message out to the voters over the next few months. I welcome the debate over I-1125 and feel very comfortable letting the voters decide.”
Eyman turned in more than 300,000 signatures to the state on Friday, which means his latest initiative will almost certainly qualify for the ballot.
One million is a solid investment in Eyman, who has a record of success. And that's what Madore needs to emulate.
Surrounding oneself with unproven and failed candidates who actually think they know what they're doing; using them as a source of advice, information and strategy results in outcomes not unlike that of last November... where $10's of thousands were wasted on far too many campaigns instead of focusing on one or two of the critical races that actually could have impacted the goals.
Freeman doesn't do that. He surrounds himself with people of proven ability, putting his personal feelings aside and letting his business instincts drive the train of his political success.
And that is a lesson for our local version of Freeman, David Madore... a lesson he needs to learn... and hopefully soon.
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3 comments:
I can only speak for myself then project those perceptions on David Madore, but I understand why he financed many individual campaigns rather than going the PAC route. Donating more than the $900 limit ($1800 if including Primary) requires legal wrangling, association with political operatives, and losing control. These issues are anathema to successful business people.
I invited David to my Blogger BBQ - he should come and stabilize his comfort level so that he can stick his toe in a little deeper.
Unfortunately, and hopefully as David has found out by now, the "flailing" approach in politics rarely works.
I'm not talking about direct campaign donations.
I'm talking about independent expenditures.
Had he culled Steve Stuart out of the heard and dropped, say, $100,000 on him (He spent, as I understand it, upwards of $200,000 on the elections) there is no way... NO WAY Stuart would have survived.
Had he done that... had he mounted a simple cable ad/radio campaign, Stuart, who only won by less than 3000 votes, would have been history.
Had he done THAT, there's no way either the paper, or low-lifes like Leavitt, would have even considered using him as a pinata.
He could have flattened Stuart and everyone else would have fallen into line. But as I always say, it's OK to kill the king... but if you try, you'd better get it done.
Freeman, typically, gets it done. He surrounds himself with people who know what they're doing. Unfortunately for Madore, he has aligned himself with people who don't... and the results speak for themselves. Failed candidates and wannabe consultants with no history of success... in fact, with a history of failure... don't get it done.
Money, of course, is the biggest tool in the political box. But not knowing where or how to apply that tool leads to outcomes like last November, an abysmal failure that could have easily been avoided for much less money.
Politics, like the military, offers the opportunity of Schwerpunkt. Madore had those on two or three occasions, was advised of those points and strategies to take advantage of those opportunities and did... nothing.
And that speaks to the issue of my post. Frankly, I'm at a loss as to how this inarguably brilliant businessman could treat politics any differently then any other bottom line. And his political bottom line has been bankrupt, for lack of a better term.
And when, in business, your bottom line sucks... what do they call it when you insist on continuing to do the same thing... with the same people... that have driven your operation off a cliff?
I call it insanity.
Speaking from my own pov (and possibly Mr. Madore's?), the "politics of destruction" is unpalatable. Naively perhaps, I hope people can make a difference constructively. Mr. Eyman operates constructively - Mr. Freeman is probably attracted by that.
"Attack" campaigns don't appeal to non-politicians.
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