I admit it.
I'm confused.
Don't misunderstand me, I've been seeing this a great deal over the past few years. But the muted response to this variety of perfidy is what causes it to continue at an ever greater pace.
Since, perhaps, the president indicated that lying to tens of millions over Obamacare is not only acceptable, but expected among many other things, lying in politics has not only become routine and overt, it's become quite fashionable.
Now, instead of holding those who lie and manipulate us to get what they want accountable, we look at the much smaller picture... of the ends justifying the means.
If we like the outcome... we laud the liars. We call their lies "courage and leadership."
I call it something completely different. And as my disillusionment and cynicism increases geometrically with every betrayal on both a personal and professional level, I see the damage our disengagement allows... and correspondingly, aids and abets.
Tim "The Liar" Leavitt, Mayor of the Vancouver Soviet, lies to get elected.
Few cared. For the downtown mafia and the democratian, it was the right KIND of lie, and thus, acceptable.
Scott Weber, County Clerk, ran on a platform of a lie, pledging his non-existent effort to de-politicize the position of Clark, removing it from the electoral realm to that of an appointed position. He did absolutely nothing to do that, of course, growing to love the very high 5 figure income that he didn't have to do a thing to earn.
Few cared. Those who shilled this clown absolutely don't give a damn that he lied to get elected.
To my ever-lasting shame, apparently, *I* care.
Marc Boldt lied. Not really to get elected; after all, that "servant-leader" scam of his certainly comes under the broad heading of being subjective on the part of the constituency.
But Boldt lied to me, directly to my face, on the issue of an advisory vote on the CRC Scam.
But that was just me. And who am I? After all, he's my brother-in-law, so what difference does it make?
The state lied on the last gas tax vote: they promised a great many projects to bribe the people into voting to screw themselves... and, of course, immediately whacked the project list, first, some 30% and then an additional 20%.
No one cared. No one did anything about it.
Those behind the pot initiative lied their collective asses off, claiming that passage would result in $582 million per year into state coffers.
That was a lie, of course: such a figure would require $80 in taxes or so per person, per year, living in this state... from the legal purchase of pot.
Which, of course, was never going to happen.
No one cared. Instead of holding those people accountable, our State Senate cut their tax burden in half... to a figure reduced from merely absurd to the merely rediculous.
And most recently, Sen. Ann "Gas Tax" Rivers completely obliterated her campaign pledges, used to get elected... to oppose a gas tax increase or a tab fee increase, claiming in support of her stated position she used to get elected that "The people have spoken and I have listened."
And again, we get the Jesuit argument from those benefiting from her lies that effectively, the ends justify the means.
Kevin Tapini wrote a letter to the Reflector this past week praising River's "leadership and courage."
I responded this way:
... And some huge, inexplicable and inexcusable cost to us.
And the special interest scum just say, well, those in the Legislature should have fought harder for more money for the county...
...instead of saying "Those in the legislature should have done the right thing and voted their districts."
After all, isn't that what we sent them there to do?
Where's the "courage and leadership" in that?
I'm confused.
Don't misunderstand me, I've been seeing this a great deal over the past few years. But the muted response to this variety of perfidy is what causes it to continue at an ever greater pace.
Since, perhaps, the president indicated that lying to tens of millions over Obamacare is not only acceptable, but expected among many other things, lying in politics has not only become routine and overt, it's become quite fashionable.
Now, instead of holding those who lie and manipulate us to get what they want accountable, we look at the much smaller picture... of the ends justifying the means.
If we like the outcome... we laud the liars. We call their lies "courage and leadership."
I call it something completely different. And as my disillusionment and cynicism increases geometrically with every betrayal on both a personal and professional level, I see the damage our disengagement allows... and correspondingly, aids and abets.
Tim "The Liar" Leavitt, Mayor of the Vancouver Soviet, lies to get elected.
Few cared. For the downtown mafia and the democratian, it was the right KIND of lie, and thus, acceptable.
Scott Weber, County Clerk, ran on a platform of a lie, pledging his non-existent effort to de-politicize the position of Clark, removing it from the electoral realm to that of an appointed position. He did absolutely nothing to do that, of course, growing to love the very high 5 figure income that he didn't have to do a thing to earn.
Few cared. Those who shilled this clown absolutely don't give a damn that he lied to get elected.
To my ever-lasting shame, apparently, *I* care.
Marc Boldt lied. Not really to get elected; after all, that "servant-leader" scam of his certainly comes under the broad heading of being subjective on the part of the constituency.
But Boldt lied to me, directly to my face, on the issue of an advisory vote on the CRC Scam.
But that was just me. And who am I? After all, he's my brother-in-law, so what difference does it make?
The state lied on the last gas tax vote: they promised a great many projects to bribe the people into voting to screw themselves... and, of course, immediately whacked the project list, first, some 30% and then an additional 20%.
No one cared. No one did anything about it.
Those behind the pot initiative lied their collective asses off, claiming that passage would result in $582 million per year into state coffers.
That was a lie, of course: such a figure would require $80 in taxes or so per person, per year, living in this state... from the legal purchase of pot.
Which, of course, was never going to happen.
No one cared. Instead of holding those people accountable, our State Senate cut their tax burden in half... to a figure reduced from merely absurd to the merely rediculous.
And most recently, Sen. Ann "Gas Tax" Rivers completely obliterated her campaign pledges, used to get elected... to oppose a gas tax increase or a tab fee increase, claiming in support of her stated position she used to get elected that "The people have spoken and I have listened."
And again, we get the Jesuit argument from those benefiting from her lies that effectively, the ends justify the means.
Kevin Tapini wrote a letter to the Reflector this past week praising River's "leadership and courage."
I responded this way:
Forgive me if I disagree.
There's a word, a descriptive term, for making a campaign pledge that clearly states you will NOT vote for a gas tax increase or tab fee increase... and then going ahead and doing that very thing.
It's not "courage." It's not "leadership." And given this letter's author, I do have to wonder aloud if your company will realize any benefit whatsoever, directly or indirectly, because of her betrayal of the voters of this district who made the mistake of believing her campaign promises and platform?
Of course, the issue here isn't taxes, per se'. The issue is using a pledge to get elected, only to break it when it suited you.
The issue is supporting steps to keep us from voting on this increase. The issue is failing to require a referendum clause in this package.
The issue is that Sen. Rivers, in addition to violating her campaign pledge where she indicates "The people have spoken and I have listened," only to turn a deaf ear to us when we reminded her of her campaign promises, then proceeded to do that which she had pledged not to do, in order to get elected.
The issue here is blowing a $500 million hole in our local economy, since this county has to send King County $700 million in gas tax to get $200 million back, for projects such as the $100 million waste of replacing the Mill Plain/I-5 intersection.
I would ask you, Mr. Tapani, would you deliberately cost your company $500 million out of a $700 million deal?
I don't think so.
While it may just be peachy for people you work with and for, as well as people who work for you, to lie to get a job, I take a somewhat different view. And absolutely nothing in your letter justifies her decision to abandon her district for special interests not unlike yours, come to think of it.
The next time she promises something, is there a sign of some sort she can hold up that says, "just kidding," or some such? A green light when she's telling the truth, a red line when she isn't? When are we supposed to believe her? When are we supposed to conclude she's lying?
If this is the "best" she can do, she should be recalled for incompetence in addition to her somewhat less than truthful approach to governance. Because no matter how much lipstick you put on this pig, Mr.Tapani, it's still a pig.Mr. Tapani has yet to reply to my queries: no response to my question as to whether or not his company will benefit from Rivers' actions here which tend to indicate that, as a result, there will be some benefit to him...
... And some huge, inexplicable and inexcusable cost to us.
And the special interest scum just say, well, those in the Legislature should have fought harder for more money for the county...
...instead of saying "Those in the legislature should have done the right thing and voted their districts."
After all, isn't that what we sent them there to do?
Where's the "courage and leadership" in that?
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