Ahhhh.... the gas tax.
Back in the day, when my erstwhile brother-in-law used to be a conservative and a State Representative... 1997... March... if memory serves... I was working the desk when I got a call from Linda Smith personally.
Marc just happened to be in his office, so I told him who was calling and naturally, he took the call in question.
The conversation went on for awhile, and they hung up. Marc came out of his office, looking white as a sheet:
"Linda just demanded that I vote yes on the gas tax increase," I remember him telling me.
I remember it like it was yesterday... because I, a true Smith believer, was as stunned as Marc was.
Now, was Marc lying to me when he told me that?
I don't think so. Back in those days, he was a man of integrity and honesty.
Meanwhile, it didn't take long for word to get out that the previously conservative-on-taxes Smith was suddenly pro-gas tax.
That rumor, which I believe to have been true, started generating it's own peculiar heat, which led to a Judy Nix, who was an aid to Smith at the time, (and is... or was... on legislative staff in Olympia, to send out the following fax:
Back in the day, when my erstwhile brother-in-law used to be a conservative and a State Representative... 1997... March... if memory serves... I was working the desk when I got a call from Linda Smith personally.
Marc just happened to be in his office, so I told him who was calling and naturally, he took the call in question.
The conversation went on for awhile, and they hung up. Marc came out of his office, looking white as a sheet:
"Linda just demanded that I vote yes on the gas tax increase," I remember him telling me.
I remember it like it was yesterday... because I, a true Smith believer, was as stunned as Marc was.
Now, was Marc lying to me when he told me that?
I don't think so. Back in those days, he was a man of integrity and honesty.
Meanwhile, it didn't take long for word to get out that the previously conservative-on-taxes Smith was suddenly pro-gas tax.
That rumor, which I believe to have been true, started generating it's own peculiar heat, which led to a Judy Nix, who was an aid to Smith at the time, (and is... or was... on legislative staff in Olympia, to send out the following fax:
XXXX,
The rumor circulating around the legislature seems to have been started by a misunderstanding. Linda spoke to Rep. Boldt about the gas tax and a road project in Clark County. Marc was concerned because the project is really needed but he was having trouble supporting the tax increase. Linda told him that the best political thing he could do was just be quiet about it and vote his conscience which would be "no." She warned him that being verbally against it or for it could have adverse effects. He either misunderstood or misstated what she said in such a way that when Marc relayed the conversation to Rep. Mielke, it left him under the impression that she was indeed asking them to support the gas tax. This is ABSOLUTELY not the case. Rep. Mielke is aware of that and feeling very badly for spreading the wrong information. He is doing his best to correct this error.
An additional dynamic is that Senator Benton has been loudly opposing the tax, which has caused Rep. Karen Schmidt to pull the project in question out of the transportation budget all together. It appears this was done in reprisal to Benton since the project is in his district and he has been so vocally against the tax.
All of this probably happened because Rep. Boldt is not exactly "quick" and probably had trouble keeping up with Linda when she was explaining it all (the politics) to him. Nice guy... not quick. At any rate, the damage control is under way and it is doubtful that she will try to explain anything to Marc again with out a drawing board to draw pictures.
I would appreciate it if you share this information that you paraphrase and not pass on this note. It is for YOUR eyes only. Even though you do not like Linda. I trust you will honor my position.
Thank you.
(Various emphases reproduced as they appeared on the fax itself)
This was brought over to my desk by someone who, even after all of these years, shall remain nameless. That person wanted me, as Marc's legislative assistant, to know what Smith REALLY thought of Marc.
I made the call NOT to show Marc this fax. Doesn't matter why. But I filed it away like I've filed so many emails, letters, texts and notes away from many, many people on a variety of subjects, and while I was looking for something else, I stumbled across this.
Did Linda Smith call Marc?
Yes. I took the call.
Did Linda Smith demand that Marc vote for the gas tax as he told me she did?
Absolutely.
Is this bogus explanation the kind of thing politicians do when they've been caught doing something stupid?
Of course: just look at Rivers' bullshit on her gas tax betrayal.
There is no way... NO WAY... Smith would have called to "explain the politics" of a state issue to Marc out of a clear blue sky, since he hadn't called her to ask her opinion... so she obviously called Marc to lean on him... and back then, no one... not even Smith, could do that.
And the contempt they had for Boldt?
Well, draw your own conclusion.
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