Next week, the Clark County Republican Party will be preparing a list with 3 names on it to forward to the Clark County Council to fill the District 4 seat of Eileen Quiring, who is now County Chair.
Given the current make up of the council, which includes one massively partisan democrat and two others who call themselves Republican but who vote like Jimmy Moeller, it's imperative that her seat be filled by a conservative.
For Eileen, her new job of County Chair is a tough enough burden to bear without adding a 4th council member who would vote like Jimmy Moeller.
Shane Bowman has served on the Battle Ground City Council for many years, including at least one stint as mayor. He's now Deputy Mayor, voted into place by the other council members.
And there are a few reasons why I oppose him, and I thought I'd list them here:
1. He was recruited by Sen. Ann "Gas Tax" Rivers to run against then incumbent State Representative Liz Pike (R-18) because Pike rabidly opposed River's support of the horrific gas tax and tab fee increases that Rivers had promised to oppose to get elected to the state senate... increases that he strongly supported, her pledges to oppose them notwithstanding... increases that amounted to $700 million for the citizens of this county.
Now, why did Bowman do that? Because Battle Ground was bought by getting a nice piece of the gas tax/tab fee pie.
To me? That means he's OK with political lies.
Remember, Rivers promised to oppose any effort to increase the gas tax and tab fees when she ran for the Senate, as this screen capture from her campaign website clearly shows:
I've always found Bowman's effort to be rather childish and, of course, doomed to failure, as he was crushed by Pike in the primary.
2. The majority of the 18th Legislative District overwhelmingly opposed the gas tax/tab fee increase and that clearly made no difference to either Rivers OR Bowman.
And that is not the kind of "I need to do the thinking for you/who cares what you as a constituent thinks" variety of representation I want representing ME.
3. While Bowman voted "no" on the most recent effort by the Battle Ground City Council to DOUBLE the tab fee he supported and voted to ram down the throat of the people of Battle Ground... without asking them... it's fairly clear he did that so he could claim he was against that sort of thing. But then the question becomes how many other taxes and fees has he voted to raise in defiance of his constituents and without asking them? The list is long and distinguished, because if you do such a thing even once, that's once too many.
4. I missed his positions in his PCO message on tolling, loot rail and replacing the I-5 bridge as opposed to getting additional bridges built over the Columbia River.
Could it be... that it's because he doesn't want us to KNOW his position on that vitally important issue to this county?
In fact, his PCO message talked a lot about what political jobs he's had for experience (And if that's important, then surely he'd support someone else who had already BEEN a county commissioner, wouldn't he?) and his business and so forth, but not a lot about would he would or would not do, what his positions on the issues confronting this county are and how he would address them.
Odd, that. Must want to keep them a secret.
5. And, of course, who can forget Bowman's platform plank of putting a 15% sales tax on food to fund education when he was running against Rep. Pike??
Clearly, we do not need to replace a conservative like Eileen Quiring on the council with yet another candidate who fails to understand what the label "Republican" means.
If Bowman makes the top 3, given the proven hatred of conservatives by some on that council, that guarantees Bowman will be the choice. And we cannot hang Eileen out to dry like that.
FWIW, that's my take.
Given the current make up of the council, which includes one massively partisan democrat and two others who call themselves Republican but who vote like Jimmy Moeller, it's imperative that her seat be filled by a conservative.
For Eileen, her new job of County Chair is a tough enough burden to bear without adding a 4th council member who would vote like Jimmy Moeller.
Shane Bowman has served on the Battle Ground City Council for many years, including at least one stint as mayor. He's now Deputy Mayor, voted into place by the other council members.
And there are a few reasons why I oppose him, and I thought I'd list them here:
1. He was recruited by Sen. Ann "Gas Tax" Rivers to run against then incumbent State Representative Liz Pike (R-18) because Pike rabidly opposed River's support of the horrific gas tax and tab fee increases that Rivers had promised to oppose to get elected to the state senate... increases that he strongly supported, her pledges to oppose them notwithstanding... increases that amounted to $700 million for the citizens of this county.
Now, why did Bowman do that? Because Battle Ground was bought by getting a nice piece of the gas tax/tab fee pie.
On many policy issues, Bowman said he wouldn’t be surprised if he aligned with Pike. He’s a conservative, he’s in favor of smaller government, more local control and not raising taxes.
But he did blast the incumbent for her stance against the statewide transportation package. The $16 billion package carved out about $600 million for Southwest Washington and included money for Battle Ground, including funds to widen Main Street/state Highway 502.You see, Mr. Bowman seems to confuse "keeping your word" with "throwing everyone under the bus."
The package also raises the gas tax 11.9 cents per gallon in two steps. The package was needed in Battle Ground, he said.
“She could take a ‘no’ vote on it and throw everyone under the bus,” he said.
Remember, Rivers promised to oppose any effort to increase the gas tax and tab fees when she ran for the Senate, as this screen capture from her campaign website clearly shows:
 |
| Excerpt from Rivers campaign web site back in 2012 |
2. The majority of the 18th Legislative District overwhelmingly opposed the gas tax/tab fee increase and that clearly made no difference to either Rivers OR Bowman.
And that is not the kind of "I need to do the thinking for you/who cares what you as a constituent thinks" variety of representation I want representing ME.
3. While Bowman voted "no" on the most recent effort by the Battle Ground City Council to DOUBLE the tab fee he supported and voted to ram down the throat of the people of Battle Ground... without asking them... it's fairly clear he did that so he could claim he was against that sort of thing. But then the question becomes how many other taxes and fees has he voted to raise in defiance of his constituents and without asking them? The list is long and distinguished, because if you do such a thing even once, that's once too many.
4. I missed his positions in his PCO message on tolling, loot rail and replacing the I-5 bridge as opposed to getting additional bridges built over the Columbia River.
Could it be... that it's because he doesn't want us to KNOW his position on that vitally important issue to this county?
In fact, his PCO message talked a lot about what political jobs he's had for experience (And if that's important, then surely he'd support someone else who had already BEEN a county commissioner, wouldn't he?) and his business and so forth, but not a lot about would he would or would not do, what his positions on the issues confronting this county are and how he would address them.
Odd, that. Must want to keep them a secret.
5. And, of course, who can forget Bowman's platform plank of putting a 15% sales tax on food to fund education when he was running against Rep. Pike??
Clearly, we do not need to replace a conservative like Eileen Quiring on the council with yet another candidate who fails to understand what the label "Republican" means.
If Bowman makes the top 3, given the proven hatred of conservatives by some on that council, that guarantees Bowman will be the choice. And we cannot hang Eileen out to dry like that.
FWIW, that's my take.
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