So, my take on initiatives on this ballot: Vote "no" on all of them.

For the most part, our state and community are best served by voting in the opposite direction from that advocated by the democratian, so any agreement on my part with any position they take is purely coincidental.

The Initiative 732 would impose a carbon emission tax on certain fossil fuels and fossil-fuel-generated electricity.

No.

The Initiative 735 would urge a federal constitutional amendment that limits constitutional rights to people, not corporations.

No.

The Initiative 1433 would increase the state minimum wage to $13.50 by 2020.

No.

The Initiative 1464 would create a campaign-finance system allowing residents to direct state funds to qualifying candidates, repeal the non-resident sales-tax exemption, restrict employment of former public employees and lobbying, and revise campaign-finance laws.

No.

The Initiative 1491 would authorize courts to issue extreme risk protection orders to remove an individual from access to firearms.

No.

The Initiative 1501 would increase criminal identity-theft penalties and expand civil liability for consumer fraud targeting seniors and vulnerable individuals. It would exempt certain information regarding vulnerable individuals and in-home caregivers from public disclosure.

No.

A legislatively referred constitutional amendment is also on the ballot. SJR 8210 was designed to move the deadline for the completion of redistricting for state legislative and congressional districts from January 1 of each year ending in a two, to November 15 of each year ending in a one.

No.

There.  Wasn't that simple?

This year, I'm voting integrity over politics.

I've been in politics a loooooong time.  I've been politically involved here locally since 1988, and I've made my living in one form or another off politics since 1994.

In all that time, I fought for what I believed in; fought for giving the people a voice and fought against the ugly side of politics that s many in the RINO segment here locally of the GOP practice.

A few years ago, I began to notice my ties to the label "Republican" had shattered.

Some 16 years ago, when I was holding down the seat of Executive Director of the State Republican Party, I began to pick up on the idea that the word "Republican" was just a label.  And many use that label to get what they want, regardless of the politics they truly practice.

For example, none of the current county council majority, AKA the 3 Stooges, are Republican.  In fact, none of them are even close.

Had they lost to their more leftist opponents in the most recent general election, you'd notice, even in hind sight, very little to no difference between how they vote and how their opponents WOULD have voted had they won.

Thus, for them, the label "Republican" is utterly meaningless and why they insist on using such a label is a mystery to me.

As I ponder the political scene these days, I see a great many who abuse the term Republican to get what they want.

From Scott Weber to John Blum to Ann "Gas Tax" Rivers to Julie Olson to Jeannie Stewart, these people are nothing approaching Republican.

They don't act like Republicans and they don't vote like Republicans; so in a very real sense, they are NOT Republicans.

What does it mean to use that label?  Why would they call themselves something they're not, if they have integrity and a record to go with it?

Because of where they are.

There is no way that Ann Rivers would get elected in the 18th if she'd just do the honorable thing and switch parties to the one most closely aligned with her views.

But that kind of courage... the courage of her actual convictions... is as foreign to Rivers as writing Sanskrit.

And that's why I'm voting for Eric Holt, the democrat running against her.

I don't much agree with Holt's actual politics.  But when he speaks, I believe him.

And that's the thing, you see: I will not... cannot... vote for someone I do not believe.

Rivers has lied to us.  She will lie to us in the future.  She cannot "UNlie," so to speak, and it gets easier as time goes by in politics... just ask her.

Review the video taken at her January 9 town hall meeting:

Lie after lie.  Excuse after excuse.

And she expects me to reward her with my vote after THAT?

Not likely.

I expect those we elected to keep their word above all else.  Otherwise, how are we supposed to believe them?

And it's not just that Rivers lied... it's also that the lie is costing every resident of Clark County a total of $1500 plus... or $700 million.

And that brings me to the tough question:

When you vote... should you vote for the party label regardless of a history of "moral flexibility?"

Should you vote for the candidate who has lied, harmed you directly, attempted to fool the people in every way from how much money her campaign has had on hand for over a year by $175,000 to shattering her campaign pledges because of "business" and a "fear" of being referred to as a "pansy?"

I don't think so.

You see, government at every level is a mess, in large part because of this very thing.

Those we elect lie to us, ignore us, placate us, abuse us... and we keep sending them back up there as if they are somehow going to change.  They promise to do things they fail to do, telling us how busy they are (soooooo busy) and how much time it takes and so on, as if I... a 6 year legislative staffer... didn't already know.

Well, Rivers is likely to change, but not for the better, given how much her rank dishonesty has co-opted anything approaching what used to be her now nonexistent integrity.

Rivers' lie cost us 3.5 times the amount of money wasted on the CRC scam.  And she not only bears no remorse for lying; her only regret, according to the video provided above, is that she ever made the promise in the first place.

And that's not the kind of mentality or moral compass I want in government anywhere, let alone in Olympia.

Which again brings me back to Holt.

I have concluded after a great deal of thought that I would rather have a senator, or a representative or a congressman or even a president I disagree with politically who actually tells us the truth than I would have any of those who lie to keep us placated... regardless of the label they use, abuse and ignore whenever the mood strikes them.

At some point, those of us victimized by those we were supposed to be able to trust, have to stand up and scream "ENOUGH!!!!"

This is me, doing that.

And at some point, I hope that this becomes you doing that as well.  Because as bad as the trouble we have now actually is, it's nothing compared to what we're GOING to have if we don't put a stop to this nonsense.... and soon.

The myth of the negative Trump down-ballot impact.

So, I've been waiting to see it: where is it?

Locally, for example, Lefty Lou Brancaccio continues to endorse any and every RINO running as well as anyone on their knees in front of him over the CRC scam while opposing anyone who has even had coffee with David Madore.

And while I have seen our resident editorial psycho point to any connection to Madore as a reason to oppose any conservative running.... I have yet to see where our lying local leftist has mentioned Trump as a reason to vote for... or against.... anyone.

If there is a "down ballot" impact of the Trump campaign, it's to ferret out the political cowards infesting us.

Chris Vance, for example, lacks the courage of a gnat and would sell his own mother to get elected.  He bizarrely thinks that if he hates on Trump more than Patty Murray, that will somehow equate to more votes.

Vance is going to get clobbered in November by the State Cow; Patty Murray generally has been an abysmal Senator but Vance would be an establishment sell-out.  There's no point in voting for a fake democrat when you can get the real thing in Murray.

Bill Bryant has destroyed any hope of defeating the inept, physically infirm (Speaking of Hillary... is it Parkinson's, Jay?) and completely unsuccessful Jay Inslee who has accomplished absolutely nothing in the 4 years he's wasted in office... because by lacking the guts to take positions... first on Trump and then on the badly needed oil terminal... hoping that his timidity might result in.... what, besides the base staying home?

Out-democrating the democrats, you see, has rarely been shown to be a successful strategy.  This year is no exception.

While some local politicians have shown similar cowardice; Greg Kimsey, Linda Wilson and Ann "Gas Tax" Rivers come to mind; the leftist opposition on the part of RINO Kimsey, for example, is to be expected.  The lies on the part of Wilson (who bought her Democratian endorsement with those full-page business ads, I'm given to understand) were a little more surprising, but not much.

Claiming she's "undecided" after a year-plus long presidential campaign, which Wilson apparently failed to notice, makes as much sense as Wilson claiming she's a conservative.

Rivers has shown she'll lie about anything... so her fake claim that “I haven’t given it much thought because all the electors in Washington state are going to (Clinton) and the president will be announced before my vote is counted,” is typical of the cowardice Rivers is known for.

After all, one of her major concerns over keeping her word on opposing the rape of our wallets over the gas tax and tab fees was that she, personally, would be a "pansy."  (Included in the video in this post:  The January 9, 2016 Rivers town hall meeting. )
   
These are the kind of decisions made by pure politicians who are looking at bigger and better things down the road.  But I don't give a damn about their political careers.  What I care about is representing US and doing it NOW.

That those we elect lack the courage of their convictions is the thing.  And we as a nation, a state and a community suffer for it every damned day as a result.

Who I'm not voting for this election.

In a few days, the ballots are going to drop.

From the FWIW file, here's who I intend to vote against.

Generally, I will follow the following rules:

1.  If you are a RINO or endorsed by RINOs; (The Lefty Lou Posse)

2.  If you lack the guts to take positions,

3.  If you're a GOP candidate and fail to endorse Trump,

3.  If you have accepted funds or have had funds expended for you by the local Cowlitz mafia,

4.  If Jimmy Mains has anything to do with your campaign.

5.  If you ran against a conservative,

6.  If you lied to get elected...

Then I will not vote for you.

Ever.

President:  Anyone not named Trump.

Senator: Vance

Congressman: Herrera

Governor: Bryant

Secretary of State:  Wyman

Supreme Court: Any incumbent

17th District Legislature:

Senate:  Wilson

House: Harris, P./ Kim

18th District Legislature:

Senate: Rivers

House: Vick/Pike

49th District Legislature:

Senate: Cleveland

House: Topper

County council:

3rd District:  Blom

4th District:  Quiring

In some cases, such as the 18th, this means that I will be voting for at least some democrat(s).  I will, for example, vote democrat in the 18th District Senate race and the 3rd District county council race.

In some cases, I won't be voting.

In other cases, I haven't made a decision.

If the race isn't listed here at this point it's because I really don't care one way or the other.

More to come...

Bill Bryant: sad case.

I had already made the decision to vote against any GOP candidate who refused to endorse Trump for president.

Locally, that means an additional reason to vote against Rivers and Wilson as well as the rest of the RINO contingent, such as Greg Kimsey... not that this reason was even needed to arrive at that conclusion and course of action.

But today, as I understand it, Bryant doubled-down on his cowardice by refusing to take a position on the oil terminal.

There is only one position to take which is to the right of Mao: Build it... or swear off anything made by any petroleum project.

After all, you wouldn't want to be a hypocrite, would you?

Cowardice is never a solid platform for running for office.  Bryant seems to have more than his fair share.  And I reiterate my opposition to him as a result.