Health Care Game a success!

Yesterday, WFSE participated in a life-size version of a super-clever health care game created by the Washington Community Action Network. (Thank you, Sean!) The object of the game is to organize to beat the health insurance industry. So, naturally, the location of the game was outside Regence's office building in downtown Seattle!

Labor, grassroots organizations, and small businesses were all well-represented on the game board, in the speaking program, and in the delegation that delivered our demands to Regence.

This is the second in a series of events being put together by WashingtonCAN to help move us toward the goal of quality, affordable health care for all. The next event is planned for August 15th in Seattle; stay tuned for more details! In the meantime, feel free to contact me at (800)532-6002, or email aliag@wfse.org, for other ways to get involved in the health care campaign.

All for now!
~Alia

Earn This Shirt!

More and more WFSE members are showing up around the state with the very stylish "WFSE for Gregoire" t-shirt. You have probably said to yourself, "Man! How can I get a cool shirt like that?"

These shirts are not for sale. You can't get one by attending a meeting. The only way to get a "WFSE for Gregoire" t-shirt is to EARN it!

It's not that hard, really. There are a lot of opportunities. All you have to do is volunteer in support of a WFSE-endorsed candidate, for a Labor to Neighbor phone bank or canvass, sign up five or more coworkers for PEOPLE, or attend an event in support of one of our coalition partners like Washington CAN!, the Healthy Washington Coalition or Health Care for America Now!. Lend a hand, and your shirt will be shipped directly to you ASAP.

But wait, there's more! If you volunteer multiple times you'll be eligible for even more fantastic prizes. Not only that, these events are usually a lot of fun, you'll be able to bask in the glow of making a difference on behalf of your own economic self-interest, and you'll be the envy of your friends and coworkers as you proudly wear your new shirt.

So don't delay. Get involved today! For more information, or to receive your shirt, contact April Sims at 1-800-562-6002 or e-mail AprilS@wfse.org. -- Dennis

Regional PEOPLE Conferences in Seattle and Spokane on Aug. 9

Our final two Regional PEOPLE Conferences will be held on Saturday, August 9th, in Seattle and Spokane. Any member in good standing from the region is eligible to attend. You'll have an opportunity to make a final decision on endorsements for selected legislative races. We're also including some political action training and giving members another opportunity to play the wildly popular State Employee Game.

There will be some important decisions for members to make, but we also are determined to make sure these events are fun and informative. Lunch will be provided, and members who travel outside of their home county to attend can get their mileage reimbursed.

The endorsements to be considered at these conferences are as follows:

Aug. 9, Machinist's Hall, 9125 15th Pl S, Seattle, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
This region includes all of King County.

33rd LD House Pos. 1
The candidates are Todd Gibson (R) and Tina Orwall (D). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team recommends Orwall.

34th LD House Pos. 2
The candidate is Rep. Sharon Nelson (D). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team recommends Nelson.

36th LD House Pos. 1
The candidates are Leslie Bloss (R), John Burbank (D) and Reuven Carlyle (D). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team recommends Burbank.

41st LD House Pos. 1
The candidates are Steve Litzow (R) and Marcie Maxwell (D). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team recommends Maxwell.

46th LD House Pos. 1
The candidates are Keith Ljunghammer (R), Gerry Pollet (D) and Scott White (D). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team recommends White.

Aug. 9, Red Lion Inn at the Park, W 303 North River Dr, Spokane, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
This region covers Spokane and the far eastern portion of the state from Stevens to Walla Walla counties.

4th LD Senate
The candidates are Sen. Bob McCaslin (R) and Judi Owens (D). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team recommends Owens.

6th LD House Pos. 2
The candidates are Rep. John Ahern (R) and John Driscoll (D). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team recommends Driscoll.

9th LD House Pos. 2
The candidates are Rep. Joe Schmick (R), Tyana Kelley (D) and Christopher Winter (G). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team recommends Schmick.

16th LD Senate
The candidate is Sen. Mike Hewitt (R). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team recommends Hewitt.

Keep in mind that a recommendation from an interview team is just that... a recommendation. These recommendations will be presented to the Regional PEOPLE Conferences, and the conference delegates will make the final decision on whether or not WFSE will endorse these candidates. This is your chance to make your voice heard on these important decisions.

There is still space available at both events. To sign up to attend, or to get more information, contact Diana Whitmore at 1-800-562-6002 or e-mail diana@wfse.org. Don't be square, be there! -- Dennis

Sen. Rasmussen's 23rd Annual Corn Feed

Sen. Marilyn Rasmussen (D-2) has sent out a special invitation to WFSE members to attend her "23rd Annual Old-Fashioned Barbecue and Corn Feed." Come for food, fun, and to show your appreciation for all the support we've received from Marilyn over the years. The event is Saturday, August 23, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at Marilyn's farm in Eatonville. To sign up to attend call April at 1-800-562-6002 or send an e-mail to lpa@wfse.org.

Shufflin' for Sen. Prentice

Last Saturday more than 50 union members gathered for the Labor to Neighbor walk in support of Sen. Margarita Prentice and Gov. Chris Gregoire. We visited with union members in the 11th District to tell them about our endorsed candidates. Sen. Prentice was thrilled with the show of support from labor and promised to remember our efforts on her behalf. Special kudos to Sandy Duron from the Seattle Field Office who participated in the Labor to Neighbor program for the very first time. It was a lot of fun! The best part was that virtually every union member we talked to was really nice and supportive, and we felt like we really made a difference. Here is a picture of Sandy and Sen. Prentice, along with a suspicious-looking interloper. -- Dennis

I'm Back! Did You Miss Me?

I was traveling on business all last week. So now I'm posting a collection of news and notes that I've been accumulating in the meantime.

- Adam Wilson of the Olympian recently reported that the Pension Funding Council has adopted a new formula that could actually result in a cost reduction for most state employees. Under the revised projection, PERS member contribution rates would go down from 5.45% in 2008-09 to 4.61% in 2009-11. The news isn't as good for PSERS members, who would see their rates increase slightly. Of course, all of this is subject to approval by the Legislature in the 2009 session.

- If you had any doubts why it's absolutely critical that we support Chris Gregoire this year, look no further than California. In response to his state's budget problems, Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is fighting to "cut the pay of 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 an hour." Is there any doubt Dino Rossi would do the same thing? After all, he wrote the 2003-05 budget that resulted in a net pay reduction for state workers for four years in a row.

- Congressional Quarterly just released a revised list of the Top 10 Congressional Challengers. According to their report, WFSE-endorsed Congressional candidate Darcy Burner (D-8) is now ranked #3 in the nation.

- There was a huge uproar last week over President Bush joking about how "Wall Street got drunk" in reference to the collapsing housing market. In response, syndicated columnist Marianne Means wrote that Bush "failed to mention that he had been the bartender at this orgy..." Thanks to the power of Youtube, you can see the clip here and judge for yourself.

- On July 15 I wrote about how the mainstream media had apparently sat on a story about Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland being accused of sexually harassing a DNR employee. One day after HorsesAss.org broke the story, the Seattle Times finally published their own article on the incident. The Associated Press also ran the story and it was reported in media outlets across the state. David Postman, whom I really respect, agreed that the criticism of Sutherland (and the media's failure to report on information they had received months ago) was valid, but questioned the double-standard of Democratic partisans who brushed off similar accusations about former Governor Mike Lowry, the Democratic nominee whom Sutherland defeated for Public Lands Commissioner eight years ago. Of course, if all Democrats had been willing to look the other way regarding Lowry, Sutherland wouldn't have been elected in the first place. In 2000, Lowry received 195,000 fewer votes than Al Gore and 147,000 fewer votes than Maria Cantwell. [Note: WFSE has endorsed Democrat Peter Goldmark for Commissioner of Public Lands]

- Speaking of the Seattle Times, reporter Ralph Thomas wrote an extensive piece that appeared in last Sunday's paper describing how Dino Rossi's losing gubernatorial campaign four years ago actually "helped push his income to the highest level he's reported since entering politics 16 years ago." David Postman followed the article up with a blog post re-examining Rossi's Forward Washington Foundation. According to Postman, "Forward Washington's biggest expenses included Rossi's $75,000 salary and $24,000 in legal fees. The foundation also spent $9,100 to buy copies of Rossi's self-published book." Rossi has so far refused to say who funded his foundation.

- Finally, due to the popularity of the video from the satirical website "The Onion" that I posted a couple of weeks ago (OK, to be honest, as far as I know it was only popular with the LPA Dept. staff), I'm dipping back into the vault of the Onion for another clip that cracked me up: "In the Know: Are Politicians Failing Our Lobbyists?" Please forgive me.

-- Dennis

The Beginning of the End for Rep. Jim Dunn?

The Columbian (Vancouver, WA) has been reporting heavily on the 17th District House race where embattled incumbent Jim Dunn (R) is facing challenges from both Democrat Tim Probst and Republican Joseph James. First, the Columbian wrote about how both challengers are raising quite a bit of money. [Note: According to the latest PDC filings, Rep. Dunn hasn't raised or spent a single dime.] Then the Columbian editorialized that both "Probst and James quickly shine as superior to the incumbent of intolerable incompetence." [Another note: Rep. Dunn said he would attend the WFSE candidate interview session we scheduled, but didn't show up. Don't feel bad. He blew off the Columbian's editorial board, too.] In the latest twist, the 17th District Republican precinct committee officers voted 16-1 to endorse Dunn's Republican opponent -- the first time they've ever endorsed a challenger over an incumbent. [Final note: Our members have voted to endorse Democrat Tim Probst in this race.] -- Dennis

WFSE Leg Department - Working or Just Playing Games?

Well, you could say a little of both.

The Council 28 political action staff developed a creative and fun board game designed around gaining PEOPLE power to overcome the weighted odds given to misguided politicians and mean spirited managers.

Roll the dice against a short-sighted politician or stupid manager! Contact the LPA Dept if you would like to play the game or use it for your next local meeting.

Those who have played it love it. -- April

More Endorsements

Saturday's Regional PEOPLE Conferences in Kelso and Everett formally adopted several new WFSE endorsements.

Endorsements approved at the Kelso Conference were:

17th LD House Pos. 1: Tim Probst (D)
18th LD House Pos. 1: Jaime Herrera (R)
18th LD House Pos. 2: Ed Orcutt (R)
49th LD House Pos. 1: Jim Jacks (D)

Endorsements approved at the Everett Conference were:

10th LD House Pos. 1: Tim Knue (D)
10th LD House Pos. 2: Patricia Terry (D)
21st LD House Pos. 2: Marko Liias (D)
40th LD Senate: Dual endorsement for Ken Henderson (D) and Steve Van Luven (R)
44th LD House Pos. 2: Liz Loomis (D)

A recommendation from the local interview team to endorse Kirk Pearson (R) in the 39th LD, House Pos. 2, was not adopted. Rep. Pearson has worked closely with our DOC members over the past couple of years, but none of our members from DOC attended the conference and the motion to endorse Pearson died.

Get Energized at the Washington CAN! Summer Leadership Conference

From our friends at the Washington Community Action Network:

2008 Summer Leadership Conference
August 15-17
Seattle University

Have fun and get active with us and our partners from the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations at the 2008 Summer Leadership Conference. Our Keynote Speaker is Ben Cohen, cofounder of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and a long-time progressive activist.

- Meet other leaders like you from Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
- Participate in workshops on strategies for achieving health care reform and immigrant rights, led by experts from around the country.
- Learn organizing skills such as public speaking, framing and messaging, building organizing campaigns, and power analysis.
- Take action to make change!

Participation for Washington CAN! members is free! Youth are encouraged to attend.

Call Tim at 206-389-0050 x115 for more information.

Space is Limited. Register Today.

WFSE members are not only invited to attend the conference, we'll also cover expenses for you to go. If you call Washington CAN! to register, tell them you're a WFSE member. For information and assistance send an e-mail to lpa@wfse.org.

Regional PEOPLE Conferences this Saturday in Kelso and Everett

This coming Saturday, July 19th, we'll be holding Regional PEOPLE Conferences in Kelso and Everett. The conferences are responsible for making final endorsement decisions on selected legislative races, but we're also including some fun political action training activities, too. Of course, lunch will be provided and members traveling outside of their home county can get their mileage reimbursed. So what are you waiting for?

July 19, Kelso Red Lion, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
This region covers southwest Washington, including most of Thurston County. The following races will be considered:

17th LD House Pos. 1
Candidates are Rep. Jim Dunn (R), Joseph James (R), and Tim Probst (D). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team made no recommendation. In the absence of a recommendation from the interview team, staff will present a recommendation in support of Probst.

18th LD House Pos. 1
Candidates are Rep. Jaime Herrera (R) and Vanessa Duplessie (D). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team recommends Herrera.

18th LD House Pos. 2
Candidates are Rep. Ed Orcutt (R) and Jonathan Fant (D). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team recommends Orcutt.

49th LD House Pos. 1
Candidates are Jim Jacks (D), John Nyberg (R) and Debbie Peterson (R). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team recommends Jacks.

July 19, Everett Holiday Inn, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
This region covers northwest Washington, from Snohomish County on up to the border. The following races will be considered:

10th LD House Pos. 1
Candidates are Rep. Norma Smith (R) and Tim Knue (D). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team recommends Knue.

10th LD House Pos. 2
Candidates are Rep. Barbara Bailey (R), Ann McDonald (D) and Patricia Terry (D). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team recommends Terry.

21st LD House Pos. 2
Candidates are Rep. Marko Liias (D) and Andrew Funk (R). Interviews will be conducted July 18 in Everett. Any member from the region may participate.

39th LD House Pos. 2
Candidates are Rep. Kirk Pearson (R), Samantha Hicks (no party) and David Personius (D). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team recommends Pearson.

40th LD Senate
Candidates are Hue Beattie (D), Paul Gonzales (D), Ken Henderson (D), Stephanie Kountouros (D), Kevin Ranker (D), Timothy Stoddard (SY) and Steve Van Luven (R). Local interviews were conducted and the interview team recommends a dual endorsement of Henderson and Van Luven.

44th LD House Pos. 2
Candidates are Rep. Liz Loomis (D) and Mike Hope (R). Interviews will be conducted July 18 in Everett. Any member from the region may participate.

While the business portion of the Regional PEOPLE Conferences are important, we are stubbornly insisting on making sure these events are fun. I know, I know. It's heresy! Anyway, as part of the program, members will get an opportunity play The State Employee Game, a board game about gaining political power that was designed and produced by the LPA Department.

There is still space available at both events. To sign up contact Diana Whitmore at 1-800-562-6002 or at diana@wfse.org. Let Diana know if you want to attend a candidate interview session, too.

The final round of Regional PEOPLE Conferences will be Saturday, Aug. 9, in Spokane and Seattle. Details to be announced.

PS: Among the 40th LD Senate candidates is a fellow who filed as "Timothy (Cleaver) Stoddard" who prefers the "Salmon Yoga Party." I am not making this up! -- Dennis

Labor to Neighbor Walks Scheduled for Sat., July 26

The WA St Labor Council is organizing several Labor to Neighbor Walks for Saturday, July 26th. For the uninitiated, Labor to Neighbor is a program where union activists volunteer to talk to their fellow union members about labor-endorsed candidates. There are phone banks running every week (see earlier post) and walks are organized for most Saturdays.

The 26th is an important day because Labor to Neighbor will be canvassing in support of some candidates that are important WFSE targets. There are four walks scheduled that day, and we would encourage everyone to join one of these walks in support of some Legislators who have truly supported us.

Spokane: LD 6 -- Don Barlow & John Driscoll

Kirkland: LD 45 -- Roger Goodman

Tacoma: LD 26 -- Larry Seaquist & Kim Abel

Everett: LD 44 -- Liz Loomis

WFSE members who participate in a Labor to Neighbor event get a free "WFSE for Gregoire" t-shirt and a $10 gas card. Members who volunteer more often are eligible for even cooler prizes. To volunteer call April Sims at 1-800-562-6002 or e-mail her at AprilS@wfse.org. -- Dennis