A PUBLICATION OF THE EVERGREEN FREEDOM FOUNDATION 1

Unfortunately, legislators have been living outside their means—actually our means—for years! In the last six years, General Fund state spending has increased 31 percent, while the rate of inflation and population grew at roughly half that pace.

In 2007, when revenue collections were at an all-time high, legislators out-spent the revenue forecast by more than $1.3 billion. If legislators couldn’t discipline themselves to balance the budget when the state took in record revenues, is it any wonder they are unable to balance the budget today?

Total state spending, despite claims of a $9 billion shortfall and $4 billion in cuts made last year, is up $1.3 billion since the last budget cycle. Process that for a moment. Only in Olympia is a reduction of a hoped-for increase considered a cut.

Democrats claim that last year they passed an all-cuts budget, and that it’s only fair that taxpayers shoulder some of the pain this year; and yet, last year they approved over half a billion dollars in targeted tax and fee increases. They raided almost every dedicated account in the state, including the liquor control board account, which resulted in an $80 million tax hike on the price of liquor.

In facing what is essentially a three-year budget deficit of $5.6 billion, are legislators holding hearings to discover ways to deliver essential services more efficiently, to cut unnecessary expenditures, or to ensure we are only spending tax dollars on the most effective and needed programs? No! Since the legislative session began, budget hearings have overwhelmingly been geared toward various tax proposals; and most of the bills that might enact serious policy reforms, such as liquor privatization, have died. The ones that have

LIVING LIBERTYMARCH 2010 | WWW.EFFWA.ORG A PUBLICATION OF THE EVERGREEN FREEDOM FOUNDATION

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Push Back Continued on page 5 . . .

defending the constitution, state by state 8dispelling labor’s myths 4 state-funded preschool 5

n a chilly February Monday, over 3,000 people gathered on the Capitol steps in Olympia to re-

mind lawmakers that they work for us, not the other way around. We came to speak on behalf of our kids, grand-kids, mothers, fathers, neighbors or friends who could not speak for themselves, or who had to work that day.

It was a proud moment for those of us who worked on the event, though the beauty of it was that no single organization was responsible for everyone who came. Although the Freedom Foundation spear-headed the event, we had many visible and invisible partners that spread the word in their communities. Americans for Prosperity, National Federation of Independent Business, Farm Bureau, Washington Eagle Forum, Conservative Underground, Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, Campaign for Liberty, various 9/12 and Tea Party groups across the state printed flyers, arranged carpools, and hosted sign-making parties prior to the event.

Hundreds of people traveled more than 100 miles to make the trip to Olympia; and even Eastern Washington had an impressive showing of people who drove 5 or 6 hours that morning to rally and then meet personally with legislators to share their concerns.

Creativity was on display with a plethora of hand-made signs dotting the Capitol steps. Rarely were any two signs alike, but the overriding message to lawmakers was, “Live within your means, just like the rest of us.”

Push Back 2010RememBeR in novemBeRby Amber Gunn

O

“ Live within youR means, just Like the Rest of us.”

2 LIVING LIBERTY

345789101112

“Quote”

Evergreen Freedom Foundation PO Box 552

Olympia, WA 98507(360) 956-3482

Fax (360) 352-1874 info@effwa.org • www.effwa.org

VOLUME 20, Issue 3

EFF’s mission is to advance

individual liberty, free enterprise and

limited, accountable government.

This Issue

Publisher:Lynn Harsh

Editors:Rich FriasSteven Maggi

Layout:Joel Sorrell

MARCH 2010

LETTER FROM LYNN | by Lynn Harsh THE DESIGNATED CHAPERONES OF SELF-GOVERNANCE DISPELLING LABOR’S MYTHS | by Rachel Culbertson SENATE GUTS I-960 IN FIRST STEP TO RAISING TAXES | by Brett Davis STATE-FUNDED PRESCHOOL | by Diana Cieslak AMERICA’S SUCCESS-PROOF CURE FOR EDUCATION

LEGACY SPOTLIGHT | by Irene Endicott

DEFENDING THE CONSTITUTION, STATE BY STATE | by Trent England THE BENEFITS OF MONTHLY GIVING | by Juliana McMahan 20,000 CITIZENS PUSH BACK AGAINST NEW TAXES | by Lasse Lund

WILL OREGON VOTE PUSH JOBS TO WASHINGTON? | by Scott St. Clair A MASSACHUSETTS EXCELLENT ADVENTURE | by Scott St. Clair

DIARY OF A FREEDOM LOVING MOM | by Judy Parkins FACEBOOk WAITS FOR NO MAN CASSAN’S EMINENT DOMAIN BATTLE ENDS | by Scott Roberts

he Evergreen Freedom Founda-tion’s Constitutional Law Cen-

ter is urging the Washington state Su-preme Court to review a ruling from the state Court of Appeals that could affect how property taxes are assessed across the state.

In 2002 the Mason County Conservation District imposed a temporary assessment of $5.00 per parcel for all parcels one acre or larger. In 2003, a group of property owners challenged the assessment, arguing that it was an unconstitutional property tax. The group eventually won a victory at trial. On appeal, the Court of Appeals upheld the assessment, calling it a regulatory fee as the money collected was used to improve water

quality. The property owners are now asking the state Supreme Court to review the case—Cary v. Mason Conservation District.

The Freedom Foundation filed an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief in support of the property owners. Unfortunately, the Court of Appeals ruling muddies the distinction between assessments, taxes and fees, and makes it easier for municipalities to impose bogus taxes on property owners. While the assessment is only a $5 temporary assessment, the ramifications are significant if municipalities can start imposing new assessments without following the proper procedure. We hope the Supreme Court accepts this case for review and rules that Mason County circumvented the constitutional restrictions on special assessments.

Tby Michael Reitz

EFF urges Washington state Supreme Court to review property assessment ruling

Stunning results shine through our new study, Sweeping the Shop Floor: A New Labor Model for America. This comprehensive look at the origins

of organized labor in America reveal that current labor laws not only hamper worker freedom, but are simply obsolete. Worse,

this coercive, collective labor model hobbles a thriving free marketplace—and thus the overall economy. In order for our nation to re-emerge as a global leader, we need to change. Labor laws should be as innovative and dynamic as the

Americans they serve. Sweeping the Shop Floor proposes a new labor model which would neutralize government’s involvement

in the workplace and disarm powerful union monopolies, placing the American Dream back into the hands of the American people.

“When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of

the republic.”

- Benjamin Franklin

A PUBLICATION OF THE EVERGREEN FREEDOM FOUNDATION 3

Letter from LynnLETTER FROM LY NNby Lynn Harsh

The Designated Chaperones of Self-Governance

I n high school, it occurred to me that I was an acci-dent waiting to happen. It seemed inevitable that my

love of adventure, fascination with people and ideas, and general fearlessness about the future were going to combine in life-changing ways—some great; some dev-astating. Sure enough!

After a few bad outcomes, my solution was to cul-tivate relationships with people who were wiser and more thoughtful than I, and who had my permission to speak into my life. I began to appreciate and even crave accountability.

To this day, several adult friends (and my children) have my permission to look me straight in the eye and tell me if they think I’m swerving off my “life rails.” They are my designated chaperones, and I am grateful for them.

I’m pretty sure most of you know what it’s like when the emotion of the moment looms larger than good judg-ment and proper conduct. But sooner rather than later, wise people choose lifestyles that enhance their life mis-sion, which hopefully means they invest in the well-being of others. They generally behave in ways that transcend the moment, the emotion, and the circumstance. People like me build responsible personal boundaries and buy cars with cruise control.

We self-govern!This is the indispensible part of living in a free country

that few people want to discuss. It is our unwillingness as a people to self-govern that allows us to think that government should use other people’s money to pay for our risky lifestyle choices or rescue us from foreclosure or save our business from bankruptcy.

Our state and federal constitutions give government certain responsibilities, all of which cost money—our money. And government is a monopoly, so it will never be perfectly efficient in meeting those responsibilities. It can’t be. That’s why we should limit it to its specific enumerated functions. In the arenas where it belongs, we need to be grateful for our government’s existence.

Unfortunately, we have allowed government to invade every part of our lives. For that privilege we pay more than half our annual wages. Lots of those costs are hid-den in every product we buy and service we use. Some of the costs have been pushed forward to the next gen-eration. Otherwise we’d all be in soup lines right now.

During this current state legislative session, the Dem-ocrat majority passed oppressive new taxes to pay for services and functions that government ought not to be

providing in the first place. They get by with it because so many people hound them to do things for us. In fact, many Americans think government is supposed to meet all our most important needs if we can’t or don’t want to do it ourselves.

But government’s principal role is not compassion. It’s justice! Government will collapse under its own weight if officeholders continue to use it as the “Great Provider.”

In a free country citizens must first self-govern. Then we can assume our role of designated chaperone for our government. This is vital to our survival.

And if you are one of more than 500,000 elected officeholders in this country, you are chaperones of the law: guiding and protecting individual rights and equal opportunity as it meets the special interest “heat of the moment.” You must look past today to preserve tomor-row. You must refuse to let government assume respon-sibilities best left to individuals and private organiza-tions.

But this does not describe most elected officials today. Why?

First, we have failed to self-govern. We elect office-holders, the majority of whom are in the same boat. We give government officials power to clean up our messes. They expand their power and create their own reality. Most of them have no significant private-sector work experience. Thousands of lobbyists with checkbooks and political power surround them day-in and day-out.

Normal people—the designated chaperones of gov-ernment—stay home, watch the clock and just hope that our elected officials won’t end up breaking curfew and hanging out with a bad crowd. When they do, we believe their excuses and, in effect, give them the car keys again (instead of un-electing them). They have no incentive to change.

It will not surprise you to know that I have a few suggestions about how to fix this mess:

• Elect people at all levels of gov-ernment who have significant private-sector experience. Un-elect most of the ones with-out it. There are many ways to serve one’s country without running for office.

You can define “significant” for yourself, but flipping hamburgers at an after-school job (important as it is) doesn’t count as “signifi-

cant” in my book. For the most part, neither does running an institution or organization that exists primarily on public dollars.

Does that mean a person has no hope of being a good elected official without a lot

of private-sector experience? No. Some who grew up helping their families run a business get it. But the odds are slim, and not worth chancing very often.

• Elect people who will be unhappy making elected office a career. Good lawmakers sacrifice a portion of their adult lives to serve in what generally speaking should be a thankless, under-paid job. If you have contented, long-serving legislators, you and they have a problem.

• Elect people who insist on transparency for all pro-posed legislation, public spending and special exemp-tions. Of course this is messy and slows everything down to a crawl. But government gridlock due to openness and deliberation is usually a good thing!

• Work on laws that allow legislators and members of Congress to vote from their home districts. I want to thank pollster Scott Rasmussen for this idea. They need to be in their own districts surrounded by con-stituents when they contemplate how to vote, not sur-rounded by the culture of parasites and fear-mongers that pervade Washington D.C., and Olympia.

For the more than two hundred thirty years of our young country’s life, millions of people have sacrificed

their lives and fortunes to make this a more perfect union united in liberty. The last

two generations in this country, mine included, have been distracted on our watch. The generations to come cannot enjoy liberty with this kind of slothfulness.

Let’s make it right.

“ But government’s principal role is not compassion. it’s justice! government will collapse under its own weight if officeholders continue to use it as the ‘great provider.’ ”

4 LIVING LIBERTY

hey finally really did it. After two tries, the state Senate

passed a bill (SB 6130) to amend voter-approved Initiative 960 to tem-porarily get rid of its requirement for a two-thirds vote for tax increases. The second attempt to amend the voter-approved initiative was necessary because the majority party said they accidentally voted on the wrong version of the bill. The first vote only struck down I-960’s two-thirds provision for a tax increase, leaving in place the public advisory vote on tax increases, as well as trans-parency provisions. The do-over vote struck down I-960 in its entirety.

Other sections of the legislation include permanent changes, such as any future tax increase going toward a voter-approved initiative needs only a simple majority vote. Another permanent change: The definition of a tax increase was altered to exclude I-960’s definition, which included changing or repealing tax preferences, fixing court decisions that reduced revenue (Dot Foods, Inc. v. Department of Revenue) and fund transfers.

One legislator described I-960 as a “straight jacket” when it came to budgeting. In reality, the hollowing out of I-960—approved by voters in 2007—is but a prelude to the Legislature’s main goal: raising taxes to deal with the state’s $2.8 billion budget deficit, rather than getting a handle on out-of-control spending.

In his testimony last month before the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Senate Bill 6842—the original bill gutting I-960—Bob Williams, founder and senior fellow of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, laid out the case that profligate spending, not a lack of revenue, is the problem:

“General fund state spending is up $7.2 billion, or 31 percent, since the 2003-05 budget. Total state spending, despite all the talk about a $9 billion shortfall, is up $1.3 billion since the last budget cycle. And despite all the complaining, you only managed to reduce Near General Fund spending by 3.2 percent.

Every budget Governor Gregoire has submitted to the Legislature has spent more than the revenue forecast, but the Legislature has made the problem

worse by using accounting gimmicks, fund transfers, underfunding pensions, etc. to allegedly balance the budget. Long-term solutions have been repeatedly pushed forward and the crisis is growing. You are already aware that you face a $2.8 billion shortfall next year, plus more than $3 billion in federal funding that will not be there.

Moody’s Investors Service now gives Washington a negative credit outlook, and almost everything you are doing will exacerbate the problem. Moody’s lists some of their primary concerns as: an increased reliance on one-time budget solutions, a protracted structural budget imbalance and failure to adopt a plan to cover expenditures once stimulus dollars run out.”

Then there’s the questionable wisdom of upping taxes during an economic downturn that’s already hurting households and businesses. Private employment is down by 165,000 jobs statewide over the last two years. Businesses are facing a 50 percent or greater increase in

Public-sector unions are demanding higher taxes, which they claim will create, protect, and strengthen jobs. They say that lawmakers must “raise revenue” in order to protect the health and safety of Washington families.We took a look at organized labor’s claims, and put them to the test.

Tby Brett DavisSenate guts I-960 in first step to raising taxes

Senate guts I-960 Continued on page 6 . . .

MythFilling Washington’s state budget gap by raising taxes will protect critical services and institutions as well as 23,000 state employee jobs and 14,000 private-sector jobs.

FactRaising taxes will protect inefficient spending, including some bloated state salaries. In the state of Washington, the average public-sector salary has been higher than the average private-sector salary since 1977. In 2007, government workers made an average of about $19,500 more than private-sector workers.

MythRepealing Initiative 960 allows legislators to do their job: finance state services and employment.

FactLegislators were not elected simply to perpetuate the machinery of government. They were elected to represent their constituents. Repealing I-960’s transparency laws and limits on tax increases takes power away from the people.

MythIt is illegal for Governor Gregoire to renegotiate state contracts with unions. Doing so will result in a lawsuit.

FactState law explicitly allows renegotiation of labor agreements during a recession. “[I]f a significant revenue shortfall occurs resulting in reduced appropriations, as declared by proclamation of the governor or by resolution of the legislature, both parties shall immediately enter into collec-tive bargaining for a mutually agreed upon modi-fication of the agreement.” RCW 41.80.010(6)

MythRenegotiating state contracts would cost jobs and harm vital services.

FactRenegotiations would allow the state to find less expensive health care plans and adjust pay increases, actually preventing the need for lay-offs. And prioritizing government programs would reduce spending for non-essential services and potentially allow the state to increase invest-ment in vital services.

MythLast year, state employees did not receive their four percent in expected pay increases, state pension contributions were reduced, and state employees faced higher out-of-pocket costs for health care. Mandating furloughs for state employees will amount to a nine percent pay loss.

FactLosing a hoped-for pay increase is not a salary cut, and 40 percent of state employees are scheduled to receive step increases this year. A decrease in pension investment now means taxpayers will con-tribute more in the future to make up the differ-ence. And the higher out-of-pocket costs for health care are still half what private-sector workers pay.

MythFinancing energy efficiency and repairs in our pub-lic schools will rebuild Washington’s schools and will retain or create 40,000 jobs.

FactCreating these jobs by passing SB 6547—the “Green Jobs Bill”—will cause the state to borrow $860 million through bond sales on the heels of our state receiving a negative credit outlook; and with our state treasurer warning that without action, we’ll be broke by September.

MythExtending collective bargaining rights to child care workers will strengthen their jobs and allow them a voice in workplace decisions.

FactThe collective bargaining provisions of HB 1329 would classify daycare workers as state employ-ees only for the purpose of bargaining with and lobbying state government. Traditional collective bargaining is not allowed. The proposal is a crass attempt to collect more union dues and create a lobbying monopoly.

A PUBLICATION OF THE EVERGREEN FREEDOM FOUNDATION 5

will go homeless, lose their feet, catch tuberculosis, or even die if we don’t raise taxes. These were all actual arguments made in press conferences and public hearings this year to foster support for tax increases.

Do these legislators and tax advocates mean to say that they would prefer to let people lose their feet, rather than ask state employees to pay a bit more than 12 percent of their own health insurance premiums?

Do they mean to say that they would rather spend millions every year on tourism projects and public art, rather than dedicate that money toward public health or education, which they claim face massive deficits?

Do they mean to say they would prefer to let people die, rather than transfer at least some of the state-monopolized services like liquor, ferries and parks to the private sector?

The truth is, legislators haven’t come close to exhausting all their options when it comes to balancing the budget. Until they do, they have no business turning to taxpayers for a bailout.

Citizens who gathered on the Capitol steps sent lawmakers a clear message, and they ignore it at their peril.

Whatever decisions they make before the end of the legislative session, they can rest assured that we will remember in November.

hile state agencies might sing the praises of public

school improvement, there’s a gener-al consensus—and a fact-based one, at that—that the United States is in an educational crisis.

The good news is the nation and its leaders are aware of the crisis. The bad news is some proposed solutions will only make matters worse.

Among the most popular “silver bullets” is state-funded preschool. The premise is that small children—particularly those coming from economically disadvantaged families—currently enter kindergarten unprepared, setting them up for failure in the 12 years of school that follow. By offering preschool to all children (free of charge for those who can’t afford it), early learning advocates expect all of k-12 learning to improve. President Obama projected that for every one dollar spent on early learning, we can expect a ten dollar return for the economy.

The federal government has had its hands in early learning for some time. A study by the Heritage Foundation called Head Start Earns an F, points out that, “Since 1965, the federal government has spent more than $167 billion on the Head Start program” and currently spends “approximately $25 billion annually on 69 preschool and childcare programs.”

Unfortunately, this investment has not paid off. A study evaluating Head Start’s effectiveness was

commissioned in the late 1990’s, and its results were recently made public. The Head Start Impact Study Final Report concludes, “The benefits of access to Head Start at age 4 are largely absent by first-grade for the program population as a whole. For 3-year-olds, there are few sustained benefits.”

Despite this evidence—and other research on state-level preschool programs—both the federal government and Washington’s state legislature are barreling forward. In January, Senator Rosemary McAuliffe introduced a bill by request of the governor that would establish a program of voluntary state-funded preschool for every 3- and 4-year-old in Washington. Governor Gregoire calls the program “All Start.” Senator Claudia kauffman took state-funded preschool even further by introducing a bill that would include it in Washington’s definition of a “basic education.”

Sitting in my office in mid-February, I can’t confidently say whether either of these bills will have passed by the time this publication comes out. One thing I am certain of, though, is that the case for state-funded preschool is not going to go away. Certain incentives will drive policymakers and education special interests to push for statewide early learning—regardless of what the data says.

First, statewide preschool gives politi-cians an attractive cause to champion—a shiny new toy—that will play on the sym-pathies of both the higher-ups in Washing-ton D.C., and their constituents.

What’s more, offering state-funded preschool expands the government’s reach. Senator McAuliffe’s bill requires a government agency to determine criteria for providers, criteria for educators, performance measures, program materials, etc. For those who believe the more government the better, this is a powerful draw.

Lastly, teacher unions would benefit tremendously from a program like “All Start.” By requiring instructors at approved facilities to be certified, this legislation

would create an entirely new category of potential union members.

And what would be the result? We would have added two more years of publicly-funded education—while the thirteen years the state currently provides continue to fail our children. In the private sector the data we have would mean the end of this brainchild; in government, it will likely mean spending more money on it.

The good news is that positive things are still happening in education. Good teachers and administrators are still out there, and innovation is on the rise. Online schools, alternative learning programs, dropout prevention and

reengagement, and outsourcing are all opening doors to new options. When the Massachusetts Institute

of Technology offers countless free high school courses online, we are in a position to give students unheard-of opportunities.

Legislators must answer for the data on state-funded preschool. Decision-making must be driven by

common sense and facts. First, cut wasteful programs: if it doesn’t work, it goes. Second, keep effective programs: new techniques and time-tested approaches are both getting the job done. Those programs should not be thrown in front of the bus to make room for wasteful new fads. Lastly, do not implement a new program in spite of reliable data proving its ineffectiveness.

For innovation and success to be the rule instead of the exception, the facts need to have the floor. And Americans need to have the facts.

survived, such as the state employee furlough bill, have been whittled down to the point of pittance.

And yet, taxpayers who rallied on the Capitol steps were cajoled by big government advocates who were also present, and accused of being greedy or radical for opposing higher taxes.

Friends, which is more radical—wanting to hang onto what rightfully belongs to you, or wanting to take by force what belongs to someone else to use for your own purposes?

The tax-hiking proposals currently being considered by the legislature would not only reduce our discretionary income outright, but would also kill private-sector jobs and slow our economic recovery.

In the House alone, legislators have proposed over 75 tax and fee-hiking bills at a cost of more than $3 billion during the first year. Some of these proposals include a $1 billion sales tax increase, a doubling of the death tax, a cigarette tax hike, a candy tax, a bottled water tax, and an oil tax which amounts to a 6-cent per-gallon gas tax increase for consumers.

Unfortunately, now that legislators have stomped all over Initiative 960—the Taxpayer Protection Act—it isn’t a matter of whether taxes will be raised, but which taxes and when.

Clearly, Democrats are confident enough in their majorities to believe that they can get away with a multi-billion dollar tax hike proposal, despite the check of November elections.

They suppose that they can deceive voters into believing that there is no other way, and that people

Wby Diana CieslakState-funded preschool: America’s success-proof cure for education

Regional coordinators Autumn TorresShelby BlakelyNansen MalinKeli CarendarMark Ditlefsen

Legislative District volunteers Dennis Richter 1James Nicholls 2Judy Nicholls 2Cheri Schoenrock 5Jon Stephenson 6Lucky Davis 13Ron Torres 14Steven Edwards 15Diego Trejo 15Brian Peck 17Lynn Costello 17Ann Rivers 18Edie Faylor 19Jean Harrington 19Gail Baer 19Bruce Palm 20Kris Grassman 22Don Crawford 22Colleen Smith 23Pat Tenhulzen 24John Bayman 25Dawn Land 25Jon Higley 27Gary Hourigan 27Judy Hourigan 27Bryan Schmauder 28Evalina Schmauder 28Larry Killion 29Mary Killion 29Colleen Wise 31

Greg Woodworth 31Ted Robinson 31Randy Hayden 32Nancy Williams 35John Kutscher 36Patty Stover 36Keli Carendar 37Steve Beren 43Ashley Watkins 45Sally Oljar 46James Watkins 48Debbie Peterson 49

Rally volunteers Jerry BuccolaKay BuccolaJenny BuccolaMolly BuccolaJohn CartmellStuart DrebickEileen FloretteJeanne FosterMeishelle HaverkampSterling HillJim LivingstonJeanie McCombsDan MichaelLouise MinichBarbara MobergRobert PourpasandLinda PourpasandCheryl RawlinsMarilyn RobertsonJeff SeemanPat TarzwellSandy TarzwellJenaya Van HornRosie Warren

The Evergreen Freedom Foundation would like to thank all the volunteers who invested their time and energy into making the Push Back 2010 Rally a success.

thank you!Push Back 2010 Continued from page 1 . . .

“ Legislators must answer for the data on state-funded preschool.”

6 LIVING LIBERTY

seating is LimiteD. Please contact Laurie at 800-769-6617 or email iendicott@effwa.org for more information and to reserve your place.

2010scheDuLe

2010 schedule for the Freedom Foundation’s free estate planning workshops (tentative)

march 17 Bellevue/eastside

april 29south king county/tacoma

may 27olympia/vancouver

june 23tri cities (eastern washington)

september 30 north snohomish county/whatcom county

Planning for Life

unemployment insurance taxes. The Department of Labor & Industries reports the average increase in workers’ compensation premiums this year is 7.6 percent.

The last thing struggling taxpayers and businesses need right now is an additional tax burden.

Then again, perhaps Washingtonians shouldn’t be surprised at the Senate’s removal of the tax-hiking

barrier that was I-960, given the state’s propensity for getting around the will of the people to take more of their money. For example, in 2005, the Legislature voted to set aside the requirement of Initiative 601 that tax increases be approved by a supermajority. Sound familiar? I-601, approved by voters in 1993, capped increases in government spending tied to inflation and population growth.

It’s no coincidence that after the removal of spending growth limits in 2005, lawmakers went on a fiscal roller coaster ride that included spending too much money

during boom times and creating unsustainable budgets that made bad economic times (like now) even worse.

Perhaps that poor performance explains another dis-turbing aspect of the modification of I-960: the elimina-tion of the requirement that the Office of Financial Man-agement provide a 10-year cost forecast on any tax in-creases. The legislation passed changes that to a five-or six-year forecast. A forecast is not required to be released at the initial public hearing on a tax increase bill; only if a subsequent public hearing is held. Of course, there is

usually not a subsequent public hearing. Typically, there is an initial public hearing, following by a work session (which is not a public hearing). Very sneaky.

At press time, having recently passed the House Finance Committee, the bill to suspend I-960 is poised to be voted on in the House of Representatives.

Five years after neutering I-601, the decision to make significant changes to I-960 that effectively renders its two-thirds requirement moot and dilutes its transparency provisions likely means the Legislature is looking to repeat history.

Senate guts I-960 Continued from page 4 . . .

“. . . the decision to make significant changes to I-960 that effectively renders its two-thirds requirement moot and dilutes its transparency

provisions likely means the Legislature is looking to repeat history.”

7401 164th Ave NERedmond, WA 98052425-498-4000Complimentary buffet luncheon

Wed., March 17, 20109:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.Marriott HotelRedmond Town Center

join us!March 17

Learn about trusts, wills and new lawsProtect your assetsUse your life values in your estate planningChoose the right tools for your particular situationLearn where to get helpGet your questions answered

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A PUBLICATION OF THE EVERGREEN FREEDOM FOUNDATION 7

THis monTHon radio free wasHingTon . . .

k t R w - a m 6 3 0 (sPokane/noRtheRn iDaho)

k s P o - f m 106.5 (sPokane)

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k ya k - a m 9 3 0 (yakima)

you can aLso tune in on satuRDays at 12:30 Pm, sunDays at 8:30 am,anD fRiDays at 2:30 Pm to: k t R w - a m 6 3 0 (sPokane/noRtheRn iDaho)

we BRing you the LeaDing exPeRts in PoLitics, PoLicy, anD enteRtainment.

ouR maRch Line-uP incLuDes:

errie O’Neal owns a small farm in Snohom-ish which has been dubbed The Hillside Zoo.

A sign on the porch says All the Animals – Two by Two. Terrie is caretaker, feeder, and vet to her dog, Dooley, two pygmy goats—Cricket and Clair, a burro named Prancer, a gander named Mr. Longa-necker, three hens, Mow Mow the refugee cat, and assorted other strays that have come onto the prop-erty looking for a “soft touch.” They all stay.

The gate to the Zoo, however, is known to neighbors as the place to check to see what’s going on at the Evergreen Freedom Foundation. Terrie posts important messages there from time to time for passersby to see. She places them on cardboard and in plastic as protection against the weather.

Terrie says, “I really like the Freedom Foundation. Bob Williams is one of the smartest men who ever walked the face of the earth. He holds government accountable. Some of the young people in my life were raised in conservative homes, but have learned that prayer isn’t welcome in school and that the Constitution is a living document to be changed at a whim. They don’t think their one little voice is going to be heard by government; but one voice joins another and another and before you know it, you have an army!

“I love how Lynn Harsh reaches out to young people through her concise writing and through social media. kids only have time today for what’s on their computer and that’s the way to get to them!

“When I heard about the estate planning workshops, I wanted to go because I knew that, coming from the Freedom Foundation, the information would be trustworthy and not boring. I was interested in legacy trusts and how to pass on values; and I wanted to learn how to set up something that will give me tax protection and ongoing money to support the Freedom Foundation in what they do. If someone sets up a trust, I think that what they believe in and live by should show up in it.

“It was great information at the Planning for Life workshop and a lot of fun! I liked that there weren’t hundreds of people there—just a nice small group. People relaxed and asked good questions. It’s a great thing the Freedom Foundation does for us.

“They have them every year. I might go to another one if I am not fishing.”

T

Legacy Spotlight

WISDOM FROM THE ZOOby Irene Endicott

jeb busHJeb Bush is Founder, Chairman of the Board and President of the Foundation for Excellence in Education. He served as the 43rd governor of Florida.

juan williamsJuan Williams is a Fox News Contributor and NPR Analyst.

micHelle malkinMichelle Malkin is a blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, author, and Fox News Contributor.

walTerwilliamsWalter Williams is an economist and radio talk show host.

scoTTrasmussenScott Rasmussen is a world-renowned pollster.

on-DemanD RaDio at www.RaDiofReewa.com or you can Listen in on satuRDays at 8:30 am

oR sunDays at 1:30 Pm on these stations:

if RaDio fRee washington isn’t

avaiLaBLe in youR aRea,

taLk to youR LocaL stations!

8 LIVING LIBERTY

he harbor below was dark gray, flecked with white. The wind that churned the waters buffeted

my commuter plane. I tried to calculate how much sleep I’d managed on the two flights: a red-eye from Seattle to Newark and then the shorter flight into Boston. It was Monday morning.

If you want to “Save Our States,” it makes sense that you might have to travel some. Our goal is to help policymakers and the public understand the importance of Federalism and to expose the particular threat of “National Popular Vote” (NPV). This trip would take me to seven state capitals and Washington, D.C., putting me in contact with scores of state legislators, legislative staff members, policy experts, and citizen activists.

The NPV proposal is bad public policy, but it is a clever political strategy. The policy would hijack the Electoral College, forcing it to yield the same result as a direct election for President. The strategy is an interstate compact—an agreement between state governments to ignore the will of their own voters and instead give all their electoral votes to whichever presidential candidate gets the most popular votes nationwide.

The NPV strategy avoids amending the Constitution, a very high bar that has consistently proven too difficult for Electoral College critics. And because changing the Electoral College has long been considered a federal issue, NPV’s state legislation initially had little organized opposition in state legislatures. Many legislators knew little about the proposal, even in states where NPV was poised to pass.

It snowed as I drove from Boston north through the corner of New Hampshire and into Maine. Augusta is a small town in a large state (for New England) with a small population. Maine is actually a poster-state for the Electoral College for two reasons. First, its low population density means that it could only lose power in a shift to direct presidential elections. Second, the state is one of two that has already exercised its power to modify how it awards its electoral votes.

Each state is entitled to Electoral College votes equal to its total number of United States Senators and Representatives. In Maine and Nebraska, one electoral vote is awarded to the presidential candidate who wins the most popular votes in each congressional district. The remaining two electoral votes go to the statewide winner. In those states, each relatively small and not currently considered a swing state, the effect is to encourage candidates to consider not just whether the whole state might “swing,” but to look at each congressional district as well.

T I met with Wendy Pelletier, director of the Maine chapter of Eagle Forum, in the evening and then drove down to the state Capitol building to get the lay of the land. The next morning I spoke with groups of state House and Senate members thanks to Senator Carol Weston. Chris Cinquemani, Director of Communications at The Maine Heritage Policy Center, introduced me to some reporters, and then we talked privately with a few more legislators. My final

uring these difficult economic times you may be looking for

ways to save a little money and spread out your expenses over the year. But at the same time, there are causes (like the Evergreen Freedom Foundation) you want to continue to support.

One way to make your life easier is through automatic, electronic giving (or e-giving). By signing up to make monthly donations, you can spread your annual giving over 12 months, making it easier on your budget. For example, a $10 per month donation would make a very small dent in most people’s wallet. That’s the price of

The final three days of the week brought me to Boston, Massachusetts; Hartford, Connecticut; and Providence, Rhode Island. In those states with large state capitals, I talked with legislative staff members, left literature and copies of Enlightened Democracy: The Case for the Electoral College, and visited with EFF’s local State Policy Network allies.

On Saturday I visited Charlestown, Massachusetts, and the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill before flying to Washington, D.C. I spent an hour at the Museum of American Art before crashing at the home of former colleagues from my days at The Heritage Foundation. Sunday afternoon I left for Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, one of my favorite state capitals.

The next day, in Pennsylvania’s grand Capitol building, I met two remarkable legislators. Senator Mike Folmer is a freshman Republican who refuses to collect some of his pay from the state because of his strong belief in limited government. Representative Joseph Preston, Jr., is a Democrat who was first elected in 1983. Yet both legislators reacted strongly against NPV before I could finish explaining it. Before he was elected, Senator Folmer helped found a group dedicated to educating Pennsylvanians about our nation’s founding principles. Representative Preston instantly remarked that people wouldn’t do things like NPV if they’d just read The Federalist Papers. He regularly makes his legislative staff read that famous defense of our Constitution.

I passed an Amish horse-drawn buggy on the drive to Dover, Delaware. Monday evening I met with the Chairman and Executive Vice President of the Caesar Rodney Institute. Delaware’s politics are tough, but on Tuesday I ventured into their federal-style Capitol building to leave materials for hopefully open-minded lawmakers. The drive back to Washington, D.C., cut across Maryland’s Eastern Shore, bridged the Chesapeake, and skirted Annapolis. On Wednesday I spoke at a gathering of center-right political groups, and then flew home by way of Chicago, where my suitcase spent an extra night.

Sitting in my EFF office two weeks after my morning in Maine, I learned that their House leadership had pulled the NPV bill onto the floor for a vote. There, despite NPV hiring multiple lobbyists and apparently spending over $40,000, the bill failed. Just 50 legislators voted for NPV while 95 voted against it, including every Republican and nearly half the Democrats.

The ten-day, whirlwind trip is just a part of EFF’s strategy to shine the light of truth on NPV’s attempt to “reform” our political structure. Through our EFF website, SaveOurStates.com, regular conference calls, and perhaps even a few more cross-country travels, we will inoculate legislators and citizens against NPV by educating them about our political principles and institutions. Thanks for your support.

a couple of lattes. But at the end of the year you would have $120 in tax-deductible contributions!

Reliable, consistent monthly income is the lifeblood of any organization. Because the Freedom Foundation does not take any public funding, we depend on our friends like you for support. It is humbling to know that so many of you make sacrifices throughout the year to support the work we do. We do not take your gifts lightly. Every gift, whether large or small, means a great deal to us.

We currently have over 450 investors who have signed up for convenient, automatic monthly giving. The

system we use is very secure (the same system used by your bank), and we carefully protect your confidential information. You can either use a credit card or have the donation automatically withdrawn from your bank account. It is all very safe and easy. You can sign up online (www.effwa.org) or follow the instructions on

the donation form you will find on Page 9 of this newsletter.

Monthly giving is a wonderful tool for everyone. It’s convenient for our investors, and provides the

Freedom Foundation with the reliable monthly income that helps us meet our budget. We couldn’t do what we do without you! Thank you for your support, however you choose to send it. Please think about becoming an automatic monthly giver if you are not already one.

visit, as it happened, was with the very thoughtful and exceptionally well-spoken Representative Herb Adams.

A Democrat from his state’s most urban House district, Representative Adams teaches government and civics at the University of Southern Maine. He understands that changes to our political structure risk unintended consequences, and that such changes deserve thoughtful deliberation. He clearly relished the opportunity to stand up for thoughtful political discourse against NPV’s ideologues and pay-to-play lobbyists.

From there it was south, then west, then north to Montpelier, Vermont, on Tuesday morning. In their Capitol building, I found legislators working, as they say, without a net: no offices, no personal staff, and almost no staff at all. The legislators—the people’s actual elected representatives—actually do the work of writing, considering, and legislating Vermont’s laws. There I talked with a string of legislators and met in the evening with several activists, including the co-host of a local radio program.

“ On Wednesday I spoke at a gathering of center-right political groups, and then flew home by way of Chicago, where my suitcase spent an extra night.”

by Trent EnglandDefending the Constitution, state by state

Oby Juliana McMahanThe benefits of monthly giving

“ We couldn’t do what we do without you!”

A PUBLICATION OF THE EVERGREEN FREEDOM FOUNDATION 9

Yes, I wAnt to Invest In tHe eveRgReen FReedoM FoundAtIon.

Dear Friend of EFF,

While we welcome every gift, our greatest need is reliable monthly support. It is imperative for reaching our goals. Please consider monthly giving as a way to invest in the cause of freedom. Our secure e-Giving System ensures that more of your contribution goes directly to our work.

Cordially,

Please mail or fax in this form (fax 360-352-1874) or call 360-956-3482. We will send you a confirmation letter for your records.

Your Donations to EFF are Tax Deductible!

Bank Debit/Credit Card Donation Authorization I request my bank or credit card company to transfer funds in the amount of $ each monthuntil further notice. I understand that I am in full control of my donation, and that I can decide to make any changes or discontinue the service at any time by calling 360-956-3482 or writing to EFF.

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I would, instead, like to give a one-time gift of $

n January 13, 2010, the Ever-green Freedom Foundation be-

gan circulating a petition that urged Washington legislators to avoid im-plementing new taxes in 2010, and to balance the budget using only exist-ing revenues. Citizens across the state responded enthusiastically, and it took only 15 days for more than 20,000 Washington citizens to sign our “No New Taxes” petition.

This outpouring of support for responsible government spending and taxation came close on the heels of a push in the opposite direction. Days earlier, the so-called “progressive” Rebuilding our Economic Future coalition completed gathering signatures for their pro-tax petition. This coalition, comprised mostly of

taxpayer-funded organizations and labor unions, turned in 14,000 names of people who support what they call a “progressive” approach to balancing the budget, which includes increased taxes and increased fees. Leaders of this coalition were eagerly greeted by Governor Gregoire, Speaker Chopp, and Senate Majority Leader Brown on the first day of the new legislative session.

When the Freedom Foundation attempted to meet with these same government officials, we got an entirely different response. On January 28th, representatives from the Freedom Foundation, along with twenty concerned taxpayers, presented our 20,000 signatures in person to the Speaker, Senate Majority Leader, and Governor. Or rather, we would have if they had made time to meet us. Unfortunately, Speaker Chopp was “in a meeting” and Senator Brown was unwilling or

unable to meet with us. Governor Gregoire was out of town. Prior to the delivery, we attempted to make appointments with each office.

Instead, we left the signatures with their legislative aides, who promised that they would ensure that their bosses received them.

It sends a pretty clear message when the governor, senate majority leader and speaker go out of their way to meet with pro-tax supporters on the first day of session, but won’t give concerned taxpayers the same courtesy.

The Evergreen Freedom Foundation will continue to work hard to ensure that the taxpayers of Washington state have their voices heard among those who represent us on Capitol Hill.

You can partner with us by joining our Citizen Action Network at www.effcan.org. You can also see a video of our petition delivery by visiting www.pushbacknotax.com.

Oby Lasse Lund20,000 citizens PUSH BACK against new taxes

10 LIVING LIBERTY

bout 23 percent of Oregon adults imposed $733 million

in new taxes that one analyst said could cost the state up to 80,000 new jobs needed to replace the 130,000 lost in the recession.

A public employee union leader said the new taxes won’t have people and businesses “lin-ing up at the bridge to head north to Washington state.”

But one Vancouver businessman said any individual or business that can move here will, unless Governor Christine Gregoire takes the Oregon vote as a green light to raise taxes.

Gregoire was quoted in The Seattle Times as saying, “The Oregon results should have a major impact on ongoing budget discussions here in Washington state.”

Initiative guru Tim Eyman put distance between the Oregon vote and what might happen in Washington state. He stressed the difference in tax cultures between the two: Oregon has long been an income-tax state, while Washington depends on the sales tax.

“Democrats in the Washington State Legislature are on a kamikaze mission to raise taxes,” he said, “but even they aren’t crazy enough to go against long-standing public opposition in the state to an income tax.”

Measures 66 and 67 won 54 to 46 percent, and 53 to 47 percent, pushed by almost $7 million in funding pri-marily from public employee unions. Opponents raised $4.55 million.

The Oregon Secretary of State’s office calculated turn-out at more than 61 percent of registered voters. Spokes-man Don Hamilton said the numbers show Oregonians were “interested and engaged.”

“Many states would be very happy with 60 percent- plus results in an off-year, state-wide election,” he said. Oregon turnout for the 2008 presidential election was 85.7 percent.

The Secretary of State’s Web site said that of 2.06 mil-lion registered voters, 1.26 million cast ballots. Accord-ing to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 18-year-old and over

population of Oregon is about 2.9 million, so about 23 percent of adults approved the taxes.

The pro-tax “Yes for Oregon” committee outraised and outspent opponents by 50 percent. Public employee unions were the big donors; with the Oregon Education Association topping the list at $2.1 million, Local 503 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) at just shy of $1.9 mil-lion and Council 75 of the Ameri-can Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees at just over $1.1 million.

The total war chest for proponents of the measures approached $7 million, while the opponents raised $4.55 million, with some $610,000 of that used to pay for signature gathering.

What will it mean for Oregon? According to Steve Buckstein, a senior policy analyst for the free market-oriented Cascade Policy Institute, the state will have a harder time coming out of the current recession. An added burden has just been laid on those who create jobs, he said.

Buckstein said Cascade calculated that by 2018, 47,000 to 80,000 new private-sector jobs that could have been created once Oregon pulled out of recession are now gone. He said the state lost 130,000 private-sector jobs so far.

“We may ship all our productive businesses to your state,” he said, referring to the state of Washington.

As for individuals, Buckstein said the new taxes mean that by 2018 there will be some 80,000 fewer tax filers in Oregon. This will be the result of a combination of high-income individuals who had contemplated relocating to the state but now think otherwise and current residents who will move out.

Buckstein said given the current economic climate, companies can’t pass the tax hikes on to customers and will have to cut costs through reduced wage increases and possible wage cuts or job losses.

Aby Scott St. ClairWill Oregon vote push jobs to Washington?

nprecedented national attention was focused on Massachusetts’ special U.S. Senate election to

fill the seat formerly held by the late Edward M. Ken-nedy. And the Evergreen Freedom Foundation was an eye witness to it.

The race between Martha Coakley, the state’s Attorney General and early odds-on favorite, and Scott Brown, a relatively unknown state senator, was considered a ho-hummer by most political pundits. Massachusetts voters failed to follow those marching orders, however. Instead they did a political 180 that knocked the conventional wisdom on its keister.

Presented with a last-minute opportunity to go to Massachusetts to cover the story, a dozen think-tank journalists who were at a Franklin Center for Govern-mental Integrity training session in Washington, D.C. volunteered.

Referred to as “The Watchdogs”, we came from all over the country. In addition to Washington state, report-ers from kansas, Montana, Wyoming, North Carolina, New Hampshire and other states converged on Boston the Sunday before the election. We fanned out in three teams to cover the story in Lawrence and Springfield,

Massachusetts, as well as Boston. I was with the Spring-field team.

Massachusetts is the bluest of blue states. kennedy, the ultimate liberal, held his Senate seat from November 1962 until his death in August of last year. Voters there last supported a Republican for president when they went for Ronald Reagan in 1984. In fact, Massachusetts has voted Democrat in the last four presidential elec-

tions by an average of 61 percent to 33 percent for the Republican.

But this year, the cosmic political-change planets were aligned. The Freedom Foundation was on the ground and in the middle of history in the making. I filed some half-dozen stories at the Freedom Foundation blog, LibertyLive.org, with several of them going national at Watchdog.org.

Video reports were also made, including one where I was kicked out of a union hall and called a Nazi by a couple of toughs, one of whom was wearing a shirt emblazoned with the acronym for the United Food and Commercial Workers. Also available at LibertyLive.org, it went viral big time after it led Bill O’Reilly’s Fox News program and was featured on Rush Limbaugh’s program, and Michelle Malkin’s HotAir.com blog.

I also was a guest six times that week on various talk radio programs, including the nationally syndicated Lars Larson Program.

In a word, Springfield was apathetic. In a community that was more boarded-up than open for business, the

Uby Scott St. ClairA Massachusetts excellent adventure

Buckstein’s analysis was contradicted by Ed Hershey, communications director for SEIU Local 503. “The whole job loss notion has been debunked. They’re not lining up at the bridge to head north to Washington state,” he said.

Hershey said the overwhelming consensus among economists in Oregon is that the measures will have almost no impact on private-sector jobs. He criticized opponents for putting out false hypothetical examples of the impact. “They used a business that wasn’t even in

Oregon,” he said.“For those who believe government has a role

as a safety valve, the 66 /67 vote was heartening,” Hershey said.

Across the Columbia River, Vancouver busi-nessman Bruce Holmstrom viewed the vote as a backlash against business. “Oregon businesses

didn’t come up with enough information to coun-ter (the measures),” he said.

He said any business that has the ability to pull up stakes and move would contemplate doing it. And

the message for businesses in Washington state is pretty clear.

“The Washington business community has to get together and have a frank discussion with the state about our negative business environment,” he said. Boeing sent that message for years, he said, before taking busi-ness to other states.

When asked what would happen if something similar passes here, he said it would be another layer of expense passed on to consumers. If they choose not to buy a product—in his case petroleum—then he wouldn’t need as many employees.

One thing the state will not do, however, is try to recruit Oregon businesses to move to Washington. According to Penny Thompson with the Washington State Department of Commerce, there is an unwritten understanding among the states not to poach each oth-ers’ businesses.

“ the PRo-tax ‘yes foR oRegon’ committee outRaiseD anD outsPent oPPonents By 50 PeRcent.”

Adventure Continued on page 11 . . .

A PUBLICATION OF THE EVERGREEN FREEDOM FOUNDATION 11

diary

fACEBOOK WAITS FOR NO MAN

of a Freedom Loving Mom…B y J U D y P A R K i N S

om, you can have a Facebook account now!” I announced cheerfully to my 73 year-old

mother a few months ago when I was home visiting. She had just casually mentioned that high-speed cable in-ternet had finally come to the farm. If there was ever a grandma who needed a Facebook account it is Sha-ron. I am the oldest of Bob and Sharon’s seven children. Between us we have given them 17 grandkids and six great-grandkids!

“Oh, all right,” she snapped. “Go ahead if you want, but I’m not going to remember how to do it once you’re gone. Who is going to help me when I get stuck? I don’t have time to sit on the computer all day!”

She fretted and balked at providing any personal information when creating her profile. “Why do they want to know where I live? Who cares if I’m married or single? It’s nobody’s business what my political or religious views are! If I want them to know, I’ll tell them.” And on and on it went.

It is said that only 10 percent of any group will be early adapters to change; another 10 percent will never change no matter what; and 80 percent will be slow movers towards change. So basically, 90 percent of us are resistant, to some degree, when asked to do something new or do something in a different way. Many EFF members, like Sharon, have resisted setting up a Facebook account. You know who you are!

With heartfelt compassion, as a fellow resister of change, I’d like to challenge that reluctance. If your blood pressure just spiked or you instantly developed a low-grade headache at reading this, hang in there. Trust me when I tell you, the benefits of setting up a Facebook account and joining this online community are worth the pain of change.

There are a host of reasons people resist change, some more compelling than others. Here’s a few that come to mind quickly:• We like the comfort and predictability of routine. • We don’t want to appear incompetent during the

learning process.• We don’t want to give something up just for the sake

of change. • There is a sense of losing control. • There may already be so much stress in a person’s

life that it feels like one more change will push us right over the edge!

I’ll confess—this list is my own. It’s also my dear mother’s list . . . and I’m guessing it may be yours!

So why change the way we communicate with our family, our friends, our children, our grandchildren and the world? Why add the stress of learning something new like Facebook?

Because the people you love and the people you want to visit with are on Facebook.

There are over 400 million active users with half of them logged on sometime during any given day. 35 million

people (your kids and grandkids) update their status each day. That means they post their thoughts, their feelings, and their fears, as well as the delightful (or terrible) things that have happened to them. There are more than 3 billion photos uploaded to Facebook each month—photos of birthday parties, trips to the ocean, old baby pictures, classmates, co-workers and so much more. Younger people (I’ll leave the definition of that to the reader.) live out their lives on Facebook; and if you want to be a part of their lives, you’ll join them on Facebook.

We may be unsure if this change is good or bad, but it is inevitable. Because the communication mode has changed we are left controlling the one thing that matters most, our attitude. As Charles Swindoll wrote, “The longer I live the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. . . . I am convinced life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitude . . . toward change.” (Italics mine.) Embrace Facebook, reach out and get some new friends online. Ask your children or your grandchildren to help you set up your account.

And if anyone lives in Richland, I would really appreciate it if you could stop by and help my mom figure out how to log on again. What she said was true. She has not been able to figure out how to get back on Facebook since the day I set up her account!

sense was “who cares?” Three city workers who were interviewed about the election shrugged their shoulders. They said that no matter who won their lives wouldn’t change, so why bother?

Cold, gray and gloomy weather matched the political attitude. This was surprising since the Springfield area was Coakley’s home turf. You would think that the chance to send a local girl to the U.S. Senate would spur enthusiasm, but it didn’t.

Get them off politics and the Spring-field folks were engaging and friendly. But Coakley didn’t jazz them. I saw her twice—at a union rally and a popular pub—and she looked exhausted. Doing her best to stir the faithful, she offered nothing more than retread anti-Bush Administration rhetoric from the 2008 election.

When I asked her about poll numbers that showed Sen-ator Brown in the lead and pulling away, she dismissed them as irrelevant. Unfortunately for her, they turned out to be more relevant than her campaign message.

On Election Day, Springfield’s city-wide turnout was just over 32 percent, which wasn’t a good sign for local-

girl Coakley. Statewide, Brown handily carried the day winning by a 52 to 47 percent margin.

The impact of Brown’s victory was immediate. Char-acterizing himself as the magic 41st vote against pend-ing health care legislation, the filibuster-proof Democrat majority in the Senate was history. The Obama Admin-istration’s efforts seized up faster than an engine with-

out motor oil—it flat quit. The message Massachusetts vot-ers sent to Washington, D.C. was clear: “We don’t like what you’re doing on this issue—stop now!”

Brown’s opposition to cap-and-trade legislation and his no-quarter stance on terrorism—

he’s a lieutenant colonel in the Massachusetts National Guard—also attracted voter attention. His moderate stance on social issues fit well with an electorate more focused on jobs and the economy.

Nationally, the message was stark: if a Republican can win in Massachusetts, then no Democrat is safe anywhere in the country. Quickly, the exit doors to retirement got jammed with Democrat incumbents like Arkansas Representative Marion Berry who announced

his decision not to seek re-election. Other officeholders like Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, walked around with big targets on their back. Enjoy your golden years, gentle-men.

On the heels of losses in the Virginia and New Jer-sey governors’ races, the President was “o-fer” in major races where he was implicitly on the ballot. In fact, in Massachusetts his last-minute stumping for Coakley may have hurt her more than it helped. Three strikes and you’re out?

The Brown victory changed the political landscape like no other non-presidential race has in my lifetime. Being there and chronicling it was a special opportu-nity.

“M “Younger people . . . live out their lives on Facebook; and iF You want

to be a part oF their lives, You’ll join them on Facebook.”

Adventure Continued from page 10 . . .

“ The message Massachusetts voters sent to Washington, D.C. was clear: ‘We don’t like what you’re doing on this issue—stop now!’ ”

12 LIVING LIBERTY

n January 26th, in a unanimous decision, the SeaTac City Council dropped their condem-

nation action against James and Doris Cassan.SeaTac began a condemnation action against

the Cassans last September. SeaTac publicized a plan of taking the Cassan’s Park and Fly parking business in order to build a public parking garage. The parking garage plan was a thinly-veiled ‘public use’ idea to cover the City’s real desires—they had been licking their chops while dreaming about building an attractive retail center.

The irony is that the City already has a development agreement in place with the Cassans, and doesn’t need to take the property to achieve their goals. They just need to play nice—something government is finding difficult to do these days. So the only plausible explanation for the condemnation action is that the City wanted to speed things along.

The development agreement gives the Cassans unilateral control over when the development will be built. The Cassans have this control to ensure that the market is ready, and financing is available. You know, things that free-market lovers understand, but, apparently, not governments!

So SeaTac pushed, and the Cassans PUSHED BACk. I don’t mean they just pushed back, I mean the Cassans PUSHED BACK! First, they became

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effwa.orgOur website

libertylive.org Our blog

ReportCardWa.com Scores for each Washington School

TaxSleuth.comFind out about local and state taxes

WaSupremeCourtBlog.comRead about the latest decisions

105Days.com105 ways to cut the State Budget

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Find out more by visiting us online:

effcan.org Our Citizen Action Network

FlunkedtheMovie.com Our award-winning Educational Documentary

FlunkedSolutions.com How to make a difference

SkooledOnline.com Get “Skooled” by Dr. Ben Chavis

GetFree.tvOur video podcast

RadioFreeWA.comOur official radio show

model citizen activists. Every time the City held a workshop to talk about economic development, the Cassans set up shop next door and told their story. They hired two lawyers. They hired a top-notch media team. They engaged the people of SeaTac and testified at City Hall meetings. They took out advertisements in the newspapers. They fought like they were fighting for their lives. They were deeply committed to seeing this through to the end. And they won!

We worked hard here at the Freedom Foundation and turned the spotlight on SeaTac. We told the story of the Cassans: Citizens bullied by City Hall. We testified and worked to educate the City Council on the fundamentals of freedom, and why reckless abuse of eminent domain undermines the foundation of the American dream. I have to believe that the Council began to feel the pressure. The full force of the Freedom Foundation became a bit overwhelming to the City Council.

But for all we did, we simply played a role in an orchestration conducted by James and Doris Cassan. The Cassans are the heroes. They exercised their rights and fought back against a greedy government—for themselves, for us, and for you.

PictuReD: DoRis cassan with DaughteR, tRaci

Cassan’s eminent domain battle ends by Scott Roberts

“They were deeply CommiTTed To seeing This

Through To The end. And They won!”

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