Wiser Lake bridge work under way
If you live or drive near Wiser Lake, you may have seen some yellow floating booms out in the lake. Those are turbidity curtains. They’re designed to prevent any silt in the water stirred up by construction from seeping into the rest of the lake.
What construction? Well, starting Monday, June 30, crews will begin work on a new causeway (that’s the rock widening that will support the new lanes) across the lake. The causeway will hold the two new roadway lanes. Monday’s work will be off the roadway, but you may notice some construction activity on the south shore of the lake. Crews will be placing rock into the lake to build up the causeway.
Once the causeway is complete, it will need to settle for three to five months. That period ensures that it will be stable enough for crews to begin preparing for the new Guide lanes.
What do you think about all this? You can share your thoughts with us on the Guide blog .
They’re going to do WHAT to I-5?
Whenever we're doing major road construction or closing down a lane (or two or three) of a state highway in your neighborhood, we like to let you know in these e-mail updates. But what if you're traveling out of the area? How do you find out what construction projects we have going on? That's where our Construction Updates page can come in handy.
You might not be familiar with this page, but it can be a great tool to help you avoid construction traffic. It shows you a list of projects that are under way on state highways across the state. You can find information on lane closures, detours and any other construction work that might add a few minutes to your drive.
The Construction Updates page is designed to make your drive easier, so we want to make sure you can find the information you need. What kinds of information are you looking for? Can you find it easily? What can we do to make sure you're informed? We'd like to get your feedback so we can make this Web page easy for you to use.
Hands-free cell phone law takes effect July 1
As you may or may not have heard, starting July I, talking on a hand-held cell phone while driving will be illegal without a headset or hands-free device . The law is a secondary offense, which means you can’t be pulled over just for holding your cell phone to your ear. But you can be pulled over if you are swerving or speeding AND holding your cell phone.
If you are pulled over, the ticket is $124 (it’s the same for texting while driving). You can still use your cell phone if you talk using a hands-free device such as a Bluetooth or wired headset.
Plan ahead for Fourth of July travel
If you’re going to hit the road this Fourth, make sure you know the best times to travel our state highways. You can see how holiday weekend travel times compare to typical weekends and decide on the best times to travel. Find information on traveling U.S. 2, I-90, I-5 at the Canadian border and I-5 south of Olympia.
About this e-mail
Please forward this e-mail to others who might be interested. Subscribe to other e-mail updates from WSDOT, unsubscribe or send us your feedback. Manage your WSDOT e-mail update subscriptions
Monday, June 30, 2008
Kevin Ranker wins sole endorsement of NARAL, and SEIU 925, 775
Kevin Ranker also takes the lead in overall contributions with over $46,000 in donations
Democratic Party Nominee for the 40th District Senate, Kevin Ranker, has gained endorsements from NARAL, SEIU 925, 775, 40th LD party chair Tom Pasma, and 40th LD Vice Chairs Roni Beall, and Erna Berghuys and Wade Marlow (owner of the Blue Horse Gallery in Bellingham.) This comes on the heels of out-raising all other candidates in both May and June with over $46,000 in total contributions and receiving other key endorsements from the Washington Education Association, Skagit County Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt, Anacortes Mayor Dean Maxwell, and others.
"I think it is important to get endorsed by the organizations that I consider the 'good guys," said Ranker. "I am a strong supporter of all their causes: I'm for worker rights, for protecting women's right to choose, and I am supportive of a vibrant cultural community."
Dennis Angell, the NW Region Member Political Organizer from SEIU 925 said, "We believe Kevin Ranker will provide the kind of leadership working families need to truly make improvements on issues like early childhood education, K-12 education reform and health care."
In addition to the success with fundraising and endorsements, Kevin Ranker's campaign is working hard at the grassroots level throughout the district doorbelling hundreds of homes a week and hosting several events this month in each of the three counties in the district.
Kevin possesses 15 years professional experience in the private and public sectors, developing and advancing legislation, community development strategies, and conservation initiatives. He has directed numerous organizations and has specialized for several years in working to promote healthy, diverse, and strong communities and jobs, while protecting the environment.
Kevin was elected to the San Juan County Board of County Commissioners in 2004. During the past years, Kevin has taken on additional responsibilities that have allowed him to work on issues for the entire region, including Skagit and Whatcom Counties. These commitments have allowed Kevin to represent issues ranging from senior citizen and veteran's needs, to agricultural preservation to health care, education and the environment. Kevin lives on San Juan Island with his wife and daughter
Web: http://srv.ezinedirector.net/?n=2309687&s=81473826
Democratic Party Nominee for the 40th District Senate, Kevin Ranker, has gained endorsements from NARAL, SEIU 925, 775, 40th LD party chair Tom Pasma, and 40th LD Vice Chairs Roni Beall, and Erna Berghuys and Wade Marlow (owner of the Blue Horse Gallery in Bellingham.) This comes on the heels of out-raising all other candidates in both May and June with over $46,000 in total contributions and receiving other key endorsements from the Washington Education Association, Skagit County Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt, Anacortes Mayor Dean Maxwell, and others.
"I think it is important to get endorsed by the organizations that I consider the 'good guys," said Ranker. "I am a strong supporter of all their causes: I'm for worker rights, for protecting women's right to choose, and I am supportive of a vibrant cultural community."
Dennis Angell, the NW Region Member Political Organizer from SEIU 925 said, "We believe Kevin Ranker will provide the kind of leadership working families need to truly make improvements on issues like early childhood education, K-12 education reform and health care."
In addition to the success with fundraising and endorsements, Kevin Ranker's campaign is working hard at the grassroots level throughout the district doorbelling hundreds of homes a week and hosting several events this month in each of the three counties in the district.
Kevin possesses 15 years professional experience in the private and public sectors, developing and advancing legislation, community development strategies, and conservation initiatives. He has directed numerous organizations and has specialized for several years in working to promote healthy, diverse, and strong communities and jobs, while protecting the environment.
Kevin was elected to the San Juan County Board of County Commissioners in 2004. During the past years, Kevin has taken on additional responsibilities that have allowed him to work on issues for the entire region, including Skagit and Whatcom Counties. These commitments have allowed Kevin to represent issues ranging from senior citizen and veteran's needs, to agricultural preservation to health care, education and the environment. Kevin lives on San Juan Island with his wife and daughter
Web: http://srv.ezinedirector.net/?n=2309687&s=81473826
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Workplace Violence is Not Domestic Violence, although in some cases, perpetrators can be involved in both activities
The United States Department of Justice National Crime Victimization Survey reports that approximately two million assaults and threats of violence occur each year in the workplace.
Each year:
nearly 1,000 workers are murdered
1.5 million workers are physically assaulted
And 51,000 rapes and sexual assaults are
reported to occur in the workplace
Furthermore, 6 million workers are threatened and 16 million workers (men and women) are subjected to harassment every single workday.
What is workplace violence?
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH), workplace violence is any physical assault, threatening behavior
or verbal abuse, occurring in the work setting. It includes, but is not
limited to beatings, stabbings, suicides, shootings, rapes, near suicides,
psychological traumas such as threats, obscene phone calls, an intimidating presence, and harassment of any nature such as being followed, sworn at or shouted at.
Who is responsible?
Employers have both a legal duty and a moral responsibility to provide workers a safe workplace
Employers have a responsibity to prevent loss of life and injuries.
Employers have a responsibility to limit financial losses and potential liability, employers should adopt policies and procedures to prevent violence from occurring in the workplace.
Interested in reading more about the topic?
http://www.crcvc.ca/docs/recovery_from_violence.pdf
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Comments --
From Blain,
Okay. That sounds like my basic understanding of your approach is in the right neighborhood of how things are. Cool. I trust your judgment in this. I think your approach here makes sense to me, and encourage you to stick to the course. Beyond that, you're one of the most competent people I've ever met, so even if your approach wasn't making sense to me, I'd attribute that to my lack of understanding more than to any inadequacies of your plan.I'll try to get that podcast up tomorrow.
Elisabeth said: thanks Blain,
Trust goes both ways, and you've always had mine. Is it ok for me to post your podcast site address so readers can view it?
Elisabeth:
I think this just sounds like someone who's trying to encourage you to drop the subject for what they perceive as your benefit, rather than their own.
It sounds like they think you're not allowing yourself to find peace about this because you're not letting go of the issue.
I don't know that you're obsessed about this in an unhealthy way -- it's possible. My guess is that your primary motivation for this is to do what you can do to stop this man from repeating what he did to you as soon as possible, and that's a healthy motivation.
I suspect there's also a bit of wanting him to pay for what he did, and what you lost, which would be pretty normal, but I think that's secondary. I think that you have some options yet to exhaust and, when you've exhausted them, you'll move on, and that sounds reasonable to me.Not sure that this is helpful, but you did ask what we thought.
Blain
Hi Blain,
I have always respected the work that you have done with the victims of violence.
And, you are correct, my primary motivation for posting about this topic is to stop this man from repeating what he did to me.
As for wanting him to pay for what he did - that's a moot point. The events that happened to me took place nine years ago. There is nothing I can do to him to make him "pay" for what he did. What happened - happened. It can't be undone. No one can go back in time and make it better.
The first commenter is assigning a "motivation" for my decision to go public based on an experience that she had with one of her friends.
I'm not that friend. My experience with abuse is very different from her friend's experience, as I pointed out in my response. There are no cookie cutter victims.
I was the victim of workplace violence, not domestic violence. I was assigned to work for this man. We were not involved personally.
If revenge is the motive for me tackling this issue, I would have sued the legislature and the Rep. for his behavior long before the statute of limitations expired.
If my motivation is to harm his chances for re-election, I would have gone public years ago when my story might have actually had an impact on voter's perceptions of his behavior. Believe me, the residents of Clark County are quite familiar with Rep. Dunn's bad behavior. They don't need me to reinforce facts that they already know.
The only thing I cared about in 1999 was escaping the violence and returning to a normal life, free of threats, controlling behavior and the serious adverse health effects that accompany long term exposure to workplace violence.
I'm not responsible for Jim Dunn's behavior. I was not his first victim, nor was I his last. The papers are full of stories about his behavior with other legislative staff over the years.
House leadership asked Dunn to see a psychiatrist back in 1999. He refused. Rep. Debolt and Speaker Chopp told Dunn they would give him back his committees and per Diem in November of 2007, if only he would agree to seek counseling. He refused.
Individuals like Rep. Dunn have a responsibility to help themselves, not blame others for their behavior. In one newspaper article, he claimed that he is the victim of discrimination.(His Constitutional right to free speech is being abridged by House leadership).
I made a choice to move on and pursue a healthy life; Rep. Jim Dunn made a choice to continue practicing inappropriate behavior with other women.
I made peace with "what I lost" many years ago. I worked with a terrific counselor who helped me let go of the anger, bewilderment and grief. He also assisted me in my efforts to develop an in depth understanding of workplace violence.
Forgiveness is a wonderful notion, but I have no intention of falling into the trap of feeling sorry for my abuser. Rep. Dunn is an adult. He has the ability to take control of his behavior and change the way he behaves towards others. His recovery is not my responsibility. Nor am I responsible for the things that he says or does. Not now, not then, not ever.
My Counselor also taught me not be afraid of stalker/abusers. Not to be manipulated or made to feel guilty by their demands for attention or attempts to manipulate me.
I did not go out of my way to "invite" a new death threat - a number of popular journalists across the state have written numerous articles about Jim Dunn during the last seven months. Those articles contained far more information than the short paragraph that I posted on the Wordpress site on June 17th.
The death threat that I received a few days ago was sent by someone who wants to frighten me into remaining silent. Think about that for a minute - and this is not the first time someone has threatened to have me drowned. Dunn threatened me in person nine years ago. Now, put yourself in my shoes...
Nothing that I can say or do at this particular juncture will "harm" Rep. Dunn. He has ruined his own career by refusing to stop practicing abusive behavior.
Nothing that I could possibly say or do will have any effect on the outcome of his re-election.
If remaining silent means never being free of death threats, I will sing about what happened to me from the mountain tops.
I will be free from this. Call it my own personal "Declaration of Independence."
Finally, I can't believe that this behavior was "covered up" for ten years by the legislature. I want that practice to stop. Every employee, even exempt legislative employees, have a right to a safe workplace that is free from violence. No one should be forced to leave their job to protect themselves.
And, you're right - the moment I've exhausted all options to putting an end to this, I'll move on.Life is much to short to waste another minute on Jim Dunn.
I honestly thought this chapter of my life was over years ago.
Apparently, I was wrong.
Thanks again.
__________________
EBritt
You know your response doesn't address what needs to be confronted.
You are strong - you will deal with this, and you will transcend. Please think it through. It's not about any one's 'discomfort' but your own.
You certainly don't need to post this response... actually, please don't. Don't respond. Think it through. Don't post this. When you reach the inevitable conclusion, the inevitable will happen. And only you will know.
Elisabeth said:
Okay. That sounds like my basic understanding of your approach is in the right neighborhood of how things are. Cool. I trust your judgment in this. I think your approach here makes sense to me, and encourage you to stick to the course. Beyond that, you're one of the most competent people I've ever met, so even if your approach wasn't making sense to me, I'd attribute that to my lack of understanding more than to any inadequacies of your plan.I'll try to get that podcast up tomorrow.
Elisabeth said: thanks Blain,
Trust goes both ways, and you've always had mine. Is it ok for me to post your podcast site address so readers can view it?
Elisabeth:
I think this just sounds like someone who's trying to encourage you to drop the subject for what they perceive as your benefit, rather than their own.
It sounds like they think you're not allowing yourself to find peace about this because you're not letting go of the issue.
I don't know that you're obsessed about this in an unhealthy way -- it's possible. My guess is that your primary motivation for this is to do what you can do to stop this man from repeating what he did to you as soon as possible, and that's a healthy motivation.
I suspect there's also a bit of wanting him to pay for what he did, and what you lost, which would be pretty normal, but I think that's secondary. I think that you have some options yet to exhaust and, when you've exhausted them, you'll move on, and that sounds reasonable to me.Not sure that this is helpful, but you did ask what we thought.
Blain
Hi Blain,
I have always respected the work that you have done with the victims of violence.
And, you are correct, my primary motivation for posting about this topic is to stop this man from repeating what he did to me.
As for wanting him to pay for what he did - that's a moot point. The events that happened to me took place nine years ago. There is nothing I can do to him to make him "pay" for what he did. What happened - happened. It can't be undone. No one can go back in time and make it better.
The first commenter is assigning a "motivation" for my decision to go public based on an experience that she had with one of her friends.
I'm not that friend. My experience with abuse is very different from her friend's experience, as I pointed out in my response. There are no cookie cutter victims.
I was the victim of workplace violence, not domestic violence. I was assigned to work for this man. We were not involved personally.
If revenge is the motive for me tackling this issue, I would have sued the legislature and the Rep. for his behavior long before the statute of limitations expired.
If my motivation is to harm his chances for re-election, I would have gone public years ago when my story might have actually had an impact on voter's perceptions of his behavior. Believe me, the residents of Clark County are quite familiar with Rep. Dunn's bad behavior. They don't need me to reinforce facts that they already know.
The only thing I cared about in 1999 was escaping the violence and returning to a normal life, free of threats, controlling behavior and the serious adverse health effects that accompany long term exposure to workplace violence.
I'm not responsible for Jim Dunn's behavior. I was not his first victim, nor was I his last. The papers are full of stories about his behavior with other legislative staff over the years.
House leadership asked Dunn to see a psychiatrist back in 1999. He refused. Rep. Debolt and Speaker Chopp told Dunn they would give him back his committees and per Diem in November of 2007, if only he would agree to seek counseling. He refused.
Individuals like Rep. Dunn have a responsibility to help themselves, not blame others for their behavior. In one newspaper article, he claimed that he is the victim of discrimination.(His Constitutional right to free speech is being abridged by House leadership).
I made a choice to move on and pursue a healthy life; Rep. Jim Dunn made a choice to continue practicing inappropriate behavior with other women.
I made peace with "what I lost" many years ago. I worked with a terrific counselor who helped me let go of the anger, bewilderment and grief. He also assisted me in my efforts to develop an in depth understanding of workplace violence.
Forgiveness is a wonderful notion, but I have no intention of falling into the trap of feeling sorry for my abuser. Rep. Dunn is an adult. He has the ability to take control of his behavior and change the way he behaves towards others. His recovery is not my responsibility. Nor am I responsible for the things that he says or does. Not now, not then, not ever.
My Counselor also taught me not be afraid of stalker/abusers. Not to be manipulated or made to feel guilty by their demands for attention or attempts to manipulate me.
I did not go out of my way to "invite" a new death threat - a number of popular journalists across the state have written numerous articles about Jim Dunn during the last seven months. Those articles contained far more information than the short paragraph that I posted on the Wordpress site on June 17th.
The death threat that I received a few days ago was sent by someone who wants to frighten me into remaining silent. Think about that for a minute - and this is not the first time someone has threatened to have me drowned. Dunn threatened me in person nine years ago. Now, put yourself in my shoes...
Nothing that I can say or do at this particular juncture will "harm" Rep. Dunn. He has ruined his own career by refusing to stop practicing abusive behavior.
Nothing that I could possibly say or do will have any effect on the outcome of his re-election.
If remaining silent means never being free of death threats, I will sing about what happened to me from the mountain tops.
I will be free from this. Call it my own personal "Declaration of Independence."
Finally, I can't believe that this behavior was "covered up" for ten years by the legislature. I want that practice to stop. Every employee, even exempt legislative employees, have a right to a safe workplace that is free from violence. No one should be forced to leave their job to protect themselves.
And, you're right - the moment I've exhausted all options to putting an end to this, I'll move on.Life is much to short to waste another minute on Jim Dunn.
I honestly thought this chapter of my life was over years ago.
Apparently, I was wrong.
Thanks again.
__________________
EBritt
You know your response doesn't address what needs to be confronted.
You are strong - you will deal with this, and you will transcend. Please think it through. It's not about any one's 'discomfort' but your own.
You certainly don't need to post this response... actually, please don't. Don't respond. Think it through. Don't post this. When you reach the inevitable conclusion, the inevitable will happen. And only you will know.
Elisabeth said:
Who appointed you "arm chair" psychiatrist?
Healthy individuals do not randomly assign motivations, feelings, guilt or blame to circumstances or people that they have no knowledge of or do not know.
Nor do they try to control other people's behavior or thoughts.
The commenter is referring to comments he/she posted below.
A victim mentality is one where you blame everyone else for what happens in your world. (Another definition not as commonly used is one that says a person thinks the future only holds bad things for them.) If you do not get the promotion it is because Mr. Johnson (...or Mr. Pike, or Mr. Bonner, or...) was out to get you. Not because he found you playing on the Internet every day. Your best friend called and said she could not have dinner with you. She is always doing that to you; not showing. You'll show her. You won't invite her when you go out again! Instead of remembering she has just started school and you did call her at the last minute.
Victim mentality. Recently I spoke with someone who no longer lives with a victim mentality. She has gone on with her life and is free from some of the extra baggage that come with being a victim. We discussed forgiving our abusers and how in that process you also need to forgive yourself. With that came loosing the victim mentality.When she was living under the victim mentality she found herself angrier. She found herself swirling in a sea of resentment towards her abuser.
She stayed locked in that cycle and never seemed to move forward. If she got sick, she became angry at him. If the kids messed up, she became angry at him. He was no longer in the picture, but it was all his fault. It was not hers; he made things this way... Life is easier when you can play the blame game. The blame game makes it easy for your life not to move forward or for you to grow.The day came when she tired of the mentality. She wasn't a victim anymore and the time had come for her to move beyond the victim mentality.
I asked her how she stopped the self destructive cycle. The first thing she did is something many abuse victims may have a hard time doing. She forgave her abuser. She did not say that she forgave him for breaking her ribs, she acknowledged that he had a problem and that he needed to get help. Wishing him ill will kept him in her mind more then he should have been. By acknowledging that he had hurt her, that he did have a problem, she was able to feel some relief. There was more though. As important as forgiving him was, she needed to forgive herself too. She needed to forgive herself for exposing the kids to the abuse. She needed to forgive herself for not reporting him to the police all the times he had hurt her. She needed to forgive herself for being afraid. She needed to forgive herself for not having walked away all the times she could have. She needed to forgive herself..She did all those things so she could mentally move forward. Forgiving herself allowed her to get past some of the more intense things she had experienced.
The physical bruises had all gone away. The emotional had stayed. It had clung to her and kept the victim mentality alive.Just something for you and your readers to ponder. Not judging your difficult past, just observing how you're dealing with it. Your father IS proud of his "little girl" just the way she is. But there comes a time when she needs to take that next step toward growing up.Anonymous
Elisabeth said...
Dear Commenter:
You raise some important issues and I do appreciate your thoughtful observations regarding healing from domestic violence incidents. Unfortunately, part of the strength of your message is "lost"due to the patronizing tone in which you delivered it.
Abuse, regardless of its source, is the hidden ugly truth that few speak of and in their silence help proliferate a cycle of violence extending from one generation to the next.
A survivor, someone who has moved beyond "victim" status, is a person who is not afraid to speak out about violence or the affect it has on people's lives. Nor are survivors caught up in a vicious cycle of anger. From your posting, it's obvious that you have never met me.Otherwise, you would know that I do not waste energy harboring anger or blaming others for life's little disappointments.
Your friend was involved in an intimate relationship with her abuser. From what you have told us, she exposed her children to multiple incidents of violence and did not report the events for years, probably out of fear.I'm glad to hear that she is on the road to recovery.
In my case, the violence, stalking and harassment took place in the offices and halls of the Washington State Legislature. I did not have a personal relationship with my employer - we were not dating or intimate in any way. In fact, we were both married to other people. My children were not exposed to the violence. (They did not accompany me to the workplace). This was a professional working relationship.
I reported each incident promptly as required by the House of Representatives Employee Manual and sought help as needed.
Consequently, I have no guilt to deal with or a burning need to "forgive" myself. I followed the policies of the House of Representatives to the letter.
I'm writing about these events, not because I want or need your sympathy (I don't). Or because I'm consumed with anger. (I haven't thought about my former employer more than two or three times in 7 years).
I'm writing about these events, because I want the legislature's "cover up" of this kind of behavior to stop. Legislative employees have a right to a safe, secure working environment.
I have always enjoyed a strong support network of family and friends. My husband, a former G.P. supervisor, stood by me and provided critical emotional support to help me recover from the events that took place in Olympia. We sought professional help during my recovery. There are no victims in our family, only very strong survivors.
The attached paper on stalking discusses how stalkers can move in and out of a target's life for years. "Forgiveness", is certainly a noble goal - and critical if we are going to have healthy personal relationships with others.
But it is not applicable in a former employment situation where threats of violence are still occurring. Only a fool let's his/her guard down and ignores death threats.
My goal, by going public, is to not be a "victim." My goal is to be a "survivor". A woman who can go for a walk by herself, go to the store by herself; a woman who can laugh, love, live and attend social and professional events without fear.
I intend to send a very strong message to the author of the death threat. I want him/her to understand that his/her behavior is not welcome nor will it be tolerated. Not by me, not by my partner, not by my children, not by my father or any of our friends.
I want this person to know that I report all credible threats of violence to the police, the FBI and to my former employers. There are no cowards in our household. We work through issues. We don't skirt around them, or try to sweep them under the rug.
That's what professionals who work with targets and victims of violence urge their clients to do. Take control of the situation. Work through it. Report credible threats - then take precautions to ensure your personal safety.
Yes, my father is very proud of his daughter, not because she is his "little girl." My father's daughter is a fully grown woman, a woman who is not afraid to raise or discuss uncomfortable public policy issues in a public forum, even if the discussion causes some discomfort for others.
I'm willing to take on the entire Washington State Legislature, if that's what it takes to put an end to the secrecy, violence, and inappropriate behavior in Olympia.
I think that's how a number of people define a "grown up" - some one who responds to threats and challenges with maturity and confidence -- without fear, anger or rancor - some one who is not afraid to tackle issues that cause other people to feel frightened or uncomfortable.
If my posts about workplace violence make you uncomfortable, you can always take a vacation from my blogs.
Millions of women and men are victims of domestic violence, workplace violence and stalker violence each year. Many of these victims are in the midst of violent incidents while I'm keyboarding this response. Women and men want and need encouragement to report incidents to the proper authorities.
What they don't need is a lecture. They need support and compassion from members of the community.
Perhaps you can tone it down for the next woman you come in contact with.
She may not be as resilient as I am.
Thanks again for your comments.
Effects of Workplace Stalking and Violence
Studies have demonstrated that workplace violence, stalking, bullying and harassment can have serious impacts on the health, safety and welfare of workers.
All four behaviors can cause both physical and psychological injury and illness. Employees respond differently to violence, stalking, bullying and harassment, both in terms of the emotions they experience and the time it takes to recover from an incident.
Threats of violence can trigger anxiety attacks that can be life threatening. Seek medical help for a co-worker, if an incident triggers a severe anxiety attack.
Employees do not have the right to retaliate physically or verbally. But they do have the right to remove themselves from a potentially violent situation.
Rehabilitation can be very expensive - but it is often a necessary part of recovery. Counselors can help employees manage the impact of crisis situations and develop skills for handling violent incidents in the future.
Long term exposure to violence in the workplace can lead to post traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to one or more terrifying events in which harm occurred, including psychological and emotional trauma, apart from any physical harm. Reoccurring PTSD episodes can paralyze an employee, making the simplest tasks very difficult to perform.
New threats, (including threats received after the employee has left the workplace), can trigger new PTSD episodes and other serious health issues. If you are re-exposed, seek professional assistance to deal with the flashbacks and stress.
Common symptoms include increased anxiety, stress, fatigue, chronic sleep disorders and irritability.
All four behaviors can cause both physical and psychological injury and illness. Employees respond differently to violence, stalking, bullying and harassment, both in terms of the emotions they experience and the time it takes to recover from an incident.
Threats of violence can trigger anxiety attacks that can be life threatening. Seek medical help for a co-worker, if an incident triggers a severe anxiety attack.
Employees do not have the right to retaliate physically or verbally. But they do have the right to remove themselves from a potentially violent situation.
Rehabilitation can be very expensive - but it is often a necessary part of recovery. Counselors can help employees manage the impact of crisis situations and develop skills for handling violent incidents in the future.
Long term exposure to violence in the workplace can lead to post traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to one or more terrifying events in which harm occurred, including psychological and emotional trauma, apart from any physical harm. Reoccurring PTSD episodes can paralyze an employee, making the simplest tasks very difficult to perform.
New threats, (including threats received after the employee has left the workplace), can trigger new PTSD episodes and other serious health issues. If you are re-exposed, seek professional assistance to deal with the flashbacks and stress.
Common symptoms include increased anxiety, stress, fatigue, chronic sleep disorders and irritability.
It is important to report incidents to employers and police as soon as the incident takes place. "Victims" or "Targets" must take steps to protect themselves from future threats. If the employer refuses assistance, go directly to law enforcement.
For more information:http://www.mincava.umn.edu/documents/ilj_stalk/iljfinalrpt.html#id2369389
Comments:
In the 2007 Bellingham Election the Builders reportedly hired a photographer to stalk females on the McShane campaign.This freak parked outside women's homes in the dark at 6am in the morning to take pictures.All was done in apparent support of the Pike campaign. Some of the women volunteers were in tears from stress of some creepy pervert following them. Interestingly, the Pike campaign has never complained about this tactic.
Anonymous
Elisabeth Said...
I've read about this person in the Cascadia Weekly and I have spoken with individuals who had encounters with this man. I'll be watching the Weekly for further developments.
If the events are true, then the community needs to demand that the behavior ends. Women in politics need to unite, regardless of party affiliation, and send a strong, public message that we will not tolerate thugs in local politics.
_________________
From a second Commenter:
A victim mentality is one where you blame everyone else for what happens in your world. (Another definition not as commonly used is one that says a person thinks the future only holds bad things for them.) If you do not get the promotion it is because Mr. Johnson (...or Mr. Pike, or Mr. Bonner, or...) was out to get you. Not because he found you playing on the Internet every day. Your best friend called and said she could not have dinner with you. She is always doing that to you; not showing. You'll show her. You won't invite her when you go out again! Instead of remembering she has just started school and you did call her at the last minute. Victim mentality. Recently I spoke with someone who no longer lives with a victim mentality. She has gone on with her life and is free from some of the extra baggage that come with being a victim. We discussed forgiving our abusers and how in that process you also need to forgive yourself. With that came loosing the victim mentality.When she was living under the victim mentality she found herself angrier. She found herself swirling in a sea of resentment towards her abuser.
She stayed locked in that cycle and never seemed to move forward. If she got sick, she became angry at him. If the kids messed up, she became angry at him. He was no longer in the picture, but it was all his fault. It was not hers; he made things this way... Life is easier when you can play the blame game. The blame game makes it easy for your life not to move forward or for you to grow.The day came when she tired of the mentality. She wasn't a victim anymore and the time had come for her to move beyond the victim mentality.
I asked her how she stopped the self destructive cycle. The first thing she did is something many abuse victims may have a hard time doing. She forgave her abuser. She did not say that she forgave him for breaking her ribs, she acknowledged that he had a problem and that he needed to get help. Wishing him ill will kept him in her mind more then he should have been. By acknowledging that he had hurt her, that he did have a problem, she was able to feel some relief. There was more though. As important as forgiving him was, she needed to forgive herself too. She needed to forgive herself for exposing the kids to the abuse. She needed to forgive herself for not reporting him to the police all the times he had hurt her. She needed to forgive herself for being afraid. She needed to forgive herself for not having walked away all the times she could have. She needed to forgive herself..She did all those things so she could mentally move forward. Forgiving herself allowed her to get past some of the more intense things she had experienced.
The physical bruises had all gone away. The emotional had stayed. It had clung to her and kept the victim mentality alive.Just something for you and your readers to ponder. Not judging your difficult past, just observing how you're dealing with it. Your father IS proud of his "little girl" just the way she is. But there comes a time when she needs to take that next step toward growing up.
Anonymous
Elisabeth said...
Dear Commenter:You raise some important issues and I do appreciate your thoughtful observations about healing from domestic violence incidents. Unfortunately, part of the strength of your message is "lost"due to the patronizing tone in which you delivered it.
Abuse, regardless of its source, is the hidden ugly truth that few speak of and in their silence help proliferate a cycle of violence extending from one generation to the next.
A survivor, someone who has moved beyond "victim" status, is a person who is not afraid to speak out about violence or the affect it has on people's lives. Nor is she/he caught up in a vicious cycle of anger. From your posting, it's obvious that you have never met me.Otherwise, you would know that I do not waste energy harboring anger or blaming others for life's little disappointments.
Your friend was involved in an intimate relationship with her abuser. From what you have told us, she exposed her children to multiple incidents of violence and did not report the events for years, probably out of fear.I'm glad to hear that she is on the road to recovery.
In my case, the violence, stalking and harassment took place in the offices and halls of the Washington State Legislature. I did not have a personal relationship with my employer - we were not dating or intimate in any way. In fact, we were both married to other people. My children were not exposed to the violence. They did not accompany me to the workplace.This was a professional working relationship.I reported each incident promptly as required by the House of Representatives employee manual and sought help as needed.
Consequently, I have no guilt to deal with or a burning need to "forgive" myself. I followed the policies of the House of Representatives to the letter.
I'm writing about these events, not because I want or need your sympathy (I don't). Or because I'm consumed with anger. (I haven't thought about my former employer more that two or three times in 7 years).
I'm writing about these events, because I want the legislature's "cover up" of this kind of behavior to stop. Legislative employees have a right to a safe, secure working environment.
I have always enjoyed a strong support network of family and friends. My husband, a former G.P. supervisor, stood by me and provided critical emotional support to help me recover from the events that took place in Olympia. We sought professional help during my recovery. There are no victims in our family, only very strong survivors.
The attached paper on stalking discusses how stalkers can move in and out of a target's life for years. "Forgiveness", is certainly a noble goal - and critical if we are going to have healthy personal relationships with others.
But it is not applicable in a former employment situation where threats of violence are still occurring. Only a fool let's his/her guard down and ignores death threats.
My goal, by going public, is to not be a "victim." My goal is to be a "survivor". A woman who can go for a walk by herself, go to the store by herself; a woman who can laugh, love, live and attend social and professional events without fear.
I intend to send a very strong message to the author of the death threat. I want him/her to understand that his/her behavior is not welcome nor will it be tolerated. Not by me, not by my partner, not by my children, not by my father or any of our friends.
I want this person to know that I report all credible threats of violence to the police, the FBI and to my former employers. There are no cowards in our household. We work through issues. We don't skirt around them, or try to sweep them under the rug.
That's what professionals who work with targets and victims of violence urge their clients to do. Take control of the situation. Work through it. Report credible threats - then take precautions to ensure your personal safety.
Yes, my father is very proud of his daughter, not because she is his "little girl." My father's daughter is a fully grown woman, a woman who is not afraid to raise or discuss uncomfortable public policy issues in a public forum, even if the discussion causes some discomfort for others.
I'm willing to take on the entire Washington State Legislature, if that's what it takes to put an end to the secrecy, violence, and inappropriate behavior in Olympia.
I think that's how a number of people define a "grown up" - some one who responds to threats and challenges with maturity and confidence -- without fear, anger or rancor - some one who is not afraid to tackle issues that frighten or cause other people to be frightened or uncomfortable.
If my posts about workplace violence makes you uncomfortable, you can always take a vacation from my blogs.
Millions of women and men are victims of domestic violence, workplace violence and stalker violence each year. Many of these victims are in the midst of violent incidents while I'm keyboarding this response. Women and men want and need encouragement to report incidents to the proper authorities.
What they don't need is a lecture. They need support and compassion from members of the community.
Perhaps you can tone it down for the next woman you come in contact with.
She may not be as resilient as I am.
Thanks again for your comments.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Public Disclosure Classes for Candidates
A Quick reminder for Candidates:
The PDC offers free classes for software and compliance training. Here are the class schedules for the next two months.
To Register: http://www.pdc.wa.gov/filers/buttons/training.aspx
The PDC offers free classes for software and compliance training. Here are the class schedules for the next two months.
To Register: http://www.pdc.wa.gov/filers/buttons/training.aspx
Republican House Leader/Speaker of the House demonstrated Leadership in Dunn Scandal
It's no secret that I'm fed up with Rep. Jim Dunn's past behavior towards me and other legislative staff.
And, yes, I'm still upset that former House Leadership allowed Rep. Dunn to abuse me and chase me away from a job that I loved.
Nevertheless, writers shouldn't be biased - and that statement also applies to bloggers. (Even upset blogger's who just received a death threat).
I would like to thank State Representative Richard Debolt (Republican House Leader) for immediately calling for Rep. Dunn's resignation, after Dunn made an inappropriate comment to a Legislative staff member at a dinner in the Tri-Cities.
In a November 5, 2007 letter, Debolt informed Dunn that he had asked the Speaker of the House to remove him from his position as the ranking member of the Housing Committee, and all standing, select and statutory committees.
State Representative Frank Chopp (Speaker of the House) agreed and Rep. Dunn was stripped of his committees.
Both party leaders (Speaker Chopp and House Republican Leader DeBolt) demonstrated their commitment to protecting legislative employees from inappropriate comments and behavior.
Once again, thank you, gentlemen - for supporting and standing by your staff.
David Postman at the Seattle Times covered House Republican Leader Debolt and Speaker Chopp's response to Rep. Dunn's behavior in the Tri-Cities last November
:http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/davidpostman/archives/2007/11/republican_in_trouble_for_inappropriate_conduct.html
Comments:
Let me assure you that many of us down here in Clark County want to see that reprobate Jim Dunn gone at least as badly as you do, and are doing everything we can to make that happen.My support is behind a fine young Republican down here named Joseph James, and I think he has what it takes to eliminate Dunn in the Primary.Great blog...
I hope you keep it up!
Chief Wahoo
Elisabeth said: Thank you for your support and encouragement - and I'm pleased to hear that the GOP has a promising candidate this year. I wish him much success.
Please know that I truly enjoyed working with the residents of the 17th Legislative District while I was in Olympia!
And, yes, I'm still upset that former House Leadership allowed Rep. Dunn to abuse me and chase me away from a job that I loved.
Nevertheless, writers shouldn't be biased - and that statement also applies to bloggers. (Even upset blogger's who just received a death threat).
I would like to thank State Representative Richard Debolt (Republican House Leader) for immediately calling for Rep. Dunn's resignation, after Dunn made an inappropriate comment to a Legislative staff member at a dinner in the Tri-Cities.
In a November 5, 2007 letter, Debolt informed Dunn that he had asked the Speaker of the House to remove him from his position as the ranking member of the Housing Committee, and all standing, select and statutory committees.
State Representative Frank Chopp (Speaker of the House) agreed and Rep. Dunn was stripped of his committees.
Both party leaders (Speaker Chopp and House Republican Leader DeBolt) demonstrated their commitment to protecting legislative employees from inappropriate comments and behavior.
Once again, thank you, gentlemen - for supporting and standing by your staff.
David Postman at the Seattle Times covered House Republican Leader Debolt and Speaker Chopp's response to Rep. Dunn's behavior in the Tri-Cities last November
:http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/davidpostman/archives/2007/11/republican_in_trouble_for_inappropriate_conduct.html
Comments:
Let me assure you that many of us down here in Clark County want to see that reprobate Jim Dunn gone at least as badly as you do, and are doing everything we can to make that happen.My support is behind a fine young Republican down here named Joseph James, and I think he has what it takes to eliminate Dunn in the Primary.Great blog...
I hope you keep it up!
Chief Wahoo
Elisabeth said: Thank you for your support and encouragement - and I'm pleased to hear that the GOP has a promising candidate this year. I wish him much success.
Please know that I truly enjoyed working with the residents of the 17th Legislative District while I was in Olympia!
Candidate's Forum at Bellingham Public Library
The election for judicial candidates will be decided on August 19th.
Tonight is one of two opportunities to meet and listen to judicial candidates before the election.
Come meet the candidates!
Friday, June 27th, 5:30pm-7:30pm: Meet the candidate and questions forum. Bellingham Public Library Lecture Room. Beverages and food provided.
Tonight is one of two opportunities to meet and listen to judicial candidates before the election.
Come meet the candidates!
Friday, June 27th, 5:30pm-7:30pm: Meet the candidate and questions forum. Bellingham Public Library Lecture Room. Beverages and food provided.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Why do employees keep quiet? They don't know what else to do
I'm not an attorney or a judge, so I'm not qualified to interpret statutes regarding workplace violence issues. But I did find a interesting case that was tried in the state of California.
One would think that the Washington State House of Representatives would report episodes of physical assault and death threats to appropriate law enforcement agencies.But they did not. At least, not when it happened to me.
What do I mean when I refer to episodes of physical assault? Here's an example. Shortly after I returned to the office from a meeting with House Human Resources staff, (they called the meeting) Rep. Dunn took me into his office, sat me down in a chair, and after pinning my hands to the desk, slapped me.
The slap, he said, was a warning. Do not speak with Sharon Hayward or Jamie Daniels again.(I reported the assault to the Sexual Harassment Liaison, who, in turn, reported it to Human Resources). The Liaison's office was next to mine. I was instructed by Ms. Ward not to report the assault to the Olympia police, that the incident would be handled in house. (We have State Patrol on campus).
The Sexual Harassment Liaison told me during the interview that I was not the first woman that Dunn had hit on campus during regular working hours.
Why am I going public now? I certainly have nothing to gain from this. I never filed a lawsuit or any other action. At the time, all I wanted to do is put a stop to the threats and the abuse. That's why I left Olympia.
But I do hope the Washington State Legislature stops covering up episodes of Workplace Violence and credible threats against legislative employees.
Legislative employees should not be sacrificed to "keep secrets" about bad behavior from members of the public. Not only did I lose a job I loved. I lost the job that was listed in my high school annual as my dream job. The job that I went to college to obtain. I also lost nine years of wages and retirement.
Private employers can not "opt out" from harassment and assault laws, so why should the legislature or any other government agency be allowed to do so?
The legislature is one of the most exciting places to work in Washington, that is, unless you are assigned to work for an individual who has violent tendencies.
For the record, I was assigned to two other House members while I worked in Olympia and thoroughly enjoyed working for both men. The majority of elected officials do not behave the way Rep. Dunn behaves.
I left the legislature in the fall of 1999. It's been nine years since I was forced to leave my job; and, - I'm still receiving death threats related to my former employment with Rep. Jim Dunn?
It has become clear to me that if I want to have a normal life, I need to speak out about what happened to me publicly.
So, here it goes.
A short time line - this is hardly a full report:
Early in 1999, Rep. Dunn sent me pornographic videos by e-mail from the Floor of the House while the House was in Session. I reported receiving the videos to Human Resources. The e-mail may still be available through a public disclosure request. Despite claims to the contary, members of the media and public have access to legislative e-mail and coummunications. Electronic communications can be viewed by the public.
I began receiving controlling telephone calls and e-mail from Dunn, informing me that: "I have people watching you, I know when you leave your desk - I don't want you talking to anyone except me."
During 1999, my work computer was repeatedly hacked into. Dunn couldn't find anything personal on it. House Computer staff locked him out a number of times, so he attempted to hack in to my e-mail system on my home computer located in Bellingham. He crashed the entire House e-mail system while writing rules to re-direct e-mail from my home computer to his legislative computer. My IP service, Bossig, out of the Tri-Cities, crashed too.
I met with Human Resources staff at their request. They met with Rep. Dunn shortly afterwards. When Dunn returned to the office after the meeting, he threatened to have two Clark County Deputies drown me if I ever spoke with Jamie Daniels or Sharon Hayward again. The Sexual Harassment Liaison told me, he's only bluffing...I guess I was the only one who wasn't laughing.
One would think that the Washington State House of Representatives would report episodes of physical assault and death threats to appropriate law enforcement agencies.But they did not. At least, not when it happened to me.
What do I mean when I refer to episodes of physical assault? Here's an example. Shortly after I returned to the office from a meeting with House Human Resources staff, (they called the meeting) Rep. Dunn took me into his office, sat me down in a chair, and after pinning my hands to the desk, slapped me.
The slap, he said, was a warning. Do not speak with Sharon Hayward or Jamie Daniels again.(I reported the assault to the Sexual Harassment Liaison, who, in turn, reported it to Human Resources). The Liaison's office was next to mine. I was instructed by Ms. Ward not to report the assault to the Olympia police, that the incident would be handled in house. (We have State Patrol on campus).
The Sexual Harassment Liaison told me during the interview that I was not the first woman that Dunn had hit on campus during regular working hours.
Why am I going public now? I certainly have nothing to gain from this. I never filed a lawsuit or any other action. At the time, all I wanted to do is put a stop to the threats and the abuse. That's why I left Olympia.
But I do hope the Washington State Legislature stops covering up episodes of Workplace Violence and credible threats against legislative employees.
Legislative employees should not be sacrificed to "keep secrets" about bad behavior from members of the public. Not only did I lose a job I loved. I lost the job that was listed in my high school annual as my dream job. The job that I went to college to obtain. I also lost nine years of wages and retirement.
Private employers can not "opt out" from harassment and assault laws, so why should the legislature or any other government agency be allowed to do so?
The legislature is one of the most exciting places to work in Washington, that is, unless you are assigned to work for an individual who has violent tendencies.
For the record, I was assigned to two other House members while I worked in Olympia and thoroughly enjoyed working for both men. The majority of elected officials do not behave the way Rep. Dunn behaves.
I left the legislature in the fall of 1999. It's been nine years since I was forced to leave my job; and, - I'm still receiving death threats related to my former employment with Rep. Jim Dunn?
It has become clear to me that if I want to have a normal life, I need to speak out about what happened to me publicly.
So, here it goes.
A short time line - this is hardly a full report:
Early in 1999, Rep. Dunn sent me pornographic videos by e-mail from the Floor of the House while the House was in Session. I reported receiving the videos to Human Resources. The e-mail may still be available through a public disclosure request. Despite claims to the contary, members of the media and public have access to legislative e-mail and coummunications. Electronic communications can be viewed by the public.
I began receiving controlling telephone calls and e-mail from Dunn, informing me that: "I have people watching you, I know when you leave your desk - I don't want you talking to anyone except me."
During 1999, my work computer was repeatedly hacked into. Dunn couldn't find anything personal on it. House Computer staff locked him out a number of times, so he attempted to hack in to my e-mail system on my home computer located in Bellingham. He crashed the entire House e-mail system while writing rules to re-direct e-mail from my home computer to his legislative computer. My IP service, Bossig, out of the Tri-Cities, crashed too.
I met with Human Resources staff at their request. They met with Rep. Dunn shortly afterwards. When Dunn returned to the office after the meeting, he threatened to have two Clark County Deputies drown me if I ever spoke with Jamie Daniels or Sharon Hayward again. The Sexual Harassment Liaison told me, he's only bluffing...I guess I was the only one who wasn't laughing.
After another meeting with leadership, he returned to the office and told me he had informed leadership that he would switch parties if they attempted to discipline him again. The House was split 50/50. A large number of employees would lose their jobs if he switched parties.
Rep. Dunn tried to force me to move into a rental that he had a key to. He didn't like my landlord (she was one of the House Sexual Harassment Liaisons) I refused and he showered me with verbal abuse in front of a group of college students. He threatened to fire me if I did not move into the rental.
Human Resources removed me from his office (for the second time) and placed me in another department. I was assigned a new e-mail address and given a new telephone number. I was told not to leave the office for coffee breaks or lunch because Rep. Dunn was roaming the halls in search of me.
Eventually, Rep. Dunn found me. He copied me on all of his e-mails and ordered me to prepare responses. He sent other e-mails ordering me to do legislative research and prepare documents for him. He ordered me back to the office. (Human Resources had taken me away from him).
Once again, Human Resources had a computer technican change all of my contact information to stop Rep. Dunn from harassing me.
Finally, on my "last" day in Olympia, as I was leaving work, Rep. Dunn stopped me. More threats. I was frightened half to death. I tried to report the incident, but Human Resources staff was already gone for the day.
I arrived home in Bellingham on a Friday night at 8 pm and collapsed from fatigue, stress and high blood pressure. My M.D. sent a letter to Human Resources placing me on medical leave.
Sharon Hayward called in September of 1999 and we discussed my return to Olympia. She told me that there were no other positions for me, except with Rep. Jim Dunn.
My husband and I talked at length about these events during my medical leave and decided that we needed to seek expert help. (my husband was a supervisor at Georgia Pacific). I met with a counselor who was knowledgeable about workplace violence and harassment. He recommended that I not return to Olympia. Not even to get my clothes and belongings.
Ultimately, after weighing all of the facts, we decided, as a couple, that it was no longer safe for me to work in Olympia, even if I went to work for a different agency.
Do I have evidence? Yes. It's stored in a safe place out of state just in case I get hit with a SLAPP suit.
Here is the California case I referred to earlier. Maybe it can be of some assistance to other employees who are going through this.
A California Court of Appeal recently ruled in Franklin v. The Monadnock Company that an employee fired for complaining to the company's human resources department and the police department about threats of workplace violence has a valid claim against the employer for wrongful termination.
Why? Because public policy requires employers to provide a safe and secure workplace and encourage employees to report credible threats of violence in the workplace.
Even an at-will employee - one who may be terminated without cause - may have a legal claim if fired for complaining to his employer or the police that he feels threatened in the workplace. This right stems from the well-recognized concept that an employee can bring a lawsuit against his employer if he is discharged for performing an act in line with public policy.
As the Court of Appeal held, the difficulty lies in determining where and how to distinguish between claims that genuinely involve matters of public policy, and those that concern merely ordinary disputes between an employer and its employee.http://www.buchalter.com/bt/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=167&Itemid=77
Splainin to do -
Aneurin, a blogger in Clark County who hosts a blog named Politics is a Blood Sport, says "Jim Dunn has some splainin to do"
Republican women are beginning to break their silence about the abusive behavior of state representative Jim Dunn (R-17), and being the recipient of death threats from Dunn's supporters.
Far too often, legislative entities have this habit of keeping bad behavior "in house" and never publicly disclosing the actions of their bad actors. For instance, to this day, we don't know the exact remarks that Jim Dunn said that caused his current turmoil. The pattern of abusive behavior that he's displayed over the years should come as no surprise, but the public disclosure of the behavior has always been a well guarded secret known only to political insiders. All this does shed a light on the Republican animus in getting rid of their Jim Dunn problem.
While Dunn has been a convenient punching bag around these parts, it's pretty obvious that even his own party has had enough of his boorish behavior.
It's also somewhat disturbing that Dunn has never faced House censure for his low behavior. Self-policing by legislative bodies is like a border guard in a checkpoint shack, asleep.
Posted by Aneurin at 11:05 AM
http://aneurinsblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/jim-dunns-got-some-splainin-to-do.html
Aneurin has raised an interesting point - self policing by legislative bodies does not work.
I regret not taking the case directly to an independent law enforcement agency years ago. Secrecy only encourages the problem to fester and grow.
Here's the Wordpress Post that resulted in the anonymous death threat. (This is the complete post, not an excerpt). The blog had only been online a couple of hours before the threat was sent. The blog was deleted, but the cached page is still visible at the link below.
Representative Jim Dunn, 17th Legislative District, state of Washington, has been embroiled in alleged sex scandals, sexual harassment, cyber- stalking and other anti social behavior that has caused at least one of his former aides to quit her job and has caused other legislative staff untold hours of embarrassment.This Weblog is dedicated to the “bad girls” who have been victimized by Rep. Dunn over the last ten years. After all, it couldn't possibly be Rep. Jim Dunn’s fault, could it? http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:68GHe5yl4OUJ:repdunnbadgirls.wordpress.com/+Rep+Jim+Dunn&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=37&gl=us
That's all it takes to generate a death threat when the subject is Rep. Dunn.
More background information
Postman on Politics: http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/davidpostman/archives/2007/11/republican_in_trouble_for_inappropriate_conduct.html
From Clark County
Clark County Blogs: http://www.clarkblog.org/vBulletin/showthread.php?t=1961
Comments
Our Legislators know this happens in Olympia. Ergo, they approve of it. There must be some sick people in office.They are also part of the problem. Maybe Harriet Spanel at her outgoign speech can explain all of this acceptance of Dunn's perverse actions by senior Legislators.Ignorance is no excuse for a self policing Legislature.
Republican women are beginning to break their silence about the abusive behavior of state representative Jim Dunn (R-17), and being the recipient of death threats from Dunn's supporters.
Far too often, legislative entities have this habit of keeping bad behavior "in house" and never publicly disclosing the actions of their bad actors. For instance, to this day, we don't know the exact remarks that Jim Dunn said that caused his current turmoil. The pattern of abusive behavior that he's displayed over the years should come as no surprise, but the public disclosure of the behavior has always been a well guarded secret known only to political insiders. All this does shed a light on the Republican animus in getting rid of their Jim Dunn problem.
While Dunn has been a convenient punching bag around these parts, it's pretty obvious that even his own party has had enough of his boorish behavior.
It's also somewhat disturbing that Dunn has never faced House censure for his low behavior. Self-policing by legislative bodies is like a border guard in a checkpoint shack, asleep.
Posted by Aneurin at 11:05 AM
http://aneurinsblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/jim-dunns-got-some-splainin-to-do.html
Aneurin has raised an interesting point - self policing by legislative bodies does not work.
I regret not taking the case directly to an independent law enforcement agency years ago. Secrecy only encourages the problem to fester and grow.
Here's the Wordpress Post that resulted in the anonymous death threat. (This is the complete post, not an excerpt). The blog had only been online a couple of hours before the threat was sent. The blog was deleted, but the cached page is still visible at the link below.
Representative Jim Dunn, 17th Legislative District, state of Washington, has been embroiled in alleged sex scandals, sexual harassment, cyber- stalking and other anti social behavior that has caused at least one of his former aides to quit her job and has caused other legislative staff untold hours of embarrassment.This Weblog is dedicated to the “bad girls” who have been victimized by Rep. Dunn over the last ten years. After all, it couldn't possibly be Rep. Jim Dunn’s fault, could it? http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:68GHe5yl4OUJ:repdunnbadgirls.wordpress.com/+Rep+Jim+Dunn&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=37&gl=us
That's all it takes to generate a death threat when the subject is Rep. Dunn.
More background information
Postman on Politics: http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/davidpostman/archives/2007/11/republican_in_trouble_for_inappropriate_conduct.html
From Clark County
Clark County Blogs: http://www.clarkblog.org/vBulletin/showthread.php?t=1961
Comments
Our Legislators know this happens in Olympia. Ergo, they approve of it. There must be some sick people in office.They are also part of the problem. Maybe Harriet Spanel at her outgoign speech can explain all of this acceptance of Dunn's perverse actions by senior Legislators.Ignorance is no excuse for a self policing Legislature.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
It's time to break the silence
On June 17th, I received this e-mail in response to a post on a Wordpress Blog article titled -Representative Jim Dunn, (R) WA State House - punished for remark to aide?
___________________________________________
You gave like 10 really ez clues about who is writing this.
You are obviously one of 50 women who have worked with my sonny.
You will end up face floating in the river if you keep it up!
lv Jmom :)
__________________________________________
So, what should a person do when they receive an anonymous "death threat" regarding their former employment?
Should they ignore it?
Forward it to the Human Resources Department of the former employer?
Call the police?
Well, I called the police, filed a complaint with the FBI, and sent an e-mail to my former employer (the House of Representatives) and, frankly, I'm not sure that anyone is even at home, let alone interested.
So, here's an open letter to Representative Jim Dunn - my former employer - a guy who apparently doesn't know when he should just give up.
Dear Representative Dunn:
I have no idea why the people in your legislative district chose to re-elect you, despite the many rumors of the way you treated female staff members during the last decade.
I guess it's a commentary of sorts about how America feels about women in the workplace.
Today, I sat in front of a police officer, who, during most of the interview, looked shocked when I described what happened to me when I worked for you in 1999. I'm not even sure that he even believed me. But the records exist. Even if only a few people know about them.
Did I make a mistake trying to handle it "in house"? (keep the investigation entirely within the House of Representatives)?
Probably.
Nevertheless, media across the state has not minced any words regarding their opinion of your behavior towards women who work in the legislature.
You see, no matter how you choose to frame it, Mr. Dunn, there is no one to blame for your behavior but you!
What I do want to make clear to you is that I am no longer willing to be "intimidated" or "threatened" by you or your supporters (if there are any left in this state). (Rep. Dunn is currently running for re-election in the 17th Legislative District).
What you did to me when I worked for you back in the late 1990's has become some sort of a bizarre folk legend in this state. Believe me, I'm aware that the media has printed numerous stories about you, and some of the things that happened back in the late 90's. But the stories about what happened did not originate with me.
They came from the Chief Clerk, Republican leadership, your Republican seat mates and the media.
For the record, I did not appreciate receiving death threats when I worked for you nor do I appreciate receiving them now - (the water theme is getting old - and, so are the threats).
I have reported the latest death threat, dated June 17th, 2008, and I hope that the Bellingham Police Department and the FBI can trace it back to the individual or individuals who wrote it.
Your attentions towards me have never been welcome and I have no desire to have any further contact with you. As far as I'm concerned, you are an abusive human being. Stay away from me and my family.
Sincerely,
Elisabeth Britt
And, to our local legislators - for God's sake, when is this going to end? How can the Washington State Legislature allow one man to behave like this, over and over again for ten years? How many other women has he tormented like this?
Doesn't it mean anything that I worked my heart out for this community and our state? Do any of you care that I had to leave a job I loved to escape the stalking, assault and harassment? What protection exists in the Legislature for exempt employees like me?
Doesn't anyone think its strange that behavior like this goes unpunished? Or, is it only because Jim Dunn is a legislator?
In November of 2007, leadership stripped Dunn of his committees and per diem for "ONE" comment to a legislative staffer after an Appropriations Committee.
You pass laws protecting teachers, nurses, nursing home assistants, law enforcement officers and fire fighters from physical abuse and harassment, but you leave current and former legislative employees like me hanging in the wind.
I left the legislature in 1999. I was so frightened, I didn't even take my belongings with me. I lost everything.
You're darn right I'm angry. And I have every right to be!
(Senator Dale Brandland was not in office when this happened to me. Representatives Linville, Quall, Morris and Erickson were in Olympia. So was Senator Spanel and Senator Georgia Gardner). The House was split 50/50.
Comments:
I've been out of the loop for a while now, haven't I. I didn't know about any of this at the time. Sorry about that. I would have like to have been at least a little supportive. This kind of crap is not okay, no matter how much power the abuser has.
It's sad when people who can pay lip service to wanting to stand up to the powerful and protect those under their power can't actually face the realities of what their peers and/or friends have done and put up actions a fraction as bold as their words.But this is Olympia, so that kind of sadness is nothing new.
With you and Cathy no longer in town, there are scant few folks left there that I can trust to have a straight conversation with. Not that I've been in the loop enough to need that much lately.
Not sure I can offer much help beyond reassuring you of my belief in you and what you're describing, and an offer to chat sometime if you'd have time and would like. Glad to find you here, and I'll try to keep a little more current on what you've got going here.
I'm fixing to do a podcast episode on politics in the next week or so (maybe tonight) and your response would be welcome if you wanted to give one.
Take care,
Blain
Elisabeth said: Thank you for your comment and support Blain. I'll visit your site and provide a response soon.
___________________________________________
You gave like 10 really ez clues about who is writing this.
You are obviously one of 50 women who have worked with my sonny.
You will end up face floating in the river if you keep it up!
lv Jmom :)
__________________________________________
So, what should a person do when they receive an anonymous "death threat" regarding their former employment?
Should they ignore it?
Forward it to the Human Resources Department of the former employer?
Call the police?
Well, I called the police, filed a complaint with the FBI, and sent an e-mail to my former employer (the House of Representatives) and, frankly, I'm not sure that anyone is even at home, let alone interested.
So, here's an open letter to Representative Jim Dunn - my former employer - a guy who apparently doesn't know when he should just give up.
Dear Representative Dunn:
I have no idea why the people in your legislative district chose to re-elect you, despite the many rumors of the way you treated female staff members during the last decade.
I guess it's a commentary of sorts about how America feels about women in the workplace.
Today, I sat in front of a police officer, who, during most of the interview, looked shocked when I described what happened to me when I worked for you in 1999. I'm not even sure that he even believed me. But the records exist. Even if only a few people know about them.
Did I make a mistake trying to handle it "in house"? (keep the investigation entirely within the House of Representatives)?
Probably.
Nevertheless, media across the state has not minced any words regarding their opinion of your behavior towards women who work in the legislature.
You see, no matter how you choose to frame it, Mr. Dunn, there is no one to blame for your behavior but you!
What I do want to make clear to you is that I am no longer willing to be "intimidated" or "threatened" by you or your supporters (if there are any left in this state). (Rep. Dunn is currently running for re-election in the 17th Legislative District).
What you did to me when I worked for you back in the late 1990's has become some sort of a bizarre folk legend in this state. Believe me, I'm aware that the media has printed numerous stories about you, and some of the things that happened back in the late 90's. But the stories about what happened did not originate with me.
They came from the Chief Clerk, Republican leadership, your Republican seat mates and the media.
For the record, I did not appreciate receiving death threats when I worked for you nor do I appreciate receiving them now - (the water theme is getting old - and, so are the threats).
I have reported the latest death threat, dated June 17th, 2008, and I hope that the Bellingham Police Department and the FBI can trace it back to the individual or individuals who wrote it.
Your attentions towards me have never been welcome and I have no desire to have any further contact with you. As far as I'm concerned, you are an abusive human being. Stay away from me and my family.
Sincerely,
Elisabeth Britt
And, to our local legislators - for God's sake, when is this going to end? How can the Washington State Legislature allow one man to behave like this, over and over again for ten years? How many other women has he tormented like this?
Doesn't it mean anything that I worked my heart out for this community and our state? Do any of you care that I had to leave a job I loved to escape the stalking, assault and harassment? What protection exists in the Legislature for exempt employees like me?
Doesn't anyone think its strange that behavior like this goes unpunished? Or, is it only because Jim Dunn is a legislator?
In November of 2007, leadership stripped Dunn of his committees and per diem for "ONE" comment to a legislative staffer after an Appropriations Committee.
You pass laws protecting teachers, nurses, nursing home assistants, law enforcement officers and fire fighters from physical abuse and harassment, but you leave current and former legislative employees like me hanging in the wind.
I left the legislature in 1999. I was so frightened, I didn't even take my belongings with me. I lost everything.
You're darn right I'm angry. And I have every right to be!
(Senator Dale Brandland was not in office when this happened to me. Representatives Linville, Quall, Morris and Erickson were in Olympia. So was Senator Spanel and Senator Georgia Gardner). The House was split 50/50.
Comments:
I've been out of the loop for a while now, haven't I. I didn't know about any of this at the time. Sorry about that. I would have like to have been at least a little supportive. This kind of crap is not okay, no matter how much power the abuser has.
It's sad when people who can pay lip service to wanting to stand up to the powerful and protect those under their power can't actually face the realities of what their peers and/or friends have done and put up actions a fraction as bold as their words.But this is Olympia, so that kind of sadness is nothing new.
With you and Cathy no longer in town, there are scant few folks left there that I can trust to have a straight conversation with. Not that I've been in the loop enough to need that much lately.
Not sure I can offer much help beyond reassuring you of my belief in you and what you're describing, and an offer to chat sometime if you'd have time and would like. Glad to find you here, and I'll try to keep a little more current on what you've got going here.
I'm fixing to do a podcast episode on politics in the next week or so (maybe tonight) and your response would be welcome if you wanted to give one.
Take care,
Blain
Elisabeth said: Thank you for your comment and support Blain. I'll visit your site and provide a response soon.
Norma Smith Fundraiser
Please join us with State Representative Norma Smith (R) for a Fundraiser
Wednesday, June 25th
Special Guest: Bob Williams, Evergreen Freedom Foundation
Location:Heritage Apartments, 104 Heritage Place, Burlington
Time: 5:30PM-7:30PM
For more information Contact John Piazza at johnsr@piazzaconst.com
Faith & Freedom PAC fully endorses Norma Smith for State Representative.
Wednesday, June 25th
Special Guest: Bob Williams, Evergreen Freedom Foundation
Location:Heritage Apartments, 104 Heritage Place, Burlington
Time: 5:30PM-7:30PM
For more information Contact John Piazza at johnsr@piazzaconst.com
Faith & Freedom PAC fully endorses Norma Smith for State Representative.
Drug Industry Spent Record Amount Lobbying in 07 - Over a Billion Dollars spent in the last 10 years
News Release
WASHINGTON, June 24, 2008 — Pharmaceutical manufacturers and their trade groups racked up another banner year on Capitol Hill, spending a record $168 million on lobbying in 2007, a 32 percent jump over 2006, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis. Based on data obtained from the Senate Office of Public Records, the pharmaceutical industry has spent more than $1 billion lobbying the federal government over the past decade.
"As the biggest lobby on the Hill, the pharmaceutical industry wields tremendous influence that impacts everything from prescriptions to patents," said Center Executive Director Bill Buzenberg. "The central point is that their massive spending has been highly successful, largely producing the political results the drug industry wants."
The top issues lobbied in 2007 include blocking the importation of drugs, extending pharmaceutical patents, obtaining greater access of U.S. drugs in international free trade agreements, and preventing Congress from limiting direct-to-consumer ads. More than 90 percent of the spending on lobbying was by 40 drug companies and three trade groups — the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the Biotechnology Industry Organization, and the Advanced Medical Technology Association.
PhRMA led the drug industry trade groups in lobbying with close to $23 million spent in 2007, a 26 percent rise from 2006. Among the drug companies, Amgen Inc. took the top spot with $16.2 million, followed by Pfizer, the world's largest pharmaceutical company, at $13.8 million. Other big drug company spenders included Roche Holding AG ($9 million), Sanofi-aventis ($8.4 million), GlaxoSmithKline ($8.2 million), and Johnson & Johnson Inc. ($7.7 million).
The political shift in Congress from Republican to Democratic control helped drive the drug industry's record lobbying spending in 2007. After the Democratic sweep of the House of Representatives, several long-standing critics of the industry, such as Representative Henry Waxman, Democrat of California, assumed leadership roles of powerful committees that pushed for greater oversight of the industry by conducting a series of hearings on issues such as drug safety, pharmaceutical pricing, and availability of generic medicines.
Congress also attempted to give the Food and Drug Administration more regulatory power over the industry and attempted to revisit the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act — a 2003 law that resulted in the largest overhaul of Medicare in its history.
For more information or interviews contact:
Steve Carpinelli Media Relations Coordinator Center for Public Integrity www.publicintegrity.org (202) 481-1225 (office)
The Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit, nonpartisan independent Washington, D.C.-based organization that does investigative reporting and research on significant public issues. Since 1990, the Center has released more than 400 investigative reports and 17 books. It has received the prestigious George Polk Award and more than 22 other national journalism awards and 16 finalist nominations from national organizations, including PEN USA and Investigative Reporters and Editors. In April 2006, the Society of Professional Journalists recognized the Center with a national award for excellence in online public service journalism for the fifth consecutive year. In October 2006, the Center was honored with the Online News Association's coveted General Excellence Award. In March 2007, the Center was given a special citation for the body of its investigative work from the Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
Reader Comments:
Thanks for the information on how much the drug industry spend on their lobbyists, Elisabeth. I can't beleive that one company spent $23 million!We recently wrote an article on drug companies relationship with doctors at Brain Blogger. Though the Research Ethics Boards exists to protect research subjects in clinical trials by providing guidelines, sometimes healthcare companies and doctors find a way around them. Is money that big a draw that a doctor could go against his own ethics?
We would like to read your comments on our article. Thank you.
Sincerely,Kelly
Dear Readers - Brain Blogger is a cool site - check it out
WASHINGTON, June 24, 2008 — Pharmaceutical manufacturers and their trade groups racked up another banner year on Capitol Hill, spending a record $168 million on lobbying in 2007, a 32 percent jump over 2006, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis. Based on data obtained from the Senate Office of Public Records, the pharmaceutical industry has spent more than $1 billion lobbying the federal government over the past decade.
"As the biggest lobby on the Hill, the pharmaceutical industry wields tremendous influence that impacts everything from prescriptions to patents," said Center Executive Director Bill Buzenberg. "The central point is that their massive spending has been highly successful, largely producing the political results the drug industry wants."
The top issues lobbied in 2007 include blocking the importation of drugs, extending pharmaceutical patents, obtaining greater access of U.S. drugs in international free trade agreements, and preventing Congress from limiting direct-to-consumer ads. More than 90 percent of the spending on lobbying was by 40 drug companies and three trade groups — the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the Biotechnology Industry Organization, and the Advanced Medical Technology Association.
PhRMA led the drug industry trade groups in lobbying with close to $23 million spent in 2007, a 26 percent rise from 2006. Among the drug companies, Amgen Inc. took the top spot with $16.2 million, followed by Pfizer, the world's largest pharmaceutical company, at $13.8 million. Other big drug company spenders included Roche Holding AG ($9 million), Sanofi-aventis ($8.4 million), GlaxoSmithKline ($8.2 million), and Johnson & Johnson Inc. ($7.7 million).
The political shift in Congress from Republican to Democratic control helped drive the drug industry's record lobbying spending in 2007. After the Democratic sweep of the House of Representatives, several long-standing critics of the industry, such as Representative Henry Waxman, Democrat of California, assumed leadership roles of powerful committees that pushed for greater oversight of the industry by conducting a series of hearings on issues such as drug safety, pharmaceutical pricing, and availability of generic medicines.
Congress also attempted to give the Food and Drug Administration more regulatory power over the industry and attempted to revisit the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act — a 2003 law that resulted in the largest overhaul of Medicare in its history.
For more information or interviews contact:
Steve Carpinelli Media Relations Coordinator Center for Public Integrity www.publicintegrity.org (202) 481-1225 (office)
The Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit, nonpartisan independent Washington, D.C.-based organization that does investigative reporting and research on significant public issues. Since 1990, the Center has released more than 400 investigative reports and 17 books. It has received the prestigious George Polk Award and more than 22 other national journalism awards and 16 finalist nominations from national organizations, including PEN USA and Investigative Reporters and Editors. In April 2006, the Society of Professional Journalists recognized the Center with a national award for excellence in online public service journalism for the fifth consecutive year. In October 2006, the Center was honored with the Online News Association's coveted General Excellence Award. In March 2007, the Center was given a special citation for the body of its investigative work from the Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
Reader Comments:
Thanks for the information on how much the drug industry spend on their lobbyists, Elisabeth. I can't beleive that one company spent $23 million!We recently wrote an article on drug companies relationship with doctors at Brain Blogger. Though the Research Ethics Boards exists to protect research subjects in clinical trials by providing guidelines, sometimes healthcare companies and doctors find a way around them. Is money that big a draw that a doctor could go against his own ethics?
We would like to read your comments on our article. Thank you.
Sincerely,Kelly
Dear Readers - Brain Blogger is a cool site - check it out
Are you a Victim of Workplace Violence?
According to the U.S. Justice Department, approximately 2 million American workers are the victims of workplace violence each year, yet strategies to prevent workplace violence are poorly understood.
*Intimates (current and former spouses, boyfriends, and girlfriends) were identified by the victims as the perpetrators of about 1% of all workplace violent crime.
Resources for Targets/Victims:
What is Workplace Violence? http://www.stopworkplaceviolence.ca/definition.html
Victim/Target Stories: http://www.worktrauma.org/change/victim_stories.htm
Bureau of Justice Study:http://www.fas.org/irp/news/1998/07/980700-wv96.htm
Examples of Workplace Violence (Excerpt from Wayne State University policy)
- Verbal harassment - threat to engage in violence against persons or property.
- Physical harassment or assault - physical or sexual assaults by any means with or without a weapon.
- Assault - hitting, pushing, kicking, holding or unlawfully impeding or blocking the movement of another person.
What should I do if confronted by a violent boss, co-worker or customer at work?
- Leave the area and get out of harms way.
- Report incident to Human Resources or the Police.
- If unable to leave area; stay at a safe distance, try to calm individual, try to get attention of a co-worker so they can call the police, listen to individual and let them do most of the talking.
What is Workplace Bullying? (Excerpt from Workplace Health)
Workplace Bullying is the deliberate repeated, hurtful verbal mistreatment of a person (the Target) by a cruel perpetrator (the bully). The vast majority of bullies (over 80%) are bosses, some are co-workers and a few bully up the ladder.
Male bullies represent 50% of all bullies. When a Target is female, 46% of the time her bully is also female. Bullying, general harassment, is more prevalent than its more famous and illegal special varieties--sexual harassment and racial discrimination.
A recent reliable study estimates that approximately 1 in 5 U.S. workers has experienced destructive bullying in the past year.http://healthyliving.preferredconsumer.com/work/workplace_violence/
A Canadian study reveals that one in three employees (29%) reports experiencing verbal threats, ridicule or harassment. Intimidation and verbal threats, however, could lead to physical harm, and thousands of employees go to work in fear, as the poll shows.http://www.stopworkplaceviolence.ca/survey.html
Physical assaults are the most likely incidents to be reported to employers - 85% of the employees who suffered an assault reported it to their supervisors.*Intimates (current and former spouses, boyfriends, and girlfriends) were identified by the victims as the perpetrators of about 1% of all workplace violent crime.
Resources for Targets/Victims:
What is Workplace Violence? http://www.stopworkplaceviolence.ca/definition.html
Victim/Target Stories: http://www.worktrauma.org/change/victim_stories.htm
Bureau of Justice Study:http://www.fas.org/irp/news/1998/07/980700-wv96.htm
Workplace Violence Report: http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/news/pubs/special/workplace-violence/
It happens everywhere: Report from South Africa: http://www.worktrauma.org/survive_bully/survive_bully_index.htm
Bullying Regulated in Federal Workplaces in Canada:http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=e09eda8d-949f-49b0-a086-8fac6a146573
Guide for Employers: http://www.opm.gov/Employment_and_Benefits/WorkLife/OfficialDocuments/handbooksguides/WorkplaceViolence/index.aspSunday, June 22, 2008
Initiative 985 Update
Last Thursday, Tim Eyman's group, Voters Want More Choices turned in 226,613 voter signatures to the Secretary of State's Office for Initiative 985. The minimum number of valid signatures required is 224,880.
Voters Want More Choices will be gathering an additional 50,000 signatures over the next 16 days to ensure that the initiative has enough signatures to qualify to be placed on the November ballot.
Here's the group's summary of the ballot measure:
"Here's a quick summary of this year's initiative: ReduceCongestion.org I-985 implements the State Auditor's recommendations to reform the Department of Transportation and reduce traffic congestion by using existing public resources more effectively. It opens carpool lanes to everyone during non-peak hours, requires local governments to synchronize traffic lights on heavily-traveled arterials and streets, and increases roadside assistance funding to clear out accidents faster with the implementation overseen by the State Auditor. These policies are funded by taxes and charges we already pay: 15% of vehicle sales taxes, revenue from fines generated from red light traffic cameras, and a percentage that previously went to art on transportation-related public works projects. Finally, I-985 doesn't impose tolls, but it institutes critical taxpayer protections if tolls are created and levied."
Additional information can be found at the Voters Want More Choices website.
http://www.permanent-offense.org/
Voters Want More Choices will be gathering an additional 50,000 signatures over the next 16 days to ensure that the initiative has enough signatures to qualify to be placed on the November ballot.
Here's the group's summary of the ballot measure:
"Here's a quick summary of this year's initiative: ReduceCongestion.org I-985 implements the State Auditor's recommendations to reform the Department of Transportation and reduce traffic congestion by using existing public resources more effectively. It opens carpool lanes to everyone during non-peak hours, requires local governments to synchronize traffic lights on heavily-traveled arterials and streets, and increases roadside assistance funding to clear out accidents faster with the implementation overseen by the State Auditor. These policies are funded by taxes and charges we already pay: 15% of vehicle sales taxes, revenue from fines generated from red light traffic cameras, and a percentage that previously went to art on transportation-related public works projects. Finally, I-985 doesn't impose tolls, but it institutes critical taxpayer protections if tolls are created and levied."
Additional information can be found at the Voters Want More Choices website.
http://www.permanent-offense.org/
Friday, June 20, 2008
Things we don't write about at Latte
Search Keywords provide blog administrators with a wealth of information about the kind of information people are searching for on the Internet and in blogs.
Every time I think I've "seen it all" someone comes along and enters a phrase that totally blows me away...
So, here are the topics we DON'T write about -
Dan Pike's Mother
Dan Pike's Religious Beliefs
Dan Pike's Wife or Children
Dan Pike's personal life or friendships
Sati Mookherjee's family
Sati Mookherhee's personal relationships
Jere Hawn's personal life
Brett Bonner's personal life
Debbie Chavez's personal life
Why Brett and Debbie left KGMI (I have no idea and WHY would I care)?
Sexual positions (go buy a copy of the Kama Sutra)
Wendy Harris's personal life
John Servais's personal life
Jim Darling's personal life
Pete Kremen's personal life
Tim Paxton's personal life
Lisa McShane's personal life
Topics we DO write about -
Latte Republic regularly posts articles about ethics in government, political behavior of elected and non-elected officials, the open meetings act, campaigns, campaign laws, contemporary events, policy decisions, legislation, finance and, once in awhile, local history.
We also post a variety of public service announcements and notices regarding public hearings, meetings, legislation, traffic disruptions and community education opportunities.
Every time I think I've "seen it all" someone comes along and enters a phrase that totally blows me away...
So, here are the topics we DON'T write about -
Dan Pike's Mother
Dan Pike's Religious Beliefs
Dan Pike's Wife or Children
Dan Pike's personal life or friendships
Sati Mookherjee's family
Sati Mookherhee's personal relationships
Jere Hawn's personal life
Brett Bonner's personal life
Debbie Chavez's personal life
Why Brett and Debbie left KGMI (I have no idea and WHY would I care)?
Sexual positions (go buy a copy of the Kama Sutra)
Wendy Harris's personal life
John Servais's personal life
Jim Darling's personal life
Pete Kremen's personal life
Tim Paxton's personal life
Lisa McShane's personal life
Topics we DO write about -
Latte Republic regularly posts articles about ethics in government, political behavior of elected and non-elected officials, the open meetings act, campaigns, campaign laws, contemporary events, policy decisions, legislation, finance and, once in awhile, local history.
We also post a variety of public service announcements and notices regarding public hearings, meetings, legislation, traffic disruptions and community education opportunities.
If you're looking for scandalous gossip about someone - head on over to The Bellingham Herald's comment pages!
(You won't find me or my family members posting on the Herald site - we're fed up with the hypocrisy of the Herald's comment policies).
By the way, if anyone finds a posting under my name on any site - please let me know - I no longer post comments on other sites. Too many people have my e-mail address and I feel a cold shiver run down my back when I think about how easy it is to "impersonate" someone else in a public forum.
In some circles - it's called identity theft - but not at the Herald!
And, thanks, Sam, (Sam Taylor - Government Reporter for The Bellingham Herald) for applying the "Golden Rule" to everyone but me!
(For the past few months, Sam has allowed an anonymous commenter(s) to post "creepy romantic poems" and other "creepy statements" about me (one was titled "to my blogger lover" under the guise that this "anonymous person" is my "purported lover." [There are a number of skilled mental health professionals in town - I hope this commenter finds one soon].
I gather, from reading Sam's rules, all anyone has to do to be credible on the Herald site is have a verifiable e-mail address. According to Sam, once the e-mail is verified, commenters can post anything they want about other people - anything at all.
During the last two weeks, Sam has allowed comments to be posted on his site by men who have never met me speculating about my purported romantic crushes, inclinations and feelings. Can anyone pronounce the word, Misogynist?
And, once again, Sam wonders why I won't answer his telephone calls or post comments on his site...
I wonder how Sam Taylor's wife would feel if she had been the target of those creepy, anonymous postings?
Well, so much for Sam Taylor's commitment to the "Golden Rule" he has posted on his site!
(A key element of the golden rule is that a person attempting to live by this rule treats all people, not just members of his or her in-group with consideration -Wikipedia free encyclopedia).
An Essay on the Golden Rule: http://www.jcu.edu/philosophy/gensler/goldrule.htm
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Evergreen Freedom Foundation Port of Seattle Public Disclosure Request
The Evergreen Freedom Foundation just published a study on the Port of Seattle based on a public disclosure request that revealed a staggering amount of money has been paid to three law firms following the "launch of a Department of Justice investigation into the Port's handling of construction and other contracts."
The Criminal investigation was opened after a performanace audit by the state auditor's office revealed the Port had wasted up to $100 million dollars of tax payer funds.
You can find the report here on the EFF website.
The Criminal investigation was opened after a performanace audit by the state auditor's office revealed the Port had wasted up to $100 million dollars of tax payer funds.
You can find the report here on the EFF website.
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