Barack Obama

Vote today; party tonight

Guest — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 17:06:21 +0000

Guest (not verified) Tue, 11/06/2012 - 9:06am

Hattie's Hat, which has been steadfast in showing presidential debates, will also have an election night event tonight. Ballard Loft and Bastille will also have events.

Photo by Zachariah Bryan

Today's the last day to vote.

All ballots must be postmarked or put into a dropbox by today.

A dropbox can be found right outside the Ballard Branch Library (5614 22nd Ave NW). A list can be found here. Ballots must be inserted in the dropbox by 8 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, Nov. 6).

Between all of the mailing services we have in town (Ballard Mailbox, Mailbox Ballard, Sip and Ship), it shouldn't be difficult to send it off through the mail, either. You just have to make sure it's postmarked for today.

Wondering who to vote for? The Ballard News-Tribune interviewed both 36th District candidates for Washington State Legislature -- Port Commission President Gael Tarleton and Progressive Majority Leader Noel Frame -- in our Coffee with Candidates series.

The BNT also has a survey of some of the major ballot items, which can be found here.

And we have some of the only coverage of the 7th Congressional District fight between 11-term Jim McDermott and opponent Republican Ron Bemis, courtesy of opinion columnist Brian LeBlanc. You can find that here and here.

But what you're really waiting for is tonight, when several bars and restaurants across town will be hosting election night parties.

In Ballard, we have a few places to choose from.

Iconic restaurant Hattie's Hat, which has been steadfast in showing the presidential debates, will of course be showing election results.

For those who want a little bit more ritz, and some fancy wine to boot, there is Bastille's Cafe, which will start things up at 4:30 p.m. (5307 Ballard Ave NW)

And if you're more concerned about Hurricane Sandy than the election (as you probably should be), but want to keep an eye on the results, then there is the Ballard Loft. They'll be raising money with a trivia event. (5105 Ballard Ave. N.W.)

If you're in the Fremont area, the neighborhood's mainstay The Red Door will have election festivities and strong drinks. (3401 Evanston Ave. N)

And if you're a Greenwoodian, the Naked Brewery and Taphouse will start the party at 5 p.m. Why so early? Probably so they can show off their 24 beer taps. (8564 Greenwood Ave. N)

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Washington State Legislature

Why voting is especially important this year

Guest — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 09:21:53 +0000

Guest (not verified) Mon, 10/22/2012 - 2:21am

Things got loud and rowdy at Hattie's Hat last week during the second presidential debate

Photo by Zachariah Bryan

While the Ballard News-Tribune will not be endorsing anyone or anything this election season, we would still like to send out a friendly reminder to vote.

Last Wednesday, Oct. 15, King County Elections sent out ballots to citizens. Most people should have received their ballots by now; those who do not receive it soon should contact King County at (206) 296-0100.

While voting is always important, it is especially crucial in this election cycle, particularly for Washington. Almost every vote on the ballot will be critical in determining the shape and future of Washington state. And don’t forget, Ballard -- though we may deny being a part of Seattle at times -- is part of that state.

Below is a brief overview of ballot items and some of the debate. For a full list of candidates and measures, visit the King County Elections website at www.kingcounty.gov/elections.

The big ticket item is the presidential election, which has come down to an all-out brawl between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney. The debate has boiled down to a fight over the economy and whether Obama has been doing enough to combat the economic crisis. Romney contends he has not, while Obama claims that he inherited the problem and that he has done much to stop the hemorrhaging of jobs. Obama’s health care legislation has also been another point of debate, with Romney saying that it will be one of the first thing he repeals when he steps into office. Democrats have been sure to attack Romney on social issues, particularly women rights.

On the state level, the major contenders for governor are Republican Rob McKenna and Democrat Jay Inslee. The race has so far been neck-and-neck, with McKenna gaining some favor from Independent circles and Inslee garnering support from the more Republican Eastern Washington. In fact, the race has been interesting in that the two have broken typical party stereotypes, with McKenna taking on the more polished, well-spoken persona and Inslee taking on the working man, former high school football star persona. Both stress education and jobs but have different ways of approaching them, and the two would appear to differ more on social issues, with McKenna aligning somewhat with Tea Party standards and Inslee with more liberal standards.

For the Washington State Legislature, Ballard will be voting in the 36th District. For Position 1, the choice is between incumbent Democrat Reuven Carlyle and routine opponent, Leslie Klein, of the Hope and Change Party. Bruce Kanamar, who Peggy Sturdivant wrote about before the primary elections, was ousted.

Carlyle brings three years of experience in the Washington State Legislature, is a technology entrepreneur and a co-founder of the City Year AmeriCorp program. One of his main focuses has been on K-12 and Higher Education, expanding middle class financial aid and bolstering foster youth scholarships. He also has worked with small businesses and transportation funding.

Klein brings experience from the United States Air Force, where he spent twenty years, as an American Foreign Policy professor at the University of Washington and as a small business owner of 20 years. He has been a member of the Ballard District Council, a volunteer at the Nordic Heritage Museum and has been endorsed by the 36th District Republicans.

For Position 2, it has come down between Seattle Port Commission President Gael Tarleton and Progressive Majority leader Noel Frame. As BNT columnist Brian LeBlanc pointed out in his “21st Century Viking” column a couple of weeks ago, they are both Democrats and have many of the same concerns. However, Frame might be seen as distinctly more progressive, with groups such as the Sierra Club and Progressive Majority backing her, while Tarleton has more of a background working with business and industry. People wanting to know more about these two candidates can be directed to our “Coffee with the Candidates” series with both Tarleton and Frame.

And don’t forget the measures, which are perhaps most important in this election. Marriage equality, marijuana legalization, charter schools and a reinstating of Tim Eyman’s two-thirds majority rule are all up to a vote.

With Referendum 74, Washington could make history as one of the first states to instate permanently gay marriage rights, or, at the will of people, the definition of marriage could remain the same, as being only between a man and a woman. Supporters of marriage equality say that the domestic partnership, which Washington state currently has to legally bind gay or lesbian couples, does not go far enough and does not give all of the same rights as a heterosexual married couple. Furthermore, they say that marriage is not a matter of being between a man and woman, but rather between two people who love each other. Opponents say that domestic partnership does and that the definition of marriage should not be changed. They also say that parenting should only fall under a man and woman.

With I-502, voters could also break new ground by passing marijuana legalization, opening up a whole realm of possibilities. This particular campaign has been interesting as proponents include cops, doctors and teachers, while opponents include medical marijuana dispensaries, marijuana advocates and marijuana-themed magazines. Taking into account the concerns of families, the initiative would make marijuana only legal for those 21 and older, put a tax on it and would place limits on driving while under the influence of marijuana. Of course, people, and parents especially, have due reason to be concerned as to whether the initiative would put in place a proper system for what would undoubtedly be a strange new world of legal marijuana, and as such, the BNT encourages voters to do further research on the subject.

I-1240, the charter school initiative, has generated two fiercely opposing camps: those that believe charter schools would bring in a unique new set of tools to fix an ailing education system, and those that believe all the talk and hype of charter schools is a bunch of hooey. Both have brought forth their own sets of statistics and research and routinely deny that the other’s is factual. Still, as it concerns the future of our children, and therefore the future of our state, it is important to weigh the option and to decide what is best. The Ballard News-Tribune recently published two opinions, one supporting and one opposing the measure.

Finally, with I-1185, Tim Eyman is back with his initiative to reinstate the two-thirds rule, which would continue to require the Washington State Legislature to have a two-thirds majority vote before passing any new tax whatsoever. While popular with many citizens of Washington, the initiative has also drawn much criticism, particularly from Democrats, saying that it effectively blunts the Legislature’s ability to work and to fund crucial services for people.

Who’s right in all of these debates? What should Washington’s future look like? It’s up to you, the voter, to decide.

Ballard

All of Washington

Ballard News Tribune

Presidential Debate: Like watching a boxing match

Guest — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 18:05:06 +0000

Guest (not verified) Wed, 10/17/2012 - 11:05am

The crowd was energetic and clearly left leaning at Hattie's Hat last night.

Photo by Zachariah Bryan

Had they been given boxing gloves, President Barack Obama and Republican Nominee Mitt Romney probably would've started throwing punches at last night's presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

The debate was town hall-styled, meaning that people representing ordinary Americans asked the candidates pre-selected questions. Topics included jobs for graduating college students, the economy, energy, immigration, women's rights, foreign policy and just about everything in between. One unique question asked Romney what separated him from his Republican predecessor, George W. Bush -- a subject that has been mostly taboo during the campaign.

The moderator was Candy Crowley from CNN, whose primary job during the debate was mainly to reign in the candidates from talking overtime, doing too much back-and-forth and going way off topic.

But that proved harder than perhaps she expected. At Hattie's Hat last night, watching the Presidential Debate was much like watching the championship fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Obama, after what many considered to be a lackluster performance in the first debate, stepped up his offense, delivering poignant and pre-meditated attacks. Romney, for his part, did not step down from his previous assault, continuing to slam Obama on the economy.

The two would even at times step up to the front to enter a sparring match -- at times appearing to circle each other, interrupting one another and attempting to get in quick, verbal jabs before Crowley would attempt to cut in.

The clearly left-leaning crowd at Hattie's jumped into an uproar and cheered every time Obama landed a decisive blow on Romney. One of the first attacks came early on, when Obama criticized Romney's five-point plan:

"Governor Romney's says he's got a five-point plan? Governor Romney doesn't have a five-point plan. He has a one-point plan. And that plan is to make sure that folks at the top play by a different set of rules."

For his part, Romney repeatedly hammered on Obama's record, particularly his economic policy"

"For me, I look at what's happened in the last four years and say this has been a disappointment. We can do better than this. We don't have to settle for, how many months, 43 months with unemployment above 8 percent, 23 million Americans struggling to find a good job right now."

Romney had more trouble attacking Obama on foreign policy. He dwelled on the Benghazi attack in Libya, which killed four Americans saying Obama waited too long before calling it a terrorist attack. Obama refuted this statement, saying he called it such the very next day. While this is mostly true (and Crowley went so far as to correct Romney in an attempt to move them on), Obama in fact mostly suggested it was a terrorist attack rather than officially announcing it.

Perhaps the moment that drew the biggest reaction from the Hattie's Hat crowd is when Obama sternly shut Romney down for attempting to politicize the event and the death of Americans.

"And the suggestion that anybody in my team, whether the Secretary of State, our U.N. Ambassador, anybody on my team would play politics or mislead when we've lost four of our own, governor, is offensive. That's not what we do. That's not what I do as president, that's not what I do as Commander in Chief."

Instant polls taken after the debate have given the edge to Obama. 37 percent gave the advantage to Obama, 30 percent to Romney and 33 percent called it a tie.

The third and final debate will occur on Monday, Oct. 22, 6-7:30 p.m., at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. The focus will be on Foreign Policy, meaning last night's debate was the last chance the two had to go head to head on domestic and economic issues.

There are other reason's for Obama's loss of popularity

patr — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:40:34 +0000

patr Mon, 02/01/2010 - 3:40pm

Dear Editor,
Regarding Jerry Amato's essay about Obama's losing popularity, I would like to add that the reason Obama is losing popularity is because the progressive left put him into office under the illusion that he was going to be different than his centrist rhetoric. Those of us who listened carefully to his campaign speeches knew that he was not going to withdraw from Iraq, nor was he going to seek indictment of the Bush administration for launching an illegal war and engaging in torture in violation of international law and the Geneva Conventions. The war in Iraq for oil profits continues and another one in Afghanistan accelerates.

Two never ending war occupations, failure to follow through with campaign speeches such as rewriting unfair trade laws that have exported good paying American jobs and exploited the world's poor for private profit, giving billiions of taxpayer money to banks while doing nothing for the millions facing foreclosure, rising unemployment, refusal to push a single-payer health care system, a ludicrous tax and trade that allows corporations to continue to pollute, a wasted flight to Copenhagen, pushing for nuclear energy and a nonexistant "clean coal", accepting his Nobel Peace Prize with an Orwellian "war is peace" speech--these in my opinion are further reasons of Obama's growing unpopularity.

Chris Anderson
West Seattle

Barack Obama

Robinson Papers

Climate Communities secure  stimulus funding for local climate action

Guest — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:30:39 +0000

Guest (not verified) Mon, 02/23/2009 - 1:30pm

Metropolitan King County Council member Larry Phillips recently joined representatives of Climate Communities in pressing the case to President Obama and Congress for local climate funds to be included in the federal stimulus package.

The result of that effort is $3.2 billion in energy grants nationwide that will make it possible for King County and other cities and counties to invest in local actions that create immediate jobs, improve energy efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Securing federal support for empowering local climate action has been the goal of a coalition of local officials who have joined together in an organization called Climate Communities, of which Phillips is a founding member and national co-chair.

“These hard economic times bring an opportunity to invest in a greener way of life that will bring new jobs to our economy and preserve our environment for future generations,” said Phillips. “With these grant funds, King County can show that we are a responsible and innovative partner with the federal government and can lead the way in finding climate solutions.”

Washington state will receive over $60 million for local energy priorities, including the expansion of emerging renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, and $60.7 million to help weatherize homes and businesses throughout the state. Additionally, King County will receive a share of $3.2 billion in energy efficiency and conservation block grants that will be divided up by formula, as well as other clean energy funds.

King County’s clean energy priorities include improvements to King County’s wastewater treatment system, reclaimed water projects, a waste-to-energy project at the West Point wastewater treatment plant, energy efficiency retrofits of King County facilities, and a zero-energy affordable housing demonstration at Issaquah Highlands.

“Demonstrating the viability of green technologies like reclaimed water, waste-to-energy plants, and zero energy housing in King County will be key to helping innovative climate solutions become mainstream,” said Phillips.

The stimulus bill signed by President Obama earlier this week includes $3.2 billion for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program; $2.8 billion to be distributed by formula to eligible cities (35,000 or greater in population) and counties (200,000 or greater in population, and $400 million in competitive grants through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This funding will help local governments implement strategies to reduce fossil fuel emissions and reduce total energy use.

The economic recovery legislation also includes:

$5 billion for DOE weatherization assistance

$3.1 billion for the DOE State Energy Program

$300 million for DOE Clean Cities grants to promote more efficient vehicles

$400 million for DOE grants for electric vehicles and other transportation electrification projects

$300 million for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants to reduce diesel emissions

$750 million in Department of Labor job training grants, including $500 million for green jobs

King County Council

Barack Obama

Larry Phillips

Ballard. West Seattle

Obama-Rama: A poem

Guest — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:29:17 +0000

Guest (not verified) Mon, 02/23/2009 - 10:29am

If the stimulus bill was just talk

And still unstimulated we walk

Any one who’s deflated, belated, berated, unmated, sedated, more hated, over weighted, cremated, duplicated

Or even with octuplets impregnated

I’m sure now will just blame Barrack

Carol Smith

Cut the pork

Guest — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:37:11 +0000

Guest (not verified) Wed, 02/11/2009 - 3:37pm

We should all be working to support President Obama's implementation of the changes he promised us during the campaign. Give him the tool he needs to control the fringe elements of both parties as the biggest appropriation in history works its way through Congress.
Give President Obama the line item veto.
Write your legislators today; let's get the pork out of the stimulus package.
Frank Bradley
Gatewood