Thursday, May 17, 2012
Republican Jim Thatcher is a principal program manager at Microsoft.
Republican Jim Thatcher has announced he will challenge State Rep. Larry Springer (D) of Kirkland for legislative position 2 in District 45. The Union Hill resident is a principal program manager at Microsoft and says he is running to advocate for budget reform and encourage local economic development. “Our legislators have been gridlocked into four special sessions over the last two years, and their budget proposals have been more on gimmicks and wishful thinking than real reforms and long term sustainability," Thatcher said in a campaign news release. "As taxpayers we should demand better!” Thatcher said his campaign priorities are implementing spending controls "that meet our priorities without raising taxes," "putting education first…
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
James Windle, of Snoqualmie Pass, filed this week for the 8th District congressional race.
Editor's note: James Windle lives in Snoqualmie Pass, not Snoqualmie, as an earlier version of this article stated. Sammamish native James Windle (I-Snoqualmie Pass) has announced his run for Washington’s 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Several other candidates have also filed for the election, including incumbent Dave Reichert (R-WA8). The filing period ends May 18. Windle said in a press release that he has returned home to Washington State after spending his early career in public service in Washington, D.C. He and his wife currently own a home in Snoqualmie Pass. Windle said in the release that he left his federal civilian job with the Department of Defense to serve his home state more directly and be …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
So far, nearly 350 elections filings have been received by the state, including a number of local competitors for seats that fall in shifting district boundaries.
This week is officially elections filing week in Washington, so for anyone planning to throw their hats into the ring, your time has come. There are open positions in a number of districts, including redrawn state Legislative districts 5, 41, and 45, and US Congressional District 8. As of Tuesday afternoon, 343 candidates had already filed for races across the state. Eighth District incumbent Dave Reichert, who recently moved his offices to Issaquah, filed for his seat, as did three others, including Republican Keith Swank (Puyallup), Democrat Karen Porterfield (Issaquah), and Independent candidate James Windle (Snoqualmie Pass). So far, only Issaquah Republican Chad Magendanz has filed for state Representative Position 2 in the 5th …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Washington is among five states and the District of Columbia offer a full gamut of rights to gay people, according to The Guardian.
Earlier today, the Huffington Post reported that President Obama became the first sitting president to announce his support for same-sex marriage, in an interview with ABC News. "At a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married," he said in the interview. Meanwhile, in the wake of North Carolina's decision to amend its Constitution to ban same sex unions, The Guardian website has created a model looking at gay rights in each state. According to the graphic, Washington, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont, along with Iowa and the District of Columbia, have the most rights afforded to gays. Washington allows: Washington …
Friday, April 20, 2012
Dr. Steve Rasmussen, superintendent of the Issaquah School District, says the district's community is unparalleled in the state and the nation for supporting education.
A huge, HUGE thank you to the Issaquah School District voters for resoundingly passing the construction and maintenance bond last week! It makes me extremely proud to serve in a community that values education and the future of its children so much—you are unparalleled in this state and nation. Because of you, we will be able to meet our critical construction and repair needs for the next eight years, ensuring students are learning in safe, high-quality schools equipped for 21st-century learning. My commitment is to be the best steward possible for these dollars, completing projects on time and on—or under—budget, protecting our top credit rating, and remaining transparent throughout the construction process (look for a web page soon that …
With 37.5 percent of voters chiming in, the Issaquah School District's $219 million bond package looks certain to be certified next week.
It's still a week until the canvassing board convenes to certify election results, but it appears that the Issaquah School District has a firm grip on a resounding "yes" from voters for its $219 million bond package. So far, 22,261 votes have been received out of a registered voting pool of 59,358 voters in the district and an even 70 percent of those have voted to approve the bonds. In order to pass, the issue requires a 60 percent yes vote with a minimum turnout of 12,229, which it has easily surpassed. Nearby, the Renton School District appears to be narrowly passing its bond as well, but Mercer Island School District voters have rejected the bond there,which has been embroiled in controversy. By contrast, Issaquah voters and public …
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
So far, more than 69 percent of participating Issaquah School District voters have voted to approve a $219 million school bond for capital improvements in the district.
So far, about 60 percent of voters in the special election for the proposed Issaquah School Bond have voted yes, meaning the bond will likely pass, ensuring $219 million in school improvements for the district. Nearby districts in Mercer Island and Renton have not been so lucky, with the measures in Mercer Island headed for defeat and Renton's too close to call as of Tuesday night. As of Tuesday night, 32.85 percent of registered voters had cast ballots, with 69 percent in favor of the bond, though the results won't be certified until April 27. According to the district, in previous years participation has hovered around 40 percent. The bond must pass with a 60 percent plus one majority. You can read the full text of the bond measure here…
Attendees said they think this time around people are already confident in the president and didn't see a need to come out to the caucus.
Turnout was light, to put it lightly, at the Democratic Caucuses at Challenger Elementary in the Klahanie neighborhood Sunday. For the 48 precints from both Sammamish and Issaquah neighborhoods represented there, about 40 people attended to discuss issues and select delegates for the upcoming presidential elections. Martha Franklin, PCO for the Hi-Valley precinct, and her husband, Lou, were the only two members of their precinct to show up at the event. Neither is able to attend the state convention as a delegate, so their precinct won’t be represented there, she said. Franklin said that it’s much different for Democrats this time around. “I think they just have their candidate,” she said. But the Franklins also expressed some concern that…
The King County Elections office says so far about 30 percent of the ballots have been returned.
So far, about 30 percent of registered voters in the Issaquah School District have submitted their ballots for the proposed school bond. King County sent out 59,631 ballots, and as of yesterday, 17,844 had been returned. The issue requires a supermajority, or 60 percent plus 1, to pass. Proponents of the bond issue have cited the fiscal responsibility of the district (ISD has a AAA rating with Moody's) and the fact that the property tax levy will decrease compared with the previous bond that retires later this year. To get your vote in, return your ballot through the U.S. Postal Service, using a first class stamp, or at a ballot drop box. The deadline to return ballots is today, April 17. Ballots must be postmarked by April 17 or in a …
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Join Sammamish-Issaquah Patch as we cover the day's activities, starting at 12:30 p.m.
On Sunday, Democrats in Sammamish, Issaquah, and across the state will gather for precinct caucuses, where they’ll select their presidential nominee, discuss party platform issues and elect delegates to the next tier of conventions, culminating with the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. Patch editors in 14 towns around Puget Sound will be covering the action live, starting at 12:30 p.m. Caucuses are slated to run from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m., and we’ll be there to find out what’s on people’s minds. Join us right here to follow the coverage and be part of the discussion on our live blog, where you’ll be able to ask questions and share your thoughts in this space. (You can set yourself an email reminder right now by filling…
