Jeff Grubb's Blog, page 26

The Political Desk: State Level Offices

So the entire state executive branch goes up for re-election every four years. A lot of this we've covered back in the primaries, so this is more of an update.
Governor: Jay InsleeLt. Governor: Markos LiiasSecretary of State: Gael TarletonState Treasurer: Mike PellicciottiState Auditor: Pat (Patrice) McCarthyAttourney General : Bob FergusonCommissioner of Public Lands: Hilary FranzSuperintendent of Public Instruction: Chris ReykdalInsurance Commissioner: Mike Kreidler
Governor: If we put responsibility of the reacting to the current national crisis upon the President, it only makes sense to put state challenges on the Governor. And Inslee has been up to the task. At the start of the year, we were the epicenter of the pandemic, with minimal help from the Federal Level (there were exceptions, like the Army Corps of Engineers). Inslee went with the science, and we now are not even in the top half of states measuring by per capita. So, good job, there (though the numbers are creeping up again). His opponent is a short-term small town sheriff who doesn't believe in enforcing laws he doesn't like, and has Fox News as a podium for it. Yeah, let's go with the grown-up - Jay Inslee.
Lieutenant Governor is between two Democrats, both with experience and capability. Markos Liias is more activist as opposed to conciliatory, and I'm in for that. A former GOP candidate for Governor is running as a write-in, hope the Dems split the vote neatly enough for him to squeeze in. It is a tough sell, particularly since this Republican is already in trouble for lending personal money for his own campaign, then taking it back after he lost. 
Secretary of State is the one office that I regret my "No Republicans" stance. The incumbent is capable, competent, and no fan of the current administrations' War on Democracy. Her opponent, Gael Tarleton, is actually pretty good as well, writing bills on cyber-security and election protection, so she is a reasonable choice. This is one of those situations where you really have a choice between two good candidates, we will be well served with either. But go with Gael Tarleton.
Fun Trivia Fact: The State GOP gripes about not having a Republican Governor since 1985, but we have not had a Democratic SoS since 1964.
State Treasurer: We currently have a Republican State Treasurer because of a split primary ballot resulting in two GOPs running against each other in the general election four years ago. This time there is a choice. The incumbent Republican has been relatively inert, despite federal threats to deny the state funding because the White House doesn't like our politics. Let's get a little more progressive - Vote for Mike Pellicciotti 
State Auditor: So we DID have a big scandal this year, with crooks ripping off the State Unemployment Bureau in the opening act of the Pandemic. Who spearheaded tracking the money down and getting a good chunk of it back? Incumbent Pat (Patrice) McCarthy. So yeah, let's keep her.
Attorney General: We have a superstar in Bob Ferguson, who has been an activist in resisting the utter stupidity of the Federal Executive Branch of the Federal Government. He's been on his toes working as "the people's lawyer" for everything from Eyeman's poltical scams to credit card fraud to Facebook to being 22-0 (so far) against Trump. Yeah, Let's keep him as well.
Commissioner of Public Lands: Are we still on fire? Not so  much? Let's keep Hilary Franz. She has a strong balance between commercial forestry needs and the environment, and has worked hard to reduce the impact of wildfires. She's done a good job.
Superintendent of Public Instruction: The incumbent is Chris Reykdal. He has had his hands full recently (pandemic, online teaching, you know, the usual), but has been up to the task. And he's carrying the responsibility (and brunt) of Ref 90 to make sure your kids aren't getting all their sexual health education off the Internet. So let's keep him as well.
Insurance Commissioner: I always feel bad about this, because I get down to this level and just say that Mike Kreidler has done a good job for twenty years and you should vote for him. Because he has and you should.
That's the State of the State - More later, 

The Political Desk State Level Offices

So the entire state executive branch goes up for re-election every four years. A lot of this we've covered back in the primaries, so this is more of an update.
Governor: Jay InsleeLt. Governor: Markos LiiasSecretary of State: Gael TarletonState Treasurer: Mike PellicciottiState Auditor: Pat (Patrice) McCarthyAttourney General : Bob FergusonCommissioner of Public Lands: Hilary FranzSuperintendent of Public Instruction: Chris ReykdalInsurance Commissioner: Mike Kreidler
Governor: If we put responsibility of the reacting to the current national crisis upon the President, it only makes sense to put state challenges on the Governor. And Inslee has been up to the task. At the start of the year, we were the epicenter of the pandemic, with minimal help from the Federal Level (there were exceptions, like the Army Corps of Engineers). Inslee went with the science, and we now are not even in the top half of states measuring by per capita. So, good job, there (though the numbers are creeping up again). His opponent is a short-term small town sheriff who doesn't believe in enforcing laws he doesn't like, and has Fox News as a podium for it. Yeah, let's go with the grown-up - Jay Inslee.
Lieutenant Governor is between two Democrats, both with experience and capability. Markos Liias is more activist as opposed to conciliatory, and I'm in for that. A former GOP candidate for Governor is running as a write-in, hope the Dems split the vote neatly enough for him to squeeze in. It is a tough sell, particularly since this Republican is already in trouble for lending personal money for his own campaign, then taking it back after he lost. 
Secretary of State is the one office that I regret my "No Republicans" stance. The incumbent is capable, competent, and no fan of the current administrations' War on Democracy. Her opponent, Gael Tarleton, is actually pretty good as well, writing bills on cyber-security and election protection, so she is a reasonable choice. This is one of those situations where you really have a choice between two good candidates, we will be well served with either. But go with Gael Tarleton.
Fun Trivia Fact: The State GOP gripes about not having a Republican Governor since 1985, but we have not had a Democratic SoS since 1964.
State Treasurer: We currently have a Republican State Treasurer because of a split primary ballot resulting in two GOPs running against each other in the general election four years ago. This time there is a choice. The incumbent Republican has been relatively inert, despite federal threats to deny the state funding because the White House doesn't like our politics. Let's get a little more progressive - Vote for Mike Pellicciotti 
State Auditor: So we DID have a big scandal this year, with crooks ripping off the State Unemployment Bureau in the opening act of the Pandemic. Who spearheaded tracking the money down and getting a good chunk of it back? Incumbent Pat (Patrice) McCarthy. So yeah, let's keep her.
Attorney General: We have a superstar in Bob Ferguson, who has been an activist in resisting the utter stupidity of the Federal Executive Branch of the Federal Government. He's been on his toes working as "the people's lawyer" for everything from Eyeman's poltical scams to credit card fraud to Facebook to being 22-0 (so far) against Trump. Yeah, Let's keep him as well.
Commissioner of Public Lands: Are we still on fire? Not so  much? Let's keep Hilary Franz. She has a strong balance between commercial forestry needs and the environment, and has worked hard to reduce the impact of wildfires. She's done a good job.
Superintendent of Public Instruction: The incumbent is Chris Reykdal. He has had his hands full recently (pandemic, online teaching, you know, the usual), but has been up to the task. And he's carrying the responsibility (and brunt) of Ref 90 to make sure your kids aren't getting all their sexual health education off the Internet. So let's keep him as well.
Insurance Commissioner: I always feel bad about this, because I get down to this level and just say that Mike Kreidler has done a good job for twenty years and you should vote for him. Because he has and you should.
That's the State of the State - More later, 

The Political Desk: The Feds

 So, at the Federal Level : Joseph R. Biden for President and Kamala D. Harris for Veep. Because D'uh.
Let's see if I can frame this without referring to the occupant currently squatting in the White House. Joe Biden would make a good president. Period. Now, usually comes the caveats about how he would not be my first choice, or that some of stands have been incorrect, well-intentioned,but wrong, or about how he's a little bit boring. But actually, I think he would a good job, and that's what I'm looking for. 
Biden is an experienced legislator with a long track record. He plays well with others, and is willing to reach across the aisle to those who disagree with him (some see this as a weakness, but I say it is a requirement). He not only believes in what he says, he is willing to listen and sometimes change his mind. I don't agree with all his positions, but I do trust opposing views will at least get a fair hearing. 

He has also been in the White House before, knows how it operates, and where Obama hid the keys for the liquor cabinet. He was an engaged, active Vice President who worked with his administration to get things done. So he's done the tutorial.

In the period of the campaign season itself, he has navigated the pitfalls of the campaign amazingly well. His former Democratic opponents endorse him, and endorse him heartily. He has pulled together the various wings and factions of the Democrats into a generally consistent whole. The Democratic showcase of the convention was a showcase of unity. At the best of times, the Democratic Big Tent resembles a rugby scrum more than a processional, but has he has provided leadership to pull it all together. 
His choice of Veep has been inspired as well. Kamala Harris is Shroedinger's Vice President - Both the top cop of California as Attorney General and to the left of Bernie Sanders in her voting record in the Senate, she has confounded detractors on both sides. She's been strong and resolute and capable, unlike a couple of the spare tires on the GOP side over the past few elections. 
In the debates and town halls, Biden has been resolute, calm, and almost incredibly patient in the face of national meltdowns. He has weathered all sorts of personal attacks and came out of it. Pseudo-scandals have brewed up and evaporated time and again. There may be something he has done out there somewhere, but compared to the present admin, he's practically a paladin.
Endorsements? A bunch. Most of them are the usual suspects, but there are a lot of former members of the current administration who think he'd be the better choice. A lot of folk who are now retired and no longer have to kneel before their political masters. And people who don't normally endorse, like Scientific America, or USA Today. The other side? Rosanne Barr, the Klan, and the Taliban (though to be fair, they rejected the Taliban's endorsement).
And Biden  has plans. Plans he has actually shared with people. He actually has a platform, which it sounds like he has read. He's let other people read those plans. And they have said "Yep, These are plans". Surprisingly good plans. 
Lastly, and this is a person thing - he comes across as nice. One of the Trump flunkies compared him to Mr. Rogers in a negative way, inadvertently kissing off any chance for the GOP to take the Pittsburgh area. I don't buy that, no more than the Onion portrayal of the man as wearing denim shorts while hand-washing his Trans-Am behind the White House. But even I have to admit he comes across as a caring, reasonable human being.
Let's end the chaos. We need someone who can lead us out of this mess. I think we need Joe Fixit. He's going to have a huge to-do list should he win, and I think he and his vice president are up for it.
More la... Oh, hang on, there is another Federal Level to look at.
Congressional District Number 9 - Adam Smith is the incumbent, the head of the House Armed Services Committee, and has been doing the job for a while. He deserves to go back. His opponent is a conservative talk show host who lost to him several times already. Not a lot to say here, so let's go with Adam Smith.
NOW we say, More later.

The Political Desk - The Feds

 So, at the Federal Level : Joseph R. Biden for President and Kamala D. Harris for Veep. Because D'uh.
Let's see if I can frame this without referring to the occupant currently squatting in the White House. Joe Biden would make a good president. Period. Now, usually comes the caveats about how he would not be my first choice, or that some of stands have been incorrect, well-intentioned,but wrong, or about how he's a little bit boring. But actually, I think he would a good job, and that's what I'm looking for. 
Biden is an experienced legislator with a long track record. He plays well with others, and is willing to reach across the aisle to those who disagree with him (some see this as a weakness, but I say it is a requirement). He not only believes in what he says, he is willing to listen and sometimes change his mind. I don't agree with all his positions, but I do trust opposing views will at least get a fair hearing. 

He has also been in the White House before, knows how it operates, and where Obama hid the keys for the liquor cabinet. He was an engaged, active Vice President who worked with his administration to get things done. So he's done the tutorial.

In the period of the campaign season itself, he has navigated the pitfalls of the campaign amazingly well. His former Democratic opponents endorse him, and endorse him heartily. He has pulled together the various wings and factions of the Democrats into a generally consistent whole. The Democratic showcase of the convention was a showcase of unity. At the best of times, the Democratic Big Tent resembles a rugby scrum more than a processional, but has he has provided leadership to pull it all together. 
His choice of Veep has been inspired as well. Kamala Harris is Shroedinger's Vice President - Both the top cop of California as Attorney General and to the left of Bernie Sanders in her voting record in the Senate, she has confounded detractors on both sides. She's been strong and resolute and capable, unlike a couple of the spare tires on the GOP side over the past few elections. 
In the debates and town halls, Biden has been resolute, calm, and almost incredibly patient in the face of national meltdowns. He has weathered all sorts of personal attacks and came out of it. Pseudo-scandals have brewed up and evaporated time and again. There may be something he has done out there somewhere, but compared to the present admin, he's practically a paladin.
Endorsements? A bunch. Most of them are the usual suspects, but there are a lot of former members of the current administration who think he'd be the better choice. A lot of folk who are now retired and no longer have to kneel before their political masters. And people who don't normally endorse, like Scientific America, or USA Today. The other side? Rosanne Barr, the Klan, and the Taliban (though to be fair, they rejected the Taliban's endorsement).
And Biden  has plans. Plans he has actually shared with people. He actually has a platform, which it sounds like he has read. He's let other people read those plans. And they have said "Yep, These are plans". Surprisingly good plans. 
Lastly, and this is a person thing - he comes across as nice. One of the Trump flunkies compared him to Mr. Rogers in a negative way, inadvertently kissing off any chance for the GOP to take the Pittsburgh area. I don't buy that, no more than the Onion portrayal of the man as wearing denim shorts while hand-washing his Trans-Am behind the White House. But even I have to admit he comes across as a caring, reasonable human being.
Let's end the chaos. We need someone who can lead us out of this mess. I think we need Joe Fixit. He's going to have a huge to-do list should he win, and I think he and his vice president are up for it.
More la... Oh, hang on, there is another Federal Level to look at.
Congressional District Number 9 - Adam Smith is the incumbent, the head of the House Armed Services Committee, and has been doing the job for a while. He deserves to go back. His opponent is a conservative talk show host who lost to him several times already. Not a lot to say here, so let's go with Adam Smith.
NOW we say, More later.

The Political Desk: King County Measures

Not content with just giving us advisory votes, the ballot has seven Charter Amendments (changes to the King County Charter, our operating system) and a Bond Proposition. These are the nuts and bolts of local government, and while I mock the Advisory Votes, these have real weight. Five of the Amendments are pretty tame (And don't even have people arguing against them in the Voter's Guide), but two are doozies.
Charter Amendment No 1 - Inquests - YesCharter Amendment No 2 - Disposition of Real Property for Affordable Housing- YesCharter Amendment No.3 - References to Citizens - YesCharter Amendment No. 4 - Office of Law Enforcement Oversight - Subpoena Authority - YesCharter Amendment No. 5 - Making the King County Sheriff an Appointed Position - NoCharter Amendment No. 6 - Structure and Duties of the Department of Public Safety - YesCharter Amendment No. 7 - Prohibiting Descrimination on the Basis of Family Caregiver, Military, or Veteran Status - Yes
Proposition No. 1Harborview Medical Center Health and Safety Improvement Bonds - Approved. 
Charter Amendment No. 1 - We have to have a inquest if the police are involved in someone's death. We have to make sure the deceased's family has adequate representation. What, we don't have that already? - Yes
Charter Amendment No. 2 - Remove restrictions on letting the county sell real estate for less than fair market value IF the property will be used for affordable housing. - I can see how this might be gamed, and needs proper oversight, but Yes.
Charter Amendment No 3 - Change to replace the word Citizen" in the preamble with "public", "member of the public", or "resident". - OK, that makes sense. Yes.
Charter Amendment No. 4 - Lets the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO) Subpoena people in investigations - Sure.
Charter Amendment No. 5 - Making the King County Sheriff an Appointed Position - No. Here's where I break with the other amendments. I don't think we are well-served by going back to an appointed position, as an elected position tends to make the position a) local and b) more responsive to the citizens./public/residents than one whose primary task it keep the Council happy. King County has bounced back and forth on this a couple times - Elected until 1968, then appointed until 1996, and now elected again. Both have strengths and weaknesses. One weakness of the current system is when the current Sheriff retires/leaves mid-term, their replacement then runs as an incumbent, which sort of defeats the entire idea of fresh elections (and happens a LOT). But I don't think the appointed position has done us any great favors in the past, so this may not be the solution people are looking for.
Charter Amendment No. 6 - Changes to the Structure and Duties of the Department of Public Safety. On the other hand, I am good with the County Council setting up the structure of the Department of Public Safety. I am not a fan of defunding the police - if anything, they need more training and applicable resources, but a good solid re-org would be to everyone's advantage - sending non-police matters to other agencies, for example, as opposed to piling it on other police responsibilities - So, Yes. 
Charter Amendment No,. 7 Prohibiting Discrimination on the Basis of Family Caregiver, Military or Veteran status. The county can't discriminate against people who are in the above categories, even they were discharged from the military for being gay. Again, we don't have this already? Yeah.
And finally - 
Proposition No. 1 - Harborview Medical Center Health and Safety Improvement Bonds. Yep, we're in a pandemic. Approved.
More later,

The Political Desk - King County Measures

Not content with just giving us advisory votes, the ballot has seven Charter Amendments (changes to the King County Charter, our operating system) and a Bond Proposition. These are the nuts and bolts of local government, and while I mock the Advisory Votes, these have real weight. Five of the Amendments are pretty tame (And don't even have people arguing against them in the Voter's Guide), but two are doozies.
Charter Amendment No 1 - Inquests - YesCharter Amendment No 2 - Disposition of Real Property for Affordable Housing- YesCharter Amendment No.3 - References to Citizens - YesCharter Amendment No. 4 - Office of Law Enforcement Oversight - Subpoena Authority - YesCharter Amendment No. 5 - Making the King County Sheriff an Appointed Position - NoCharter Amendment No. 6 - Structure and Duties of the Department of Public Safety - YesCharter Amendment No. 7 - Prohibiting Descrimination on the Basis of Family Caregiver, Military, or Veteran Status - Yes
Proposition No. 1Harborview Medical Center Health and Safety Improvement Bonds - Approved. 
Charter Amendment No. 1 - We have to have a inquest if the police are involved in someone's death. We have to make sure the deceased's family has adequate representation. What, we don't have that already? - Yes
Charter Amendment No. 2 - Remove restrictions on letting the county sell real estate for less than fair market value IF the property will be used for affordable housing. - I can see how this might be gamed, and needs proper oversight, but Yes.
Charter Amendment No 3 - Change to replace the word Citizen" in the preamble with "public", "member of the public", or "resident". - OK, that makes sense. Yes.
Charter Amendment No. 4 - Lets the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO) Subpoena people in investigations - Sure.
Charter Amendment No. 5 - Making the King County Sheriff an Appointed Position - No. Here's where I break with the other amendments. I don't think we are well-served by going back to an appointed position, as an elected position tends to make the position a) local and b) more responsive to the citizens./public/residents than one whose primary task it keep the Council happy. King County has bounced back and forth on this a couple times - Elected until 1968, then appointed until 1996, and now elected again. Both have strengths and weaknesses. One weakness of the current system is when the current Sheriff retires/leaves mid-term, their replacement then runs as an incumbent, which sort of defeats the entire idea of fresh elections (and happens a LOT). But I don't think the appointed position has done us any great favors in the past, so this may not be the solution people are looking for.
Charter Amendment No. 6 - Changes to the Structure and Duties of the Department of Public Safety. On the other hand, I am good with the County Council setting up the structure of the Department of Public Safety. I am not a fan of defunding the police - if anything, they need more training and applicable resources, but a good solid re-org would be to everyone's advantage - sending non-police matters to other agencies, for example, as opposed to piling it on other police responsibilities - So, Yes. 
Charter Amendment No,. 7 Prohibiting Discrimination on the Basis of Family Caregiver, Military or Veteran status. The county can't discriminate against people who are in the above categories, even they were discharged from the military for being gay. Again, we don't have this already? Yeah.
And finally - 
Proposition No. 1 - Harborview Medical Center Health and Safety Improvement Bonds. Yep, we're in a pandemic. Approved.
More later,

The Political Desk: State Measures

This year, is a bit odd (I know, it's 2020 - EVERYTHING is odd). But this year is PARTICULARLY odd in that a lot of people who read this blog (both of you), have already voted. The turnout for early voting nationally has been incredible, despite blatant attempts at vote suppression. Washington State, with its complete mail-in ballots, has usually had the jump on the rest of the nation with its habits, but it is in the middle of the pack. And, among the people I pay attention to on Facebook, people are spinning their ballots around fast. I just got mine, and they have a message on the envvelope recommending mailing your ballot in the Friday before election day (because the Feds are messing with the Post Office).
So I'm going through the ballot in order, and summarizing as opposed to going into excruciating detail here, just to get through everything. And we are starting out with the boring part, as listed on my ballot - State Measures. Here's the head's up: Approve all this stuff.
Referendum Measure No/ 90 - Approved
Advisory Vote No 32 - Maintained
Advisory Vote No 33 - MaintainedAdvisory Vote No 34 - MaintainedAdvisory Vote No 35 - Maintained
Engrossed Senate Joint Resolution No. 8212  - Approved
Intrigued? Let me go into detail.
Ref 90 is the probably the flashiest measure on the ballot this year, because it about sex. Education. Sex education. I would require districts to adopt a uniform, age appropriate sexual health education. Like 28 other states have already. Like parts of Washington have already. Should be a no-brainer (and yeah, the State Government is charged with the education of its citizens), but it has the fundie undies in a twist. Apparently, they feel that informing kids will result in perverted twister in the classrooms and the pop-up kama sutra in their book bags. They are incensed that the state government passed this law, and are using the Referendum system to try to overturn it (which is their right, even though they are wrong).
I am surprisingly in favor of not having stupid kids, and with giving them a better view of sex than what they get on the Internet. So yeah, Approved.
The Advisory Votes 32-35 are just filler.They are literally votes that don't matter. They exist because of a measure passed by initiative maven/gadfly Tim Eyeman that was not entirely thrown out of court. As a result, the state is obligated to ask your approval whenever approval of a new tax (with very broad definitions of what a new tax is). However, they are under no obligation to DO anything about it. It is sort of like a poll - You still hate taxes? That's nice. Anyway:
Advisory Vote 32 (Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5323 adds a small tax on carryout plastic bags. Yes, this is how down in the weeds you can get.  Maintained
Advisory Vote 33 (Substitute Senate Bill 5628) is a tax on heavy equipment rentals - Maintained
Advisory Vote 34 (Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6492) increased B&O taxes on certain businesses while reducing surcharges. What certain businesses? Big computer companies (I had to dig for this - increases the B&O tax a tiny bit on businesses making over $100 billion a year). - Maintained!
Advisory Vote 35 (Engrossed Senate Bill 6690) raised B&O taxes on manufacturers of commercial airplanes. Which is to say, Boeing,This one is interesting in that Boeing SUPPORTS this tax, because it offsets other bennies the state gives it that WTO thinks are illegal - Maintained.
Proposed Constitutional Amendments - Are changes to the state constitution. They DO have weight as opposed to the Advisory votes.
Engrossed Senate Joint Resolution No 8212 - Raising funds for long-term care for the elderly. Since I am planning, some time in the far future, to be elderly, I think this is a good thing. - Approved.
So that's it for the boring order of business, now on to ... what's that? We still have to do the COUNTY Amendments and propositions.
Fine. More later,

The Political Desk Opens: All The Marbles

Every election I do this - go through the ballot and make recommendations. Have done so for years, for an audience that is fives if not tens of people. But it helps me sort a few things out and do some research. Other people's recommendations are at the bottom of this entry. 
But spoilers: No Republicans.
Sorry folks, I’m just about done with the Republican Party. Every year I find worthy, experienced candidates from the GOP side, and common-sense initiatives supported by conservative causes. Not so much in recent years and not so much this time. Starting at the top, if you still support the infected, immoral, incompetent, impeached, incumbent you have just not been paying much attention for the past four years, or you just don't care. There has been just so much wrong with executive branch - the lack of planning as the pandemic has hit us, the corruption, the indictments, the graft, the sexual assaults, the raw, ever-growing, angry insanity. There’s much, much more and much, much worse, but I’m keeping it to one paragraph. Four years ago I something to the effect that I would not let him work the grill at a fast food joint. Now I wouldn’t let him in the building.
And it rolls all the way downhill. The Republican-held Senate has its own cast of miscreants, and has been completely inert on any legislation that doesn’t put money into the pockets of rich people and corporations. The latest is denying Covid relief while pushing through the latest underqualified Supreme Court justice. 300-some bipartisan bills from the House have not even had a hearing, let alone a vote. Enough.
So yeah, no Republicans.Clear 'em out and get some people who want to do the job in there.
I’d like to say that things are better for the GOP here in blue Washington, but the nutters are in control of the party here as well. We have a GOP candidate for Governor is a small town sherriff who aches to be a conservative media star, a former GOP gubernatorial candidate now running a write-in for Lt. Governor, and the conservatives rallying around the idea of keeping kids stupid.
And those in the party that are not outright crazy are enablers to this horrorshow. They may not be racists, or fascists, or criminals, but they decided those things aren’t deal-breakers. And I understand. I still consider myself a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but I haven’t seen a game since Willie Stargell retired. I check them in the standing about once a week (yep, they still suck), but that's about it. Habit is something comprehensible, but take a good hard look at what you’re supporting.
So, from me, I’m just done with Republicans.
I’m not alone. A lot of Republicans are done with Republicans. I have never seen so many groups have that traditionally been supportive of the GOP backing away cautiously. Military folk. Wall Street, Retirees. People who work for Republicans. Even traditional Republicans have had it. The most vocal gang - The Lincoln Project, is a bunch of old-time GOP backers who have been tearing into the present administration with abandon for destroying their party. The conservatives have always been better at slinging mud at their opponents, and this group, the mean girls table of the GOP, has been nastily effective in ways that the lefties and progressives have not.
But what about the other guys making recommendations?. The Stranger's recommendations can be trusted to be progressive (in fact, they are bashing a lot of candidates they are supporting for being less-than-left to their tastes), but even the stolid, stodgy Seattle Times has skewed solidly blue this time, I always point folk to VotingForJudges for a good read on the few competitive judge races. The Progressive are here. The Muni League looks like it folded up its tents back in 2017. And my friend and youtuber Sig Trent walks through his ballot for Pierce County. As others show up I will pass them along here as well.
So Let’s hit this thing and make it happen.
But remember, No Republicans.
More later,

Life in the Time of Virus - Changes

Office in a Small City, 1953

The world is frozen. The world is always in motion.

Month Seven has passed and change is in the offing. Still working from home, but I have changed positions. Crucible has been “sunset” (cancelled) and now I am working on a new project for Amazon, of which I cannot speak.

However, this has resulted in several changes. For the past 6 months I have been camped out in the basement library with two laptops and my personal monitor. My desk has been an old oak table purchased from Milt’s Woodshed in Walworth (Milt’s a character, yaknow), and my chair has been a straight-backed dining room chair. The table is littered with piles of games and vinyl record albums, and my monitor has been perched on a couple boxes of the Dominion game. And that’s OK, because I thought this was a temporary measure and we would be back in the office soon.

But there may no longer be an office for a cancelled project, and when my new team heard about the strength of my computers, the feeling was that I needed some real firepower. So I have a new desk chair, desk, laptop and tower, along with sundry additional things. I took down the drafting table I had in the corner of my personal office (I try to keep church and state separate as much as possible), and installed myself there, which will be warmer during the coming winter months. But it has been a weird feeling, sort of a permanent shift for me.

Oh. Also, got a haircut, finally.

We have recovered from the smoky days of previous month, and slipped effortlessly into fall, which in Seattle terms means rain, windstorms, and the occasional clap of thunder. The birds disappeared during the worst of the smoke, but seem to have returned, though I don’t know if they are the originals or migratory versions that are passing through. In any event, the hummingbirds are now at the feeder, and chickadees battle over the fountain.

The outer world continues. The Lovely Bride is wrapping up tax extensions from last year, already extended by the government once. Spot shortages continue – the latest is caffeine-free diet soda and shower cleaner. Also rubbing alcohol, which people are turning into hand sanitizer and shower cleaner. The Lovely B has gone to vodka for her mix. Which is OK, since I haven’t picked up any ginger beer lately.

I actually got sick the other week. It was probably a reaction to a shingles vaccine (I had gotten a flu shot at the same time - why not go for two?), and it left me achy and congested for a few days. The Lovely Bride had some back spasms and is now doing physical therapy. But I have been stunned to discover that there is more out there than just the virus. But at the same time, this has been the longest time without some cold, flu, or other physical illness. 

Not so for everyone in the outside. And we humans like stories, and stories of hubris are particularly appealing. The guy who swears there in no monster getting eaten by the monster - that's a story that resonates. And those who oppose masks, social distancing, and other measures while trying to live a life from before the coronovirus, who then come down with it in droves is that sort of story. And you know, despite the nature of such stories, I feel empathy for these folk, even though they will likely survive it (through the very actions they despised before) but learn nothing from the experience. Perhaps.

And so we row on.It is grey and cool and fall is starting roll in. But at least the birds are back.

More later. 

Plague Books: Operative

The Big Knockover by Dashiell Hammett, Selected Stories and Short Novels, edited and with an introduction by Lillian Hellman, Vintage Books, 1989, originally published by Random House, 1966

Provenance: The volume, shown right, is from the collection of John Rateliff, known to the 'net as Sacnoth. John has been cleaning out his library, and a lot of his mystery novels have found a space at Grubb Street. So while his shelves start to sort themselves out, mine groan with Hammett, Stout, Allingham, Sayers, and Peters. The copy I have is more grey than green, but that may just be from age.

Review: Our protagonist for all but one of these stories is only known as the Continental Op - an agent of the Continental Detective Agency. We don't know a lot about him. He's middle-aged, shorter than most and little wider, but we only know him by his actions - he will lie for a good cause, he will make deals with criminals if he must, he'll feel bad shooting a woman but will do so if he needs to. No one calls him by name that he records. He narrates in first person. He is a bit of a cipher, one of the first of the hard-boiled, noir detectives. 

The bulk of the stories in the volume are from the 20's, when Hammett dominated Black Mask magazine, and given my preference for that era, I enjoyed the tales a great deal. Due to the movies like The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man (also Hammett), I tend to mentally put Hammett's work in the Depression and the War Years as opposed to the Roaring Twenties, but it fits just as well here. 

One of the things that strikes me, going through stories, is the neatness of his language and the broadness of his scope. Hammett does not use five words where three will do. And when I don't quite get what the Op is up to, I just have to wait a few paragraphs before all becomes clear. By broadness of scope, we see a medley of situations and places - not just San Francisco in the second quarter of the century. The Op goes to a pocket kingdom in Europe. The Op goes to Arizona and hangs with cowpokes. The Op goes to Chinatown and Beacon Hill as well, but he carries his noir with him, and fits in equally well.

One story is from a later period, his unfinished book, "Tulip," exhumed and presented here. And it is a unfinished first draft and tough read. A former Army buddy looks up a friend and they tell stories. A lot of the stories sound like things Hammett experienced. Here the sparceness of his prose works against it, and the lack of the formula for a detective story leaves it without a central spine. Good words, though.

This volume takes its name from the final story, which is two stories, one story carrying that name, then a second tale added almost as a coda. A mastermind puts together an ultimate heist - calls in criminal talent from all over the country, and they hit two banks in the same morning, sealing off the streets and making a clear getaway. Then all the participants get bumped off by the lieutenants in the robbery, who are then bumped off by their higher ups. A very corporate chain of command. And all the wise guys and grifters have names like Bluepoint Vance and Red O'Leary and Happy Jack Hacker. Just the plot itself makes for a great Gangbusters adventure, or with a little more eldritch horror, a Call of Cthulhu evening. With Hammett's hands on the typewriter keys, it shines. I am surprised that this hasn't become a film over the years. Amazon Prime, take heed. 

Turns out I have a later edition of the book on my shelf, tucked between The Dain Curse and Red Harvest. The Big Knockover makes me want to revisit them and reminds me that this is the stuff that set American detective fiction up as a country in its own right, and made San Francisco its capital.

More later,