The following blog post 
describes what prevents Washington conservatives from making progress: their own elected officials, masquerading as conservatives and winning elections because they wear an “R,” work against them—consistently, clandestinely, conscientiously. “Everyone” in the 4th district “knows” but no one can positively document the hidden connections between the establishment’s chosen replacement for Senator McCaslin, Mike Padden, and the three county commissioners, in particular Richard and Mielke. Liberals all. Elitists who “know better” than the duly elected Republican Precinct Committee Officers of the 4th District. By what authority do these commissioners demand “papers” of the lawfully nominated candidates for the senate seat from whom they are lawfully required to choose the 4th district’s next senator? Read what Washington Campaign for Liberty leader Alex Rion has to say.
4th Legislative District Deserves
Representation!
Filed under: Action Alert, Elected Officials & Candidates, NewsOn January 5, 2011, the state senate seat in the 4th Legislative District was vacated when 30-year Senate veteran Bob McCaslin retired.
State law specifies when a state legislative seat is vacated during an elected official’s term, the precinct committee officers [of the outgoing official's party] in that district gather to nominate three people for the job. It is then the duty of the county board of commissioners to select and appoint one of these nominees.
If the commissioners fail to act within 60 days, the Governor has the authority to make the appointment.
Time is of the essence
On Saturday, January 15, 2011, Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs) from the 4th Legislative District in Spokane County, met to select nominees to fill Senator McCaslin’s seat. The nominees are:
- Matt Shea, an attorney and sitting State House Representative from the 4th LD
- Jeff Baxter, a local businessman and former school board candidate, and
- Roy Murry, also a local businessman.
Representative Shea was the first nominee selected and also received the highest number of votes.
The nominees have been submitted to the Spokane County Board of Commissioners; now the commissioners must choose an official replacement. The commissioners have set an extraordinarily long due diligence review period, until March 4, 2011.
In the interim, the 4th Legislative District is without senatorial representation.
Why is it taking so long to appoint a successor?
Local political insiders note that the Spokane County Board of Commissioners may be facing pressure from outside groups and interests.
Meanwhile, voters from the district are understandably frustrated that they are without representation during this critical period of the legislative cycle when bills are being introduced and agendas set in Olympia.
The commissioners are on record indicating that they feel they must complete a diligent review. Surely the sentiment is commendable, but it doesn’t add up. Why would it take up to 60 days to complete a review?
The law is unambiguous about the process, the elected party officers have made their choice, the next steps are clear. It leads to the uncomfortable question – are the commissioners playing politics?
Urge the commissioners to action
We encourage all citizens to contact the commissioners at the numbers below to provide input to the decision-making process and encourage a speedy resolution. The Commissioners have set a February 2, 2011 deadline for public comment on the nominees.
Mark Richard
(509) 448-6160
(509) 251-3643 cell
(509) 477-2742 office
Todd Mielke
(509) 220-2200 cell
(509) 477-2267 office
Al French
(509) 994-4351 cell
(509) 477-2741 office
Comments may be emailed to derickson@spokanecounty.org or mailed to:
Daniela Erickson
Clerk of the Board
1116 W Broadway Ave
Spokane, WA 99260
Everybody knows the boat is leaking
Everybody knows that the Captain lied
Everybody’s got this broken feeling
Like their father or their dog just died
Everybody’s talking to their pockets
Everybody wants the box of chocolates
and the long stemmed rose
That’s how it goes
Everybody knows
–Leonard Cohen
So you know. So go do something about it!!
The statement that the Commissioners have set a long timeline is incorrect. March 4th is the Deadline, if the Commissioners are unable to make a decision before then the appointment could be made by the Governor. The Commissoners have requested a Reasume, Biography and a letter stating their interest in the appointment along with any other information the candidates feel necessary to include in their submittal. The Commissioners have given until February 2nd for the three candidates to submit this information and have committed to moving forward if the candidates return the requested information before that time.
I am working to accelerate the appointment and have been in close contact with the Commissioners to give any assistance appropriate. If you have any questions or require clarifcation on the information you are recieving from others please contact me directly.
Matthew Pederson
Chairman, Spokane County Republican Party
(509) 838-6162
chair@spokanegop.com
You have it all wrong. Let’s leave no doubt. A liberal establishment Republican I am not. My conservative record goes back to 1963 when I was the 46th District Youth for Goldwater chairman. It continued as president of GYRO, the Gonzaga Young Republican Organization, and as college chairman of Washington State Young Americans for Freedom and as president of the Gonzaga chapter of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.
I worked for the King County Republican Party in 1969 and 1970 under Ken Rogstad and the Republican Party of Louisiana in 1971 under Charlie DeGravelles. Was it an establishment act to be the first person ever to cast an electoral vote for Ronald Reagan in 1976 without breaking any oath or pledge? I co chaired the 1976 Spokane County Reagan for President organization.
What about my voting records for 14 plus years in the state legislature from 1981 through March of 1995? It was as socially and fiscally conservative as Glenn Dobbs, Dick Bond, Ellen Craswell, Steve Furhman, Harry James, John Koster, Harold Hochstetter and other conservative legislators that I had the honor to serve along side.
Support for the 4th District Senate appointment came to me from 4th District State Senator Bob McCaslin, former 4th District State Representatives Lynn Schindler and Charlie Wolfe along with former Republican candidate for Congress, Duane Alton. If you still have doubts check with Doug Simpson, Chuck Beck or Floyd Brown as to my record!
Mike Padden
No offense, Mike, but obviously the duly elected PCOs in the 4th district don’t know who you are! I hardly know who you are–and I was the hard working, dedicated chairman of the Spokane County Republican Party for the past two years!! I rarely saw Lynn or Charlie or you for two long years! There are many young and new citizens becoming politically active in our county….we have energetic, smart conservative candidates like Matt Shea coming onboard who the voters are excited about, and where are you guys? Where is the “giving back” to all those who waved signs and sent funding for you people?? There are a whole bunch of the “old guard” good old boys who are not lending a hand to mentor a new generation of families and struggling businesspeople in Spokane. Our schools aren’t doing anywhere near what they should be doing, and parents of kids are very upset, yet not a word from the good old boys and girls? (Except the usual sour grapes, of course.) What gives?? If our nation is to survive these difficult recessionary years, Republican “oldies” need to get off there backsides, stop being critical, and give some help and kumbaya to talented new conservatives like Brenda Grassel, Mike Baumgartner and Matt Shea!!! I can tell everybody about one guy who did more than his share of cheerleading this younger generation in 2010–Rep. John Ahern! He cheerfully stood with us at 6 a.m. in the rain, and about ran us into the ground doorbelling, and he showed us all how it’s done. Go John Go!!! And thanks!!!
Mr. Padden,
You travel way back. Political expediency compels a question:
Who did you support in the primaries, and then the general election, for president:
1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008;
and then, the same for the 2010 Senate race in Washington State.
In addition, can name a few of the bills you authored during your service in the WA legislature.
Thank-you for your service, and ahead of time for your answer.
Mr Padden,
The party is always harping about bringing young people into the party. Then when we do get some young energetic person like Matt Shea into office, who has done a outstanding job of representing us the old war horses seem to have a hissy fit. We need someone in this position that has new idea’s not someone who will just fill the slot. I hear you did a good job while you were there, now move over and make room for the younger generation.
I think they should check the backgrounds of the candidates b/f they pick one. The commissioners don’t wan’t to jump the gun and pick someone with serious personal, criminal or ethical problems. In the last election Cindy lead the party effort party to vet and endorse candidates, now she looks like she has changed her tune…
I am a PCO in the 4th, I am NOT a liberal! Part of this problem is the name calling by those who want Matt Shea.
Not ALL PCO’s in the 4th had a voice on the January 15th nomination. Please quit saying everyone in the 4th wants Matt Shea. Not a true statement, I do not want Matt Shea simply because of the actions like this. If you want support for him then quit ramming him down our throats and calling us names. Let him present himself without the attitude of some of his followers, and stop the secret meetings.
Seems like some have become a party of “ME” not a unified group trying to defeat the Democrats. Can’t we quit eating our own and join forces on what we do agree on? If not, hope you like Obama again in 2012 because that is what we will get. Give Matt Pederson a chance to pull Spokane together and stop this madness.
The Libertairians of the Republican Party in Spokane are in charge of the Central Committee. It was stated by an e-mail during the 2008 election that it is easier to take over a party than to start a new one. Revolution was the theme on the Ron Paul yard signs. It still goes on today. If you had
attended the meeting where it was all decided by the “Band of 40″ that they were to outvote the other 30 PCO’s that thought they were there to vote for the 3 best
Republican candidates to present to the SC Commissioners.
They wanted 2 unknowns to be presented to the Commisssioners to give them little options to Matt Shea’s
selection. It was a dispicable presentation of a corrupt
choice. The news article 2 days ago shows a few more cracks in their choices of who they picked to go up against
Matt Shea. For 30 years I though that I was a strong
Conservative Republican, but to these people I am now a
Moderate. Who is good enough? Not many of us so it seems.
veterans fighter, this was the question in the article:
“The commissioners are on record indicating that they feel they must complete a diligent review. Surely the sentiment is commendable, but it doesn’t add up. Why would it take up to 60 days to complete a review?”
I don’t know Cindy and I’m not even in your District, but I can’t seem to find where Cindy states she doesn’t believe in vetting candidates. ??? Why would you even make a statement about Cindy like that? Her Comment is directed to Mike Padden.
I hope the Commissioners appoint Jeff Baxter for the job. Since Roy Murry foolishly won’t take his name off the slate now having 3 arrests in the past 4 months, and Matt Shea being the mysoginist that he is, Baxter is the only clean candidate for the job without any awful baggage.
I hope Padden runs against Shea in the next election. If Padden does, he will win.
The state Constitution and RCWs are clear about how this process should work. There is plenty of precedent going back at least 30 years that I am aware of as to how the process should work (Steve Hailey replacement in the 9th District is a good example.) The political parties were recognized as a legal entity in our state until the deceptive “top two primary” system was approved by the voters…now the parties and grassroots PCO status are being questioned in court, which I think is too bad…it is a good system. The duly elected current 4th district PCOs still have legal standing in our state and they should be respected for the legal officials that they are by other elected officials. They are “government” closest to “We the people” and they have done their job as prescribed by law….these citizens chose their three names and sent them via the Spokane County Republican party to the county commissioners. My view is, the Republican Party executive board could have vetted the candidates and submitted to them by the PCOs, but this didn’t happen. (I am not aware that this has been done in the past.) I totally favor the Republican Party vetting candidates before they are formally endorsed, and I believe the board is wholly within its authority to endorse candidates anytime they want! The voters then are free to take or leave such recommendations from their leadership, but it is “leaderly” to indicate such studied preferences.
Todd Mielke has no business disparaging the choice of the duly elected PCOs, and in my view, he has now publicly displayed his bias– not only against this lawful system, but against the three names thus recommended to him. In my view, this is very unprofessional. He should recuse himself from being a hostile interviewer of these men, and let the process go forward. Time if of the essence.
Let me say this about candidate Roy Murray. He is entitled to his day in court according to our legal system under the U.S. Constitution. This war hero, the recipient of the Bronze Star, should be accorded every courtesy and privilege that our nation offers its citizens.
Sharon, I think Cindy was right in her last submission ‘cept rushing. The pco’s work is noe done… The process is following the exact statutory process. I just want our duly elected commissioners to do their job and vet the candidates properly and make sure the unelected state senator does not have a shaddy past or other issues that would hurt the party and the constituency. The statute gives that authority to the commissioners and we should support them in following it. Don’t we all agree on that?
Vet fighter, you’ve taken the bait. Mielke is playing a political game and a deadly one. The fact of the matter is he wanted his crony nominated instead of the three and is, literally, attempting to thwart the legal process. It has absolutely nothing to do with “vetting.” That is a ruse.
Mielke wants the PCOs to recant their majority choice and give him Padden. Behind Mielke are the most evil factions of Washington State Government.
> Roy Murray’s arrest on false charges in Las Vegas.
> The “mysterious” source of its reporting in the Spokesman-Review.
> The sudden re-emergence of vicious libels against Matt Shea.
These are but the opening shots in what may prove to be a hot political war and a bloody one.
Character assassination, both of patriots and their party, will be requited.
[...] 8, 2011 by Doug Parris Our recent Reagan Wing article, No more liberal Republicans. Please. touches the tip of an iceberg of LEFT WING Republican corruption, much of which has been recently [...]
Why do you think I took what bait? I just read the statue, the pco input is done for the unelected position, the county commissioners decide. It looks like you want them just to “go along” with the pco’s. That would be a complete surrender of their duty. What do you mean deadly game? Are you such a wack job that you think that Vegas police officers made up a charges against that Murray fellow just because the 4th nominated him? How do you mean requited?
VF,
1. The bait: you think that the commissioners are trying to decide among the nominees and following due diligence (based purely on assumptions). That’s what you’re supposed to think. It isn’t true. Their motives and behind-the-scenes machinations aren’t something you can look up in the statue.
2. Regarding your assertion that I “want them to just ‘go along’ with the pco’s”: Only to the degree that they have to decide among the PCO’s three nominees. They are attempting to reject all three and force new nominees. That is beyond the scope, not only of their duty, but any ethical responsiblity to that duty. Your speculation regarding what you think it looks like I want looks like it is based on the assumption that I know as little about this as you do.
3. By “deadly game” I mean the decisions they have made to attempt to ruin Matt Shea’s reputation with lying slander as if they can get away with that and not pay a poltically lethal price.
4. Are you, “figher,” such a wack job that you think I think that Vegas police officers made up charges against Murry based on the nomination, and on speculation? They made up charges against Murry for some reason. That’s a fact. The Spokesman Review had it called to their attention in a timely fashion by a secret source. That’s a fact. The timing of the false charges, followed by the secret “news release” both followed threats made through back channels by the GOP Left. That’s a fact. The rest is speculation: your speculation.
5. By “requited” I mean “He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.” Ecclesiastes 10:8
DP thank you for your direct answers to my questions. However, on one, I think, b/c I think, and I do have more experience and knowledge that you on all these subjects that: a Vegas cop, an American- and likely conservative and principled person who works full time to provide their family is not going to risk, being exposed, their jod, and a 1983 claim to satisfy political whims from Spokane Co., or WA state. That would be wacky for you or me would it not, so why not for them. Can we agree on that?
VF,
I can’t get your whole statement because of the typos.
to wit: “I do have more experience and knowledge that you on all these subjects that…”??
Try again and we’ll consolidate it to one corrected comment.
“Veterans fighter,”
I’ve gone back over your comment a few times and I think I can decipher most of it, except that I don’t know what “a 1983 claim” is. Other than that I just have a few questions:
Why must any imaginary profile at all be constructed about an arresting officer?
Are you not suggesting that an arrested person is entitled to the presumption of guilt since the reasons they were arrested are presumed sound because police officers are:
1. American
2. Likely conservative
3. Likely principled
4. Work full time,
5. Have a family,
6. Are motivated by the desire to provide for that family
Are NOT under orders to proceed with an arrest and, hence,
face “risks” by doing so, including, but not limited to
7. Being “exposed” (for following orders),
8. losing their job,
9. a “1983 claim” (whatever that is)
AND that they:
10. have some detailed (and, you have to admit, astonishing) knowledge about political circumstances at the sub-County level, all over the nation that enables them to realize when any request for heightened scrutiny of an individual is or may be motivated by political connections because they recognize the name?
And you suggest that
I’m
a wack job?
Tell me, VF, how many arrests are made in America in a year?
What percentage of them are of innocent people? None?
What percentage of those are false arrests?
Do we need courts or can we just trust the police?
What percentage of the general population are corrupt? How does that figure break down by profession?
Are cops, prosecutors or realtors, for instance, more likely to be corrupt?
Does “power corrupt?”
If there are law enforcement officials who are corrupt (and if you believe that there are none, just say so and you don’t have to answer the question) where would you be more likely to find them:
In Deer Park, Washington?
Or Las Vegas?
Two things dp. I do this on an IPhone so my expert typing is not as perfect as yours. Touché second 1983 is a claim against the gov official that violates your civil rights…. Google it silly.
On your other issues… Everyone is innocent ’till proven otherwise. But I don’t believe Vegas cops are following orders to trump charges… Now I know you are a wacky…all cops make an oath to protect and defend the constitution. Like veterans i.e. Mr. Murray…..Who by the way seems to be a quite honorable and truthful man of late, despite his recent Vegas anticts< see he can be both. The world is not black and white like you want it. You are wacky….dp I hope you can read this ok. I have tried hard to control my fat fingers on this phone. Btw did you see that the pco pick was actually selected by the county commissioners?
veterans fighter wrote: “…all cops make an oath to protect and defend the constitution.”
Not picking on you, vf, but you might do a search on YouTube “NRA: The Untold Story of Gun Confiscation After Katrina”
Hopefully something like this wouldn’t happen in our state, but the fact is – it could! If government wanted to take our weapons, this is how it would be done using our law enforcement officers who wouldn’t be protecting and defending the constitution. The proof is there, not conjecture.
VF, You say, “… I don’t believe Vegas cops are following orders…” You are free to believe what you want, but when you act without knowledge your evidence-free assumptions are no excuse.
You say, “Now I know you are a wacky” How?
You say, “…all cops make an oath to protect and defend the constitution.”
So what? So do all the oath-breaking judges and legislators. Cops are no more sacrosanct than anyone else and believing that they are is dangerous to freedom.
You say, “The world is not black and white like you want it.”
Please show me some evidence, VF. You make unsubstantiated attacks. No evidence. No argument. It’s not intellectually honest. You are like a naughty 7 year old schoolboy throwing rocks at cars and then hiding in the bushes. You’re afraid to answer questions.
You say (again) “You are wacky” Again, without evidence.
Please read my article on the modern icon, the Dufflepud. You exhibit their tendencies. http://thereaganwing.wordpress.com/2008/06/18/the-dufflepuds/
You need to either develop the intellectual integrity to rationally support your attacks or have the courage to back up your schoolboy name-calling ad hominem with your real name.
So Jeff Baxter, good pick… I would have chosen Murray….