Christine Gregoire, no backbone on 912

The governor of the state of Washington is spending this week trying to drum up business in Asia, the biggest creditor of the US. But regardless, it is incredible, that given all the suffering caused in the past two weeks by Katrina in New Orleans, not a peep has emerged from her administration concerning Intiative 912. I912 would repeal the tax on gasoline imposed by the state legislature this past spring. Its purpose is to fund critical transportation construction in this state. Such projects as replacing the 520 bridge and redoing or redirecting the Alaskan Way viaduct would be addressed by this tax on gasoline. However, the Mugwumps of Washington politics are attempting to remove this tax via initiative.

And what has the good gov done about this?

Absolutely nothing. No word to inspire those who think govt is responsible for the safety of its citizens and this tax is essential to maintaining our safety. No word to support I912 either.


Update 9/20/05: the Survey USA governors' rankings have come out and our Ms. Gregoire has dropped in her approval rating to 45%. She ranks 38th out of 50. I predict the trend to continue if she does not get a backbone.

It is time for the woman to shit or get off the pot. I sure as hell hope that with this wiffly a record, she gives up running again. Or the Repugs will eat her lunch next time around. Perhaps that is what is stalling her: fear of them. Let me give her a bit of advice--you never govern from fear and you NEVER let them know you are afraid.

What a wuss.

Karl Rove to head up Reconstruction in New Orleans

God, I hate to say I told you so, but as I mentioned in the prior post, we have continued our downward slide and reached the point that the idiots truly are in charge, where it's harder and harder to keep a lid on it. At least for a couple of days.

However, I am noting with dismay that www.dailykos.com, the blog read by more politicos than the top 8 conservative blogs in the blogosphere, seems to be missing a key point in the continuing tragedy of the drowning of New Orleans. That is the fact that Karl Rove has been put in charge of the Reconstruction effort.

To say that this is like the fox being in charge of the henhouse, is understating the degree of the problem rather like saying the sun is sorta hot. Karl fucking Rove??? The master of political spin and schmooze. Jesus on a popsicle stick, this is the biggest financial undertaking by the US government since the South was rebuilt after the Civil War. It is estimated to cost more than the Iraq war. And Bush is going to do it w/o raising taxes. The implications are staggering.

First, this means we will be even more in debt to the Chinese. They already hold so many of our IOUs that they can call our tune as to how they direct their economic efforts. They get to do capitalism their way--which means more and more opression for their workers. More and more pollution of their air and water (anyone been to Beijing recently? seen the sun or just a grey cloud?). And we will be required to be complicit in whatever they want to do, because they hold us by the short ones. And don't you forget it.

Then, Karl Rove is going to be throwing out all this money, these billion dollar potloads of money, just to make the political problems go away for his boss. Forget true planning and recreating a vibrant city by involving New Orleans citizens from all walks of life. The contracts are going to Halliburton and the wages got slashed by executive order. That's how Karl Rove is going to do things. The rich will continue to get richer. And the rest of us will rot.

We really need a Democratic opposition that is unified, on point and FUCKING LOUD. I don't care if Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid takes their clothes off during a press conference as long as it draws attention to the major, major embezzling operation that is taking place in broad daylight under the sanctimonious cover of reconstructing New Orleans. Unless something is done, it will impoverish all of us.