The Builders' Association and the smell of desperation

Well, the Republicans' hysteria machine continues with their attempts to prolong their absurd challenges to the gubernatorial election. Here's the latest unscrupulous tactic they're using, per the Seattle Times: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002196557_mccabe04m.html:

A "Home Ownership Survey" sent to hundreds of King County residents, along with a $10 check as an incentive for returning it, wasn't really designed, as it claimed, to help project housing trends in the Puget Sound region. The three-question survey and the check are part of a plan by backers of former Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi to search for fraudulent votes cast in the disputed November election.

The surveys were sent to more than 400 voters whose absentee ballots were questioned after the election and who signed post-election affidavits to ensure their ballots were counted. The Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) sent the mail in January and February in the hope that the surveys would be signed and the checks endorsed. That would give the builders group signatures to match against the affidavits, which were collected by Democratic volunteers and helped Democrat Christine Gregoire win the election.

Why do I call this desperation? Because it is. This kind of tactic is not only unscrupulous, but essentially useless, a waste of effort. The article quotes one woman who, when asked why the signature on the $10 check didn't match the affidavit she signed, said well, duh, she has a joint bank account, and her husband endorsed the check.

Why is the Builders' Association so frantically trying to stir up the gubernatorial election pot? Because their profits from the very lucrative business of consolidating, processing and handling workers' comp claims for their members are in danger. See, the BIAW gets 100% of their money from the state - basically, if workers' comp claim amounts are less than premiums, the state refunds the difference to the builders. The BIAW skims 20% of what is refunded to their builder members as their fee, which amounted to $5 million in 2004. They then turned around and spent $1 million of that money - money which is supposed to be promoting workplace safety - on political advertising for Republican candidates. They paid for some really grisly mudslinging ads like the awful, libelous ones they put out late in Geoff Simpson's campaign, essentially trying to claim he was a friend to child molesters. They're basically a Republican front organization.

Governor Locke tried to reduce their fees from 20% to a maximum of 10% by executive fiat, but the courts overturned him, telling him that he didn't have the authority to set those fees, that was the legislature's prerogative. In February, two bills were introduced - House Bill 1875 and Senate Bill 5842 - to restrict how the workers' comp refunds could be spent. The list includes safety education, risk management and legal expenses — but not politics. To enforce the restrictions, the legislation would require the state Department of Labor and Industries to periodically audit association records. The BIAW would still be free to conduct political activities under the auspices of their PAC, to which members contribute voluntarily, but it's very likely they'd have a lot less money to use in their ugly mudslinging campaigning.

Well, guess who's in control of both branches of the legislature now? Democrats now hold both the state House and Senate. The BIAW doesn't have a friendly Governor sitting in Olympia to veto the bill that's going to take their lucrative kickbacks away from them. They are in real danger of losing their gravy train. They want to gut all building restrictions, environmental protections, worker protections. They know a Democratic legislature is never going to permit that, but they had hopes that a Republican Governor would at least veto legislation unfavorable to them (particularly Rossi, who's one of their special pets).

The developers have NEVER come this close to putting one of their own people in the Governor's seat. It's kind of like getting 5 out of 6 numbers on a Lotto ticket. They will probably never come that close to owning the state of Washington again, and it's VERY likely that the legislature will be putting limits on the profits they make at taxpayers' expense in the near future. So they're willing to take an unsavory character like their executive vice president, Tom McCabe, and dedicate him to this kind of sleazy, underhanded borderline identity theft. For an example of the kind of resources they're willing to dedicate in their desperation, look at this quote from the article:

The affidavits also fueled McCabe's efforts to look for felons who voted in the election. When he received a copy of the affidavits in November, he found names of a few people who had been convicted of felonies. That led him to a full-scale effort, using almost his entire 30-person staff at one point, to search voter rolls and court records for felon voters.

Just think about that - a full-time effort, by 30 people, for how long? - time they weren't spending doing their regular, taxpayer-funded, work. Clearly this isn't the brightest porch light on the block, as witness this:

"Scientists say that you shouldn't do an experiment if you have a conclusion already. I had a conclusion. I thought they had cheated," he (McCabe) said.

Um. I guess we didn't understand the "shouldn't" part.

They're even harassing the U.S. Attorney, trying to get him to start an investigation into the case. They've got their minions calling his office daily. States' rights, anyone? I guess that concept goes by the wayside with modern-day Republicans and their front organizations.

In other (non-political) news, the reason I haven't been posting much lately is that a) the chorus season has started back up AND I have a part in a play which is in rehearsals right now. That doesn't leave me much time for political activities, unfortunately - however, getting the part in the play is a very, very big deal to me. It was my first audition in nearly 28 years, and I was thrilled to get a callback. I still can't quite believe I actually have the part! I keep expecting them to tell me it was a mistake, and we've been in rehearsals for three weeks now. I'm tired, but happy.

Oh, and I've also gotten talked into joining the Advisory Board of the Academy of Information Technology. I did tell them I wouldn't be able to be a very active board member until after the play's run finishes, though. Yikes!

Oh, and somebody at work must like me. This morning, I came in to find a little package on my desk with a black rubber I DID NOT VOTE 4 BUSH bracelet in it. Nobody's copped to the gift yet, but I'm happily wearing it.