Newsletter

By J. Keith Bankston
It’s a tough time for the President.

Bush cronies are faring badly. Bush told “Brownie” how good a job he was doing – one week before Brown left his office while attacking Katrina victims for being the problem. A rash of indictments and federal investigations have occurred or are pending amongst his insiders, including Delay, Frist, Libby, and Rove.

The cost of war in Iraq and the federal deficit are now tightly linked with the tax cuts for the richest of the rich. Republican plans to pay for Katrina by cutting social services needed by disaster victims, instead of removing the tax cuts, stunned moderates and progressives. Recent polls have voters preferring Democrats controlling congress by a significant margin, and gaining ground.

INSIDE:

So Simple, Yet So Hard . 2
Vote YES on. . . . . . . 2
Vote NO on I-1900. . . . 3
Message to the Editor. . 3
Write-in Campaign. . . . 4
FL Shoot 1st Law . . . . 4
Quotes From Jay Inslee . 5
Ballot Sample. . . . . . 5

King County Council

Carolyn Edmonds
Bob Ferguson

King County Port Commissioners

Position #3
Peter M. Coates and Lloyd Hara

Position #4
Jack Jolley

Bothell City Council

Position #3
Ernie Bellecy and Del Spivey

Snohomish County Council

Position #4
Dave Gossett

Position #5
Dave Sommers

Mountlake Terrace City Council

Position #3
Eric Teegarden

Position #4

GAS PRICES RISE TO RECORD LEVELS…

Since Bush’s 2nd Inauguration, Gas Prices Have Risen 71 Cents, a 39% Increase.  According the Energy Information Administration, the price of regular, unleaded, gasoline has risen by 71 cents, or 38.5 percent, since Bush’s second inauguration.  On January 17, 2005, just before Bush’s second inauguration the average price of gasoline was $1.84 a gallon.  As of August 16, 2005 the average price of gasoline is $2.55 a gallon.  [Energy Information Administration, www.eia.gov]
 
Since Bush’s 1st Inauguration, Gas Prices Have Risen by $1.09, a 75% Increase.  According the Energy Information Administration, the price of regular, unleaded, gasoline has risen by $1.09, or 74.5 percent, since Bush’s 1st inauguration.  On January 15, 2001 just before Bush’s first inauguration the average price of gasoline was $1.46 a gallon.  As of August 16, 2005 the average price of gasoline is $2.55 a gallon.  [Energy Information Administration, www.eia.gov]

BOOK REVIEW
By Richard Burrows

THE PLOT AGAINST SOCIAL SECURITY: HOW THE BUSH PLAN IS ENDANGERING OUR
FINANCIAL FUTURE

By Michael A. Hiltzik
 
Hiltzik, a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the LA Times, attempts answer the arguments against Social Security and lay out some possible solutions. The criticisms fall under three main banners: 1) Undermine public confidence in the system, 2) Question its relevancy to today's workers, 3) Complain about its effect on workers and the economy. The usual suspects are arrayed against it (Cato Institute, American Enterprise Institute, Heritage Foundation, etc). Along with the conservative media preaching the doctrine of "It won't be there for you,” he does a good job of detailing how administrative costs would rise, risk would increase, and guaranteed benefits would drop dramatically. He shows how the current Board of Trustees has become politicized and the way that actuarial data has been, to use a phrase, "fixed around the policy." And even with a biased group, under the best-case scenario projections, the trust fund remains solvent forever.