WHAT THE CAMPAIGNS SAY: An ad targeting Tim Eyman‘s toll initiative says it would transfer power to politicians.

An Eastern Washington farmer tells viewers:

Tolls in Washington State are set by an independent commission made up of experts, but if Tim Eyman’s Initiative 1125 passes, it transfers that power to politicians in Olympia, making Washington the only state in the country to give them that authority. And 1125 increases bonding costs of road projects by up to 18 percent, meaning higher tolls and higher gas taxes. So more costs for us, and more power for them.

Eyman’s side hasn’t been …

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WHAT THE CAMPAIGNS SAY: Two sides fighting over the training requirements for home care aides are making conflicting claims about taxpayer costs if Initiative 1163 passes. Neither side is running ads so far, so the claims that costs are anywhere between $14 million and $80 million are made in public venues and in interviews.

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WHAT THE CAMPAIGNS SAY: You’ve seen the ads. Each side seems to have its own stable of firefighters, police and sheriffs.

A Yes firefighter says “1183 dedicates millions in new revenue for police, fire and emergency services statewide” and a police officer says it “strengthens enforcement.”

But a No firefighter says “1183 doesn’t add a single penny or a single new officer for increased enforcement, even though we’ll have four times as many liquor stores, dramatically increasing teen access to hard liquor.”

One of those must be wrong, right?

Then there’s the dispute between the firefighter who says “1183 …

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What the ads say: Both the Yes on 1107 TV ads and the mailers sent to thousands of homes make several claims about a tax package the initiative would repeal.

A narrator (played by actor Michael Gregory) standing in grocery store dressed as grocer says “the new tax scheme the politicians in Olympia put on grocery items makes no sense.”
We’ll look at three of the issues raised in the ads.

– “They put new taxes on bottled water and other common beverages, on foods made with meat, fruits and vegetables…”
– “And under the politician’s absurd definition of candy, products like these organic nutrition bars (Belly Timber Survival Bars) are taxed, while real candy bars like these (Nestle’s Crunch and Twix) are exempt.”
– “Even worse, they put new taxes on food products made by Washington companies, like locally made chili and pancake mix but not on similar products made by their competitors in other states and countries.”

What the initiative will do: the 2010 session of the state Legislature raised several taxes including five covered by I-1077. The tax package:
– removed candy from the list of products exempt from the sales tax permanently.
– removed bottled water from the list of products exempt from the sales tax until July 1, 2013.
– enacted an excise tax of two cents a can on carbonated beverages until July 1, 2013.
– clarified a tax on food processors that was effected by a 2005 state supreme court decision. The court ruled that processed foods that contain meat were eligible for a special tax break enacted in 1967 to help perishable meat processors.
– clarified a tax on food processors that might have triggered a similar supreme court ruling. The legislature stated that it did not intend that a tax break for perishable fruit and vegetable processors did not apply to manufacturers that put fruit and vegetables in processed foods.

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The claim:

Republican Congressman Dave Reichert has launched a website, whoissuzan.com, that attacks his challenger for the 8th District U.S. House seat, Democrat Suzan DelBene.

The site, also referred to in some of Reichert’s TV ads now being aired, contains the web page, “Suzan’s Spending Spree,” which claims DelBene supports reckless spending policies, including a host of purportedly dubious stimulus-funded projects nationwide

Here’s the full text of the page in question:

“In an era of out-of-control spending and record high debt, Suzan DelBene has cast the concerns of Washington voters aside in favor of supporting the reckless policies being forced through Congress by Democratic leadership in Washington D.C. One such measure was the so-called “stimulus” legislation, which cost American taxpayers over $862 billion but was ineffective in growing the economy or keeping unemployment in check. Here are just ten of the projects Suzan supports:
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WHAT THE ADS SAY: In TV ad after TV ad, opponents of Initiative 1098 have been portraying it as a slippery slope: The income tax may only be on high earners, but the Legislature can extend it to everyone, they say.

It “can be extended to you in just two years,” one says. And a radio ad urges you to “vote no, or you pay an income tax for the rest of your life.”

But a commercial aired recently by the initiative’s supporters says the opposite: “I-1098 can’t be changed without a vote of the people.” …

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Republican incumbent Congressman Dave Reichert and his Democratic challenger Suzan DelBene are currently airing dueling TV spots that generally accuse each other of supporting tax increases.

What the ads say:
Reichert’s ad features a woman telling viewers that DelBene wants “bigger government, higher taxes and thinks the health care takeover didn’t go far enough.” A footnote in the ad cites various news articles to substantiate the claims, specifically referencing a SeattlePI.com story published on May 4, 2010 to support the ad’s “higher taxes” claim.

DelBene’s ad features a man’s voice intoning that “Reichert promised he’d never raise taxes, then turned around and voted for $31 billion in higher taxes on families and small businesses.” A footnote in the ad cites Reichert’s Dec. 9, 2009 House vote on H.R. 4213 (Roll Call No. 943).

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District 31 state Senate candidate Matt Richardson‘s website and a mail piece he planned to send out to 48,000 homes today refer to the state Senate candidate as a veteran.

He is not.

WHAT THE CAMPAIGN SAYS: Both Richardson’s campaign website and  mailer feature prominently an endorsement statement from Ron Weigelt, a Democrat who was defeated in the primary election when voters advanced Republicans Richardson and Sen. Pam Roach to the general election. Weigelt’s statement, in full:

Matt is a conservative Republican, but it is not about political party. It is about who can best represent us in Olympia. While his opponents sling mud at him and his family, I have personally verified the truth and his record of service before making this endorsement. As a fellow Veteran and former City Council member, I see in Matt Richardson the drive and sincerity we need in the Senate. We do not need business as usual, we do not need 24 years of the incumbent hurting our district. Matt is clearly the best choice in this contest. – Ron Weigelt, Senate Candidate

WHAT WEIGELT SAYS: When I asked Weigelt about this today, he said he thought Richardson was in the Navy Reserve. Weigelt then sent an e-mail to Richardson asking him to remove the material from his website. He said: “You should have corrected me when I referred to you as a ‘fellow veteran’.  I believe you have intentionally tried to give the perception that you are in the Navy when you are not.  Not telling me you are not a veteran was deceptive and clearly a lie by omission.  I also never endorsed you.”

THE FACTS: Richardson, a Sumner city councilman, has worked as a military contractor. He says that as an employee of Central Texas College, a community college that contracts with the Navy to place instructors on board vessels, he has done one assignment: a three-month stint in 2006 on the Stennis teaching subjects like sociology, government and philosophy.

WHAT RICHARDSON SAYS: He has told me and others repeatedly he is not a veteran or a member of the military.

When he first announced his candidacy, his campaign literature referred to his military ties this way: “He also holds a DoD security clearance as an Adjunct Professor of Government & Philosophy for the US Navy’s NCPACE program based in Bremerton.  He was last assigned to the USS Stennis (CVN 74).”

Based on that, a Political Buzz post in June referred to him as a veteran. But he e-mailed us to clarify: “You are repeating that I am a Navy veteran, and I am not.”

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