One of the races this year is a State Senate Race in the 42nd District. (No State Senate race in the 40th District this election Cycle) This pits Current

State Senator Doug Ericksen of Ferndale against challenger Seth Fleetwood  

Sen. Doug Ericksen                  Seth Fleetwood

There will be many distractions in this race as voters attempt to find out facts about the candidates.

 There have been concerns about the challenger’s frequent  changes in his voting address in the last five months. See below for some of the facts.  And I suppose it will be important to ferret out these issues as the campaign progresses.  But…..

 It is more important for the people to be informed on the issues that effect Whatcom County and in this case the State of Washington. 

Here is the first in a series of Campaign Concerns that the Fourth Corner will Follow: Education.

Think about this:

For most of  30 years the  Democrats have controlled Education funding through their majorities in State Government and the Governor’s Mansion…. finally the Supreme court had to step in to rectify the continued lowering of education as a priority in state government perpetrated by the Democrats. 

This story has definite local roots as well.  Five local school districts entered into agreement and supplied resources to aid in suing the Democrats in the Legislature for the Democrats lack of making education a priority as described in the State Constitution.

I was a member of the  Meridian School Board at the time  and my vote  to support the resources to sue the state was predicated on then (replaced by Rep Lytton)Democratic Party 40th District Representative Dave Quall’s statement to  800 school directors that; even though the Constitution stated it was a Paramount Duty to supply a basic education it was not necessarily the highest priority for the House of Representatives or State Government.  Quall was chair of the State House Education Committee at the time.

Recently Senator Ranker of the 40th District has stated he wishes to increase taxes (just as Dave Quall suggested) to cover the several years he and other Democrats have not made education a high priority. This: in response to the Supreme Court decision that some would say Senator Ranker’s party brought on themselves.

Last year, the Bi-Partisan Coalition in the State Senate was able to add a Billion Dollars to education priorities without raising taxes.

The State Senate has shown it can add dollars to education’s piece of the funding pie WITHOUT threatening private sector jobs or raising taxes.

 In conclusion, you decide… who has the best plans for sustainable funding of K-12 education the Bi Partisan Coalition of Mostly Republicans who believe that not increasing taxes will unleash our private business and cover any further required funding for education, including Senator Ericksen, or  a new State Senator who is a 40th district transplant Democrat whose fellow Democrats in the 40th district have proclaimed that tax increases are the only way to proceed.

Seth Fleetwood Senate Candidate in the 42nd District. A list of his voting registration addresses since December 2013.

  • Fact: According to Whatcom County Auditor Records at the time, he moved his Voting Registration Address from Palm St in South Bellingham to 17th Street located in the 40th District on Dec. 4th 2013
  • Fact: According to Whatcom County Auditor Records at the time, he moved his voting Registration Address from 17th St in South Bellingham to 6999 Helweg Lane in the Blaine area in the 42nd District on April 29, 2014— The day he announced his run for the Senate in the 42nd Legislative District.  There is no evidence that he ever lived there.
  • Fact: According to Whatcom County Auditor Records at the time, he moved his Registration Address from 6999 Helweg Lane in the Blaine area to a home for sale for 1.5 million dollars at 1504 Irving Lane in the Fort Bellingham area of Whatcom County. He did this Registration Address Change on May 15th 2014 the day he filed for office; both the Blaine and North Bellingham addresses are in the 42nd Legislative District. There has been no evidence he has moved there.
  • Fact: A Diane Lookman is also registered to vote at the 1504 Irving Lane Address and one Michael Lookman is the owner of record at the home according to the Whatcom County Assessor Records but is not registered to vote there.

Is Seth Fleetwood just confused about where he wants to register to vote (generally people move to a place AND THEN change their registration)? Did he ever live at the Blaine Address?

Does anyone care that his registration process in the 42nd looks contrived and only politically motivated?

Write me back an e-mail if you have an opinion either way.

Conclusion of the dogma:

  1. Warming is happening, warming will continue to happen, warming will increase (INTO THE FUTURE) based on Human Behavior only.
  2. Human policy in Washington State will be predicated on this conclusion and we must comply with all policies to save the earth from Carbon and only Carbon “overheating” IN THE FUTURE.
  3. Washington State MUST lead in Carbon Only reduction by spending its tax dollars, potential jobs and give up its inexpensive power to get this done.

Professor Emeritus Don Easterbrook of WWU testified March 26th, 2013 in front of the Washington State Senate’s Energy Environment & Telecommunications Committee.  The Link to the testimony is here.

Let your legislators know you want common sense legislation and common sense energy costs AND a real definition for “Green Energy”.