[Capr-announce] Elect Preston Drew to KCD

Wed Mar 18 12:26:45 PDT 2009

To all supporters of property rights,

As you may be aware, Preston Drew is running for election as Supervisor with
King Conservation District.  That election is tomorrow, Thursday March 19th.
Since our last email promoting Drew's candidacy, we've learned that a
write-in campaign to elect environmental extremist Mark Sollitto is
underway.  This campaign is being pushed by extreme environmentalists and
"progressives".  As an example of what Mr. Sollitto's politics might be, see
the section below where he is being given an award by King Co. Executive Ron
Sims for his work "protecting open space".

For information about how you can vote in the KCD election, click on
<http://www.kingcd.org/new_ele_not_2009.htm>  this link

It is important that we elect Preston Drew to keep the work of KCD on the
sane side of conservation.

Jeff Wright

Secretary / CAPR

  _____  

http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/grants-and-awards/green-globe-award/20
07.aspx#openspaceconservation

<http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/grants-and-awards/green-globe-award/~
/media/environment/grants_and_awards/green_globe/2007/bg_mark_sollitto_tdr.a
shx>  Leader in Open Space Conservation Award
Mark Sollitto

<http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/grants-and-awards/green-globe-award/~
/media/environment/grants_and_awards/green_globe/2007/bg_mark_sollitto_tdr.a
shx>
<http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/grants-and-awards/green-globe-award/~
/media/environment/grants_and_awards/green_globe/2007/bg_mark_sollitto_tdr.a
shx> Mark Sollitto, leader in Open Space Conservation is flanked by Ron Sims
(left) and Pam Bissonnette (right)
<http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/grants-and-awards/green-globe-award/~
/media/environment/grants_and_awards/green_globe/2007/bg_mark_sollitto_tdr.a
shx>
<http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/grants-and-awards/green-globe-award/~
/media/environment/grants_and_awards/green_globe/2007/bg_mark_sollitto_tdr.a
shx> Mark Sollitto received the Leader in Open Space Conservation Award. He
leads King County's Transfer of Development Rights program, which is the
most successful TDR Program in the United States since its inception in the
late 1990's. With over 92,000 acres protected, King County has preserved
nearly twice the acreage of any other TDR program in the country. The TDR
program is a voluntary land use incentive which provides financial
incentives for willing landowners to sell development rights in exchange for
a permanent conservation easement.

<http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/grants-and-awards/green-globe-award/~
/media/environment/grants_and_awards/green_globe/2007/bg_mark_sollitto_tdr.a
shx> Mark has worked collaboratively with cities, developers and private
landowners to facilitate the transfer of more than 500 private development
rights which total over $33 million in King County TDR certificates issued.
He has also secured more than 1,090 development rights in the TDR Bank.
Development rights are a major asset to King County, since the proceeds from
such sales are then used to preserve additional valuable farm, forest and
open space land.

<http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/grants-and-awards/green-globe-award/~
/media/environment/grants_and_awards/green_globe/2007/bg_mark_sollitto_tdr.a
shx>  

  _____  

http://www.wcvoters.org/events/king-conservation-district-election

King Conservation District Election 

The King Conservation District (KCD) is a natural resources assistance
agency authorized by Washington State and guided by the Washington State
Conservation Commission. A five-member Board of Supervisors is responsible
for all District programs and activities and their total annual revenue of
approximately $6.3 million dollars. 

This Thursday, March 19th, KCD will be holding a rather unusual election.
The election is unusual because, unlike all other King County Elections,
there will NOT be any absentee ballots and NO usual polling locations.  But
it is critical that conservation minded voters find a polling location
(listed below) and vote on March 19th.   
The election is being held to fill a position on the KCD's five member Board
of Supervisors.  King County Conservation Voters endorses, and strongly
urges you to write-in Mark Sollitto in this race.  

Polling stations will be staffed at the locations listed below. All King
County registered voters are eligible to vote in this election.  Polling
locations are open during the hours listed below on March 19, 2009.

  _____  

http://artistdogboy.blogspot.com/2009/03/wingnut-power-grab-alert-election-f
or.html

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Wingnut Power Grab Alert Election For King County KC Conservation District
Board of Supervisors 

King County Conservation District Board March 19th election polling
locations listed below with endorsement of environmentalist Mark Sollitto.

Here's information from the press release from a 34th LD political activist.
Apparently Republicans and rightwing property rights wingnuts have been able
to dominate this important county conservation board because no one really
pays attention to the fact there's an election.

You can make a difference to protect the environment by taking the time to
drop by the Vashon Library this Thursday, March 19th to vote. Because of a
technical error the progressive candidate's name, Mark Sollitto was left off
the ballot, and to vote for him you will have to actually write his name on
the ballot.

Sierra Club supports Mark Sollitto who is a WRITE-IN Candidate, Mark has a
masters in public administration. Here is his community experience: Chair,
North Bend Park Board; board of directors, Snoqualmie Valley Rotary;
Eastside Fire and Rescue; Snoqualmie Valley Cities Association; Meadowbrook
Farm Preservation Association. He is or was a council member from North
Bend. Mark filed to be a candidate, but due to a technical error, was not
placed on the ballot - hence he is a write-in candidate

Very few people know about this election, so one of the Republicans, like
Preston Drew, who opposes King County's Critical Areas Ordinance which is
designed to protect streams, wildlife and wetlands, could easily win this
election if progressives don't turn out in healthy numbers to support Sierra
Club's choice Write-in candidate: Mark Sollitto.

KCD is a natural resources assistance agency authorized by Washington State
and guided by the Washington State Conservation Commission. Its mission is
to promote the sustainable use of natural resources through responsible
stewardship. A five-member Board of Supervisors is responsible for all
District programs and activities. Since 1949, the KCD has been helping the
people of King County manage their natural resources.
When:

This Thursday, March 19th

Polling Locations

AUBURN
King County Library/Muckleshoot Branch - 39917 Auburn Enumclaw Road S.E. ,
Auburn WA 98092
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

BELLEVUE
King County Library/Bellevue Regional Branch - 1111 110th Avenue NE ,
Bellevue WA 98004
Poll hours 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

CARNATION
King County Library/Carnation Branch - 4804 Tolt Avenue , Carnation WA 98014
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

COVINGTON
King County Library/Covington Branch - 27100 164th Ave. S.E. , Covington WA
98042
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

DES MOINES
King County Library/Des Moines Branch - 21620 11th Avenue S. , Des Moines WA
98198
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

ENUMCLAW
Enumclaw Public Library - 1700 First Street , Enumclaw WA 98022
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

ISSAQUAH
King County Library/Issaquah Branch - 10 W. Sunset Way, Issaquah WA 98027
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

NORTH BEND 
King County Library/North Bend Branch - 115 E. 4th, North Bend WA 98045
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

REDMOND
King County Library/Redmond Regional Branch - 15990 N.E. 85th, Redmond WA
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

RENTON
Renton Community Center - 1715 Maple valley Hwy., Renton WA 98057
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

SEATTLE
Seattle Public Library (Downtown Main Branch) - 1000 Fourth Ave. Seattle WA
98104
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

SHORELINE
King County Library/Shoreline Branch - 345 NE 175th, Shoreline WA 98155
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

VASHON
King County Library/Vashon Branch - 17210 Vashon Hwy. S.W. , Vashon Island
WA
Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m

Please take the time to vote on Thursday for Mark Sollitto

  _____  

http://www.majorityrules.org/blog/2009/03/what-if-they-held-election-and-nob
ody.html

Monday, March 16, 2009

What if they held an election and nobody came? 

Talk about invisibility to the general public, the upcoming
<http://www.scc.wa.gov/index.php/District-News/Candidates-announced-for-King
-Conservation-District-public-election-for-board-supervisor-position.html>
King Conservation District Election this Thursday , March 19, 2009 wins the
prize. It is a county wide election for one of three elected seats on the
King Conservation District and you probably don't even know its happening.

To make things even more confusing, the environmental candidate
<http://www.marksollitto.com/> Mark Sollitto, while listed on the Washington
<http://www.scc.wa.gov/index.php/District-News/Candidates-announced-for-King
-Conservation-District-public-election-for-board-supervisor-position.html>
State Conservation Commission website as a candidate, is actually not listed
on the local King Conservation District website or on the written ballot
because of a technical error - the 50 signatures of voters petition was not
received in time and he is now running a write in campaign.

Surprisingly a write candidate can win in this election because of the
overall dismal turnout in this election. In 2008 only 196 people voted. In
2007 only 1095 people voted on 2 candidates; in 2006 only 834 people voted
on 2 candidates and in 2005 2 candidates and a write in candidate received a
total of 481 votes.

For comparison purposes the overall number of registered voters in King
County for the Special Election for King County Elections Director last
month saw 250, 394 voters out of 1,117,869 registered voters actually vote. 

There are two other candidates listed on this years ballot. Preston Drew is
a forester and opposes the King County Critical Areas Ordinance. He is being
supported by Republicans and conservatives. David Mauk is the other
candidate and runs the Ascent Foundation. For Mark Sollitto to win, people
need to write his name in as a write in candidate.

Mark Sollitto has been endorsed by the King County Conservation Voters. In
an email from them, King County Councilmember Larry Phillips wrote,

"I urge you to vote for Mark Sollitto for King County Conservation District.
My friend Mark Sollitto is running as a write-in candidate against an anti
CAO, Cedar County property rights activist. Mark brings a proven record of
over 30 years of consensus-based, conservation-minded results - he helped
protect the 90,000 acre Snoqualmie Forest, Preston Mill, Rock Creek, East
Sammamish Trail, Meadowbrook Farm and Cougar Mountain. Please join me, and
the King County Conservation Voters in supporting Mark next Thursday."

Mark Sollitto is a former elected Council member of North Bend , having
served for two terms and recently retired from King County where he worked
on land transfer issues for conservation areas being protected.

This year the King Conservation District had a budget totalling $5.8 million
based on assessments of King County property. Unfortunately they don't send
out voter's pamphlets or ballots to voters. You either know from a group you
belong to that has an interest in conservation and natural resource issues
or you miss this election completely.

In recent years the right wing so called property rights groups have worked
the elections. Environmental groups have been less proactive in
participating in the process which actually has a large budget for natural
resources issues and grants and employs according to their website, 16 full
time staff people.

Here a chance to vote and make a difference. Get out and Vote Thursday.

This dismal election process should be changed by the Washington State
Legislature in the future. Voting for candidates for King Conservation
District and the other 46 conservation districts in the state should be on a
primary or general election ballot to afford people an opportunity to
particicpate. The current process makes a mockery of fair public
participation in an election process. Yet the public is being taxed to pay
for the conservation districts.

In Snohomish County they are holding an election tomorrow where voting is
from 2 to 6 PM at their office. This is for all of Snohomish County. That is
absurd. 

Labels: King
<http://www.majorityrules.org/blog/labels/King%20Conservation%20District.htm
l>  Conservation District, Mark
<http://www.majorityrules.org/blog/labels/Mark%20Sollitto.html>  Sollitto,
Washington
<http://www.majorityrules.org/blog/labels/Washington%20State%20Conservation%
20Commission.html>  State Conservation Commission

Posted by Steve Zemke at 3:20 PM | Permanent Link
<http://www.majorityrules.org/blog/2009/03/what-if-they-held-election-and-no
body.html>
<http://www.blogger.com/email-post.g?blogID=19686321&postID=1039146642501648
600> http://www.blogger.com:80/img/icon18_email.gif

  _____  

http://www.blogginggeorgetown.com/2009/03/vote-thursday-for-king-conservatio
n.html

Monday, March 16, 2009

<http://www.blogginggeorgetown.com/2009/03/vote-thursday-for-king-conservati
on.html> Vote Thursday for King Conservation District Board 

I'm voting for the Write In candidate Mark Sollitto, and one has to vote on
Thursday at one of  <http://www.kingcd.org/new_ele_not_2009.htm> about a
dozen locations. The closest one to us is Seattle Public Library (Downtown
Main Branch) - 1000 Fourth Ave., Seattle WA 98104 (Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to
8:00 p.m.), or Renton Community Center - 1715 Maple valley Hwy., Renton WA
98057 (Poll hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.).

Remember the story here a while back about
<http://www.blogginggeorgetown.com/search?q=king+conservation> right wingers
stealthily taking over the board of the King [County] Conservation District?
>From way back when:

...I posted details about the ultra-right "property rights" stealth
candidate activists that had taken over the majority of the board of the
King County Conservation District, which resulted in quite a bit of flack
and vitriol from that crowd, who usually do not join us for conversation
around this campfire. I'm expected to believe that it was a honest effort by
folks who, you know, are just merely against "excessive regulation" and are
believers in "family freedom". Because, you know, the far-right has never
used nebulous rhetoric and populist jargon to mask anything outright
barbarous.

As it turns out, the KCD did hire an E.D., a certain Jeffrey Possinger,
attorney, former Duval mayor and city council member, and candidate for the
45th District. Oh, and of the GOP, endorsed by the "Citizen Taxpayers
Association" the group behind I-933, and who truly represents a voice for
conservation, as per the Seattle Times:

Possinger supports opening more road-maintenance contracts to competition
from private enterprise to reduce costs, and he wants to reduce the number
of transportation agencies and environmental regulations. He prefers bus
improvements to light rail on the Eastside.

Springer said he would pressure King County to increase capacity on Novelty
Hill Road, seek to improve safety on Highway 203 and push to replace the
Highway 520 floating bridge with a new six-lane bridge.

Here's a partial summary of CAPR's last round of influencing the election
(per link above):

The latest board of supervisors election resulted in the re-election of Bob
Vos. Vos, who in his candidate's statement makes reference to classic
rightie coded rhetoric like "alternatives to excessive regulation", and
"preserving family freedoms", also claims membership on the board of
Citizen's Alliance for Property Rights. The CAPR efforts include advocacy of
electing judges that will be friendly to the property rights lobby (i.e.
BIAW), participating in the coalition to get I-933 passed, and (my favorite)
published a newsletter which compared direct democracy with Germany's
National Socialism. Nice.

Now CAPR is pushing a guy named Preston Drew,
<http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004305558_prestondrew26.html
> who is a logging and land clearing contractor. Clearly, this presents no
conflict of interest. And I have some Duwamish River shellfish to sell you.

But what is even more pathetic, with apologies to my liberal friends, is the
response from the Democratic Party. That is, there isn't one. Though there
is one other opponent on the ballot--a guy names
<http://www.kingcd.org/new_ele_not_bac.html#mauk> David Mauk, whose
amorphous "strategic management" consultancy group is, well, not very
strategic as far as appealing to voters is concerned---the response is to
write in a candidate named Mark Sollitto of the Sierra Club. I'm not
questioning the credentials of Sollitto, but this is what was circulated to
11th Distict Democrats:

Mark has a masters in public administration. Here is his community
experience: Chair, North Bend Park Board; board of directors, Snoqualmie
Valley Rotary; Eastside Fire and Rescue; Snoqualmie Valley Cities
Association; Meadowbrook Farm Preservation Association. He is or was a
council member from North Bend. Mark filed to be a candidate, but due to a
technical error, was not placed on the ballot - hence he is a write-in
candidate.

Like I said, I'm sure he's a good choice, but not knowing whether or not
he's actually a council member, or what the technicality was for not getting
on the ballot (missed deadline? Someone gimmicking the process?) shows that
no one on the left has mounted a serous campaign to counter the majority of
board members who drink the faith based free-market Kool Aid. And it's
<http://horsesass.org/?p=4850> not as if people don't know.

Maybe by some miracle this Preston character won't get in. But for
progressive folks who are interested in an entry level position in elected
office, this might be good place to start. Next Time.

Posted by the paper noose at
<http://www.blogginggeorgetown.com/2009/03/vote-thursday-for-king-conservati
on.html> 6:45 PM
<http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7132704783692139311&postID=185905
1568530980502> http://www.blogger.com/img/icon18_edit_allbkg.gif

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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=printer_friendly
<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=printer_friendl
y&forum=184&topic_id=16407> &forum=184&topic_id=16407

16407, Important Local Election in King County --- KC Conservation District
Board of Supervisors
Posted by eridani on Tue Mar-17-09 12:47 AM

This is a low profile election with very low turnout, and as a result,
Republicans/conservatives are often elected. Hence, Democrats and
progressives need to vote. 

KCD is a natural resources assistance agency authorized by Washington State
and guided by the Washington State Conservation Commission. Its mission is
to promote the sustainable use of natural resources through responsible
stewardship. A five-member Board of Supervisors is responsible for all
District programs and activities. Since 1949, the KCD has been helping the
people of King County manage their natural resources

Republicans and conservatives seem to dominate this board. Last week
perpetual Republican candidate David Irons (ran & lost against Ron Sims for
County Executive, and recently lost to Sheryl Huff in the KC Elections
Director race) was appointed to fill a vacant position on the Board. 

When: This Thursday, March 19th 

Where: See Polling Locations

Who are the candidates?

Sierra Club supports Mark Sollitto who is a WRITE-IN Candidate - Mark has a
masters in public administration. Here is his community experience: Chair,
North Bend Park Board; board of directors, Snoqualmie Valley Rotary;
Eastside Fire and Rescue; Snoqualmie Valley Cities Association; Meadowbrook
Farm Preservation Association. He is or was a councilmember from North Bend.
Mark filed to be a candidate, but due to a technical error, was not placed
on the ballot - hence he is a write-in candidate

David Mauk - I don't have any information on him. 

GOP/Conservatives support Preston Drew, who opposes King County's Critical
Areas Ordinance which is designed to protect streams, wildlife and wetlands.

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