Posted on 01/27/2003 6:06:51 PM PST by PhiKapMom
RNC Research
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“It Seems Wherever Gov. Gary Locke Turns These Days, There It Is - That Leadership Thing.” (Ralph Thomas, “His Leadership At Issue, Locke Insists He ‘Gets Things Done,’” The Seattle Times, November 1, 2000)
Democrats Agree: Locke’s Lack Of Leadership Is “Dismaying.” “Ex-[Washington State] Democratic Chairwoman Karen Marchioro . . . reflected: ‘Something is going to have to give in this state. The drift and lack of leadership is dismaying.’” (Joel Connelly, “Talmadge Ready To Stir The Pot With Bid For Governor,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, July 19, 2002)
Democrats Agree: Locke Won’t Use Political Capital To Push Bold Reforms. “The governor was too cautious . . . said House Minority Leader Marlin Appelwick, D-Seattle. ‘We felt he had a huge amount of political capital and was reluctant to spend it,’ Appelwick said. ‘Some said he was just afraid to spend it. . . . We wished he had done something different.’” (David Postman, “Locke’s List Prudent, Yet Bold,” The Seattle Times, January 11, 1998)
Democrats Agree: Locke Wouldn’t Receive The “Brave, Courageous And Bold Award.” “‘I’m not sure he gets the “brave, courageous and bold award,’” said Cathy Allen, a Democratic political consultant.” (Robert Gavin, “‘The Vision Thing’ Haunts The Governor,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, June 24, 1999)
Democrats Agree: Locke Too Reluctant In Taking Stands On Issues. “[Democrat State Senator] Prentice said one of the main complaints she hears among fellow Senate Democrats is that Locke is too reluctant or slow at taking stands on bills and issues.” (Ralph Thomas, “His Leadership At Issue, Locke Insists He ‘Gets Things Done,’” The Seattle Times, November 1, 2000)
Democrats Agree: Where Is Locke? “‘I haven’t seen him this entire year,’ said Sen. Darlene Fairley, D-Lake Forest Park. ‘Let me tell you, it does make a difference when a governor shows up and says . . . “I really need that.”’” (David Postman And Ralph Thomas, “Full Steam To Nowhere,” The Seattle Times, May 25, 2001)
Locke Is Not A Leader. “Locke . . . has yet to show the vision, passion and political courage that often distinguishes the best leaders . . . .” (Robert Gavin, “‘The Vision Thing’ Haunts The Governor,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, June 24, 1999)
Locke Is Not A Bold Reformer. Locke’s first year in office revealed an “agenda of mostly little things. A to-do list of fixes and tune-ups. Few major overhauls or bold reforms.” (David Postman, “Locke’s List Prudent, Yet Bold,” The Seattle Times, January 11, 1998)
“Locke Has Been Curiously Disengaged.” “Locke is curiously averse to risk and hands-on assertiveness. The result is a drought-stricken state that is parched for leadership.” (Joel Connelly, “It’s About Time That Gov. Locke Seized The Helm,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, June 22, 2001)
Locke Avoids Tough Challenges. “He hasn’t yet produced a long list of accomplishments. . . . Locke’s success at staying his moderate course has some wondering whether he sells himself short to avoid tough challenges.” (David Postman, “Governor At Midterm: Popularity High, Image Changing -- He Seeks The Middle Ground, Works For Bite-Size Reform,” The Seattle Times, January 11, 1999)
Locke Is Not Known For His Leadership. “Seattle pollster Stuart Elway said that . . . Locke’s . . . not known for his leadership.” (Ralph Thomas, “His Leadership At Issue, Locke Insists He ‘Gets Things Done,’” The Seattle Times, November 1, 2000)
Locke Left Washington State With A $2.4 Billion Budget Hole Last Year And Wants Washington’s Most Needy To Pick Up The Tab. To fix the gap, Locke called for cuts in “higher education, prisons, parks, social and health services, health care insurance coverage for the working poor and other programs.” (“Locke’s State Of The State: ‘We Cannot Do Everything,’” The Seattle Times, January 14, 2003)
Locke Took Hundreds Of Millions Out Of The State’s Emergency Reserve Fund. “In Washington, state lawmakers and Gov. Gary Locke patched a $1.5 billion hole in the $22 billion state budget in March. They took about $234 million from the state’s ‘rainy day’ fund . . . .” (Steven K. Paulson, “States Raid Rainy Day Funds To Cope With Budget Problems,” The Associated Press, July 25, 2002)
During Locke’s Time As State House Appropriations Chairman, Spending Increased By $5.5 Billion And Surpluses Were Spent By The State. “The raw numbers of Locke’s five years as head of the House Appropriations Committee provide . . . ammunition. When Locke assumed the chairmanship, the biennial operating budget was $10.7 billion. The 1993-95 budget [which] passed earlier [in 1993] . . . call[ed] for $16.2 billion in spending. In 1990 . . . the lawmakers spent much of an unexpected $700 million surplus.” (Jim Simon, “State Budget Numbers Reflect Locke’s Liberal, Activist Vision,” The Seattle Times, October 24, 1993)
Locke Is Trying To Deny Washington Voters’ Will On Fiscal Discipline. “The Democratic-controlled Legislature, with the blessings of Gov. Gary Locke, passed a bill last week that allows simple majority approval of tax increases, repeal of tax exemptions and use of money from the state’s ‘rainy day’ reserve fund. . . . [Initiative] 601 [had] required a two-thirds vote in both houses. But . . . the Democrats voted to suspend the supermajority requirements for this year and next.” (David Ammons, “Initiative Seeks To Restore I-601 Spending Rules,” The Associated Press, March 20, 2002)
As Governor, Locke Has Vetoed Nearly $1 Billion In Tax Relief. “Locke has vetoed . . . nearly $1 billion in tax cuts.” (The Cato Institute, “Fiscal Policy Report Card On America’s Governors 2002,” Policy Analysis, September 20, 2002)
In Order To Get Tax Relief, Washington Voters Had To Do It Themselves. Locke “vigorously opposed a cut in the car tax, so citizens put it on the ballot in 1998 and it passed with 57 percent of the vote.” (The Cato Institute, “Fiscal Policy Report Card On America’s Governors,” Policy Analysis, September 20, 2002)
In 1993, With Locke As State House Appropriations Chairman, Taxes Increased $700 Million. “[In 1993] . . . Locke and fellow Democrats [passed] . . . $700 million in general tax increases.” (Jim Simon, “State Budget Numbers Reflect Locke’s Liberal, Activist Vision,” The Seattle Times, October 24, 1993)
A Recent Poll Revealed That Locke’s Job Approval And Performance Ratings Have Plummeted To Around 30%. “Locke’s overall job-approval ratings with Washington voters have plummeted to 30 percent, according to a new survey conducted by independent pollster Stuart Elway. And for the first time since Locke took office in 1997, he received negative scores for ‘representing the state,’ with only 39 percent of voters surveyed approving of his performance there.” (Angela Galloway, “Locke’s Image Takes A Beating,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, January 16, 2003)
The Poll Showed A Lack Of Faith In Locke’s Leadership, Management, And Vision For The State. “Locke earned a 30-percent approval rating for providing leadership to the state Legislature, 29 percent approval for managing state government, and 28 percent approval for articulating a vision for the future, Elway reported.” (Angela Galloway, “Locke’s Image Takes A Beating,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, January 16, 2003)
This was my governor for many years. He's a loser in almost every category -though he and his little family look good on tv. He comes out once/year to visit a school and otherwise does nothing. And he's cut of the G. Davis school of governing: start with a surplus and blow it.
Going for their base.
Thank God for the Cascade mountain range.
I can only guess, but here goes: President Bush's economic agenda will only make matters worse for states (like Washington State) who are really struggling financially.
Of course, I doubt my Governor will mention anything about his (and the Democratic legislature's) complicity in this state's disaster. We have the worse unemployment in the nation (or did have, I'm not sure if Oregon or Alaska have passed us, but we're right up at the top of the list). Businesses are fleeing the state --- Boeing being the "big name" that everyone hears about, but it is a steady stream out. Huge deficit. Some of the worst traffic in the nation. Yep -- Democratic governor, and both State houses in democratic hands. A total disaster is what you end up with.
Who from DC could give it? It can't be one of the Presidential hopefuls, because the others would scream. By now they surely know that Nancy Pelosi would be capable of singlehandedly turning the Democrats into a third party -- after the Republicans and the Greens -- in this role. They don't want Daschle, who lost the 2002 election.
They will probably spin Locke as a governor who is closer to the lives of "ordinary people" and speaks for the "real America."
The senate is controlled by Republicans. However, as you know, there's at least 4 RINO's that will cross over with the rats more often than they vote with R's.
They know the speech tomorrow night will be a blockbuster. The country will hear President Bush and get strongly behind him once again. The Dim had to pick someone not well known.
What really irks me is the scrawney little fireman seen on the platform with President Bush at groud zero ( Bush with megaphone " I can hear you, the world can hear you") will be at the speech tomorrow night as a guest of the Dims.
Besides the already stated minority report, I think it may have to do with his views on education. He's a believer in the Chinese method of early childhood education.
He sends his wife to China once a year on fact finding missions to learn their techniques. She has co-chaired an advisory committee along with Bill gates' wife, Melinda, on Early Childhood Education. They've been trying to implement this craziness for several years now, but they've been held at bay by some courageous citizens.
Excellent post by the way. The only thing you didn't add was the fact he has sued to stop a citizen initiative this year that limited unemployement taxes on businesses and license fees on automobiles.
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