Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Government To Ask ME...How To Keep From Getting Sued!

Later today I will have Office of Risk Management staff out to meet me in the district. They asked to visit because I am the ranking member of the Senate Governmental Operations and Elections Committee.

This government agency wants to ask me how they can keep from getting sued!
I know...I can hardly believe it myself!

I will start with....FOLLOW THE LAW!

Monday, August 30, 2010

King County Republican Party Endorses Pam Roach

It was unanimous! Lori Sotelo, King County Republican Party Chair, had personally endorsed me weeks ago. Now the organization has done so. Thank you King County Republicans!

Pierce County Republican Party Chair, Bob Lawrence, has also endorsed me. The county party will meet to make its endorsement in a few weeks.

My Republican opponent in the general election has a prize too! The City of Puyallyp judge awarded him with a reckless driving, 1 year suspended sentence. Richardson was going 42 miles over the speed limit though town on August 1st. There was something to do with "road rage" too. I suppose he will try to blame this on me too.

Pam Roach TV AD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh_Wy5q34vs&feature=player_embedded

I am pretty sure you will have to cut and paste....The link never seems to work for me.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

From Jutiapa, Honduras

FELICIDADES PAM.
VERY GOOD ELECTION FOR YOU.
HUFF A LOT OF VOTES. REALLY, YOU ARE GOOD, 10,000 VOTES IS GOOD.
WE ARE HAPPY FOR YOU.
GOOD LUCK IN THE NEXT

I gave a presentation to the Auburn Noon Lions on Tuesday...showed them my PowerPoint on La Escuela de Esperanza (School of Hope). I started out the presentation by thanking them. The Lions collect eye glasses for distribution around the world. I was able to tell them first hand about the distribution of 1,200 pair in the area that I serve in Honduras. The above congratulatory message is from the doctor and mayor of Jutiapa. Last year I took Washington optometrists to the area. (Please see previous PPR) I had no idea my friends there were watching my reelection.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Court Rules, Again, That It Is OK To Lie In Campaigns

I frequently read the military news and thought I would bring this article forward. So, from this we learn that it is OK to lie to the public...but better not lie in court.

A few years ago State Senator Tim Sheldon was lied about by his opponent in campaign literature. Tim took the issue to court and the WA State Supreme Court (more later...speaking today about my school...)
From: Military.com
Court Rules Stolen Valor Act Illegal
Week of August 23, 2010

An appeals court panel in California ruled that federal law that makes it a crime to falsely claim valor is unconstitutional. The decision involves the case of Xavier Alvarez of Pomona, Calif., a water district board member who said he received the Medal of Honor. Alvarez pleaded guilty on condition that he be allowed to appeal on First Amendment grounds. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with him in a 2-1 decision, agreeing that the law was a violation of his free-speech rights. The court said there's no evidence that such lies harm anybody, and there's no compelling reason for the government to ban such lies. Read the full article had received

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Radio Host, John Carlson, Endorses Pam Roach

facebook.com/johncarlsonshow

John Carlson has his eye on the ball! He sees the good things that I do in the district and that I "VOTE the district."

Not all media makes endorsements on whether or not your votes cast match the will of the majority of the people in your district. And, not all media care what else you do as an elected official to "magnify" your civic responsibility. John does.

"Three Strikes and You're Out" and "Hard Time for Armed Crime" were two initiatives that I prime sponsored, first, as legislation in Olympia. Working with John and others, we started the efforts in Olympia...knowing that liberal Democrats would kill my bills. But, we also knew that the people wanted the measures passed!

Working with media activists like John, is just one way I have been able to make Washington a better place for families.

Thanks, John!

Pam Roach Supports Business...Business Supports Pam..

Today in my email:

Hi Pam,

Thanks for all your hard work!!! What would you think if all the small
businesses banded together and had a "brown out" for one day!!! We
would all slow down or shut down our business. My employment security
taxes has gone up 300% and my B&O taxes have gone up 20%, while my
work comp. rates have gone up only 7%. We are being killed by the
state government... That doesn't even count the $100,000 extra burden
for Init. 1029...

Regards,
{signed}

(I answered that businesses could instead donate the profits of one day's work to candidates and we would win another 5 seats!)

Friday, August 13, 2010

Controversial Emails Finally Shown

The good citizens of Sumner have tried to bring forward the numerous flaws in councilmember Matt Richardson who chose to run against me in a primary. The press suppressed the information during Richardson's unsuccessful run for mayor last year.

In this election he was endorsed by the South Sound Ronald Reagan Club where he is vice-president. And, he has been endorsed by the Mainstream Republicans (a group that grips that it is not included in the mainstream of republican politics...because they are liberal). In any event, neither group invited me to an interview. And, both groups knew of his police records, etc. I personally told Alex Hayes, executive director of the mainstreamsers, about the sex issues with kids when Richardson was a teen. Hayes recommended to his board that the group give an endorsement. He and Richardson are good friends, he said. Oh.

Before reading this editorial...what they don't say is that the woman receiving the emails ended up with a divorce over this. Oh well. She's not the first.

THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Published: 08/12/1012:05 am | Updated: 08/12/10 8:22 am

Matt Richardson was apparently aware that messages written on the City of Sumner’s e-mail system are public records – aware enough that the city councilman devised a code for communicating certain information.

“... conversations about business are good here,” he wrote in 2008 to a city volunteer. “Personal things like meeting me at the Seattle Westin room 1708 on May 10 at 3, could be broken down to SWR1708-5/10-3.”

Richardson wasn’t as clever as he’d hoped: He detailed his plan to evade public disclosure in a public document.

The Sumner councilman’s bumbling, brazen attempt at obfuscation is now among the e-mail messages being reviewed by the state auditor’s office for possible ethical violations. Sumner’s code of ethics bans the use of city property for “personal convenience or profit.”

The e-mails were brought to the auditor’s attention by Chris Clifford, a supporter of state Sen. Pam Roach, whose re-election Richardson is challenging.

Clifford alleges the e-mails detail an extramarital dalliance between Richardson and the city volunteer.

Perhaps, perhaps not. Richardson claims the two are just friends and liked to joke about their “affair.” The only two people who probably know the truth are Richardson and the woman.

Of greater public concern is what the e-mails bare about Richardson’s fitness for the Legislature.

Over a two-month span, he sent three dozen e-mails to the volunteer full of flirtatious riddles and teasing about “sexual tension.” That speaks to a troubling lack of judgment, no matter what was happening (or not) in his personal life.

Elected officials should conduct themselves in a professional manner, and they shouldn’t be looking for ways to circumvent public oversight of their work.

At best, Richardson used the trappings of authority to engage in a wholly inappropriate conversation with a city volunteer.

That kind of official conduct does not bode well for Richardson’s ability to effectively represent the 31st Legislative District in the state Senate. Voters, take note.

Comments (0) Actually, I was told that the comments got so bad they were pulled! Yikes...I never saw them, myself...but I heard Richardson lashed out...ranting and blaming and anything but taking responsibility. (Nice endorsement Alex.)PR

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Republican Richardson...All That Glitters Is Not Gold

My Republican primary opponent:

Sumner city councilman accused of improperly using e-mail
The state Auditor’s Office is looking into allegations a Sumner city councilman running for the state Legislature improperly used city e-mail for personal business.

JORDAN SCHRADER; STAFF WRITER
Published: 08/11/1012:05 am | Updated: 08/11/10 3:15 am

The state Auditor’s Office is looking into allegations a Sumner city councilman running for the state Legislature improperly used city e-mail for personal business.

E-mails sent between Matt Richardson and a city volunteer in 2008 include requests by Richardson to use secure passwords and delete messages after reading. Portions of the content were written in code at Richardson’s request.

“So, although this is city e-mail and is subject to open records requests for abuse of city equipment or campaigning from city e-mail, conversations about business are good here,” he wrote in one e-mail, obtained by The Herald of Puyallup. “Personal things like meeting me at the Seattle Westin room 1708 on May 10 at 3, could be broken down to SWR1708-5/10-3.”

A complaint by a former aide to Richardson’s opponent, Sen. Pam Roach of Auburn, set off the probe. The Auditor’s Office says it’s investigating while keeping in mind that the claims are being made during campaign season.

The race has become nasty as the two Republicans trade accusations and all three challengers, including Democrats Raymond Bunk and Ron Weigelt, say Roach can’t represent the 31st District well because of the Legislature’s sanctions against her for conflicts with staff and other senators. It has even landed in court, as Roach sued successfully to force changes in Richardson’s statement in the state voter pamphlet.

The July 27 complaint also accuses Richardson of misusing his office to influence the sale of property in his neighborhood.

Richardson denies the accusations. He said public employees can use e-mail occasionally for personal communication and a few e-mails cherry-picked from the thousands he’s sent since joining the council in 2004 fall far short of any wrongdoing.

“You don’t get there when you have a couple or a few e-mail conversations with somebody who works for the city,” he said. “The conversation might go crass, it might go to a joke – that happens a lot of places.”

Auditor Brian Sonntag’s office will consider if Richardson followed Sumner’s code of ethics, which bans the use of city property for “personal convenience or profit.”

Unlike rules for state employees, the ethics code doesn’t make exceptions for occasional use at negligible cost. Sonntag’s office could recommend Sumner add such exceptions, auditor spokeswoman Mindy Chambers said.

The Auditor’s Office set the complaint aside at first over questions about its jurisdiction and whether the matter had already been investigated. The office later learned the city had never done an ethics investigation and renewed its probe, Chambers said.

In his complaint, Roach supporter Chris Clifford said the e-mails “set up liaisons at the Seattle Westin Hotel and indicate a liaison paid for by the City of Sumner at the Association of Washington Cities Convention. … Setting up an extramarital liaison with a woman does not constitute City business.”

However, the two appear to have never met up at the June 2008 meeting of city governments. Richardson suggested in an e-mail that she attend – adding “the city should pay for you to be there. Obviously no mention of me at anyone under any circumstances” – but she told him it didn’t work for her schedule. Richardson told The News Tribune he wanted his name left out to avoid rumors about his relationship with the woman.

A public document request to the City of Sumner by The Herald of Puyallup revealed about three dozen e-mails sent from Richardson to the woman in May and June 2008.

A June 16, 2008, e-mail warns the woman about the pending request by The Herald. “It is unfortunate that our long friendship and dry sense of humor could be misconstrued by someone that has no idea that we are making fun of our ‘affair,’ ” he wrote.

“… I strongly recommend you resist the disclosure on personal grounds.”

The News Tribune is not naming the volunteer because she hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing.

The two are just friends, said Richardson, who is married. He said the flirtatious e-mails full of codes, riddles and teasing about “sexual tension” are nothing more than tongue-in-cheek jokes.

Clifford also accuses Richardson of confronting a group of bankers thinking about buying a property across the street from his house on Rivergrove Drive.

Richardson told the potential buyers he was a councilman and said the council planned to make the vacant property’s zoning more restrictive, Clifford says, citing an account by the property owner. Efforts to reach the owner were unsuccessful.

Richardson said he has talked openly for years about wanting lower density on the few remaining large, vacant tracts of land in town, including the one across the street. He said he once asked surveyors on the property about the owner’s plans, and may have answered a question they asked about the property’s zoning, but didn’t talk to buyers.

“I have in no way ever involved myself in messing up any private business dealings,” he said.

The probe comes from a frivolous complaint meant to help Roach’s campaign, Richardson said.

Clifford worked in the Senate, including a month in 2008 as Roach’s legislative aide, and continued afterward to represent her on a state child-custody case she worked on, according to a Legislative Ethics Board report on the case.

But Clifford said he’s not worried Richardson will defeat Roach in Tuesday’s primary. His goal, he said, is to convince Sumner residents to recall Richardson or vote him out of office.

“I find this guy has no judgment,” he said, “and I find it shocking that he continues to run for higher office.”

Heather Meier, editor of The Herald of Puyallup, shared many of the public records on which this story was based. The Herald is a weekly publication and sister newspaper to The News Tribune.

"Lilly" Will Not Go Home

In a short email last week I learned that Lilly's mother will not be able to raise her. Lilly's mother was lied to by the department (tricked) into signing termination papers. As a baby Lilly's grandparents raised her until she was three.

Told the grandparents would be able to adopt Lilly, the mother signed papers.

Once the papers were signed...CPS called the grandmother in to the Mt. Vernon office ostensibly to get the paper work started for the adoption.

CPS took the 3 year-old...and placed her in a foster adopt home for a "quick adoption" to a 26 year-old single female.

I made a call to the very influential and wealthy great-grandmother on the deceased father's side of the family. I was right...CPS did back down on the out of family adoption because of the significant status of the great-grandparents who until that time had only seen Lilly twice. If they had not entered the picture....Lilly would have been adopted out to a non-relative over a year ago. Lilly's heritage and family rights have been preserved. That certainly was not the goal of CPS though it is the goal of the law.

The grandparents who raised Lilly should have been able to adopt her. They are working, have a new house, are younger than the greats. The young mother who was lied to has turned her life around...she is working and going to school...and should have been allowed to have her child.

The great-grandparents are nice people but unwilling to help Lilly in any other way but to "keep" her. There is enough sadness all around for this family. Hopefully, the greats will allow the grands and the mother to see their child. Hopefully, the greats will not leave Lilly unattended with their relatives who have drug problems. Very wrong there, folks! There is a reason that Lilly was not involved with the ex-con grandpa on the father's side. Now Lilly will see him regularly. Who will "get" Lilly when the greats are incapacitated?

I hope there will be family reconciliation for everyone. God bless this family. May there be healing and openness and pure motivations.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Campaign Updates...New Endorsements and Quality Supporters

"I like Pam. If I ever need it she will be there for me. It is nice to know I have someone in my corner who won't back down." ...... Andy Goman, Bonney Lake.

Andy's Sign:


There is something beautiful about a well done yard sign. Especially when they are all around the district. :o) Thanks for your kind words, Andy.

Updates:

New Endorsements include:
Iron Workers District Council of the Pacific Northwest, Local 86;
Retired Teachers Association; and,
National Federation of Independent Business PAC.

In the news:

The Seattle Times rips into my "Republican" primary opponent. Reporter Kieth Ervin did a great job. It took a while. Apparently you have to run a few things by the attorneys when you report on abusers. Oh, well.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

National Night Out in Auburn At the Picketts

The Pickets, Mayor and Mrs. Lewis, and Pam
Thanks to people like Tim and Cathy Pickett, the National Night Out was a great success. Local law enforcement was on hand in Lakeland Hills to remind us of how to better secure our neighborhoods against crime.
Here in Auburn, as in many other communities, there are citizen volunteers who help local police watch over properties when residents leave for vacations. Check with your local department to see if you have these volunteers.

Cathy (event organizer) and I had fun doing TV spots. We all enjoyed picnic food. And, I had a great time meeting people who I actually doorbelled earlier last month.