WWW . THESKANNER . COM
O CTOBER 24, 2012
S EATTLE , W ASHINGTON
V OLUME XXXV, N O . 3
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C HALLENGING P EOPLE TO S HAPE A B ETTER F UTURE N OW
WHAT NEXT FOR FIRE STATION?
Big Fight
for Gov’s
Race
Campaign is one of
the most competitive
races in the nation
PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED
By Rachel La Corte
The Associated Press
Community activist Omari Tahir Garrett and other community members listen to a discussion of what should be done
with Fire Station 6 after it closes in November. The city held a public meeting Oct. 17 at Langston Hughes Performing
Arts Center to discuss the future of the building which is a historical landmark. Several groups made proposals
including turning the building into a low to no cost Holistic Community Healthcare Clinic, the Umoja Fest Peace
Center, a cultural facility or a black fire fighter’s museum.
Eyman Seeks Taxing Restrictions
Perennial anti-tax crusader tries again with legislative majority rule
By Manuel Valdes
The Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) — Anti-tax
crusader Tim Eyman’s initiative
to renew the two-thirds legisla-
tive majority requirement to
create new taxes is on the ballot
again this November.
This time, however, Initiative
1185 is seeing little resistance.
Opponents say they don’t
have as much money to combat
it as they did in the past, partly
because there is a stiff competi-
tion for donor dollars at a time
when there are numerous other
initiatives on the ballot — such
as legalizing pot and gay mar-
riage.
``There aren’t new donors.
There are more issues to cover,’’
said No On 1185 campaign
manager Brianna Thomas.
The two-thirds restriction has
become the bane of Democrats
and their allies, but so far oppo-
nents have only raised about
$80,000. They raised $1.6 mil-
lion in 2010, but their effort did-
n’t persuade voters to vote down
the measure.
INDEX
News ........................2,4
Calendar ....................2
Opinion .......................3
Bids/Classifieds............3
This year, Eyman and his part-
ners in the beer, oil and restau-
rant industries raised nearly
$1.3 million and gathered the
signatures to put it on the ballot.
Even as the ballot measure is
facing little resistance, the main
fight over the two-thirds restric-
tion is happening in the state
Supreme Court.
Justices are mulling a decision
against the rule based on the
state’s constitutional duty to
fund education. Arguments
from both sides were presented
in September. A ruling is not
expected for months.
In the last two tries, voters
have sided with Eyman, approv-
ing his initiative in 2010 with 64
percent of the vote. So far, Ini-
tiative 1185 has been polling
well.
Since the 1990s, the two-
thirds restriction has been
approved four times.
Since Eyman took over spon-
soring it in 2007, he has taken to
filing the initiative every other
year to deter lawmakers from
suspending the two-thirds
See TAX on page 3
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A new poll
released Thursday shows an exceptionally
close race between Democrat Jay Inslee and
Republican Rob McKenna in the final
stretch of a campaign that’s considered to be
one of the most competitive gubernatorial
contests in the nation.
The KCTS 9 Washington poll showed
Inslee with a 47.9 percent to 44.7 percent
lead over McKenna among registered vot-
ers, with 7.5 percent undecided. Among
likely voters, Inslee and McKenna are near-
ly even, with Inslee holding just a 47.1 per-
cent to 46.3 percent advantage over
McKenna, with 6.6 percent undecided. In
both camps, the numbers are within the mar-
gin of error, showing that the race continues
to be very close.
``The governor’s race is just an absolute
tossup right now,’’ said Matt Barreto, direc-
tor of the poll. ``This makes it really inter-
esting.’’
The telephone survey was conducted Oct.
1-16, sampling a total of 782 registered vot-
ers across the state, 644 of whom were con-
sidered likely voters. The margin of error
for all voters is 3.5 percent; for likely voters,
3.9 percent.
The poll, conducted by the University of
Washington, also found voters supporting
four ballot measures dealing with gay mar-
riage, legalizing marijuana, approving char-
ter schools and limiting taxes.
Referendum 74 asks voters to either
approve or reject a gay marriage law that
was passed by the Legislature earlier this
year. That law is on hold pending next
month’s vote. The poll showed that 56.3
percent of registered voters back gay mar-
riage in the state, compared to 35.6 percent
who oppose it, with 6.1 percent undecided.
Among likely voters, support decreased to
54.1 percent, with 38.4 percent saying they
would vote against the measure, and 5.7
See GOVERNOR on page 3
Some Mail-In Ballots Need 2 Stamps
But Postal Service says all will be delivered no matter what
By Doug Esser
The Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) — As more than 3 mil-
lion Washington voters finish filling out
their ballots in the state’s first presidential
all-mail election, some should put two
stamps on envelopes in counties where the
ballot weighs more than an ounce.
But don’t worry if the postage is short; the
Postal Service always delivers.
Kitsap County ballots, for example, need
two stamps. Its counting equipment requires
heavier paper stock, said Auditor Walter
Washington.
If two stamps are a problem for voters,
they can leave ballots in drop boxes, he said.
All 39 counties have a least two drop
boxes, said Sheryl Moss, certification and
training program manager in the Elections
Division of the secretary of state’s office.
Ballots vary by county and the state leaves
it up to counties to deal with the post office,
she said.
``We will deliver to every election office
whether they have sufficient postage or
not,’’ said Postal Service spokesman Ernie
Swanson. ``They will make up the differ-
See STAMPS on page 3