Do we want to go backwards? In these tough times can we afford to have Dino Rossi lower the minimum wage? Let Rossi deregulate industry and weaken government oversight? Allow Dino to take money from schools and health care to fund his transportation plan? Do nothing as Rossi takes away a woman’s right to choose?
Republican Dino Rossi not only voted to deny insurance coverage for contraceptives. He wants to take away a woman’s right to choose and make abortion illegal. Rossi not only voted to deny unemployment benefits to victims of domestic abuse, he voted to eliminate healthcare for forty thousand of Washington’s poorest children. In these tough times, don’t turn back the clock. Dino Rossi is not the change we need.
In these tough times, do we want a Governor who would deny unemployment benefits for laid off workers? Republican Dino Rossi has voted repeatedly against unemployment benefits leaving families with no help at all. Rossi voted to cut the minimum wage and said if he was elected governor, he would actually lower the existing minimum wage, hurting those most in need. In these tough times, Dino Rossi is not the change we need.
This from PolitickerWA.com:
Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi has been ordered to be deposed on his role in the Building Industry Association of Washington’s fundraising activities for their political action committee, ChangePAC, which supports his election, according to a ruling from the state Superior Court.
The suit was filed Monday by former state Supreme Court Justices Faith Ireland and Robert Utter. Both Utter and Ireland were first appointed by Republican governors, but have contributed to the campaign of Rossi’s opponent, Gov. Chris Gregoire.
They seek to find out of Rossi acted illegally when he spoke with members of the Master Builders Association in 2007 before he had announced his intention to run for governor a second time, and for the state to act on those charges before the election if necessary. His name showed up in the archived minutes of a MBA board meeting as having spoken to three top officials within the group.
The Ad Says: These real estate industry lobbyists helped this powerful state Senator buy this apartment building
The evidence:
A year into his first four-year term, Rossi said, three investors approached him about buying an apartment building. The group included two government lobbyists: David Ducharme and his father, Richard Ducharme, who represented the Building Industry Association of Washington while he invested with Rossi. On Rossi’s recommendation, the investors bought the Windsor Court Apartments, a Federal Way complex. [Seattle Times, 10/20/04]
The ad says:
“Republican Dino Rossi has got a lot in common with George Bush. They believe in the same kind of trickle down economic policies. Tax breaks for big corporations.”
The evidence:
Rossi voted for a resolution requesting Congress to pass President Bush’s economic growth and tax relief plan. [SJM8006, 4/7/03]
The razor-close Washington governor’s race is crucial . It’s our governorship, but it’s also showing uncanny parallels to the presidential race. Both McCain and Dino Rossi have made simultaneous upward moves in the polls recently by co-opting the Democratic message of change and viciously distorting the Democratic candidate’s record and character. Some recent polls are showing Rossi taking the lead while McCain pulls within the margin of error.
The thematic links don’t end there: as the Republican attack apparatus continues to distort and position Dino Rossi as the change candidate, his ties to the “usual suspects” on the right are coming to light. Just as Obama steps up his attacks on McCain for his lobbyist-run campaign and entanglements with special interests, the same story is emerging in the Washington Governor’s race with respect to Republican nominee, but with a twist: not only is the Republican’s campaign completely beholden to a narrow slice of extreme business interests, there is a clear personal business relationship between the lobbyists, the industry groups, and the Republican candidate. They’re not only funding his campaign, but his personal wealth is directly tied up with them – and they’re breaking the law to help his campaign, using under-reported money that comes from a state-mandated program that is supposed to fund worker safety programs.
Rossi opposes abortion except in the case of rape or incest, or to save the life of the mother. [Seattle Times, 10/14/04]
“Rossi said his opposition to abortion is ‘an issue of conscience.’ He said when a supporter suggested that he could ensure victory by taking a pro-abortion rights stance, he replied ‘I’d rather not be governor’ if it’s necessary to compromise on issues of conscience.” [Associated Press State & Local Wire, 10/18/04]
Rossi voted against allowing individuals that quit their jobs voluntarily, due to domestic violence victimization or stalking, to be considered as leaving work voluntarily with good cause, allowing a claimant to qualify for unemployment benefits.