Attack: Republican Dino Rossi and his friends are trying to attack Gov. Gregoire on crime.
Truth: Republican Dino Rossi has an abysmal record on public safety.
Crafted the budget before Gregoire took office that cut millions in funding for the supervision of thousands of felons.
Released more than 14,000 felons early from prison and state supervision as a result of his budget cuts.
Opposed funding for a commitment center for sex offenders.
Truth: Gov. Chris Gregoire is a tough-on-crime former attorney general and nobody has been tougher on sex offenders.
28 prosecutors, cops, sheriffs and law enforcement groups called Chris Gregoire the "best governor police, sheriffs, prosecutors and parents have ever had in the fight against sex offenders." Continue reading here...
Since 2005, sex offenders have faced harsher sentences, and the state has built more than 4,000 prison beds to keep criminals where they belong.
Every sex offender in our state must submit DNA to the Washington State Patrol registry. Gov. Gregoire worked closely with law enforcement to design a GPS system to track sex offenders. Today, the worst sex offenders are fitted with GPS devices after their release from prison, so law enforcement officers can track them.
Gov. Gregoire provided $5 million to send out local law enforcement to verify in person the locations of sex offenders.
Sweeps like Operation Crackdown hunt down sex offenders who try to run. Operation Crackdown has led to the arrests of hundreds of criminals, many who were sex offenders. The penalty for failure to register was increased to be up to 10 years in prison.
Attack: BIAW is trying to attack Gov. Gregoire for stopping the largest expansion of gambling in state history.
Truth: Gov. Gregoire, Republican King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng and a bi-partisan coalition of legislators rejected the largest expansion of gambling in state history to protect our communities.
Editorial boards have called these attacks “nonsense,” “politically seasonal,” “almost fact free” and an attempt to score “cheap campaign points.” The Walla Walla Union Bulletin, Seattle Times, Seattle P-I and the Tacoma News-Tribune have defended the governor’s actions. The Spokane Tribe said the ads were "misleading and racially charged."
Voters’ strong opposition (62% against) to 2004’s I-892 made it clear that Washingtonians did not want to expand gambling into their communities and corner stores.
In 2005, the Spokane Tribe offered the state revenue sharing only in exchange for a massive expansion of gambling – exactly what the voters rejected the previous year. Following the lead of voters, Gov. Chris Gregoire and a bi-partisan coalition opposed revenue sharing to prevent this massive expansion of gambling.
According to former Republican King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng, revenue sharing would have resulted in “more convenient gambling in every neighborhood” and “more slot machines in Washington than are currently in use in Las Vegas!” Continue reading...
Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna said the negotiations were done in full compliance with state and federal law
From the Seattle P-I, July 25, 2008: "It was a negotiation," McKenna said. "It was conducted strictly in the framework of state and federal law and it produced a compact which was adopted strictly within the requirements of the framework of state and federal law. Period. And if anyone ever questions the process I would be happy to tell them that, to the letter, we believe the law was scrupulously followed." Continue reading...
Truth: Governor Chris Gregoire’s position is clear – she opposes a state income tax. Just look at the record:
KING5 Up Front, 08/15/2008:
David Postman: “Is there a concise way you can tell us what your position is on a state income tax?”
Governor Gregoire: “I’m opposed to it.”
Yakima Herald-Republic, 08/14/2008: "State income tax? Rossi's attempt to tar Gregoire is spurious" (Read more)
Online Town Hall Meeting, 04/08/2008: “You know there has been some comments made by my opponent on this, and I guess he’s forgotten four years ago. Four years ago, I was involved in a hotly contested primary. My opponent was for an income tax, and I made it clear I did not support it. I haven’t changed my mind…”
Seattle Weekly, 05/05/2004: “Gregoire is flatly opposed to a state income tax.”
Spokesman Review, 07/18/2004: “Democratic rival Christine Gregoire is against an income tax…”
Truth: Republican Dino Rossi’s friends are launching this attack to try and hide his own abysmal record. He voted to raise the gas tax and voted for a $2,400 tax on nursing home patients.
Truth: As a senator, Republican Dino Rossi voted against working families, but he voted with his special interest friends 99 percent of the time – the same special interests that have spent nearly $2 million to prop up his campaign.
Click here to download talking points on the State Income Tax.
Voters upheld these critical projects by rejecting an initiative which would have canceled the investments.
In the face of rising concrete, steel and gas prices, 91 percent of the projects have been completed on time and nearly as many on budget. The Tacoma Narrows bridge was completed on time and more than $100 million under budget.
While our highway and ferry system have been neglected for decades, Gov. Gregoire has taken steps to build five new ferries, make our highways safer and reduce congestion.
Truth: Gov. Gregoire’s Republican opponent opposed improvements to roads, bridges and the ferry system as a state senator in Olympia. Just check the record...
Attack: Republican Dino Rossi and his friends are trying to attack Gov. Gregoire for improving the child welfare system.
Truth: As a mother and former Attorney General, Gov. Chris Gregoire understands our values and what it takes to keep our children safe.
More than $50 million in new funding for child welfare
Faster child protective service investigations – serious cases are investigated within 24 hours – the previous standard was 72 hours
400 new caseworkers for child welfare to increase the attention given to each foster child
Truth: Gov. Chris Gregoire is getting results that help foster children.
Truth: Republican Dino Rossi is trying to hide the fact that he opposed increasing the number of foster care case workers, opposed funding to recruit and train foster parents and opposed providing healthcare to foster parents.
