VG: Lt. Governor

Last time I gave you the link to the voter’s guide. Here’s one to help with state executive candidates – its from Spokane, and covers their locals plus some bits and pieces on the state level executives. Importantly, it also tells you what the state offices DO.

After the crowded field for Governor, there are a lot fewer candidates for Lt. Governor, which is surprising since it seems to be a much easier job. Near as I can gather, it is a great position for understudy and state spokesman, and involves things like traveling the state pushing official initiatives, traveling the globe on trade delegations, and, where needed, being knighted by the King of Spain.

In fact, in the past, I’ve thrown my support behind any candidate who runs on the platform of getting rid of this office, but since no one is running on those terms, let me go into the guys who are running.

The incumbent is Brad Owens and he’s done a pretty good job, the job being what it is. Actually he’s been a pretty good side kick, not as mouthy as Robin or as overdosed as Speedy. More of a Kid Flash. His candidate profile actually stresses some of the things he has done, and he’s comported himself pretty well. He's been a follower of the First Commandment of Washington Politics: For God's Sake, Don't Embarrass Us.

Republican challenger Marcia McCraw, on the other hand, looks pretty innocuous as well, and has as her credentials Makiki Council, which made go look up Makiki (it is a neighborhood of Honolulu, near Wakiki Beach). So yeah, if your need for change reaches the Lt. Governor level, go crazy.

Arlene Peck, the Constitution candidate is running on a Constitution and Christianity platform. At least she’s up front about it. She promises a combination of small government and Biblically proscribed moral values, because those two things have worked so well together in the past.

We have a ghost candidate in Randel Bell, listed as a Democrat but lacking a web site, contributions, or replies to any requests for information. Maybe his mates chipped in and got him the position on the ballot for his birthday

And finally, we have the GOP candidate, Jim Wiest, who last time ran with Dino Rossi (also now GOP). His candidate write-up is interesting in that he plans on ending the homeless problem. Great! He doesn’t explain it, but gives a web site address. Which doesn’t work. But he does give it a name, so we have Google and we find similar sites in Calgary, in Massachusetts, and, and ... Ah ... Here’s the one, not the site itself, but apparently in response to a request from a forum in Whatcom county. So his plan for ending homelessness is --- voluntarily incarcerating them in a former federal facility for rehabilitation, and deporting the ones that refuse (estimating that number at 50-75% of the total).

End the homeless problem by outlawing being homeless, locking up those who are, and sending the bulk who refuse to another state. Oh. My. Ghod.

Thank the lord the Republican party isn’t running him. He might prove to be an embarrassment.

More later,