The Stranger Endorses Frank.

LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT NO. 43

Representative Position No. 2: Frank Chopp

news-lead-570The SECB loves a badass socialist. (See Sawant, Kshama.) But socialist Jess Spear didn’t convince us she’s ready to bring the people’s revolution to Olympia, and we think longtime House Speaker Frank Chopp and his maddening incrementalism will actually do more for the issues we care about, more quickly, than a Spear election would.

That’s because Spear, who sees Sawant’s success on the nine-member Seattle City Council as her model for success in Olympia, seems to believe that electing just one socialist from one Seattle district to the 98-member state House will suddenly cause the rest of the House members to march behind her on rent control, a higher minimum wage, and forcing CEOs to give out free foot rubs. Yeah, we made up that last one, but really, Spear says things like, “I think electing me alone will cause many people in the legislature to understand.” Wrong. If the motherfucking state supreme court can’t even make people in the legislature understand, under the threat of a contempt of court finding, then how is one election in one ultraliberal district going to transform the minds of people representing Omak and Moses Lake, never mind a majority of House Democrats? Sawant moved the city council by capturing the imagination of a majority of Seattleites, which is the kind of thing that makes every other council member sit up and pay attention. Spear isn’t going to capture the imagination of a majority of the nearly seven million Washingtonians with her focus on rent control. She didn’t even convince a majority of the SECB that rent control is a great idea. (How’s it working out in New York and San Francisco?)

Frank Chopp came into our offices and pointed out the window at affordable housing units that are under construction, right now, because of his efforts. “I’m the strongest leader on affordable housing,” he says. We believe him. He did vote for the $9 billion Boeing giveaway, which is socialism of the wrong kind (corporate socialism), but he also backed a $15 minimum wage. In SeaTac. Before Seattle’s wage was even on the table. And he’s done more to secure free healthcare for low-income Washingtonians over the last ten years than Spear could by deposing him as house speaker. (That kind of change in house leadership, by the way, would likely usher in the reign of “moderate” Democrat Pat Sullivan of Covington—go ahead, find it on a map—who’s the current house majority leader and is opposed to sensible gun control legislation like universal background checks that close the gun show loophole.) Chopp also knows what the MVET is and how it connects to saving Metro; Spear was confused on this issue during our interview, and had to e-mail later to clarify her position.

True, the SECB threatened in 2010 to pee on Chopp’s lawn if he didn’t get more aggressive in pushing his liberal values at the state level, and he definitely should check his front yard for dead spots. He doesn’t have a Twitter or Facebook presence for his campaign—doesn’t even have a real campaign website—and because of this and other shortcomings, largely fails to communicate all his “inside game” accomplishments or use his bully pulpit in a way that makes a modern citizen notice. Still, he’s grinding along in the right direction, which is no small feat in today’s Olympia, and the list of solid progressive bills he’s ushered through the House—only to have them killed by the motherfucking Republican senate—is long. Vote Chopp.

Read more at the Stranger: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/endorsements-for-the-august-primary-election/Content?oid=20115881

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Seventy percent of the votes cast are for Democrats, and I am pleased with the strong first place showing we have tonight. I’m proud of the coalition of labor, student, and education groups, pro-choice advocates, and diverse community leaders that have given our campaign great momentum. I look forward to the general election!

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The Stranger Endorses Frank.

LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT NO. 43 Representative Position No. 2: Frank Chopp The SECB loves a badass socialist. (See Sawant, Kshama.) But socialist Jess Spear didn’t convince us she’s ready to bring the people’s revolution to Olympia, and we think longtime House Speaker Frank Chopp and his maddening incrementalism will actually do more for the issues we care about, … Continued


5. Progressive Change

5 Progressive Change “Thanks to Frank’s work electing a progressive majority in the legislature, the Washington legislature became the first in the country to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and enact marriage equality. Frank is a passionate advocate for social justice and civil rights for all.” – Jamie Pedersen, State Senator, 43rd District


4. The Safety Net

4 The Safety Net “Frank always stands up for the most vulnerable in our community. He led the effort to expand services to help the homeless, including saving and reforming the Disability Lifeline program for the mentally ill and others with disabilities.” – Tony Lee, Statewide Poverty Action Network


3. Education

3 Education “Teachers and parents know they have a progressive leader in Frank Chopp for education. He led the way for a new $1.3 billion investment in K-12 Basic Education and he will continue to close tax loopholes and identify new funding sources to meet our obligation to our schools.” – Kate Sipe, teacher at … Continued


2. The Environment

2 The Environment “With Frank’s strong leadership, we passed the toughest laws in the nation banning toxic chemicals. I can always count on Frank to protect our children from toxic toys and our environment from harmful chemicals.” – Laurie Valeriano, environmental health advocate


1. Supporting Working People

1 Supporting Working People “As a community activist and then as a legislator, Frank Chopp played an important role in raising the state minimum wage to the highest in the country. In the legislature, Frank is the leader standing up for working people and a Shared Prosperity agenda — passing paid sick leave, preventing wage … Continued


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Housing for homeless sought at Sand Point.

Seattle Times – Apr 22, 2014 Organizations that work on behalf of the homeless have created a committee to look at housing options at the Sand Point Naval Station…Frank Chopp and Martha Dilts are leading the committee that’s studying options. Keep reading: http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19910711&slug=1293887


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SeaTac minimum wage proposal scores key endorsements.

Twenty Democratic officeholders announced their support for a union-backed measure that would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour for hospitality and transportation workers in SeaTac. Seattle Times – September 17, 2013 By Amy Martinez Seattle Times business reporter A proposed $15-an-hour minimum wage for hospitality and transportation workers in SeaTac scored endorsements Tuesday from … Continued

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