Category Archives: Regional

Trump’s environmental choices prompt questions locally

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Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has been nominated to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt has a record of fighting EPA regulations. The EPA adopts regs for clean water and protecting threatened/endangered species--like the Kokanee salmon in Lake Sammamish.

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has been nominated to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt has a record of fighting EPA regulations. The EPA adopts regs for clean water and protecting threatened/endangered species–like the Kokanee salmon in Lake Sammamish.

Scott Pruitt for director of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Ryan Zinke for Secretary of Interior.

Rick Perry for Secretary of, umm, ahh, Oops.

These are President-Elect Donald Trump’s choices for environmental departments. In the case of Perry, the Department of Energy, the agency he wanted  close but for which he famously forgot and said Oops in his 2012 run for president. Energy has no small impact on the environment.

Pruitt, the attorney general of Oklahoma, fought EPA regulations for years. Zinke, a first-term Congressman from Montana, received just s 3% rating from the League of Conservation Voters.

And now they will be in charge of clean water and endangered/threatened species regulations.

There are direct, local implications.

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Sammamish defeats ST3, Rodne in final vote count

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nov-2016-st3-pct-map

Sammamish residents narrowly defeated Sound Transit 3. The greater Klahanie area supported the $54bn mass transit program by votes although seven of the 13 precincts opposed it. Two precincts in the far northeast part of the City that are not colored are outside the Sound Transit taxing district. Click on the image to enlarge, then click on it again. Map and analysis by Sammamish Comment.

Sammamish voters defeated Sound Transit 3, an analysis of the final precinct vote results revealed. This mirrors the trend at the mid-point in the vote counting.

ST3 was narrowly defeated, 51.2% to 48.8%, about the same as the mid-point analysis, in final precinct data released by King County Elections Nov. 30.

The great Klahanie area supported ST3 51.2% to 48.8%, although the results were split: six of the 13 precincts voted against ST3.

The portion of Sammamish in the 41st Legislative District (the southern half of the City, delineated by SE8th St.) rejected ST3 by 53% to 47%. The portion in the 45th LD (the northern half) rejected ST3 by 50.36% to 49.63%, with just 46 votes between the Approve and Reject tallies.

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Rossi, Nixon, Hussey nominated for Andy Hill’s seat; Valderrama passes

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Valderrama

Ramiro Valderrama

Precinct committeemen of the 45th Legislative District selected Dino Rossi, Toby Nixon and Joel Hussey as their candidates to forward to the King County Council to fill the vacancy on an interim basis created by the death of State Sen. Andy Hill, a Republican.

Sammamish Deputy Mayor Ramiro Valderrama, who just lost his bid for the State House for the 45th, as a Republican, was nominated but withdrew his name to concentrate on his current duties as a City Councilman.

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ST3 failing 51.69% to 48.31% in Sammamish after first week of vote count

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Analysis of one week’s worth of voting results from Sammamish shows Sound Transit 3 losing here by a 51.69% to 48.30% margin.

Vote counting continues to Nov. 29, when the election results are certified.

Sound Transit 3 is the $54bn mass transit plan that includes $27bn in tax hikes over 25 years.

Sammamish gets reduced bus service out of the plan and a prospective park and ride at the north end.

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Nov. 11 Election Update: Jay Rodne projected to win reelection

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State Rep. Jay Rodne (R-Snolqualmie) will win reelection, Sammamish Comment project.

Vote results posted by King County Elections today show Rodne increasing his lead over Democrat Jason Ritchie to 1,730 votes, twice the lead at the end of yesterday’s tally.

Rodne holds Position 1 in the 5th Legislative District, which includes the greater Klahanie area of Sammamish.

State Sen. Mark Mullet, a Democrat, of the 5th clings to his lead over challenger Chad Magendanz, a Republican. The lead shrank to 1,363 votes from 2,062 Thursday and 2,974 on election night. The lead has been shrinking at a smaller rate than Rodne’s has been gaining.

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