End the tax tug-of-war: Vote Yes on 1053

by Jason Hagey, October 23, 2010

The basic idea behind Initiative 1053 - to require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to raise taxes - is certainly not a new one.

Voters have previously approved of it on three separate occasions, only to watch elected lawmakers overturn it each time.

It's back on the ballot this year in the form of Initiative 1053, and it's timing couldn't be more critical: The economic recovery is fragile, at best. Unemployment remains high. And families and taxpayers are just beginning to absorb the $770 million tax hike that lawmakers approved earlier this year.

Amid this backdrop, lawmakers will encounter an estimated $4.5 billion state budget shortfall when they convene this January in Olympia. If they choose to follow this year's near-record tax hike with another big boost in taxes, it could have a disastrous impact on struggling businesses.

And yet without the protection of I-1053, that's exactly what The Seattle Times predicts will happen.

"If I-1053 fails, taxes will go up within six months," the newspaper said.

The Daily News of Longview, while claiming that it's generally not a fan of of supermajority requirements, said the past several budgets have convinced the editorial board that the Legislature needs a push toward fiscal reform.

"The current budget, in particular, was an eye-opener," the paper said. "It's a patchwork of one-time spending cuts, revenue enhancements and budget gimmicks. Resorting to tax increases was just too easy."

Critics of the initiative say it's "undemocratic" because it takes away the idea of "majority rules," and that it will bring California-style gridlock to Washington state. Newspaper editorial boards have exposed the fallacy of those arguments.

"The opponents should rethink that strategy," The Spokesman-Review said, pointing out that "if I-1053's foes really fancy majority rule, they should side with the majority of state voters who have approved variations of the two-thirds requirement three times, only to see it circumvented by a scant several dozen legislators in Olympia."

The Seattle Times was equally blunt: "I-1053 is a direct act of the people upon the state. You cannot get more democratic than that."

In addition, the Times discredits comparisons to California, calling claims by critics that Washington will experience California-style government gridlock a "hysterical prediction." That's because in California, legislators need a two-thirds majority of both houses to pass a budget. I-1053 only requires a two-thirds majority to approve a tax increase.

I-1053 wouldn't be necessary, of course, if lawmakers had not suspended Initiative 960, the last voter-approved supermajority requirement. Likewise, it wouldn't be necessary if lawmakers had tackled the hard work of restructuring government rather than simply raising taxes.

"On the disgust-o-meter, it's a toss-up between legislators' unwillingness to budget with restraint instead of new taxes, and their habitual willingness to dump the will of the people," the Kitsap Sun writes.

The premise of I-1053 is not new, but it's as necessary as ever. "If the people want to prevail in this, they have to impose the rule again," The Seattle Times said.

"This time," the Yakima Herald declared, "Democrats really deserve this initiative. They have repeatedly ignored calls for reforming a broken fiscal system and instead have imposed a patchwork of budget cutbacks and tax increases. Apparently the voters need to push lawmakers along into finding long-term solutions. Consider this the push."

The full list of newspapers endorsing I-1053 (with a link to the endorsement article):

* Bellevue Reporter
* Centralia Chronicle
* The Everett Herald
* Kitsap Sun
* The (Longview) Daily News
* Port Orchard Independent
* The Seattle Times
* The Spokesman-Review
* The (Vancouver) Columbian
* Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
* Wenatchee World
* Yakima Herald-Republic

Patty Murray is Recycling Lies

No Lie Like a Recycled Lie.

Dishonest people are usually not very imaginative or creative. Their lies are complicated enough they have a hard time remembering them, so they have to stay stodgy and unimaginative. Patty Murray's latest authorized campaign ad recycles the old song, “Dino Rossi Favors Wall Street Instead Of Us.”

Is Dino Rossi the deceiver? Or is Patty Murray telling lies?

Patty Murray voted for the Financial Regulation bill enacted by Congress last term. Then Patty Murray collected $500,000 in campaign contributions from Wall Street bankers. Are we supposed to believe Patty Murray got Wall Street special interests to give her a big half-million payoff for whittling those same Wall Streeters down to size?

Here's the link to the Federal Government's list of Patty Murray's list of PAC contributors. Examine the list for yourself. Its 1219 records long. It takes little while. But follow the money -- Would entrenched Wall Street interests give an enemy $500,000 for hurting them? You find Patty Murray holding the money at the end.

On the other hand, Rossi threatens the entrenched Wall Street interests. He will work to reverse the corrupt Democrat Patty Murray's so-called Financial Regulation bill. The end result will be cleansing competition of the financial interests on Wall Street.

Here's the link to the Federal Government's complete list of all 30 of Dino Rossi's PAC contributors. Click on the "Show All" link. There are no bank PACs at all. Dino Rossi got nothing from Wall Street interests. The list takes only a few seconds to scan.

You see, Financial Regulation is how Patty Murray gave her Wall Street buddies control of our future and piles of our money.

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Patty Murray's next example of reused baloney:

Patty Murray says Rossi tried to reduce the minimum wage – This fear mongering fits with the “Democratic” Party's view that we should all be working for minimum wage. Who would really be satisfied working for minimum wage? Would you?

The minimum wage acts as a fence to keep out new and inexperienced (unproven) workers. Thus the minimum wage serves Patty Murray's buddies, the union bosses. Make no bones about this one, Murray favors the Union bosses over the people.

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Patty Murray is dishonest. She claims to be on Washington State's side because she would take from other parts of the country and "give" it to us. Isn't that called stealing? And Patty Murray causes more damage to good morality. With her "gift" she also takes away the sense of accomplishment and honor.

Its no surprise Patty Murray and her Special Interest backers will say and spend anything to assure the defeat of government responsible to the People. Patty Murray completely lacks personal integrity.

Well, at least Patty Murray is recycling.

Examining King County Ballots

Live webcam in King County's election ballot counting room.

This is the room where about 1,400 ballots cast by imaginary King County voters were counted in the 2004 over-vote scandal. Since this is a live web cast, it will be interesting to see if anything is revealed in 2010. Probably nothing, since the extra ballots were "found" in a mail room before being brought here to be counted.

Scandals like the over-vote weaken the confidence of the voting public in election results. Democracy is based on the idea that the majority of the People constitute the wisest government. If the voice of the People is being squelched by corrupt politicians, then wisdom is also squelched.

That's the old democratic theory of democracy. Its a shame the modern "Democratic" Party has brought so much doubt into the ballot count. King County is a "Democratic" Party machine controlled county.

Reasons to Vote for Dino Rossi

The "Democratic" Party won't tell you where Dino Rossi actually stands. (Do you believe the cartoon of Dino Rossi the "Democratic" Party is pitching?)

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Government has been complicating the economic recovery in the United States. So the number one issue is the economy.

Economic Growth is harmed by the National Debt - The current federal debt load is unsustainable, yet the Demos announced plans for a $1.4 trillion in federal deficit for 2011. That will increase the federal debt to $15.4 trillion. Reduce federal deficit. Keep the politicians from spending all our money. We must consider the future.

Reduce Government Spending - Our national debt topped $13 trillion this year. If Congress keeps spending your money at this unprecedented pace, our national debt will reach $19.6 trillion by 2015.

Health care is the ultimate individual issue. Nothing is more personal than health care. Has health care been improved or worsened by the current administration's health care law?

Fix Health Care - The bill passed by Congress was standard tax-and-spend with a little bit of health care sprinkled on top. It must be repealed in entirety. The spending must be stopped and the taxes must be controlled.

Real health care reform must be enacted - Access to health care must be improved. So permit citizens to buy health insurance from out-of-state (this is presently restricted). Allow small business to join together in health insurance buying groups (this is presently forbidden). Give individual buyers a full tax discount for their health insurance premiums.

Rossi on health care

Taxes are one of the two principle tools government uses to implement policy (the other is regulation)

Tax Code Reform - Economic development and innovation are being strangled by hyper taxation. Control taxes to promote economic growth and job creation. Straighten out the tax code so it is equitable instead of labyrinthine. Stop new broad-based taxes.

Energy - We need to reduce American dependence by developing more of our own resources. Cap & Trade is a terrible idea - it is a tax, not a solution.

National governments must control the border or else the nation ceases to be.

Control the Border and Fix Immigration

Rossi on Immigration

Defend America - We need a strong military, and a strong sense of mission.

More on the issues at DinoRossi.com

Does Dino Rossi Really Support Tax Loopholes?

The Democratic Party and Patty Murray carry ads announcing "Dino [Rossi] supports keeping tax loopholes for corporations that send our jobs overseas."

The Democratic Party controlled government has spent a lot of our money, so they are hungry to tax us. Mr Obama targeted American based corporations who manage overseas operation from America. He seeks to disallow the tax deduction of the cost of American operations.

Management is an expense. If an international company cannot deduct the expense of the American based operations, the company will not keep any operation in America. The effect of disallowing cost deduction of American management will send the management jobs overseas. The Democratic Party proposal will have the opposite effect of what they claim; their policies will ship American jobs overseas.

There is second prong. Murray attacks what is called "foreign tax credit." If an American corporation has foreign taxes assessed, the corporation can deduct the tax from the American tax bill. As you would expect, the American tax credit has percentages and limits applied to it, so sometimes the whole foreign tax is not offset, but the basic idea is fair: American companies should not be double taxed.

Patty Murray is against it. She pushed a bill through Congress to decrease the allowance for foreign taxes. That will increase the amount of double taxation on American corporations. That also will also encourage American multinationals to leave the US.

Patty Murray is practicing the same economics which Washington State did when they drove Boeing headquarters out of Washington. Meanwhile she claims she is for the worker. But workers have to have jobs. Patty Murray does not seem to understand this.

Beating up corporations and management is the wrong way to restore the economy. Patty Murray's ideas are old and too outmoded. She has been in office for 18 years. Its time to say goodbye to Patty Murray.

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Dino Rossi signed a "Taxpayer Protection Pledge." the pledge means Rossi pledges to oppose any increase in taxes or any net reduction in tax credits -- for all taxpayers. Its time to vote for Dino Rossi for the US Senate.

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King5 posted an article and video critical of Murray's recent attack ad. This is interesting, since KING5 Broadcasting was a major endorser of Murray 18 years ago.

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Some Democrats have reservations about such whole-hearted attack on American corporations. Patty Murray may not comprehend how much damage her policies will inflict.

New Patty Murray Attack Ad Is Out

The tangled new Patty Murray attack ad, called "Trust", claims Dino Rossi would 'turn back the clock' on abortion rights. Patty Murray had to turn back the calendar several years to find material she could distort into an attack.

The ad menacingly insinuates Mr Rossi would deny women self-sovereignty. He voted against Washington State mandating all private insurance be required to cover contraception, funding of abortion, and battered women unemployment coverage.

Mr Rossi did not vote to make women a target of domestic violence. The "Democratic" Party controlled legislature did by rigging the bill with government control garbage. The "Democratic" Party did this to manufacture an issue at women's expense.

Mr Rossi was voting for your freedom to get the kind of health insurance you wish to buy --- not state mandated, compulsory one-size-fits-all insurance coverage.

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Ask Patty Murray this question: What kind of self-sovereignty do you get if you are entirely dependent on the government to provide it?

The answer is: None at all.

WA Ballot Measures Voting Recommendations 2010

For information and recommendations for the 2012 ballot, click here.

The People's dissatisfaction with Olympia's performance is manifest. The Legislature has done much in direct opposition to the will of the People and sensible government.

Its time for the People to be Impolite! Here is Washington State Impolite's Voter's Guide for statewide issues.

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Initiative Measure 1053 - Concerning tax and fee increases imposed by state government.

I-1053 would restate existing statutory requirements that legislative actions raising taxes must be approved by two-thirds legislative majorities.

The legislature "suspended" the existing statutory requirement so the could spend us into an illegal $5.5 billion budget imbalance. The legislature did this by enacting taxes which have damaged the state's economy, and thus could not be collected, but were used to pretend-offset the spending madness.

(The Washington State Legislature can repeal or amend an initiative by a two-thirds vote of each house during the first two years of enactment. After those first two years, the Legislature can repeal or amend by majority vote [WA Constitution, Section 41]. The Legislature had to wait for two years to elapse because only a slight majority wanted to go on their insane spending spree.)

I-1053 re-asserts the People's control of the legislature's spending habit.

Impolite recommends you vote YES on I-1053

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Initiative Measure 1082 - Reforming the state's industrial insurance.

Present law requires nearly every worker in the state be insured against on-the-job accidents. The state government maintains a monopoly as the only source of workers' insurance.

I-1082 expands workers' choice by allowing private companies to compete with the state government. Required on-the-job coverage is total. Worker premium co-pays to the state are eliminated.

Impolite recommends you vote YES I-1082

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Initiative Measure 1098 - Establish a state income tax

I-1098 directly imposes a tax on people earning more than $200,000 ($400,000 if married). Sundry other taxes are reduced for the 2 year life of the initiative.

After the 2 year limit, the legislature may extend the income tax to all earners in Washington state, and re-escalate the reduced taxes.

I-1098 is odious in more ways. See Reasons To Vote No on I-1098 for more. Do you really want a new tax?

Impolite recommends you vote NO on 1098

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Initiative Measure 1100 - Liquor (beer, wine and spirits) distribution and sales.

I-1100 removes the state from the business of importation, distribution and sales of liquor. The state would continue to regulate retail liquor sales permits, but with an additional classification of distilled spirits. The legislature will still lay and collect taxes on liquor sales, so state income is unaffected.

Sales to minors would still be against the law.

I-1100 does not affect state micro-brewers nor wineries. That is a lie spread by opponents of the initiative.

Impolite recommends you vote YES on I-1100.

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Initiative Measure 1105 - Liquor (beer, wine and spirits) retail sales.

I-1105 would close the State Liquor Stores, but leave the State Liquor Control Board intact. Private retailers of liquor would become operatives of the state.

Impolite predicts corruption if this Byzantine initiative is enacted.

Impolite recommends you vote NO on I-1105.

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Initiative Measure 1107 - Repealing the new taxes on food.

I-1107 would repeal the sales tax on candy; end temporary sales tax on some bottled water (only some bottled water was taxed); end temporary excise taxes on carbonated beverages; and reduce tax rates on in-state food processors.

I=1107 is largely a repeal of Olympia's new taxes on foods.

Impolite recommends you vote YES on I-1107

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Engrossed Substitute House Joint Resolution 4220 aka Referendum Bill 52
Issuing state bonds for energy efficiency projects.

Referendum 52 asks voter approval to issue general obligation bonds for energy improvement in education buildings. The bonds are to be paid for by taxes on bottled water. The details on this are intricate. See this summary to study this measure.

In short, the state legislature seeks authorization to spend more money. Tra-la, tra-la

Impolite recommends you vote NO on Referendum 52

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The state legislature proposed amendments to change to the state constitution.

Senate Joint Resolution 8225 -- Wishful Accounting amendment

Current law requires the legislature to allocate 9% of current revenue toward reduction of state debts. The state constitution allows bonds to be issued for buying things like schools buildings, bridges, fire brigade buildings other public works.

SJR 8225 would allow the legislature to pretend the federal government will send money to cover some part of current state debt, and overspend accordingly.

Impolite recommends you vote NO on SJR 8225

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Engrossed Substitute House Joint Resolution 4220 - Grounds for Denial of Bail Amendment.

Current law allows a court to deny bail for a capital offense, such as murder. In other cases, bail must be "reasonable," which depends on that particular judge's judgment.

This proposed amendment would allow a court to deny bail for a persons charged with a criminal offenses which, upon conviction, could result in a life sentence.

This amendment allows the legislature to continue to decrease imposition of capital punishment. Life is valuable and execution ought to be rare, but the penalty should be available for imposition in any dastardly crime. Innocent life is most valuable life. Its hard to see how requiring an un-convicted person to sit in prison enhances the judicial process. The nature of the proposed amendment violates the judicial canon of presumption of innocence.

Impolite recommends you vote NO on HJR 4220

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You can find more information on these issues at Vote Smart - Washington

Patty Murray Revises Her Lies About Rossi

Clarification of a Lie by Exaggeration.

Patty Murray decided to exaggerate about Dino Rossi instead. The latest smear ad from Patty is an update of her "Repeal" smear from a few months ago. In the current version Murray states Mr Rossi "owns part of a bank." The ad's insinuates Mr Rossi would work against the "FinReg - Wall Street Reform" for personal gain.

The Facts: Mr Rossi invested $10,000 in 2001, in the now financially troubled Eastside Commercial Bank of Bellevue, WA. (From Politico). Rossi is one of 35 stakeholders who started the bank. Rossi's investment is currently worth $75,000, if the bank remains solvent. Like many other U.S. banks, Eastside may have overextended the bank's resources. This is not a result of Murray's FinReg.

But other, bigger banks, are affected.

The new mortgage disaster at Bank of America is happening in spite of the new financial regulation Patty Murray voted for. The storm stems from messy or incomplete paperwork in Bank of America foreclosures. Bank of America's problems are freezing the whole consumer real estate market, screwing up service to potential home buyers. Is Bank of America alone to blame, or is there something more?

Government ham-handed policy has been instrumental in the collapse of 279 banks since 2008. This is the largest number of bank failures in 20 years. It has eliminated jobs, aggravated lending problem and left surviving banks more the unwelcome power to squeeze customers. Wall Street Journal

So ask yourself who is more of an expert to do adequate financial reform; Patty Murray the lawyer, or someone with banking experience?

Its important the banks not get crushed by government regulation, or else we will all be crippled. And its important they deal honestly with depositors and borrowers. Regulations which exceeds these limits is bad for the economy and the country.

Patty Murray should have studied the Law of Unintended Consequences before she voted for FinReg. Good intentions don't make good policy results (assuming her intentions were good). Competence is required.

Should government make banking regulation? Yes. But the policies must work.

Mr Rossi can craft better banking regulation. He bought the hard lessons in banking with his own money, like the rest of us.

Patty Murray is a lawyer, used to thinking in terms of "billable hours," with no real concept of what its like to earn a living in the real world. For 18 years she has been out of touch in DC.

Dino Rossi is better qualified to serve the People of Washington State.

Patty Murray & Her Newest Dishonest Campaign Ad

Originally posted as Patty on Dino on Boeing on the Seattle Times opinion page, by Bruce Ramsey

In a new ad, Sen. Patty Murray has charged Dino Rossi with not caring about Boeing jobs, which is ridiculous. The ad goes like this:

Announcer: Illegal foreign subsidies are threatening Boeing jobs, putting the Air Force tanker contract in jeopardy. When Dino Rossi was asked if he thought Boeing workers should have a level playing field, he said…

Dino Rossi: No, not as far as I’m concerned.

Announcer: Dino doesn’t get it… He doesn’t care enough about our jobs going overseas. Dino Rossi - just not on our side.

Sen. Murray: I’m Patty Murray and I sponsored this ad because the men and women who defend our country should be flying planes built in America.

This ad pulled a Rossi quote out of context. He said it in an editorial board at the Tacoma News Tribune. Here is how it went:

QUESTION: On the issue of trade, I wanted to ask Mr. Rossi about WTO rulings that have come out both against the EU and the US - and I realize we’re still sorting out the U.S. and how bad that may be. But if it does come out as it appears, at least from the US side, that Airbus got harder than Boeing did, do you believe that should have a factor - be a factor in the awarding of the tanker contract?

ROSSI: We need to fight for the tanker contract no matter what. The ruling, how it ever comes out - the reality is that the Boeing company since 1977 has lost 30,000 jobs in our state and we have to make sure we fight hard for that. You know, I’ve had a family member working continuously for the Boeing company since World War II and I - talk about a Boeing family, you want to talk about a Boeing family. And unfortunately there - this is, I think, where we - where I divert from Senator Murray on a number of different things. The Boeing company, they don’t want things like - that Senator Murray’s sponsoring such as card check, which is eliminating the secret ballot for unions. They don’t want the $150 million tax increase that they calculate as going to be coming from the health care bill. These are the sorts of things that are going to hurt the Boeing company.

I will be there. I will fight the, obviously fight for jobs. The reality is that we have to make sure that we have the right playing field to do that. And I will be, you know - strong on those issues.

Q: When you say “fight for it,” and “you want a level playing field” - I’m not still understanding if you’re saying that that WTO ruling should have a factor in the tanker bid?

ROSSI: No, not as far as I’m concerned, no.

Is the questioner asking about the WTO ruling against Airbus earlier this year or the WTO ruling against (and also for) Boeing just released? The question is not clear. The Boeing ruling is news; the Airbus ruling isn’t, so it’s more likely the questioner is talking about the Boeing ruling, and that Rossi is saying that it not be a reason to deny the contract to Boeing.

Rossi’s spokeswoman said that’s what he meant. The Murray campaign assumed otherwise, and issued a statement that began this way:

"Seattle, WA , Sept. 20- Instead of standing up for Washington state Boeing workers as Senator Patty Murray has always done, constant candidate Dino Rossi today said that illegal, job-killing WTO subsidies given to Airbus should NOT be taken into account in awarding the next Air Force tanker contract.

"The next day, a Rossi spokeswoman was asked whether Rossi would have the Air Force ignore the French subsidies to Airbus as well as the U.S. subsidies to Boeing. (The USAF has said it is ignoring both rulings, but nobody was asking them.) And the Rossi spokeswoman said she'd have to ask Rossi."

Which was reasonable. If the spokeswoman doesn't know, she shouldn't make stuff up. The Murray camp immediately put out a press release saying:

“Dino Rossi’s first instinct was to throw Washington workers under the bus and even upon reflection he’s not so sure whether job-killing subsidies should be considered in the tanker bids. He doesn’t understand or doesn’t care..."

And then the Murray camp went on the air with their ad accusing Rossi of not caring about Washington workers.

This is nonsense. Dino Rossi did not express an uncaring sentiment; he was for Boeing "no matter what." And further: as a senator from Washington he would have to be. No senator from Washington, Democrat or Republican, would put the interests of France, Spain and the U.K. ahead of the Boeing Company.

The senator's ad is dishonest. It is preposterous.

In slamming Murray's ads, I am not defending Rossi’s. He has one that blames Sen. Murray for Boeing setting up 787 assembly plant in South Carolina, and also for moving its headquarters from Seattle to Chicago, implying that it was her job to prevent those acts. They were corporate acts, and Murray cannot be blamed for them. Nor could any other senator. So those, in my view, are misleading. But they are not as grossly malicious as the Murray ads.

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Patty Murray issued the video "Airbus" repeating her lies about Dino Rossi. Power is so important to Patty Murray she will repeat a distortion even after the lie is exposed. She ought to retire from the Senate.

Patty Murray is lying about Dino Rossi.

In this official campaign ad, Murray claims Dino Rossi sold himself to Wall Street Financial interests.

Patty Murray is lying.

The Facts
According to the Federal Election Commission, Dino Rossi got donations from 30 Political Action Committees, for a total of 6.4% of all of his campaign donations. Almost 87% of Rossi's campaign donations come from individual donations. But...

Mr Rossi got no banking PAC donations at all.. None. Zero. Zilch.

On the other hand, according to the Federal Election Commission report on her, Patty Murray got donations from a total of 1219 Political Action Committees, 1121 of which are out-of-state. Patty Murray received 24.3% of her campaign funding from PACs. Only 75.7% came from individuals.

Senator Patty Murray took in $11,600 from 3 different banking PACs. If you count non-banking financial institutions, this amount goes much, much higher.

Patty Murray's claims are so outrageous they call for investigation. Washington State voters have to decide if they like Patty Murray lying to them.