Soundside

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Why did voters reject three anti-tax initiatives? We ask prolific initiative filer Tim Eyman Nov 13, 2024

Show notes

Washingtonians voted down three tax-related initiatives that would have repealed the state’s cap and trade program, made the state’s long term care program optional, and repealed the state’s new capital gains tax.

Those lost by large margins. One initiative passed, it protects access to and use of natural gas.

All four initiatives were backed by hedge fund manager Brian Heywood, who put $6 million into signature gathering. Heywood claimed that the policies he was trying to repeal amounted to taxes on Washingtonians.

And historically, Washington voters have been receptive to initiatives that cut their taxes.

$30 car tabs? Bring it on said voters in 1999, 2002, and again in 2019.

Require a super majority to pass new taxes in the state legislature? We’ll have some of that, said voters in 2007 and 2012.

Limit property tax increases? Why not? Said voters in 2000 and 2001.

So what went wrong this time?

That’s what we’re asking my next guest, a longtime anti-tax activist who has used the initiative process many times to successfully limit local government’s ability to collect money.

Guest:

Tim Eyman, anti-tax activist

Relevant Links:

KUOW: Most of his initiatives failed, but Washington Republicans still call him a winner

KUOW: Washington’s natural gas initiative wins, but court challenges could be next

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An update on the CID stabbings with Friends of Little Saigon Nov 12, 2024

Show notes

A 37-year old man remains in custody at King County Jail at this hour, held on $2 million dollars bail. He’s awaiting charges connected to the stabbing of up to 9 people in Seattle’s Chinatown International District and South Jackson street on Thursday and Friday.

While setting bail, the judge noted the suspect had a warrant out for his arrest and a history of multiple felonies, including robbery, theft and attempted burglary.

A police spokesman described the attacks as random assaults. Several victims were hospitalized with multiple stab wounds.

CID and Little Saigon community members and business leaders are speaking out after the attacks, saying the community needs more law enforcement and social services support to deal with problem areas like 12th and Jackson – where residents have long complained of safety problems due to crime and rampant drug use.

Quynh Pham is the Executive Director of Friends of Little Saigon, a community development organization focused on the Vietnamese community in the Chinatown/International District, and spoke with Soundside's Libby Denkmann.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

GUEST: Quynh Pham - Executive Director of Friends of Little Saigon

RELATED LINKS:

$2M bail set for ‘unprovoked’ mass stabbing suspect in Seattle - Seattle Times
Seattle Chinatown International District mass stabbing: What we know - Seattle Times

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Soundside's "Weekend Warmup" - Nov 7th-10th Nov 08, 2024

Show notes

It’s been a big week. I know many of you listeners would like it to end. Or maybe you’re just always really excited for the weekend.

Producer Jason Megatron Burrows is here with the “Weekend Warmup” to help you get a jump on making plans.

LINKS:

SIFF!!

GeekGirlCon
USHER - Saturday & Sunday
BELLINGHAM - Bellwood Farms Cider Festival
SPOKANE - Eddie Izzard - The REMIX Tour: The First 35 Years

If you would like to suggest events for us to talk about in upcoming "Weekend Warmups," please send Jason an email at SOUNDSIDE@KUOW.ORG

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crypto helped Trump win the White House, and WA congressional candidates Nov 08, 2024

Show notes

U.S. stocks soared after Donald Trump clinched the presidency early Wednesday morning.

And another market jumped to a record-high as well: cryptocurrency.

The price of Bitcoin has topped $76,000 as of Thursday morning, and behind this record breaking value is a belief from digital currency enthusiasts that the president-elect will roll back Biden-era regulations on cryptocurrency.

And the crypto-industry was far from a passive observer in this year’s election. It spent more than a hundred million dollars on candidates who took cryptocurrency-friendly stances, including here in Washington State.

Guest:

Brady Dale, crypto reporter for Axios

Related links:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forecasting the future battles between WA and a second Trump presidency Nov 08, 2024

Show notes

As Donald Trump’s transition team gears up for his second administration, Democrats are spending the days after the election processing their major defeats – with a dash of second-guessing and finger-pointing about what went wrong for Kamala Harris.

Here in Washington, Governor-elect Bob Ferguson held a press conference this morning laying out plans to battle Trump on a number of fronts, including immigration, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ+ protections.

To talk about how those battles could play out, Soundside was joined by Scott Lemieux. Lemieux is an associate teaching professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Washington.

Guests:

Scott Lemieux, associate teaching professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Washington.

Related Links:

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"We are part of the all": one community member's response to anti-Trans rhetoric from the Trump campaign Nov 07, 2024

Show notes

“Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you”.

In the weeks before the election, it was a line that echoed over and over in advertisements that ran during football games, the World Series, and prime time network television. It was paired with footage of border crossings, claims about trans girls participating in youth sports, and Vice President Harris talking about federal prisoners having access to gender-affirming medical care.

And, according to reporting from the New York Times, these pro-Trump television spots were highly effective: Ultimately, analysis from Kamala Harris’ leading super PAC found the ad shifted the race 2.7 percentage points in Trump’s favor, among audiences who saw it.

Now that Trump has won the election, local trans community members are worried about what that message means for their future: with another Trump administration on the horizon, will he make good on the promise that he’s not for “they/them”?
Guest:

Eve Palay, a Bainbridge Island resident, and a representative of Rainbow Crew NW, a resource for the West Sound LGBTQ+ community, and she’s a member of other Trans groups around the West Sound.

Relevant Links:

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump wins, but Washington gets bluer: exactly what happened during last night's election Nov 06, 2024

Show notes

Democrats across the country today are waking up to a sea change in national politics and a realignment of political coalitions once considered solidly blue.

But closer to home, Washington state is moving further to the left.

Local Democrats appear headed for a sweep of statewide offices, and most of the conservative-backed initiatives on the ballot are losing.

But, not everything is so clear cut.

Questions remain, including: Will voters ditch new regulations on natural gas? Will an anti-Trump Republican keep his seat in Congress? And who will join our state Supreme Court?

Discussing what we know, what we don’t, and what it all means, is a panel of political experts.

Guests:

Political consultant with Fincher consulting, and host of the Hacks and Wonks Podcast, Crystal Fincher
Former Washington state attorney general Rob McKenna
Editor and publisher of the Washington Observer, Paul Queary

Relevant Links:

November 5, 2024 General Election Results - Washington Secretary of State

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rep. Jayapal reflects on 'jarring' election for Washington voters Nov 06, 2024

Show notes

We’re continuing to watch election results today, but many things are clear: Donald Trump will retake the presidency, and he’ll be backed by a Republican controlled Senate. Control of the House of Representatives remains up in the air. Dozens of races around the country are too close to call.

We might not know the outcome of these battleground contests for several days or even weeks, but the potential for Democrats to flip the House is a rare glimmer of hope for a party that experienced crushing defeats on Tuesday.

The picture is very different in Washington state, which, if anything, turned an even deeper shade of blue.

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who represents Seattle and the surrounding area, won her reelection bid handily, beating her opponent by about 70 percentage points, as of now.

So how will Representative Jayapal, the Progressive Caucus Chair and outspoken Trump critic, approach the next two years in office?

Guests:

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Election day has arrived, here's what's on the minds of WA voters Nov 05, 2024

Show notes

It’s election day … officially.

But don’t hold your breath, everyone. We’re still possibly days away from knowing the results of many races, both local and national.

Even so, we wanted to get a sense of how voters in Washington have been feeling and thinking about the choices on the ballot this season. KUOW has been speaking with people across the political spectrum, to get their takes on what’s driving their decisions.

Guest:

Alex Rochester, KUOW digital community outreach producer

Related links:

What do Democratic, Republican, and Independent Washington state voters think about the 2024 ballot? - KUOW

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How to destress — and maybe depolarize — after the election Nov 05, 2024

Show notes

Months and months of anticipation – or maybe dread? – have led to today. Election day.

Over the coming days and weeks, there will continue to be a lot of talk about candidates, polls, the state of democracy. But we also want to recognize the emotional difficulty of election day... of election season.

Politics can leave a lot of people bitter and divided. It’s cost treasured relationships and led to feelings of anger, contempt, and fear. Bridging divides and finding common ground aren’t simple or easy. Over the past year, Mónica Guzmán and April Lawson have been thinking a lot about how to do it.

Mónica Guzmán works with Braver Angels, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to political depolarization. Her podcast – produced in partnership with KUOW – is called "A Braver Way."

Guests: