I decided I couldn�t really file this under the banner of �Count ANY Vote� so it gets separate billing.
If you remember the last �CAV� entry, you�ll recall that a man had been arrested for threatening the life of Christine Gregoire.
You�ll also remember her taking a page out of the Bill Clinton handbook and blaming �Right Wing Talk Radio� for inciting him.
This is the guy,
Story
Martelli was arrested for threatening to kill Governor Christine Gregoire and her children. But he says he made the comment only to his therapist, and just to make a point about abortion.
“There was not a threat there,” Martelli insists. “This doctor has interjected all this and blown it way out of proportion. What was mentioned was Christine Gregoire’s name and abortion.”
The therapist reported it to the State Patrol, which saw it as more than a political statement.
Martelli insists it was not a real threat. “All this extra security for Christine Gregoire and then my name in there,” he says. “I don’t appreciate that. And, I just want to set the record straight.”
Martelli will get that chance in court. He’s scheduled to go to trial for threatening the Governor on March 14. Meantime, he’s free on $10,000 bail.
We�ll see.
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Next up, this is driving the left nuts here in Washington,
State Supreme Court Throws Out Estate Tax
The state Supreme Court threw out Washington’s estate tax Thursday, causing a potential loss of $430 million over the next two years at a time when lawmakers already are facing a $1.8 billion spending gap.
The unanimous decision by the nine-member court concluded that “when an estate has no federal estate tax, there is no obligation to pay any state estate tax.” It ordered a refund of estate taxes collected by the Department of Revenue since Jan. 1, 2002.
The refund could be as high as $150 million, said Mike Gowrylow, a spokesman for the state agency. He said the $430 million includes that refund, and the state’s reliance on $277 million that was expected to be collected from 2005 to 2007.
�Was expected to collect� I think that says just about everything about my Democrat controlled state.
Why do I say that? Well, the Dems came in and promised to make audits more frequent. As I mentioned just before the election on November 2nd, our State Auditor was made a eunuch in terms of the scope of his power many years ago by the Dems in this state and waste has been running rampant around these parts.
Well, the Dems are fulfilling their campaign promises…sort of.
House bill probes whether business tax breaks are working
The state House on Monday passed a bill requiring audits of the state’s roughly 500 tax breaks for businesses to determine how much they cost, who they’re benefiting and whether they’re achieving the intended goals.
“We have fallen, I think, in the eyes of the public in terms of their view and their confidence in the state tax system,” said Rep. Jim McIntire, D-Seattle, who sponsored the bill. “This is just a modest step toward restoring their confidence.”
The bill, which goes now to the Senate, wouldn’t kill any tax breaks. It would create a citizen’s committee to decide which tax breaks should be studied, then directs an audit committee to report back to the Legislature.
Oh sure, the bill itself wouldn�t get rid of any of the tax-breaks for businesses, but if this Blue-Ribbon-Committee of sorts decides that they�re not worth it, how much do you want to bet that this cash strapped legislature would dump it in a heartbeat.
And the Dems wonder why the Gubernatorial race was so close.
