This will truly be a historic party.  Next Thursday, August 28th, Fuse and our friends at Washington Bus and APIA Vote are organizing the best convention viewing party this side of Denver! Join the team at 6pm for drinks and convention viewing, culminating with Barack Obama's nomination acceptance speech. We'll have DJs, drink specials, and democracy, all in one easy helping.

The presidential election is only 72 days from today and we couldn't be more excited about the election.  Join us in celebrating an exciting moment in American history.

When: Next Thursday, August 28th
          6:00-9:00 pm
Where: Moe Bar (behind Neumo's)
          925 E Pike St, Seattle, WA

Feel free to bring your friends for what promises to be a fun night!

Thanks, and hope to see you next Thursday!
Mina Hashemi Mercer, Fuse Washington

P.S. You must be 21 or over to join us at Moe Bar.

There are plenty of reasons you might not vote in Washington's first ever top two primary, but none of them are any good as far as we're concerned. There are less than six days left until Washington State's primary on Tuesday, August 19th. And if you haven't already voted, or you're considering not voting, this message is for YOU!

The more we talk with people about the primary, the more we keep hearing three complaints: "The primary election doesn't matter," or "I don't get this whole Top 2 thing," or "I don't know who to vote for."

So we've tackled the complaints and trashed the excuses. Just click your excuse below or jump straight to our election guide and then forward this page to your friends and family and remind them to vote.

http://fusewashington.org/about/272/primary2008GOTV

I might not vote because:

* I don't know who to vote for
* I don't know when the primary is
* My ballot never came
* The primary election doesn't matter
* I don't understand the Top 2 system
* My dog ate my stamps
* I'm not registered to vote
* I don't have time


Out of excuses and ready to vote? Great -- now forward this email to 5 friends and remind them to join you!

http://fusewashington.org/about/272/primary2008GOTV

And if you have already voted, we're proud of your dedication to democracy and we hope you'll share this message with your friends and family.

Thanks for all you do!

Mina Hashemi Mercer, Fuse Washington

Fuse Washington, along with King County Conservation Voters, Friends of Seattle and Environment Washington invite you to join green legislators, green organizations, and green activists at our Summer BBQ on August 23rd!

We're kicking off the campaign season by showing our appreciation for all of the good work that you and your elected officials do for your community.  Also, be first to get essential information about the ballot measures and find out how you can stay involved this fall.

Lunch is on us, so bring the family and enjoy food, the outdoors, and your like-minded neighbors!

When: Saturday, August 23rd from 12:00-3:00 pm

Where: Lincoln Park in West Seattle, 8603 Fauntleroy Way, Seattle, WA 98136

What: A summer BBQ, brought to you by Fuse Washington, King County Conservation Voters, Friends of Seattle, and Environment Washington

So that we can plan for the appropriate amount of food, please let us know if you'll attend by RSVPing on our website at:

http://www.fusewashington.org/page/s/summerBBQ

Already planning to attend are Representatives Mary Lou Dickerson, Bob Hasegawa, Christopher Hurst, Ross Hunter, Fred Jarrett, and candidates for state legislature Reuven Carlyle, Tina Orwell, Scott White and many more! Gather the family to join them and enjoy great food, green people, and the great outdoors!

Don't forget to RSVP at:

http://www.fusewashington.org/page/s/summerBBQ

We can't wait to see you there!
Mina Hashemi Mercer, Fuse Washington

Fuse helps the people who want common sense solutions to our State's problems work together to achieve their goals. We offer busy but concerned people easy ways to make your voice and values heard and make a difference.

Support our member-driven organization: Fuse depends on the support of our members. If you'd like to support our work, you can give now at:

http://www.fusewashington.org/donate 

Almost 100% of politicians want to be re-elected, and nationwide 93% of them are.1 But how many should be? After evaluating the statewide officials on the primary ballot, we believe the number who deserve to be re-elected is closer to 50%.

At Fuse we base our endorsements on two things: progressive values and research. Research means we base our decisions on what candidates do, not what they say. Progressive values means we evaluate candidates' records based on our commitment to values like fairness, opportunity, freedom, security, and responsibility.  We believe a commitment to these values is essential to improving the lives of Washingtonians and addressing the challenges of our state.

For the primary, we have the full scoop on the five most important races in the state.  Click on the link to get the whole story.  Read extremely brief summaries below.  The primary is on Tuesday, August 19th.  If you vote by absentee ballot, be sure to have your ballot postmarked by August 19th.

http://fusewashington.org/alerts/257/primary-endorsements-2008

Governor Chris Gregoire has been a strong leader on many important issues, including education, health care, and global warming. (Back in May, she earned a Fuse Sizzle award for her global warming leadership.2) No leader is perfect, but she's definitely earned a second term.

Gregoire's opponent, Dino Rossi is a former State Senator with an extremely conservative voting record.  He is anti-choice, and has a long track record of supporting conservative business interests while voting against transit, environmental protection, health care, education, and consumer protection.  
 
http://fusewashington.org/alerts/257/primary-endorsements-2008gov

Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland has lost sight of his responsibility to protect the public interest and manage resources sustainably.   He has reduced oversight, increased clear-cuts, and is too cozy with industries he regulates- with literally disastrous results.

His opponent, Peter Goldmark, an eastern Washington rancher and biologist, is an ideal candidate for Lands Commissioner. He is a former director of agriculture with a background in sustainability and bio-diversity.  As a former school board member, he vows to work to manage resources to benefit schools, especially rural schools, for the long-term.

http://fusewashington.org/alerts/257/primary-endorsements-2008lands

Attorney General Rob McKenna is smart, very ambitious, and very conservative.  He has opposed limits on irresponsible development and fought rail transit, while failing to stand up for ordinary citizens and challenge corporations on consumer protection issues like mortgage abuses.

McKenna's opponent, former Prosecutor and Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg, is widely respected as a straight shooter.  He has fought for the public interest - on issues like clean drinking water and building transit --throughout his career and understands the important role of Attorney General in an era of corporate abuses and an unreliable federal government.

http://fusewashington.org/alerts/257/primary-endorsements-2008ag

Justice Mary Fairhurst is running for reelection for a second term for the Washington State Supreme Court. Fairhurst has distinguished herself as a champion for equal rights and for protecting civil liberties. She's been a leader on issues promoting equal access to justice and working on eliminating inequities in our court system.  We strongly believe she deserves our support for a second term.

Fairhurst's opponent, Seattle lawyer Michael J. Bond's experience is as a military and private lawyer.  He lacks the public service and judicial experience of Fairhurst and The Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys rated him unqualified for this position. 

http://fusewashington.org/alerts/257/primary-endorsements-2008supreme

The primary election is on Tuesday, August 19th.  For the primary we are limiting our endorsements to several critical statewide offices.  We will have a full slate of endorsements for the general election in November.  Click the link below for the full story on each of these stellar races.  Then forward this email to your friends and family to get the word out about these candidates.

http://fusewashington.org/alerts/257/primary-endorsements-2008

Thanks for all you do!

Aaron Ostrom, Fuse

Fuse helps the people who want common sense solutions to our State's problems work together to achieve their goals. We offer busy but concerned people easy ways to make your voice and values heard and make a difference.

Support our member-driven organization: Fuse depends on the support of our members. If you'd like to support our work, you can give now at:

http://www.fusewashington.org/donate

1: "Re-election Rates Over the Years," http://www.opensecrets.org/bigpicture/reelect.php?cycle=2006

2: http://fusewashington.org/about/192/2008-fuse-awardscoolleadership

We call it the Katrina Syndrome - when a government agency's failure to do its job compounds the suffering and destruction generated by a natural disaster. We saw it in New Orleans and now we see it right here in Washington with the massive storm that hit Chehalis last December.  

Sunday's Seattle Times featured a shocking investigative report on how widespread failures at the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), under Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland, contributed to the landslides, flooding, and destruction during December's storm.1  According to the Times, the DNR reduced monitoring and allowed Weyerhaeuser to clear-cut dangerous, unstable slopes with "scant oversight," despite a history of landslides from previous logging, clear evidence of unstable slopes, and concerns from local officials.  

Meanwhile, Commissioner Sutherland maintains that the Agency's current oversight is "enough."  We also find it disturbing that the Timber Industry accounts for over half of the contributions to his re-election campaign.2

We believe that accountability matters, and that the government -- including the Department of Natural Resources -- has a duty to enforce laws that protect public health and safety.  Because Commissioner Sutherland refuses to clean up the DNR's act, we are calling on the State Auditor to investigate the DNR's failure to perform its responsibilities.

Please sign our petition today and help us send the State Auditor a powerful message from thousands of Washington residents that this audit needs to happen.

Take Action At: http://www.fusewashington.org/page/s/investigateDNR

According to the Seattle Times, logging- induced landslides in the Chehalis basin "dumped mud and debris into swollen rivers, helping fuel the floods that slammed houses, barns, and farm fields downstream."

The December storm and flood that hit Lewis County caused over $57 million in property damage to homes, farms and businesses. The storm had devastating effects on the Chehalis area: nearly 20 miles of I-5 were completely closed, there were more than 730 landslides in the Upper Chehalis basin, and 3,000 valley residents couldn't drink their tap water for over three months.  

Commissioner Sutherland cannot abandon his responsibilities to ensure that irresponsible clear-cuts do not endanger the health and safety of Washington residents.  We deserve better.  Please sign our petition right now and urge the State Auditor to investigate the DNR's performance.

Take Action At: http://www.fusewashington.org/page/s/investigateDNR

Thanks for all you do!
Aaron Ostrom, Fuse Washington

Fuse helps the people who want common sense solutions to our State's problems work together to achieve their goals. We offer busy but concerned people easy ways to make your voice and values heard and make a difference.

Support our member-driven organization: Fuse depends on the support of our members. If you'd like to support our work, you can give now at:

http://www.fusewashington.org/donate

1 "Logging and landslides: What went wrong?" The Seattle Times, July 13, 2008.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008048848_logging13m.html

2 Washington Public Disclosure Commission as of June 10, 2008
http://www.pdc.wa.gov/servlet/ContServlet

We believe that progress happens when a critical mass of people are willing to speak out for it, work for it, and demand it. Fuse is bringing Washington residents together to support progressive causes and leaders. We help the people who want common sense solutions to our State's problems work together to achieve their goals.

Fuse is looking to hire a few outstanding people to help us create progress in Washington. Can you help us find those people? We are looking to fill three critical positions:

Campaign Director - Responsible for building and managing our innovative campaigns to support progressive causes and leaders.

Communications Director - Responsible for developing and managing the communications strategies for our advocacy campaigns.

Campaign Organizer - Responsible for helping us organize, mobilize, and increase active public support for progressive causes and leaders.

This is a critical time to make a difference on our most important problems. Please help us find great people for these jobs. Our success depends on it. You can find complete job descriptions at:

http://www.fusewashington.org/jobbank

We want people with a passion and talent for strategic organizing and communications. People who believe in the common good, and who believe in the power of ordinary people.

Our goal is to create a political landscape that supports progressive breakthroughs, by adding serious numbers of real people and stronger communications to progressive campaigns.

Please help us find the right people for these jobs. Thank you for your support.

http://www.fusewashington.org/jobbank

Thanks for all you do!

It's been 232 years since John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, and 54 of their friends risked their lives by signing the Declaration of Independence, launching an incredible odyssey that transformed 13 scrappy colonies into the most powerful country in the world.   

Our research into their biographies suggests that there are three places these leaders wanted you to avoid at all costs:

1)    The Sidelines, watching
2)    The Couch, tuning out or sleeping through
3)    The Fence, unable or unwilling to engage

For them, democracy was not a spectator sport.  It was a personal call to action.1  At Fuse, we believe that the best way to celebrate the legacy of their courage and patriotism is to respond to their call for action.

Celebrate the 4th of July by making a personal and patriotic commitment to give our great democracy something it really deserves from you: a modest amount of your time to help elect progressive leaders to public office.   Sign up for our Progress Now team of election volunteers and we'll make sure your action is as effective and enjoyable as possible.

http://fusewashington.org/alerts/250/progress-now-action-team

Our Progress Now Action Team is a gathering place for civically minded people who are impatient for progress and ready to do something about it.   Our team members pledge specific amounts of their time to help progressive leaders win election campaigns.  We call on them when it's important, and they can expect to get a call when we really need them.

At Fuse we believe a stronger democracy is the best path to a better future.  We also believe that ordinary people who come together to work for the common good are the foundation of progress, and the key to a healthy democracy.

The 4th of July is always a great opportunity to revisit the roots of our inspiration.  We believe that the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights offer more than just a promise to the people of America.  We believe they offer a challenge - that we set an example for everyone else about what's possible when human beings rise above their own self-interest or prejudice or indifference and work together.

The citizen activists who work on elections are the lifeblood of democracy.   Our goal at Fuse is help people like you elect progressive leaders to public office.

Join our Progress Now Action Team today, and together we'll make the 4th of July a celebration of progress.

http://fusewashington.org/alerts/250/progress-now-action-team

Thanks for all you do!
Aaron Ostrom, Fuse Washington

Fuse helps the people who want common sense solutions to our State's problems work together to achieve their goals. We offer busy but concerned people easy ways to make your voice and values heard and make a difference.

Support our member-driven organization: Fuse depends on the support of our members. If you'd like to support our work, you can give now at:

http://www.fusewashington.org/donate

1 The final words of the  Declaration of Independence read,  "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

The Building Industry Association of Washington - a trade association of ultra-conservative developers and the state's most powerful conservative special interest - is dragging Washington voters through the mud early this year.  It's only June, but the BIAW is spending $500,000 this month on deceptive and misleading ads accusing Governor Chris Gregoire of being soft on sex offenders and cutting funds for foster children.

We believe this kind of dirty politics is just plain bad for democracy.  Washington voters deserve a better campaign than this, and there's a simple way to stop these corrosive attack ads immediately. Dino Rossi simply has to call on his good friends and business partners at the BIAW to stop the ads. They are such close political allies that it's impossible to believe that they would ignore him if he called on them to stop the mudslinging.

Please sign our petition today urging Dino Rossi to call on the BIAW to stop their deceptive campaign.  Help us deliver a powerful message about the kinds of campaigns Washington voters expect and demand.

http://www.fusewashington.org/page/s/stopmudslinging

So far Dino Rossi has refused to criticize the ads, which make misleading and ominous sounding claims about sexual predators and foster homes.  One ad accuses the governor of vetoing $3 million in spending on foster care programs without noting that foster care funding was actually increased by $12 million in the last session.  The other accuses Gregoire of making it easier for sex offenders to perpetrate their crimes, despite her long track record of the opposite as both Attorney General and Governor.

This isn't the first time the BIAW has been caught misleading voters with dirty ads.  In 2004, Comcast pulled one anti-Gregoire BIAW ad off the air because it contained "inaccurate statements" about the Governor.  In 2006, the BIAW spent more than $600,000 on ads for a State Supreme Court race that were so dirty, the Tacoma News Tribune said they "left a stain on the state's most important court."

The BIAW is Dino Rossi's biggest political supporter, starting with his election to the State Senate in 1996.  They spent close to $1 million promoting Rossi's bid for governor in 2004 and have already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on his 2008 campaign.  In return, the  BIAW says Rossi backed their legislative agenda 99% of the time.  Rossi's relationship with the BIAW has been personal as well as political. While a state senator, Rossi purchased a multi-million dollar apartment building and co-founded a bank with BIAW lobbyists.

Please sign our petition today urging Dino Rossi to call on the BIAW to stop their deceptive mudslinging.  Washington voters deserve better.

http://www.fusewashington.org/page/s/stopmudslinging

Thanks for all you do!

Aaron Ostrom, Fuse

Fuse is bringing people like you together to make our state more progressive. Fuse offers busy but concerned people easy ways to make your voice and values heard and make a difference.

Support our member-driven organization: Fuse depends on the support of our members. If you'd like to support our work, you can give now at:

http://www.fusewashington.org/donate