Flag Salute & Invocation by Donna Edquist

Visiting Rotarians: Ray George

Guests: Mimi's guest Rob Belka

New Member Applications
The membership committee and the board of directors has approved the application of Margarita Vartanyan, sponsored by Bob Moles.  Margarita owns Vartanyan Estate Winery, a local vintner (vewinery.com).  She has an MBA from WWU, and has been active in several community projects.  This notice will be posted to the general membership for two weeks; please see Bill Geyer or Dennis Archer if you have any concerns or comments.

Announcements
  • Donna said next Fellowship event will be Wednesday night, Oct 24:  First we will have dinner at Table restaurant (pay for own dinner), then pop next door to MBT and see The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band ($45/ticket). Please see Donna if interested!
  • Grape & Gourmet will be Sunday night Nov. 4th. Tickets going on sale next week, each member responsible for selling (or donating to club) $300. Initially only 4 VIP tickets ($125) per member will be available, but as many regular tickets ($75) as you want.  About 30 to 35 wineries are expected to show this year.
Bucks in the Bay
  • Lance Calloway will volunteer as a Seahawks ref, also announced upcoming Bellingham hockey season (the Blazers); 
  • Dick Stark for amazing Seahawks catch, and he has some tickets to Husky game available;
  • Gordon Plume $ for his dad (now 95) remembering coming to this club, his brother became prez of his Rotary club in CA, and his daughter was voted "super-lawyer" two years in a row;
  • Mimi Ferlin for 40th wedding anniversary, Mediterranean cruise, also visits to Mexico and Montana;
  • Glen Groenig 46 wedding anniversary, and a 67th birthday;
  • Paul Twedt appreciated football game.
 

Sergeant at Arms by Barry Kramer
Fines for trivia concerning the ageMichael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, those who haven't volunteered for G&G, Tony Freeland, unrepentant Cougar fans, Seahawk fans, Shannon's 7-yo son caught a 45lb salmon, RI Convention 2013 in Lisbon, something about parasitic worms and the law unintended consequences.

Program
Christine introduced WWU Political Science Professor Todd Donovan who talked about "State Ballot Issues".

The initiative process in WA State: The good, the bad and the ugly.

The referendum allowing citizens' initiatives was adopted in WA in 1912. Most west coast states have them, most east coast states do not. Western populism / progressivism (the initiative process was called "the gun behind the door", the prod to get elected initiative to do the people's will). In the last 50 years, 150 or so have been presented to voters in WA State, about half of those actually passed. Many initiatives were introduced in the early 20th century, but by the 1950's and 60's they became more rare (harder to gather enough signatures); since the 1980's, however, they have started to make a resurgence in popularity. Are citizen

Are initiatives a good or bad thing?

The good:
  • Direct democracy: State policy becomes closer to voters' preference, 
  • A check on political parties; 
  • Positive educative effects: stimulates voter turnout, stimulates voters to be informed;  
  • Very popular (people generally think they are a good thing); in polls voters generally think they are as good as legislators at making laws;  
  • In Olympia, legislators can amend the initiatives after two years;
The bad:  
  • They tend to wreak havoc on budgeting: voters like limiting taxes, but ALSO like increasing spending! So it makes it tough for legislators to craft a functional budget. Voters send mixed signals; 
  • Initiative campaigns are very expensive - more than gubernatorial campaigns; 80% of voters say these ads are deceptive;  
  • NOT a level playing field anymore, you need too much money to get on the ballot (Eynman may be the only example of "grass roots" anymore);  
  • In CA & OR they have constitutional initiative - VERY disruptive;
  • Tyranny of majority: Historically, sometimes citizen initiatives have resulted in legislation against minorities (for ex. against Japanese owning land, or against establishing Catholic schools). 
  • Handcuffs elected officials Initiative process is like "the crocodile in the bathtub": Legislators and judges may be influenced in their impartiality with the knowledge of upcoming initiatives.

Stan wins the raffle.

Respectfully submitted,
Stowe Talbot