Saturday, February 15, 2014 • Whidbey News-Times
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GUEST COLUMNIST Inslee may set stage for longterm halt on executions THE PETRI DISH
By JERRY CORNFIELD Jay Inslee endorsed the death penalty for his entire political career. But once the Democrat became governor and got his finger on the switch, he realized he couldn’t push it. He pronounced Tuesday that no deathrow inmate would be executed on his watch. “This is a hard decision given what this means to everybody in our state,” he said. “I’m at peace with it. I’m comfortable that this is the right decision.” He did not commute the sentences of the nine inmates now on death row; he’s given them a reprieve during his time in office and a future governor still could authorize their execution. And Inslee didn’t propose erasing the death penalty law voters tried to put in place and lawmakers eventually did 33 years ago. He’s left that task to others. Still, will Washington ever conduct an execution again? Maybe not.
With its long winning streak in gubernatorial races, Democratic Party leaders are confident Inslee can capture a second term in 2016 when the death penalty will certainly be a campaign issue. If this happens, executions would be on hold until 2020. Any Democratic candidate looking to succeed Inslee at that point would be hard-pressed to publicly reject the approach of the party’s reigning incumbent. Turns out one prominent Democrat who might consider running already knows he doesn’t want to do executions either. Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Tuesday he agreed with the governor’s rationale for pushing the pause button on executing death row inmates by lethal injection or hanging. He declined to elaborate Tuesday. But his opinions on the death penalty aren’t a secret. They came into sharp focus in the 2012 campaign for attorney general when Ferguson made clear he opposed the law but would uphold the state’s right to impose capital punishment. He implied in a March 2012 statement to Washington State Wire it included conducting executions in some cases. “I have long been a supporter of the men and women who risk their lives to protect our com-
munities, and should a tragedy occur on my watch where an officer is killed in the line of duty, I will use every legal tool available under law, including capital punishment as appropriate.” In that campaign, opponents questioned that resolve by citing comments he made to a student law journal in 1993 after he worked on a case for the Arizona Capital Representation Project. His efforts as a researcher in the appeals case for a cop-killer on death row resulted in the inmate gaining legal representation. Ferguson told the magazine: “The reason I went to law school was to work against the death penalty. I see absolutely no justification or support for executing people. But after this experience I came away feeling almost radicalized against the death penalty.” Fast forward, and Ferguson finds himself deeply involved in defending the state’s death penalty law. Inslee’s decision may make it possible for Ferguson to be less so as it turns out neither one of them is interested in seeing executions proceed. Political reporter Jerry Cornfield’s blog, The Petri Dish, is at www.heraldnet.com Contact him at 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet. com
MORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CONTINUED FROM A6 water purification plant becomes a reality and we go through all this again, it will be more like 30 years of additional taxes. Just like Obama, this mayor and council have a problem telling taxpayers the truth about anything. At the current rate of spending, Oak Harbor will be financially bankrupt in five years; we’re are pretty close to being morally bankrupt now. Dick Ays Oak Harbor
Let public officials pay for own mistakes
Editor, I’m frustrated that our elected officials keep screwing up then making us, the taxpayers, pay for their mistakes. Example — the tunnel project in Seattle and the Highway 520 bridge/Interstate 90 interchange. Lawmakers want to raise the gas
QUESTION
OF THE WEEK:
tax 10 cents to 20 cents per gallon to pay for it. I don’t use it and shouldn’t have to pay every time I get gas. Put a toll on it, then if I use it I will pay. Now for my real point. The former mayor of Oak Harbor ignored warnings about human remains under Pioneer Way and went ahead with the project anyway. Now, the city is raising our util-
ity bill to pay for a lawsuit brought against the city. Let the elected official, whomever it may be, pay for his or her mistake. The Fourth of July parade can’t use Pioneer Way anymore because they made it too narrow. From what I understand none of the merchants wanted the street converted to one-way anyway. Randy McClaskey Oak Harbor
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THE DATE
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March Holidays
St Patrick’s Day 3-17-14 Spring Begins 3-20-14
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March Publications Spring Home & Garden Publication 3-5 & 6
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March Deadlines Whidbey Island Green Guide Sales deadline 3-14 Publication date 4-9
Whidbey Green Guide shows how to make small Oak Harbor City Council changes that result in big MEETING AGENdA benefits for peoples’ wallets, p.m. health, 6:00 and to the future of Whidbey Island Tuesday, February 18, 2014 and the planet.
1. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL / PLEDgE Of ALLEgiAnCE / invOCATiOn / Sales deadline 3-28 HOnORS AnD Publication date 4-23 RECOgniTiOnS: your neighbor merchants 2.Join APPROvAL Of AgEnDA invite families into your 3.and CiTiZEn COMMEnT business PERiODwith 2014 Holland Happening Wrap! 4. COnSEnT AgEnDA are of displayed lining the a. Ads Minutes City Council meeting inside section of Editorial on February 4, 2014 b. Minutesand of Special Meeting and Content Scheduled Events. Workshop on January 22, 2014 Hurry, there is limited c. Approval of Accounts Payable space available! Voucher Nos. d. Motion to authorize Approval of GC/CM Application to CPARB e. Motion to authorize issuance of RFP of GC/CM Contractor f. Motion authorizeDay Janitorial Aprilto Fool’s 4-1 Service Contract from State Easter 4-20 g. Motion to authorize purchase Earth DayCamera 4-22for the one Surveillance Stay Sail RV Park h. Motion to confirm Nora O’Connell-Balda’s reappointment to OH Arts Commission 5. STAff AnD COUnCiL COMMEnTS a. City Administrator b. Sales Mayor deadline 4-4 Publication date 4-30 c. Councilmembers 6. ORDinAnCES/ Your Community, RESOLUTiOnS Your Business, a. Ordinance 1687: Relating to Your Story! Special Events and Amending OHMC b. Resolution 14-08: Motion to Lift Fiscal Emergency Status c. Resolution 14-09: Authorizing Art Acquisition Funds4-4 and Sales deadline authorizing Mayor to accept Publication date 5-14 donation “Conical Etude 1” d. Resolution 14-06: Authorizing The Camano ArtWhidbey Acquisition& Funds and authorizing Mayor toresource sign Islander is a trusted “Kraken” forcontract tourists and visitors to PUBLiC HEARingS/PUBLiC our islands. It is distributed MEETingS via the Washington State 8. UnfiniSHED BUSinESS 9. nEW BUSinESS a. Expiration of Impact Fee Reduction Code 10. EXECUTivE SESSiOn a. Pending Litigation 11. ADJOURnMEnT
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April Holidays
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April Publications & Deadlines WI Who’s Who
What is your favorite thing about Whidbey Island?
• Whidbey & Camano Islander
“Year-round mild temperatures.” Dave Marshall, Oak Harbor
“In discovering a place so fantastic, to pick one gem out of the treasure chest is like selling the rest of them short.” Amy Brookins, Oak Harbor
“The water. I can’t imagine being anywhere else that isn’t by the ocean.” Kyle Stevens, Oak Harbor
“It’s still somewhat rural out here. I like how it’s a little more laid back.” Jeff Walker, Oak Harbor