Fuse in the News
KIRO 7 TV: Impact of Budget Cuts on Education
March 31, 2009
KIRO 7 reporter Essex Porter reports on impacts by budget cuts in education, especially the impact of larger class size. “Warren Etheridge is working with the advocacy group Fuse to fight the classroom cuts, “ reported Porter.
The people behind these stories were originally highlighted on the Fuse budget web site: http://www.fusewashington.org/budget
KIRO 7 TV: Rossi Fighting Subpeona
October 20, 2008
KIRO 7 reporter Essex Porter reports that the Building Industry Association of Washington is facing a lawsuit that it got illegal help from Dino Rossi to raise millions in its efforts in the governor’s race. Gregoire supporters want Dino Rossi to testify before the election.
“Two supreme court justices are charging the BIAW with campaign law violations that Dino Rossi was involved in, “ explained Aaron Ostrom. “The whole purpose of campaign finance laws is to give voters have information before the election.”
Rossi is fighting the subpoena.
KING5 TV: Rossi Fighting Subpoena to Testify Under Oath
October 9, 2008
The latest development in Buildergate has Dino Rossi refusing to testify under oath against subpoenas issued this week. Retired Supreme Court Justices Faith Ireland and Robert Utter have filed suit against the BIAW for campaign finance violations.
Seattle Times: Rossi fights to avoid testifying about illegal-fundraising
October 9, 2008
Dino Rossi does not want to testify under oath before the Nov. 4 election about allegations he illegally coordinated campaign fundraising with his biggest supporter, the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW).
Rossi is fighting an effort to be deposed next week as part of a lawsuit by two former state Supreme Court justices who support Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire in her re-election campaign against Rossi.
Aaron Ostrom, a liberal activist, questioned Rossi’s decision to fight the deposition. “It sounds to me like he’s got something to hide,” said Ostrom, who heads the group Fuse, which has criticized the BIAW campaign.
Seattle P-I: Rossi linked to builder fundraising
October 1, 2008 – Front Page Story
Documents released Tuesday tie Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi to a fundraising campaign that was recently deemed illegal by the state attorney general.
The notes from a May 2007 meeting of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish counties show that Rossi, months before he announced his bid for governor, contacted high-ranking association members. At that time those members were making decisions about fundraising designed to fuel the political activities of the Building Industry Association of Washington.
Rossi says he did nothing wrong. His critics say the contacts show Rossi is in league with the conservative builders lobby.
“I would call this the smoking gun behind the ‘Buildergate’ scandal,” said Aaron Ostrom, executive director of the liberal advocacy group Fuse. “The minutes from this meeting on May 21 (are) hard evidence that Rossi was part of a coordinated campaign by the BIAW to raise money for their war chest that would be used for attack ads against Gov. Chris Gregoire.”
Rossi acknowledged he had contacted the Master Builders on behalf of the BIAW, but his campaign said he did nothing improper.
Asked if he had solicited money, he said: “No.”
KING5 TV: Rossi may have played role in BIAW illegal fundraising
September 30, 2008
Documents released Tuesday seem to show that Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi played some sort of role in what the Attorney General’s Office believes was an illegal fundraising campaign by the Building Industry Association of Washington. The allegation revolves around some meeting minutes of a related building group. KING 5’s Deborah Feldman explains.
Fuse’s Buildergate web site is featured in the video.
Rossi Linked to BIAW Illegal Fundraising?
September 30, 2008
KONG TV Newscast (from KING)
9:30 PM Newscast
Seattle P-I: Watchdog says building group broke the law
Gregoire foe BIAW could be hit with state lawsuit
September 16, 2008
“It’s clear that these ultra-conservative developers will do anything to get Dino Rossi elected — including break the law,” says Aaron Ostrom, executive director of FUSE, a group advancing the progressive public policy agenda. “The PDC has concluded that their offensive attack ads are illegally funded.”
A [PDC] staff report concluded the BIAW had illegally solicited, received and retained more than $584,000 from its local associations without registering as a political action committee. The report also determined that the group failed to report its contributions to ChangePAC.
KIRO7 Reports on BIAW Illegal Fundraising
“I think it’s outrageous that they’re skimming funds from a government program to fund these attack ads to elect Dino Rossi,” exclaimed Aaron Ostrom.
The Attorney General’s office is expected to decide whether to go ahead with charges by the end of the week.
This report aired on the 6:30 PM newscast on KIRO7 TV on September 15, 2008.
“KIRO7 Reports on BIAW Illegal Fundraising“
A state watchdog group has asked the Attorney General to investigate one of Dino Rossi’s biggest supporters. The vote was unanimous, including two Republicans.
“We think its bad for democracy and the goals that they are pursuing are bad for the health and welfare of the state,” explained Aaron Ostrom.
This report aired on the 11:00 PM newscast on KIRO7 TV on September 15, 2008.
“KING5 Reports on BIAW Illegal Campaign Fundraising“
September 15, 2008
The state’s Public Disclosure Commission voted unanimously to forward the case to the Attorney General’s office.
This report aired on the 5:PM newscast on KING5 TV on September 15, 2008.
KOMO News: It is the beginning of a very ugly campaign
June 20, 2008
“These ads are cynical and deceptive. They’re funded by a trade association of ultra conservative developers who love Dino Rossi,” said Aaron Ostrom of Fuse Political Action Group.
Seattle P-I: BIAW ads fueled by hypocrisy
June 12, 2008
“The BIAW reports that Rossi voted with it 99 percent of the time as a state senator, attempting to block legislation reducing global warming pollution, supporting efforts to weaken the Growth Management Act and opposing efforts to strengthen consumer protections against negligent building contractors.”
KIRO TV: McCain Visit and the Environment
April 16, 2008
“You can’t really be a leader on global warming and be a champion of big oil. McCain has delivered almost $13 billion dollars in subsidies for Big Oil, and in return they have pumped over $500,000 into his campaign.” – Aaron Ostrom, Fuse
The Columbian: Clark County legislators recognized for sizzle, fizzle
May 05, 2008
An upstart grass-roots political group has recognized two Clark County legislators in its first-ever Sizzle Awards — one in a good way, the other not so much.
Fuse, a Seattle-based organization founded last year, honored state Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver, with its “True Patriot” award for “courageous and principled leadership” in sponsoring a tax credit for working families and championing conservation legislation.
The group singled out state Rep. Jim Dunn, R-Vancouver, with its “Biggest Embarrassment” award for “compiling a remarkable track record of shameless behavior that is both exceptionally boorish and extraordinarily ineffective.” The award notes that Dunn was stripped of his committee assignments in the 2008 session for making a sexually inappropriate comment to a female legislative staffer and that he also holds the House record for the number of bills on which he cast the sole no vote — 34 in this past session alone.
Both Pridemore and Dunn are seeking re-election this year.
“We believe that the most important thing in politics is leadership,” said Fuse Executive Director Aaron Ostrom in a statement. “We also believe that accountability is a critical part of democracy. Our awards are about leadership and progress. They identify who’s great, and who needs to fish or cut bait.“
The Spokesman Review: Rossi’s road plan taps vehicle sales taxes
April 16, 2008
Saying that key transportation choke points are “a foot on the air hose of the Washington economy,” Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi on Tuesday proposed a 30-year, $15.4 billion plan to fix them. Much of the money would come from the existing sales tax on vehicles.
Critics called Rossi’s proposal little but air.
“Dino Rossi’s plan is a recycled 1950s-style freeway construction bonanza with a twist,” said Aaron Ostrom, with the advocacy group Fuse. “The twist is that he’s financing it by diverting funding from schools rather than with gas taxes.”
Vancouver Columbian: Rossi plan de-emphasizes I-5 bridge tolls
April 16, 2008
“Dino Rossi’s plan is a 1950s-style freeway construction bonanza with a twist,” said Aaron Ostrom, who directs a Seattle advocacy group called Fuse. “The twist is that he’s financing it by diverting funding from schools rather than with gas taxes.”…
Seattle PI: Rossi calls for replacing viaduct with tunnel
April 16, 2008
…Aaron Ostrom of the online public policy advocacy group Fuse said the Rossi plan had several interesting elements and some serious flaws.
For example, Ostrom said, Rossi’s promise to replace the 520 Bridge with an eight-lane bridge “is fine as long as you are not trying to land it on the west side of the lake.”
…
“The real problem with this plan is not that some of the projects don’t make sense — as Dino Rossi himself said, ‘You don’t have funding, you don’t have a plan.’ He’s proposing taking $10 billion out of the general fund, that already faces a $2.4 billion deficit, and putting it into transportation,” Ostrom said.
“What that means is he’s proposing to cut education and health care to build new freeways. That’s never going to happen,” he said.
