Don Benton also routinely boasts of being the most prolific fundraiser in the State Senate. His list of donors includes Wal-Mart, the Pawnbrokers Association, and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco. Do you suppose that campaign contributions of over $6,000 from various insurance companies had anything to do with Senator Benton’s opposition to HB 2572, providing health insurance to small businesses? With over $20,000 coming from the banking and mortgage industry, is it any wonder why he voted “NO” on SB 6381, a bill aimed at requiring mortgage brokers act in the borrower’s best interest?

The Senator also routinely misses votes on legislation he doesn’t like. For example, he missed the vote on a 2005 House Bill establishing a homeless housing program; a 2006 House Bill expanding apprenticeship opportunities for high school graduates; a 2008 House Bill addressing the achievement gap for African-American students; a 2007 House Bill authorizing utilities to engage in environmental mitigation efforts; and a 2005 Senate Bill providing tax incentives for clean and alternative fuel vehicles.

Whom was Senator Benton fighting for when he missed a 2005-07 appropriations bill that contributed to public employees and teachers’ retirement funds, and a 2005-07 appropriations to allocate additional funds to homecare agencies to provide dental, vision and vacation benefits for their employees? Did Senator Benton’s support from the tobacco industry have anything to do with missing the vote on a Senate Bill enhancing enforcement of liquor and tobacco laws?

Whom was Don Benton fighting for when he launched his subscription-only legislative news website for registered lobbyists (which ultimately failed)? When state legislative ethics counsel Mike O’Connell warned Benton to “erect firewalls” between his legislative duties and business dealings, Benton refused to acknowledge the obvious conflict of interest. He signed the solicitation himself and referenced his legislative experience as reasons to subscribe to his service.

Whom was Don Benton fighting for when he accepted donations well over the $2,500 contribution limit as head of the GOP state party? Even members of his own party were embarrassed by his actions. King County GOP chairman Reed Davis said Benton left the party in “near chaos.”

It appears that while the senator was busy raising money for his perpetual re-election, the people of this state were left to fight for themselves.

Partial list of Senator Benton’s votes: Education
Supported 2003 Senate Bill 6059 suspending COLA salary increases for teachers
Opposed 2007 Senate Bill 6059 restoring COLA salary increases for teachers
Opposed 2007 Senate Bill 5841 enhancing early childhood education
Opposed 2007 House Bill 1051 expanding high school completion programs at community colleges
Did not vote on 2006 House Bill expanding apprenticeship opportunities for high school graduates.
Did not vote on 2007 Senate Bill tuition waivers for families of fallen veterans and national guard members
Opposed 2007 Senate Bill 1128 operating budget, which included:
 $1 million for construction of new K-12 schools
 $15 million for opportunity grants for low-income students to pursue training in high-demand fields.
 $60 million in special education funding
 $1.1 billion for additional classroom space including Clark College and WSU-V
 $22 million to expand the Early Childhood Education program to reach an additional 2,250 children
 $25 million to provide health coverage to an additional 38,000 children
 $1 million to Evergreen Schools for construction of a Health and BioSciences Academy.

Health Care
Opposed 2006 House Bill 2572 establishing small employer health insurance partnership program
Opposed 2007 Senate Bill 5930 providing affordable health care to Washingtonians
Opposed 2008 Senate Bill 6333 establishing a citizens’ work group on health care
Opposed 2008 House Bill 2687 providing mental health treatment and services
Opposed 2007 Senate Bill 5659 establishing family and medical leave insurance

Environment
Opposed 2008 House Bill 2815 cutting greenhouse gas emissions and creating 25,000 green collar jobs
Opposed 2008 Senate Bill 6580 addressing the impacts of climate change
Opposed 2006 Senate Bill 6508 incentives to increase local production of biofuels
Opposed 2005 House Bill 1397 to adopt stricter California emissions standards for cars and trucks
Did not vote on 2007 House Bill authorizing utilities to engage in environmental mitigation efforts.
Did not vote on 2005 Senate Bill providing tax incentives for clean and alternative fuel vehicles.
Did not vote on 2006 Senate Bill on oil spill regulations.

Housing & other
Opposed 2007 House Bill 1359 creating an affordable housing program
Opposed 2008 House Bill 2687 providing affordable housing, housing for the homeless, and weatherization
Opposed 2008 House Bill 1128 providing adult day care and services to families, children and disabled
Opposed 2008 Senate Bill 6809 providing a sales tax exemption for working families
Opposed 2008 Senate Bill 6381 requiring mortgage brokers to act in the best interest of borrowers
Opposed 2008 Senate Bill 6452 requiring full disclosure of yield spread premiums

Don Benton’s other missed votes:
Did not vote on 2005 Senate Bill amendment for public employees and teachers’ retirement funds.
Did not vote on 2007 Senate Bill enhancing enforcement of liquor and tobacco laws.
Did not vote on 2008 House Bill addressing the achievement gap for African-American students.
Did not vote on 2007 Senate Bill providing for privacy protection for voter registration information.
Did not vote on 2005 Senate Bill providing dental, vision and vacation benefits for homecare workers.
Did not vote on 2007 Senate Bill regarding health insurance information for students.

Don Benton has the distinction of being the State Senator who accepted the most campaign contributions from corporate lobbyists and political action committees (PACs). David Carrier will be the only State Senator who did not accept campaign contributions from lobbyists and PACs. We don’t think corporate and PAC money will lead us where our constituents want to go.

Elected officials should represent voters- period. We hope you agree, and will take this information into consideration when you choose who will represent the 17th District. Send the message that we’re ready to get government to work for us again.

DON BENTON’S CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS $213,000
as of Sept. 1, 2008

TOTAL SPECIAL INTEREST CONTRIBUTIONS $91,000

BANKING total $20,000
WA Indepent Bankers PAC (Lakewood) 500
Money Tree (bundled contributions) 3,500
WA State Pawnbrokers Association 1,500
Pawn Exchange (Issaquah) 1,000
Payroll Complete Services (Keith Smith) 1,600
WA Assoc. of Mortgage Brokers (Edmonds) 500
Bank of America, Inc. 3,200
IQ Credit Union 1,400
Wash Mutual PAC 700
Sav Pac Wash. Fin. Lea. 400
PMSA WA State Pac 500
Credit Union Legislative Action 700
Boeing Employees Credit Union 1,300
Thomas Young, Regents Bank 1,450
Monte Schwartz, Regents Bank 300
Ken Kirn, Columbia Cascade 1,000
Russell Investment Group 550

INSURANCE total $6,000
Progressive Insurance Co. (Tacoma) 1,500
Premara Blue Cross 1,500
Regence Blue Shield 700
Aetna Insurance Co. 500
WMLA Pac 200
Pemco Insurance 800
Insurance Physicians (Seattle) 800

CORPORATIONS total $17,000
Philip Morris Company 700
Reynolds Tobacco Company (Winston-Salem) 500
Wal Mart, Inc. (Bentonville, AR) 1,500
Weyerhauser 900
AT&T 1,600
Motorola Inc. 250
T Mobile 800
Holland America Line 1,500
Thomas Mears, Holland Inc. 1,450
Glacier NW (concrete, building supplies) 1,600
Eli Lilly & Co. 200
Les Schwab, Inc. 250
Vancouver Toyota 200
MacFarland Cascade Pole & Lumber 500
Alan Webb Nissan 500
Vine Street Properties (McKinley) 1,600
White Pages.com Inc. 200
Big I 900
Kemper Holdings 1,000
Nutter Corp. 800

POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES total $48,000
WA State Farm Bureau 800
WA State Dental PAC 700
WA Beverage Assoc. 1,600
WA Auto Dealers Assoc. 2,300
WA Software Alliance 350
WA State Farm Bureau 800
WA State Dental PAC 900
WA Education Association 1,600
WA Public School Employees 700
WA Affordable Housing 1,600
WA State Labor Council 200
WA Council of Fire Fighters 700
WA Taxpayer Assoc. 500
WA Organization of Vocational 250
WA Chiropractic Trust 1,400
WA Optometric PAC 1,100
WA Collectors Assoc. 1,600
WA VMA 800
Western WA Trial Lawyers 800
Central WA Lawyers for Working Families 800
Physicians EyePac (Seattle) 1,600
Farmers Employees PAC 800
MAC PAC 800
Puget Sound Pilots (Seattle) 1,400
Justice Pol. Action 800
Taseca Homes (Vancouver) 1,600
United Subcontractos Assoc. (Lakewood) 300
NW Sport Fishing Industries (Oregon City) 500
WSVMA 800
Justice PAC 800
Inland Northwest PAC (Spokane) 800
TPM PAC (Spokane) 400
International Union of Painters 1,400
Intl Union of Operators 200
Clark County Chiropractic Trust 1,000
Clark County Chiropractors 300
David Nierenberg- D3 Family Funds 2,900
Tapani Underground 300
Evergreen Memorial Gardens 100
Cam and Barbara Thomas, Underwood 2,900
Jeanne and Morris Bush 3,200
Brent McKinley, Vine St. Prop., Arlington 1,450
Bruce McCaw, Developer Bellevue 700
Yarrow Bay Development 500
Muckleshoot Indian Tribe (Auburn, WA) 800
Individual Chiropractors 2,100