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Posts published in July 2015

On the ballot

July 3, 2015

Inititiaves are rolling in for the Washington ballot. A report just in from David Ammons of the Washington Secretary of State's office.

Two citizen initiative campaign submitted boxloads of petitions by the Friday deadline, and both appear to have an excellent shot at making the statewide ballot this fall.

Tim Eyman, the state’s most prominent use of the initiative process, turned in what he and co-sponsors Jack and Mike Fagan estimated at at least 334,000 signatures for their Initiative 1366. That measure would direct the Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the 2016 ballot for ratification — or face a 1-cent reduction in the state’s 6.5-cent sales tax.

The State Supreme Court previously overturned an earlier Eyman initiative to require a two-thirds vote in both houses to approve tax hikes in Olympia. The only way to overcome that ruling would be to amend the state Constitution. Voters can’t amend by initiative; it must originate in the Legislature, with two-thirds votes in both chambers. I-1366 would provide an incentive — a potential $1 billion annual revenue loss — for lawmakers to place it on the ballot.

The other measure, Initiative 1401, is backed by billionaire Microsoft co-founder and Seahawks owner Paul Allen. It would expand state authority over combatting trafficking of endangered species and their parts. It would make selling, purchasing, trading, or distributing endangered animals and products containing such species, a gross misdemeanor or class-C felony, with exemptions for certain types of transfers.

Their backers brought in an estimated 349,000 signatures on Wednesday.

If history is a guide, both measures are likely to make the fall ballot. The bare minimum is 246,372 valid signatures of registered Washington voters. To cover duplicates or invalid signatures, the state Elections Division always recommends submitting about 325,000 to be on the safe side.

Both sets of petitions will undergo a page-by-page inspection, including a preliminary fraud check, and then go to the State Archives for imaging. When images return, the Elections work crew will compile them into volumes and prepare for random-sampling of 3 percent of the signatures to see if they match those on file for registered voters. Actual scrutiny of the sample will begin about July 13 and should be complete by the week of the 20th.

First Take

July 2, 2015

It's hot. Hot enough to to be concerned about it. In many areas around the west the weather in June was the hottest ever on record - in large parts of Oregon, Idaho and Washington and lots of California (which sure doesn't need it) among others. Now July is starting off hot, and the traditional norm is that later July to mid-August is the hottest of the year. What effects might this have on power production, on health, on agriculture, on wildfires?

 

Does anyone have any idea what's up with Dan Popkey's rap here? (He is press secretary for Representative Raul Labrador.) Would be curious to know. A lot of other people would be curious to know too . . .

Effective resignation letters

July 1, 2015

Michael Strickland teaches literacy education at Boise State University. He consults about writing, publishing and social media. Join the discussion and for free tips and resources.

An employee baked a cake with her resignation letter written on top. A marching band accompanied one guy with his announcement. The worker threw a brick through the window with the words “I quit” written on it. An employee left a sticky note explaining he was quitting. The individual sent an email blast to all staff.

These examples, from real cases, are from an article called “The Worst Ways To Quit A Job” written by The Office Team. As the above scenarios illustrate, moving on from a job can be fraught with emotion and a wide variety of potential perils. Sometimes it is clinical exercise. Other times it’s as messy as breaking up with a lover.

A well-written resignation letter is crucial to setting the tone for a positive transition. The business world is surprisingly small and word-of-mouth travels like wildfire. In the future, you may find yourself working with a previous co-worker or boss. You may need to request a letter of recommendation from such a person. A professional reputation is a priceless commodity that is yours to own and protect. Here are tips to keep your resignation letter safe and effective.

Since the official document you submit will set the tone for your relationships throughout the rest of your career, a good resignation letter sets you up to leverage your former position and relationships. Your writing style should be formal and friendly. Whenever possible, schedule a meeting to hand the letter to your supervisor in person. If you feel inclined to, you could offer to help make your resignation easier for the organization. For example, include a sentence or two that offers to train another person to do your job.

If a future employer calls to verify your employment, you want them to see that the last thing you said was “positive, uplifting and thankful,” according to Jacob Young, a small-business consultant and Web developer. “Even if there are marks on your file, the human spirit will take over and pause on the side of caution if you look nice and non-threatening on paper.”

Include the reason for your resignation if it is due to positive circumstances such as relocating or going back to school. In negative situations, spare the details. Instead, focus on the date of departure. Senior executives should give more than two-weeks notice. Use the length of your vacation as a good measure of the amount of time before the final day, since vacation time is typically a measure of seniority. Thus, if you have six weeks’ vacation, offer a minimum of six weeks’ notice. If there are specific terms in your contract, follow those.

Avoid negative criticism. No one will appreciate being blindsided by information that reflects poorly on their managerial or work skills, especially in a document that others will read. Avoid silly grandstanding, as in another case from the Office Team article in which a woman created a music video to explain she was leaving. This letter will be part of your permanent employment file so it's important that it doesn't contain much more than the basics.

Several samples of good resignation letters can be found in the web article “How to Write a Resignation Letter” on WikiHow.com. Jobsearch.about.com has several samples, too, including Professional Resignation Letter, Independent Contractor Resignation Letter and Maternity Leave Resignation Letter.

Finally, close on a warm note and show gratitude. It’s always good business etiquette to thank your employer for the privilege of working with him or her.

Have you written – or received – a resignation letter? Do you have suggestions for doing it right? Please share them in the comments section..

First Take

July 1, 2015

It's pot day in Oregon: Marijuana is now (generally) a legalized substance (under state law) in Oregon. The headline writers found various aspects of this, at the Oregonian (Oregon turns over a new leaf), the Medford Mail Tribune (Cannabis carry-out), the Pendleton East Oregonian (It's legal, now what?), the Salem Statesman Journal (Last-minute legislation). Will the world (at least in Oregon) change much? Probably not. For one thing, there aren't at the moment many places where people can legally get marijuana; people who want it and want to stay within state law mostly are dependent on people who give some to them. (Sales won't be legal for a while.) On the other hand, some celebratory giveaways are scheduled, mainly in the Portland area, for today.

How many Republican candidates for president? I'm counting 31 on this web site which is trying to keep track of the declared and the possible. True, some are pretty obscure and never achieve any sort of traction, but most you've probably heard of (if you follow politics at all). There's a lot . . .