Rossi creates cyberspace 'idea bank'
By Associated Press OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Republican Dino Rossi, now expecting to announce in December whether he'll seek a rematch with Gov. Chris Gregoire next year, on Tuesday announced a "Washington Idea Bank" for ordinary citizens to offer their thoughts on how to deal with the state's challenges.
The former state senator, a real estate investor who lives in Sammamish, said the Internet-based brainstorming Web site will be augmented by about a dozen idea-gathering sessions around the state in June and July. If it all sounds like pre-campaigning for a new gubernatorial bid, it isn't, he said in an interview. "People will read into anything they want no matter what you do," Rossi said, adding that he and his family and advisers will decide later this year whether to run again. That probably means December, he said. Rossi lost to Gregoire by 133 votes after two recounts and a court challenge. Rossi said the concept of an idea bank was brought to him by Lou Guzzo, a veteran news executive who was an adviser to Gov. Dixy Lee Ray, a conservative Democrat who served from 1977-81 as the state's first woman governor. The project will be directed by Rossi; Guzzo; Mathew Manweiler, a political science professor at Central Washington University; and Ted Dahlstrom, director of Rossi's Forward Washington Foundation. "We're asking Washington citizens to make a deposit into the idea bank that will make a difference for the state of Washington," Rossi said. "We will solicit ideas from average citizens. "We believe that the best ideas will come from people who actually deal with the problems in the real world. Not all good ideas come from Olympia." Citizens will be able to submit ideas as a kind of cyberspace public square, he said. Organizers won't censor ideas or make comments, but may clean up the grammar or foul language, he said. "We'll put it all out there on the Web site for people to see and comment on and make them think and come up with a real agenda for the state. Ideas could be in any realm, like education, transportation, taxation, regulation. We want a free flow of ideas." That might include, he conceded, suggestions he doesn't like, such as a state income tax. Rossi said the project, roughly based on one launched by the governor of Georgia, should result in Olympia and local officials and communities picking up on the best ideas. He called it a nonpartisan project and said he's looking for local civic organizations to co-sponsor the tour this summer. "We're not partnering with the Republican Party on this," he said. Democratic state Chairman Dwight Pelz said the project is a sign that Rossi "absolutely" is running for governor. "After three years of sitting on the shelf, it's no surprise he has to go looking for ideas, because he's been irrelevant," he said. "I'm not surprised he asked other people for ideas because he has none of his own." Pelz said the project probably will be relentlessly conservative. "It's an idea bank with one idea - cutting taxes. Rossi has stood for less government, less investment in education, transportation and health care for children. He is a neocon with George Bush's sort of vision about the role of government." State GOP Chairman Luke Esser said he's impressed with the idea, which also has surfaced in Florida. "It's a great idea in an area where we're worried about people being cynical about government, for someone to go out on a listening tour is very good," he said. "In the current one-party state of Washington, not a lot of listening is going on." Esser said the project in no way guarantees that Rossi is running. "I sure as heck hope he will, but he's absolutely shooting straight that he has not made up his mind. There is not any winking going on." --- For More Information: Idea Bank |
