Northwest Progressive Institute

Revolutionizing Grassroots Politics
Location	Redmond, WA, USA
Founded	August 2003
Chief Executive	Andrew Villeneuve
Field	Politics
Official website	www.nwprogressive.org

The Northwest Progressive Institute (NPI) is a liberal think tank based in Redmond, Washington, originally founded in 2003 and incorporated in 2005. It uses technology, public policy research, and political advocacy to advance the progressive movement in the Pacific Northwest region (the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho) as well as across the United States. Its web site describes its mission as "a forum for progressive thought, an oasis for the promotion of peace and freedom, a warning against corruption and ignorance, and a light for others."^[1].

History

The Institute was founded in 2003 by activist Andrew Villeneuve, who had previously formed a political action group, Permanent Defense, to fight initiatives sponsored by Washington state activist Tim Eyman and other conservatives the year before.^[2] The name "Permanent Defense" was chosen in response to the name of Eyman's political action committee, which is called Permanent Offense.

Villeneuve's experience with Permanent Defense following its first year convinced him that a larger umbrella organization was needed to accomplish what he sought to achieve, and on August 22, 2003, NPI's website was launched. Villeneuve continues to serve as executive director.

Since its founding, the organization has pioneered several online media projects, advocated for and against numerous ballot measures through its Permanent Defense division, sponsored events to organize local political writers, and published several special reports in addition to conducting research. NPI formally incorporated as a nonprofit in 2005.^[3]

The organization maintains a list of major milestones, or accomplishments, at its web site.^[4]

Projects and Impact

NPI's web presence is anchored by its blog, begun in March 2004, which provides daily news and analysis from the organization's team of writers, including frequent liveblogging of events such as town halls, conventions, or even bus tours.

Besides providing commentary on national politics, the blog covers Democratic campaigns for public office, legislative activity in state capitals, and reporting of regional political developments. It occasionally incorporates photographs taken by authors, along with cartoons created by Northwest illustrators with a liberal viewpoint.

The National Journal's Hotline relied on the blog throughout 2006 for perspective on Washington's U.S. Senate race.^[5][6][7]

The blog is also featured as part of local television station KING5's Citizen Rain project, which chronicles what local blogs are talking about.^[8]

Screenshot of Pacific Northwest Portal

In January 2005, NPI launched the Pacific Northwest Portal,^[9] a web gateway offering political news, viewpoints, and other information to the world.

It generally covers five American states - Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. Two of the five states - Washington and Oregon - have their own pages featuring news and blogs from within each.

Its intended audience includes progressives and Democratic activists. It is advertised as a regional start page and media center. It is a popular destination for local bloggers, citizens interested in political news, and journalists.^{[citation needed]}

The website aggregates hundreds of different news feeds, most from local left-wing blogs, but also "newswires" searching traditional news sources, and even NOAA weather reports or business, labor, and financial headlines.

Its directories provide links to hundreds of progressive blogs within the region, as well as links to the Democratic Party and other left-leaning interest groups.

The Portal has undergone several revisions, most notably the release of new versions 3 (in July 2005), 3.5 (in October 2005) and 4 (May 2006) since its early days, when new features were being constantly added.^[10]

In August 2005, Seattle Weekly readers gave Pacific Northwest Portal the honor of Best Local Website in the paper's annual "Best of Seattle" poll.^[11] The paper's editors wrote:

"When Seattleites are feeling, well, blue, they visit PACIFIC NORTHWEST PORTAL for regional news for progressives. You can also find links to political blogs and newsgroups — and drinking buddies for whenever Dubya next chooses to open his mouth."

The Northwest Progressive Institute also distributes a podcast, usually twice monthly, which regularly includes monologue commentary from the organization's staff or interviews with candidates and elected officials. A notable episode from April of 2006 was a discussion between NPI's founder and bloggers Markos Moulitsas of DailyKos and Jerome Armstrong of MyDD.

Besides its online media ventures, NPI publishes special reports and policy briefs, such as its January 2007 white paper on the minimum wage.^[12]

The think tank's work is followed by opinionmakers and elected leaders throughout the region. Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Joel Connelly has called NPI "the state’s best grassroots research outfit"^[13] while Washington's State Senate Majority Leader, Lisa Brown, has told the Spokesman-Review that NPI's network is one of her favorite online destinations:^[14]

"When I've had too much of mainstream politics, I keep up with my activist roots by listening to Air America, or I go to Pacific Northwest Portal. I could spend hours there - if I had hours to spare!"

Brown has also urged constituents to visit NPI's blog on the official website of the Senate Democratic caucus.^[15]

NPI, and especially its Permanent Defense division, have appeared consistently since late 2002 in the regional press, including numerous references in Associated Press stories, The Seattle Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The Spokesman-Review, The Stranger, KIRO-TV and KIRO (AM), KOMO^{[disambiguation needed ]}, The Olympian, Washington Law & Politics, and others. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer^[16] and Everett Herald^[17] have both published columns by NPI's founder and executive director, Andrew Villeneuve.

Influence on ballot measures

Permanent Defense, which became a division of NPI following the think tank's formation in August 2003, has continued to fight initiatives and referendums sponsored by conservative groups and activists, notably Tim Eyman, as referenced earlier. Though Permanent Defense's first campaign (NO on I-776) ended in a loss, the group has since put together a string of victories, working within coalitions to fight or pass ballot measures.

In early 2003, Tim Eyman tried to qualify a new measure to require two thirds supermajorities of the Legislature for revenue increases (Initiative 807). However, Eyman could not manage to find enough support, and it died in July 2003 after vigorous opposition.

Just before abandoning I-807, Eyman announced he would "retaliate" against the Legislature’s passage of a new gas tax, which would be used to fund transportation improvements across the state. Because of the way the bill was written, Eyman had no chance to force a referendum on the law. So he announced that his 2004 initiative would be a drastic rollback in property taxes — a rollback identical to the amount of money that the gas tax was raising.

Throughout the autumn of 2003, and the spring of 2004, Permanent Defense worked hard to combat the new initiative, which eventually became Initiative 864 after it was officially filed in January 2004, participating in a grassroots coalition that included firefighters, librarians, and other public servants. These efforts paid off in July 2004 when Tim Eyman failed to collect the required amount of signatures for Initiative 864.^[18]

However, another Eyman measure, launched in March 2004 and financed by the gambling industry, called for the legalization of electronic slot machines, (also called "video lottery terminals") across the state of Washington in neighborhood restaurants, bars, bowling alleys, and casinos. Thanks to their help, enough signatures were collected to qualify the initiative for the 2004 November ballot.^[19]

Permanent Defense worked with a number of other groups to form the NO on I-892 campaign to fight the measure on the ballot. Initiative 892 was rejected by voters on November 2, 2004.

Permanent Defense also continued its opposition to Tim Eyman in 2004 with its allies, TaxSanity.org and Taxpayers for Washington's Future, by filing a complaint against Eyman with the state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), accusing Eyman of violating the public disclosure law and secretly moving funds from one political committee to another without reporting them. The PDC issued a small fine to Eyman's committees (Voters Want More Choices, Help Us Help Taxpayers) in January 2005 as a result of the complaint.^[20]

In 2005, Permanent Defense concentrated its resources on fighting Initiative 912, a rollback of another gas tax increase passed by the Legislature (but not sponsored by Eyman). After a long campaign that began in the late spring^[21] and ended in November with the election, the group and its allies won. The climax of the campaign featured an event on the Seattle waterfront covered by local radio, newspapers, and TV named the "Viaduct Hazard Demonstration" – intended to show that passage of the initiative would cripple the state’s ability to replace decaying structures such as the Alaskan Way Viaduct. ^[22]

In 2006, Permanent Defense opposed Tim Eyman’s Referendum 65 (allowing a public vote on a law that outlawed discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation) and Initiative 917 (setting car tab fees at $30 per year by repealing vehicle and weight fees used to fund transportation infrastructure).^[23]Neither measure qualified for the ballot, although I-917 came close. In the autumn of 2006, the group worked within two coalitions to successfully stop Initiative 933 (loosening land use regulations) and Initiative 920 (repealing the state estate tax) while ensuring passage of Initiative 937 (clean energy). Permanent Defense is currently opposing Tim Eyman’s 2007 measure I-960 which required 2/3's legislative approval for tax increases. Voters approved I-960 by a comfortable margin in November, 2007. I-960 was in effect for the next two years and no taxes were increased during that time. In 2010, the Legislature suspended I-960's 2/3's, raised taxes, but voters approved a reinstatement of the 2/3's requirement by a wide margin in November, 2010 (65% yes, 35% no)

References

1. ^ Northwest Progressive Institute mission statement Accessed June 29, 2007
2. ^ Spokesman-Review: Young progressive schools state's right wing Accessed June 29, 2007
3. ^ Washington Sercetary of State, Corporations Division. Registration Data Search for "Northwest Progressive Institute". June 29, 2007.
4. ^ Northwest Progressive Institute's milestones Accessed June 29, 2007
5. ^ "Washington; McGavick Calls for Civility." The Hotline (National Journal Group) 23 Jan. 2006, sec. Senate 2006.
6. ^ "Washington; Shedding Some Light on Some Shady Deals." The Hotline (National Journal Group) 12 Apr. 2006, sec. Senate 2006.
7. ^ "Washington; All in Favor of a Peace Dept, Say Aye!" The Hotline (National Journal Group) June 6, 2006, sec. Senate 2006.
8. ^ KING5's Citizen Rain project Accessed June 29, 2007
9. ^ http://www.nwprogressive.org/portal
10. ^ Pacific NW Portal Development History Accessed June 29, 2007
11. ^ Seattle Weekly: Best of 2005 Ballot Winners Accessed June 29, 2007
12. ^ http://www.nwprogressive.org/vault/reports/JAN07MinimumWage.pdf
13. ^ Joel Connelly: Be careful in ‘fixing’ initiative process (Seattle P-I) Accessed June 29, 2007
14. ^ State Sen. Lisa Brown's favorite web sites Accessed June 29, 2007
15. ^ Legislative Update: Week 6, Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown Accessed June 29, 2007
16. ^ Andrew Villeneuve: Eyman out to destroy representative democracy (Seattle P-I) Accessed June 29, 2007
17. ^ Andrew Villeneuve and Steve Zemke: Voters deserve the truth about state's tax structure (Everett Herald) Accessed June 29, 2007
18. ^ Associated Press (via KOMO TV): One Eyman measure falls short of signatures Accessed June 29, 2007
19. ^ Seattle P-I: Canadian firm downplays links to I-892 backers Accessed June 29, 2007
20. ^ PDC Results of Brief Enforcement Hearings – January 25, 2005 Accessed June 29, 2007
21. ^ Roesler, Rich. "Initiative Debate About to Get Louder; From Gas Tax to Medical Mistakes, Five Issues Vie for Voters' Attention." Spokesman-Review 19 Sept. 2005.
22. ^ "Viaduct Hazard Demonstration." Eyewitness News At 5 PM. KIRO. Seattle. October 26, 2005.
23. ^ Seattle Times: Initiative 917 faces count of signatures Accessed June 29, 2007

External links

• Northwest Progressive Institute official site
• Permanent Defense