Not to nitpick, but "nonviolent robbery" isn't possible. Robbery is defined by statute as a violent offense. It would probably be more precise to say robberies that don't involve unjuries or weapons.

I don't think the article is fair. Lots of legislation gets introduced and most doesn't pass. Sen. Kline is well respected by those most effected by his Committee. A lot of what doesn't pass is necessary and logical but not voted out by those who don't want to appear "soft on crime" in the Alice in Wonderland world called Olympia during legislative sessions.

I’m sorry, this seems like a hatchet job on a very effective senator. You give away your underlying hostility when you refer to one of his successful bills as just “changing a definition.” The definition in question was of the word “disability,” as used in the Washington Law Against Discrimination, which prohibits discrimination against the disabled, among other minority groups. In 2006, the Supreme Court ignored some 30 years of judicial precedent, and re-wrote the law to narrow the definition, an act of sheer judicial activism. Early in the next legislative session, Sen. Kline filed SB 5340, and involved the disabilities rights advocates in the work of righting this wrong. The bill was passed that session, and he was highly effective in persuading his colleagues to do it. He involved the stakeholders, including the business group that had initially opposed it. I appreciate his effective response to this important issue. Maggie

I have no idea who or what motivated your unprovoked attack on Sen. Adam Kline. As an advocate for strong environmental laws, I know Adam as one of the few state legislators willing to take on the issues that don’t grab headlines, but that make a real difference in fighting urban sprawl. While I thank the legislators who take on the sexier and more easily understood issues like cleaning up Puget Sound and logging restrictions, it takes a workhorse like Kline to involve himself in the complexities of the Growth Management Act. In 2003-05, when Republicans ruled the Senate and the parties were tied in the House, development forces mounted a full-scale assault on environmental laws that restricted growth to already-urban areas. Adam Kline stopped them cold; the result was no net loss of protection. You deride his defensive efforts as occurring long ago, but those efforts have saved us from enduring bad laws for years to come. Currently, he is the legislator most actively pushing a reform of our State's pre-Cambrian land use law that allows developers to build in violation of new environmental laws, so long as they can race to the courthouse and file an application before the law’s effective date. We have a reputation for being an environmental state. We have a legislature and governor's office full of Democrats, yet this archaic law remains on the books. Development interests are entrenched, even within the Democratic Caucus and so it's an long and uphill battle to get this law changed. But many a controversial bill has taken many years to work through the process. This bill has advanced further in the process each year, indicative of Adam's conscientious and effective work. Rather than picking on Adam who at least is trying, why not question other Seattle area legislators who have been reluctant to add their weight to the effort?

@Maggie. Adam hasn't been effective in years. I worked down in Oly and saw with my very eyes how ineffective he is. His seat mates in the 37th routinely duck his phone calls

I thought this was a really dishonorable piece of "journalism." It IS legitimate to criticize someone you consider to be ineffective. It may even be the case that Kline is not effective. But this is a serious charge. Your use of anonymous sources engaging in character assassination without evidence is below what I consider to be professional journalistic standards, and opens you up to being played by your sources.

If we knew who these Kline critics were, perhaps we could attribute a motive, a history, a cause for their disagreement with him? Without that, what we get is a blatant hack job, with some legitimate points lost a a sea of innuendo.

I thought this was a really dishonorable piece of "journalism." It IS legitimate to criticize someone you consider to be ineffective. It may even be the case that Kline is not effective. But this is a serious charge. Your use of anonymous sources engaging in character assassination without evidence is below what I consider to be professional journalistic standards, and opens you up to being played by your sources.

If we knew who these Kline critics were, perhaps we could attribute a motive, a history, a cause for their disagreement with him? Without that, what we get is a blatant hack job, with some legitimate points lost a a sea of innuendo.

Senator Kline has been a champion for sentencing reform. This is Martin L. King County -- thanks to Sen. Kline.

Mr. Holden, you’ve done some good work in the past here – and your work on Initiative 75, which made marijuana use the lowest law enforcement priority for Seattle -- and which Senator Kline endorsed, by the way, was just fabulous. But this little piece of yours is squarely in the FOX NEWS tradition of “People Say” reporting.

This writing may fit into The Stranger’s genre of baseless and gratuitous “feel good” trashing of public officials like Obama, Nick Licata, and Ron Sims but doesn’t meet basic standards of reporting.

Gotta say it: lazy, slick, naïve...

Ok, based on a quick search of major publications and Google -- The Stranger seems to be the only major publication you’ve written for. I’d guess you have little or no journalistic training. But at least you could look up online the basic standards of fact-checking,, attribution, etc.

So where do I start with what’s wrong with this article. First, a good part of it is gossip passed off as reporting. Really!? People say that Senator Kline is not very nice! Wow. You have a gift for writing -- and you use your gifts here to leave a bad feeling about a good person -- something that is not just crappy toward him -- but toward his constituents.

Second, the irony of you citing Senator Murray who for years, knowing he was on the right side of common sense, conscience, and history, championed the equal rights law in Washington – and then denigrating Senator Kline for doing the same thing on 3-Strikes – is just kinda weird.

You display here a lack of awareness of the intense pressure put on lawmakers to do just what you appear to be goading Senator Kline into doing – taking the easy road and pursuing only that legislation which is likely to pass – you know, to beef up your power and resume – make it look like you’re doing something more than you’re doing.

Your words basically are the kind of shaming and silencing rhetoric that's used to marginalize electeds out of representing their constituents on the difficult issues where they really need that representation. Not to be over-earnest here or anything (evidently, it's better to be snide and edgy like you) ... but I happen to know that the issues you dismiss affect real people's real lives -- and their children's lives. Some of this stuff is actually life and death.

Third, you not only misrepresent the facts, but your research is incomplete. Just spot checking Senator Kline’s record I come up with SB5868 from last year – Defining Civil Disobedience -- which he prime sponsored and which was signed by the Governor. This law now makes it illegal to train, say, paramilitary groups and suchlike to carry out property destruction. If you think this is not important, I’d urge you to spend a couple of days reading David Neiwert’s work on Orcinus and coming to grips a little bit with the Patriot and other racist, violent, and truly frightening paramilitary movements here in the NW.

Senator Kline’s record is a history of a dedicated public servant taking on difficult issue like privacy rights, consumer protection, anti-discrimination, just laws, public safety, and so on.

You’re the one who’s struggling here, at least in this article, Mr. Holden.

It would be helpful to your efforts to report on Olympia to get a better understanding of the membership and the dynamics in the leg. I greatly enjoy your paper, and hope you can help fill the void of press coverage in Oly with a progressive viewpoint, but you need to understand dynamics.

The Senate is a very independent and frankly a rural conservative body. Sen. Kline's attempts at commonsense criminal justice reform run smack into the deepest fears of legislators who don't want to be "soft on crime." Also, please spend some time in his committee and watch his cohorts on that committee. He has the toughest group of outspoken independent voices, several of whom are there just to suppress a progressive agenda.

Adam has also successfully advocated for expansion and protections for legal aid and for civil legal services in budgets, advocated successfully for improvements in our laws on discrimination in 2007 (you missed that one. It was not a "small" or "technical" change,) been a champion of the Developmentally disabled community, and been a forceful advocate for the people most disenfranchised in Olympia. Those are off the top of my head.

While I greatly appreciate and salute Sen. Murray and his efforts on domestic partneships, that is not a fair comparison. Sen. Murray had tremendous help from leadership, the Governor, and other Seattle legislators, and many advocacy groups and the democratic party. Note that the domestic partnership did not go through his committee. That is not because of him, its because the majority of the committee is conservative, and it could not pass his committee if Harvey Milk, Lisa brown, or even Barack Obama was the Chair. Remember, Adam has taken on issues no one else wants to touch.

It takes many voices to make a legislature, and we need a voice to pull the legislature to more progressive values and principles. Adam does that when no one else will.

You owe him a better and more fair shot.

-Tom Foss

Tom Foss --

You are absolutely correct that my comparison between Senator Murray's worthy crusade for domestic partnership rights and Senator Kline's work on 3-Strikes for years is a bit off base -- precisely because there was a lot more support for the domestic partnership issue (though no less opposition -- and perhaps even more...)

Criminal justice reform is extremely difficult to tackle -- unless you want to make laws tougher -- which of course, sometimes, is warranted.

However, it is also warranted to be able to adjust criminal penalties in ways that make them much more effective, cost-effective, and just.

Our state passed the nation's first 3-Strikes law in 2001. It promised to put away "the worst of the worst." But the most common conviction under this law -- which imposes a sentence of 777 years, 77 months, and 77 days "Without Possibility of Parole", is Robbery 2, an un-armed, no-injury crime in the bottom quartile of criminal seriousness in the state criminal code.

Our state is less than 4% Black -- the 3-Strikes population is 45% Black.

In 2001, the state's Sentencing Guidelines Commission -- the state agency explicitly charged with the task of recommending sentences to the legislature and Governor, recommended removing Robbery 2 from the 3-Strikes list - and evaluating which forms of Assault 2 -- another lower seriousness crime -- might be appropriate to remove.

We spend millions each year warehousing people who should have been freed when this recommendation first came out. Senator Kline has been the main champion of implementing this commonsense recommendation.

That is courage.

Take a look at http://fix3strikes.org - it looks like a broad base of the public is starting to support this reform. Good!

There's a grassroots site where you can sign up to be part of the Rapid Response for this. http://justiceisnogame.org

Aren't Senate terms 4 years not 2 years?

Tom Foss, you are correct that my comparison between Senator Murray championing the domestic partnership law for years and Senator Kline championing 3-Strikes reform is a bit off. It's absolutely true that domestic partnership had many politically-powerful supporters backing it (though there are many people who have been speaking out against 3-Strikes in our state).

Criminal justice reform is one of the most difficult policy issues to tackle -- unless you want to make laws tougher, of course. Sometimes more toughness is warranted. The problem comes when you want to implement even the most common sense reform that protects public safety -- but can be attacked as soft on crime.

A little background on 3-Strikes that shows how Senator Kline is doing exactly the right thing for his constituents, taking the action that no one else will take on behalf of his constituents -- who I believe bear the heaviest direct impacts of this law in the state:

In 1993, Washington passed the first 3-Strikes law in the nation. It promised to put away "the worst of the worst". But the most common conviction under the law is Robbery 2, an unarmed crime in the bottom quartile of seriousness in the state's criminal code. Robbery 2 has a standard sentence range of 3 months to 7 years. Under 3-Strikes, it's 777 years, 77 months, 77 days "With No Possibility of Parole."

Our state is about 3.5% Black. Our 3-Strikes population is 45% Black. This is a uniquely harsh -- and punitive -- punishment for crimes associated with poverty in a state where public defense is not adequately funded. It has an outsized effect on poor people and people of color in this state. It is expensive and research shows it is not cost-effective. In addition, it is associated with significantly higher homicide rates and additional risks to law enforcement.

In 2001, Washington's Sentencing Guidelines Commission recommended removing Robbery 2 from the 3-Strikes list. This is the state agency that is explicitly charged with the task of recommending sentences to the Governor and legislature. It also recommended evaluating whether some forms of Assault 2 should be removed, as some forms are "probably not commensurate" with life sentences.

Senator Kline is on the right side of history on this one. He's on the right side of public safety and justice. And this is an important fiscal issue. A major human rights issue. This law will be reformed. Take a look at fix3strikes dot org.

I don't know why you're writing this bullshit piece on Adam. He represents the progressive nature & interests of his district, always. Which surely can't be said for all of the legislators in the state or even Seattle.

As one of his constituents, I'm far happier that he's willing to push a hard hitting bill multiple years in a row than give up and pass do nothing bills.

If you're going to write a column on legislators and what "some people say" about them, I'm sure there are far better targets than the good Senator from the 37th.

My experience with Sen. Kline is that he tackles the difficult issues that matter to people like me who live in his district. I have found him always willing to listen and engage fully to understand my concerns.

I think it is very dangerous to use anonymous opinions, especially when they just validate my opinion of The Stranger: part of a clueless 'liberal' swamp, a hipster rumour mongering rag that represents only the impressions of a precious coterie of folks who respond only to what is flashy and sexy. Fun for a laugh. But, you shouldn't try to talk about thinks that are beyond your ability to analyze.

Adam Kline endorsed Republican Dan Satterburg over Democrat Bill Sherman in the last King County Prosecutor race. That is just the most recent time Kline has dissapointed this 37th District Dem. The charge that he is innefective is true as are the comments about his temper.

Hey, folks: I love Adam Kline. Before I was writing here, I was an advocate for drug-policy reform and Kline was one of the few members of the legislature bold enough to stand for controversial bills, like overdose prevention, needle exchange, and sentencing reform. He’s also my state senator. So I was surprised when I spoke to about 20 progressive Democrats who support Kline’s ambitions—who demanded their comments remain anonymous—but provided a universally poor assessment of his efficacy.

I agree that he’s been a fabulous advocate for underdog liberal causes. However, being a legislator requires more than being a good advocate—a good legislator must work a bill, involve stakeholders, build gravitas, and turn that advocacy into laws. I didn’t set out to write a damning piece; only a piece that examined his impacts in the legislature. I talked to a lot of people—lawmakers, advocates and politicos—and this article is the synthesis of their remarks.

You ignored one of the most important things Adam Kline does in the legislature. He changes the terms of the debate, because he is willing to stand up and speak out on issues that are so politically risky they would otherwise be ignored. That's a difficult task. You'll note that none of your anonymous sources were willing to do it.

Someone should Dan White his ass.

I don't live in the 37th LD, but I've worked with Kline on several criminal sentencing reform and poverty issues. I’ve been impressed with his ability to work effectively on a very wide range of issues.

Dominic, I've appreciated some of your past work and am surprised at the lack of substance in this article.

First, the credibility of your assertion is damaged because none of the "about 20 progressive Democrats" with whom you spoke were willing to let you identify them in the article. Even the most popular and well-regarded elected officials -- even Obama! -- have plenty of individual detractors amongst the groups who support them. Without knowing who they are, why should I care about the opinion of those 20 anonymous people who supposedly think Kline is ineffective?

Secondly, it would be easier to consider your assertion regarding Kline’s supposed ineffectiveness if your arguments weren’t so full of obvious inaccuracies.

Here's another inaccuracy to add to the ones already commented upon by Sloggers: You mention that Kline “failed to pass an uncontroversial bill that would have raised the threshold at which small-time property crimes are considered felonies.” This legislation, though very reasonable, has been EXTREMELY controversial. Your characterization of this issue as "uncontroversial" betrays your lack of familiarity with this particular legislation and the lawmaking process.

This issue has stayed alive because Kline has been willing to spend years working doggedly with legislators from both parties and with an array of interest groups who originally had conflicting views on the issue, such as prosecutors, large retailers, small retailers, criminal defense lawyers, municipal representatives, public defenders, and judges. By bringing these groups together for negotiations, Kline has made clear progress on a tough bill.

The legislation would increase the dollar-values that differentiate between the degrees of theft and several other property offenses. These dollar values haven’t changed since 1975. A dollar is worth a lot less now than it was 35 years ago, and the threshold values should be changed to reflect current reality. For example, currently, someone who shoplifts an item or items worth more than $250 can be charged with a felony.

Many people, including some progressive Democrats, don’t want to change the law because they are afraid of being called “soft on crime.” For many years, in spite of the work of Kline and other proponents of the bill, the legislation wasn’t allowed by Democratic leadership to come before the Senate for a vote. Last year, the legislation passed in the Senate with a vote of 26 to 22, but died in a House committee by one vote. This is hardly “uncontroversial.”

Kline has continued to work with legislators and interest groups, and this legislation is likely to pass this year. Like many others who believe that our criminal justice system should protect public safety, be cost-effective, and mete out sentences that are proportional to the crime, I appreciate Kline’s commitment to this and other criminal justice issues. And as other Sloggers have pointed out, Kline has also proven his effectiveness with many other legislative issues. Dominic, I hope the love you expressed for Kline in your Slog comment means that you'll do better research next time.

Someone who can't pinch a stamp from the Stranger office for his ballot is giving advice on anything?

Domenic, you are rapidly going all in - all in, a la the Stranger, full of self important shit on every topic. All expert and full of opinion - on everything. Is it a Diva Mega Complex?

I love Adam. He is my 37th Dist. Senator, and being prickly is of course getting him back stabs from the pulpy bland go along with anything drunks and low IQ masses. Olympia and DC have about the same rating for getting things done, and decision making.

Do some lobbying, you will find Adam is a breath of fresh air. He is a certified lefty, articuate, fearless and so pro gay he squeaks.

No Republican dolts left to kick around? Or, the beginning of the Stranger plan to get a friend elected? Tired of kicking Chopp and Jim Mc Dermott?

By the way, in a gun battle, you would want Adam on your right with the double barrel. And after you cleaned up the town, he would be the perfect drinking buddy at the whore house/cafe/bar.

Dear "totally agrees with Dominizzle:" By commenting that "someone should Dan White his ass," are you suggesting that someone should kill Adam Kline, in the same way that Dan White killed San Francisco politicians Harvey Milk and George Moscone? I seriously doubt that Dominic would "totally agree" with you.

This piece says more about Dominic’s ignorance of Olympia and the legislature than it says about Adam Kline. I am only left wondering what’s Dominic’s agenda and who is he carrying water for? This is atrocious “journalism”.

I have been involved in environmental activism for over 20 years. There is no stronger advocate for environmental causes in Olympia, than Adam Kline. I also lobbied in Olympia for several years on criminal justice issues, and again there was virtually no one as courageous as Sen. Kline and ready to do the right thing even when wildly unpopular. The ACLU, the Washington Defenders Association and countless groups count Adam among our strongest protectors of our rights, the rights of all, and constitutional law. They all recognize Sen. Kline as one of the very strongest advocates in the legislature for what is right.

Dominic’s legislative bill count measure for “success” is arbitrary and silly. Senior leadership like Senator Kline, assign the popular and easy to pass bills to junior members and those in close races so they can get some lime light and press and a record to run on next election. The leadership reserves its name and clout for the hard to pass bills and controversial bills where their support tells others of the bills importance. Similarly Dominic tries to spin Kline’s statement that some of his bills while getting out of his committee are not getting to floor votes as if that is a personal failing by Sen. Kline. What reaches the floor for votes is determined by the rules committee. In the Senate that means the Senate rules committee decides which of the 778 bills introduced in the Senate in 2008 that get out of committee are open to get to the floor for votes. And even then the President of the Senate can refuse a vote in the crush of bills competing for valuable floor time. (Of that 778 bills considered in 2008, 162 passed. And let’s remember it was a 60 days session. 778 bills considered in 60 days!)

The article is also very sleazy in technique and the style demonstrates the author’s intent to smear and his lack of ethics in doing so. Note for example he asks Kline for examples of his “greatest work” and when Kline mentions two items from 2002, Dominic snarkily turns that into “but passing good legislation four years ago and blocking bad legislation seven years ago is a weak record . . . “. Note the bait and switch? From what’s the greatest thing you’ve done in your life to, turns into so you haven’t done anything since? There is no basis for that statement. Similarly the only negative quote against Senator Kline comes from an anonymous “former legislator”. Not even the party affiliation is identified, let alone the name so we can gauge the reasons behind the statement. This is not journalism. It’s FOX news style trash.

Frankly the Senate would be a lot better if more of its members had Sen. Kline’s commitment, values and abilities. And the Stranger could do with someone who understands Olympia if they want to write about it.

The hit piece Dominic Holden lobbed at Senator Adam Kline in the Jan. 14 Stranger is pathetic. Un-named cowards are quoted (do these people really exist?) and nothing from the 10 minutes he interviewed me ended up in the article. Maybe that's because I I told him Kline is effective in his position -- even if his name isn't ending up on a lot of legislation on the Governor's desk.

Last session he passed a bill providing major improvements in the protections for state employees who blow the whistle on waste and fraud in state government (without a single dissenting vote). He made major improvements in "tough on crime" bills. He passed a law to stop prosecutors and judges from soliciting "donations" to favored charities in return for more lenient sentences. And who knows how many pieces of bad legislation he stopped -- that's one of those things that doesn't see the light of day in the process, but is possibly even more important than passing bills.

I know Adam well -- I'm both a resident of the 37th district and a lobbyist representing criminal defense lawyers, an environmental advocacy group, a government watchdog group and others. I'm also an award-winning former journalist who knows a hatchet job when I see one, and Mr. Holden's hatchet job on Sen. Kline was one of the worst pieces of so-called "journalism" I've seen this side of Fox News. Come to think of it, it is kind of like Fox News -- "We Distort, You Decide."

Maybe Mr. Holden could do a better job if he actually walked the marble halls of our state capitol and understood how government works.

I worked for Senator Adam Kline as an intern during the 2007 Legislative Session. And I know for a fact that the article written by Dominic Holden and published in The Stranger was so far from the truth that it reeks with malicious, unfounded assumptions and a political agenda to mislead and misguide readers from the magnificent truth about Senator Kline.

At the end of my internship with Senator Kline, I presented him with a photograph that I meticulously worked on to convey a summation of Senator Kline, what he stands for, and how he has impacted me as a future public servant. The end result was a picture of a Knight in Shining Armor, mounted upon a stallion, with Senator Kline’s face on the rider. This was my assessment of Senator Kline after watching him tirelessly work against the “business as usual, fluffy and frivolous” mindsets of some of his peers to bring about concrete, positive changes where they would make the greatest impact. I watched him spend long hours poring over documents, meeting with experts, stakeholders, and constituents in the community in order to best serve our state. I’ve seen him meet with as many constituents as humanly possible, during a very busy session, validating the importance of every one of them—down to those whom some legislators wouldn’t even have given the time of day.

During the interims, I’ve witnessed Senator Kline attend countless community forums at the beck and call of his constituents, in order to better the lives of everyday citizens—events that were not publicized, so there was no political gain for participating. Senator Kline has attended and spoke at Employer Forums that focused on giving ex-offenders a real opportunity to become tax-paying, law-abiding citizens—increasing public safety and increasing the productivity of our state. I’ve seen him come off a “much needed” vacation to participate in the Fox News coverage of post-secondary education for ex-prisoners. In the face of backlash for taking a stand on a controversial issue, Senator Kline didn’t buckle. Instead, he bravely stuck his neck out to voice, on state-wide news, that investing in post-secondary for ex-prisoners has been proven to reduce recidivism by over 50%. He went on to say that it is high time that legislators stopped being afraid and started doing what works to increase public safety, save money, and that better utilize our most precious natural resource—human beings. There are countless other examples that validate our Senator Kline as a true servant of the people!

Instead of a fallacious attempt to undermine Senator Kline’s exemplary record for fighting for the rights of “all” Washington citizens and Kline’s great uphill battle to bring about true social “justice for all”, Holden and The Stranger newspaper could have better utilized their readership by writing an article highlighting and exposing the “legislative cowardice” that permeates our current Legislature.

How can you fault a legislator, like Senator Adam Kline, for taking on unpopular causes that are “smart on crime,” would save millions of taxpayer dollars, improve public safety, and make our state more productive and constructive through measures that improve hope and opportunity to our most marginalized populations. With the current ignorant fear of being labeled “soft on crime,” most legislators shy away from supporting smart legislation that would greatly improve our state in the areas aforementioned. With this type of resistance, it is no wonder that a brave, innovative, and forward-looking leader like Senator Adam Kline would not get many of his important initiatives passed.

So should we bash Senator Kline for having the courage to push for tangible, meet-the-real-need initiatives that get side-barred because his fellow legislators are too afraid to make tough decisions for the betterment of our state as a whole? It is a travesty of good journalism to write something so far off from the truth, about a man who sticks his neck out at every turn to make sound, effective laws that will benefit our entire state.

Holden’s article about Senator Adam Kline didn’t contain a thread of concrete evidence against Senator Kline. Nor did it contain any tangible, plausible evidence to back up the audacious comments made about one of our most brilliant, passionate, and daring legislators in Washington State history. Holden even had the audacity to provide quotes from “a former legislator” and “current legislators and nonprofit leaders,” without even bothering to substantiate these quotes with any names—further discrediting his outlandish assertions.

So we are suppose to believe spineless "progressive democrats" who lack the courage to be quoted. Yeah, I guess it's easier to put a knife in somebody's back anonymously.

Sure, like most legislators very few of Senator Kline's bills passed, and if that's your measure for an effective legislator then we might as well throw 95% of them out of office. Of course you might want to consider some the hundreds of bills that he voted in favor of that passed over the pass few years. I have lobbied Adam on some of those bills as a citizen activist and my time with him made me respect him more. He struck me as an open minded legislator, but maybe we need more rigid closed minded legislators like Clyde Ballard and Dale Foreman.

As far as Adam having a bit of a temper, like last year for example, when he went off on Tim Eyman over the budget cuts that would have been needed if his initiative passed. Elected officials should get fired up from time to time, there is plenty of injustice out there in the world that pisses me off everyday. Yet Adam continues to fight the good fight, he may be be imperfect, but he is one of the good guy's who takes principled stands on the issues and I'm glad he is in the legislature.

Finally, it's easy to throw daggers at politicians any third grader can do that. What's a bit more challenging is to do quality investigative journalism or to look for those that are making a difference in the world and to tell their story.

WOW... I admit that this article baffles me. So, we judge the effectivenss of our legislators by counting the number of their bills that get passed? If so, then I'd say we'd become rather short sighted and shallow in our understanding of the challenges of the criminal justice system and in our view of the role of legislators. The fact that our country incarcerates more of its citizens than any other country on the planet is a symptom. It is a symptom of some deeper societal issues. Senator Kline has the intelligence and the guts to understand and to take on the deeper challenges that have created the mess called our criminal justice system. This mess contributes to lack of funds for social services and prevention. No... criticizing the efforts of someone willing to work on the most challenging questions, well, need I say more?

Dominic- First, I must tell you and others that this is NOT something that I do but some things just can not go on in silence. Frankly, I believe it is extreme absurdity and irresponsibility how you approached this public discourse.

I hope that moving forward that you are able to get the beam out of your own eyes before you try to influence public opinion on the speck that might be in the eye of a person like Adam Kline.

Presently, I live in the 37th District and my family has owned property in the district for more than 50 years so I know I qualify as one of the Adam Kline stakeholders.

For the past nine years, I have worked as a volunteer for the Black Prisoners' Caucus (BPC) at the prison in Monroe, WA. Every year that I has been involved in my volunteer work at the prison, Adam Kline has been an integral part of the legislative advocacy work that the BPC has needed to change our current criminal injustice system.

On October 25, 2008, the BPC celebrated our Fifth Annual Criminal Justice Reform Summit in the prion that has been attended by Adam Kline eahc year that he is in town; in fact he and Larry Gossett co-sponsored one of the summits and arranged to have TVW videotape the summit proceedings.

Why??? Well, I have learned that Adam Kline is a human being with character, personality, passion, commitment and he is not perfect; he is a person whose work ethic is genuine and unique enough to make him a very special and important part of political dynamics that happen in government.

When we consider that "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts"; what could the condition of our state and maybe even our nation (I guess we have an opportunity for the next eight years with Obama) be if we had more PEOPLE advocates like Adam Kline?

Finally, Dominic, please research and do a series of criminal justice articles on how we can get greater accountabilty from our Governor and state legislature on what works for people who are or have been incarcerated; and then identify the kind of change needed to bring budgets in line and reduce cost overruns.

Please include in your research the clemency cases of Gerald Hankerson, Barry Massey, Steve Dozier and others who wait patiently for the Governor to follow-through on their releases based on the recommendation of the Clemency Board.

I TRUST Adam Kline and the work that he does for people. He received my vote in the last election as my vote of confidence for him and his work in our state government; despite what others might say I know a different man, person and human being.

Thank you for listening.

The real question - is - who fed the hit piece to newbie Domenic?

This crazy article has an agenda - a back stabbing Dem. leader - or - priamry opponent the Stranger plans to back ...

Ah, the vagaries of journalism for sale ...

And with Senator Ken Jacobsen doing his always weird bill act .. who could hold a candle?

Holden is carrying water (more like pig piss), whose?

@Fred. I am writing to correct a factual misstatement that appears earlier in this thread. As Senator Kline's seatmate in the State House, I assure this readership that neither I nor Representative Pettigrew "routinely duck his [Sen. Kline's] phone calls." In fact, we work collaboratively on the issues that affect the 37th Legislative District, even when our positions may be different as a direct reflection of the diverse perspectives of our constituents.
Sharon Tomiko Santos

so - why not do a hit on Sharon
Tomiko Santos - folks at the Stranger - here is a first rank rad, Asian woman ... married to old time community agitator Bob Santos ... maybe a lot of commie/labor connections ...

I am sure you can find unhappy old white guy types (lobbyists, etc.) who will give you scoop scoop on Sharon ... since she is not for sale to those folks ...

Senator Kline is a hard working, consciencious and compassionate man. I'm not a political animal (though I did sit in on a Senate hearing in Olympia once) but I know an honest man when I meet one, and Klien is. I've lived in the Central District all my life, vote and care about our 37th District issues. You job's easy Mr Holden: satisfy your editor and you're good to go. Senator Kline has me and the rest of our diverse district to satisfy. I'm satisfied... when do we vote again?

Senator Kline is a hero, for his work in dealing with the population that is one day returning to society. As that is what is going to happen to most of them. His tireless work with this group is progressive and necessary. If these people are to come back and make a true go of it, support of the Senator is essential. Other than staying out of the legal system, "what are you doing?" His district is slowly changing and "powers that be" don't want the balance upset, by those whom know where the bodies are buried. "Shame on you Holden if you can only point out obvious shortcomings out of the Senator's control. Regg Thomas

I'm skipping to the bottom and throwing in my spare change: shouldn't his "job number one" be to represent the people that live in his district?
It sounds to me like his heart is in the right place, but his execution sucks balls.

Larry Means hit it - this kind of attack from a relative newcomer (who writes very well) smacks of an underlying editorial agenda. I'm sorry Dom, but I doubt you came to these conclusions alone, and without significant influence from your editors. What are they up to?

After reading your article, I could not believe the person you described is the same Senator Kline I’ve worked with the last 3 years. The Senator Kline I know is a man dedicated to serving all people, including the weakest of us all, the people who are in the justice system for restitution or their community re-entry.

For years I've worked with people returning from prison to their old communities, who have become the working poor and the homeless due to their criminal history. I was part of the SB6157 task force Senator Kline supported; not just from the floor of Senate hearings, but during the task force working meetings.

I have watched Senator Kline help Vietnam vets placed in unfit re-entry housing (funded by SB6157) be relocated to safe re-entry housing. I know for a fact Senator Kline is working with members of the Seattle City Council to increase the re-entry housing inventory in Seattle and King County. Even though Senator Kline was not the sponsor of SB6157, he has worked for our community to preserve the intent of the bill and increase community safety through the process.

Today I know Senator Kline has a vision for prison reform; he is co-sponsoring SB5219, a bill to address housing for individuals at a higher risk of becoming homeless. This bill could increase both DOC and police productivity, increase community safety, cut recidivism, save cities and counties the cost of expensive prison bed space, improve our communities' re-entry housing inventory, and provide re-entry exit plans for little or no additional cost.

I don't have all the background information necessary to determine if your comments are warranted. I can only tell you what Senator Kline has done to earn my support and that of others working to increase community safety.

Jim Tharpe
Unity House
TharpesUnityHouse@msn.com

ouch!

i have to agree with noemie that sen. kline has been a champion for reform, and when we criticize him as being ineffective we run the risk of silencing others who would be champions.

how about an article on the ineffectiveness of frank chopp? we can't get any real reform in olympia because he's worried about dems being labeled as "soft" and losing a couple seats of their supermajority. what's the point of a supermajority, mr. chopp? to get more donations? how about you use it for reform instead of filling the democratic bank accounts.

the only reason other legislators don't answer his calls is because they are all wimps too afraid to take any real positions and change the status quo. if we had more leaders and less people worried only about reelection, maybe kline could be more effective.

Responding to your piece on Sen. Kline, let me just say that he has been instrumental in efforts to rebuild a state court and justice system that ranked 50th out of 50 states in 2004. His work on behalf of the Justice in Jeopardy initiative has been quiet, thoughtful, strategic and successful. I have been pleased to have partnered with him in this effort.

I sent a “letter to the editor” in response to Dominic Holden’s original hit-piece on me (“No Confidence"), but it seems that the Stranger often decides at their whim to not print ANY letters to the editor. Neither of the two editions of the Stranger since Holden’s piece was published included any letters to the editor. So I’m going to comment here.

As at least one person has pointed out in the Slog, it seems likely that Holden’s article was originally instigated by a “former legislator who watches state politics closely,” and whose other name might be Dwight Pelz. (In the Slog, Holden has been asked to deny that and hasn’t.) Dwight’s been trying to poke me for over a year now, since I endorsed Dan Satterberg for prosecutor. Pelz tried to get my fellow Democrats to boo me at the Dem’s Christmas party. It didn’t work; they cheered. But maybe he found his tool in Dominic Holden.

If the Stranger wants anyone to believe or respect what they write about legislators, why don’t they send a reporter to actually work in Olympia this session? There are a lot of important decisions being made. Or the Stranger could at least do some decent investigative journalism over the phone. Yeah, I know, too much like real work. Given a choice between delivering clever commentary and actually getting it right, the Stranger goes for clever every time. What Holden doesn’t get is that when other peoples’ reputations are at state, that choice isn’t about style, it’s about personal integrity.

I don’t need to recite my accomplishments in this comment to show I’ve been effective in Olympia – a couple dozen constituents, colleagues and others who actually know my work in the Legislature have done that themselves here and in the Slog. They’ve also debunked many of the unverified assertions and outright inventions that Holden made in the article. Not surprisingly, Holden hasn’t offered any substantial response to those comments and questions.

I invite folks to review the comments attached to this article, and in the Slog. (Just do a search for “Adam Kline.”) You can also check out my legislative website: http://www.sdc.wa.gov/senators/kline/ to read about some of my work in Olympia that I mention in my newsletters and my blog. And feel free to contact me at any time at 360-786-7688 or at kline.adam@leg.wa.gov. You can also call the toll-free Legislative Hotline to leave a message for me: 1-800-562-6000. During the interim, you can call me in Seattle: 206-625-0800. (And of course, Holden is always welcome to talk to me to learn more about my work and the work of the legislature.)

State Senator Adam Kline
37th Legislative District

Hey Dominic. Why don't you run and replace Adam since you're so insightful as to what is effective. I'm so tired of you so called press types complaining about politics. Specifically, what issues isn't Adam addressing that you'd like him too? It is so easy to complain about a citizen part-time legislature. It is honorable to do something about it. I live in the 37th district and if there is someone who is better than Adam, damn it, I'd vote for that person. Until then, write about suggestions to solving a problem you a-hole. Honestly, I expect more from the Stranger than mickey mouse / no nothing editorial like this one. (BTW, I have no affiliatin to Adam other than I vote in the 37th district and watch the political process)