Northwest Progressive Institute
Encyclopedia
| 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
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
based in Redmond, Washington
Redmond, Washington
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000....
, 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
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
region (the states of Washington, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, and Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
) as well as across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. 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.".
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 EymanTim Eyman
Tim Eyman is a conservative political activist in the U.S. state of Washington. He advocates for a smaller state government, through lowering state taxes and fees...
and other conservatives the year before. The name "Permanent Defense" was chosen in response to the name of Eyman's political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
, 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.
The organization maintains a list of major milestones, or accomplishments, at its web site.
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 livebloggingLiveblogging
A liveblog is a blog post which is intended to provide a rolling textual coverage of an ongoing event, similar to Live television or live radio. Liveblogging has increased in usage by news organizations and blogging establishments since the mid-2000s, when they were initially used to broadcast...
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
National Journal
National Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
s Hotline
The Hotline
The Hotline is a daily political briefing published by the Atlantic Media Company from its headquarters at The Watergate complex in Washington, DC. It is edited by Reid Wilson with Josh Kraushaar...
relied on the blog throughout 2006 for perspective on Washington's U.S. Senate race.
Washington United States Senate election, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in Washington was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell won re-election to a second term.-Background:...
The blog is also featured as part of local television station KING5's
KING-TV
KING-TV, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Seattle, Washington, affiliated with the NBC network. Owned by Belo Corporation, it broadcasts on UHF digital channel 48. Its offices and broadcasting center are located just east of Seattle Center...
Citizen Rain project, which chronicles what local blogs are talking about.
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.
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.
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. 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
Jerome Armstrong
Jerome Armstrong is an American political strategist and blogger. He is credited as one of the architects of Howard Dean's '04 grassroots Presidential campaign, and one of the leading web strategists in the world...
of MyDD
MyDD
MyDD is a collaborative politically progressive American politics blog. It was established by Jerome Armstrong in 2001. Its name was originally short for "My Due Diligence." In January 2006, the name was changed to "My Direct Democracy" as part of a site redesign, with the new tagline "Direct...
.
Besides its online media ventures, NPI publishes special reports and policy briefs, such as its January 2007 white paper on the minimum wage.
The think tank's work is followed by opinionmakers and elected leaders throughout the region. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
columnist Joel Connelly has called NPI "the state’s best grassroots research outfit" while Washington's State Senate
Washington State Senate
The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 senators, each representing a district with a population of nearly 120,000. The State Senate meets at the Legislative Building in Olympia....
Majority Leader, Lisa Brown, has told the Spokesman-Review that NPI's network is one of her favorite online destinations:
"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.
NPI, and especially its Permanent Defense division, have appeared consistently since late 2002 in the regional press, including numerous references in Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
stories, The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
, The Spokesman-Review, The Stranger
The Stranger (newspaper)
The Stranger is an alternative weekly newspaper in Seattle, Washington, USA. It runs a blog known as Slog.-History:The Stranger was founded by Tim Keck, who had previously co-founded the satirical newspaper The Onion, and cartoonist James Sturm. Its first issue came out on September 23, 1991...
, KIRO-TV
KIRO-TV
KIRO-TV, virtual channel 7, is the CBS affiliate television station in Seattle, Washington. It broadcasts on digital channel 39. The station's offices and broadcasting center are located near Seattle Center in Belltown, and its transmitter is located on Queen Anne Hill...
and KIRO (AM)
KIRO (AM)
KIRO is a radio station based in Seattle, Washington on the shores of Lake Union with 2 towers on Maury Island, broadcasting on 710 kHz in the AM radio spectrum...
, KOMO
KOMO
KOMO may refer to:* KOMO-TV, a television station licensed to Seattle, Washington, United States* KOMO , a radio station licensed to Seattle, Washington, United States...
, The Olympian
The Olympian
The Olympian is a McClatchy newspaper in Olympia, Washington, in the United States.-History:The Olympian started in 1860 as "The Washington Standard" a weekly paper. Daily papers did not start until February 1889. The Olympian started daily service as a way to lead the crusade to make Olympia the...
, Washington Law & Politics, and others. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Everett Herald
The Herald (Everett)
The Herald is a newspaper based in Everett, Washington. It is owned by The Washington Post Company. The paper serves as a major news source for residents of Snohomish County.-History:...
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.
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.
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.
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 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
Alaskan Way Viaduct
The Alaskan Way Viaduct, completed on April 4, 1953, is a double-decked elevated section of State Route 99 that runs along the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle's Industrial District and downtown Seattle. It is the smaller of the two major north–south traffic corridors through Seattle ,...
.
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).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)