Seventeen years ago today I clicked “Publish” on the very first post here at HA, with obviously no fucking idea how blogging would soon take over my life. Had I to do the past 17 years over again, I wouldn’t, even if I wanted to, because how could anyone even hope to retrace the bizarre path I followed from accidental activist to foul-mouthed blogger to talk radio host to foul-mouthed Stranger writer to mysterious behind-the-scenes benevolent-plutocrat-funded progressive propaganda king?
That said, how’d the past 17 years turn out? Well, on May 10, 2004, I wrote this:
I have serious political goals, and I intend to pursue them. I intend to help educate the public and the media about an astonishingly regressive tax system that gives billions of dollars of tax breaks to wealthy special interests while placing an almost unbearable burden on the backs of middle- and low-income families. I intend to work for real, progressive, tax reforms that provide meaningful relief to those who need it most, assure adequate funding for essential public services, and create the kind of positive, rational business environment that all citizens want. And I intend to continue my efforts to expose Tim Eyman as the lying, thieving, blowhard even many of his most ardent supporters admit he really is. (Did I mention Tim Eyman is a lying, thieving, blowhard?)
But I also intend to have a little fun.
Well, progress report: this year the state legislature passed and the governor signed into law a modest capital gains tax—Washington state’s first bit of progressive tax reform in forever. Meanwhile, after losing a long drawn out civil suit brought by the state Attorney General, Tim Eyman is in the process of paying something like $5 million in fines and legal fees for at least some of the many crimes he’s committed over the course of his lying, thieving career. I can’t say exactly what I had to do with the outcomes, but it was something. Also, I did indeed have a little fun along the way. So progress!
Anyway, a big thanks to all the loyal readers and vicious trolls who helped make HA more than just a narcissistic exercise, and an especially big thanks to Darryl and Carl for keeping it going these past few years. Don’t know if I’ll ever come back to regular blogging, but if you miss me, I do spit out the occasional foul-mouthed tweet.
