I see Frank Chopp as the equivalent to the Secretary of the Communist Party of Washington State. How does such a man get so much power, be so out of touch with the will of the people, and not be held accountable in any way?

Frank Chopp is one of those rarest of politician... Being that you can trust him!

Excellent interview on Frank Chopp. Our only comment is that there was an implication that he used his power as speaker to block or retard some issues because he supported an opposing position. We think that the speaker should be an "honest broker" and, as he says, contribute to working together. If he doing that, that's great. If, in the case of the viaduct, he might use his position to advance his own desired plan, I don't think that would be an appropriate use of his power as speaker. We applaud his excellent work record and professed desire to work problems collaboratively.

Washington State is blessed to have the skills, talents and dedication of Speaker Frank Chopp.
His repeated emphasis, during your interview,
of working with and bringing people together to complete worthwhile projects is everything we need to know about him. Impressive.

As part of the settlement with the NBA, the owners of the Oklahoma Thunder will have to pay the city of Seattle $40 million if the Key Arena is renovated. House Speaker Frank Chopp, by his refusal to consider any Key Arena renovation plans, is letting those owners walk away with the $40 million the same way they walked away with our beloved Sonics.

Speaker Frank Chopp is enjoyed by his consticuency because he represents their views well. However, the rest of the State should not be forced to hold those same views. When he does the right thing, he has worked hard and given his full support. When he has done the wrong thing, he has worked hard and given his full support. Unfortunately, his full support carries more than what it should for 1 representative of 1 district in our State.

Frank Chopp seems to be a very hard worker, as he said in his interview. Fairness and equality, however, seem to be in the eye of a small district in Seattle.

Who is Frank Chopp? Someone this state desperately needs! Someone who is not in politics for his own aggrandizement or thinking about his next move up the political ladder. Someone who listens to every viewpoint and gets things done. His background in social services gives him a unique understanding of the human side of government. His observation that the state's budget needs to be both fiscally and morally responsible is just the kind of attitude I appreciate. I also applaud his acknowledgment that the current viaduct plan is not going to work. It is over budget before a shovel is turned. It does not even meet the current capacity needs and it doesn't offer access to Ballard, Magnolia and Queen Anne; a large problem for commerce, commuters and residents. He doesn't represent Seattle. He represents the people of the entire state with his balanced approach to getting things done.

Frank Chopp, State Representative, seems to be trying to keep Washington spending in the (tough times) we are in right now with job losses, housing, economy, medical, etc. in perspective. Is it (wise) to throw money at a tunnel that only has four lanes total? In the beginning it is not enough lanes to move cars through! What about the future? What about the total cost for such a project?? Hats off to Frank! Unemployment benefits, education funding, health care for children are strong priorities in our failing economy. I think he is one of the few politicians that are realistic about “where” to spend the money.

Today on the news they want to pass a state income tax in Washington. Once we have a tax it stays in place and is subject to raise! I think we spend plenty of money on taxes in Washington (our gas tax is "high" and we still can't afford our highways) I don't think we need an additional tax. I can’t afford the taxes I already have to pay. The sales tax for Seattle is 8.9% and currently we have (no) state income tax. California (Los Angeles sales tax is 8.25) and they (do) have a state income tax. The California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to raise that by one cent per dollar. The taxes continue to go up, the decisions are not always correct! We need more politicians like Frank Chopp to see that we are “NOT” over spending!! Where does the spending stop ..... and be spent on programs we REALLY need.

This guy is fantastic! He is exactly what this state and this country desperately need right now!

He is also elected by the state House Representatives to be speaker so they represent the entire state when they vote for Frank Chopp! Therefore, Chopp is not just representative of his seattle district, he represents the whole state and does an excellent job!

Chopp sounds like a very competent person and has my approval, even tho he belongs to the party that stole the governorship in '04.

This article had so much spin and then the question of whether Frack Chopp should have so much power is a leading question. Shame on you King 5 for posturing watchers against someone you admitted at the beggining of the piece very few people know based only on what you provided as info by which to make such decision. I don't know Frank Chopp however I can tell when an attempt to sway public opinion by who is supposed to be a neutral third party is not very neutral. Not that one should actually expect any difference from major media.

Thanks for presenting the interview. I had before this, really underestimated the man. He has the most thankless of tasks.
His priorities are right on target, and his concept of a 'moral' budget is something I wish not only the Feds would adopt, but Big Business as well. If moral budgets had even been contemplated, we might not be in the current economic chaos.
He sure represents me and my views,
I hope he can stay around to help clean up the oncoming mess.

Frank Chopp is one of the best politicians we have in the State and tirelously works "for the people". I am even more impressed after hearing him on this program and truly touched by his dedication to his principles and his work ethic. I am very grateful to have such a man represent us.

Frank Chopp appears to be an honest man who has the right priorities for our state.

I think Frank Chopp is basically a very honest man. His priorities, as he states them, are at the very basis of what a public servant should be, firstly considering: Who pays? What is the price of a life? Who does this hurt and who does it benefit. If every politician were to ask themselves those questions, and answer them honestly, I do not believe the United States would be in the miserable position it is in now. In an ideal world, legislation would be processed based upon those considered parameters. Frank Chopp states he does just that. I am proud to be a native Washingtonian with Mr. Chopp as Speaker of the House.

I am the Chair of Grandparents Rights of Washington State (GROWS). We are fighting for the rights of grandparents to have visitation with their grandchildren if the grandparents are unreasonably being kept from them. All that we want to do is to be able to petition the court and prove to the judge that we are good, caring and loving grandparents and the judge can grant us or not grant us that privelage and a schedule of visitation. We have many heartbroken people in our GROWS organization who are unreasonably being kept from visiting their grandchildren. I requested an appointment with Rep. Frank Chopp to discuss this with him and he refused to give me an appointment on this very important and emotional issue. As Speaker of the House and hired by the people I deserve an appointment with him.

Thanks,
Bob Rudolph
Chair of GROWS

The discussion after Frank Chop discussed the possibility of a state income tax. Taxpayers probably don't want this. It might take a public forum to get them to change their minds. It WOULD take an assurance that our our current taxes (highest gas tax in the nation for example) would not continue to be at their current rates, IF we approved an income tax. Let's have that public discussion so these things can be sorted out.
Thanks

I hope Frank Chop's aids read these comments. He needs to prioritize our budget in Washington away from the terrible idea of a tunnel replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct and more emphasis on balancing the budget. Social programs are important but cannot be run without limits. A state income tax is a horrible idea. It's Pandora's box and once opened, there is no going back. Look at the mess in California. They have a 9%+ Sales tax and a 9% income tax. The taxation nationally is getting out of control. One of the main reasons we moved to Washington was because there was no income tax. We currently have it right in Washington. Don't let them try and tell you otherwise. I think we are smarter than that.

Frank Chopp is my 43rd District Congressman, and I am very glad he is the Speaker of the House. I am against replacing the Viaduct with any type of tunnel, and think Frank Chopp's version of the new Viaduct would be our best option. It is obvious that the developers want to erect new buildings where the Viaduct currently stands, so combining buildings, the Viaduct, and a park on top seems like a great idea.

Continuation of my earlier email on grandparents. I meant to say that we have two bills in the Legislature they are House Bill 6107 and Senate Bill 5477. Please ask you legislators especially Senator Hargrove in the 24th District and Rep. Jamie Pederson and Frank Chopp are in the 43rd District who are the committe chairs where are bills have to go though.

Thanks,
Bob Rudolph
Chair GROWS

To be subject to the whims of one person is not democracy.

The person that posted about KeyArena is not correct, if the legislature approves funding before 12/31/2009 and an NBA team can not be found for Seattle by 8/17/2013 then Clay Bennett owes Seattle 30 million dollars. The money does not have to be spent, just authorized.
All public money would come from the Seattle hotel tax that is not general fund money, and woukd be completely recovered in B&O taxes and user fees if there was a renovation.
It costs nothing.

If only there were more trustworthy public servant politicians like Mr. Chopps. He seems to have a real concern for the public's money and a compassion for the struggles of citizens.

I'm proud to have Frank Chopp as a representative of me. He stands for so much I believe in.

Ask the businesses on Queen Anne how fair Frank Chopp is... Instead of using the balance of a hotel tax already slated for stadiums paid for by out-of-towners and renovating the KeyArena, he would rather watch the Seattle Center - and whole surrounding neighborhood - go into disrepair. And for what? Because he hates sports? Why don't we get rid of the Opera? The Symphony? The Ballet? Tear down the SAM, Paramount & the 5th Avenue. Becuase we don't al appreciate the arts, we should do away with them. Frank Chopp has made Seattle a little less liveable by taking away a sports franchise that many of us cared about. I hope they hoist his dumb ass out of office.

I remember in the 80's when I was an employee of the Fremont Public Association (FPA). Frank founded and nurtured the FPA (now Solid Ground) into the effective social service agency it is today. I had a health problem back then (fortunately turned out OK) which required thousands of dollars worth of tests. Frank moved heaven and earth to make sure I got the health insurance coverage and the tests I deserved and needed. This is the compassion and caring he brings into his current job. He literally puts low income and working people first over stadium backers and downtown interests. It's not campaign rhetoric, soundbites or spin. What an extraordinary thing to have in a politician especially in this town and especially in the position of speaker of the house....amazing... to have someone on the inside actually working for you the public rather than big shots and insiders.

Finally, a politician who doesn't act like a politician. This guys seems very down to earth; I really enjoyed his interview. He seems to really care about the important issues and isn't afraid to stand up for them. He has his priorities in check and doesn't appear as someone who does what he does for political gain or carries a hidden agenda (how rare in today's world); but to better our state as a whole. He also doesn't strike me as someone who buckles due to pressure from big business. I like this guy. He has given me restored faith and confidence in our local government.

Frank Chopp and his fellow house members from Seattle are the reason we moved to the suburbs. They preach the popular "take from the rich and give to the poor". They carry the teacher association flag by keeping them in control of how education is mismanaged in our state however just being a representative from Seattle should exempt him from the Speaker of the House position. There is a reason the US Senate has two members from each state.

Power is corrupt! Absolute power is absolutly corrupt. Term limits are needed at all levels of government. Career polititians should be eliminated!