Upcoming King County Issues and Events
Urgent Support Needed for Public Safety/Services Sales Tax
All levels of government in Washington are facing significant budget shortfalls and King County is no exception. King County Executive Dow Constantine and the County Council are currently working on ways to balance the 2011 county budget, which currently faces a $60 million shortfall. In order to limit cuts to vital criminal justice, public-health, and select human service programs, Executive Constantine has proposed a two-tenths-of-a-percent sales tax increase to go before King County voters on August 17th. This proposal needs approval by a supermajority of the Council to be placed on the ballot. Currently only 5 members of the 9 members council have expressed support for the measure and 6 votes are needed. The vote will likely take place next Monday, May 24th, following a 1:30 pm council hearing. For more information on the sales tax proposal, including a detailed list of programs that would be preserved, visit the proposal’s page on the county executive’s website.
Take Action:
County Council needs to hear from you about putting the Public Safety Sales Tax on the ballot. Calls of support are critical!
The message: Put the Public Safety Sales Tax on the August ballot and allow the voters to decide.
Members from districts 1, 2, 4, 5, and 8 have expressed support for the measure need to hear a thank-you for their support. Districts 3, 6, 7, and 9 are opposed or undecided–please urge them to put the sales tax on the ballot. Call your county councilmember before 1:00pm Monday May 24th to relay this message.
Find your King County Councilmember on theCouncil Website:
District 1 – Bob Ferguson – 206-296-1001
District 2 – Larry Gossett – 206-296-1002
District 3 – Kathy Lambert – 206-296-1003
District 4 – Larry Phillips – 206-296-1004
District 5 – Julia Patterson – 206-296-1005
District 6 – Jane Hague – 206-296-1006
District 7 – Pete von Reichbauer – 206-296-1007
District 8 – Jan Drago – 206-296-1008
District 9 – Reagan Dunn – 206-296-1009
The Council will take action on this next week. Turn out for the hearing on Monday May 24th at 1:30 in council chambers (King County Courthouse 516 Third Ave – Seattle, WA 98104) – stand up for human services!
I-1098 Trainings
Washington State has one of the most regressive tax systems in the United States, a system that increasingly shifts payment for state services onto low and middle income families. Initiative 1098, endorsed by LPPO, will help make Washington’s tax structure more progressive while helping to ensure funding for vital social services such as education and healthcare. More information available at www.yeson1098.com.
With only a little over a month to gather the necessary signatures the campaign needs volunteers to gather signatures. To get involved contact the LPPO office for signature forms and/or attend one of the following trainings.
I-1098 Kick Off Training
Sat, May 22nd, 10am-1pm
SEIU Local 6 office, 3720 Airport Way S., Seattle
Join us for an issue briefing and signature gathering training. Following the training, we will deploy folks out to the field for a short signature gathering shift.
Contact Erik Magnuson to RSVP or for more info, erik@yeson1098.com
I-1098 Weekly Wednesday Trainings
Every Wednesday through June 16, 6-7:30pm
Campaign office, 1914 N 34th St., Seattle
Drop in for a quick dinner, short issue briefing, and signature gathering training.
Contact Erik Magnuson to RSVP or for more info, erik@yeson1098.com
King County Labor/Faith Breakfast
The Church Council of Greater Seattle, Lutheran Public Policy Office, Community Christian Leaders Coalition (sponsored by the A. Philip Randolph Institute Seattle Chapter) and the Martin Luther King Jr. County Labor Council extend this special invitation to invite you to our quarterly Faith, Labor and Community Breakfast meeting on May 27, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. at Machinists 751 Hall, 9125 15th Place S., Seattle. This quarter’s breakfast is hosted by the Washington State Labor Council.
Great work is happening in this coalition! At this meeting we will debrief the 2010 legislative session and begin the work to prepare for the impact the budget cuts will have on our constituency. We hope you will join us and participate in this valuable work to support the working families in your local, church, union or community organization. For more information please contact the LPPO office at 206-464-4133 or lppooffice@lcsnw.org.
The New Healthcare Law: What will it mean to me?
If you’ve been asking:
What does the new health care law do exactly?
How does this affect me and when?
Come learn about the law from a panel of nurses, doctors, small business owners, and others, including the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. There will be plenty of time for questions & answers.
June 3rd: 6-8 PM
Facilitated by Enrique Cerna of KCTS 9
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
1634 19th Ave
Seattle, WA
Sponsored by the Healthy Washington Coalition, a group of organizations including LPPO that share one common goal: “to achieve secure, quality, affordable healthcare for all Washingtonians.”
Support Grocery Workers
As mentioned in earlier alerts, 25,000 grocery store workers in the Puget Sound area are negotiating a new contract with their employers. These three big national grocery store chains, Safeway, Kroger (QFC and Fred Meyer) and Supervalu (Albertsons), are top Fortune 50 companies that pay their CEOs a combined $30 million last year. Now the companies are proposing to cut pay and crank up health care costs for workers.
The ELCA calls for the “right of workers to organize and bargain collectively” and for employers to “compensate all people we call or employ at an amount sufficient for them to live in dignity and provide adequate pension and health benefits, safe and healthy work conditions, sufficient periods of rest, vacation, and sabbatical, and family-friendly work schedules.” This commitment has led LPPO to partner with United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21 to work for worker justice in the grocery industry.
Join thousands of grocery store workers, customers, and community members signing the Grocery Worker Bill of Rights.
Check out the Bill of Rights. And then add your name as a community member in support of the Grocery Store Workers Bill of Rights. Stand UP – for a future we can all depend on.
Duwamish Gala
You are warmly invited to join in a celebration of Duwamish culture and Northwest art hosted by Duwamish Tribal Services. This event is on Saturday, June 5, 2010.
Enjoy a wine reception, and a traditional feast and live auction of valuable art from Northwest artists such as Preston Singletary and Marvin Oliver. Proceeds from the gala will benefit Duwamish Tribal Services (DTS), a nonprofit organization that provides critical support to nearly 600 tribal members.
The full event ticket price is $75. Full price ticket includes wine reception, silent auction, traditional buffet-style dinner and live auction. Tickets for the full event ticket can be purchased via Brown Paper Tickets only beginning the week of April 26, 2010, first come, first served for the first 150 people. No dinner tickets can or will be sold at the door or at the longhouseprior to the event due to limited seating capacity.
Individual sponsor (not attending the event): $150 or more
Table of eight: $600 (first come, first served due to limited seating capacity)
Wine Reception/Silent Auction tickets can be purchased
for $30 at the longhouse at (206) 431-1582 or by cash or
check to 4705 W. Marginal Way SW, Seattle, WA 98106.
Where: Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center Map It
4705 W. Marginal Way SW
Seattle, WA 98106
Tickets are available thru Brown Paper Tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com
Free courtesy transportation at Seattle Parks Maintenance Facility at:
4209 W. Marginal Way SW, Seattle, WA 98106
