October 20, 2003
OPEN LETTER ON
NOVEMBER 4, 2003 WASHINGTON STATE GENERAL ELECTION
Dear Friend,
Let’s hear it for dissent in Seattle! In September’s primary election over 11,000 voters cast their ballot for Freedom Socialist Party candidate Linda Averill landing a resounding blow against the status quo. What a powerful endorsement of Averill’s workingclass program to tax corporations to fund social services, expand public transit, a $12/hour minimum wage, rent control, an elected civilian review board over the police, a Seattle abortion rights zone, and non-compliance with the USA Patriot Act.
Averill’s grassroots campaign garnered 10% of the vote despite being forced to operate on a shoestring budget until one month before the election. This stricture was due to the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission’s (SEEC) refusal to grant Averill’s request to honor the privacy rights of her contributors with an exemption to finance disclosure rules. Forced to sue the city in mid-campaign, she won a powerful constitutional ruling in federal court when Judge Lasnik granted her a preliminary injunction.
Unfortunately Averill and her campaign team and supporters may be forced back into court to defend this victory unless sane minds can prevail upon the city to not contest the ruling. (Contact us for more information on how you can help with this important First Amendment rights case.)
Voting for Averill is not an option on November 4, and the lack of anti-capitalist candidates leads us to urge you to continue expressing dissent by boycotting all office holder races. After all, there’s no such thing as a kinder, gentler capitalism! But there are several crucial ballot issues to weigh in on.
State Initiative 841 to Repeal Ergonomic Safety Regulations—VOTE NO!
This measure is brought by the Building Industries Association of Washington, which killed unemployment compensation reform in 2002. It would cancel existing state ergonomic regulations designed to reduce repetitive motion injuries, and prevent the Department of Labor and Industries from adopting new regulations unless a federal standard is established. Since one of George W. Bush’s first acts in office was to dump federal ergonomic rules, this could be a long wait indeed.
Business supporters of I-841 claim the current rules give Washington an "uncompetitive" corporate climate and will cost jobs.
Opponents, including Washington state and county labor councils and over 600 unions, point out that Washington already ranks eighth in the nation on the small business competitiveness index. Preventable ergonomic injuries account for one third of all workers compensation claims and 46% of its costs. Simply enforcing the existing, fairly mild rules, which have been upheld in court, can help prevent injuries through worker education, and would actually reduce workers compensation costs to business.
Opposing this measure is a feminist issue, too, since repetitive motion injuries are particularly prevalent in keyboarding and other service jobs where women predominate.
In this banner year for Washington corporations in which Gov. Locke and the Legislature slashed unemployment insurance, gutted workers compensation hearing rules, rejected the Home Health workers contract and continued their policy of giving a free ride to business, let’s give a resounding NO to this anti-labor repeal of ergonomic rules!
State House Joint Resolution 4206 for Filling Vacancies Created After a General Election—NO POSITION
This would allow a newly-elected candidate to take office early should their position become vacant after the general election, but only if they are from the same party as the previous office holder. Currently the political party of the former official helps determine a replacement for the interim.
This measure would affect only a few offices during the month or so between election and inauguration. Therefore, we take no position.
King County Charter Amendment 1, Authorizing a Biennial Budget—NO POSITION
This measure would allow the King County Council to move to a biennial, rather than annual budget cycle. If such a budget were implemented, there would still be a yearly budget review.
This is a housekeeping item whose benefits or drawbacks aren’t clear. We take no position.
City of Seattle Proposition 1 Fire Facilities Levy—VOTE NO
This measure would lift the property tax lid to accommodate a new Seattle tax, renovate, and seismically strengthen fire stations, build a new emergency response facility and purchase and repair fire boats.
In 2001, state voters limited yearly property tax increases to 1 percent. The city cannot raise taxes above this "lid" without voter approval. The basic level for the city’s portion of property taxes is $2.65 per $1000 of assessed value. Four previous "lid lifts" added $.67 to this rate. The fire facilities levy would add another $.31 (for nine years), hiking the tax to $3.63 per $1,000 of assessed value. Applying that to the average Seattle home (assessed at $314,000) means its owner would pay $1,140 in yearly property taxes just to the e city- on top of all the other property taxes paid to county, state, and school districts!
Property taxes are forcing people to sell their homes, especially the poor and the elderly. Vital, basic services should be paid for through a progressive tax system instead of the brutal system now in place.
The International Association of Fire Fighters endorses this measure even though it provides no new staff. We agree that fire department building upgrades are important. But we’re fed up with the city’s long-standing practice of funding corporate giveaways from the general fund, and then asking voters to levy additional taxes on themselves for basic programs.
The only real solution to this out-of-control regressive tax system is to tax corporate profits and the incomes of the rich. And city officials must prioritize the budget to pay for the most important things first, such as safe fire stations, instead of items demanded by their corporate cronies.
If the levy fails, the city will be forced to find the money from other sources or answer to the wrath of the electorate for failing to provide safe fire stations.
Seattle Charter Amendment 5 for District Election of Council Members—VOTE NO
This measure would replace the current citywide method of electing City Council members and replace it with a district system. Citizens for Proportional Representation, the League of Women Voters and Advocates for Averill, among others are opposed to it. The "district" system would be a backward step that makes a bad situation worse. Please read Linda Averill’s carefully thought-out position against districting that is included with this letter.
Voters are justifiably outraged by the control developers hold over the City Council and the trampling of neighborhood interests, but this measure will not fix the problem. Voters would be limited to one representative for their district, but big money interests could still buy influence in all districts.
We hope you find this letter helpful when you vote on November 4. You can print the following summary and take it into the voting booth with you. Please feel free to e-mail or call (206) 722-2453 if you have questions or comments about FSP’s positions or would like to join us in future electoral work.
BALLOT RECOMMENDATIONS
November 4, 2003 General Election
You may take this summary list of our recommendations into the voting booth with you
State Initiative 841 to Repeal Ergonomics Safety Regulations VOTE NO
State HJR 4206 Filling Vacancies After a General Election NO POSITION
King Co. Charter Amendment 1, For a Biennial Budget NO POSITION
City of Seattle Proposition 1 Fire Facilities Levy VOTE NO
Seattle Charter Amendment 5 for District Elections VOTE NO