Initiatives Archives

Universal Healthcare for Washington State

(Letter-to-The-Editor) Watch for petitions for I-1600 — Universal Healthcare for Washington State.  The measure would provide a comprehensive non-profit program to pay for healthcare for all Washington residents.  “Instead of our current system of high premiums, payroll taxes, co-pays, deductibles and out of network fees, everyone will be covered by the Whole Washington Trust.

Imagine no profit margin based denials, lawyers to fight for implementation of policies, actuaries dividing citizens into acceptable risk pools, premium paid dividends for Wall Street investors, and charge master lists that require negotiation for coverage of hospital procedures.

Did you know Toronto General Hospital has only TWO insurance processors?  Most Washington hospitals have one per bed!  We need to have a conversation of how to make Universal care work! With our large medical infrastructure already in place, I 1600 would save Washington billions of dollars to add to our economy and education– long term benefits for short term adjustments.

If Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett and Jamie Dimon can consider a Universal plan for their employees, why cannot the State of  Washington do so as well for our population?

Donna Starr

Progress Toward Getting I-735 on the Ballot

Congrats on over 8,000 signatures in Spokane for I-735 to qualify for the Washington ballot and help overturn citizens united.

I LOVE the 4th of July, patriotism, fireworks and family picnics!  It is a time to be grateful for the vision and patriotism of our forefathers and a time to reflect on our own responsibility to defend and reclaim our democracy for ‘We The People’.

…And as we celebrate our historic independence from British rule, perhaps this is a good time to re-invigorate our actions to be independent from corporate rule.  It is our opportunity and responsibility.

In Spokane and NE Washington our signature gathering is doing well, but still need to get volunteers out for 70 hours a week.  We have scheduled events on each weekend, yet still need folks to get to retail stores on a consistent basis during the week.  The following is the link to our calendar.  Anyone can add an event or sign up for an event by clicking on the pencil.

http://www.huntcal.com/cal/view/I-735/I-735?yr=2015&m=7&d=20

So far, Spokane and NE Washington have turned in 8394 signatures toward our goal of 33,000!  Way to go, team!!  There are some weeks we meet our goal of 70 petitions per week and some we don’t, but it has always been my belief that we all do what we can and together we will succeed.

TOP SIGNATURE GATHERERS
1839 Stacy Cossey
1027 Mario Montague
637 Susan Burns
517 Ed Duhaime
438 Sally McQuain

Thanks to everyone for all you do!

Stacy Cossey
Volunteer Spokane Wamend Organizer

Help us get corporate money out of elections! Eastern Washington Voters is sponsoring a day to gather signatures to qualify I-735 for the ballot to this Saturday May 16th before the start of the Lilac Parade.

4:30 pm for a quick training
5:00 PM we will be on the sidewalk collect signatures
7:45 PM is the start of the parade
Saturday May 16th
Meet at Atticus Coffee for training
222 N Howard St, Spokane, WA 99201

Bryan’s cell is 509 330 1793

Unlimited, undisclosed money has corrupted our political system and taken the power away from We the People.  Corporations have been given our Constitutional rights and are using them against us.  When corporations have the Constitutional right to buy our elections and harm our environment it is past time for people to unite and let our voices be heard.

wamend_web_0416

Wamend.org is sponsoring an Initiative to the Legislature to Get Big Money out of Elections.  This Initiative calls to reverse corporate person-hood and money is speech.  It calls for a Constitutional amendment to clarify that living, breathing people should be entitled to the rights of the Constitution, not artificial entities.  Right now the national spotlight is on Washington State as we collect the 330,000 signatures to get on the ballot in November of 2016.  Once we pass I-735 we join sixteen other states calling on Congress to amend the Constitution.  We believe it is the Civil Rights Movement of our day.

Here in Spokane, we need 1200 signatures a week to meet our signature goals.  (They have already collected around 3.000.  This takes consistent, committed effort on the part of volunteers.  It’s fun, it’s empowering and it is one of the most meaningful political actions anyone can take.  The more volunteers we have, the more fun we have and the more political power we generate.  We can do this!

So come join us at the corner on Saturday May 16th.

nolan_friday_cobb_smallNice job by the Move to Amend movement in the United States!  Eastern Washington Voters played a small role in this over the years, but others like Wa-Mend and Move to Amend have done the heavy lifting. The Spokane Wa-Mend group just launched their local effort to gather thousands of local signatures to qualify I-735 for the ballot this November 2015.  Similar has been proposed as resolutions to support amending the U.S. Constitution by various Washington Stated legislators over the years, but this takes it to a new level.

We’re pleased to announce that this morning Move to Amend’s WE THE PEOPLE AMENDMENT was introduced in the 114th Congress!

The We the People Amendment — House Joint Resolution 48 — is the only amendment that deals with both Supreme Court doctrines that grant constitutional rights to artificial entities and that define spending money as free speech. 

There are still many steps along the way, but this is a major milestone for the movement to amend! 

Move to Amend will not now become a Congressional lobbying effort (not at this point). In fact now more than ever it is critical that we reach and educate the American people — letting them know that there is a movement to get corporations out of our Constitution and big money out of our political process, and getting them involved.

Big thanks to Representatives Rick Nolan (MN), Mark Pocan (WI), Matthew Cartwright (PA), Jared Huffman (CA), Raul Grijalva (AZ), and Keith Ellison (MN) for standing with Move to Amend.

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We are proud of this significant success, but you won’t see us resting on our laurels in the weeks and months to come. We know there is still work to do to ensure victory and we know you are with us to see it through to the end. Thanks for that!

Yours for democracy,

Ashley Sanders, Ben Manski, Daniel Lee, David Cobb, Egberto Willies, George Friday, Jerome Scott, Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, Laura Bonham, Nancy Price

Move to Amend National Leadership Team

I 937 and renewable energyI got this from Cy Berryman.  Cy, the NW Energy Coalition, and Eastern Washington Voters gathered 3,000 signatures in Spokane and Pullman to qualify Initiaive-937 for the ballot in 2006. 

I-937 passed and the law now requires Washington electricity generators to include true renewables in their portfolio.  It would be a shame for I-937 to be rolled back or even overturned.  Please contact your legislators and tell them to keep I-937 the way it is. 

Dear Bryan,

Several bills moving toward floor votes in Olympia would undercut our clean energy law, Initiative 937, and reduce Washington’s commitment to a clean and affordable energy future. Proposed changes include allowing coal purchases from the TransAlta plant to reduce utilities’ renewable energy obligations. 

 

Tell your state legislators to stop rollbacks to I-937 and clean energy! 

 

By preserving I-937’s intent to increase new clean energy development, Washington can remain a clean energy leader. I-937 is our state’s No. 1 means of reducing climate pollution. It is diversifying our clean energy mix at a time when our hydropower system is stressed with 93% of the state in moderate drought. It is bringing billions in renewable energy investments to our state and creating thousands of good, local jobs. This is hardly the time to start chipping away at our state’s most effective clean energy law.  

But proposed bills this session would weaken our state’s renewable energy standards. Three bills would count hydropower upgrades that are already happening now toward those standards. House Bill 2676 and Senate Bills 5992 and 6058 would cut back development of new clean resources by 52 to 75 average megawatts – equal to one new medium-size wind project. Another bill, SB 5298, would reduce the amount of new renewables a utility buying TransAlta coal power would have to acquire.  Combined, these bills would further slash new renewable development and clean energy jobs in our state.  


Tell your state legislators to stop rollbacks to I-937 and clean energy! Many of these bills will be up for floor votes very soon, so it is critical that you act today!


Together we can act to stop these rollbacks to I-937 and continue our progress toward the clean energy future we value so much.

 

Thank you for your support! 



Cy Berryman


Outreach Director

NW Energy Coalition