The vote of the PCOs must stand

Dear King County Council,

I am writing as the Chair of the 46th District Democrats. I am hearing about a lobbying campaign being waged to overturn the rankings determined by the votes of the PCOs on Thursday, December 1st, and I wish to speak strongly in favor of having the Council appoint Gerry Pollet to fill the vacancy in the Washington State House of Representatives on Monday, December 5th. There are three primary reasons that I am asking you to do that. First, the PCOs have spoken, and a majority have chosen Gerry Pollet. Second, all of the candidates that were eligible to be selected by our PCOs voiced their agreement that the final choice of the PCOs should be the person to fill the vacancy and that they would support that individual. And third, the 2012 election is coming and having a divided district organization would be detrimental to our ability to do the work we are supposed to do.

It has always been tradition for the King County Council to respect the will of the majority of duly Elected and Appointed Precinct Committee Officers in situations like this. Per the Constitution, it is of course up to County Council to make the appointment itself. But the requirement for the County Central Committee to pass on the list of three names comes from a long tradition of asking the Grassroots of our party structure to determine the best candidates. This has been done, and among all of the candidates who stepped forward one received the majority vote. Gerry Pollet has been working on behalf of our district in many ways for many years, and he has earned the respect of our grassroots. This applies to both major political parties. I want to specifically highlight and thank Councilman Peter Von Reichbauer who called in to be included as a Yea vote on November 14th so that we could fill the Senate vacancy.

The weekend before the vote, I asked an important question related to this very question of all of our candidates, and received an answer from each one. The question I asked was "Will you support the winner of the majority vote of PCOs on December 1st to receive the vacancy appointment from the King County Council?" Every candidate said that they would support the winner. I have compiled their answers into a single document, and I have attached that document to this email.

And finally, it is my responsibility to build my organization as strong as possible so that the goals set forward in our platform have a much higher probability of becoming law. That's the purpose of any political organization. I see the possibility of the majority vote of PCOs being overturned by a lobbying effort from outside the district organization to be a severe threat to the 46th District Democrats, and I ask that you see this in the same light. Any democratic organization where decisions are made by majority vote depends on the respect of everyone else to make that process of democracy worth the substantial effort it takes.

I have been working since the death of Scott White to ensure that the overall process moves quickly, is fair to everyone, and results in a final decision that everyone can be satisfied with. I do not know where the rumors of dissent are coming from. I do know that by all the procedures and traditions that I hold dear, the decision is made. Gerry Pollet competed in a fair contest and the result was satisfactory to everyone, including ALL of the candidates involved. Gerry Pollet deserves to be appointed to fill the State House vacancy opened by the appointment of David Frockt to the State Senate. Any other decision on the part of the Council will call into question too many core beliefs and will also call into question the trust that we have for the process we worked so long and hard on.

If you have any questions on the process, my arguments or anything else, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Chad Lupkes
Chair, 46th District Democrats
PCO SEA 46-2324
206-792-5440

Thank you, Justin

Justin Simmons has let me know that time commitments in the upcoming year are going to severely restrict his ability to be active in the 46th, and that he would like to step back and open up his At Large position so that someone else may step up. I want to thank Justin for everything that he does, as President of the Metropolitan Democratic Club and many other things. I know that he will keep pushing our shared progressive values.

Our January meeting will be on January 19th, and we're planning to spend our time getting to know any new areas and precincts that we are granted thanks to Redistricting, as well as ensure that our Executive Board is filled out and ready for the upcoming 2012 Caucus Cycle and Election Year.

Washington State Needs to Elect PCOs

Dear Elections Director Huff,

I am extremely disappointed to learn that you are opposing the tradition of PCO elections in our state. James McMahan, the Executive Director of the Washington Association of County Officials, recently testified on your behalf that you oppose PCO elections. Given your past support for our party in King and Kitsap County, I'm very suprised at this position.

The Democratic and Republican parties are committed to continuing grassroots PCO elections in Washington. Our political system is more transparent and more democratic than any other state because we elect PCO’s. Washington’s Legislature originally passed precinct committee officer election laws in 1907 to prevent the political corruption of Tammany Hall and Boss Tweed. Your position would effectively force such corruption upon us from the top down. PCO’s are, and of right aught to be, elected by the voters within the precinct, not chosen by the Party boss at either the county or state level.

It is currently within State Law that only Elected PCO’s may gather to organize the County and Legislative District party organizations, electing its officers and two state committee representatives, who then perform the same function to form the state party organizational structure. Elected PCO’s are a source of stability for both the Democratic and Republican (D and R) parties. The election of PCO’s every two years is the “re-set button” that allows us to re-organize our parties every two years.

References:

RCW 29A.80.030
County central committee — Organization meetings.

RCW 29A.80.041
Precinct committee officer, eligibility.

RCW 29A.80.051
Precinct committee officer — Election — Term.

RCW 29A.80.061
Legislative district chair — Election — Term — Removal.

The fight against corruption that resulted in the 1907 law is still going on. The King County Central Committee is currently complying with the Washington State Constitution to present a list of three names to the King County Council to fill the vacancies opened up by the death of Senator Scott White and the resulting appointment of Rep. David Frockt to that Senate Seat. The rules we are operating under specify that only "Elected or Appointed" PCOs may vote to produce that list. Having this conducted from the grassroots up, with Elected PCOs at the core of the deciding voters, is critical to finding the right candidate.

I do understand that PCO elections are an expense, and that because of the economic downturn municipalities are needing to find ways to save money. This expense is part of the fundamental fabric of our democracy. It's an expense that we can't afford not to make. The opportunity cost is just too high, consisting of the corruption that will sweep in to silence the voices of the grassroots activists who want to push real positive change in our state. PCO elections are another motivation for the Legislature to raise revenue to cover the basic expenses of running our government. If we continue to do nothing but cut, we will be cutting the heart out of our government, our society and our future. Please stand with us against that.

Please reconsider your opposition to PCO elections, and work with the Republican and Democratic parties to find a sensible way to continue this important feature of our democracy. Your voice as the Elections Director of the most populated county in the state would hold a lot of weight in the discussion, and we really need you on our side.

Sincerely,
Chad Lupkes
Chair, 46th District Democrats
3rd Vice Chair, King County Democrats
Chair, Washington State Democratic Chairs Organization
Elected Democratic PCO, SEA 46-2324

David Frockt sworn in as the Senator from the 46th LD

At the meeting of the ML King County Council this afternoon, David Frockt was appointed to the Senate Seat left vacant by the death of Senator Scott White.  He then faxed to the Governor his resignation from the House of Representatives, and was sworn into office by the Clerk of King County.

So we now have a House vacancy to fill.  We're waiting on confirmation that the school is available on Thursday, December 1st.  As soon as we can be sure of the date, Steve and I will be putting out the call to PCOs to come to another Special Caucus to create a list of three names for consideration by the King County Council again, most likely at their meeting on December 5th.

We're half way done with the vacancies, and we're moving forward.

Scott White Memorial Service

The service for Senator Scott White will be held at 1:00 PM on Sunday, November 6, 2011 in the Meany Hall Theater located on the University of Washington Campus in Seattle. Meany Hall is located near the intersection of 15th Avenue NE and NE 40th St.

The closest parking will be in the Central Plaza Underground Garage located beneath Meany Hall. It will be open and free of charge on that date; entrance to the Garage is at the intersection of 15th Avenue NE and NE 41st.

Attendees are urged to carpool in order to minimize parking issues.

A statement from Scott's family

Alison Carl White wishes to release the following statement:

Scott’s family and I wish to express our appreciation for the outpouring of support we have received since learning of his passing. He was a tremendous husband, father and public official, and we are deeply moved by the nobility and honor with which his professional accomplishments are remembered. We are consoled by the support of friends, colleagues and our community. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

Donations can be made to the Wedgewood Elementary PTSA, EarthCorps or to the Scott White Memorial Fund, an education fund for his two children, which has been established at Wells Fargo:

Scott White Memorial Fund
PO Box 95675
Seattle, WA 98145-2675

Account Number: 1559550528
Routing Number: 125008547

A public service will be held later this week. Please respect the family’s wishes for privacy at this time.

Scott White: The loss of a great Leader

by Representative Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney and Representative David Frockt

It is a sad day for members of the 46th District and Washington State by the sudden death of Senator Scott White.

We are deeply saddened by his passing at a prime time of his career. As a state legislator and a community leader his commitment and work for quality education for all children, affordable housing, healthcare, a safe environment, transportation and many other issues that the constituents in the 46th care about will be remembered. He was willing to go the extra mile to find solutions to some very tough issues in the legislature. His desire was to create a better place for our families and our children to prosper. In all his work Scott never forgot, or let others forget, what the values of the Democratic Party brought to our communities.

While Scott was devoted to public service his pride and love for his family was at the top of his priorities.

My family extends our love, thoughts, and prayers to Alison, their children and the entire White Family.

Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney

The 46th District, the city of Seattle, and the State Washington lost one of the best young leaders in Scott White. It is obvious that his future as a public servant for the region was extremely bright. He had excelled in his work on the County Council. He had already been elected by his colleagues to serve in the Democratic leadership in the State Senate and there was every expectation that he would continue to thrive in that role or in any other future offices he chose to take on.

He had become a friend and a colleague whom I had the honor of working with for just one year. It was too short a time. Much too short.

Scott and I had coffee about two weeks ago to discuss the budget crisis and other political matters. One thing he said to me jumps out in my mind at this awful time. He said that whatever his future in public life was going to be, the most important things to him would always be his two young children and of course, Alison.

My wife and I are stunned by this tragic event. Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with Alison, their children and the extended White family.

David Frockt

Scott White, an unbelievable loss...

It’s times like this that short statements fail.  Quick paragraphs put together in order to capture the moment.  I’m usually good at that, but last night I just couldn’t.  I heard the news at 8pm on Friday night when I got a call from Javier.  I was devastated.  Scott was a dear, dear friend, and his loss just cut down anything that I tried to say or do.  I saw a comment this morning on the Seattle Times article from someone who had known him from the age of 12, describing him as having the face of an angel AND a dragon-slayer.  The thought broke me down, and I have tears falling on my keyboard now.

I first met Scott in May, 2003.  I’d finished a class at the University of Phoenix about State and Local Government, and I was curious about the Democratic Party in my local area.  The meeting was held at the Olympic View Church, and it was an eye-opener.  The LaRouche crowd stormed the meeting, and stood on chairs to sing protest songs.  Scott’s reaction, as the Chair of the district organization, was to calmly call the Seattle police to peacefully escort the kids out of the room so the meeting could continue.

He was willing to let me help build the 46th LD website, and we worked together on the initial design of the site, then told me to run with it.  That design has not changed much since.  He strongly believed in empowering people and trusting them.  I was grateful to have earned his trust.  Over the 5 years that I worked with him within the 46th Executive Board, he taught me a great deal about organizational infrastructure, how to handle difficult subjects at meetings, and that it’s ok to make mistakes as long as we take responsibility for them and correct them.

I have 8 years of emails from him.  The website has a near complete record of the newsletters that he published.  When he resigned as Chair to make a run for the State House, he put together a CD of all of the work and all of the records that he had about the 46th.  That was in 2008, and I’m still finding things today that I hadn’t known that help me do the job as Chair.

Scott was a true progressive, to my mind.  His decisions were focused on making practical and thoughtful steps towards a brighter future for our kids, and he wanted to hear from all sides and all voices before making a decision.  He knew, and stated eloquently in words, that our future depends on standing up to the abuse of power.  He believed in the power of government to be a positive force in our society, and he knew that the true power of government rests in the hands and voices of the people who are affected by the decisions made by lawmakers and business leaders at all levels.

I’ll let the last words in this be Scott’s, from his article in the March, 2003 Demogram.

Why are YOU a Democrat?  For most of us this is a simple question, but do you ever take the time to run through the whole list of reasons?  Is it because you believe in protecting the environment?  Social and economic justice?  Peace?  Grassroots democracy?  Creating a better education system for our children?  Whatever your reasons, I will guarantee you something:  you have friends and neighbors who share your values.

Think about it.  Every time you have a conversation with one of your neighbors about an issue that you share progressive views on, you are essentially talking about Democratic politics.  And whether they realize it or not, these friends and neighbors who want to invest in their community to create a better world for themselves and their children are one of us—they are Democrats.

Comments regarding the future 46th Legislative District

Dear Washington State Redistricting Commission,

At our meeting on October 4th, 2011, the Executive Board of the 46th District Democrats considered and passed the attached resolution regarding our desires on how the 46th District could change in the current Redistricting process.

Resolution Urging Retention of Seattle’s Northern City Limit as the Northern Boundary of the 46th Legislative District:

Whereas, under both state law and court decisions, legislative district boundaries should be set utilizing both city boundaries and communities of interest; and,

Whereas there are significant differences between residents of Seattle and residents of the suburban communities north of the Seattle City line in matters of community interests, school district and electoral matters, and interests of representation; and,

Whereas the City line at NW, N, and NE 145th Street provides a distinct and readily recognizable line for both communities of interest, political boundaries and legislative district boundaries; and

Whereas proposed redistricting maps from Commissioners Ceis, Huff and Foster would break up legislative representation of the cities of Shoreline or Lake Forest Park, diluting a portion of their legislative representation within a revised 46th District dominated by North Seattle, with no meaningful basis for dividing portions of those communities between legislative districts; and,

Whereas increasing the population of the 46th District can be accomplished by an adjustment of the District’s southern boundary, while maintaining its northern boundary as the Seattle City limit so as to preserve communities of interest for Shoreline and Lake Forest Park, including the community of interest shared through schools (e.g., school assignment) and major arterials;

Therefore, the 46th District Democrats, through their elected Executive Board, urge the Washington State Redistricting Commission and commissioners to:

a) Maintain the communities of interest and logical legislative-district northern boundary of the 46th District at the Seattle’s northern city limit, 145th Street; and,

b) Utilize arterials as boundaries of the 46th and maintain communities of interest regarding schools and community councils.

Please consider this resolution during the final process of developing the Legislative District maps.

The Strange, Sad Summer Saga of Buillding 11

--Gail Chiarello, Democratic PCO 46-2098

On August 8th, City Council voted to amend the 2008 lease for the old public works building at the tip of Magnuson Park’s north end. The developer, unable to perform under the terms of his 2008 agreement, sought new concessions, including 20% more space and City approval of a medical clinic tenant within 200 feet of the shoreline (although this use is prohibited by the Shoreline Master Plan and the Sand Point Overlay District zoning requirements). The new legislation returns significant revenue to the City in the shorter term; it contains a fair lease for the non-profit Sail Sand Point; it retains artists in the building for the next ten years. The Virginia Mason Internal Medicine Clinic slated for the north end of the building will have to relocate elsewhere, hopefully in private sector commercial space.

Activism from the 46th District Democrats helped bring about this more favorable outcome. The 46th was the first LD to support a resolution calling for more public benefits in the lease amendment; it was followed by the 36th, the 34th, and the Metropolitan Democratic Club. 46ers Jorgen Bader, Bonnie Miller, Lynn Ferguson, Sylvia Haven, Jan Ames, Kim Wells, Diana Kincaid, Rusty Williams, Nancy Bolin, Jeannie Hale, and Gail Chiarello were key in helping City Council focus on the rightful use of a public waterfront facility. The effort could still have failed, had it not been for the principled leadership of Parks Committee Chair Sally Bagshaw and her committee—Tom Rasmussen, Bruce Harrell, and Jean Godden. Councilmember Nick Licata, although not a member of the Parks Committee, was a fearless advocate for the artists and for public benefits; and we are proud that CM Licata is also a member of the 46th.

Did you wonder what all the fuss was about? Think of it this way. Building 11 was a microcosm of ills that plague our political system—lack of transparency in deal-making; private sector exploitation of public assets; an “asleep at the wheel” bureaucratic mentality that allowed the developer to roll forward without brakes. Former Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher’s role also raises an eyebrow. As Parks chief, he engineered the 2008 lease. Gallagher resigned spring 2010 and now serves as Chief Operations Officer at Nyhus Communications, a firm employed by the developer this summer to run the amended lease through Council. Gallagher’s portfolio may not include Building 11, but his role at Nyhus certainly raises questions of conflict of interest.

On August 16th the developer filed a complaint against the City for bad faith dealing. In my humble opinion, his suit could be tossed out now. He reopened the lease—not the City. He demanded more goodies, and when the City insisted on a fair return, he behaved like a child banging the tray of his high chair. He sued the City.

Seattle Public Schools Celebration

Seattle Public Schools invite you to a Community Celebration of Learning

Tuesday, August 30
4-6 p.m.

Fisher Pavilion, Seattle Center
Program starts at 4:30

Celebrate the start of the new school year!

Join Interim Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield Mayor, Mike McGinn and School Board members

Come hear from your school district about what’s new this year and ask questions about transportation, enrollment and nutrition services.

Listen to the All-City Band and be ready for a few surprises!

More info: www.SeattleSchools.org

Special Meeting on Lake City Public Safety

From: "Darryl Smith"
Sent: Tuesday, August 9, 2011 3:30:41 PM
Subject: Meeting Regarding Public Safety Issues in Lake City

Dear Lake City Residents,

I'm writing to request your attendance at a meeting about ongoing public safety issues and our plan for addressing them. The meeting will be held at the Lake City Community Center on Wednesday, August 31 at 6 PM. Your continued input and engagement on issues in your neighborhood would be valuable and appreciated.

The Mayor assigned Assistant Chief Mike Sanford--the Department's head of patrol operations--to work with Captain Clark from North Precinct on a solution to the reported difficulties with civility and street disorder. Lieutenant Kenneth Hicks has been assigned to direct a focused response plan for Lake City, which I look forward to sharing with you in greater detail in person. We have already added periodic foot and bike patrols, which will be expanding now that Seafair has passed. Early reports have indicated that these patrols are already having some positive effects. As we move forward, there are other steps we can take to make sure everyone who is living, working or stopping in Lake City feels safe. I hope you will be able to join us on the 31st for a discussion of those steps and where we can go from here.

Thank you again for your interest in Lake City.

Darryl Smith
Deputy Mayor of Community
Office of Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn

(206) 233-7893 (Direct)
(206) 684.5360 (Fax)
P.O. Box 94749
Seattle, WA 98124-4749
Darryl.Smith@seattle.gov

Mayor McGinn coming to NW Seattle on Tuesday.

Northwest Seattle

Mayor’s Town Hall

Tuesday, June 14th, 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm

at Bitterlake Community Center

13035 Linden Avenue North

Mayor Mike McGinn,
City Departments & Community Groups
will answer your questions
and hear what’s on your mind

Please join us!

Agenda

• 5:30-6:30 Meet and Greet: City Departments and local volunteer organizations have info tables, answer questions and offer volunteer opportunities


• 6:30-6:40 Youth performance


• 6:40-8:00 Open question and answer session with the Mayor and City staff

For more information please contact James Bush (206) 684-4000 or James.Bush@Seattle.Gov

State Democrats Adopt 2012 Delegate Selection Plan

By Sarajane Siegfriedt, 46th State Committeewoman

The Washington State Democratic Central Committee adopted its 2012 Presidential Delegate Selection Plan on April 30th in Wenatchee, after changes to accommodate Passover.

The Democratic National Committee has shifted the entire calendar at least almost two months later. Instead of February 9, 2008, precinct caucuses will be Sunday, April 15, 2012 at 1 p.m. By holding them in April, we gain bonus delegates. (We also gain bonus delegates for having a regional date with Idaho and Alaska.) Delegates are allocated to each precinct based on the number of Democratic voters. Delegates elected at the precinct caucus are expected to attend their Legislative District caucus and their County Convention.

The plan says, “Resolutions and platform issues will be forwarded to the appropriate Legislative District Caucus or County Convention.”

Legislative District caucuses are on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 10 a.m. The 46th adopts a platform and resolutions and elects delegates to the Congressional District Caucus and the State Convention. The number of delegates per LD will be decided in January, based on new LD maps and the number of votes for Obama in 2008. The 1,400 delegates elected at LD caucuses are expected to attend the state convention.

The call to the LD Caucus must be mailed or emailed five days in advance (April 23rd) and will include our 46th LD draft platform. This schedule allows only eight days to incorporate suggestions from the precinct causes and to evaluate, combine and edit resolutions. Responding to a question about this schedule State Chair Dwight Pelz suggested that LD and County platform committees start early, well before precinct caucuses, to write their drafts.

County Conventions will be held the next day, Sunday, April 29th at 10 a.m. No national delegates are elected, but county platforms and resolutions are debated and passed. The call to convention with the draft county platform will need to be mailed or emailed six days before, by April 23rd. The LD Caucus is the day before, so there is virtually no chance that LD platforms and resolutions can be considered by King County in writing its platform and resolutions. They will be forwarded directly to the state Platform and Resolutions Committees.

The Congressional District Caucus is where some of the national delegates will be elected and to the State Convention is where most of the remaining national delegates will be elected. Congressional District caucuses will be held Sunday, May 20th (time TBD by Chair Pelz). Sixty-three CD delegates will be elected to the national convention by the nine (current) CDs. The 7th CD will elect 11 delegates to the national convention.

The State convention is Saturday, June 2nd at 9 a.m. in Seattle. Twenty-one at-large delegates will be elected. Together with 13 pledged party leaders and elected officials, the Washington State delegation will number 113.

“Each presidential candidate…shall use his or her best efforts to ensure that his or her delegation within the state delegation achieves the affirmative action goals within this Plan and is equally divided between men and women.”

County level Redistricting

The King County Redistricting Commission will have the first public forum on May 2nd at the King County Courthouse. More info here: http://www.kingcounty.gov/operations/districting/meetings.aspx.

It's important for people to be engaged in the process of redistricting in order to keep our neighborhoods together on the new maps. You can also put in public comments on the King County government website here.

A Resolution responding to plans by the Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) for redevelopment of the 561-unit Yesler Terrace Public Housing Project (Febr

This resolution was missed during the Demogram preparations, and will be brought up for consideration at our February meeting. - Chad

Whereas, according to the County’s Housing Benchmarks report, in Seattle there are 39,500 households with incomes at or below 40% of median but only 13,500 privately owned rental units offered at rents affordable to this income group, and

Whereas, two-thirds or 30,000 of those 39,500 households have incomes at or below 30% of area median (about $23,150 for 3 person household) yet there are only 310 unsubsidized rentals in all of King County offered at rents affordable to these very low income families

Whereas, redevelopment and gentrification in our communities continues to cause an accelerated loss of this dwindling stock of very low income housing units due to demolition, speculative sale, conversion, and increased rents, and

Whereas, nearly all that is left of Seattle’s housing stock serving those with incomes at or below 30% of area median are subsidized “public housing units” owned and managed by the Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) including the 28 acre 561-unit Yesler Terrace Garden Community, and

Whereas, Yesler Terrace is an irreplaceable resource that has served generations of extremely low income families, those with disabilities, the elderly, first generation immigrants, and households of color - especially families from the black community - since its establishment over 70 years ago as the first fully integrated low density public housing project in the Country, and

Whereas, Yesler Terrace and the housing, services, and sense of community it provides is needed now more than ever to address a resurgence of poverty and homelessness in our city, and

Whereas, the Seattle Housing Authority now is seeking permits from the City of Seattle to demolish Yesler Terrace and replace it with as many as 5000 units (most offered as expensive rentals and condominiums), expensive retail space, and over a half million square feet of offices.

Therefore, be it resolved that the 46th District Democrats goes on record calling on SHA to make the following commitments:

1) SHA shall commit to 100 percent replacement on site of all 561 public housing units (serving those at or below 30 percent of median income) they are removing and to the extent it’s economically feasible, SHA shall increase the number of public housing units on site above 561 so that public housing makes up a significantly higher percent than only 10 percent of the 5000 units now planned for the site.

2) SHA will ensure that all units located in the surrounding community that the agency has acquired and vacated in anticipation of relocating Yesler Terrace residents to those sites – that all such units will either be reopened as low income units or replaced by SHA at their expense and offered at comparable prices. Such removal further contributes to a loss of very low-income units in our city.

3) SHA shall pledge to use only new sources of revenue, including substantial income generated from the more intense retail and office uses planned for the site, to build their replacement public housing units and further SHA shall pledge that no existing finite source of revenue such as city housing levy dollars, state tax credits, or state trust fund dollars, needed to expand our city’s low income stock, shall be tapped for construction of any on or off-site replacement units, and

4) SHA will guarantee that the public housing located in the redeveloped site will not be segregated and moved away from views, parks, play areas, trees, and other amenities offered to higher income groups, and that such amenities including the availability of larger ground related and view units shall be distributed equally among all income groups and be equally accessible to all income groups, especially those living in the public housing units, and

Be it further resolved that the 46th District Democrats will forward this position to our Mayor and City Councilmembers, and also call on them to exercise their clear authority over SHA’s plans and to require SHA to comply with the commitments identified in the above four subparagraphs by attaching them as binding conditions to the alley vacations, upzones, and other land use changes SHA has requested and which are needed for their redevelopment of Yesler Terrace, all of which is needed in order to ensure that SHA continues to fulfill its historic mission and what it was created to do – serve the poorest of the poor in our city.

Drafted by John V. Fox, Coordinator of the Seattle Displacement Coalition (and longstanding 43rd District Dem), Sponsored by Sarajane Siegfriedt, 46th District State Committee Woman

Notes from the Chair, February, 2011

Thank you so much for your support! I’m ready for the next two years, and as always, we need your help.

I am making the following appointments to our committees:

Program Committee: Gerry Pollet
Legislative Action Committee: Sarajane Siegfriedt
Membership Committee: Antonia Gonzalez
Finance Committee: Sabrina Hill
Cole Committee: Jan Ames
Platform/Resolutions: Dean Fournier
Outreach Committee: J Peter Shapiro
Elections Committee: Gabe Meyer

I’m writing this immediately following a meeting of our Finance Committee, where Kathryn Lewis and Stan Moffett shared all of the fantastic work that they have done with Sabrina Hill and Marcia Bennison. Just like two years ago, the transition is happening slowly but safely. We take our responsibility seriously, and we will have a proposed budget ready for review at our Executive Board meeting and at our General Meeting.

The Cole Committee met after the General Meeting to start going through the ideas gathered from all of the political leaders that we have met with over the past year. I have put a link to the Cole Fund on our home page, and we’re still looking for new ideas.

The Bylaws Review is underway, headed by Dean Fournier. If you have questions or concerns about how our organization operates, please contact him with questions and to present new ideas. We want our bylaws to reflect how we do business, while holding the Eboard accountable to our goals as an organization. We will present our proposed changes at the March meetings.

“If you want to get something done, ask a busy person.”

I heard this refrain several times on Saturday, January 29th at the Reorganization meeting of the Washington State Democrats. They were looking at me.

On Saturday I was elected as “Chair of Chairs”, meaning the Washington State Democratic Chairs Organization (WSDCO). This is a state-level coordinating body of chairs and vice-chairs from the counties, LD’s, and thanks to an amendment to the bylaws that we passed on the same day, the caucuses as well. It will help us coordinate efforts in outreach, organizational development and training all around the state in support of our Democratic Platform and candidates.

Our February meeting will be a Legislative Session update, and all three of our elected officials from Olympia will be there to hear our views on what the state is facing and to give us their take on the best solutions. See you there!

Chad Lupkes
Chair, 46th District Democrats

Read our February Demogram here: http://46dems.com/demogram/demogram201102.pdf

Resolution Calling for Federal Recognition of the Duwamish Tribe

WHEREAS the ancestral lands of the Duwamish Tribe include the current boundaries of the City of Seattle, and members of the Duwamish Tribe continue to reside on those lands; and

WHEREAS the Duwamish Tribe, represented by Chief Si’ahl (Seattle), was the first signatory of the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855, guaranteeing the Tribe rights and federal recognition, but the government of the United States of America has not honored the provisions of that treaty with respect to the Duwamish Tribe; and

WHEREAS the Duwamish Tribe received federal recognition by Executive Order of President Bill Clinton on January 19, 2001; and

WHEREAS that Executive Order was rescinded by the Bush Administration on January 21, 2001; and

WHEREAS four bills to extend federal recognition to the Duwamish Tribe have been submitted by Representative Jim McDermott (HR 477 – Jan. 29, 2003; HR 852 – Feb. 16, 2005; HR 949 – Feb. 8, 2007; HR 2678 - June 3, 2009), which Congress has failed to act upon; and

WHEREAS the State Democratic platform calls for “[r]estoration of federal recognition for formerly recognized Tribes”; the King County Democratic Platform states specifically that “[f]ederal recognition of the Duwamish tribe must be restored”; and the 46th District platform declares support for “[r]einstating federal recognition of the Duwamish tribe”;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we affirm our support for federal recognition of the Duwamish Tribe as provided by President Clinton’s Executive Order; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge all members of Washington State’s Congressional delegation to sponsor and support legislation to accomplish such recognition, and to notify us of their actions toward rectification of this unfortunate miscarriage of justice.


Adopted January 20, 2011, by 46th District Democrats

Rep. Scott White on City Inside/Out

City Inside/Out: Legislative Preview 1/7/2011 27:48
As the state legislature prepares to convene next week, we take a look at City Hall`s priorities this session, and bring together a roundtable of Seattle lawmakers to discuss how Olympia will handle the state`s looming $4.6 billion budget deficit. Governor Chris Gregoire has proposed an all-cuts budget that will deeply impact education, healthcare and human services. Will the legislature accept the plan or come up with a better alternative? Studio guests include Rep. Reuven Carlyle (D-36th), Rep. Eric Pettigrew (D-37th) and Sen. Scott White (D-46th).

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