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WASHINGTON STATE Open Thread
This is a community series giving our Washington Kossacks a virtual meeting place to discuss issues of concern to our state and share what's happening in our lives. Share your activist efforts, plug for your favorite candidate, share a LTE you've gotten published or educate us on the issues you are passionate about. Tell us an interesting or funny story, ask for advice from the community or share a recipe. Tell us anything that has happened out there. Nothing is off topic. Let's connect, unite and act!
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One of the great joys of living in the Pacific Northwest, for me, is having access to some of the best salmon in the world. Nothing like going down to Pike's Place Market, walking up to your favorite fish vendor, inspecting the selections on offer, getting the proprietor's advice and purchasing a fillet for the BBQ that evening. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. May just have to make a trip today.
The best market in all of Seattle!
Although salmon is plentiful in this part of the country those of us that concern themselves with the environmental health of things around us do not take that availability for granted.
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks Fish Ladder allows fish passage around.
Much research, monitoring and effort goes in to maintaining the health of the salmon runs we benefit from and it takes constant vigilance to insure their continued health. New threats to their habitat pop up constantly.
The latest assault on this fish came to my attention just the other day in a story which appeared on King 5 news on May 6, 2015.
There is a mining boom in British Columbia right now near the Alaskan border, with ten developing mines, many harvesting copper and gold.
They're at the headwaters of rivers that feed into the open waters around southeast Alaska.
"We feel that our livelihoods, our salmon, our clean water, our culture, are at risk from these large scale mines," Heather Hardcastle said.
Harcastle, a commercial fisherman, remembers a disaster last year. The Mount Polley mine failure and subsequent dam breach that flooded acres of waterways with mining waste and toxins.
It's often called one of Canada's worst environmental disasters. First Nations people in the area say their native way of life no longer includes salmon.
For 43 years,
Pete Knutson has been fishing these waters.
"If you can imagine putting battery acid into a salmon stream, that's what these mines are all about," Knutson said.
He believes it would kill business for many Seattle fishing companies. They make up more than 10% of southeast Alaska's salmon permits.
"It's going to have an impact on the availability of wild salmon," Knutson said. "Everybody's concerned about this."
I'm one of them!
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Update on last week's post: WASHINGTON STATE Open Thread - Seattle Growing Pains, Affordable Housing & Rent Control
In Kshama Sawant's words:
This phenomenal outpouring of community engagement is a continuation of the Affordable Housing Town Hall that Councilmember Licata and I organized on April 23rd and is reminiscent of the numerous public forums held in the run-up to the historic $15 minimum wage victory. It reflects the growing understanding among renters, home owners, and ordinary Seattleites that our affordable housing crisis won’t be solved by backroom deals with developers. The only way to ensure that the needs of our communities come before the profits of speculators and developers is to build a grassroots movement. This debate was another important step in that direction.
After the huge turnout at the rent control debate, many are asking what we can do next to build this movement. Councilmember Licata and I have co-sponsored a Rent Control Resolutionon the City Council, calling on Olympia to change the state law that prevents cities from passing their own rent control laws. This would make it official City policy that Olympia should end the ban on rent control, which would give our movement even more momentum.
You can help pass the Rent Control Resolution! I have launched a petition to “Lift the Washington State Ban on Rent Control”. Sign the petition here, and then share it on Facebook and Twitter, and email friends and family.
I signed it because I don't think it is proper to ban rent control being considered when we supposedly operate in a democratic system where local communities should have the power to decide the development and living future of their communities.
Update on previous post: WASHINGTON STATE Open Thread: Why the Port of Seattle Commission Race Matters to You
Climate Hawks Vote had this to say about Fred Felleman:
Seattle votes on local leadership next month. We've watched kayaktivists say ShellNo! to a monstrous drilling rig in Seattle. Sadly, the port gave Shell the permits it needed to do its work. Seattle voters have a chance to turn that around on August 5 by electing Fred For Port- specifically, Fred Felleman for Port Commissioner No. 5. Check out Fred's website and take action you think is appropriate, whether donation (a small donation goes a long way in a race like this) or endorsement. And we're helping friends coordinate phonebanking - click here to make a few calls.
Normally this is where we ask for money. Instead, we ask that you forward this email to five friends who might be considering a run for office, or know of someone who is, at any level from Senator to dogcatcher; and reach out to climatehawksvote@gmail.com.
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This is one of four weekly open threads for a state. The other three are North Carolina started by randalt Michigan organized by peregrine kate and ,Colorado just launched this last Wednesday by Leftcandid.
Michigan: Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Eastern
North Carolina: Sundays, 1:00 PM Eastern
Washington: Sundays, 3:30 PM Pacific
Colorado: Wednesdays - posted at 6:30PM Pacific
For those in other states, please join us as we strive to establish state open threads in all fifty. Please drop me a line if you are interested in hosting an open thread in your state. Keep in mind, you can create your own State Open Thread group and set up a system and schedule for rotating the weekly contribution.
We have started a State Open Thread group that you can follow to catch the weekly round ups. Scheduling is still in the works but we are striving for an advertised and promoted regular date and time for each of these so readers can depend on a schedule to check out their state's happenings. Please help support and contribute to this project. 4 down, 46 to go!