Seattle Times Sides With Koch Industries Against Asthmatic Kids, Consumers, & The Climate
Favors forcing natural gas down communities’ throats--literally.
Their Values Are Still Not Our Values
Fresh off endorsing a kooky Republican candidate, the Seattle Times Editorial Board is once again on the wrong side of history.
Last week they locked arms with Republican fossil-fuel uber-funders Koch Industries and local MAGA mega-millionaire Brian Heywood in supporting I-2066.
Koch and Heywood (who also is trying to cut school funding by a billion bucks so he and a few of his buddies can have even lower taxes) put $2.4M into getting this ridiculous anti-efficiency bill onto the ballot.
They are joined by a bunch of GOP organizations and right wing activist groups like the Washington Realtors and the Hospitality Association. And then a long list of such pillars of the retail economy as Dave’s Gun & Pawn, a bunch of other gun stores and clubs, pawn shops, a couple tobacco sellers, and a gaggle of gas stations. Of course there are also industry insiders who have something to lose when Washington plans for its future, but at least their economic skin in the game makes some sense of their position.
And of course, there is the Seattle Times Editorial Board.
Honestly, just looking at (most) of the endorsement list should make it easy for anyone who wanders remotely close to being a Democrat.
Vote no on I-2066
Forcing Gas Down Our Throats
To be clear, state law already requires that utilities provide gas hookups, but MAGA wants to go a step farther and force all communities to forego initiatives that improve energy efficiency and to spend big on outdated gas technology for the foreseeable future. They see the trend–consumers are increasingly choosing to move toward heat pumps and they are panicking with retrograde measures like this one.
In other words, I-2066 is an attempt by the fossil fuel industry to make sure our addiction to gas is hard coded into law so they can make as much money as possible off of us while our kids have asthma attacks and our planet heats up.
There is good reason to think their measure will increase the cost of housing. And it will certainly kneecap Washington’s ability to further the clean air act, jeopardize hundreds of millions in incentives for improving buildings, and slow our already sluggish emissions reductions.
Coalition of the Sane Opposes I-2066
As you can imagine, almost every sensible endorsing group has joined the no campaign. (Recently updated list below).
Physician groups and public health advocates oppose it because this means even more gas in homes and burning gas in homes seriously increases child asthma and dangerous asthma exacerbations, and likely cancer risk. So they don’t want the state to juice demand.
It is also opposed for health, safety, climate, efficiency, and justice reasons by local Democratic party organizations from all over the state, environmental groups, unions, housing organizations, (even a list of builders!), churches, groups focused on the poor, the marginalized–and many fantastic politicians from the legislature and two-thirds of the King County Council. Representative Pramila Jayapal, a leading progressive, Representative Adam Smith, a leading centrist, both oppose it as well.
But the Times once again rejects the mainstream Democratic position, just like when they endorsed George W Bush, opposed light rail, tried to stop moderate Maria Cantwell’s candidacy, and a bunch of other nutty positions.
Their perspective is not moderate, mainstream, or in any way reflective of the values of King County Voters.
Please vote no on I-2066 and please tell at least ten friends about the Seattle Times Editorial Board’s actual values.
Here is the No on I-2066 list (or see below).
The List
American Federation of Teachers Washington, AFL-CIO
Alliance for Community Engagement SW WA (ACE)
American Lung Association
Anti-Hunger & Nutrition Coalition
ArchEcology, LLC
Artisan Electric Renewable Energy Solutions
Asian Counseling and Referral Service
Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of Yakima
A&R Solar
Balance Our Tax Code
Balderston Associates LLC
Batt + Lear, Inc.
Building Potential
Cascadia Climate Action Now
Cascadia Renewables
Cascadia Solar
Center for Community Energy
Ceres
Children’s Alliance
Chuckanut Builders
Citizens Climate Lobby
Citizens for a Clean Harbor
Clallam County Democrats
CleanEarth4Kids.org
Climate Action Families
Climate Protection Northwest
Climate Solutions
Concerned Citizen
Cowlitz County Democrats
Democrats of Pacific County
Dwell Development LLC
Earthjustice
Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power and Light
Eastside For All
Economic Opportunity Institute
EcoSpark Heating and Cooling
Ecotech Solar
Ecotope Inc.
Elevate
Evergreen Action
Firelands Workers United / Trabajadores Unidos
Fire Mountain Solar LLC
Franklin County Democratic Central Committee
Frederickson Electric
Front and Centered
Fuse Washington
Futurewise
Gender Justice League
Greater Spokane Progress
Health Care for All – Washington, President
Health Care is a Human Right Washington
House Our Neighbors
Housing Development Consortium
Invest in Washington Now
King County Advisory Council for Aging and Disability Services
King County Democrats
King County Medical Society
Kodama Studio
League of Women Voters of Washington
LISC Puget Sound
LoanTerra
MAD Energy NW
Measure Meant
Medical Students for a Sustainable Future (MS4SF)
MomsRising
Native Daily Network
NCJW WA
New Buildings Institute
Northwest Health Law Advocates
Northwest Progressive Institute
Northwest Renewables
NRDC Action Fund
NW Energy Coalition
Okanogan County Democrats
Olympia Indivisible
OneAmerica Votes
Optimum Building Consultants, LLC
Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility
P3 PAC
Pacific Islander Health Board of Washington
Parent Ambassador
Pass the Federal Green New Deal Coalition
Passive House Northwest
Physicians for a National Health Program
People for Climate Action
Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates
Progreso: Latino Progress
Public Citizen
Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action
Puget Sound Solar LLC
Queer Power Alliance
REI Co-op
Restoring Earth Connection
Retired Public Employees Council of Washington
Rewiring America
RE Sources
San Diego Building Electrification Coalition
San Juan County Democrats
Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition
Seattle Cruise Control
Seattle Restaurants United
SEIU 775
SEIU 925
Sheet Metal Workers Local 66
Shift Zero
Sierra Club Washington Chapter
Simplicity Home Energy Auditing
Snohomish County Indivisible
Solid Ground
Solterra Solar
South Seattle Climate Action Network
Statewide Poverty Action Network
Sunbridge Solar
Sunergy Systems Inc
Sunshine Construction LLC
Sun Path Electric
TC Legend Homes
The Lands Council
Thurston Climate Action Team
Transit Riders Union
Transportation Choices Coalition
Triple Bottom Line Construction
TWC Collective
UAW
UFCW 3000
UNITEHERE! Local 8
University Congregational United Church of Christ
Vashon Climate Action Group
Vashon Friends Worship Group (Quakers)
Wallingford Indivisible
Washington Bus
Washington Clean Energy Coalition
Washington Community Alliance
Washington Community Action Network
Washington Conservation Action
Washington Education Association
Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
Washington Solar Energy Industries Association
Washington State Budget and Policy Center
Washington Citizens’ Climate Lobby
Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Washington State Democrats
Washington State Parent Ambassadors
Washington Youth Alliance Action Fund
Western Solar Inc
Whatcom County Democrats
Whidbey Island Democratic Club
ZeroCarbonMA
11th Legislative District Democrats
21st Legislative District Democrats
22nd Legislative District Democrats
32nd Legislative District Democrats
34th Legislative District Democrats
37th Legislative District Democrats
45th Legislative District Democrats
47th Legislative District Democrats
48th Legislative District Democrats
350 Eastside
350 Seattle
350 Spokane
350 Tacoma
350 Wenatchee
350 Yakima Climate Action
Elected Officials
Pramila Jayapal, U.S. Congress
Adam Smith, U.S. Congress
Karen Keiser, State Senator, President Pro Tempore
Andy Billig, State Senator, Senate Majority Leader
Manka Dhingra, State Senator, Deputy Majority Leader
Annette Cleveland, State Senator
Noel Frame, State Senator
Drew Hansen, State Senator
Bob Hasegawa, State Senator
Sam Hunt, State Senator
Patty Kuderer, State Senator
Marko Liias, State Senator
Liz Lovelett, State Senator
Joe Nguyen, State Senator
T’wina Nobles, State Senator
Jamie Pedersen, State Senator
Emily Randall, State Senator
June Robinson, State Senator
Rebecca Saldaña, State Senator
Jesse Salomon, State Senator
Sharon Shewmake, State Senator
Derek Stanford, State Senator
Yasmin Trudeau, State Senator
Javier Valdez, State Senator
Lisa Wellman, State Senator
Claire Wilson, State Senator
Laurie Jinkins, Speaker of the House
Joe Fitzgibbon, State Representative, House Majority Leader
Emily Alvarado, State Representative
Jessica Bateman, State Representative
April Berg, State Representative
Liz Berry, State Representative
Beth Doglio, State Representative
Davina Duerr, State Representative
Darya Farivar, State Representative
Roger Goodman, State Representative
Mia Gregerson, State Representative
David Hackney, State Representative
Nicole Macri, State Representative
Greg Nance, State Representative
Timm Ormsby, State Representative
Strom Peterson, State Representative
Gerry Pollet, State Representative
Alex Ramel, State Representative
Julia Reed, State Representative
Kristine Reeves, State Representative
Marcus Riccelli, State Representative
Cindy Ryu, State Representative
Sharon Tomiko Santos, State Representative
Tana Senn, State Representative
Vandana Slatter, State Representative
Chris Stearns, State Representative
Monica Jurado Stonier, State Representative
Amy Walen, State Representative
Anthony Young, Anacortes City Council
Jace Cotton, Bellingham City Council, At-Large
Hollie Huthman, Bellingham City Council
Jorge L. Barón, King County Council
Claudia Balducci, King County Council
Rod Dembowski, King County Council
Sarah Perry, King County Council
Teresa Mosqueda, King County Council
Girmay Zahilay, King County Council
Andrew Vander Stoep, Mount Vernon City Council
Marty Campbell, Pierce County Council
Robyn Denson, Pierce County Council
Jani Hitchen, Pierce County Council
Ryan Mello, Pierce County Council
Megan Dunn, Snohomish County Council
Jon Scanlon, Whatcom County Council, At-Large