Eight weeks from tonight, voting ends and vote-counting begins. You’re well-aware that the races to be decided include president, governor, and one City Council seat. You probably recall that the renewed/expanded Seattle Transportation Levy will be on your ballot too. But did you know you’ll be asked to approve or reject four statewide initiatives too? Today the campaign against one of them, I-2117, came to West Seattle. From the state voters’-guide website, here’s how it will appear on your ballot:
Initiative 2117 would repeal the state’s Climate Commitment Act, which seeks to result in a 95 percent reduction in carbon emissions within the next quarter century. Its provisions raise money to help with environment-related programs, and that’s what today’s news conference was about. The “No on 2117” campaign gathered supporters at Southwest Youth and Family Services, the nonprofit headquartered just east of Delridge Playfield, to talk about how approval of 2117 would take away funding that they say is needed by schools as well as nonprofits like SWYFS to upgrade their indoor-air systems. We recorded the 15-minute briefing by SWYFS’s new executive director Essence Russ, Seattle teacher Andrew Echols, and pulmonologist Dr. Vin Gupta:
As Russ explained in response to our question at the end, and as local State House Rep. (and House Majority Leader) Joe Fitzgibbon affirmed, SWYFS is in line for $273,000 in Climate Commitment Act funding to help cover the cost of an HVAC overhaul. That’s one of several local commitments shown on this map – others in our area include electric-vehicle charging stations in various areas and a utility-meter upgrade at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor).
Those gathered in support of the speakers at today’s event included local advocates and even former SWYFS executive director Steve Daschle, who left the organization last year after 35 years.
THE OTHER SIDE: 2117 backers’ main argument is a contention that the Climate Commitment Act has been a “hidden gas tax” and repealing it will save people money.
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