I-1100 is a major threat to public safety (WSLC Reports

June 25, 2010

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June 22: Starbucks' CEO a union buster

June 21: Advocates seek stronger OSHA

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Friday, June 25, 2010

I-1100 is a major threat to public safety that will cost taxpayers

With the state auditor estimating that teens’ access to hard alcohol will increase by more than 400% if Initiative 1100 passes, a growing coalition of public safety officials and others -- calling on voters to "Keep Our Kids Safe" -- has denounced I-1100, a proposed statewide measure to privatize liquor sales.

"Making hard alcohol more accessible by selling it in convenience stores is a potential threat to the public’s health and to the safety of our communities," said Kelly Fox, Olympia Firefighter and President of the Washington State Council of Firefighters, who routinely answers calls to tragic drunk-driving accidents.

In addition, if I-1100 were in effect in 2009, state taxpayers would have lost more than $230 million for schools throughout the state, health care and other core services. Read more.

► From AP -- Backers of liquor initiative deliver petitions -- Washington voters likely will get a chance to privatize hard liquor sales this fall, now that an initiative campaign backed by Costco has submitted signed voter petitions. Issaquah-based Costco Wholesale Corp. has contributed about $735,000 to the campaign, along with roughly $107,000 in other donated assistance.

Jobs Bill R.I.P.

► At Huffington Post -- Jobs Bill fails again in Senate; Democrats say it's doomed -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says that after Republicans once again defeated a bill to reauthorize several expired domestic aid programs, including extended unemployment benefits, Democrats are giving up on trying to break the GOP filibuster. In an effort to mollify a handful of conservative Democrats and moderate Republicans, Senate leaders spent the past several weeks trimming the bill to reduce its deficit impact. But after jettisoning several provisions to help the old, the poor and the jobless, reducing its deficit impact from $134 billion down to just $33 billion, the bill still failed. Not a single Republican was willing to lend support and Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson is still holding out, leaving Democrats two votes short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster.

► In today's LA Times -- Senate GOP blocks jobless aid extension -- Senate Republicans again blocked an effort to reinstate long-term unemployment benefits for people who have exhausted their aid, prolonging a stalemate that has left more than a million people without federal help.

WSLC affiliates:
Download election materials

Download camera-ready fliers comparing candidates in various races and explaining ballot measures. Affiliated unions can also request customized versions of these fliers with their names and logos. Get more information.

Election news:

► At OurEconomicFuture.org -- Withdraw your signature from Initiative 1107 -- If you believe you signed Initiative 1107 -- which eliminates critical state funding for health care and education by repealing taxes on soda pop, candy, gum, and bottled water -- without understanding its negative impact, you can withdraw your signature with the Secretary of State's office.

State government news:

► From AP -- No "sacred cows" in rejiggering of budget -- Gregoire suggests selling naming rights to state properties, privatizing state ferries and taking other bold steps as possible solutions to long-term budget problems. It’s not the first time that Gregoire, has called for major government reforms. But Thursday’s ideas, paired with an overhauled accountability system for state programs, represent her biggest push yet for shedding the status quo.

► In today's Kitsap Sun -- Gregoire says ferry system privatization on the table -- Gov. Gregoire’s call for a study of ferry system privatization is not an endorsement of the idea, her spokesman says. Nonetheless, the study will happen. Local legislators said ferry privatization likely will not.

► In the (Everett) Herald -- Ferry rate hike on hold -- State transportation commissioners put off a decision on whether to boost the price of a ferry ride after grilling leaders of the state ferry system on what they’ve done to curb costs and end controversial employee practices.

► In the Seattle Times -- Gregoire wants to intervene in health-care suit -- Gov. Chris Gregoire is joining with three other Democratic governors seeking to fight the controversial health-care lawsuit filed by more than a dozen state attorneys-general, including Rob McKenna.

Boeing news:

► In the St. Louis P-D -- Boeing workers fight to preserve traditional pension -- As Boeing workers in St. Louis prepare for a possible strike, the company's defined-benefit pension plan has become a burning issue. Unionized machinists are trying to preserve a benefit that's fading fast across the country. Boeing wants new hires to get a cheaper 401(k) plan instead.

Click to enlarge ► In today's Seattle Times -- Boeing halts 787 flights for inspection -- Boeing has temporarily grounded its 787 flight-test fleet while it checks for an assembly flaw in the horizontal tails built by Italian manufacturing partner Alenia. Engineers have discovered a quality problem that could lead to cracking at the point where the horizontal tail attaches to the fuselage. Alenia mechanics in Foggia, Italy, improperly installed brackets used to attach the horizontal tail to the fuselage, according to people familiar with the problem.

► In the Wichita Eagle -- Spirit offers Wichita workers 10-year contract -- Spirit AeroSystems promises to keep major manufacturing operations in Wichita for the life of a 10-year contract proposal should union members ratify it on Friday. "It's got the strongest job security language in the industry," Machinists spokesman Bob Wood said Wednesday.

Local news:

► At SPEEA.org -- Spokane members approve 39-month contract with Triumph -- SPEEA members at Triumph Composite Systems approved a new 39-month contract covering 43 members which guarantees existing employees' jobs through September 2013, provides a bonus, boosts wages in each of the contract's three years and caps increases to medical premiums at no more than 8% for every year of the agreement.

► In today's News Tribune -- Ruling upholds layoffs at Bates Technical College -- Bates followed the law when it made plans to lay off five faculty members, a state administrative law judge has concluded. But the faculty union, the American Federation of Teachers, says the law is flawed.

► In today's (Everett) Herald -- Layoffs, service cuts possible as Everett battles deficit -- The year’s barely half through, but leaders are worried about layoffs, furloughs and substantial service cuts.

► At SeattlePI.com -- Keypad malfunction caused delay at fatal Seattle fire -- A transmission control keypad malfunction delayed firefighters at the Fremont blaze that killed five people.

► In today's Bellingham Herald -- Road paint shortage stifles county repaving efforts -- Crews have stopped restriping Whatcom County roads right in the middle of the prime restriping season, because they're feeling the pinch of a nationwide shortage of road paint.

► In the Wenatchee World -- Workers walk over dirty toilets -- About 90 union workers have returned to work after walking off the construction job at Central Washington Hospital on Tuesday, after apparently complaining that some portable toilets at the site were dirty.

National news:

► From AP -- Take Our Jobs: Farmworker challenge anti-immigrant activists -- Tired of being targeted by politicians and anti-immigrant activists, farmworkers are teaming up with comedian Stephen Colbert to challenge unemployed Americans: Come on, take our jobs. The United Farm Workers is encouraging the unemployed -- and any Washington, D.C., pundits or anti-immigrant activists -- to apply for some of the thousands of agricultural jobs posted with state agencies as harvest season begins. All applicants need do is fill out an online form under the banner, "I want to be a farmworker" at www.takeourjobs.org, and experienced field hands will train them and connect them to farms.

► From AP -- Obama claims victory in financial overhaul deal -- President Obama declared victory Friday after congressional negotiators reached a dawn agreement on a sweeping overhaul of rules overseeing Wall Street. Lawmakers shook hands on the compromise legislation at 5:39 a.m. after Obama administration officials helped broker a deal that cracked the last impediment to the bill -- a proposal to force banks to spin off their lucrative derivatives trading business.

► In The Hill -- Harkin hints EFCA could come up in lame-duck Congress -- The Iowa senator says parts of the bill could pass during a lame-duck session, the time after an election during which members who might have retired or lost reelection still serve for roughly two months.

► At Huffington Post -- Wall Street survives intact -- The long hours of closed-door meetings have fulfilled Wall Street's greatest wish: the measures offering the greatest chances to reshape how the Street conducts business have been struck out, weakened, or rendered irrelevant.

► At LaborRadio.org -- Former SEIU President Andy Stern joins board of pharmaceutical firm

And today's must-read...

► In today's Washington Post -- Big Business' hypocritical country-club nonsense (Steven Pearlstein column) -- The business community demands that budget deficits be controlled but don't offer a single proposal for cutting spending, all while touting a laundry list of tax breaks they want preserved along with big new cuts in corporate taxes.

They demand that something be done about runaway health-care costs but then reject just about every solution that health experts have come up with: limits on the favorable tax treatment of health insurance, a reduction in lab fees or an independent commission that might reduce what Medicare pays for drugs.

They demand a green light for new free-trade treaties but offer no help for workers whose jobs will be lost because of them.

They claim to run their companies on behalf of shareholders but demand that these same shareholders not be given any right to nominate directors, posting the preposterous argument that it will somehow "reduce efficiency, stifle competition and deter capital formation."

FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2010
Initiative 1100: A major threat to public safety that will cost taxpayers

The following press release was distributed Wednesday:

Initiative 1100 Is a Major Threat to Public Safety
that Will Cost Taxpayers Hundreds of Millions

Proposed measure puts children, communities at risk by eliminating sensible regulations, allowing more than 10-fold increase in outlets selling hard liquor

SEATTLE (June 23) -- With the State Auditor estimating that teens’ access to hard alcohol will increase by over 400% if Initiative 1100 passes, a growing coalition of public safety officials and others -- calling on voters to "Keep Our Kids Safe" -- today denounced Initiative 1100, a proposed statewide measure to privatize liquor sales.

"I see people all the time who come into the Hospital after a car accident caused by alcohol," said Sharon Ness, a Tacoma-area nurse. "Why on earth would we ever want to sell liquor in the same stores where we sell Cheerios? Allowing hard liquor to be sold in neighborhood convenience stores, gas stations and thousands of other outlets across the state is bad for our health and bad for our kids."

Currently, there are 340 outlets across the state licensed to sell hard liquor. Since any outlet now selling beer and wine will be allowed to sell hard liquor under I-1100, the number of outlets will skyrocket to more than 5,000 if the initiative passes, as controls over the distribution of liquor are wiped out.

"Making hard alcohol more accessible by selling it in convenience stores is a potential threat to the public’s health and to the safety of our communities," added Kelly Fox, Olympia Firefighter and President of the Washington State Council of Firefighters, who routinely answers calls to tragic drunk driving accidents.

According to a recent report from the State Auditor, under its current system Washington maintains a 94% compliance rate with no-sale to minors. However, other states with privatized sales have a compliance rate of 75%, meaning that roughly one out of every four underage kids who walk into a convenience store to buy liquor walk out with a bottle in hand. That represents a 400 percent increase in the rate of non-compliance. In addition to making alcohol more accessible to minors, I-1100 would also harm kids by eliminating hundreds of millions of dollars of state revenue from alcohol sales that is currently used to support public safety, education and children's health care.

If Initiative 1100 were in effect in 2009, Washington State taxpayers would have lost more than $230 million in revenue, which was used to fund schools throughout the state as well as health care and other core services.

For more information, contact Sandeep Kaushik at (206) 355-9230.