A number of Washington State environmental organizations have endorsements posted for this November’s General Election.
Washington Conservation Voters have an extensive list of endorsements of environmental candidates including local endorsements for Clark, King, Kitsap, Pierce,Snohomish, Thurston and Whatcom Counties.
They also recommend a Yes vote on Proposition 1 – the Roads and Transit Package to be voted on by King, Pierce and Snohomish County voters. They urge a No vote on Tim Eyman’s Initiative 960 to give a minority of one third of the Washington State Legislators veto power over any revenue or fee increase in the state budget.
The Cascade Chapter of the Sierra Club urges a No vote on Initiative 960.
Endorsements for County candidates for King, Pierce and Snohomish County are listed as well as urging a No vote on Proposition 1 – The Roads and Transit Package.
A list of endorsed City Council candidates is included for the cities of Bellevue, Bellingham, Burien, Camas, Edmonds, Everett, Kirkland, Lake Forest Park, Lynnwood, Mercer Island, Mill Creek, Seattle, Tacoma, University Place, and Vancouver.
Futurewise urges a No vote on Initiative 960 and a Yes vote on Proposition 1 for Roads and Transit.
The Washington Environmental Council urges a No vote on Initiative 960 and a Yes vote on Proposition 1 for Roads and Transit.
Transportation Choices Coalition urges a Yes vote on Proposition 1 for Roads and Transit.
The Cascade Bicycle Club has a list of endorsed candidates for King and Snohomish Counties, port of Seattle, and a lengthy list of endorsed local candidates for Mayor and City Council. They urge a No vote on Proposition 1.
The environmental community has overwhelming come out against Initiative 960, realizing that it poses a real threat to many environmental programs including park and wild land preservation programs and environmental protection programs and global warming action. A visit to the No on I-960 shows a long list of environmental groups opposing I-960, including American Rivers, Audubon Washington, Climate Solutions, Conservation Northwest, Earth Ministry, Environment Washington, FutureWise Green Party of Washington, People for Puget Sound, Sierra Club – Cascade Chapter, Transportation Choices Washington, Vancouver Washington, Washington Conservation Voters, Washington Environmental Council and WashPIRG.
The Yes on Proposition 1 – Roads and Transit proposal includes the following environmental groups supporting it – Washington Conservation Voters, Transportation Choices Coalition, Washington Environmental Council, Futurewise, Tahoma Audubon Society, Environment Washington, Bicycle Alliance of Washington, and the Cascade Land Conservancy. These groups believe that the transit component of the package is a significant boost for moving toward a better transportation system that puts greater emphasis on transit solution and reducing dependency on cars.
As mentioned above the Sierra Club – Cascade Chapter and the Cascade Bicycle Club oppose Proposition 1 – believing it still moves in the wrong direction by supporting a roads package. They would rather see a transit only package. The question is whether a defeat of Proposition 1 would allow a transit only package to emerge or whether nothing would happen for many years to come.
