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to go a step farther and force all communities to forego initiatives that improve energy efficiency and to spend big on outdated gas technology for the foreseeable future.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