This was an exciting budget season with passionate testimony and messages directed to the Council daily. This was my final opportunity as a Councilmember to work for the goals that are most important to me. I am pleased that all of my recommendations were approved by the Council. We were fortunate that during our budget […]
Author: Joseph Peha (Joseph Peha)
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November 6, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Rasmussen
Budget: End of Round 1
Round 1 of the Council budget review concluded on Monday. Now we move into the phase of the budget where it’s important for people to express their support for the budget action items they favor. During the next week, councilmembers will be gauging public support on items that could make it into the budget package […]
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October 29, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Rasmussen
Budget Priorities
Seattle’s Annual Budget Process is underway! Every year the Seattle City Council is tasked with evaluating the Mayor’s Proposed Budget. I believe this process should be as open and transparent as possible, so I’ve decided to link you to some existing websites that I believe are valuable resources for following this process as an educated […]
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October 15, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
UP #382 – A Proposal for New Tenant Protection Legislation
Early yesterday, on October 14, 2015, I joined Councilmember Sawant in announcing our new proposal for protecting tenants facing rent increases. Our current law (Seattle Municipal Code 7.24.030) was a result of legislation passed 17 years ago, which I sponsored. It contains a range of protections for tenants. It requires landlords to give a minimum […]
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August 7, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
UP #377 – ALEC Conference Part 6 // Will ACCE become the ALEC for Cities and Counties?
In coming to the ALEC/ACCE conference my big question was, would the American City County Exchange (ACCE) be able to duplicate ALEC’s success in getting hundreds of bills passed around the country that cripple worker and environmental protections? Would it open the floodgates to corporate influence in shaping our urban political environment? It seemed to […]
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August 6, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
UP #376 – ALEC Conference Part 5 // Internal Divisions within ALEC
It is verifiable how large corporations push ALEC’s policies to allow them to maximize their profits while passing on the cost of mitigating any environmental damage they cause to the public sector. The same goes for the public picking up the tab for workers who need health care or housing because businesses do not pay […]
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August 5, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
UP #375 – ALEC Conference Part 4 // ALEC’s Targets: Unions, the Supreme Court, Political Parties, & Bureaucrats
Unions are ALEC’s favorite whipping boy. When ALEC opened up their conference with Governor Steve Walker, he snapped that whip within his first few moments boasting “we took on the unions and won.” The crowd cheered. Even though union membership has been slashed by two-thirds from their peak in the mid-fifties, there are still enough […]
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August 4, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
UP #374 – ALEC Conference Part 3 // Where Corporations Are People Too
Unlike other political organizations of locally elected public officials, corporations, business associations, and think tanks are full voting ALEC members, referred to as the private-interest partners. From talking to one private-interest member, the cost of joining ALEC is just over $1,000 but to vote in one of ALEC’s task forces that make policies, the cost […]
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August 3, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
UP #373 – ALEC Conference Part 2 // Meet the folks who want to tear down government
This series about my attendance at the ALEC conference has first appeared on the website PR Watch. If yesterday’s far left wanted to overthrow the government, today’s far right would just as soon get rid of most of it. The term “far right” implies a small fringe group, wanting to shove most of the federal […]
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August 3, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata
UP #373 – ALEC Conference Part 2: Meet the folks who want to tear down government
This series about my attendance at the ALEC conference has first appeared on the website PR Watch. If yesterday’s far left wanted to overthrow the government, today’s far right would just as soon get rid of most of it. The term “far right” implies a small fringe group, wanting to shove most of the federal […]