FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/2/2014
Councilmember Sally J. Clark
Council President Tim Burgess
Councilmember Sally Bagshaw
Councilmember Jean Godden
Councilmember Bruce Harrell
Councilmember Nick Licata
Councilmember Mike O'Brie...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/19/2014
Councilmember Nick Licata
Councilmember Kshama Sawant
Councilmembers Licata, Sawant Announce Proposal to Maintain Metro
SEATTLE - Councilmember Nick Licata and Councilmember Kshama Sawant and individuals representing working people, elderly, disabled, students, and people of color announced their plan today to address proposed cuts to Seattle Metro bus service. The proposed plan would use a Commercial Parking Tax increase and an Employer Head Tax to prevent devastating cuts to transit.
With the failure of Proposition 1 on April 22, King County Metro will implement the first of four planned rounds of bus service cuts. If all of these cuts happen, 16% of bus service, or 550,000 annual service hours, will disappear.
"If approved by Council, the Mayor’s proposal will go to the ballot in November, but not in time to prevent the first round of cuts. These initial cuts, and the funding that would kick in if ‘Plan C’ were approved, places a burden on poor and working people," said Licata. "There are other options, and they are options that don’t expose our most vulnerable populations to more regressive taxation. The City Council has the ability to implement an Employer’s Head Tax and increase the commercial parking tax to fund public transportation," Licata added. "If the City Council moves on this, we can prevent devastating cuts. I have asked our policy staff to research exactly how much revenue could be raised through these means, and to begin drafting legislation to introduce to the City Council."
During the past 25 years, Metro has increased its reliance on regressive taxation five times through raising the sales tax and Vehicle Licensing Fees. In addition, fares have also been raised four times in the past six years, with another proposed increase in 2015. Sales tax has proven to be an unstable revenue source: the dot-com crash in 2001 reduced sales tax revenue and forced Metro to scale back plans to increase service, and in 2009 Metro lost more than 15% of its sales tax base due to the recession.
"A functioning transportation system is critical to the working people who make Seattle and the wider region run. The ongoing cuts to Metro disproportionately affect low-wage workers, the elderly, the disabled, and people of color," said Sawant. "As a regular bus rider, I stand with all the commuters in King County who are opposed to the looming cuts to these services. I am also in solidarity with Metro workers who are threatened with layoffs and a proposed wage freeze. Seattle’s poor and working people not only need the service to be maintained, they need a world-class mass transit system for this city to remain livable for them," Sawant added.
"I support the most equitable and least burdensome revenue source(s) on lower income users when considering the critical funding for our Metro bus system," said Rev. Paul Benz, Faith Action Network.
"Working people should refuse to accept that increasingly regressive taxation is the best we can do," said Philip Locker, Social Alternative. "The only reason that no progressive funding options currently exist is because there is a lack of political will at the state, county and city level. Local elected officials have an obligation to fight to stop regressive taxation and to implement policies such as taxing big business and the super-wealthy, ending direct and indirect subsidies to large real estate developers, capping excessive government executive salaries, and ending corporate handouts to generate the revenue necessary to fully fund and expand mass transit."
"With the findings recently published in the Third National Climate Assessment, it is clear that the US is already experiencing serious effects of climate change. The City of Seattle has the responsibility to act decisively to reduce our carbon impact on the environment," said Jess Spear, 15 Now. "Maintaining and expanding public transportation has proven to be an effective strategy for reducing emissions and combating climate change."
"We must organize and build our forces until we can wage an effective fight for new public transit funding and progressive taxation in Olympia," said Katie Wilson, Transit Riders Union. "Until then we will continue to be driven by the logic of artificial scarcity, cornered into the false choices of austerity: Service cuts or regressive taxes?"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 3/19/2014
Councilmember Kshama Sawant
Sawant says, "Big businesses need to be exposed. They are hiding behind small businesses in the debate on $15/hr."
SEATTLE -- Councilmember Kshama Sawant offered the following statement in response to favorable reactions to her proposal of a new specific policy direction for $15/hour minimum wage. The proposal was announced as part of her speech last Saturday, March 15th:
"It's been said before, but worth re-stating: we need a full minimum of $15/hour for all of Seattle's workers. Small nonprofits that provide essential human services have been struggling with stagnant government funding. The best path is to tax the rich and big businesses to ensure that human services are fully funded, and the employees of micro businesses and human service nonprofits also get a full $15/hour.
"Conversations and newspaper columns have brought up carve-outs like tip credit, total compensation, training wages and teenage wages, which are completely contrary to the interests of workers. Big businesses have not shown their faces in the debate, and they are glad as long as they can hide behind small businesses.
"The Mayor has expressed concerns about 'very small businesses'. If the concern is about small businesses, then I would assume Mayor Murray agrees with me that big businesses can pay $15/hour now.
"To help the Mayor's Advisory Committee begin to make some progress, I have proposed we separate out the issue of how to implement the $15/hour minimum wage for big businesses versus non-profits and small businesses. I am proposing that big business pay $15/hour starting January 1, 2015, with a yearly cost of living increase and no tip credit, no total compensation, no teenage wages and no training wages.
"Economic studies show that small local businesses benefit from higher wages to workers, who are also consumers. To make progress, however, I am proposing a three-year phase-in for small businesses and human service providers, starting with an $11/hour minimum wage on January 1, 2015 and increasing up to $15/hour in three years with a yearly cost of living increase.
"Offering a phase-in to small businesses will force the discussion to focus on big businesses. People should not forget, though, that the cost of living for workers is no different regardless of the size of the company.
"My proposal has been sent to the Mayor's Income Inequality Advisory Committee. I have asked them to discuss it as the main agenda item at their next meeting on March 26th. I welcome the call by the grassroots campaign 15 Now for workers to come together on April 26th to review the progress by the Mayor's committee. This is an example of working class activism and democracy that I hope will spread throughout the country.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 3/4/2014
Councilmember Kshama Sawant
Councilmember Jean Godden
Sawant, Godden Recognize Women's History Month
Fight for Economic Opportunities, Reduce the Gender Gap
SEATTLE -- Councilmember Kshama Sawant and Councilmember Jean Godden issued the following statement regarding Women's History Month observed in March and the celebration of International Women's Day on March 8. The Councilmembers salute all the women who struggle and have struggled for women's rights around the globe, and the fight to reduce the gender gap to provide economic opportunities for women:
"Every gain for women's rights was won through struggle. Our fight for a $15/hour minimum wage in Seattle is fundamentally a fight for women's rights," said Sawant. "Two-thirds of minimum wage workers are women and one in five are mothers. Women are nearly two thirds of tipped workers and we must fight for a living wage for all workers, not based on the generosity of others."
Sawant cited the findings of the Restaurant Opportunities Center United: "Lowering the minimum wage for tipped workers is essentially creating legalized gender inequity in the restaurant industry and allowing a tip penalty would exacerbate the gender wage gap. Working women and people of color need $15/hour without tip penalties and we need it now."
The Restaurant Opportunities Center United also points out that female servers are paid 68 percent of the wage received by males, whereas African American women workers are making only 60 percent of what their male counterparts earn."A higher minimum wage is a powerful tool towards reducing income disparity between women and men," says Councilmember Godden (chair of the Council Committee overseeing Gender Equity. "Our city wants to be the best at bridging this gap; right now we have one of the worst gender wage gaps in the country."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2/28/2014
Councilmember Kshama Sawant
Councilmember Sawant, community activists urge Harborview to end harassment of immigrant custodians
SEATTLE - Councilmember Kshama Sawant delivered a letter to the Harborview Medical Center administration in solidarity with Harborview custodians, requesting the institution rectify charges of racial harassment and intimidation of custodial staff. Her office met with 40 custodians employed at Harborview where they face hostile working conditions, receive less pay, and face threats of termination for lack of English language proficiency.
"The hostile working conditions for Harborview custodians is outrageous," said Sawant. "Discrimination, be it on the basis of race, language, or gender, is unacceptable and hurts ALL workers." Further she pledged: "If UW Medicine custodians at Harborview have to resort to public actions to win justice, I pledge to march at their side."
In her letter, Sawant requested that the custodians at Harborview receive back pay and that the Haborview administration take steps to ensure a harassment-free atmosphere for custodial staff.
The Coalition of Refugee and Immigrant Communities issued a statement asking for support "to resolve this unfair targeting of immigrants and refugees at Harborview."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1/27/2014
Councilmember Kshama Sawant
Sawant affirms election pledge, accepting average workers' wages
SEATTLE - City Councilmember Kshama Sawant issued the following statement regarding her election pledge to take only ave...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1/21/2014
Councilmember Kshama Sawant
Councilmember Sawant statement on Metro Cuts and proposed 'Plan B'
SEATTLE - City Councilmember Kshama Sawant issued the following statement regarding the impending Metro cuts and the proposed Plan B Measure:
"A functioning transportation system is critical to the working people who make Seattle and the wider region run. The ongoing cuts to Metro disproportionately affect low-wage workers, the elderly, the disabled, and people of color. As a regular bus rider, I stand with other riders in King County who are opposing devastating cuts to these services. I am also in solidarity with Metro workers who are threatened with layoffs and a proposed wage freeze.
"The primary solution being put forward to address these cuts is the Transportation Benefit District Proposal (TBD), also called Plan B. This would cover the $74 million shortfall by using regressive taxation in the form of increasing the Vehicle Licensing Fee (VLF) and raising sales tax by 0.1%. Washington State has the most regressive tax system in the nation. This proposal would force the same low-income households, already battered by the recession, to again pick up the tab on behalf of big business and the wealthiest 1%. Moreover, the TBD will not permanently solve the crisis and working people will be asked to pay again and again.
"Seattle and King County have an obligation to find progressive and permanent sources of funding to ensure cuts are averted, fares are reduced, and that Metro service is expanded with new priority given to chronically under-served neighborhoods."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1/15/2014
Councilmember Kshama Sawant
Councilmember Sawant statement on Eastside Catholic students' petition delivery to Archdiocese
SEATTLE - Councilmember Kshama Sawant issued the following statement in response to Eastside Catholic students' petition delivery to Archdiocese:
"I stand in solidarity with the students at Eastside Catholic School who walked out of classes in protest and have continued to rally for the reinstatement of their Vice Principal Mark Zmuda. I am concerned not only by the unjust way Mark Zmuda has been treated, but also by the school administration's threats to discipline students if they continue their protests, violating their freedom of speech. I applaud the students for broadening their struggle to defend all LGBTQ rights within the Archdiocese of Seattle's school system.
"I, and many others, have been inspired by the principled stand taken by the students. History has shown that collective action of this kind has effectively combated so many forms of discrimination in our history and helped secure victories for marriage equality, civil rights, and women's suffrage. The widespread practice of employment discrimination based on sexual orientation must be opposed everywhere it occurs. It destroys lives and sows divisions among workers and young people in our society."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1/6/2014
Councilmember Kshama Sawant
2014 Seattle City Council Socialist Alternative Inauguration Speech
(as delivered)
My brothers and sisters,
Thank you for your presence here today.
This city has made glitte...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 12/31/2013
Councilmember Sally Bagshaw
Councilmember Tim Burgess
Councilmember Sally J. Clark
Councilmember Jean Godden
Councilmember Bruce Harrell
Councilmember Nick Licata
Councilmember Mike O'Brien
...