Olympia Voter-Owned Elections
Informational/Organizing Meeting
7pm, Wednesday July 2
Traditions Cafe
300 5th Ave SW Olympia

Adopting a system of "Voter-Owned Elections" will:

• Eliminate financial barriers to running for local office for persons demonstrating community support
• Expand voters' choice of candidates
• Allow candidates to focus on public issues instead of fundraising
• Discourage excessive campaign spending

With the recent passage of the "Local Option" bill, public financing of local elections is possible once again in Washington State! Talk has started in the Olympia area of bringing "Voter-Owned Elections" here.

Here you can find articles about the Triway Enterprises proposal to rezone building height limits on the isthmus (to allow for high rise structures). You can also find articles about the opposition to the proposal.

If you have something that should be added to the book, Isthmus 2008, feel free to leave a comment.

I noticed that those who supported the rezone proposal were allowed to speak both first and last at last night's meeting. Is that fair?

The full hearing will be aired on TCTV, at 12 noon on Friday and 7 pm on July 8th, local channel 3 (citation).

Here's a video from theolympian.com:

link to theolympian.com video by Matt McVay

A need for dense urban high rise living units: This need arises from ecological pressures. Our footprint as a society can be greatly reduced if we live more densely urban. On this there is wide ranging agreement. Who would disagree? Suburban sprawl has one of the most deleterious effects on ecology. It swallows up viable and useful farmland. It swallows up wilderness. It's not desirable. It's not sustainable. If we want to keep going as a culture, as a society and as a species, then we will need to "grow up." Wise and efficient land use is a major part of that equation.

Olympia Voter-Owned Elections
Informational/Organizing Meeting
7 pm, Tuesday June 17th
Traditions Cafe
300 5th Ave SW Olympia

Adopting a system of "Voter-Owned Elections" will:

• Eliminate financial barriers to running for local office for persons demonstrating community support.
• Expand voter's choice of candidates.
• Allow candidates to focus on public issues instead of fundraising.
• Discourage excessive campaign spending.

Hello All,

We will have a regularly scheduled meeting at Tradition's Cafe (300 5th Ave SW, Olympia) on the third Tuesday of each month at 7pm. Our first will be Tuesday June 17th. Please come to discuss the work (and fun) needed to put Voter-Owned Elections on the ballot in Olympia. Please forward this message to anyone you know who might be interested.

For more information on public campaign financing for Washington State, go to www.washclean.org.

I also want to add that I requested that the Congressman's office staffer fax a copy of my cover letter along with the entire 65 pages of Impeachment Articles text to Congressman Baird (who is in D.C.). I suggest that you do the same (deliver the articles and ask that they be faxed) when you deliver your message of support for impeachment, governmental accountability and the rule of law:

Tuesday, June 10, 2008
To: Congressman Brian Baird
US House of Representatives
Washington D.C.

From: Robert F. W. Whitlock
[redacted address]

Dear Congressman Baird,

Cindy was joined on-stage by Gary Murrell [link to campaign website], who is a Green Party candidate for Washington State's 6th Congressional District. He is challenging the re-election of Congressman Norm Dicks, a 30 year veteran of the Congress. The audience was also treated to a presentation by Linda Boyd, director of Washington for Impeachment [.org]. Linda Boyd has been instrumental in lobbying for the passage of impeachment memorials in the Washington State legislature that would call on national representatives to begin investigations into impeachable offenses as they have (allegedly) been committed by members of the Bush Administration. She continues a very active promotion of impeachment, based on apparent high crimes and/or misdemeanors having been committed by members of the Bush Administration.

It's an exciting year in electoral politics. There are several candidates for Congress whom are similarly interested in presenting alternatives to foreign policies of violent and militaristic global dominance. There is a better way! And you can do something about it; you can do your part to promote change. There's a better way; instead of deception, intimidation, and the conquest of overseas resources, let's think about and move toward policies that are based in cooperative efforts, communication, truth and mutually beneficial outcomes.

Tomorrow at SPSCC, Cindy Sheehan, Candidate for the US Congress, along with a host of other speakers to include WA State 6th Congressional District Candidate for the Green Party, Gary Murrell, and Washington for Impeachment director Linda Boyd.

The Minneart Center for the Arts, Program at 7 PM, doors will open at 6 PM. link to map of location [SPSCC]
Recommended donation $10-$25, student tickets available for $5.

Cindy Sheehan is Running for Congress!

Please help and support Sheehan for Congress 2008

Sunday, June 8th, 2008

7 PM to 9 PM (doors open at 6 PM)

Minnaert Center at SPSCC

See below for ticketing, and more information.

Near the beginning was the Police Department's presentation: "Telling our story." The Chief of Police, Gary Michel, told of some of the recent accomplishments of the department, including the city's very low statistics for certain crimes, like burglary for example. I couldn't find information about the presentation in the council meeting packet (I didn't take notes, sorry.). The Chief's presentation made the police department sound very good. If all I had to base my understanding on was the presentation, I might think that there were very few to no problems with the police department's operations.