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Peru: Stop the Oil Spills! Amazon Watch
Peru’s indigenous peoples are defending Amazonian rivers from oil spills and need your solidarity today!TAKE ACTION TO STOP PERU OIL SPILLS »

Yesterday, Amazon Watch visited Saramurillo, a town along the banks of the mighty Marañon River, where hundreds of indigenous water protectors are demanding an end to the contamination of the Amazon. Seven oil spills have been reported this year alone in the Peruvian Amazon, adding to dozens from prior years. The spills have leaked thousands of barrels of oil and directly affected indigenous communities like the Awajún and the Wampis. These are the kinds of spills that the Standing Rock Sioux are fighting to prevent their North Dakota territory.

After the third spill of this year the pipeline was shut down, yet spills continue. Fed up by continued spills and government inaction in the face of over 40 years of oil contamination, many affected communities rose up on September 1st, blocking traffic up and down the river demanding that the government take adequate action to stop further spills. We were able to visit them at their camp near Station 1, the beginning of the pipeline, to show our support.

Because the government strategy thus far has been to try to pacify the mobilization without actually taking substantive actions, the communities need international support for their demands.

Please send Peru’s new president an email today, encouraging a high-level delegation to travel to the Marañon River and dialogue in good faith with the affected communities.
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D.C. Washington … there’s already a State of Washinton


a repost …

Evan Bush

By

Seattle Times enterprise producer

Hello to the nation’s capital! Excuse us. Your attention, please, to the West Coast (widely referred to as the Best Coast).The U.S. Capitol illuminated by the setting sun on the National Mall in Washington. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Originally published October 19, 2016 at 11:45 am Updated October 19, 2016 at 2:18 pm
The U.S. Capitol illuminated by the setting sun on the National Mall in Washington. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)
 

The District of Columbia is pushing for statehood. It’s a long shot bid, supported by Democrats. But proponents in the nation’s capital are pitching a name that’s a lot like ours.

Allow us to reintroduce ourselves. Washington state. Nice to meet you again.

No doubt you’ve heard of us.

That hoppy brew you’re drinking? Probably our crop of hops. That smiley-faced package on your doorstep? You’re welcome.

Heck, you might not be reading this on that screen of yours if it weren’t for a software company founded by a certain resident of ours named Bill.

But somehow it seems you’ve forgotten about us.

The pursuit of statehood can be distracting, we’re sure (hard for us to recall; we only achieved that like 127 years ago).

We couldn’t help but notice the headlines this week. D.C. state name to be State of Washington, D.C., for example. We have some concerns.

Chiefly, you can’t steal our statehood name, add a few letters and expect us to just sit back and enjoy the sea breeze while sipping on lattes and wearing flannel. Yes, we’re renowned for our chill in the Pacific Northwest, but we can do cold, too.

There’s enough confusion already!

We hear it all the time: “Washington is dysfunctional,” they say. “The lobbyists have Washington in their pocket. Washington’s lost touch with Main Street.”

You’ve been dragging our name through the mud for decades!

Plus, we wouldn’t be in this position had you not foisted the name on us in the first place. Perhaps you’ve forgotten.

Many years ago (1853), we sent word back east that we’d like to become a territory. We could be called Columbia, we said.

Objections came out of your district. We already have a Columbia, Congress exhorted. That would be confusing. How about you be called Washington — for the first president. It’s an honor.

Thirty-six years later we became a state. Now we’re attached!

We’ve named a Washington state onion (the Walla Walla sweet), an official Washington state waterfall (honest question — do you even have a waterfall?), and even a Washington state tartan, for goodness sake.

So perhaps you’ll heed the advice of our state folk song and “Roll On, Columbia, Roll On” — we were first.

Evan Bush: 206-464-2253 or ebush@seattletimes.com On Twitter @evanbush
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I -1433 … What is it really ?


voter-suppression_petition

So, I got my “Voter’s Pamphlet” and while i was still am psyched to get my vote in, this thing is huge and the local issues are even more important than ever. There are quite a few issues so i will only be commenting on a few.  So, Washingtonians take your time and read this thing called a “Voter’s Pamphlet” but let me just say it is much more … It holds our future that can and will change the lives of our kids least we talk about their kids … economically educational

The first thing I saw that needed vetting was what looked like changes to the wage increase schedule that was purposed in 2015 least we talk about what i thought got passed, which was $15 min wage for Seattle, wonder what happened to that and has this changed the hours workers in Seattle are getting because business attitudes of old were to drive wages down saving them overhead like insurance etc. If your business has revenue in the millions maybe more don’t your workers deserve to be paid for the profit you’re enjoying.? I think I-1433 helps those who haven’t worked in their industry of choice but have good credentials and quite possibly young and no credentials but need to work by 2021 or says the “Voter’s Pamphlet but who knows if changes have been attached to all of these numbers.  Don’t get me wrong increases for Americans seem long past due; say 20 years in my opinion.

Suffice it to say … Some big business folks do NOT like it … some are asking about that $15 wage passed and what incentives do they get out of it and that … is the missing piece for them. I am somewhat confused by the UW stance as it supports aspects of both in the argument for and against … such as: Independent economists including the UW prove that prices do not rise when min wages increase … but then warned most communities can’t absorb 30percent wage increase

Anyway,the initiative below, is typed verbatim and though i included this, there are several pages that need to be read vetted and contemplated before Nov.8 and it is a yes or no vote …

So, given the obvious votes for our locals seats for Olympia,  the initiatives are life changing and deserve research, questions and much thought before voting because it’s tricky … I-1433 might slow down the increases but gets the job done by 2020 depending upon what field you’re in ?

The pamphlet says …

I-1433 concerns labor standards — It will also requires employers to provide paid sick leave and adopt related laws re: earning and using paid sick leave by Jan. 2018

This measure would increase the state minimum wages to …

$11.00 in 2017

$11.50 in 2018

$ 12.00 in 2019

$13.50 in 2020

Hey, if you gleam something different let me know

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