Tag Archives: Seattle

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Keep families in their homes: Call for an eviction moratorium in Seattle & King County


SeattleWAthumbpixsPutting an End to the Foreclosure Crisis in Seattle and King County.

By Olu Thomas (Contact)

To be delivered to: Seattle City Council and King County Council

PETITION STATEMENT
Declare an eviction moratorium in Seattle and King County, using eminent domain as a tool to force the banks to negotiate with homeowners and enforce principal reduction.

Petition Background

I am a victim — like millions of other Americans — of a predatory home loan. I am at risk of losing my home, thereby making my children and me homeless. I ended up here because of a death in the family and an injury restricting my ability to work. The banks refused to negotiate with me when I got into an emergency situation.

The banks claim that they have no legal obligation to negotiate with homeowners, but what about their moral obligations? They have completely forgotten that they were bailed out of their situation. They would rather foreclose on homes and make the people homeless and leave the homes vacant, sometimes for years. They are destroying the fabric of existing communities and neighborhoods. This is setting the stage for crimes and further encouraging gentrification. Housing is a human right.

This is another white collar crime.The banks think they are invincible. They believe they are too big to be fought. Of course they have forgotten the power of collective bargaining! Let us come together and bring down this “Tower of Babel.” There is no power like the power of the people!

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

the Other Washington … news (November)


PDF of today's Seattle Times front page

Click on the Virtual Paper above for Stories in Seattle and Washington State

$15 minimum wage passes in SeaTac, but recount coming

Microsoft to chip in $33M for pedestrian bridgeons at flagship McDonald’s

CITY COUNCIL GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO RIDE-SHARING COMPANIES

CONSTRUCTION ON SEAWALL SETS FOUNDATION FOR NEW WATERFRONT

KIRO TV

Senate win may help Republicans for years to come

** Join
the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility, and add your name in
support of simple criminal background checks on all gun sales — endorse
I-594 today!

                                                                                      King County plans to  reduce its snowplowing                   

** Get Your Youth Sport Athlete checked

.** Gov.Inslee stated:  We have unfinished business on transportation, and I need your help. While we did some good things last legislative session, I was disappointed that the legislature finished without passing a much-needed transportation package.

  WA State may implement tolling booth on the I90 V a Gas Tax … most choose gas tax

** Petition | SAVE the UW Nurse Midwifery Education Program …

** Petition | University of Washington Officials and Admissions …

** More delays, more dead fish at Buckley dam

** EPA Sues Lynden Farm 

** Diver sheds light on Puget Sound’s underwater trash

** U.S. envoy says no guarantee North Korea will free Lynnwood man mom will visit with son 10/11

** Apartment shares on the rise as Seattle rents soar

** Feds: King County jail proposal would free hardened criminals

** Join
the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility, and add your name in
support of simple criminal background checks on all gun sales — endorse
I-594 today!

** Progressive Radio NW ~  http://www.nwprogressive.org

 

** Weak regulation fosters more abuse   

The state allows hundreds of doctors, counselors, others to keep practicing despite their sexual misconduct.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The Washington State Dept. & The NAACP… the Other Washington


NAACP: State needs to fire biggest viaduct contractor

by SUSANNAH FRAME / KING 5 News

Posted on November 7, 2013 at 10:27pm

The NAACP is calling on the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to take drastic action and terminate a $1.4 billion contract with its biggest contractor on the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project.

The civil rights organization is making the demand after a U.S. Department of Transportation investigation found the contractor, Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP), has violated federal regulations by intentionally cutting small, struggling businesses out of work on the project.
“The Washington State Department of Transportation as well as the leadership of this state needs to terminate the contract with STP because their history has been egregious, it’s been documented … At what point is enough enough?” said Gerald Hankerson, president of NAACP’s Alaska Washington Oregon State Area Conference. “We can no longer trust them.”
The KING 5 Investigators were the first to expose that STP was failing miserably on the tunnel project in terms of meeting federal requirements to hire disadvantaged businesses.
Because the project is partly funded with federal dollars, the STP contract came with a string attached: 8 percent of the work, $91 million worth, was to go to small, struggling businesses in the area. But public records obtained by KING show only $7 million, less that 1 percent of the contract value, has been paid to small contractors so far.
On Thursday Washington Secretary of Transportation Lynn Peterson said a special investigator is helping WSDOT decide what to do with STP.
“We will take whatever steps are necessary based on his recommendations (including termination of the contract). All options are on the table, but we’re reviewing our options, looking at the contract and seeing what applies,” said Peterson.
The U.S. DOT report out last week found STP created “artificial barriers” and “hardships” on small businesses and gave the work to much bigger companies instead.  The federal agency also found WSDOT was “hands-off” when they knew what was happening and “failed to intervene.”
“This is a solid piece of evidence that this is happening in Washington state and the concern is this is what’s happening across the country,” said Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, Sr. Director of NAACP Economic Department.
The U.S. DOT says if WSDOT doesn’t fix the problems with STP, the state could lose federal funds for highway projects.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Breast Cancer Awareness: Early Detection Saves Lives


Age-standardised death rates from Breast cance...
Age-standardised death rates from Breast cancer by country (per 100,000 inhabitants). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women. Although it’s one of the deadliest cancers in the United States, breast cancer is often treatable when detected early.


Mammograms, which are low-dose x-rays of the breast, continue to be vital in the early detection of breast cancer. To learn more, read the publication Mammograms by FDA’s Office of Women’s Health. You can read it online, download it as a PDF, and order print copies for yourself and loved ones.


Visit WomensHealth.gov for additional information about breast cancer, including symptoms, risk factors, treatment, and more.