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Those Yellow Whatcom Charter Amendment Signs

10/9/2015

2 Comments

 
Have you seen yellow signs popping up around the county that look like this?
Picture

WE did some dredging, and found the DOVE Whatcom Committee site.  They have an informational sheet that explains what they feel citizens need to understand.  Frankly, WE find this pretty forthright:

​Whatcom Charter Amendments: Easy as 1, 2, 3!
Stop the Power Grab! Vote!

Have you tried doing anything non-trivial with your personal property lately? Our government is taking our rights, and selling them back to us as permits. That is a power grab. Vote power to the people! Here’s how:
 
Approve Charter Proposition #1
Charter Proposition No. 1 restores District Oriented Voting (DOV) for electing our County Council representatives. With DOV, you elect your two local council representatives from your district. Candidates only have to campaign in their districts, making elections more affordable. This lowers barriers to entry for a wider diversity of candidates, and takes some of the big money out of our local politics. DOV better reflects the diversity of citizens’ interests, needs and preferences for all of Whatcom County. Representatives are more likely to be directly accountable to the voters when they’re known to us.
 
Approve Charter Proposition #2
Charter Proposition No. 2 requires a unanimous vote for County Council to propose amendments that would override the wishes of the voters, when we pass an amendment with a 2/3 majority or more. This amendment is very narrowly focused on solving this one particular problem.
 
Approve Charter Proposition #3
Charter Proposition No. 3 requires a unanimous vote for County Council to propose amendments that would affect how council members themselves are elected; a conflict of interest. This amendment is very narrowly focused on solving this one particular problem.
 
Reject Council Proposition #9
Council Proposition No. 9 (the five district amendment) leaves many elements undefined. If approved by the voters, it will be up to the courts or special committees to fill in many unknowns. We should not have to pass this to find out what is in it. Let’s work out the details first, and then vote on it. Reject this; it needs better definition.
 
Reject Council Proposition #10
Council Proposition No. 10 is supposed to equalize the authority of the Charter Review Commission (CRC) and the County Council, by requiring a supermajority vote in either body to submit any charter amendment proposal to the voters.
2 Comments
madeleine baines
10/10/2015 08:56:51 am

Interference by the Whatcom county council in the Charter Review commission's work is egregious, and smells of ulterior purposes. District only voting will ensure that residents out in the county are heard and respected. I don't think that their needs should be overwhelmed by voices that have nothing to do with how an agricultural community works best other than to benefit from their hard work.

Reply
James Gibson link
10/17/2015 09:06:43 am

Exactly. And I'm not sure why Bellingham voters want rural whatcom county to decide who they choose...

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