A coalition of several progressive and socialist organizations have banded together (calling themselves People First Bellingham) to present initiatives to the Bellingham City Council for action. If the Bellingham City Council does not pass these initiatives as ordinances, the initiatives will pass to the voters of the City of Bellingham in November.
The following organizations are listed on the website as part of People First Bellingham…
- Jobs With Justice
- Imagine No Kages (INK)
- Whatcom DSA
- Whatcom Peace and Justice Center
- Whatcom Human Rights Task Force
- Sunrise Movement
The Bellingham City Charter states that the number of valid signatures required is 20% of the vote in the Last General Election Mayor’s race. In this case about 6190 valid signatures. Adding enough to make certain of the valid count the organizations will have to collect about 7500 signatures.
The plan is to get potential signers to sign all four petitions.
A list with the Links…
1.Rental Relocations- up to 90 days for any evictions and a “relocation fund” See the Full Text Here...
This measure would require landlords to provide written notice 90 days before terminating a rental agreement without cause or increasing rent by more than 5% in a rolling 12-month period; require landlords to pay rental relocation assistance equal to three months of the current fair market rents
2. No Invasive Police Tech- Concerns the use of facial recognition technology and predictive policing technology See the Full Text Here…
This measure would prohibit the City from acquiring or using facial recognition technology, prohibit the City from contracting with a third party to use facial recognition technology on its behalf, prohibit the use of predictive policing technology, prohibit the retention of unlawfully acquired data, prohibit the use of data…
3. Protect the Right to Organize- Anyone who receives City Funds cannot oppose any Union organization efforts See the Full Text Here…
This measure would prohibit any person who receives City funds from using those funds to discourage unionization efforts by that person’s employees or any other employees, require recipients of City funds to segregate those funds, provide a safe harbor for non-managerial staff to engage in union protected activities, provide for administrative
4. Worker’s Rights- This measure would require certain employers to pay their employees a hazard pay supplement of $4 per hour during a declared State of Emergency See the Full Text Here
This measure would require certain employers to pay their employees a hazard pay supplement of $4 per hour during a declared State of Emergency; require employers to provide good faith estimates of weekly hours to new employees upon hire
[…] FOLLOWUP: City Initiatives The Fourth Corner previously reported on have received enough verified si… […]
The animus expressed against our good law enforcement officers is more than enough to lead to their collective resignations, and who could blame them? Public employees, who give their working life to keeping their community crime free, function under an ever present uncertainty. They deserve some peace of mind that they will return home intact after their shift and will be respected for their efforts. A lawless land serves no one, least of all businesses for without them, there are no supplies, and no wages, and when you’ve bartered your last chair what is left? What sane Whatcom County resident wants this mindless nonsense foisted on them?