City of Sequim Sued for Delaying Action on Koch Brothers/ALEC initiatives
Susan Brautigam, a member of the Freedom Foundation, has filed a lawsuit against the City of Sequim for delaying their decision on Propositions 1 and 2. In a written statement issued by the Freedom Foundation, she said:
“It's clear the city is just looking for a way to sweep this under the rug, but we're not going to just go away quietly.”
Susan Brautigam's attorney, Shawn Newman, said:
“The council has two choices under the law: pass the citizen initiative as is or refer to the general election.”
But according to Sequim City Attorney Craig Ritchie, Propositions 1 and 2 are in violation of several state and city laws and hence should not be passed or placed on the ballot. He wrote:
“The City of Sequim has various obligations to its citizens, including compliance with state and federal laws regulating collective bargaining. 'Prop 1' and 'Prop 2' attempt to usurp or infringe upon a power granted to the governing body of the City of Sequim. They interfere with and coerce administrative action. They interfere with and conflict with state law. They attempt to do indirectly what they cannot do directly; collectively bargain through initiative. They put the Sequim taxpayers in jeopardy of paying for potential unfair labor practices.”
One of the Freedom Foundation's favorite soundbites is “transparency.” If this Far Right gang of teabaggers actually believed in transparency, they'd reveal where their massive funding comes from. They haven't. They claim they aren't receiving any money from the Koch Brothers or any of the ubiquitous Koch front groups, but since they're keeping their donors' identities a secret, how do we know?
“It's clear the city is just looking for a way to sweep this under the rug, but we're not going to just go away quietly.”
Susan Brautigam's attorney, Shawn Newman, said:
“The council has two choices under the law: pass the citizen initiative as is or refer to the general election.”
But according to Sequim City Attorney Craig Ritchie, Propositions 1 and 2 are in violation of several state and city laws and hence should not be passed or placed on the ballot. He wrote:
“The City of Sequim has various obligations to its citizens, including compliance with state and federal laws regulating collective bargaining. 'Prop 1' and 'Prop 2' attempt to usurp or infringe upon a power granted to the governing body of the City of Sequim. They interfere with and coerce administrative action. They interfere with and conflict with state law. They attempt to do indirectly what they cannot do directly; collectively bargain through initiative. They put the Sequim taxpayers in jeopardy of paying for potential unfair labor practices.”
One of the Freedom Foundation's favorite soundbites is “transparency.” If this Far Right gang of teabaggers actually believed in transparency, they'd reveal where their massive funding comes from. They haven't. They claim they aren't receiving any money from the Koch Brothers or any of the ubiquitous Koch front groups, but since they're keeping their donors' identities a secret, how do we know?
posted by Tom Harper at 10:22 AM
9 Comments:
Yes, "transparency" is one of those great words used by politicians and the like, all the time now.
Has such a nice sound to it.
But, these same types know that if people really DID know the details, things would not go so well.
Sound bites are so wonderful, especially when the reporters don't do ANY follow up or question what their told.
I know nothing !!!
11:11 - Most generic, non-thought provoking statement ever posted on the internet. Congratulations. Everyone, write that down, whenever you want to squash any conversation at the water cooler. Could apply to anything.
Wake up, Tom!! What's the point!?
@ Anon 8:55
What is stopping you from endowing us all with your great wisdom?
Chop off their heads!
Thank you for paying attention to this debacle Tom. It's a total disaster for the taxpayers of Sequim. The city government will now be tied up in litigation and the accompanying costs. The FF constantly rails against waste of tax dollars and now they've obligated the city to legal costs that will accomplish nothing more than the propositions being found illegal and illegitimate. Taxpayers will bear the cost for bringing publicity of dubious value to the EFF's twisted philosophy. From SourceWatch:
The Freedom Foundation's funders have included:[26]
The Walton Family Foundation
The Indianapolis-based Milton and Rose Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, founded by leading national voucher advocate Milton Friedman
The Sarah Scaife Foundation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, controlled by national conservative figure Richard M. Scaife
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, a leading financial supporter of the Milwaukee voucher program and controversial contributor to far-right causes
The Roe Foundation, founded by the late Thomas A. Roe, a prominent Heritage Foundation supporter and co-founder of the State Policy Network
Foundation for Partnerships Trust, funded and run by William Edgerly, CEO emeritus of State Street Bank and Trust of Boston
The Gilder Foundation, run by New York stockbroker Richard Gilder (the foundation supports conservative think tanks and voucher groups)
Jacquelin Hume Foundation of San Francisco, run by survivors of longtime California Reagan advisor Jacquelin Hume, including William Hume
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Evergreen_Freedom_Foundation
Tom, you should be well aware that Jerry Sinn is one of the leaders of the proposition drive. He's also on the steering committee of the 4C (Concerned Citizens of Clallam County(Crusty Codgers of Clallam County)) our very own outpost of the John Birch Society. Jerry is also strongly allied with the Clallam County GOP and led the campaign against the Sequim Schools bond proposal last spring. Jerry is running for a spot on the county charter commission too. He's a far right extremist with a truly demented free market, Ayn Rand, Paul Ryan view of his America. A dangerous man.
The last paragraph of this story is nothing but a duplicitous load of crap. Are we to believe that Soros funded front groups (and there are as many or more than the Koch's) are the only acceptable sources of funding?
The progressive left has not learned that they lose the argument as soon as the name calling commences.
"The last paragraph of this story is nothing but a duplicitous load of crap".
No name calling, here!
Haven't we, as a society, learned anything over the last few decades? How many campaign brochures have we all received during those years depicting the opposing candidate and their policies as "the end of the American way" and "Socialist", and any of a long list of dire predictions? Yet, here we are.
Didn't matter whether it was a Republican or Democrat in the drivers' seat, the situation has been going down hill, steadily, all along.
How bad do things have to get, before we get up off our dead asses, and get involved in our lives?
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