The Election is Amost Here!

Ballots arrived in Washington mailboxes late last week. These ballots have serious implications on how our fine state will handle HIV prevention and services to those living with HIV/AIDS.

Your ballot has two important questions on it. The first is Tim Eyman’s Initiative-1033. Lifelong AIDS Alliance has taken a stand against Tim Eyman’s latest initiative, 1033, and we want to remind you to vote NO and mail in your ballot right away. I-1033 would lock in this year's recession-level budgets for the state, counties, and cities, and use them as baselines for all future spending.

I-1033 is based on a similar measure that was tried in Colorado, with disastrous consequences. In fact, it did so much damage to Colorado's health care system, education, and economy that voters suspended the law in 2005.

We can't let that happen here. Eyman's I-1033 would devastate Washington State residents, especially those living with HIV/AIDS - and it will take all of us to stand up and say NO on 1033.

Some voters in King County have had problems locating I-1033 in the lower left corner below the instructions. It is important that nobody miss voting against this devastating Eyman initiative.

Referendum 71 is the other statewide question on the ballot. R-71, if approved would expand domestic partnership rights to be equal to those of marriage, except that domestic partnerships are not marriage.

Ballots must be post marked by Tuesday, November 3. Check out http://www.waballotguide.com/?src=LAA to find out more about both of these statewide questions and more information on county propositions.

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Vote NO on I 1033

Vote NO on Initiative 1033

Initiative 1033 will be on the ballot in Washington State in November 2009. This Initiative may sound good on the surface, but truth is that I-1033 actually decreases the amount of money that will be spent on education, health care, and economic security. A similar initiative was passed in Colorado in 1992 and after seeing the damaging affects that have occurred there, no other state has approved this type of initiative. Since Colorado passed this initiative they have become one of the nation’s poorest funded and poorest performing states and currently rank at 47th in the nation’s K-12 education funding. Colorado’s teachers have the lowest pay in the nation and immunizations have also fallen to one of the lowest nationwide.
I-1033 limits the amount of revenue that the government is allotted to spend. This amount is calculated by the current inflation plus the population growth. Any revenue made above this amount is given back in property tax cuts. The problem with this is that the inflation costs are measured by the change in price of consumer products, not in the prices that government spends on services. Another problem is in the way that the population is measured. The population part of the equation looks at the general population ignoring key changes in population such as the increasing number of uninsured people and the increase of retirees due to the baby boomers. This equation also leaves no room for unanticipated costs such as natural disasters, unfunded mandates, and emerging public priorities. I-1033 fails to keep up with the costs of retirees, education, public safety, etc. During times of recession I-1033’s negative affects are even more detrimental. This is because the equation is so limiting that the government cannot spend enough money to work out of a recession leaving unemployment rates high and the economy turning slowly.
If I-1033 were to pass in November 2009 it would constrict the government’s ability to make essential public investments, worsen the effects of the economic downturn, and increase the current deficit by nearly half a billion dollars. For more information visit the "No on 1033" website at: http://www.no1033.com/Sign Up To Get Updates By Email & Join Us On Facebook - Twitter - Myspace

Just a few short days until the Candidate Forum.

Just a reminder that this Tuesday, October 6th is the Human Services Candidate Forum. The forum presented by the Seattle Human Services Coalition will begin at 5:45 PM at the Miller Community Center. Doors open at 5:30 and the program includes Seattle Mayoral race, Seattle City Council Positions 2, 4, 6, 8, City Attorney and King County Executive. Refreshments and snacks will be provided, as well as free onsite childcare and ASL interpreters if requested.

The event is free and open to the public, but please RSVP so that they know how many people they can expect to be there. You can RSVP at shsc@shscoalition.org or 206.325.7105

The Seattle Human Services Coalition has also put together a voter guide that offers responses from candidates in Seattle and King county regarding human services. You can read it here. Check it out before you join us at the Candidate Forum.

We at Lifelong AIDS Alliance hope to see you there and hope that you all vote in this important election.

Also, check out these other community forums leading up to the election:

2009 Affordable Housing Candidates Forum
October 8th, 12 - 2pm
Youngstown Cultural Center
4408 Delridge Way SW, Seattle WA
rsvp @ 206.682.9541 orhdc@housingconsortium.org
presented by the Housing Development Consortium

Seattle City Council & Mayor's Forum
October 8th, 5:30 - 8pmNew Holly Community Center
4054 32nd Ave. S, Seattle WA
presented by One America

Homelessness & Housing Candidates Forum
October 15th, 9am - 12pm
YWCA Opportunity Place
202 3rd Ave., Seattle WA
presented by Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness & Housing Development Consortium



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