Sunday, July 16, 2017
Cantwell & Bipartisan Group of Senators Urge DOD to Accelerate Transfer of Excess Military Vehicles to Support Fire Departments
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and a bipartisan group of senators sent a letter today to Defense Secretary James Mattis urging the Department of Defense (DOD) to reverse direction on implementing new red tape that would slow the transfer of excess federal vehicles and equipment to state and local fire departments.
In February 2017, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) issued new guidance for demilitarizing non-combat military vehicles deemed in excess to DOD. The new guidance also covered trucks that would normally be transferred to state and local firefighter departments through the DOD’s Firefighter Property (FFP) program. Local firefighting departments would be required to obtain special certificates, which necessitate collecting Social Security numbers and performing background checks on all of the firefighters affiliated with the agency, in order to continue to be eligible to receive excess equipment. Fire service organizations warn that the new guidance will make it more difficult for local departments to obtain the vehicles, and some departments say they will be forced to abandon the FFP program.
“Several states have reported that the burden associated with these new requirements will cause delays in vehicle transfers and force some states to terminate their participation in the FFP program altogether,” the senators wrote. “As the United States continues to struggle with growth in wildfires and suppression costs, now is a highly inopportune time to impede the abilities of local fire departments to acquire vehicles under the FFP program.”
The FFP is a program that helps local firefighting agencies obtain excess government vehicles and equipment that the local agencies could not otherwise afford. Over the last 10 years, $1.2 billion worth of equipment has been donated to state and local firefighting agencies through this program. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources has partnered with Joint Base Lewis-McChord in carrying out this program, and there are over 130 other local firefighting departments in Washington that also qualify for this program.
“The IAFC thanks Senator Cantwell for her continued leadership in combating wildland fires across Washington and the United States. FFP is an important program which allows fire departments to have access to excess vehicles and fire trucks which ordinarily would have been out of their reach. These vehicles significantly improve the ability of fire departments to protect their communities. The IAFC appreciates the work of Senator Cantwell and others to ensure fire departments can continue accessing these important vehicles,” said Chief John Sinclair, the Fire Chief of the Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue Department and President and Chair of the Board of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
The letter is cosigned by Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), James Inhofe (R-OK), Jon Tester (D-MT), Tom Carper (D-DE), James Lankford (R-OK), John Barrasso (R-WY), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and Steve Daines (R-MT).----from press release issued July 14th ( see text of letter on page 2)
Cantwell Speaks Out on New Junk Insurance Provision of Latest Trumpcare Bill
Cantwell: “So it turns out that these junk plans… don't even count as insurance, and everybody that's in the real insurance market would then end up having to pay more.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) delivered a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate to oppose the latest version of Senate Republicans’ Trumpcare bill, released earlier this afternoon.
The Senator called out a new provision added to the bill allowing insurers to sell “junk” plans that would not cover essential health benefits, which must be covered under current law. She noted a similar strategy was attempted in Washington state in the 1990s.
“The state of Washington tried this… a group of state legislators allowed these junk plans to be sold along with compliant plans. Guess what happened? Nearly all of the insurers in our state pulled out of the individual insurance market and a death spiral ensued. Why? Because the cost then of that individual market was so high and so great, they couldn't service it,” said Cantwell in her remarks.
A transcript of the senator’s remarks can be found below:
Sen. Cantwell: Thank you, Mr. President. I know my Republican colleagues are working on a version of the health care bill that they have been talking about today, and I know my colleagues are going to try to say they are protecting the sickest of Americans, and they are saying that they do want to insure people with preexisting conditions so that they don't have to pay through the nose. But I think the president called the House version of this attempt a very mean bill. I think the original Senate bill was just as mean if not meaner, and the number of people that were cut off of Medicaid over a period of time can be left without access to care.
Today's bill now also includes an amendment, or a package of ideas, by my colleagues from Texas and Utah, a provision that allows insurers to sell junk insurance on the individual market as long as they offer at least one plan that is real insurance. Then insurers could also offer a bunch of plans that, as CBO called them, aren't really insurance. That is, they could just cover one or two things, and, yes, they would be cheaper, but if CBO doesn't even consider them insurance, how are they insurance? So I think the whole notion of junk insurance being invested into this bill is very problematic.
Under junk insurance plans, you could limit or deny coverage of essential benefits, including hospitalization, maternity care, preventative care, prescription drugs, laboratory care, and substance abuse treatment. So that's what you could limit, and we wouldn't want those limited. This is why CBO says if you can't go to the hospital and get care, then it's not really insurance, and I have to agree with them on that. These plans could charge people more, or simply deny them, based on preexisting conditions, and these plans could offer policies that pay out less than 60% of the health care expenses, leaving beneficiaries with these insurmountable deductibles that would make it hard for them to pay.
And these plans would also impose a lifetime cap on insurance. I just had a young woman come to my office today who has been treated at Seattle Children's Hospital in my state. They live in a neighboring state but Seattle Children's Hospital is such a regional entity in the state of Washington, in Seattle, and we're so proud of that, but they told me about the debilitating disease that this young child was born with and how many surgeries she had. Literally, the brain treatments that she has had to receive, she told me and her mother told me, if there had ever been any type of lifetime caps, ‘we would have exhausted them in the first few years.’ I'm so proud that she came to see us today and is continuing to talk about why capping health care plans would be so devastating to somebody like her. ( Remarks of speech continued page 2)
WASH. State AGO FILES CAMPAIGN FINANCE COMPLAINT AGAINST KITTITAS COUNTY DEMOCRATS
OLYMPIA —The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) filed a complaint in Thurston County Superior Court today alleging campaign finance violations by the Kittitas County Democrats. Specifically, the AGO asserts the committee failed to timely report a total of $18,639 in contributions and $16,277 in expenditures in 2012 and between 2014 and 2017.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson recused himself from any involvement in the matter.
In May, the AGO received a Citizen Action Notice alleging multiple violations of the state’s public disclosure laws by the Kittitas County Democrats.
After receiving the notice, AGO staff determined the Kittitas County Democrats failed to timely file numerous reports of contributions received and expenditures made during the years of 2012 and 2014-2017.
Among the reporting deficiencies, the Kittitas County Democrats:
Failed to timely disclose $18,639 in contributions on 77 separate reports, ranging from one to 198 days late.
Failed to timely disclose $16,277 in expenditures made and in-kind contributions received on 31 separate reports, ranging from one to 519 days late.
In May 2016, the Kittitas County Democrats were fined by the Public Disclosure Commission for failing to timely report contributions and expenditures for 2013. The commission imposed a $500 penalty with $400 suspended, so long as the committee did not violate campaign finance laws within four years.
The state seeks penalties and injunctive relief. The defendant will have 20 days from the date they are served to respond to the state’s complaint.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Linda Dalton is handling the case.
When the Attorney General’s Office receives a Citizen Action Notice, it has 45 days to investigate and respond to the citizen. If the Attorney General’s Office or local prosecutor does not initiate litigation, the individual may sue in the name of the state. If litigation is successful, any penalties awarded go to the state, and the individual’s attorney can recover attorney fees and costs. If the citizen’s litigation is unsuccessful, the defendant may recover attorney fees from the state.
The Attorney General’s Office enforces the state’s campaign finance disclosure law to ensure free, open and fair elections in Washington state. A summary of campaign finance case resolutions is available here. http://www.atg.wa.gov/enforcement-campaign-finance-laws
From press release issued July 14th
http://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ago-files-campaign-finance-complaint-against-kittitas-county-democrats
DOH: State disciplines health care providers
OLYMPIA -- The Washington State Department of Health has taken disciplinary actions or withdrawn charges against health care providers in our state.
The department’s Health Systems Quality Assurance Division works with boards, commissions, and advisory committees to set licensing standards for more than 80 health care professions (e.g., medical doctors, nurses, counselors).
Information about health care providers is on the agency website. Click on “Look up a health care provider license” in the “How Do I?” section of the Department of Health website (doh.wa.gov). The site includes information about a health care provider’s license status, the expiration and renewal date of their credential, disciplinary actions and copies of legal documents issued after July 1998. This information is also available by calling 360-236-4700. Consumers who think a health care provider acted unprofessionally are encouraged to call and report their complaint.
Benton County
In May 2017 the secretary of health denied an agency-affiliated counselor credential to Keyton Riley Sykes (CG60713550). Between 2013 and 2015, Sykes was convicted of three gross misdemeanors and five misdemeanors.
In June 2017 the secretary of health conditionally granted a certified medical assistant credential to Chelsey Nicole Mortimore (CM60465982) and ordered her to complete continuing education in anger management. In 2015 the state Department of Social and Health Services found that Mortimore abused a vulnerable adult and will not allow her to be employed in caring for or having unsupervised access to vulnerable adults. Her home care aide application was denied in 2016 as a result of that finding.
Clark County
In June 2017 the Nursing Commission entered an agreement with registered nurse Deanna Lea McShane (RN60208635) that requires her to participate in a substance abuse monitoring program. McShane didn’t comply with a previous substance abuse monitoring contract.
In June 2017 the secretary of health ended probation for registered medical assistant Anita Marie Bailor (MR60414915). (continue page 2)
page 2: Continued stories from page 1
page 3: BUSINESS & FINANCE
US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Why America Needs a Fully Functional Ex-Im Bank
page 4 ( World & National News)
Security Council Extends Mandate of United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2367 (2017)
Saturday, July 15, 2017
Kilmer, Herrera Beutler Successfully Add Funding for Fishery Disasters in Washington state to Key Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03) successfully added $20 million for fishery disasters in Washington state to a key House Appropriations Bill. The U.S. Department of Commerce in January issued multiple fishery disaster declarations in Washington state.
The commercial fishery failures impacted communities along the Olympic Peninsula and Southwest Washington. The announcement cleared the way for additional resources to be brought in to help mitigate the economic distress felt by these communities and support efforts to restore salmon runs, but up to this point, no funding had been approved by Congress.
This investment mean jobs,” said Kilmer. “Declines in salmon runs have impacted our communities – everyone from the worker at the bait and tackle shop to the folks running a boat. Now, we are taking concrete steps to actually get the resources our region needs to restore our runs and keep the economy moving forward.”
“A lot of hardworking folks along our coastal communities have been impacted by the fishery disasters – fishing guides, commercial and charter fleets, resorts, and other local businesses that depend on a healthy fishing industry,” said Herrera Beutler. “It’s important that we assist communities where livelihoods rely on our fisheries when a disaster is declared.”
The disaster declarations the members previously pushed for include: 2015-2016 Quileute Tribe Dungeness crab, 2015 Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay coho salmon, and 2015 Quinault Indian National Grays Harbor coho salmon. Fishing communities have been eligible for investments in projects that could encourage fishery recovery and job training, among other initiatives.
The commercial and recreational fishing industry in Washington state alone supports over 67,000 jobs and contributes over $300 million in revenue. The fishing and processing industry in Pacific County contributes over $150,000,000 to the local economy. In Grays Harbor County, the 2015 landing for Westport totaled more than 80 million pounds and was valued at roughly $65 million.
The members originally called for the declarations in letters to U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker last December. ----press release issued from Kilmer July 13th
During Senate Hearing, Sen. Murray Secures Funding Commitment From Transportation Secretary Chao on Critical Puget Sound Transportation Project
(Washington, D.C.) – Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, pushed U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao during a July 13 Senate hearing on federal funding for the Lynnwood Link Extension and secured a commitment from the Secretary that federal funds previously appropriated by Congress for the project will be disbursed. This multi-year transit project, a priority that would ease congestion in Puget Sound and boost the regional economy, is partially funded by the Capital Investment Grant (CIG) program, the primary federal grant program that supports major public transit capital investments in Washington state and nationwide. Congress approved $100 million in funding for the Lynnwood Link Extension in last year’s budget, but President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget request slashes the CIG program by $1.18 billion and would only fund projects which already have signed grant agreements with the federal government. Five projects in Washington state, including the Lynnwood Link Extension, could be negatively impacted by cuts to the CIG program, and Sen. Murray pressed Secretary Chao on whether funding for the project that was appropriated by Congress in the Fiscal Year 2017 budget would still be awarded to the Lynnwood Link Extension upon submission of their final proposal, prompting Secretary Chao to commit to following Congress’ directive to fund the project.Sen. Murray’s questions follow several efforts to raise the importance of CIG funding for transportation projects in Washington state with the Trump Administration, including an April 6 letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee urging the inclusion of $2.3 billion for CIG in the FY18 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, written questions on CIG submitted for the record to Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney on May 25, and a June 8 letter to Director Mulvaney on CIG, as the Trump Administration’s rationale for eliminating funding for transit projects was increasing support at the local level through ballot initiatives and specifically calling out Seattle, Los Angeles, and Denver.---press release issued July 14th
ON PAGE 2: VETERANS: Sen. Murray Secures IVF Coverage, Caregiver Services, Mental Health Programs and More in Military and Veterans Bill
ON PAGE 3: Statement from Inslee regarding newest U.S. Senate Republican health care proposal/ local meetings and commentary
PAGE 4: Secretary-General Launches First-Ever Action Plan for Religious Leaders, Actors on Preventing Incitement to Violence
Editorial Note: Readers, as you know I don't charge for the content of my publication obviously, nor do a sell ad space on the publication, but I would appreciate a donation. I have a paypal account setup for this so please donate today!
Friday, July 14, 2017
Murray, Cantwell on Secretary Zinke’s National Monuments Review
Hanford Reach National Monument Is Off the Table
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, spoke to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke about his proposed recommendation not to make changes to the Hanford Reach National Monument. The Senators made the following statements:
“Today, the Department of the Interior confirmed what so many Washingtonians have known all along—that the Hanford Reach, designated after years of collaboration in the Tri-Cities community, is worthy of protection for generations to come,” said Sen. Patty Murray, who led efforts in the 1990s to establish the Hanford Reach National Monument. “I commend everyone who made their voice heard during this process. Because of you, the Trump Administration is getting the message loud and clear that families in our state and around the country are ready to fight back against ill-conceived efforts to roll back protections for our prized public lands.”
"Today, I reminded Secretary Zinke that President Trump does not have the authority to rescind the lawful status of our protected national monuments in the first place and taxpayer dollars should have never been used for the Trump administration’s unlawful attack on the Antiquities Act,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell. “Now that Secretary Zinke agrees that the protection for the Hanford Reach National Monument should not be changed, the Trump Administration should abandon this review and the ill-advised effort to undermine national monuments altogether. An attack on one of our national monuments is an attack on all of them.”---press release issued July 12th
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/murray-cantwell-on-secretary-zinkes-national-monuments-review
Related story
US DEPT of INTERIOR: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s Statement on the End of the Monuments Review Public Comment Period
(WASHINGTON) – On Monday, July 10, the formal public comment period closed for the review of national monuments. More than 1.2 million comments were received on Regulations.gov and thousands more were received via traditional mail. Twenty-seven national monuments designated since January 1, 1996 that are more than 100,000 acres, or that were considered to have inadequate public input are under review in accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s April 26, 2017, executive order.
“Too often under previous administrations, decisions were made in the Washington, D.C., bubble, far removed from the local residents who actually work the land and have to live with the consequences of D.C.’s actions. This monument review is the exact opposite,” said Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. “President Trump and I opened the formal public comment period – the first-ever for monuments designated under the Antiquities Act – in order to give local stakeholders a voice in the decision-making process. After hearing some feedback, I'd like to remind and reassure folks that even if a monument is modified, the land will remain under federal ownership. I am strictly opposed to the sale or transfer of our public lands, and nothing in this review changes that policy.
“These comments, in addition to the extensive on-the-ground tours of monuments and meetings with stakeholders, will help inform my recommendations on the monuments,” Zinke said. “I appreciate everyone who took the time to log-on or write in and participate in our government.”
As required by the executive order, Secretary Zinke submitted an interim report to the White House in June with various recommendations and observations on Bears Ears National Monument, which suggested the monument be reduced in size to conform with the intent of the Antiquities Act, that of designating the smallest compatible area. [Update: Version with text is available here.] The report also recommended the creation of a national conservation area, and official co-management by the local Tribal governments.
The report came after Zinke spent several days on the ground in Utah touring the monument by air, car, foot, and horseback, speaking with stakeholders from Tribal, local, state and federal government, as well as representatives from the conservation, historic preservation, agriculture, tourism, and education sectors. The Secretary met with the Bears Ears InterTribal Coalition while in Salt Lake City on May 7, and the Acting Deputy Secretary Jim Cason held a four-hour follow-up meeting with the Bears Ears Commission and the InterTribal Coalition on May 25.
The Secretary also traveled to Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, and to Boston to hold meetings on the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Marine Monument off the coast of New England. The Secretary plans to visit Oregon, New Mexico, and Nevada in the coming weeks.
Regarding the comment period, the executive order stated:
In making the requisite determinations, the Secretary is directed to consider:
(i) the requirements and original objectives of the Act, including the Act’s requirement that reservations of land not exceed “the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected”;
(ii) whether designated lands are appropriately classified under the Act as “historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, [or] other objects of historic or scientific interest”;
(iii) the effects of a designation on the available uses of designated Federal lands, including consideration of the multiple-use policy of section 102(a)(7) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (43 U.S.C. 1701(a)(7)), as well as the effects on the available uses of Federal lands beyond the monument boundaries;
(iv) the effects of a designation on the use and enjoyment of non-Federal lands within or beyond monument boundaries;
(v) concerns of State, tribal, and local governments affected by a designation, including the economic development and fiscal condition of affected States, tribes, and localities;
(vi) the availability of Federal resources to properly manage designated areas; and
(vii) such other factors as the Secretary deems appropriate.
(from the press release from the Interior Dept. dated July 11th)
https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-secretary-ryan-zinkes-statement-end-monuments-review-public-comment-period
On Day of Action, Cantwell Defends Open Internet Protections
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, on the Net Neutrality Day of Action, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) took to the Senate floor to defend net neutrality – the rules that maintain an open and free internet. Cantwell stressed the importance of an open and free internet to Washington businesses, the internet economy, and everyday consumers.
“We're here today to draw attention to one of those important economic issues before us -- the need to preserve an open internet with strong net neutrality laws. We do not want to see American consumers run over by large cable companies who are demanding and demanding higher rates,” said Cantwell in her floor remarks. “Net neutrality, meaning you have an open internet that's not artificially slowed down unless you pay a ransom, is important for small businesses and start-ups and entrepreneurs who rely so much now on an integrated business model where internet access, marketing, advertising, products, and services to reach customers is critical. We need an open internet.”
In May, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai began the process of abandoning net neutrality, neglecting his agency’s responsibility to act in the public interest. Rolling back the rules threatens to erase the opportunities created by equal access and chokes the internet’s powerful economic engine, one that has been roaring since the rules were passed in 2015.
Earlier this month, Senator Cantwell hosted pro-net neutrality FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn for a town hall focused on net neutrality. The two heard directly from constituents about the benefits of a free and open internet and how rolling back net neutrality protections would hurt their jobs and businesses.
In the Senate, Cantwell led the charge to establish net neutrality rules and ensure equal access to the internet. She was an early advocate for the FCC to take up net neutrality and used her position as a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee to keep continuous pressure on the Commission during the drafting and implementation of the Open Internet Order – the rules that enshrine net neutrality – in 2015.
A full transcript of Senator Cantwell’s remarks is below.
Sen. Cantwell: Mr. President, I come to the floor with my colleagues. The senator from Hawaii has been coordinating a loud and resounding voice to stop the FCC. I want to thank him for his organization. We'll be joined by our colleague, Senator Wyden from Oregon, and perhaps the other senator from Oregon and several others to talk about this issue. We're here today to draw attention to one of those important economic issues before us – the need to preserve an open internet with strong net neutrality laws. We're facing a pivotal moment. A strong and open internet is without question one of the great innovations of our time and one of the great job creators of our time. Yet, the Trump Administration stands poised to undo the bedrock principle of [net] neutrality in the face of evidence that we know means it would undermine our economy and undermine future job growth.
The FCC has announced its intention to go against the demands of five million American consumers and reverse what is an existing recall so that big cable companies and telecom providers could erect toll lanes. That is, if you want fast internet speed, you have to pay more. This would threaten a fundamental nature of our internet and an innovation economy.
Last week, FCC Commissioner Clyburn and I had a town meeting on net neutrality in Seattle. More than 300 people attended and not one was in favor of paying higher prices to their cable company for worse or inhibited internet services. Many people shared their personal stories about how the internet with toll lanes would affect them negatively, and we heard from many small businesses and start-ups that they were afraid of losing business because they might have to charge higher prices to their customers if these important protections were reversed. I heard from people that have health problems and their concerns about health emergencies while at home and the fact that the absence of net neutrality rules would mean that their small hometown doctor could not get critical information to the medical practitioners who are dealing with a patient in an emergency so that they could get important life-saving treatments.
So whether you're a doctor examining a patient via telemedicine in an emergency room in Seattle or a student in a rural community trying to access the internet to get information for a test or research, a fast connection is not just something that you have a little concern about. Being artificially slowed down in favor of big companies that buy faster lanes would turn our economy in the wrong direction. Our economy is in the midst of a massive technological transformation. As technology advances, incredible opportunities and new jobs are created. Every business plan and every start-up relies on the ability to get access to its consumers and to get access to content. So largely as a result of innovation and proliferation of hundreds of start-ups in the United States, the internet economy today is now worth $966 billion and accounts for almost 6% of our GDP. This is a higher percentage of the US economy than any other industry sector including construction, mining, utilities, agriculture, and education.
So net neutrality, meaning you have an open internet that's not artificially slowed down unless you pay a ransom, is important for small businesses and start-ups and entrepreneurs who rely so much now on an integrated business model where internet access, marketing, advertising, products, and services to reach customers is critical. So we need an open internet. We need it to foster job creation, competition, innovation, and the almost three million Americans who already rely on that internet economy today. When net neutrality was implemented a year-plus ago, we were protecting and making sure that there was no un-level playing field. Basically because of the regulations, we were able to help small businesses and entrepreneurs thrive. But our internet providers and our internet gatekeepers, without net neutrality, would be seized upon by gatekeepers who wanted to change that position.
One slice of the internet economy, the app economy, which is growing every single day, consists of everybody who makes money and has a job thanks to applications and mobile apps powered by the internet. Today, 1.7 million Americans have jobs because of this economy. Nearly 92,000 of those are in my state of Washington. And over the past five years, the app economy has grown at an annual rate of 30%. I don't know another sector that's growing that fast. The average rate for all other jobs is about 1.6%. So by 2020, the app economy could grow to over $100 billion.
Why is this so important? Because we all know that these various applications and apps make our lives better. They make it easier. They're helping us in a busy world do the things that are so important to us with more ease and more certainty. The internet economy is dynamic and supercharged in creating this job growth. And this phenomenon of economic growth and trajectory would not be able without the internet as a platform for economic activity. This is why it's so important that the FCC not, in the dark of night, put down a rule without public comment to try to stop and change this direction that has already been protected by past FCC commissioners. That's why my colleagues and I are here today on a date when everybody is trying to raise awareness because the FCC could act as early as August 17 to try to change these rules.
It's important we oppose new FCC action trying to dismantle an open internet. We need to make sure that we are talking about the harm to consumers, the harm to innovation, and that internet speeds for American consumers are important and they shouldn't be burdened by a cable company telling you, holding you at ransom to pay more just to get faster speeds. Consumers are already struggling with high prices. Cable bills rose 39% from 2011 to 2015, eight times the rate of inflation. In 2015 average cable consumer TV bill was $99 a month. Just a year later, the average consumer cable bill had risen by 4 % to $103. My guess is a lot of people listening to this now are probably thinking, boy, where are we today?
One of the most popular arguments by the enemies of an open internet is say it suppresses investment and leaves consumers with poor broadband infrastructure. Well, that's a false claim. Data shows that investment by publicly traded cable companies and big telephone companies was 5% higher during the two-year period following our protection of an open internet. So clearly people are continuing to make investment. So, Mr. President, I want to make sure that people understand that we do not want to see a change in this policy. We do not want to see American consumers run over by large cable companies who are demanding and demanding higher rates. We want to make sure that we don't end up with a two-tiered internet system, one for big companies who will pay and pay and pay for faster rates and consumers who are left with a very slowed-down, economically-challenged internet that makes it hard for us to continue to innovate. So I encourage the American consumer to go out and contact the FCC Yes, your voice can be heard. The FCC has already received five million comments, and they have until August 17 to hear more. Today we're asking everybody in America to say ‘please don't slow down my internet connection. Don't hurt our economy. Don't hurt American business. Invest in innovation and keep an open internet for the future.’ I thank the President, and I yield the floor. ------from the press release issued July 12th
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/on-day-of-action-cantwell-defends-open-internet-protections
ON PAGE 2: AGO FILES CAMPAIGN FINANCE COMPLAINT AGAINST SEIU WASHINGTON STATE COUNCIL
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, spoke to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke about his proposed recommendation not to make changes to the Hanford Reach National Monument. The Senators made the following statements:
“Today, the Department of the Interior confirmed what so many Washingtonians have known all along—that the Hanford Reach, designated after years of collaboration in the Tri-Cities community, is worthy of protection for generations to come,” said Sen. Patty Murray, who led efforts in the 1990s to establish the Hanford Reach National Monument. “I commend everyone who made their voice heard during this process. Because of you, the Trump Administration is getting the message loud and clear that families in our state and around the country are ready to fight back against ill-conceived efforts to roll back protections for our prized public lands.”
"Today, I reminded Secretary Zinke that President Trump does not have the authority to rescind the lawful status of our protected national monuments in the first place and taxpayer dollars should have never been used for the Trump administration’s unlawful attack on the Antiquities Act,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell. “Now that Secretary Zinke agrees that the protection for the Hanford Reach National Monument should not be changed, the Trump Administration should abandon this review and the ill-advised effort to undermine national monuments altogether. An attack on one of our national monuments is an attack on all of them.”---press release issued July 12th
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/murray-cantwell-on-secretary-zinkes-national-monuments-review
Related story
US DEPT of INTERIOR: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s Statement on the End of the Monuments Review Public Comment Period
(WASHINGTON) – On Monday, July 10, the formal public comment period closed for the review of national monuments. More than 1.2 million comments were received on Regulations.gov and thousands more were received via traditional mail. Twenty-seven national monuments designated since January 1, 1996 that are more than 100,000 acres, or that were considered to have inadequate public input are under review in accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s April 26, 2017, executive order.
“Too often under previous administrations, decisions were made in the Washington, D.C., bubble, far removed from the local residents who actually work the land and have to live with the consequences of D.C.’s actions. This monument review is the exact opposite,” said Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. “President Trump and I opened the formal public comment period – the first-ever for monuments designated under the Antiquities Act – in order to give local stakeholders a voice in the decision-making process. After hearing some feedback, I'd like to remind and reassure folks that even if a monument is modified, the land will remain under federal ownership. I am strictly opposed to the sale or transfer of our public lands, and nothing in this review changes that policy.
“These comments, in addition to the extensive on-the-ground tours of monuments and meetings with stakeholders, will help inform my recommendations on the monuments,” Zinke said. “I appreciate everyone who took the time to log-on or write in and participate in our government.”
As required by the executive order, Secretary Zinke submitted an interim report to the White House in June with various recommendations and observations on Bears Ears National Monument, which suggested the monument be reduced in size to conform with the intent of the Antiquities Act, that of designating the smallest compatible area. [Update: Version with text is available here.] The report also recommended the creation of a national conservation area, and official co-management by the local Tribal governments.
The report came after Zinke spent several days on the ground in Utah touring the monument by air, car, foot, and horseback, speaking with stakeholders from Tribal, local, state and federal government, as well as representatives from the conservation, historic preservation, agriculture, tourism, and education sectors. The Secretary met with the Bears Ears InterTribal Coalition while in Salt Lake City on May 7, and the Acting Deputy Secretary Jim Cason held a four-hour follow-up meeting with the Bears Ears Commission and the InterTribal Coalition on May 25.
The Secretary also traveled to Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, and to Boston to hold meetings on the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Marine Monument off the coast of New England. The Secretary plans to visit Oregon, New Mexico, and Nevada in the coming weeks.
Regarding the comment period, the executive order stated:
In making the requisite determinations, the Secretary is directed to consider:
(i) the requirements and original objectives of the Act, including the Act’s requirement that reservations of land not exceed “the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected”;
(ii) whether designated lands are appropriately classified under the Act as “historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, [or] other objects of historic or scientific interest”;
(iii) the effects of a designation on the available uses of designated Federal lands, including consideration of the multiple-use policy of section 102(a)(7) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (43 U.S.C. 1701(a)(7)), as well as the effects on the available uses of Federal lands beyond the monument boundaries;
(iv) the effects of a designation on the use and enjoyment of non-Federal lands within or beyond monument boundaries;
(v) concerns of State, tribal, and local governments affected by a designation, including the economic development and fiscal condition of affected States, tribes, and localities;
(vi) the availability of Federal resources to properly manage designated areas; and
(vii) such other factors as the Secretary deems appropriate.
(from the press release from the Interior Dept. dated July 11th)
https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-secretary-ryan-zinkes-statement-end-monuments-review-public-comment-period
On Day of Action, Cantwell Defends Open Internet Protections
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, on the Net Neutrality Day of Action, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) took to the Senate floor to defend net neutrality – the rules that maintain an open and free internet. Cantwell stressed the importance of an open and free internet to Washington businesses, the internet economy, and everyday consumers.
“We're here today to draw attention to one of those important economic issues before us -- the need to preserve an open internet with strong net neutrality laws. We do not want to see American consumers run over by large cable companies who are demanding and demanding higher rates,” said Cantwell in her floor remarks. “Net neutrality, meaning you have an open internet that's not artificially slowed down unless you pay a ransom, is important for small businesses and start-ups and entrepreneurs who rely so much now on an integrated business model where internet access, marketing, advertising, products, and services to reach customers is critical. We need an open internet.”
In May, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai began the process of abandoning net neutrality, neglecting his agency’s responsibility to act in the public interest. Rolling back the rules threatens to erase the opportunities created by equal access and chokes the internet’s powerful economic engine, one that has been roaring since the rules were passed in 2015.
Earlier this month, Senator Cantwell hosted pro-net neutrality FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn for a town hall focused on net neutrality. The two heard directly from constituents about the benefits of a free and open internet and how rolling back net neutrality protections would hurt their jobs and businesses.
In the Senate, Cantwell led the charge to establish net neutrality rules and ensure equal access to the internet. She was an early advocate for the FCC to take up net neutrality and used her position as a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee to keep continuous pressure on the Commission during the drafting and implementation of the Open Internet Order – the rules that enshrine net neutrality – in 2015.
A full transcript of Senator Cantwell’s remarks is below.
Sen. Cantwell: Mr. President, I come to the floor with my colleagues. The senator from Hawaii has been coordinating a loud and resounding voice to stop the FCC. I want to thank him for his organization. We'll be joined by our colleague, Senator Wyden from Oregon, and perhaps the other senator from Oregon and several others to talk about this issue. We're here today to draw attention to one of those important economic issues before us – the need to preserve an open internet with strong net neutrality laws. We're facing a pivotal moment. A strong and open internet is without question one of the great innovations of our time and one of the great job creators of our time. Yet, the Trump Administration stands poised to undo the bedrock principle of [net] neutrality in the face of evidence that we know means it would undermine our economy and undermine future job growth.
The FCC has announced its intention to go against the demands of five million American consumers and reverse what is an existing recall so that big cable companies and telecom providers could erect toll lanes. That is, if you want fast internet speed, you have to pay more. This would threaten a fundamental nature of our internet and an innovation economy.
Last week, FCC Commissioner Clyburn and I had a town meeting on net neutrality in Seattle. More than 300 people attended and not one was in favor of paying higher prices to their cable company for worse or inhibited internet services. Many people shared their personal stories about how the internet with toll lanes would affect them negatively, and we heard from many small businesses and start-ups that they were afraid of losing business because they might have to charge higher prices to their customers if these important protections were reversed. I heard from people that have health problems and their concerns about health emergencies while at home and the fact that the absence of net neutrality rules would mean that their small hometown doctor could not get critical information to the medical practitioners who are dealing with a patient in an emergency so that they could get important life-saving treatments.
So whether you're a doctor examining a patient via telemedicine in an emergency room in Seattle or a student in a rural community trying to access the internet to get information for a test or research, a fast connection is not just something that you have a little concern about. Being artificially slowed down in favor of big companies that buy faster lanes would turn our economy in the wrong direction. Our economy is in the midst of a massive technological transformation. As technology advances, incredible opportunities and new jobs are created. Every business plan and every start-up relies on the ability to get access to its consumers and to get access to content. So largely as a result of innovation and proliferation of hundreds of start-ups in the United States, the internet economy today is now worth $966 billion and accounts for almost 6% of our GDP. This is a higher percentage of the US economy than any other industry sector including construction, mining, utilities, agriculture, and education.
So net neutrality, meaning you have an open internet that's not artificially slowed down unless you pay a ransom, is important for small businesses and start-ups and entrepreneurs who rely so much now on an integrated business model where internet access, marketing, advertising, products, and services to reach customers is critical. So we need an open internet. We need it to foster job creation, competition, innovation, and the almost three million Americans who already rely on that internet economy today. When net neutrality was implemented a year-plus ago, we were protecting and making sure that there was no un-level playing field. Basically because of the regulations, we were able to help small businesses and entrepreneurs thrive. But our internet providers and our internet gatekeepers, without net neutrality, would be seized upon by gatekeepers who wanted to change that position.
One slice of the internet economy, the app economy, which is growing every single day, consists of everybody who makes money and has a job thanks to applications and mobile apps powered by the internet. Today, 1.7 million Americans have jobs because of this economy. Nearly 92,000 of those are in my state of Washington. And over the past five years, the app economy has grown at an annual rate of 30%. I don't know another sector that's growing that fast. The average rate for all other jobs is about 1.6%. So by 2020, the app economy could grow to over $100 billion.
Why is this so important? Because we all know that these various applications and apps make our lives better. They make it easier. They're helping us in a busy world do the things that are so important to us with more ease and more certainty. The internet economy is dynamic and supercharged in creating this job growth. And this phenomenon of economic growth and trajectory would not be able without the internet as a platform for economic activity. This is why it's so important that the FCC not, in the dark of night, put down a rule without public comment to try to stop and change this direction that has already been protected by past FCC commissioners. That's why my colleagues and I are here today on a date when everybody is trying to raise awareness because the FCC could act as early as August 17 to try to change these rules.
It's important we oppose new FCC action trying to dismantle an open internet. We need to make sure that we are talking about the harm to consumers, the harm to innovation, and that internet speeds for American consumers are important and they shouldn't be burdened by a cable company telling you, holding you at ransom to pay more just to get faster speeds. Consumers are already struggling with high prices. Cable bills rose 39% from 2011 to 2015, eight times the rate of inflation. In 2015 average cable consumer TV bill was $99 a month. Just a year later, the average consumer cable bill had risen by 4 % to $103. My guess is a lot of people listening to this now are probably thinking, boy, where are we today?
One of the most popular arguments by the enemies of an open internet is say it suppresses investment and leaves consumers with poor broadband infrastructure. Well, that's a false claim. Data shows that investment by publicly traded cable companies and big telephone companies was 5% higher during the two-year period following our protection of an open internet. So clearly people are continuing to make investment. So, Mr. President, I want to make sure that people understand that we do not want to see a change in this policy. We do not want to see American consumers run over by large cable companies who are demanding and demanding higher rates. We want to make sure that we don't end up with a two-tiered internet system, one for big companies who will pay and pay and pay for faster rates and consumers who are left with a very slowed-down, economically-challenged internet that makes it hard for us to continue to innovate. So I encourage the American consumer to go out and contact the FCC Yes, your voice can be heard. The FCC has already received five million comments, and they have until August 17 to hear more. Today we're asking everybody in America to say ‘please don't slow down my internet connection. Don't hurt our economy. Don't hurt American business. Invest in innovation and keep an open internet for the future.’ I thank the President, and I yield the floor. ------from the press release issued July 12th
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/on-day-of-action-cantwell-defends-open-internet-protections
ON PAGE 2: AGO FILES CAMPAIGN FINANCE COMPLAINT AGAINST SEIU WASHINGTON STATE COUNCIL
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Sen. Murray highlighted stories of WA state constituents who are in recovery from opioid addiction, rely on Medicaid, but are scared that Trumpcare will set them back
Washington D.C. – Led by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), top Democrat on the Senate health committee, today Senate Democrats took to the Senate floor to share stories from their constituents on the damage Trumpcare will cause and urge advocates and families to keep making their voices heard in opposition.
Last week, Sen. Murray heard directly from several patients and providers in Everett and Seattle about how devastating Trumpcare would be to Washington state, including local efforts to address the opioid crisis. In her Senate floor speech, Sen. Murray talked about meeting with Daniel Veach and Rachael Erks, who both shared how Medicaid has helped them continue their recovery from substance use disorder, but now worry that if Trumpare is passed, all the progress they’ve made would be at risk. In Washington state, over 260,000 people with Medicaid would lose coverage and nearly 30,000 patients could lose access to treatment for opioid addiction and other substance use disorders under Trumpcare.
Full text of Senator Murray’s floor speech:
"M. President, from the moment President Trump and Republicans began trying to jam Trumpcare through Congress, I heard from family after family in my home state about the damage their efforts to undermine families’ health care would do. And this last week was no different.
Again and again, my constituents told me what a difference it makes to have affordable insurance—to know that benefits like substance use treatment are covered—and to worry about how they would manage if Trumpcare ever becomes law.
I know some of my Republican colleagues went out of their way to avoid these kinds of stories while they were home, so I wanted to make sure they hear a few examples now that they are back in town. And I appreciate my Democratic colleagues who will be sharing stories they heard from their constituents over the past few days as well.
M. President, like many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I come from a state where the opioid epidemic has had a devastating impact. It has been both heartbreaking and inspiring to talk with patients and families who are doing everything they can do fight back. And right now, the message I’m getting from them—loud and clear—is: we don’t want Trumpcare.
One of my constituents, Daniel, was injured in the military and given a prescription for painkillers. He was on them for eight years—and during that time, he told me his three daughters wondered why he wouldn’t play with them. Eventually Daniel changed doctors and was prescribed Suboxone, which made all the difference for him.
He’s now able to work again and manages a grocery store—but he relies on Medicaid for health care coverage, which covers the hundreds of dollars a month his prescription costs. Daniel says that if he loses Medicaid coverage under Trumpcare, he won’t be able to make ends meet—and all of his progress would be threatened.
I also heard from my constituent Rachael in Seattle, who was addicted to opioids and living in her car when she found out she was eligible for Medicaid. Rachael got connected with Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, where she received wraparound health services, including mental and primary health care.
She and her husband are now successfully in recovery and raising a family, and Rachael is going to school. But just like Daniel—they do not know what they will do if Trumpcare becomes law and Medicaid coverage is taken away from them.
These are just two of countless stories I’ve heard from patients, families, and doctors in my home state and nationwide. I’ve heard from cancer survivors who have fought back as hard as they can—and worry that Trumpcare will allow insurance companies to price them out of care because they’re labeled with a pre-existing condition.
Young parents of medically fragile children, who stay up at night worrying about how to afford care for their toddler if lifetime caps on coverage are imposed under Trumpcare. Seniors who simply don’t have the savings to cover the premium spikes that Trumpcare would cause.
Women and men who are furious—and rightly so—that a group of 13 men wrote a bill in secret to defund Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest provider of women’s health care, removing a quality, affordable provider from communities where it is already difficult to get care.
These stories are powerful. They make it undeniably clear just how much Trumpcare would hurt people. So it’s no wonder that Senate Republicans spent the last week laying low and avoiding defending the indefensible.
M. President, Senate Republicans have read the same independent Congressional Budget Office analysis as we have. They’ve heard from the countless doctors, nurses, hospitals, nursing homes, and patient advocates about all the ways Trumpcare would raise families’ costs and take away coverage.
They know that people across the country completely, resoundingly reject Trumpcare. It is the least popular bill in three decades according to one study. All in all, Trumpcare shatters every promise President Trump and Republicans made about “providing insurance to everybody” and “making sure no one is worse off.”
And—incredibly—the extreme right-wing still thinks it leaves too much of the Affordable Care Act intact! But M. President—even though it seems you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who wants to stick up for Trumpcare—including President Trump—Senate Republican leaders are still doing everything they can to jam it through Congress as quickly as they can.
They’re working on backroom deals as we speak. And coming up with new ways to sweeten the deal for Senate Republicans who are rightly wary of voting for a bill that would so clearly do so much harm.
In particular I want to address the ongoing effort by extreme conservative Senators to double-down on pulling the rug out from under patients with pre-existing conditions.
They’ve put together a two-track plan to make middle class workers and families pay more…
If they get their way, Trumpcare will tell patients with pre-existing conditions—or anyone who happens to get sick in the middle of the year—“tough luck”…
…and they will do that in a way that even conservative experts predict will cause premiums to skyrocket…
And everyone else will be burdened with dramatically higher out-of-pocket costs when they need care.
Senate Republicans are coming up with other ideas too—like an opioid fund that a Republican governor said is like “spitting in the ocean.”
But let me be clear: there is no “fixing” Trumpcare. No tweak around the edges is going to turn Trumpcare—which is just a tax break for special interests in the health industry on the backs of patients—into a health care bill that actually helps people.
Trumpcare is mean at its core—and unless it is dropped altogether, Senate Republicans are going to have to decide whether they stand with their party or the people they came here to represent.
So—to everyone who has called, written, rallied, or tweeted—you are having an impact. You are why Trumpcare isn’t already law. But you can’t give up now—and Democrats here in the Senate won’t either.
We are going to keep doing everything we can to make sure Senate Republicans can’t hold their noses and vote for Trumpcare just to hand big corporations a tax break and President Trump a hollow political win.
And I also want to remind my Senate Republican colleagues—again—we’ve made clear all along—there is a better way. Democrats are ready and willing to work with you on policies that make health care more affordable and workable for patients and families.
So I hope you listen to the stories my Democratic colleagues are bringing to the floor, think about how devastating Trumpcare would be, and do the right thing by dropping this mean bill once and for all so that we can get to work on real healthcare solutions that help more people afford care, get covered, and stay healthy.
If you do—you won’t have to defend this defenseless bill a minute longer. Thank you and I yield the floor. "-----from a press release issued July 11th
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=7B34ACE3-B463-4C6D-A4C8-C42BFBE0C913
Related Story from the White House: White House Statement on CEA Analysis of BCRA Medicaid Provisions
"The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) has analyzed the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) estimate of the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), particularly the bill’s effect on Medicaid since this effect has not been adequately analyzed. Although CBO’s estimates should be discounted because of the large errors made by the agency in estimating the toll of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), CEA’s analysis provides important information about the undescriptive CBO estimate regarding BCRA’s effect on federal Medicaid spending.While the media has reported that the BCRA makes significant Medicaid “cuts,” the BCRA results in at least $265 billion more federal Medicaid spending between 2018 and 2026, relative to 2017 levels of spending. This spending could be as high as $554 billion if CBO is wrong that people will drop Medicaid coverage simply because of repealing the individual mandate. Moreover, a large part of the reported “cuts,” which are actually reductions in the rate of federal Medicaid spending growth, result from CBO’s unlikely assumption that more than half of non-expansion states adopt the Medicaid expansion by 2026. Of crucial importance, the BCRA puts Medicaid on a sustainable trajectory. Specifically:
CEA found that in CBO’s analysis of the BCRA, 60 percent of the reduction in future increases in Medicaid spending will result from repealing the individual mandate and ending the enhanced match rate for states that have not already adopted Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion.
CEA estimated that repealing the individual mandate will result in Medicaid spending over the next decade to be $289 billion less than under current law as CBO believes that 4 million people, on net, in 2018 and 7 million people, on net, in 2026 will leave Medicaid. This estimate is likely substantially inflated since Medicaid enrollees currently pay little to no out of pocket costs and most are not subject to the individual mandate penalty.
CEA found that CBO’s analysis assumes that more than half of non-Medicaid expansion states will choose to adopt expansion under current law, and therefore Medicaid spending will increase by $170 billion over the next decade. But given that state legislatures in several expansion states, such as Ohio and Arkansas, are trying to trim Medicaid expansion due to cost overruns and that states’ share of the expansion bill increases over time, it is unlikely that many non-expansion states would adopt the expansion by 2026. In direct contrast to the CBO estimate, the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services does not predict additional states will expand under current law.
CEA found that the remainder of reduced federal Medicaid spending over the next decade from CBO’s analysis totals $313 billion and is largely attributable to the phase-down of the enhanced match rate from 2021 to 2024 and structural Medicaid reforms. The phase-down of the enhanced match rate must occur for two important reasons. First, the Federal Government’s discrimination against traditional populations, such as the disabled and low-income children, pregnant women, and seniors in favor of the expansion population of non-disabled, working-age adults must end. Second, expansion costs are substantially higher than expected as many expansion states have richly rewarded healthcare special interests with federal money through the enhanced match.
The structural Medicaid reforms—capped allotments combined with additional state flexibility—will help preserve the program for those who truly depend on it while protecting taxpayers against wasteful and inefficient spending.'----From a press release issued July
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/07/12/white-house-statement-cea-analysis-bcra-medicaid-provisions
ON PAGE 2: Washington ranked No. 1 state for business
This year’s CNBC Top States for Business ranking looks at workforce, infrastructure, quality of living, more
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
WA STATE COMMERCE DEPT: Southeast Washington Coalition receives 2017 Governor’s Smart Community Award
Program highlights commitment to preserving and protecting Washington’s enviable quality of life
OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Commerce presented on behalf of Governor Jay Inslee a 2017 Smart Communities award to the Southeast Washington Coalition consisting of Columbia, Asotin and Garfield counties and the cities of Clarkston and Starbuck for their regional growth management master program update.
The award celebrates the partnership that developed a Shoreline Master Program over three years with shared goals, policies and regulation for more than 300 miles of coastline. Partners accepting the award for the successful collaboration are:
Columbia County Planning and Building
Columbia County Commissioners
Asotin County Planning and Building
Asotin County Commissioners
Garfield County Public Works
City of Clarkston
Town of Starbuck
Brigham and Associates
Ben Floyd, Anchor QEA
Judges commended the intense cooperation between many different elected officials with diverse needs, interests and constituencies. The result is a Shoreline Master Program tailored to the unique conditions in each county while also providing consistent elements across county lines. The coalition successfully struck a balance between environmental protection, public access and water-oriented uses and achieving “no net loss” of ecological functions as they existed in southeast Washington in 2014.
The one-of-a-kind regional plan, approved by the Department of Ecology without a single change, was completed on time and within budget.
Judges described the process as “a very impressive model” and a “great example of visioning, community outreach and good planning – very smart!” They also applauded the group’s extensive stakeholder outreach and proclaimed it “top notch work and commitment by elected officials working together on tough questions.”
Now in its 12th year, the Smart Communities program recognizes achievements by local leaders who promote smart growth planning and projects that contribute to thriving communities, a prosperous economy, and sustainable infrastructure in Washington State.
“The award recognizes the hard work of citizens, businesses and local officials to make sure we have a healthy economy, and strong, resilient communities. Creating a ‘quality of place’ helps grow communities where people want to stay, raise families, and develop economies,” said Commerce Director Brian Bonlender.
Washington’s comprehensive Growth Management Act has been in place for 27 years. Using it as a framework, local communities plan and implement their vision for the future. For more information on the Governor’s Smart Communities Awards or the Growth Management Act, visit www.commerce.wa.gov/growth.
http://www.commerce.wa.gov/news-releases/community-programs-facilities/southeast-washington-coalition-receives-2017-governors-smart-community-award/
(press release issued July 11th)
Trump's budget would kill a crucial piece of a global tsunami warning system, sparking alarm in California and beyond
President Trump’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year would end funding to operate the network, which would eventually shut it down. A House of Representatives subcommittee is expected to release details of its own version of the budget this week. “It’s an absolutely reckless proposal,” said Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.), whose coastal district is at grave risk of a catastrophic tsunami. “These buoys are critical at keeping our coastal communities safe.”
Source: Congressman Kilmer's webpage
Related news story from the LA Times: In 1964, a tsunami at least 20 feet tall slammed into Crescent City, Calif. The floodwaters came without a detailed warning, killing 11 people who did not get out in time.
In 2011, another tsunami hit the town, located at the northern edge of the California coast. This time, officials had hours of warning that allowed them to evacuate areas along the coast before the tsunami hit, which destroyed much of Crescent City’s harbor
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-tsunami-warning-california-trump-20170710-htmlstory.html
On page 2: Statement from President Donald J. Trump on the Liberation of Mosul
http://pr2345.blogspot.com/p/page-2.html
OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Commerce presented on behalf of Governor Jay Inslee a 2017 Smart Communities award to the Southeast Washington Coalition consisting of Columbia, Asotin and Garfield counties and the cities of Clarkston and Starbuck for their regional growth management master program update.
The award celebrates the partnership that developed a Shoreline Master Program over three years with shared goals, policies and regulation for more than 300 miles of coastline. Partners accepting the award for the successful collaboration are:
Columbia County Planning and Building
Columbia County Commissioners
Asotin County Planning and Building
Asotin County Commissioners
Garfield County Public Works
City of Clarkston
Town of Starbuck
Brigham and Associates
Ben Floyd, Anchor QEA
Judges commended the intense cooperation between many different elected officials with diverse needs, interests and constituencies. The result is a Shoreline Master Program tailored to the unique conditions in each county while also providing consistent elements across county lines. The coalition successfully struck a balance between environmental protection, public access and water-oriented uses and achieving “no net loss” of ecological functions as they existed in southeast Washington in 2014.
The one-of-a-kind regional plan, approved by the Department of Ecology without a single change, was completed on time and within budget.
Judges described the process as “a very impressive model” and a “great example of visioning, community outreach and good planning – very smart!” They also applauded the group’s extensive stakeholder outreach and proclaimed it “top notch work and commitment by elected officials working together on tough questions.”
Now in its 12th year, the Smart Communities program recognizes achievements by local leaders who promote smart growth planning and projects that contribute to thriving communities, a prosperous economy, and sustainable infrastructure in Washington State.
“The award recognizes the hard work of citizens, businesses and local officials to make sure we have a healthy economy, and strong, resilient communities. Creating a ‘quality of place’ helps grow communities where people want to stay, raise families, and develop economies,” said Commerce Director Brian Bonlender.
Washington’s comprehensive Growth Management Act has been in place for 27 years. Using it as a framework, local communities plan and implement their vision for the future. For more information on the Governor’s Smart Communities Awards or the Growth Management Act, visit www.commerce.wa.gov/growth.
http://www.commerce.wa.gov/news-releases/community-programs-facilities/southeast-washington-coalition-receives-2017-governors-smart-community-award/
(press release issued July 11th)
Trump's budget would kill a crucial piece of a global tsunami warning system, sparking alarm in California and beyond
President Trump’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year would end funding to operate the network, which would eventually shut it down. A House of Representatives subcommittee is expected to release details of its own version of the budget this week. “It’s an absolutely reckless proposal,” said Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.), whose coastal district is at grave risk of a catastrophic tsunami. “These buoys are critical at keeping our coastal communities safe.”
Source: Congressman Kilmer's webpage
Related news story from the LA Times: In 1964, a tsunami at least 20 feet tall slammed into Crescent City, Calif. The floodwaters came without a detailed warning, killing 11 people who did not get out in time.
In 2011, another tsunami hit the town, located at the northern edge of the California coast. This time, officials had hours of warning that allowed them to evacuate areas along the coast before the tsunami hit, which destroyed much of Crescent City’s harbor
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-tsunami-warning-california-trump-20170710-htmlstory.html
On page 2: Statement from President Donald J. Trump on the Liberation of Mosul
http://pr2345.blogspot.com/p/page-2.html
NATIONAL NEWS SPOTLIGHT REPORT
WASHINGTON TIMES: Social Security reform grinds to a halt on Capitol Hill after Trump’s pledge not to touch it
As a candidate, Donald Trump bucked conservative orthodoxy and many in the Republican leadership with a sweeping promise to defend Social Security, but his hands-off policy as president isn’t breaking the partisan standoff that likely dooms efforts to address the coming financial crisis in America’s most popular safety net program.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Sen. Patty Murray Joins Colleagues Demanding Presidential Advisory Commission Rescind Request for State Election Officials’ Voter Roll Data
Washington D.C. – Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) joined 25 colleagues in demanding the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity rescind its request that state election officials provide sensitive voter roll data. Sen. Murray opposes the unprecedented request that threatens the privacy of millions of Americans and risks improper removal of eligible voters from voter registration lists in violation of the National Voter Registration Act. In the letter, the Senators warn that voting rights are at risk.
“This request is unprecedented in scope and raises serious privacy concerns. The requested data is highly sensitive and after recent data breaches and cyber-attacks targeting our election infrastructure, we are deeply concerned about how the Commission will maintain the security and privacy of the data,” the Senators wrote. “We are also concerned about why the Commission is requesting sensitive voting data and how it will be used. Leaders of the Commission said they intend to compare state voter information with federal databases in order to prevent voter fraud. Experts have raised significant concern that false-positive results from such a cross-check will lead to the improper removal of eligible voters from voter registration lists. Improperly removing Americans from registration lists is a violation of the National Voter Registration Act and will hamper Americans’ right to vote.”
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=6B0CC8C8-7479-4C1E-9BC2-D8FF58FB746A
(press release issued July 7th
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Chairman Pence and Vice-chairman Kobach:
We write with deep concerns regarding the June 28th request by Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity (“the Commission”) for state election officials to provide sensitive voter roll data and demand that the Commission rescind its request. If the Commission refuses to rescind the request, we ask that you provide information about how the Commission intends to use and protect the data.
In a letter, the Commission requests personal information of American voters that is generally unavailable to the public, including names, addresses, dates of birth, political parties, voter histories, and the last four digits of Americans' social security numbers. This request is unprecedented in scope and raises serious privacy concerns. The requested data is highly sensitive and after recent data breaches and cyber-attacks targeting our election infrastructure, we are deeply concerned about how the Commission will maintain the security and privacy of the data.
Election officials from more than forty states share our concern, including Republican officials from Mississippi, Tennessee, and Ohio. Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson, a member of the Commission and the President of the National Association of Secretaries of State, noted that the Commission’s request conflicts with state laws. Even Vice-chair Kobach who requested the information indicated that Kansas will not supply certain information to the Commission.
We are also concerned about why the Commission is requesting sensitive voting data and how it will be used. Leaders of the Commission said they intend to compare state voter information with federal databases in order to prevent voter fraud. Experts have raised significant concern that false-positive results from such a cross-check will lead to the improper removal of eligible voters from voter registration lists. Improperly removing Americans from registration lists is a violation of the National Voter Registration Act and will hamper Americans’ right to vote.
Also troubling is the Commission’s lack of focus on legitimate threats, such as foreign cyber-attacks on our election infrastructure. Therefore, we demand the Commission rescind its request for sensitive voter roll data and refrain from requesting such information in the future. If the Commission refuses to rescind its request, we ask that you provide the following information in order to ensure that voting rights and the privacy of millions of Americans are not at risk.
1. How do you intend to store and protect the data you receive from state election officials?
2. Which databases do you intend to use for cross-checking voter data and how will you work to ensure those databases are current?
3. What do you intend to do with the information obtained from cross-checking the data?
4. What communications have you had with the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security regarding requests for voter information? Please provide records and details of any communication.
5. The Department of Homeland Security is charged with leading federal efforts to protect national critical infrastructure, including voter registration databases, against cyber threats. What communications have you had with the Department of Homeland Security regarding requests for voter information? Please provide records and details of any communication.
6. The Commission’s letter requests election officials send correspondence and data to ElectionIntegrityStaff@ovp.eop.gov. Who has access to this email account and what is being done to ensure it is secure? Please provide the names of all staff members who will have access to the data, including Administration officials and members of the Commission.
7. It was recently disclosed that more than 21 states were victims of attempted election hacks by Russia. As one of the major issues facing U.S. democracy today is the protection of our state election systems from cyber-attacks, why would the Commission think it prudent to collect state-by-state voter information? One of the best protections we have against foreign interference is the decentralized nature of our elections. Why does the Commission think centralizing this data is a good idea?
8. Much of the data the Commission collects will not be aggregated in a format ready for data analysis. Does the Commission intend to hire objective data professionals to manage and standardize the data?
9. Many states have laws that prevent them from disclosing sensitive data that the Commission is requesting. Some state elected officials are particularly concerned about providing social security information. For example, Vice-chair Kobach has indicated that Kansas will not provide social security information to the Commission. How does the Commission plan to proceed if states do not submit the information they have requested?
We should be working to make it easier for Americans to vote, not harder. Please provide your responses to these questions in writing by July 12th, 2017. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Yesterday, Sen. Murray visited the Community Health Center of Snohomish County (CHC) to meet with doctors and providers and hear their concerns about Trumpcare’s cuts to Medicaid and subsequent impact on the center’s ability to treat opioid addiction. The CHC provides critical health care services to Washingtonians who participate in Medicare and Medicaid. At the CHC, Sen. Murray spoke with patients Rachel Weaver and Dan Veach, who both shared how Medicaid has helped them continue their recovery from substance use disorder.
This morning, Sen. Murray visited Swedish Hospital in Seattle to tour the pain management center and meet with doctors from the addiction medicine program who specialize in chronic pain management and opioid therapies, particularly addiction in pregnant women. Sen. Murray sat down with patients Rachael Erks and Angelina Martin to discuss their struggles combating addiction and subsequent success with treatment.
“I hope my Republican colleagues take the earful they’re getting to heart and come back ready to drop Trumpcare and all the harm it would do for patients like those I spoke with in Washington state this week, who are getting treatment for substance use disorders or access to a primary care doctor under Medicaid,” said Senator Murray. “I’ve heard story after story this week about how devastating Trumpcare would be for patients and families across Washington state, especially those in communities struggling to address the opioid epidemic, and I’m going back to the other Washington to share those stories and make clear it’s time for Republicans to drop Trumpcare once and for all.”
“Opioid addiction and deaths in Washington have been climbing over the last 15 years. It is an issue we have been working diligently to address through the Joint Opioid Safe Practices Task Force, with Senator Patty Murray’s support,” said the Washington State Medical Association and Washington State Hospital Association. “The Medicaid cuts, coupled with the $2 billion budget treatment & recovery services, proposed in the Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act would have a devastating impact on those seeking help with addiction. It is vital, not only for Washington residents but for all Americans to have access to the treatment they need. This bill would pull coverage from thousands who need it, and cut funding to a fraction of the amount needed to adequately support some of our most vulnerable citizens.”
These visits to the CHC and Swedish build upon Sen. Murray’s ongoing work to combat the opioid crisis in Washington state. Last December, Sen. Murray secured $1 billion in federal funding to combat opioid addiction nationwide, including a recent $11 million investment in Washington state. With Senate Republicans doing everything they can to jam Trumpcare through the Senate, Sen. Murray has now been working to organize Democrats and stakeholders to defeat the bill.
Last week, Sen. Murray released a report to her Senate colleagues on the disastrous consequences Trumpcare would have for individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorders. The report outlines how Trumpcare would remove critical protections and slash expanded Medicaid coverage that dramatically increased access to health care services for those with mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The Senate version of Trumpcare would cut over $700 billion from Medicaid over the next ten years.
This week, Sen. Murray also released a state-by-state analysis on what is at risk if the Prevention and Public Health Fund is eliminated under Trumpcare. Since 2010, the Prevention and Public Fund has invested $97 million in critical public health programs in Washington state for immunizations, outbreak preparedness, opioid epidemic response, and more. If Trumpcare passes, $5.3 billion in investments for essential public health funding would be cut over the next five years – $3 billion of which would have gone directly to states
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=5C3ECBF6-1D1A-4D50-BBB7-5FBE8EC50681
(press release issued July 7th)
On page 2: SHOULD WE CEASE TRADE WITH CHINA UNTIL THEY NO LONGER SUPPORT LITTLE BROTHER NORTH KOREA?
WORLD NEWS SPOTLIGHT REPORT
WP: Qatar agrees to curb terrorism financing under deal with U.S.
Secretary of State Tillerson reached the agreement, which aims to encourage Qatar's neighbors to abandon their embargo on the country.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/qatar-agrees-to-curb-terrorism-financing-under-deal-with-us/2017/07/11/1a86e3b0-a041-4300-ab03-c840d8a19bcf_story.html
Washington D.C. – Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) joined 25 colleagues in demanding the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity rescind its request that state election officials provide sensitive voter roll data. Sen. Murray opposes the unprecedented request that threatens the privacy of millions of Americans and risks improper removal of eligible voters from voter registration lists in violation of the National Voter Registration Act. In the letter, the Senators warn that voting rights are at risk.
“This request is unprecedented in scope and raises serious privacy concerns. The requested data is highly sensitive and after recent data breaches and cyber-attacks targeting our election infrastructure, we are deeply concerned about how the Commission will maintain the security and privacy of the data,” the Senators wrote. “We are also concerned about why the Commission is requesting sensitive voting data and how it will be used. Leaders of the Commission said they intend to compare state voter information with federal databases in order to prevent voter fraud. Experts have raised significant concern that false-positive results from such a cross-check will lead to the improper removal of eligible voters from voter registration lists. Improperly removing Americans from registration lists is a violation of the National Voter Registration Act and will hamper Americans’ right to vote.”
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=6B0CC8C8-7479-4C1E-9BC2-D8FF58FB746A
(press release issued July 7th
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Chairman Pence and Vice-chairman Kobach:
We write with deep concerns regarding the June 28th request by Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity (“the Commission”) for state election officials to provide sensitive voter roll data and demand that the Commission rescind its request. If the Commission refuses to rescind the request, we ask that you provide information about how the Commission intends to use and protect the data.
In a letter, the Commission requests personal information of American voters that is generally unavailable to the public, including names, addresses, dates of birth, political parties, voter histories, and the last four digits of Americans' social security numbers. This request is unprecedented in scope and raises serious privacy concerns. The requested data is highly sensitive and after recent data breaches and cyber-attacks targeting our election infrastructure, we are deeply concerned about how the Commission will maintain the security and privacy of the data.
Election officials from more than forty states share our concern, including Republican officials from Mississippi, Tennessee, and Ohio. Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson, a member of the Commission and the President of the National Association of Secretaries of State, noted that the Commission’s request conflicts with state laws. Even Vice-chair Kobach who requested the information indicated that Kansas will not supply certain information to the Commission.
We are also concerned about why the Commission is requesting sensitive voting data and how it will be used. Leaders of the Commission said they intend to compare state voter information with federal databases in order to prevent voter fraud. Experts have raised significant concern that false-positive results from such a cross-check will lead to the improper removal of eligible voters from voter registration lists. Improperly removing Americans from registration lists is a violation of the National Voter Registration Act and will hamper Americans’ right to vote.
Also troubling is the Commission’s lack of focus on legitimate threats, such as foreign cyber-attacks on our election infrastructure. Therefore, we demand the Commission rescind its request for sensitive voter roll data and refrain from requesting such information in the future. If the Commission refuses to rescind its request, we ask that you provide the following information in order to ensure that voting rights and the privacy of millions of Americans are not at risk.
1. How do you intend to store and protect the data you receive from state election officials?
2. Which databases do you intend to use for cross-checking voter data and how will you work to ensure those databases are current?
3. What do you intend to do with the information obtained from cross-checking the data?
4. What communications have you had with the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security regarding requests for voter information? Please provide records and details of any communication.
5. The Department of Homeland Security is charged with leading federal efforts to protect national critical infrastructure, including voter registration databases, against cyber threats. What communications have you had with the Department of Homeland Security regarding requests for voter information? Please provide records and details of any communication.
6. The Commission’s letter requests election officials send correspondence and data to ElectionIntegrityStaff@ovp.eop.gov. Who has access to this email account and what is being done to ensure it is secure? Please provide the names of all staff members who will have access to the data, including Administration officials and members of the Commission.
7. It was recently disclosed that more than 21 states were victims of attempted election hacks by Russia. As one of the major issues facing U.S. democracy today is the protection of our state election systems from cyber-attacks, why would the Commission think it prudent to collect state-by-state voter information? One of the best protections we have against foreign interference is the decentralized nature of our elections. Why does the Commission think centralizing this data is a good idea?
8. Much of the data the Commission collects will not be aggregated in a format ready for data analysis. Does the Commission intend to hire objective data professionals to manage and standardize the data?
9. Many states have laws that prevent them from disclosing sensitive data that the Commission is requesting. Some state elected officials are particularly concerned about providing social security information. For example, Vice-chair Kobach has indicated that Kansas will not provide social security information to the Commission. How does the Commission plan to proceed if states do not submit the information they have requested?
We should be working to make it easier for Americans to vote, not harder. Please provide your responses to these questions in writing by July 12th, 2017. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
During Visits With Patients, Providers in WA, Sen. Murray Hears Resounding Message Being Told Nationwide: Trumpcare Would Devastate Efforts to Combat Opioid Crisis
SEATTLE, WA – Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) met with patients and providers in Washington state this week to hear first-hand about how the Medicaid cuts under the Senate Republican Trumpcare bill would impact efforts to prevent and treat substance use disorders, specifically opioid addiction. Last week, Republican leadership decided to delay a vote on Trumpcare due to overwhelming pressure nationwide and lack of support from members of their own party.Yesterday, Sen. Murray visited the Community Health Center of Snohomish County (CHC) to meet with doctors and providers and hear their concerns about Trumpcare’s cuts to Medicaid and subsequent impact on the center’s ability to treat opioid addiction. The CHC provides critical health care services to Washingtonians who participate in Medicare and Medicaid. At the CHC, Sen. Murray spoke with patients Rachel Weaver and Dan Veach, who both shared how Medicaid has helped them continue their recovery from substance use disorder.
This morning, Sen. Murray visited Swedish Hospital in Seattle to tour the pain management center and meet with doctors from the addiction medicine program who specialize in chronic pain management and opioid therapies, particularly addiction in pregnant women. Sen. Murray sat down with patients Rachael Erks and Angelina Martin to discuss their struggles combating addiction and subsequent success with treatment.
“I hope my Republican colleagues take the earful they’re getting to heart and come back ready to drop Trumpcare and all the harm it would do for patients like those I spoke with in Washington state this week, who are getting treatment for substance use disorders or access to a primary care doctor under Medicaid,” said Senator Murray. “I’ve heard story after story this week about how devastating Trumpcare would be for patients and families across Washington state, especially those in communities struggling to address the opioid epidemic, and I’m going back to the other Washington to share those stories and make clear it’s time for Republicans to drop Trumpcare once and for all.”
“Opioid addiction and deaths in Washington have been climbing over the last 15 years. It is an issue we have been working diligently to address through the Joint Opioid Safe Practices Task Force, with Senator Patty Murray’s support,” said the Washington State Medical Association and Washington State Hospital Association. “The Medicaid cuts, coupled with the $2 billion budget treatment & recovery services, proposed in the Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act would have a devastating impact on those seeking help with addiction. It is vital, not only for Washington residents but for all Americans to have access to the treatment they need. This bill would pull coverage from thousands who need it, and cut funding to a fraction of the amount needed to adequately support some of our most vulnerable citizens.”
These visits to the CHC and Swedish build upon Sen. Murray’s ongoing work to combat the opioid crisis in Washington state. Last December, Sen. Murray secured $1 billion in federal funding to combat opioid addiction nationwide, including a recent $11 million investment in Washington state. With Senate Republicans doing everything they can to jam Trumpcare through the Senate, Sen. Murray has now been working to organize Democrats and stakeholders to defeat the bill.
Last week, Sen. Murray released a report to her Senate colleagues on the disastrous consequences Trumpcare would have for individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorders. The report outlines how Trumpcare would remove critical protections and slash expanded Medicaid coverage that dramatically increased access to health care services for those with mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The Senate version of Trumpcare would cut over $700 billion from Medicaid over the next ten years.
This week, Sen. Murray also released a state-by-state analysis on what is at risk if the Prevention and Public Health Fund is eliminated under Trumpcare. Since 2010, the Prevention and Public Fund has invested $97 million in critical public health programs in Washington state for immunizations, outbreak preparedness, opioid epidemic response, and more. If Trumpcare passes, $5.3 billion in investments for essential public health funding would be cut over the next five years – $3 billion of which would have gone directly to states
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=5C3ECBF6-1D1A-4D50-BBB7-5FBE8EC50681
(press release issued July 7th)
On page 2: SHOULD WE CEASE TRADE WITH CHINA UNTIL THEY NO LONGER SUPPORT LITTLE BROTHER NORTH KOREA?
WORLD NEWS SPOTLIGHT REPORT
WP: Qatar agrees to curb terrorism financing under deal with U.S.
Secretary of State Tillerson reached the agreement, which aims to encourage Qatar's neighbors to abandon their embargo on the country.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/qatar-agrees-to-curb-terrorism-financing-under-deal-with-us/2017/07/11/1a86e3b0-a041-4300-ab03-c840d8a19bcf_story.html
Monday, July 10, 2017
WA DFI: Triple Services LLC - Debt Collection Scam
The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) has received reports of what appears to be a debt collection scam. Consumers reported that they have been contacted by telephone from people claiming to collect alleged debts owed to a company named Triple Services.
One Washington consumer stated “Ryan Snyder”, an individual claiming to represent Cardinal Services, contacted them via telephone, in an attempt to collect a debt allegedly owed to Triple Services. The consumer reported that Ryan Snyder stated a loan was taken out for $400 in 2010, and he threatened to file paperwork in Clark County for a judgement of $1400. The consumer further reported that Ryan Snyder had their driver’s license number, last four digits of their social security number, current address, and their spouse’s phone number.
Another consumer was told by an unknown individual that legal papers would be filed and that the consumer needed to contact Ray Anderson, an alleged attorney, to make a payment of $671. The phone number showing on the consumer’s telephone was the actual phone number to a county courthouse. However, the consumer contacted the courthouse and confirmed there were no legal papers filed against him.
Another person calling himself “Michael Walker” claimed to be collecting a debt as an agent for a company called “Contact Solutions.” The agent alleged that the debt was owed to Triple Services, LLC. The consumer reported never obtaining a loan with Triple Services, LLC.
Here is the contact information that is associated with these apparent scams:
1*855*375*2986
773*270*1640
206*745*9693
[officeofrayanderson@gmail.com]
Those perpetrating these scams are not licensed by the DFI and are not registered to conduct business in Washington State by the Department of Licensing, the Department of Revenue, or the Secretary of State. The Department of Licensing licenses and regulates collection agencies under RCW 19.16.
DFI warns Washington consumers:
Never send money or provide access to your bank or credit card in response to threatening telephone calls or emails you receive claiming that you owe a debt.
Never give any personal information, such as social security number, credit card, or bank account information to any individual, website, or company without first verifying their identity and license status.
Check that a financial services company or individual is properly licensed to conduct business in the state of Washington by using the “Verify a License” feature on the DFI’s website at www.dfi.wa.gov
Check the license status of collection agencies with the State of Washington Department of Licensing at www.dol.wa.gov
Please note that these collection attempts should not be confused with the following company licensed to conduct business in Washington through the Secretary of State, Department of Revenue, and/or Department of Licensing:
CARDINAL SERVICES, INC.
Important Information for Washington State Consumers
Residents of the State of Washington are informed that Washington State law provides in RCW 31.45.105(1)(d) and (3) that a “small loan” (sometimes referred to as a “payday loan”) made by an unlicensed entity to a person physically located in Washington State is uncollectible and unenforceable in Washington State. A “small loan” is defined in RCW 31.45.073 and is a loan that does not exceed $700. Collection activities involving loans of $700 or less are subject to RCW 31.45.082, which limits the time, place, and manner in which a payday loan may be collected. Payday lenders must also provide borrowers with an installment plan if the borrower is not able to pay the small loan back when it is due.
Information About Federal Debt Collection Law
If you received a loan from a lender or owed money to a business and someone other than the lender or business is now attempting to collect from you, the collection activity may be subject to the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. If you receive a communication from a party claiming that a debt is owed, you can request a “written validation notice,” which must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the FDCPA. If you have questions regarding federal debt collection laws, you can contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELPCall: 1-877-FTC-HELP or online at www.ftc.gov
Prevent and Report Identity Theft
Consumers should never make payments over the phone or via email to a third party debt collector that refuses to provide a written validation notice. Even if the party seems to have some of your personal or financial information, you should not make payments or provide bank account or credit card information without receiving a written validation notice. If the scammers already have your bank account information, social security number, or other nonpublic information, you may be a victim of identity theft. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has information for victims of identity theft available online at www.ftc.gov
If you feel you have been the victim of a financial scam and are concerned about your personal financial information, contact your bank and the three major credit bureaus. Procedures for contacting the credit bureaus are available on the FTC’s website at www.ftc.gov (link is external).
Report Suspicious Activity, Scams, or Fraud
If someone threatens to garnish your wages, contact your employer, or uses threatening, intimidating, or offensive language, report such actions to state and federal regulators.
Washington State residents only: If you are a victim of a collection scam or if you suspect illegal or fraudulent activity involving a financial product or service, please contact the Department of Financial Institutions at 1-877-RING-DFICall: 1-877-RING-DFI (746-4334), or online at www.dfi.wa.gov. You may also wish to contact the state of Washington Office of the Attorney General at www.atg.wa.gov
If you live in another state, go to this webpage to find the regulator in your home state. http://mortgage.nationwidelicensingsystem.org/consumer/Pages/AgencyContacts.aspx
All consumers, if you feel you have been the victim of a scam you might also with to contact the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELPCall: 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357) or online at www.ftc.gov (link is external); or contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (855) 411-CFPB (2372) or online at www.consumerfinance.gov
If you feel you have been the victim of a scam involving the internet you may also contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center online at www.ic3.gov
press release issued July 7th
http://www.dfi.wa.gov/consumer/alerts/triple-services-llc-debt-collection-scam
Amber Wright reportedly used telephone number 580*208*1899 to contact the consumer.
The DFI received an additional complaint of what appears to be a similar loan collection scam. A Washington consumer has reported being contacted by an unknown individual claiming to collect debts allegedly owed to “CashCall” in their name. The consumer targeted had applied for a CashCall loan in the past, but did not owe the debt being collected.
Amber Wright, CBRL Legal Processing, and the unnamed individual are not licensed by the DFI and are not registered to conduct business in Washington State by the Department of Licensing, the Department of Revenue, or the Secretary of State. The Department of Licensing licenses and regulates collection agencies under RCW 19.16.
DFI warns Washington consumers:
Never send money or provide access to your bank or credit card in response to threatening telephone calls or emails you receive claiming that you owe a debt.
Never give any personal information, such as social security number, credit card, or bank account information to any individual, website, or company without first verifying their identity and license status.
Check that a financial services company or individual is properly licensed to conduct business in the state of Washington by using the “Verify a License” feature on the DFI’s website at www.dfi.wa.gov.
Check the license status of collection agencies with the State of Washington Department of Licensing at www.dol.wa.gov
Please note that these collection attempts should not be confused with the following company licensed to conduct business in Washington through the Secretary of State, Department of Revenue, and/or Department of Licensing: See full press release issued July 7th
http://www.dfi.wa.gov/consumer/alerts/amber-wright-claiming-represent-cbrl-legal-processing
For more news in the world of business and finance see page 2
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT REPORT
NYT: Berkshire Hathaway Makes a $9 Billion Bid for Energy Future Holdings
The fate of a giant Texas power company that has spent nearly a decade in financial distress lies in a potential battle between two billionaires.
On one side is Warren E. Buffett, who has agreed to pay $9 billion in cash for the utility operator, Energy Future Holdings. On the other is Paul E. Singer, the hedge fund mogul whose firm is the biggest creditor of Energy Future. Mr. Singer is exploring making its own takeover bid for the company, which has spent more than three years in bankruptcy proceedings.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/07/business/dealbook/warren-buffett-energy-future-oncor.html?ref=business
One Washington consumer stated “Ryan Snyder”, an individual claiming to represent Cardinal Services, contacted them via telephone, in an attempt to collect a debt allegedly owed to Triple Services. The consumer reported that Ryan Snyder stated a loan was taken out for $400 in 2010, and he threatened to file paperwork in Clark County for a judgement of $1400. The consumer further reported that Ryan Snyder had their driver’s license number, last four digits of their social security number, current address, and their spouse’s phone number.
Another consumer was told by an unknown individual that legal papers would be filed and that the consumer needed to contact Ray Anderson, an alleged attorney, to make a payment of $671. The phone number showing on the consumer’s telephone was the actual phone number to a county courthouse. However, the consumer contacted the courthouse and confirmed there were no legal papers filed against him.
Another person calling himself “Michael Walker” claimed to be collecting a debt as an agent for a company called “Contact Solutions.” The agent alleged that the debt was owed to Triple Services, LLC. The consumer reported never obtaining a loan with Triple Services, LLC.
Here is the contact information that is associated with these apparent scams:
1*855*375*2986
773*270*1640
206*745*9693
[officeofrayanderson@gmail.com]
Those perpetrating these scams are not licensed by the DFI and are not registered to conduct business in Washington State by the Department of Licensing, the Department of Revenue, or the Secretary of State. The Department of Licensing licenses and regulates collection agencies under RCW 19.16.
DFI warns Washington consumers:
Never send money or provide access to your bank or credit card in response to threatening telephone calls or emails you receive claiming that you owe a debt.
Never give any personal information, such as social security number, credit card, or bank account information to any individual, website, or company without first verifying their identity and license status.
Check that a financial services company or individual is properly licensed to conduct business in the state of Washington by using the “Verify a License” feature on the DFI’s website at www.dfi.wa.gov
Check the license status of collection agencies with the State of Washington Department of Licensing at www.dol.wa.gov
Please note that these collection attempts should not be confused with the following company licensed to conduct business in Washington through the Secretary of State, Department of Revenue, and/or Department of Licensing:
CARDINAL SERVICES, INC.
Important Information for Washington State Consumers
Residents of the State of Washington are informed that Washington State law provides in RCW 31.45.105(1)(d) and (3) that a “small loan” (sometimes referred to as a “payday loan”) made by an unlicensed entity to a person physically located in Washington State is uncollectible and unenforceable in Washington State. A “small loan” is defined in RCW 31.45.073 and is a loan that does not exceed $700. Collection activities involving loans of $700 or less are subject to RCW 31.45.082, which limits the time, place, and manner in which a payday loan may be collected. Payday lenders must also provide borrowers with an installment plan if the borrower is not able to pay the small loan back when it is due.
Information About Federal Debt Collection Law
If you received a loan from a lender or owed money to a business and someone other than the lender or business is now attempting to collect from you, the collection activity may be subject to the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. If you receive a communication from a party claiming that a debt is owed, you can request a “written validation notice,” which must include the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor you owe, and your rights under the FDCPA. If you have questions regarding federal debt collection laws, you can contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELPCall: 1-877-FTC-HELP or online at www.ftc.gov
Prevent and Report Identity Theft
Consumers should never make payments over the phone or via email to a third party debt collector that refuses to provide a written validation notice. Even if the party seems to have some of your personal or financial information, you should not make payments or provide bank account or credit card information without receiving a written validation notice. If the scammers already have your bank account information, social security number, or other nonpublic information, you may be a victim of identity theft. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has information for victims of identity theft available online at www.ftc.gov
If you feel you have been the victim of a financial scam and are concerned about your personal financial information, contact your bank and the three major credit bureaus. Procedures for contacting the credit bureaus are available on the FTC’s website at www.ftc.gov (link is external).
Report Suspicious Activity, Scams, or Fraud
If someone threatens to garnish your wages, contact your employer, or uses threatening, intimidating, or offensive language, report such actions to state and federal regulators.
Washington State residents only: If you are a victim of a collection scam or if you suspect illegal or fraudulent activity involving a financial product or service, please contact the Department of Financial Institutions at 1-877-RING-DFICall: 1-877-RING-DFI (746-4334), or online at www.dfi.wa.gov. You may also wish to contact the state of Washington Office of the Attorney General at www.atg.wa.gov
If you live in another state, go to this webpage to find the regulator in your home state. http://mortgage.nationwidelicensingsystem.org/consumer/Pages/AgencyContacts.aspx
All consumers, if you feel you have been the victim of a scam you might also with to contact the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELPCall: 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357) or online at www.ftc.gov (link is external); or contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (855) 411-CFPB (2372) or online at www.consumerfinance.gov
If you feel you have been the victim of a scam involving the internet you may also contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center online at www.ic3.gov
press release issued July 7th
http://www.dfi.wa.gov/consumer/alerts/triple-services-llc-debt-collection-scam
WA DFI: Amber Wright Claiming to Represent CBRL Legal Processing
The State of Washington Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) has received a complaint from a Washington consumer against Amber Wright, an individual claiming to represent CBRL Legal Processing. The consumer reported that she was contacted by Amber Wright, via telephone, in an attempt to collect on an alleged payday loan with Cash Call. The consumer reported that Amber Wright alleged that the consumer had “defrauded the financial institution.” The consumer reported never obtaining a payday loan.Amber Wright reportedly used telephone number 580*208*1899 to contact the consumer.
The DFI received an additional complaint of what appears to be a similar loan collection scam. A Washington consumer has reported being contacted by an unknown individual claiming to collect debts allegedly owed to “CashCall” in their name. The consumer targeted had applied for a CashCall loan in the past, but did not owe the debt being collected.
Amber Wright, CBRL Legal Processing, and the unnamed individual are not licensed by the DFI and are not registered to conduct business in Washington State by the Department of Licensing, the Department of Revenue, or the Secretary of State. The Department of Licensing licenses and regulates collection agencies under RCW 19.16.
DFI warns Washington consumers:
Never send money or provide access to your bank or credit card in response to threatening telephone calls or emails you receive claiming that you owe a debt.
Never give any personal information, such as social security number, credit card, or bank account information to any individual, website, or company without first verifying their identity and license status.
Check that a financial services company or individual is properly licensed to conduct business in the state of Washington by using the “Verify a License” feature on the DFI’s website at www.dfi.wa.gov.
Check the license status of collection agencies with the State of Washington Department of Licensing at www.dol.wa.gov
Please note that these collection attempts should not be confused with the following company licensed to conduct business in Washington through the Secretary of State, Department of Revenue, and/or Department of Licensing: See full press release issued July 7th
http://www.dfi.wa.gov/consumer/alerts/amber-wright-claiming-represent-cbrl-legal-processing
For more news in the world of business and finance see page 2
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT REPORT
NYT: Berkshire Hathaway Makes a $9 Billion Bid for Energy Future Holdings
The fate of a giant Texas power company that has spent nearly a decade in financial distress lies in a potential battle between two billionaires.
On one side is Warren E. Buffett, who has agreed to pay $9 billion in cash for the utility operator, Energy Future Holdings. On the other is Paul E. Singer, the hedge fund mogul whose firm is the biggest creditor of Energy Future. Mr. Singer is exploring making its own takeover bid for the company, which has spent more than three years in bankruptcy proceedings.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/07/business/dealbook/warren-buffett-energy-future-oncor.html?ref=business
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Governor Inslee: A new department to better serve children, youth, families
Inslee signs bill to improve services for at-risk children and youth, appoints department’s director
Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill Thursday to restructure how the state serves at-risk children and youth by creating the Department of Children, Youth and Families. The governor also appointed Ross Hunter, director of the state’s Department of Early Learning, to lead DCYF.
The new agency, after a yearlong transition period that begins this month, will oversee several services now offered through the state Department of Social and Health Services and the Department of Early Learning. These include all programs from the Children’s Administration in DSHS such as Child Protective Services, the Family Assessment Response program and adoption support, as well as all DEL services, including the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program for preschoolers and Working Connections Child Care.
Starting in July 2019, the new department also will administer programs offered by the Juvenile Rehabilitation office and the Office of Juvenile Justice in DSHS. Those programs include juvenile rehabilitation institutions, community facilities and parole services.
The creation of the new department follows the suggestions of the bipartisan Blue Ribbon Commission on the Delivery of Services to Children and Families convened by the governor in February 2016 to recommend a state system that focuses more clearly on preventing harm to children and youth. Washington’s Legislature expressed interest in restructuring during the 2016 legislative session, prompting the governor to issue the executive order creating the blue ribbon commission, of which Hunter was a member.
Last month, as lawmakers continued to negotiate a state operating budget, Inslee met with foster parents, youth and advocates to push for the new department. He heard from people who have been in the foster care system who said that a standardization of services and more support for foster families are needed.
Inslee said that the way the government is organized signals what its priorities are. Placing all state children’s services in one agency will amplify attention and resources on improving outcomes, promoting more accountability and heightening the importance of children’s issues.
“We want to prevent harm to children and youth rather than just react to it,” Inslee said. “The vision for this department comes right out of the bill itself: that Washington’s children and youth grow up safe and healthy — thriving physically, emotionally and academically — and are nurtured by family and community.”
Other states have had success with this approach. New Jersey, Wisconsin and Tennessee, for example, have set up departments dedicated solely to serving children and families. These agencies have displayed more accountability and more easily made policy improvements while spotlighting the importance of these services to reach more families in need.
The new law creates an Office of Innovation, Alignment and Accountability in DCYF that will oversee the transition to the new department. It also creates an oversight board for the new department to ensure it meets its goals.-----from the Governor's webpage press release issued July 6th
https://medium.com/wagovernor/a-new-department-to-better-serve-children-youth-families-ebb875185e7b
With Gov. Jay Inslee’s signature today, Washington became the fifth state in the U.S. to establish a paid family and medical leave program for workers — and arguably the most forward-thinking one in the nation.
The new law Inslee signed was passed by the Legislature last week with strong bipartisan support and will be in place by 2020.
It creates the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program, which will provide everyone in the workforce with up to 12 weeks of paid medical leave, and up to 12 weeks of paid time off to care for a new child or an ailing family member. That leave is capped at 16 weeks if the employee needs both types of time off in a one-year period. Women who experience pregnancy complications may receive an additional two weeks of leave.
Depending on their earnings, employees will receive up to 90 percent of their wage or salary or up to $1,000 per week during their leave. Employees become eligible for the program after working 820 hours.
The new program will give workers more time to spend with their newborns, which research shows has long-term physical, emotional and social benefits for children, better preparing them for school, said paid family leave advocate Marilyn Watkins, policy director of the Economic Opportunity Institute. The program also will give people more time to care for an aging loved one, which is especially important as the state’s older population increases, and give families time to respond to unexpected medical crises.
“We really do expect there to be widespread benefits for everyone in our state,” Watkins said. “It’s portable as people move between jobs. The benefit structure is designed to make sure it’s affordable for people on every income level. … There are ways to help businesses continue to thrive and do well and prosper with this program in place.”
The cost of the new program will be shared between the employer and the employee through a payroll tax. Workers will pay 63 percent and employers will pay 37 percent of the premiums, but the employer could decide to pay more. For example, a full-time worker earning $15 dollars an hour would contribute $1.51 a week toward the benefit while the employer would pay 89 cents.
Businesses with fewer than 50 employees will not be required to pay the employer share of the premium, but those businesses can still opt in. Businesses with fewer than 150 employees who pay into the program are eligible for grants — $1,000 to $3,000 each — to cover the cost of an employee on leave.
According to the Association of Washington Business, chambers of commerce representing businesses from across the state supported the paid family leave bill.----read more of press release issued on July 5th from the Governor's office webpage
https://medium.com/wagovernor/washington-is-5th-state-in-nation-to-get-paid-family-leave-program-40085cc2c532
For more state and local news see page 2
WORLD NEWS SPOTLIGHT
'Trump remains Russia's hope': How Russian media reported Trump and Putin's first meeting --BI
The much-anticipated meeting between Trump and Putin is now being dissected on both sides of the Atlantic.
Putin says he thinks Trump ‘agreed’ with assurances that Russia did not interfere in U.S. elections (WP)
HAMBURG — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said that he assured President Trump that Moscow had not interfered in the 2016 presidential election, and that it appeared to him that Trump had agreed with his assurances.
Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill Thursday to restructure how the state serves at-risk children and youth by creating the Department of Children, Youth and Families. The governor also appointed Ross Hunter, director of the state’s Department of Early Learning, to lead DCYF.
The new agency, after a yearlong transition period that begins this month, will oversee several services now offered through the state Department of Social and Health Services and the Department of Early Learning. These include all programs from the Children’s Administration in DSHS such as Child Protective Services, the Family Assessment Response program and adoption support, as well as all DEL services, including the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program for preschoolers and Working Connections Child Care.
Starting in July 2019, the new department also will administer programs offered by the Juvenile Rehabilitation office and the Office of Juvenile Justice in DSHS. Those programs include juvenile rehabilitation institutions, community facilities and parole services.
The creation of the new department follows the suggestions of the bipartisan Blue Ribbon Commission on the Delivery of Services to Children and Families convened by the governor in February 2016 to recommend a state system that focuses more clearly on preventing harm to children and youth. Washington’s Legislature expressed interest in restructuring during the 2016 legislative session, prompting the governor to issue the executive order creating the blue ribbon commission, of which Hunter was a member.
Last month, as lawmakers continued to negotiate a state operating budget, Inslee met with foster parents, youth and advocates to push for the new department. He heard from people who have been in the foster care system who said that a standardization of services and more support for foster families are needed.
Inslee said that the way the government is organized signals what its priorities are. Placing all state children’s services in one agency will amplify attention and resources on improving outcomes, promoting more accountability and heightening the importance of children’s issues.
“We want to prevent harm to children and youth rather than just react to it,” Inslee said. “The vision for this department comes right out of the bill itself: that Washington’s children and youth grow up safe and healthy — thriving physically, emotionally and academically — and are nurtured by family and community.”
Other states have had success with this approach. New Jersey, Wisconsin and Tennessee, for example, have set up departments dedicated solely to serving children and families. These agencies have displayed more accountability and more easily made policy improvements while spotlighting the importance of these services to reach more families in need.
The new law creates an Office of Innovation, Alignment and Accountability in DCYF that will oversee the transition to the new department. It also creates an oversight board for the new department to ensure it meets its goals.-----from the Governor's webpage press release issued July 6th
https://medium.com/wagovernor/a-new-department-to-better-serve-children-youth-families-ebb875185e7b
Washington is 5th state in nation to get paid family leave program
Beginning in 2020, workers can receive up to 12 weeks of family leave and 12 weeks of medical leaveWith Gov. Jay Inslee’s signature today, Washington became the fifth state in the U.S. to establish a paid family and medical leave program for workers — and arguably the most forward-thinking one in the nation.
The new law Inslee signed was passed by the Legislature last week with strong bipartisan support and will be in place by 2020.
It creates the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program, which will provide everyone in the workforce with up to 12 weeks of paid medical leave, and up to 12 weeks of paid time off to care for a new child or an ailing family member. That leave is capped at 16 weeks if the employee needs both types of time off in a one-year period. Women who experience pregnancy complications may receive an additional two weeks of leave.
Depending on their earnings, employees will receive up to 90 percent of their wage or salary or up to $1,000 per week during their leave. Employees become eligible for the program after working 820 hours.
The new program will give workers more time to spend with their newborns, which research shows has long-term physical, emotional and social benefits for children, better preparing them for school, said paid family leave advocate Marilyn Watkins, policy director of the Economic Opportunity Institute. The program also will give people more time to care for an aging loved one, which is especially important as the state’s older population increases, and give families time to respond to unexpected medical crises.
“We really do expect there to be widespread benefits for everyone in our state,” Watkins said. “It’s portable as people move between jobs. The benefit structure is designed to make sure it’s affordable for people on every income level. … There are ways to help businesses continue to thrive and do well and prosper with this program in place.”
The cost of the new program will be shared between the employer and the employee through a payroll tax. Workers will pay 63 percent and employers will pay 37 percent of the premiums, but the employer could decide to pay more. For example, a full-time worker earning $15 dollars an hour would contribute $1.51 a week toward the benefit while the employer would pay 89 cents.
Businesses with fewer than 50 employees will not be required to pay the employer share of the premium, but those businesses can still opt in. Businesses with fewer than 150 employees who pay into the program are eligible for grants — $1,000 to $3,000 each — to cover the cost of an employee on leave.
According to the Association of Washington Business, chambers of commerce representing businesses from across the state supported the paid family leave bill.----read more of press release issued on July 5th from the Governor's office webpage
https://medium.com/wagovernor/washington-is-5th-state-in-nation-to-get-paid-family-leave-program-40085cc2c532
For more state and local news see page 2
WORLD NEWS SPOTLIGHT
'Trump remains Russia's hope': How Russian media reported Trump and Putin's first meeting --BI
The much-anticipated meeting between Trump and Putin is now being dissected on both sides of the Atlantic.
Putin says he thinks Trump ‘agreed’ with assurances that Russia did not interfere in U.S. elections (WP)
HAMBURG — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said that he assured President Trump that Moscow had not interfered in the 2016 presidential election, and that it appeared to him that Trump had agreed with his assurances.
Friday, July 7, 2017
Commentary: Airports and parks don't mix. along with other aviation stories.
Editorial Comment: In retrospect, I should not have defended the Lincoln Park trees during the last election I was involved with for city council. I feel if I hadn't ignored my gut instinct and common sense, I would have probably done better in not lending to the cause that ignored public safety, in favor of protecting trees, over a much needed airport. Maybe I was being setup to fail by others who was influencing my commend sense, and logic, that public safety, business and trade opportunities that are vital for this community, something the airport brings.
The park's history started way back in 1862, as part of a United States Military Reserve established in 1862. It was dedicated to public use in 1904 through the efforts of Dr. Freeborn Stanton Lewis, pioneer physician, and then mayor of Port Angeles. Back then no one could envision that community planners would build an airport nearby, hence one day give rise to two groups, those who wanted to preserve the park, and those who would want to save a much needed airport. I few that election as a reflection of the attitudes of the majority of folks locally regarding saving the airport more than saving a park that hardly is noticed. I could kick myself in letting myself get swindled and bamboozled into going against common logic!
However, peoples voices of decent shouldn't be just ignored, and that is what I was trying to provide a voice for those who was against cutting down trees at Lincoln park. Given the need of this community of a viable and working airport should have override my sense of fairness in this case. Now those who claimed to be stot defenders of those trees swore they would chain themselves to those trees, it would be interesting to see if that is still the case or not. Like anything times change, so do attitudes. The following are stories about Aviation, starting with a press release from Sen. Cantwell's webpage:
“Aviation service is critical to our rural economies,” said Senator Cantwell. “Whether it's Yakima, Tri Cities, Walla Walla, or Wenatchee, they all require the access to customers and tourists that air travel provides. We need to keep pushing for the flexibility to help these regions grow, and give them the critical infrastructure they need for air transportation.”
Through Senator Cantwell’s leadership, the bill includes several key Washington state priorities:
Noise mitigation projects in the Highline School District: SEA-TAC Airport is located in the center of Highline School District and many of the district’s schools are impacted by airport noise. Senator Cantwell’s amendment ensures several schools within the district have access to more than $30 million in Airport Improvement Grants for noise mitigation projects including replacement of doors, windows, and the installation of through-the-wall AC units, or for new construction to include noise mitigation. Click here for more background on this provision.
Protecting Contract Weather Observers: The Contract Weather Observer Program is crucial to safety at Spokane International Airport, where frequently changing weather patterns and frequent icing mean pilots rely heavily on precise, up-to-date information. Cantwell’s provision allows the airport to retain Contract Weather Observer (CWO) staff, who provide accurate weather observations and readings to the flight crews in the air. The provision will help ensure the safety of the more than 1.5 million people who travel through Spokane International Airport every year.
Keeps contract towers open: This provision maintains contract towers, which provides air traffic service in areas that would not have air traffic services otherwise, and add additional safety to the communities they serve. Contract towers in Washington state operate in Renton, Olympia, Bellingham, Spokane (Felts Field), Tacoma Narrows, and Walla Walla.
Contract tower cost share exemption provision: Cantwell’s provision reforms the FAA’s Contract Tower Cost Share Program. Under the current program, airports who contract out their air-traffic control must pay a portion of their operating costs to run their towers. Cantwell’s provision changes the current cost structure to provide an exemption from the cost sharing program for small airports, like Walla Walla Airport, that have at least 25,000 annual passenger boardings. The provision could save the Walla Walla Airport more than $85,000 per year.
Enhancing the Small Community Air Service Development Program grants (SCASDP): Senator Cantwell’s provision extends the SCASDP and increases funding from $6 million to $10 million. The SCASDP helps small communities address air service and airfare issues. Wenatchee, Port Angeles, Walla Walla, Pasco, Spokane and Yakima have all benefited from the SCASDP program. In fact, the SCASDP helped Spokane get a direct flight to LA in 2013.
Advanced Materials Center of Excellence: Cantwell secured $500,000 in continued funding for the Advanced Materials Center of Excellence at the University of Washington, which has played an important role in the development of advanced manufacturing technologies that enabled the Boeing 787 to be one of the most efficient aircrafts in the history of commercial aviation.
The impact that air service has on the economy cannot be overstated. In Washington state, 97% of Gross Business Income is generated by businesses within 10 miles of an airport, and 70% by businesses within a short 5 miles of an airport.
As former Chair and current ranking member of the Senate Aviation Subcommittee, Cantwell has made airport infrastructure and air travel high priorities. Since 2014, Cantwell has helped airports across Washington state secure more than $21,240,000 in funding including for airport improvements and increased air travel. Cantwell has also lead the way in ensuring SEA-TAC airport has the resources it needs, including bomb sniffing canines, to reduce security wait times.
Among other provisions, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017 promotes:
CONSUMER PROTECTION & AIR TRAVEL ENHANCEMENTS – Includes new consumer protections for the flying public, updates Department of Transportation (DOT) rules following high-profile airline incidents, and takes steps to help passengers needing assistance during air travel.
DRONE SAFETY & INNOVATION – Addresses safety and privacy issues, criminalizes reckless drone behavior around manned aircraft and runways, authorizes FAA drone registration authority, and boosts enforcement while creating new opportunities for testing and promoting innovative uses.
AIRLINE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS & AVIATION ACCESS – Includes new requirements on the bulk transfer of lithium batteries, improves communicable disease preparedness, and supports contract air traffic control towers, which largely serve rural communities.
GENERAL AVIATION (GA) SAFETY & PROTECTIONS – Offers GA airports more flexibility to facilitate infrastructure investment, applies the same medical certificate requirements to air balloon operators as other licensed pilots, and expands the rights of pilots in FAA enforcement proceedings.
AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION REFORMS – Improves international competitiveness of U.S. aerospace manufacturing by improving the FAA’s processes for certifying aircraft designs and modifications, as well as ensuring the benefits of such certification processes for manufacturers competing in global markets.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL & NEXTGEN – Acts on recommendations of independent government watchdogs for improving the FAA’s transition to 21st century air traffic control technologies, known collectively as “NextGen,” and requires the FAA to assess how each NextGen program contributes to a more safe and efficient air traffic control system and its current implementation status.
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT & STUDY – Increases authorized funding for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which pays for infrastructure like runways, by $400 million to an annual level of $3.75 billion (well within the projected trust fund surplus), and streamlines the application process for Passenger Facility Charges (PFC). Requires a study and recommendations on upgrading and restoring the nation’s airport infrastructure.
Washington is a leader in aerospace manufacturing and aerospace jobs. With more than 132,000 workers and 1,350 aerospace-related companies, aerospace is a key economic driver for the state. Cantwell has been a tireless defender of the aerospace industry and airline passengers in Washington state, fighting to ensure rural airports have the resources they need, passengers are treated fairly, and the state’s manufacturers can compete and win on the world stage.
The Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017 is co-sponsored by Senator John Thune (R-SD), Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee; Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), the Committee’s ranking member; and, Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), the Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee Aviation Operations, Safety, & Security.----press release issued June 29th
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-sponsored-bill-to-reauthorize-faa-soars-through-commerce-committee-includes-key-washington-state-aviation-priorities
( More on page 2)
The park's history started way back in 1862, as part of a United States Military Reserve established in 1862. It was dedicated to public use in 1904 through the efforts of Dr. Freeborn Stanton Lewis, pioneer physician, and then mayor of Port Angeles. Back then no one could envision that community planners would build an airport nearby, hence one day give rise to two groups, those who wanted to preserve the park, and those who would want to save a much needed airport. I few that election as a reflection of the attitudes of the majority of folks locally regarding saving the airport more than saving a park that hardly is noticed. I could kick myself in letting myself get swindled and bamboozled into going against common logic!
However, peoples voices of decent shouldn't be just ignored, and that is what I was trying to provide a voice for those who was against cutting down trees at Lincoln park. Given the need of this community of a viable and working airport should have override my sense of fairness in this case. Now those who claimed to be stot defenders of those trees swore they would chain themselves to those trees, it would be interesting to see if that is still the case or not. Like anything times change, so do attitudes. The following are stories about Aviation, starting with a press release from Sen. Cantwell's webpage:
Cantwell-Sponsored Bill to Reauthorize FAA Soars through Commerce Committee, Includes Key Washington State Aviation Priorities
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Technology and Science passed a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through fiscal year 2021. The bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Commerce Subcommittee Aviation Operations, Safety, & Security.“Aviation service is critical to our rural economies,” said Senator Cantwell. “Whether it's Yakima, Tri Cities, Walla Walla, or Wenatchee, they all require the access to customers and tourists that air travel provides. We need to keep pushing for the flexibility to help these regions grow, and give them the critical infrastructure they need for air transportation.”
Through Senator Cantwell’s leadership, the bill includes several key Washington state priorities:
Noise mitigation projects in the Highline School District: SEA-TAC Airport is located in the center of Highline School District and many of the district’s schools are impacted by airport noise. Senator Cantwell’s amendment ensures several schools within the district have access to more than $30 million in Airport Improvement Grants for noise mitigation projects including replacement of doors, windows, and the installation of through-the-wall AC units, or for new construction to include noise mitigation. Click here for more background on this provision.
Protecting Contract Weather Observers: The Contract Weather Observer Program is crucial to safety at Spokane International Airport, where frequently changing weather patterns and frequent icing mean pilots rely heavily on precise, up-to-date information. Cantwell’s provision allows the airport to retain Contract Weather Observer (CWO) staff, who provide accurate weather observations and readings to the flight crews in the air. The provision will help ensure the safety of the more than 1.5 million people who travel through Spokane International Airport every year.
Keeps contract towers open: This provision maintains contract towers, which provides air traffic service in areas that would not have air traffic services otherwise, and add additional safety to the communities they serve. Contract towers in Washington state operate in Renton, Olympia, Bellingham, Spokane (Felts Field), Tacoma Narrows, and Walla Walla.
Contract tower cost share exemption provision: Cantwell’s provision reforms the FAA’s Contract Tower Cost Share Program. Under the current program, airports who contract out their air-traffic control must pay a portion of their operating costs to run their towers. Cantwell’s provision changes the current cost structure to provide an exemption from the cost sharing program for small airports, like Walla Walla Airport, that have at least 25,000 annual passenger boardings. The provision could save the Walla Walla Airport more than $85,000 per year.
Enhancing the Small Community Air Service Development Program grants (SCASDP): Senator Cantwell’s provision extends the SCASDP and increases funding from $6 million to $10 million. The SCASDP helps small communities address air service and airfare issues. Wenatchee, Port Angeles, Walla Walla, Pasco, Spokane and Yakima have all benefited from the SCASDP program. In fact, the SCASDP helped Spokane get a direct flight to LA in 2013.
Advanced Materials Center of Excellence: Cantwell secured $500,000 in continued funding for the Advanced Materials Center of Excellence at the University of Washington, which has played an important role in the development of advanced manufacturing technologies that enabled the Boeing 787 to be one of the most efficient aircrafts in the history of commercial aviation.
The impact that air service has on the economy cannot be overstated. In Washington state, 97% of Gross Business Income is generated by businesses within 10 miles of an airport, and 70% by businesses within a short 5 miles of an airport.
As former Chair and current ranking member of the Senate Aviation Subcommittee, Cantwell has made airport infrastructure and air travel high priorities. Since 2014, Cantwell has helped airports across Washington state secure more than $21,240,000 in funding including for airport improvements and increased air travel. Cantwell has also lead the way in ensuring SEA-TAC airport has the resources it needs, including bomb sniffing canines, to reduce security wait times.
Among other provisions, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017 promotes:
CONSUMER PROTECTION & AIR TRAVEL ENHANCEMENTS – Includes new consumer protections for the flying public, updates Department of Transportation (DOT) rules following high-profile airline incidents, and takes steps to help passengers needing assistance during air travel.
DRONE SAFETY & INNOVATION – Addresses safety and privacy issues, criminalizes reckless drone behavior around manned aircraft and runways, authorizes FAA drone registration authority, and boosts enforcement while creating new opportunities for testing and promoting innovative uses.
AIRLINE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS & AVIATION ACCESS – Includes new requirements on the bulk transfer of lithium batteries, improves communicable disease preparedness, and supports contract air traffic control towers, which largely serve rural communities.
GENERAL AVIATION (GA) SAFETY & PROTECTIONS – Offers GA airports more flexibility to facilitate infrastructure investment, applies the same medical certificate requirements to air balloon operators as other licensed pilots, and expands the rights of pilots in FAA enforcement proceedings.
AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION REFORMS – Improves international competitiveness of U.S. aerospace manufacturing by improving the FAA’s processes for certifying aircraft designs and modifications, as well as ensuring the benefits of such certification processes for manufacturers competing in global markets.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL & NEXTGEN – Acts on recommendations of independent government watchdogs for improving the FAA’s transition to 21st century air traffic control technologies, known collectively as “NextGen,” and requires the FAA to assess how each NextGen program contributes to a more safe and efficient air traffic control system and its current implementation status.
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT & STUDY – Increases authorized funding for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which pays for infrastructure like runways, by $400 million to an annual level of $3.75 billion (well within the projected trust fund surplus), and streamlines the application process for Passenger Facility Charges (PFC). Requires a study and recommendations on upgrading and restoring the nation’s airport infrastructure.
Washington is a leader in aerospace manufacturing and aerospace jobs. With more than 132,000 workers and 1,350 aerospace-related companies, aerospace is a key economic driver for the state. Cantwell has been a tireless defender of the aerospace industry and airline passengers in Washington state, fighting to ensure rural airports have the resources they need, passengers are treated fairly, and the state’s manufacturers can compete and win on the world stage.
The Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017 is co-sponsored by Senator John Thune (R-SD), Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee; Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), the Committee’s ranking member; and, Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), the Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee Aviation Operations, Safety, & Security.----press release issued June 29th
https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-sponsored-bill-to-reauthorize-faa-soars-through-commerce-committee-includes-key-washington-state-aviation-priorities
( More on page 2)
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Sen. Murray: WA Paid Leave Program “A Great Step Forward For Workers And Families In Our State”
SEATTLE, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement on the signing of a landmark paid leave program in Washington state.
“No one should have to decide between a paycheck and caring for themselves or a loved one, and I’m so proud that Washington state is continuing to lead the way in making sure families aren’t faced with that truly unfair choice. This is a great step forward for workers and families in our state and it’s exactly the kind of progress I’m going to keep fighting for back in the other Washington.”
Sen. Murray has been a longtime advocate for helping workers earn paid sick days and paid family leave. She delivered one of her first speeches on the Senate floor in favor of the Family and Medical Leave Act and is a cosponsor of the FAMILY Act. ( press release issued July 5th)
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=DA1CB7E8-5B43-4C93-A21F-74D64B101095
Sen. Murray Applauds Committee Passage of Measure to Modernize VA Appeals Process
Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, applauded the committee passage of the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017. The bipartisan legislation seeks to overhaul the current process for veterans’ appeals at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The VA’s current appeals process is in desperate need of updating, and nearly half a million veterans in Washington state and nationwide are in limbo because of the VA’s existing backlog. Between fiscal year 2015 and fiscal year 2017, the number of pending appeals increased from approximately 380,000 to 470,000 – a more than 20 percent increase.
The measure, which passed the committee by voice vote, would create three separate paths for veterans to choose from when seeking redress from a decision by the Veterans Benefits Administration on their claims for VA benefits. Senator Murray has long championed reforms to provide better service and support to the nation’s veterans.
“Our country makes a promise to care for the men and women who serve, but far too often, I hear from veterans in Washington state that the benefits and care they earned have been caught up in bureaucracy outside their control,” Senator Murray said. “This is a disservice to those who sacrificed so much on our behalf. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues as we work to simplify the system so it works better for our veterans.”
The Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 allows certain veterans already going through the appeals process to opt in to the new system and gives the VA secretary the authority to test facets of the new system prior to full implementation. The bill also requires the VA to provide a comprehensive plan for both implementing the new system and processing the existing appeals.----press release issued June 30th
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=E73B95B4-0FD6-4245-9CCC-454B7127F8FF
Sens. Murray, Cantwell Commemorate 100th Anniversary of Ballard Locks in Remarks for Senate Record
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) commemorated the forthcoming 100th anniversary of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, more commonly known as the Ballard Locks, with remarks for the Senate record recognizing the historical and environmental significance of the locks and the their integral role in growing the Puget Sound economy and providing critical public safety functions. According to a recently released economic impacts study, the Ballard Locks support $1.2 billion in total lock-related economic activity, more than 3,000 full-time jobs, and generate an additional $40 million in economic activity per year as one of the region’s top tourist attractions. Recognizing the Ballard Locks’ regional importance, the Senators have consistently fought for increased investments to operate, maintain, and restore the Ballard Locks. The locks officially opened for vessel traffic on July 4, 1917.-----press release issued June 30th
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=B6A405CE-AB10-4F13-9182-F7792D8B86BA
For more headline news see page 2
“No one should have to decide between a paycheck and caring for themselves or a loved one, and I’m so proud that Washington state is continuing to lead the way in making sure families aren’t faced with that truly unfair choice. This is a great step forward for workers and families in our state and it’s exactly the kind of progress I’m going to keep fighting for back in the other Washington.”
Sen. Murray has been a longtime advocate for helping workers earn paid sick days and paid family leave. She delivered one of her first speeches on the Senate floor in favor of the Family and Medical Leave Act and is a cosponsor of the FAMILY Act. ( press release issued July 5th)
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=DA1CB7E8-5B43-4C93-A21F-74D64B101095
Sen. Murray Applauds Committee Passage of Measure to Modernize VA Appeals Process
Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, applauded the committee passage of the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017. The bipartisan legislation seeks to overhaul the current process for veterans’ appeals at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The VA’s current appeals process is in desperate need of updating, and nearly half a million veterans in Washington state and nationwide are in limbo because of the VA’s existing backlog. Between fiscal year 2015 and fiscal year 2017, the number of pending appeals increased from approximately 380,000 to 470,000 – a more than 20 percent increase.
The measure, which passed the committee by voice vote, would create three separate paths for veterans to choose from when seeking redress from a decision by the Veterans Benefits Administration on their claims for VA benefits. Senator Murray has long championed reforms to provide better service and support to the nation’s veterans.
“Our country makes a promise to care for the men and women who serve, but far too often, I hear from veterans in Washington state that the benefits and care they earned have been caught up in bureaucracy outside their control,” Senator Murray said. “This is a disservice to those who sacrificed so much on our behalf. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues as we work to simplify the system so it works better for our veterans.”
The Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 allows certain veterans already going through the appeals process to opt in to the new system and gives the VA secretary the authority to test facets of the new system prior to full implementation. The bill also requires the VA to provide a comprehensive plan for both implementing the new system and processing the existing appeals.----press release issued June 30th
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=E73B95B4-0FD6-4245-9CCC-454B7127F8FF
Sens. Murray, Cantwell Commemorate 100th Anniversary of Ballard Locks in Remarks for Senate Record
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) commemorated the forthcoming 100th anniversary of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, more commonly known as the Ballard Locks, with remarks for the Senate record recognizing the historical and environmental significance of the locks and the their integral role in growing the Puget Sound economy and providing critical public safety functions. According to a recently released economic impacts study, the Ballard Locks support $1.2 billion in total lock-related economic activity, more than 3,000 full-time jobs, and generate an additional $40 million in economic activity per year as one of the region’s top tourist attractions. Recognizing the Ballard Locks’ regional importance, the Senators have consistently fought for increased investments to operate, maintain, and restore the Ballard Locks. The locks officially opened for vessel traffic on July 4, 1917.-----press release issued June 30th
https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ContentRecord_id=B6A405CE-AB10-4F13-9182-F7792D8B86BA
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