Save Our Spokane
Vote NO On PROP 4, The "Community Bill of Rights"
Save Our Spokane delcares victory over Envision Spokane and ballot Proposition 4!A huge THANK YOU to all of you who cared so much for our great city and worked tirelessly to defend it!
delcares victory over Envision Spokane and ballot Proposition 4!
A huge THANK YOU to all of you who cared so much for our great city and worked tirelessly to defend it!
View the Map to Victory
Click to enlarge
Download from The Spokesman Review
Read"The Citizen's Guide to Proposition 4"
Voters will not receive a ballot guide this year!
This is the only ballot language voters will see:
ENVISION SPOKANE COMMUNITY BILL OF RIGHTS BALLOT TITLE
Shall the City Charter be amended to add a Community Bill of Rights which seeks to build a healthy, sustainable, and democratic Spokane by securing rights to a locally-based economy, affordable and renewable energy, affordable preventive health care, affordable housing, a healthy environment, and constitutional rights in the workplace, as well as to apprenticeship training and a prevailing wage on certain construction projects; and by securing the right to determine the future of neighborhoods?
THE FULL COMMUNITY BILL OF "RIGHTS"
FIRST - RESIDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO A LOCALLY-BASED ECONOMY.
Residents have the right to a locally-based economy to ensure local job creation and enhance local business opportunities. The right shall include the right to have local monies reinvested locally by lending institutions, and the right to equal access to capital, credit, contracts, incentives, and services for businesses owned by Spokane residents.
SECOND - RESIDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO AFFORDABLE PREVENTIVE HEALTHCARE.
Residents have the right to affordable preventive healthcare. For residents otherwise unable to access such care, the City shall guarantee such access by coordinating with area healthcare providers to create affordable fee-for-service programs within eighteen (18) months following adoption of this Charter provision.
THIRD - RESIDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO AFFORDABLE AND SAFE HOUSING.
Residents have the right to affordable housing, the right to a safely maintained dwelling, and the right to be free from housing discrimination. The City shall ensure the availability of low-income housing stock sufficient to meet the needs of the low-income housing community. People and families may only be denied renting or buying of a dwelling for non-discriminatory reasons and may only be evicted from their residence for non-discriminatory causes.
FOURTH - RESIDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO AFFORDABLE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY.
Residents have the right to access affordable and renewable energy sources.
FIFTH - THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT HAS THE RIGHT TO EXIST AND FLOURISH.
Ecosystems, including but not limited to, all groundwater systems, surfacewater systems, and aquifers have the right to exist and flourish. River systems have the right to flow and have water quality necessary to provide habitat for native plants and animals, and to provide clean drinking water. Aquifers have the right to sustainable recharge, flow, and water quality.
SIXTH - RESIDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE THE FUTURE OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
Residents have the right, through their neighborhood councils, to determine the future of their neighborhoods, which shall include the right to adopt enforceable neighborhood plans, and the right to have growth-related public infrastructure costs funded by new development as provided by an impact fees Ordinance. The City of Spokane shall provide sufficient funding to neighborhood councils for the creation, adoption, and enforcement of neighborhood plans. Such plans shall respect and promote the rights delineated by this Charter.Residents may also determine the future of their neighborhoods by rejecting proposed land development projects, in accordance with the provisions of this Charter.
SEVENTH - WORKERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE PAID THE PREVAILING WAGE, AND THE RIGHT TO WORK AS APPRENTICES, ON CERTAIN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
Workers have the right to be paid the prevailing wage on all private construction projects exceeding two million dollars in construction costs (as annually adjusted for inflation), and all public and publicly subsidized construction projects, within the City of Spokane. Workers have the right to work as apprentices on all private construction projects exceeding two million dollars in construction costs (as annually adjusted for inflation), and all public and publicly subsidized construction projects, through programs approved under the Washington State Apprenticeship Training Program, and each contractor and subcontractor building those projects shall be required to use apprentices for a minimum of fifteen percent (15%) of the total hours worked on each project.
EIGHTH - WORKERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO EMPLOYER NEUTRALITY WHEN UNIONIZING, AND THE RIGHT TO CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTIONS WITHIN THE WORKPLACE.
Workers have the right to employer neutrality when unionizing, and the right to be free from captive audience meetings, or other mandatory, non-work related meetings, in the workplace.
NINTH - RESIDENTS, WORKERS, NEIGHBORHOODS, NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS, AND THE CITY OF SPOKANE SHALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO ENFORCE THE COMMUNITY BILL OF RIGHTS.
All rights recognized by the Community Bill of Rights are fundamental, inalienable, and self-executing. The City of Spokane, or any person, neighborhood, or neighborhood council aggrieved by a violation of their rights, or any person seeking to enforce the rights of ecosystems, may enforce these rights. Enforcement actions shall be filed as civil actions in a court of competent jurisdiction, against any person, government, or entity violating these rights, and sufficient legal and equitable relief shall be awarded to remedy the violation, including restoration of a damaged ecosystem. In any action to enforce any Charter right, the court may allow the prevailing plaintiff a reasonable attorneys fee and expert fees. Corporations and other business entities shall not be deemed to possess any legal rights, privileges, powers, or protections which would enable those entities to avoid the enforcement of these rights, or which would enable them to nullify these rights. If any part or provision of these Charter provisions, or the application of these Charter provisions to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the remainder of these Charter provisions, including the application of such part or provisions to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected by such a holding and shall continue in full force and effect.
§74.5 (New). Rights of Neighborhoods and Neighborhood Councils
A. The City of Spokane shall notify neighborhood councils of any proposals for commercial, industrial, or multi-unit residential land developments to be located within neighborhoods represented by those councils. That notice shall be given not more than five business days from the submission of a project permit application to the City by the developers of those proposals, and shall include notice to neighborhood councils representing neighborhoods adjacent to the neighborhood in which the land development is proposed to occur.
B. A neighborhood council may veto a land development project if requested to veto that project by a number of neighborhood registered voters equal to or greater than fifteen percent (15%) of the total number of votes cast at the last preceding general municipal election within that neighborhood. After being petitioned, if the neighborhood council determines that the land development project may adversely affect the neighborhood, and that the project is incompatible with either the neighborhoods planning, the Citys Comprehensive Plan, or the City Charter, the council may veto the project. Such action by the neighborhood council shall stop all site development associated with the project, such action shall be binding upon the City of Spokane, and the City of Spokane shall defend such action against any legal challenges.
C. A neighborhood council shall veto a land development project if requested to veto that project by a number of neighborhood registered voters greater than fifty percent (50%) of the total number of votes cast at the last preceding general municipal election within that neighborhood. Petitioners must find that the land development project may adversely affect the neighborhood, and that the project is incompatible with either the neighborhoods planning, the Citys Comprehensive Plan, or the City Charter. Such action by the neighborhood council shall stop all site development associated with the project, such action shall be binding upon the City of Spokane, and the City of Spokane shall defend such action against any legal challenges.
The Consequences
The following unintended consequences could result if the Envision Spokane charter amendments (Proposition 4) are approved by voters this November:
1. The City would have to raise taxes to cover costs for the City to defend itself in the many resulting lawsuits.
2. Massive job losses could occur due to businesses relocating to other cities.
3. New businesses choosing not to locate in our City will result in lost opportunities for economic development and increased job opportunities for our citizens.
4. This proposal takes rights away from citizens and grants them to inanimate objects such as soil and trees.
5. Most of the amendments contained within the measure are clear violations of the United States Constitution. These pieces will most certainly be challenged in court. The remaining language has intentionally been drafted in vague terms and cannot be implemented without being first defined by a court of law. This will cost the city hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars to defend itself in court.
6. The healthcare provision contained within this proposal would cost millions of dollars to implement and sustain. The result would be cuts to services such as fire and police, and could completely bankrupt the City.
7. The Bill of Rights will grant a 15 percent minority of citizens in a neighborhood council district the right to block any new development, such as a home, church, hospital, or even a fire station.
8. The initiative will increase the cost of housing in Spokane and force everyday heroes like teachers and police officers to search outside the city limits for affordable housing.
9. Spokane's elected officials should lead a civil debate on these issues, not an international political organization.
10. The Envision Spokane Community Bill of Rights is a power-grab by a minority of residents and out-of-state political activists seeking a launching pad for such measures, Spokane is not a test market. It is our home!
What can you do?
Write a letter to the editor
SPOKESMAN REVIEW:
- E-mail: editor_spokesman.com
- Must be 200 words or less
- Must include your home address and daytime telephone number
THE INLANDER:
- E-mail: totheeditor_inlander.com
Encourage your friends and family to vote
- Forward this link to others to register to vote online
Organize groups for sign waving
- Make and design your own grassroots signs and banners
- Pick a busy intersection and have fun waving signs to Save Our Spokane
Literature Drops!
- Volunteer to help us distribute literature house to house!
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Links on this page will be updated soon.
Videos
Photos
tv ads from the Quality of Life PAC
Save Our Spokane:
Councilman Al French on Proposition 4
Councilman Al French on Proposition 4 - Part2
Councwoman Nancy McLaughlin on Proposition 4
Councilman Richard Rush on Propiosition 4
What do the People Thnk About prop 4? Part 1
KHQ reports No Voter Guide This November!
KXLY Reports on the
Save Our Spokane District 1 Town Hall Meeting
Councilman Al French on Prop4: Amendment #6
Save Our Spokane: Bob Williams, President of The Evergreen Freedom Foundation Speaks out Against Proposition 4!
Videos from the Coalition
Save Our Spokane at Audobon Park's Concert Under the Pines
Save Our Spokane at the Property Rights Conference
To schedule a presentation
to your group, club or association, please contact info_saveourspokane.com
or use the contact form to the right.
Thank You
The Following individuals haveendorsed the campaign toSAVE OUR SPOKANE
The Following individuals have
endorsed the campaign to
SAVE OUR SPOKANE
John Adoltson
Nancy Ahern
Theodore Allen
Lyn Allen
John Anderson
Tari Anderson
Wendy Sue Anderson
Robert Apple
Tracy Arquette
Quentin Arquette
Erick Athos
Christopher Ault
Roger Ault
Jim Bannister
Lynn Bannister
Christopher Bass
John Baxter
Zack Berrett
Nichole Betts
Leighton Birdtail
John Bogensburger
Eric Bolstad
Jeannine Bolstad
Mike/Marj Brewer
Maija Brown
Sandy Brown
David Campbell
Laura Carder
Janet Carney
Anthony Carollo
Tim Carroll
Michael Cathcart
Brenda Cerenzia
Tracy Cerenzia
Leaf Challender
Rob Chase
Leonard Christian
John Christina
Gloria Clark
Paul Clarry
Shardel Clarry
Frank Condray
Rae Lynn Conger
Sherri Cook
Dave Cotton
Nancy Crotty
Kelly Cruz
Johnny Dandurand
Matthew Davis
Jeremy Deutch
Jenee Dumas-Brown
laurel Durkee
Curt Fackler
Barb Fagan
Jack Fagan
Janet Fagan
Steve Fletcher
Nancy Friend
Ken Garceau
Amber Gould
Jacquline Gramlow
Clint Grassel
John Gruss
Ken Guidry
Kris Hansen
Bonnie Hardy
Michael Hardy
Steve Hardy
Chris Hartnett
Merrielyn Higgins
René Holaday
Jeff Holy
Lila howe
Martin Howser
Elizabeth Hudson
Carolyn Jacobs
Don Jacobson
Doug Jarvis
Thomas Jerrard
Mango jett
David Jewett
Heather Jewett
Ashley Johnson
Mary Johnson
Russ Johnson
Ron Johnson
Jeffrey Jordon
Karen Jordon
Teresa Simon
Tammy Juris
Josh Kerns
Madge Kilbourn
Louie Knutson
Jason Kostelecky
Raymond Krebs
Tim Krotzer
Roland Lamarche
Christine Larrew
Wayne Lawson
Marilyn Lawson
Tracy Lawton Jr
Paul Lecoq
Janis lee
Alene Lindshand
Tom Luisi
Nick Mankin
Paul Manly
Rhonda Mannino
Cindy Marshall
Tiffany Marshall
JoAnne McCann
Gretchen McDevitt
Dave McLaughlin
Anita Messex
John Meyer
Electra Micolampson
Nick Miley
Angela Miller
Larry Miller
Dave Miller
Jason Mixey
Dawn Mixey
David Moore
Patrick Moore
Debbie Moran
Kathy Morrison
Kyle Naccarato
Tari Naccarato
Lindsae Nelson
Marvin Newcomb
Tressaly Nicolaysha
Sandy Ogle
Dee Olson
Luann Padgham
Vern Page
Kurt Paras
Will Parks
Kevin Paulson
Marc Dayton
Paul Pearce
Don Peters
Ronnie Petitt
Barry Philbin
Sandy Philbin
Brooke Plastino
Andy/Molody Rathlann
Greg Ridgley
Bill Roberts
Pat Robert
Anita Robinson
Jim Robinson
Rick Robinson
Dale Roloff
Fred Ruhoff
David Rummel
Michelle Russell
Patricia Ryan
Helen Sandifur
Laura Schlangren
Floyd Schneider
Patricia Simmons
Ron Simon
Albert Smith
William Sorcinelli
Louise L. Stamper
David Stapp
Dave Stevens
Rebecca Stewart
Mark Stewart
Mark Stiltz
Edie Streicher
Jay Tadlock
Michael Taylor
Leonard Terzenbach
Yvonne Terzenbach
Estretitu Thomas
Bruce Thompson
Robert Thompson
Muriel Tingley
Luke Tolley
Caitlin Turner
Kelly Vance
Geraldine Wagner
Bob Wallette
Virginia Warren
Katie Wesselman
Josh White
Cyndy Wilson
Ronda Williamson
Cliff Winger
Robert Wright
Cindy Zapotocky
Elizabeth Zeski
John Zimmerman
Spokane County Republican Party - Click here to read statement
Spokane Valley Republican Action Club
John Ahern - Former State Representative, 2010 Candidate for 6th District State Representative
Mike Allen - Spokane City Councilman, District 2; Candidate to retain seat
Bob Apple - Spokane City Councilman, District 1
Laura Carder - Candidate for Spokane School Board
Steve Corker - Spokane City Councilman, District 3
Mike Fagan - Candidate for City Council, District 1
Al French - Spokane City Councilman, District 1, 2010 Candidate for County Commissioner
Brenda Grassel - Candidate for Spokane Valley City Council
Steve Hammond - Citizen's Alliance for Property Rights (CAPR), Executive Director
Ozzie Knezovich - Spokane County Sheriff, 2010 Candidate for Re-Election
Nancy McLaughlin- Spokane City Councilwoman, District 3; Candidate for Re-election
Greg Ridgley - Former Candidate for City Council, District 2
Matt Shea - State Representative, District 4
Shelly Short - State Representative, District 7
Bob Williams - Evergreen Freedom Foundation, President
Bryan Whitaker - Candidate for Municipal Court Judge
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What Is Prop 4?
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Spokane's Community Bill of Rights
Voted Down - Krem 2 News
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The David Boze Show talks to the Washington Policy Center about Proposition 4!
Breaking News
Click Here to Watch the KSPS Debate
The Spokesman Review and Inlander Newspapers both oppose Proposition 4
SAVE OUR SPOKANE TOWN HALL MEETINGS NOW ONLINE
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Latest
Articles
Letters
Spokane ballot measure a threat to any city with a charter form of government - Laura Sheahan, Washington State Wire 10-23-2009
Proposition #4 - Juan Juan Moses, Lake Spokane Outpost 10-21-2009
How Much Would Medical Program Cost? - Erik Smith, Your Healthcare Today 10-17-2009
Sweeping Activist Agenda Being Test-Marketed in Spokane - Erik Smith, Washington State Wire 10-15-2009
About Prop 4 "Proposition 4 has its head lost in the clouds" - Editorial Board, Inlander 10-22-2009
Washington View: Spokanes Proposition 4 would be bad omen for state - Don Brunell, The Columbian 10-19-2009
Prop 4 goals laudable, but undermined by vagaries - Editorial Board, Spokesman Review 10/18/2009
Proposition 4: Pipe dream discourages investment, invites lawsuits - Walt Worthy, Spokesman Review 10/11/2009
Prop 4 supporters, opponents make cases - Jonathan Brunt, Spokesman Review 10/11/2009
Prop 4: Bill of Rights Violations - Contrarian, FreeSpokane.net 10-6-2009
Facing a wave of opposition -Jonathan Brunt, Spokesman Review 9/30/2009
Pro-business group lambastes measure -Jim Camden, Spokesman Review 9/30/2009
Campus Political Groups voice opinions - Rebecca Hofland, Gonzaga Bulletin 9/25/2009
Prop 4 Pitfalls -Sue Lani Madsen, Seattle Times Blog 9/23/2009
Opponents of Prop. Four gather in North Spokane - Sally Showman, KXLY 9/8/2009
Spokane 'bill of rights' makes it to November ballot -KHQ 9/3/2009
Ballot to address cost of bill of rights - Jonathan Brunt, Spokesman Review 8-5-09
PDC will investigate charter group's funding - Jim Camden, Spokesman.com Spin Control 8-4-2009
The Outsider: Meet the puppetmaster/communist/visionary (depending on your view) behind Envision Spokane - Kevin Taylor, The Inlander 7-28-2009
Under proposed bill of rights, envision beautiful bedlam - Doug Clark, Spokesman Review 7-30-2009
Envision Spokane conjures up chaos - Spokane Journal of Business 7-30-2009
Red Scare: Envision Spokane's Bill of Rights draws protests in Spokane - Kevin Taylor, The Inlander 7-15-2009
City Council opposes but capitulates to Envision Spokane amid protests - Mike Noder, The Inland Echo 7-14-2009
Crowd gathering outside City Hall - Jim Camden, Spokesman.com Spin Control 7-13-2009
Forces mustering against city "Bill of Rights" - Jim Camden, Spokesman.com Spin Control 7-13-2009
Hillyard not on Envision board -Pia Hallenberg Christensen , Spokesman Review - 4-23-2009
For a total of 22 flawed propositions... - Doug Clark, Spokesman Review, 2-19-2009
'Rights' Measure Misnamed
Spokesman Review, 10-28-2009
Welcome to Utopia
Spokesman Review, 10-20-2009
Text reads like nonsense
Spokesman Review, 10-08-2009
Community Bill of Rights
Spokesman Review 10-02-2009
Proposition flawed, vague
Spokesman Review, 10-01-2009
Most destructive ballot prop
Spokesman Review, 9-30-2009
NOTE: Click the title of the Letter to the Editor and the image will appear on the right hand of the screen
Prop 4 Threatens Freedom
Spokesman Review, 9-25-2009
Ballot item no mere party
Spokesman Review, 8-29-2009
Envision Process Faulty
Spokesman Review, 8-27-2009
Snyder Against Envision Plan
Spokesman Review, 8-14-2009
Ballot Decision Not Required
Council Made Right Move
Spokesman Review, 8-13-2009
Paid for by Save Our Spokane Political Committee
