TAKE ACTION: Click here to email & call the Bellingham City Council with this message: “I am very concerned that the Bellingham City Council is putting democracy at risk by trying to block the ballot initiative to ban coal trains from passing through the city. Whether you agree with the initiative or not, if you believe in democracy, you should drop the lawsuit and let the voters decide in November.”There is a movement
growing across this country of municipalities and counties exploring
more effective ways to protect themselves from unwanted corporate harms,
and to roll back corporate constitutional so-called “rights” at the
local level. About 150 communities in seven states have already passed such laws.
Over the past five months, residents of Bellingham, WA, have gathered almost 10,000 signatures to successfully place on the
ballot this November a legally-binding initiative that would ban coal trains from passing through their city. Unlike the conventional
regulatory and zoning laws which municipalities try to pass, and which
are always struck down as violating corporate “rights”, this new
rights-based approach is much more complicated to challenge, and is
therefore a much greater threat to those in government and corporations
who want to maintain the status quo situation where We The People are
powerless to defend our communities.
Last week, the quite liberal city council of
Bellingham voted unanimously to file a lawsuit to legally challenge the
right of Bellingham residents to even get an opportunity to vote on this
initiative in November. You can read details about their actions in the
local press HERE and HERE. And you can read the latest Press Release from the campaign at the bottom of this article.
Organizers of Coal Free Bellingham
are outraged that their own City
Council would have the gall to pre-empt local residents from exercising
their right to govern themselves at the local level. They are calling on
people throughout the country to stand up for the right of Bellingham
voters, and asking YOU to contact the Bellingham City Council ASAP and
tell them to let the voters have their say.
Here’s their Call to Action. Please forward this alert widely to your own e-lists, and thanks so much for your assistance!
Paul Cienfuegos
(For ongoing updates about this growing movement, you can sign up for my blog at PaulCienfuegos.com.)
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PRESS RELEASE: Bellingham Community Bill of Rights Qualifies for 2012 Ballot
Coal-Free Bellingham
P.O. Box 5991
Bellingham, WA 98227
http://coal-free-bellingham.org
CONTACT: Rick Dubrow, 360-319-3705
rdubrow@a1builders.ws
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Whatcom County Auditor’s office has just
verified that Coal-Free Bellingham, sponsor of the Bellingham Community
Bill of Rights, submitted a sufficient number of valid signatures, more
than enough to qualify for inclusion on the November, 2012 ballot.
Upon hearing that close to 10,000 signatures had
been submitted for validation early last week, the City Council met
with their attorneys, weighed their options and decided to challenge the
legality of the initiative via judicial review. There was another
option before them: allow the voters to decide whether they want to
stand up to possible legal challenges from corporations that will profit
greatly from coal trafficking through Bellingham. The Council rejected
the choice to allow the voters to make this crucial decision and chose
instead to legally challenge the validity of the initiative.
Council President Terry Bornemann stated, “When
there are serious questions about the validity of an initiative, it is
the Council’s duty to both uphold and enforce the law and represent the
people of their community.”
“Mr. Bornemann claimed that the Council acted to
represent the people of our community, but, in reality, the council is
acting in opposition to the will of the 10,000 people who petitioned to
have this initiative placed before the voters. This action denies the
people their right to decide,” responded Naomi Bunis, a steering
committee member of Coal-Free Bellingham.
Council member Michael Lilliquist was quoted on
the City’s website as saying, “While the Council wants to protect our
families and our community, in all likelihood the proposed initiative is
not legalŠ.I share people’s deep concern with the proposed coal
terminal and increased cargo train traffic through the middle of
Bellingham, but in good conscience I cannot expose the City to expensive
and futile lawsuits.”
“The Council members are between a rock and a hard place,” said Cindy
Franklin, another steering committee member of Coal-Free Bellingham. “The
main purpose of the Bellingham Community Bill of
Rights is to challenge the existing laws that favor the profit-making
ventures of major corporations
over the interests of our community. By this action, our City Council
seems resigned to uphold these unjust laws and
are taking away from the voters of Bellingham the right to decide on
this crucial issue.”
Coal-Free Bellingham believes that the people,
in whom power is clearly vested within our state and federal
constitution, should decide whether or not we should protect ourselves
from this looming corporate abuse.
“Allowing this vote to occur is our government’s
ultimate duty. Coal-Free Bellingham is asking the Council to remove
this challenge and listen to the people,” declared Rick Dubrow, another
steering committee member of Coal-Free Bellingham.
And, ten thousand citizens agree.
Coal-Free Bellingham has issued a Call to Action
for the supporters of the Community Bill of Rights, who have submitted
numerous letters and emails asking our City Council members to rescind
their vote to legally challenge the initiative and to consider the other
option before them: allow the Bellingham Community Bill of Rights to be
placed on the November ballot and let the voters decide.
Coal-Free Bellingham wishes to thank all those
who helped gather signatures and also those who signed the petition and
voiced their support for declaring that we, the citizens of Bellingham,
assert that it is our right to decide whether or not coal should be
transported through our city.
Rick Dubrow, Chair
NO COAL! Political Action Committee
360-319-3705 cell