ELECTION

How did we end up with I-2117?

Nearly 60% of Washington voters voted against a carbon tax initiative in 2016. Another carbon tax initiative was defeated by a large margin in 2018. Despite these defeats, the legislature approved the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) in 2021.

We were told the cost to consumers would be negligible. However, depending upon your source, the actual cost varies from $.25/gal of gas (Washington Department of Ecology) to $.46/gal (Washington Policy Center). Even if you drive an EV, or don’t drive at all, you are paying higher prices at the market, and every store in town, because the majority of delivery vehicles that transport your goods are diesel powered.

But what about the new hybrid ferries we will lose if I-2117 passes? The CCA will already have collected more than $2 billion before the vote in November. WSF expects to receive $556 million from the CCA. It is up to the legislature to decide where the CCA funds will be spent. The $556 million only pays for the cost of making our new ferries hybrid. The money still will be available for diesel ferries, if the legislature votes against this very easy solution to reduce carbon from our polluting diesel ferries.

No matter how much you tax the polluters, the cost always will be passed through to the consumers. So, what is important to you? If you believe $.25/gallon of gas, or more, and slightly higher prices on all your goods is a small price to pay for all these new programs, you should vote against I-2117. If you would prefer to save some money, or believe you would rather support private non-profits to do more for the environment than the government, you should vote in favor of I-2117.

Scott Harvey

Support Kamala Harris

I would like to thank whoever took the Harris-Waltz sign from in front of my house last night. This motivates me to volunteer for the Harris campaign even more.

While you are out engaging in petty theft and hiding from reality with conspiracy theories, I am (along with thousands of others) writing postcards and making phone calls to swing states to get out the vote for Kamala.

Anyone who would like to join us is welcome — you can write postcards at Swiftwater Gallery on Wednesdays from 12 to 1 p.m. and Fridays from 3 to 4 p.m., and you can sign up for phone calls at events.democrats.org/event/551644.

Henry Perrin

Consider third party

With the election looming in November, I’m reminded of my younger days as a political activist. I found that left-wingers don’t believe in tactics. They would win the day with idealism, and because they knew they were right.

So what has that idealism gained them? Nothing. The Democratic party has grown more conservative. Today, the murder of Palestinians is the work of the Biden administration, with Harris waiting to do the same. The major alternative, the Republicans and Trump, are too horrible to speak of. They are only worth mentioning because though they are fewer in number than the Democrats, they often best them at the polls.

As I said, left-wingers stink at tactics.

Remember the slogan, “A vote for Nader is a vote for Bush.” Supposedly a vote for a third party candidate is a vote for the Republican. It’s true, but it’s also the only way to push the Democrats to the left. On the other hand, if the murder of Palestinians is okay and being complicit with murder is okay with you, then vote for Harris. I’m not being flippant. The choice in our so-called democracy is between a nothing-candidate and a murderer wanna-be.

Any third party is preferable. I prefer the Greens, but there are also the Libertarians, Socialists, Communists, and a few others. Will that cause Trump to win? Perhaps, but that’s nothing to get excited about, considering that more Palestinian children are going to die regardless which major candidate is elected.

Perhaps this year you can consider voting for something other than your gimme. Perhaps this year you’ll decide that the murder of children is not okay, and you’ll vote for a third party, the only real choice for the sane.

Shelley Simon