Four days after the mid-term elections Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks had lunch with Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, WA 34th, Chair of the Environment Committee and serving on the Finance, Transportation and Local Government Committees.
Special thanks goes to bleeding blue for making this all possible!
It was not a good mid-term for Democrats nationally, nor was it a good one for Democates in Washington State.
Election Shifts Oregon Closer To Carbon Tax, Not So For Washington
Environmentalists spent more than $1.5 million in Oregon and Washington in bids to secure Democratic majorities in state legislatures — majorities they wanted for approving clean-fuel standards and a tax on carbon emissions.
The plan worked in Oregon. It didn’t in Washington.
The Washington Conservation Voters, with money from California billionaire Tom Steyer, backed Democratic candidates in three conservative-leaning districts in an attempt to give their party control of the state Senate. All three lost to Republicans.
Reality can't be changed. All one can do is access the situation and plan the best path forward. Having the opportunity to discuss it all with the Washington State House of Representatives Environmental Committee Chair Joe Fitzgibbon was just what the doctor ordered.
Rep. Joe Fitzgiibbon WA 34th and Chair of the WA St. Environment Committee addressing our group.
Follow below the fold for more.
Joe telling it like it is.
Joe did not mince words or beat around the bush with his assessment. He gave it to all of us straight up and did not sugar coat anything. It was refreshing to hear such candor. He frankly told us it was going to be difficult to get anything on the environmental front done in the next two years.
As far as the signature initiatives currently being formulated by Governor Inslee's Climate Emmissions Reduction Taskforce (CERT) he basically echoed what the Governor had to say at an energy conference on Wednesday (11/4/14) in Seattle.
“All parties are going to have to accept what they consider imperfect solutions,” Inslee said. “It is the nature of bipartisanship. So I’m going to urge people to come to Olympia with that mindset and if they have that mindset I believe we will succeed.”
In light of the election results, Joe felt there was still opportunity to work across the aisle in narrow paths of mutual agreement to make some progress in the coming legislative session. He mentioned the possibility of extending the tax incentives currently in place when purchasing an electric vehicle that are due to expire in June as one such area. He also said progress might be possible in building an electric vehicle charging infrastructure in our state.
He was also keen on floating and discussing with Republicans the idea of a pollution tax that would be used to fund the court-mandated improvements in education. But he flatly admitted that the Republicans were pretty much 100% united in sticking with their mantra of not raising taxes. He was sure they would push for the education funds being found by gutting various social programs now provided to those in need in our state.
He stressed that climate change will not be solved in a year or two but pointed out that the longer we wait the more costly and disruptive the solutions will be to implement.
He cited what he will be up against in trying to make progress on climate change by sharing his Environmental Chair counterpart in the Senate Doug Erickson's view on the issue:
"I'm a climate agnostic."
Unfortunately, Erickson was just re-elected to another term.
But Joe exudes a positive attitude, if not outright optimism and displays boundless energy in his pursuit of progress going forward.
He urged all activists to call, write, e-mail and meet with their members of Congress to let them know that climate change is high on their agenda. In his opinion this personal contact is more effective than participating in climate marches.
Asked what industries were allies in the fight for climate sanity in our area and he readily said the shellfish , timber and outdoor recreation industries.
The question and answer period which followed Joe's address was lively and constructive.
Guests in attendance included:
(L) Marcee Stone-Vegich - Chair of the 34th LD & Ted Barker Vice Chair.
Robin Everett
Robin Everett: Washington State's Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Coordinator.
and Mary Manous and Weldon DeBusk both on the development team creating the Cascadia Climate Action Calendar which compiles monthly the events and actions of all major environmental groups in the Puget Sound Area (featured below).
My take-away as leader of Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks from this meeting. Political reality can't be changed. We must deal with it as best we can. We must also support those fighting for climate sanity as best we can. But when it comes to climate change we cannot afford to wait on politics to be "right" to get something done. We can't afford to just chip away at the edges. We need to pursue the most effective path possible to make climate sanity a reality. Under current circumstances politics may not be that path in the next two years in Washington State.
Instead it will be the Climate Action Hub.
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The Climate Action Hub
Building upon the momentum generated by the People's Climate March, The Climate Action Hub focuses the energy and ideas that converged around the 2014 UN Climate Summit to engage civil participation in local, regional and global climate action. The Hub showcases NGOs, eco writers, scientists, bloggers and YOU in a group mission to amplify messaging and promote action on such issues as climate justice, sustainable development and clean energy. It will also serve as a forum for educating and informing the wider public and expand the civil movement to ensure success at the 2015 UNFCCC Paris Climate Summit. Please add any information on climate actions in comments below.
The Climate Action Hub at Daily Kos seeks volunteer ambassadors of climate activism to work on our 'eco swat team' in local communities and here at Daily Kos to disseminate information about the growing role of civil society in climate solutions. Join us here at Daily Kos to contribute your skills and experience. We need all hands on deck!
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And in my neck of the woods it will be promoting the Cascadia Climate Calendar and urging people to get involved.
Cascadia Climate Action Calendar
Connect and Help Our Local Environment
The Seattle and the Puget Sound area has ample opportunities for concerned citizens to get involved. Because of the work of some dedicated people at Cascadia Climate Action it is now easy to find a place that fits and get involved.
With just one easy click on the Cascadia Climate Action Calendar you can easily review and find the perfect event in which to participate or organization you wish to become involved. You can even sign up to receive weekly updates of upcoming events sponsored by 350-Seattle, Sierra Club-Beyond Coal of Washington, , Citizens Climate Lobby of Seattle, CarbonWA and many other groups now compiled together in one weekly email, organized into sections.
Meetings/Recurring Events
There are organizations and groups working on climate issues that meet monthly to plan, strategize, network, and implement events and actions. These include
Sierra Club - Beyond Coal Washington (3rd Thursday)
350 Seattle (1st Wednesday)
Citizens Climate Lobby (1st Saturday)
Seattle Environmental Activists (3rd Sunday)
Sustainable Seattle and other SCALLOPs groups
Local 20/20 - Port Townsend
GreenDrinks - Seattle (2nd Tuesday) and Bellingham (1st Wednesday)
Recurring meetings are posted on the Cascadia Climate Meetings calendar. If there are other groups that would like to be listed here, get in touch with us at admin@cascadiaclimateaction.org.
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Kossacks in attendance:
Lefty Coaster
TBoneApollo
bleeding blue
LarisaW
momomia
Eagle Keeper
cinnamon68
John Crapper
(John Crapper's SO - Kossack by osmosis)
Others:
Basilia: Seattle Environmental Activists
Nelson: Progressive Radio Northwest (also a Kossack but can't figure out his moniker yet)
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