July 5, 2009 in City

Spokane bill of rights group submits signatures

Envision Spokane wants to add to charter

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A group that hopes to insert a bill of rights into Spokane’s City Charter says it believes it has enough signatures to send the concept to voters.

Envision Spokane, which was created in 2007, needs to collect 2,795 valid signatures by Monday for its proposal to qualify for the November ballot. Last week, group members said they submitted 5,014 signatures to the city clerk, who will send them to the Spokane County Elections Office for verification.

The proposal would:

•Make the city responsible for creating a system of “affordable fee-for-service” preventive health care to all residents.

•Create restrictions on banks that loan money to non-local parties.

•Require all workers on private construction projects of more than $2 million to be paid prevailing wages – pay that is set by the state Department of Labor and Industries.

•Give neighborhoods power to veto development projects through petitions and neighborhood councils.

•Stipulate that construction projects can’t “damage the surrounding ecosystem.”

Envision Spokane proponents say the rules would empower citizens by giving them power to file lawsuits against the city, businesses or other entities that violate rights created for people or “ecosystems” in the bill of rights.

“They put into law – in the Spokane City Charter – rights of neighborhoods, individuals and rights of nature,” said Brad Read, a Shadle Park High School teacher who is president of Envision Spokane’s board.

Councilman Richard Rush said people concerned about the state of city government should run for office: “That’s what I chose to do.” He also questions some of the proposed rights, including the one adding health care to the list of city responsibilities.

Envision Spokane leaders said sitting on City Council wouldn’t make enough of a difference.

“The experience that we heard about over and over again through the two years of this process is that leaving it to the processes that already exist, neighborhoods get the shaft,” Read said. “Communities, neighborhoods don’t have the right to say no. All they have the right to do is ask nicely and hope that elected officials do as they ask.”

According to the state Public Disclosure Committee, Envision Spokane has raised about $11,000, $10,000 of which was given by Jim Sheehan, who founded the Center for Justice in Spokane.

So far, no elected leader, past or current, has publicly endorsed the plan. It has been roundly criticized by City Council and Mayor Mary Verner for being unrealistic, expensive and possibly unlawful. Several business leaders also have objected to the rules, arguing that they would hurt job growth and drive businesses outside city limits. Councilman Bob Apple said the plan would be hurt Spokane residents – though he added: “It’s good for attorneys.”

Four comments on this story so far. Add yours!

• 

  George_Sands on July 05 at 8:56 a.m.

  Two words. NUT JOBS.

  Go to their website.. Loonies.

  I “ENVISION” them leaving Spokane making it better for everyone.

• 

  skeugster on July 05 at 12:03 p.m.

  Envision Spokane is not proposing a bill of rights, it is proposing a bill of benefits. It seeks to make Spokane a place of “good things.” It especially seeks to advance the funding of the “Center for Justice” and the goals of Jim Sheehan, the multimillionaire who is financing the Center for Justice and Envision Spokane.

  The Spokane Record — www.spokanerecord.com

• 

  Alaricus on July 05 at 8:30 p.m.

  For the most part, Envision Spokane is chock full of über-socialist agendas. It would most likely bankrupt the city. However, there are two elements that I admire.

  I’m totally with them when it comes to neighborhoods. Communities should be able to determine their own futures, not developers who don’t care what they’re building as long as it makes them money.

  But Envision isn’t very clear on how to get that done, other than using terms similar to “smart growth.” It’s a great concept; we need to reign in sprawl, but like all of the other amendments, Envision Spokane doesn’t really tell us how we’re going to get these things done. Actually enforcing the city’s Comprehensive Plan would be the best way to do this.

  But I digress. If people want to pursue elements of these different amendments, they should do it individually. I’m not going to vote for this just because I agree with one of the amendments. That’d be way too dangerous.

• 

  jimmahoney on September 30 at 8:49 p.m.

  Just a thought regarding envisioning a change for life and for spokane.

  When I take my kids to a restaurant I encourage them to pick something from the menu they haven’t tried before. Invariably they will pick the “tried and true” items they have always eaten before.

  I note with interest, when I go to a restaurant with a “foreign” menu, my tablemates will try to decipher, “what makes the most sense” or “what is most familiar” even in a different language and choose that item. I suggest, “get a grip” and “let go.” Point to something you’ve never had.

  Supposedly the difference between master chess players and grand masters is number of games played, not games won. In this regard, there is no such thing as “errorless learning.”

  More games played means more scenarios and patterns stored for future encounters.

  Life is supposed to be a journey, not a destination. None of us are going to get out of this alive. To live 80 years, means you “check out” in 960 months. Do the math. I’ll bet the average reader of this jotting has 360 months or less, left on this planet.

  I think all I get to take with me are scenarios, patterns, thoughts and values. I want a full pack, not just a few items from a large and untried menu.

  “What we imagine is order is merely the prevailing form of chaos.” Kerry Thornley.

  Respectfully,

  Jim Mahoney
  1220 South Division
  Spokane, WA 99202
  Work & Fax (509) 838-2256