Proposition flawed, vague

The Community Bill of Rights is flawed, unworkable and unconstitutional. The document states ideas but doesn’t address how to go about achieving them or how they will be paid for.

The CBR has requirements for Spokane to provide a sufficient availability of low-income housing in its third amendment and guaranteed health care in its second. Does this mean the city will be required to purchase dwellings or force owners to lease to low-income tenants only?

How is the city going to guarantee that private entities will cooperate with their efforts to provide health care? What is the city going to do if they don’t? What are the enforcement provisions?

The CBR’s eighth amendment violates employers’ rights under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, limiting freedom of speech. The CBR’s ninth amendment denying legal rights to businesses violates due process provisions of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.

Are CBR’s rights to be granted by curtailing the rights of others? Too many questions remain to be answered. We don’t need another layer of bureaucracy added to the city government. There are already mechanisms in place to deal with the problems addressed in the CBR; use them.

K.L. Edgren

Spokane