9 Jun 2017

Grassroots group “Just Want Privacy” on Initiative 1552

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I recieved this email from “Just Want Privacy” on June 7th (some content removed). Go to Just Want Privacy’s website for more info, petitions, and links. Email follows:

 

Dear San Juan County Republicans:

On May 20th the Washington State Republican Party passed a resolution stating:

“Be it resolved that the Washington State Republican Party calls on all Washington state voters to sign and gather signatures to certify initiative 1552 before the July 7thdeadline.”

Our State needs to gather 330,000 signatures supporting this petition by July 1st to place this initiative on the November ballot.  Divide that number by 39 counties, and each county needs to get approximately 8,400 signatures….but 1,600 signatures from   San Juan County  would be wonderful!

If each Republican accepts the challenge of gathering signatures then we can have a great impact in this important issue that will bless our community for years to come!

Here is the challenge:  Will each GoP member take responsibility to fill out 1 full petition page (20 signatures on each page.)?    We know some  will get more and some will get less; that is completely acceptable.  Remember every signature counts!!

5 Simple Ways You Can Help

1 –  If you are a PCO, walk your own precinct to gather signatures, then help another PCO in their precinct.  (this is lots more fun if you walk with someone.)  You may also find others in your precinct who want to help.

2- Sign up to help gather signatures at pre-scheduled  events nearby or in an adjacent county.  Go here to sign up as a volunteer.  Or organize your own signature gathering event in front of a busy retailer or community event.  Parades and churches are the best.  Be sure to look for parades in your cities between now and July 1st (or July 4th if you can drive your petitions to Olympia on July 7th.)

Public spaces are always available to you and people are eager to sign this petition.

3 – Donate here to cover paid signature gathering.  Each full page costs about $35, but ALL donations are helpful!

4 – Take the petition to church, or another group or event you attend, gather signatures in those locations.

5 – Post regularly on Facebook and other social media, or call your friends to invite them to sign your petition.  And remember to “Share” all Just Want Privacy posts, emails or tweets with your circle of family and friends.

Go here to request blank petitions.  Return filled or partially filled petitions to the address on the back of the petition by July 1st!  If you need to turn them in after July 1, emailmedia@justwantprivacy.org for instructions.

There is no time to lose; let us lead the way in getting signatures!

What is initiative 1552?
In December 2015, a rule went into effect for the whole State of Washington.  The rule allows biological males to enter, use the toilets, undress, shower and otherwise be present in female bathrooms, locker rooms, shower rooms, changing facilities, and homeless shelters (and vice versa).

Our elected officials did not vote on this rule; it was imposed by a panel of 5 people appointed by Governor Gregoire or Governor Inslee.  Many people in our state don’t even know this new rule is currently in effect.

“Initiative 1552: Safe Spaces for Women and Children”, would repeal this harmful rule and restore safety, privacy and common sense in Washington.  330,000 signatures are needed by July 1st, to get this on the November ballot.

For more information visit www.justwantprivacy.org

2 Jun 2017

Newsletter: WSRP Meetings, Affordable Housing debate

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Hello Conservatives!

 We hope your June is going well!

​There is no June event due to scheduling conflicts. 

Our next event is tentatively planned for the middle of July. 

More details to follow. 

WSRP State Committee Meetings

Two weekends ago, May 19-20, the WA State Republican Party (WSRP) central committee met. Each county sends a state committeeman, a state committeewoman, and usually a chairman to meet together once a quarter. I typically send Vice-chair Lynda Gerpheide in my place. To read State Committeewoman Carter’s report on the state meetings click here (on SJCRP website).

Thank you Cindy Carter, Rick Boucher, and Lynda Gerpheide for attending. This represents a significant expense both in financial resources and in time. It is an act of patriotism.

Affordable Housing

You may have noticed quite a few articles and letters regarding housing in San Juan County. Most recently, the Journal published an article this week called “Planning commission suggests annual fee for all vacation rentals.” This is a follow up (also by Hayley Day) on their article in the Islands Weekly last week here. There was also a letter, “Protect our way of life against vacation rentals.”

Lopez Community Land Trust submitted an article to the Islands Weekly this week. They are also planning to build a few new homes on Lopez.

This issue has been getting a lot of coverage, and it’s something being talked about all over the county:

From the SJCRP May 29th newsletter: “both the Islands Weekly and the Sounder reported on pushback to proposed restrictions on vacation rental permits.” 

From the May 18th newsletter: “In these anti-development times, it was refreshing to see the Journal advocate in favor of tourism.”

From the April 29th newsletter: “San Juan Island Real Estate update report. This is of interest to property owners and would-be property owners alike. Island Guardian reports.”

From the March 29th newsletter: “A group of people (including several prominent dems) are blaming vacation rentals for the lack of affordable housing in our county. You can read the statement here. (Journal)  Do you agree?”

From the March19th newsletter: “Seattle flounders in dealing with its housing crisis with a number of measures that only discourage investment in housing: here and here. (Seattle Times). Locally in SJC we are struggling with this issue, and liberals have proposed vacation rental permit changes.”

From the March 13th newsletter: “On Lopez, the Land bank is making a purchase. Islands’ Weekly reports.” 

Also note the SJC Planning Commission and SJC Housing Bank Commission on the county website.

I’d love to see letters in all of the local papers across the county on this issue. We don’t all need to agree on what the “conservative answer” would be, but we should certainly add our individual voices to the debate. Sound Publishing has a weekly deadline of Friday, which is printed on Wednesday. Online papers like the Island Guardian don’t really have deadlines.

Journal (SJI): http://www.sanjuanjournal.com/submit-letter/
Sounder (Orcas) http://www.islandssounder.com/submit-letter/
Islands Weekly (Lopez) http://www.islandsweekly.com/submit-letter/
for the Island Guardian: email <editor@islandguardian.com> (Jack Cory is the editor)

Local News and Links of Interest

Hospital Districts have been in the news quite a bit lately. On Orcas, there was a full length article regarding UW Medicine and Orcas Island. The Journal’s article about the new SJCPHD#1 contract with Planned Parenthood was updated on the 31st. I saw one letter in the paper. Michelle Loftus posted about it on the website here. On this issue I just publish whatever I see, for or against, because I work for SJCPHD#1. I am making no judgments on this issue.

In an Island Guardian article entitled “Gold Standard Designation SJI National Monument,” they report that our county monument lands have “join[ed] ten other areas across the country to be recognized as an exemplary outdoor area.”

OPALCO is planning a solar array for Decauter island. Island Guardian reports.

The Sounder reports that Jay Inslee published a notice of Judicial Vacancy, apparently indicating that Judge Eaton is retiring soon. Attorney Steve Brandli has applied for the job. Sounder reports.

A nice article about Memorial Day by King County Republicans.

New state law about distracted driving. Seattle Times.

Governor Inslee is speaking at the Lopez’s high school graduation on June 10th. Islands Weely reports.

A surprising editorial for the USA Today:  “The Obama administration’s illegal spying may have been worse than Watergate.

Many of you emailed me about Comey’s firing. I admit I also felt quite indignant that his firing was seen as either a surprise or some scandal. I was surprised that Obama hadn’t fired him. Unfortunately, most of the emails included attachments and such that are hard to forward. However, if you were frustrated by how the media has handled this, rest assured that you are not alone.

 

County Council Calendar (for more details click here)

Marine Resources Committee Meeting
June 7, 2017, 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM @ Council Hearing Room

San Juan Action Agenda Oversight Group/LIO Joint AOC-IC Meeting
June 7, 2017, 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM @ Islanders Bank Admin Bldg.

Human Services Advisory Board
June 12, 2017, 11:45 AM - 1:15 PM @ Large Legislative Conference Room

Ferry Advisory Committee
June 14, 2017, 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM @ Large Legislative Conference Room

Housing Bank Commission Meeting
June 14, 2017, 11:30 AM @ Health and Community Services

 

Nathan Butler
Chair, San Juan County Republican Party

 

2 Jun 2017

Cindy Carter on May 2017 State meetings

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Greetings!

May 19-20, the WA State Republican Party (WSRP) central committee met. Each county sends a state committeeman, a state committeewoman, and usually a chairman to meet together once a quarter. I typically send Vice-chair Lynda Gerpheide in my place. Following is Statecommiteewoman Cindy Carter’s report:

“I did get a lot of information at the state meeting, and it is so good to be in a large company of Republicans…it always lifts my spirits…

There was a budget report also, it was amazing in that Susan Hutchinson and the WSRP are way above budget for fundraising, and will have funding available to help with the race in the 45th district.  We also were privileged to hear from Jinyoung Lee Englund who is an amazing person, working with campaigns and when not doing that, helping in 3rd world nations to bring clean water to the people.  She is a great candidate for the 45th.

Susan and the WSRP State Committee man and woman, Jeff and Freddie, also were apparently amazing at the National meeting and someone accused them of having Washington taking over the National Committee.

There was a resolution that passed at the state committee meeting asking members of the WSRP to be active in recruiting people to sign the Initiative 1552.  I-1552 is the privacy initiative asking that businesses and schools be allowed to decide how to set up their bathrooms instead of a 5 person un-elected panel making that decision for them.  On a side note, after traveling down and back up the West Coast, I really miss the gender specific bathrooms.  Having to use the unisex bathrooms was, well, disgusting.  The gender specific bathrooms are definitely a bonus.  I do have some initiatives if anyone would like to gather signatures.  Signatures are due by July 1st.

Thank you!
Cindy Carter”

2 Jun 2017

WSRP: So much losing! Democrats in disarray!

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This weeks update from WSRP was interesting:

 

 
To believe the dishonest liberal media, the Republican Party is on its way to extinction, hopelessly divided, and deeply unpopular.  The pro-Democrat media, still whining about losing the presidential election, constantly repeats this narrative, but even they know it is false. 

And on rare occasions, even they admit the truth: it’s the Democrat Party that is in disarray, and in crisis, losing election after election.

Liberal Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat recently wrote an opinion piece entitled “Democrats are supposed to be fighting back, but they just keep losing.”  He let the cat out of the bag: so much losing!  Westneat writes:

“[T]his past week the Democrats showed how they excel, above all, at eluding victory.  Once again they demonstrated how they’re the party that never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.  Somehow the Democrats lost a special election in Montana….”

Westneat asks, “Why are the Democrats … still losing?,” and cites anABC News poll that “found that 67 percent think Democrats are ‘out of touch’ with regular people.”

Exactly right!  The Democrats are out of touch with the American people, defeated and discouraged, still whining about losing in 2016, and still freaking out about GOP victories!

Let’s continue to spread the Republican message, with even more Republican victories!  To learn about our state’s GOP candidates in 2017, go to www.wsrp.org/candidates

Toward victory in 2017,


Susan Hutchison
Chairman, Washington State Republican Party

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25 May 2017

Newsletter: Memorial Day

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Greetings Conservatives
 
May 29, 2017: Memorial Day

Remember the Fallen
 
There are many ways to serve our country and our community. Many of us cannot serve in the military, and many in the military never face a firefight in the desert. But all of us can give back to our country. We honor the fallen through our lives, not just our deaths, and renew the ideals and values of our country that make it a place worth fighting for.
We wish of you and yours the best on Memorial day 2017.
 
Special Filing Period

Filing week is over! Or is it? Turns out, a number of positions received no applications, so there is a “special filing period” from May 24-26th. Island Guardian Reports. I told my own story about how I got involved in our community last week in several papers (Sounder is fairly representative).

It can be hard to step up and lead, everyone wants to keep their head down. But we need good people to lead. Too often people who still work fear for their job, then when they retire they feel they are too old. Particularly in light of Memorial Day that just seems inadequate.
More info at the SJC Elections office here. 

Other Links
Blood Drive June 7-9, will be on each island. Sounder reports
The SJI Public Hospital District #1 passed it’s measure to contract with Planned Parenthood. Journal reports.
Cali Bagby’s editorial on Memorial Day. Journal. Cali was embedded with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
SJI School District board approved a measure to move 6th graders to the Middle School. Journal reports.
UW Medicine announced a partnership with the Lopez medical center. Islands Weekly reports.
Both the Islands Weekly and the Sounder reported on pushback to proposed restrictions on vacation rental permits from people who rent space to vacationers.
Calendar
 
No more meetings until June.
Eastsound Plan Review Committee Meeting
June 1, 2017, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM @ Eastsound Station 21

Noxious Weed Control Board Meeting
June 2, 2017, 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM @ WSU – Skagit Campus

—

Nathan Butler

Chair, San Juan County Republican Party
Cell: (360) 298-4489
 
“No matter how conservative your views may be, unless you do something about it you really aren’t that conservative.”