The far-left’s true intention for Initiative 122 in Seattle just got a whole lot clearer. I-122—the brainchild of an ultra-liberal organization called Honest Elections Seattle—proposes to lower campaign contribution limits in Seattle and create a voucher program that allows every Seattle voter to donate $100 – in taxpayer money – to city candidates.
The initiative allows Seattle candidates to opt into a system in which voters can give $100 to donate to candidates of their choosing. Another property tax hike would fund the $100 vouchers. Just to be clear, that means homeowners will fund vouchers for others to give to candidates of their choosing. The initiative is estimated to cost $30 million over a 10-year period.
I-122 supporters have hidden objective
Advocates, including the far-left Sightline Institute, claim that the vouchers would level the playing field for voters engaging in the political process. Never mind the fact that the Sightline Institute is being paid to promote the initiative, the hypocrisy of it all is that I-122 is being funded by a handful of rich outsiders.
But, leveling the playing field is not the only reason backers of I-122 are pushing the initiative. According to a new report, I-122 would extend the $100 vouchers to non-citizens legally residing in Seattle. The purpose is to engage Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR’s) in the electoral process, short of voting.
LPR’s are already legally allowed to contribute to campaigns. However, backers of I-122 admit that they hope the system would open the door to non-citizen voting in Seattle, as local politicians are encouraged to engage with “citizens and noncitizens alike.” The Seattle Times,
“This has advocates like Corona (who works for the Washington Dream Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates for undocumented immigrants) advocating for local voting rights for noncitizens. Recently, the coalition sent out questionnaires to City Council candidates to raise awareness among local politicians and gauge potential support.
“They have some of that support in former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn.
“‘We’re not talking about setting foreign policy here,’ says McGinn, who believes noncitizens should have voting rights in Seattle elections and is eager to see the issue spark conversation in time for upcoming City Council elections. ‘We’re talking about police protection and crime and parks and potholes and schools.’”
I-122 hope Seattle is just the start
As Shift previously pointed out, rich outsiders funding I-122 are using the initiative as a test. Seattle is the entry point to try and push a statewide initiative, all with a national agenda in mind. Ironically, that’s the very definition of rich people buying elections… with a long-term outlook twist.
The true intention of I-122 is not only to push Seattle further to the left, but also to see if the strategy is viable on a larger scale. The first clue into initiative’s hidden agenda is that it contains a loophole for labor unions. Apparently, large special interest groups are free to bundle the vouchers from members and direct the large contribution to their preferred candidate. Essentially, I-122 advocates are peddling a snake-oil form of “democracy” meant to further empower the far left.
Not in my state…not in my country!
NO THANK YOU PEOPLE QUIT TRYING TO RUIN OUR STATE !!
Hillary already takes campaign contributions from foreign countries as do many other polticians. I don’t like this and don’ think candidates should take money from non citizens.
I so disagree with all of this. First and foremost voting has always been a right of citizenship. Something we were proud to be able to do. Those who became citizens didn’t vote until then. I also object to a raise in my property taxes so those who don’t even pay property taxes and might not be citizens have the right to donate money. That just doesn’t make any sense. Hope it goes down.
I don’t think you can push Seattle any further to the left.
if you push them far enough to the left, they will be in the ocean–not a bad idea. What a bunch of nuts/screwballs in Seattle
According to a new report, I-122 would extend the $100 vouchers to non-citizens legally residing in Seattle.
Wrong. From the text of I-122:
On the first business day in every municipal election year, SEEC shall mail to each person who was by the previous November 15th, duly registered to vote in the City of Seattle, at his or her address in the voter registration records, $100 in vouchers (“Democracy Vouchers”) consisting of four Democracy Vouchers of $25 each,
(Emphasis added.)
Since the rest of this post depends upon this bogus “fact”, it all collapses as well.
New Section 2.04.620 9(b), Issuance of Democracy Vouchers says any adult Seattle resident who is a registered voter, or eligible to vote, or eligible under federal law to donate to a political campaign may opt into the program and obtain an equivalent number of Democracy Vouchers by application to the SEEC. It reiterates this in the last sentence of (b). The Federal Election Commission web site says green card holders can contribute to federal campaigns. Looks like the Seattle Times did its homework when it urged voters reject I-122, in part because of this.
Therefore, non citizens can, in fact, participate.
That’s true, but the non-citizens must apply to participate. Citizens registered to vote in Seattle are automatically included. Shift’s lengthy (yet incomplete and misleading) description implies the non-citizens are automatically included as well.
As you could have pointed out, but didn’t, the provision for the optional inclusion was explicitly included to avoid a conflict between I-122 and federal election law:
To be consistent with federal law, any adult natural person who resides more than 30 days in the City of Seattle, and who is a registered voter, or is eligible to vote under local, state or federal law, or who is eligible under federal law to donate to a political campaign, but who has not received any Democracy Vouchers in the election cycle, may opt in to the Program and obtain an equivalent number of Democracy Vouchers by application to SEEC.
Of course, Shift’s headline remains pure fantasy — one which other commenters here seem to have helplessly swallowed. Perhaps you could correct their misbeliefs?
I truly hope the Seattle citizens get rid of this initiative. Otherwise they are just throwing away their rights as a citizen in Seattle. This would mean that illegals and others would have more say than the citizens who do all the paying.