Dear friend,
We are rapidly approaching the November 3rd election. Ballots and voters’ pamphlets should be in the mail if you haven’t received them already. Luckily, the cynical Supreme Court has ruled that Trump’s executive order attacking mail-in voting will not be in effect this election. The next election is, unfortunately, anyone’s guess. Still, the general consensus seems to be that we should physically drop our ballots into a ballot drop box this election because of the mistrust of the U.S. Postal Service sown by the orange one.
This is illustrative of the sad state of affairs under late capitalism, where greed is good and the post office is corrupted. However we can still vote in reforms, protect gains, and defend against attacks on the working class. On this ballot, there are several items that we recommend you just say “no!” to.
Initiative 645 concerns state and local taxes
This initiative seeks to repeal the 9.9% tax on household income that exceeds one million dollars. Nicknamed “the Millionaires Tax” when it passed last winter, the millionaires and billionaires in the state, led by billionaire hedge fund manager Brian Heywood and his Political Action Committee (PAC), Let’s Go Washington, hired paid signature gathers and fed them a lot of misleading information to get this measure on the ballot.
Washington has long had one of the most regressive tax codes in the country, with low- and middle-income people paying proportionately much higher taxes than the wealthy. The Millionaires Tax is a progressive tax that puts a dent in this inequality.
Working class people are struggling in this crap economy where everything costs more while the upper crust continues to enjoy record salaries and corporate profits. If we want to fund our public schools, healthcare, universities, and social services, we need to raise taxes on the rich even further! Vote No on I 645 and keep the Millionaires Tax in place.
Initiative IL 26-001 The Washington Parental Right to Review Education Materials
This is another initiative by Heywood and Let’s Go Washington. It is a right-wing effort pushing the lie that our public schools are indoctrinating children with sex education. As the parent of kids in Washington public schools, I know that this is not the case. I have reviewed the state’s sex education curriculum and there is nothing in it that seeks to promote promiscuity, turn kids gay or trans, or any other such nonsense that this initiative is predicated on.
Parents already have the right under Washington state law to review curriculum and textbooks and to opt out of sex education. This measure seeks to force schools to provide parents access to students’ mental health and counseling records. This can potentially harm students. It could force the outing of LGBTQ+ students to their parents when kids don’t want that, and would therefore discourage them from seeking help at school.
The initiative also waters down language that requires mandatory reporting by school personnel of harm to students. Schools should not delay taking action when a student potentially has been assaulted in the home and/or by a family member, a scenario that is shockingly common.
This initiative does not protect vulnerable students. The FSP recommends voting No.
Initiative IL26-638 Washington Sex Verification Requirements for Female School Sports
Again, this is a cynical ultra-conservative initiative pushed by Heywood and Let’s Go Washington. It seeks to single out trans kids and whip up transphobia by excluding trans girls and gender-nonconforming children from sports. Trans kids should have all the rights of other children, including participation in school sports. They should not be singled out, excluded, or forced to change who they are.
This initiative would also require all female student athletes to “confirm their gender” in some fashion, including the possibility of genital exams to verify their biological sex in order to compete, including inspecting “reproductive anatomy,” genetics, and hormone levels. Boys would be exempt. This is sexist, transphobic, invasive and unnecessary. Vote No on this one too.
City of Seattle Proposition 1 Seattle Transit Measure
Prop. 1 is a regressive 0.3% sales tax for ten years that would help improve and expand public transportation in Seattle. The FSP loves public transit. It helps working class people get around and it is good for the environment. It should be expanded, improved, and free to the public. However, we cannot support a sales tax that affects the poor more than the rich when people are struggling to afford everything. We need progressive taxes on the rich, not regressive taxes on the poor. Vote No on Prop. 1.
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Fear-mongering and bigoted billionaires who don’t want to pay taxes mean a lot of voting no on this ballot. But there’s lots of resistance happening from stopping the surveillance state to supporting those targeted by immigration enforcement. Call me at 206-722-2453 or email SeattleFSP@socialism.com to get involved, discuss any of the issues in this letter or learn more about the Freedom Socialist Party.
In solidarity,
Nic Preston
FSP Seattle Executive Committee
P.S. While there are no anti-capitalist candidates that we can recommend, there are some extreme right-wing candidates running for the Washington State Supreme Court to avoid voting for. You can read more about them at ProtectWACourts.com, a site funded largely by labor unions.
