Seattle Press on Line - "Water for Salmon" Compromise Adopted

Initiative 63

"Water for Salmon" Compromise Adopted

Sep 27, 2001 -- Initiative 63 will now not appear on the November ballot. Although the popular "Water for Salmon" initiative probably would have received overwhelming support from Seattle voters, City Council managed to wrangle a deal with initiative promoters that staves off a water-fight.

Early last week, under Councilmember Richard Conlin's leadership, a team of negotiators hammered out an agreement between I-63 proponents and opponents. Conlin's settlement apparently satisfied all the objectives of I-63's promoters and put to rest a lawsuit brought by the City over the legality of the initiative. Conlin's compromise also saves face with communities outside Seattle, communities that would not have been eligible to vote on the initiative, even though they rely, by contract, on Seattle for water.

Last April a group called "Yes for Seattle" found that Seattle voters strongly supported helping salmon through water conservation. The group launched a campaign that attracted over 250 volunteers who gathered enough signatures to place Initiative 63 before City Council. Council then had three choices: (1) adopt the measure, (2) develop an alternative to be placed on the ballot next to Initiative 63, or (3) do nothing and allow the initiative to appear on the ballot as written.

On the surface, Initiative 63 had all the right sound bites for a successful campaign. It demanded that the City take a more aggressive approach towards water conservation by charging higher rates for "extraordinary" water users. Money from these water-hogs would be used retrofit low-income housing with water-conservation devices. Most importantly, the initiative required that water saved through stricter conservation measures be used to increase flows in salmon-bearing streams rather than to supply new, sprawling suburban developments.

Before I-63 could go before the voters, City Council had to evaluate its consequences, both intended and unintended, and ensure that all Seattle water customers would be treated fairly. Council knew that, if passed as written, Initiative 63 would have imposed unrealistic conservation requirements on a number of businesses and public facilities that provide needed services, such as hospitals and schools. It would have also unfairly affected citizens who do not live in Seattle and cannot vote on the measure.

Under pressure from a quieter constituency, City Council at first put up considerable resistance to Initiative 63, but then managed to find the courage and will to negotiate a settlement. Unfortunately, it had taken an expensive initiative drive and a lawsuit by the City to force elected leaders to engage in serious and fair negotiations.

Politically savvy activists from across the ideological spectrum, many of whom seem to have their fingers closer to the public pulse than some elected officials, now know that the most effective way to get legislators to take action is by promoting an initiative. Whether it is fair, right, or wrong, government by initiative--or mere the threat of one--is likely to play a leading role in determining who makes future critical choices for Seattle.

Knoll Lowney, one of the founders of "Yes for Seattle," has clearly indicated that Initiative 63 is just the beginning for his organization. "We have been talking to various communities to find out what policies the city needs in order to address the important issues it faces." Other progressive ideas "Yes for Seattle" intends to advance include affordable housing, saving urban creeks, district-wide elections, forcing the city to impose impact fees on developers, and speeding up efforts to update the Seattle's Shoreline Master Program.

"There needs to be a balance between economic development and livability in this city. If we have both economic and population growth but we don't invest in our schools, parks, transportation, if we ignore important environmental issues, then we create a system that is not sustainable and falls apart."

While "Yes for Seattle" does not intend to advance its entire progressive political agenda through initiatives, Lowney says that initiatives will definitely be one of their primary fallback strategies when others fail.

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jordan findlay	May 03, 2003	scotland/glasgow	am i adopted
i dont know if i am with my real mum and dad so pleasae reashearch me and find out. THANK YOU