Dear Group,
I was aghast to find there are still people in the Spokane community who do not know of the Washington Policy Center, its funding, its political agenda, and its deep connections with Greater Spokane and the local (and national) Republican Party. That said, I was unaware of WPC until I came upon their table at the Ag Trade Show in Spokane in the fall of 2016. I learned that WPC functions arm-in-arm with McMorris Rodgers’ local machine when, as a physician, I was one of the subjects of what I called a “constituent biopsy” you can read about here.
Today “Spokane Solutions” is held at the Davenport Hotel. To mark that event I want to share with you a community letter I have signed along with around eighty organizations and a few other individuals. It appeared as a full page ad in the Sunday, May 12, Spokesman Review on page 10 of the main section:
The Washington Policy Center doesn’t represent Spokane.
Dear Friends,
As Spokane-area voters, workers, business people, civic leaders and faith leaders, we reject the divisive political agenda the Washington Policy Center is promoting in our community.
The Washington Policy Center has flown in controversial ex-Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker for a paid political event in Spokane. Walker is notorious for his attacks on public schools, the environment and workers’ rights – attacks that are out of sync with the values of Spokane-area residents.
The Washington Policy Center is attempting to spread that same divisive national agenda here in Spokane. We oppose their attempts to influence our community. The Washington Policy Center is not the independent “think tank” it claims to be, but a political operation that promotes the interests of the ultra-wealthy at the expense of the rest of us. The Washington Policy Center is not fully open and transparent about its funding, but it is clear that it is bankrolled by out-of-state corporate interests, foundations and billionaires to promote a national political agenda that is harmful to Spokane families and our economy.
The Washington Policy Center’s outsider agenda includes:
•Privatizing public education by diverting local public school funding to private organizations
•Weakening environmental protections, sacrificing clean air and water
•Restricting workers’ right to advocate for fair pay and working conditions, making it harder to support our families
Simply put, the Washington Policy Center doesn’t represent Spokane.
As Spokane residents, we do not need or want out-of-state politicians, billionaires and groups like the Washington Policy Center telling us what’s best for our community or deciding which public policies we enact.
Unlike the groups funding the Washington Policy Center, we live here and we actually care about what happens here. Our vision for Spokane is a positive one – one in which all of us work together as a community to decide our future and that lifts up all of us.
We, the undersigned Spokane-area individuals and groups, are committed to working together to create a stronger, healthier, economically successful community for all of the residents of greater Spokane. We call on Greater Spokane, Inc., to join with us and not to co-sponsor divisive events such as the Washington Policy Center’s Solutions Summit.
Share widely.
Keep to the high ground,
Jerry
P.S. I’ve reproduced the signatures below.
