A county conservation board that holds sway over where sprawl ends and environmental protection begins, among other issues, will hold a public election for an open board seat next month. The result will establish a new member of the five-person King Conservation District’s Board of Supervisors.
You’d think that green-minded King County voters would solidly elect all environmentalists to the five-member board, right?
The problem is, the election only takes place at seven libraries throughout King County, only one of which is located in Seattle. And most people don’t know about the election. But political conservatives know: Last year, Republican cheerleader blog Sound Politics pushed for Preston Drew, who won by about 150 votes. Only 2,500 people voted in the entire county. This year, unless you want to let the handful of Eastside old ladies that actually make it there to the library decide for you, it’s worth voting on March 16.
Here’s why: The state-mandated board oversees a budget of about $3 million to work on issues ranging from habitat restoration, farm plans, forest plans, and even seawall restoration, explains Jesseca Brand, King County Conservation Voters spokesperson, who helped push for the environmentally friendly candidate who lost to Drew last year.
Next month could bring us another showdown between an environmental candidate versus a conservative. In one corner is Max Prinsen, who has filed to run again this year, according to Brand. A former chair of the Conservation Board, Prinsen is the candidate supported by enviros and he comes with lots of experience. (Other candidates must file by tomorrow; King Conservation District spokesperson Jason Chambers said in an e-mail he could not release all the candidates names until everyone had thrown their hat in.) But the competition could be someone like Matt Livengood, who ran against and beat Prinsen in 2007. At the time, Livengood got the backing of Citizens Alliance for Property Rights, a conservative Washington organization who said Livengood had “our interests at heart.” These folks could run another candidate this year—and it’s important that Prinsen gets the support he needs to win this time.
@1- They’re high maintenance because you’re unlikeable.
How many governments can we have? Fucking hell, we have more governments than citizens around here.
will you remind us of this on the day before/day of? i’ve put it on my calender but another reminder never hurt anyone 🙂
It may be important to note in the article that folks can vote at Seattle Public Library’s Central Branch from 10:30 to 7:30 on March 16th.
That is not a good day for me. Is it possible to vote absentee in any way?
How is holding an election in this manner even legal?
@7: Damn good question. Why hasn’t anyone sued to make this more transparent?
Down with GMA.
Funny thing is, if these Republican ladies were smart they’d know that anti-growth policies do wonders for property values and are great at driving out the poor. Look at the gentrification of nearly all of North Seattle and now the south side along the train lines. Here comes college educate green whiteys to build the dream city with a few public housing units for those cute Somali families.
Since when do Seattlites care about what happens outside city limits? Hell, they can’t think outside the Fremontallarditol Hill mindset–they’re not that broadminded!
Now, we know that people on the Eastside aren’t all “Republican old ladies”, just like we know everyone in Seattle aren’t an overeager and undermature journalists seeking to score points with their readers through appeals to bigotry and stereotyping. I could call y’all “Seattle pothead activists”, but that’d be indulging in the same divisive tactics.
And ya know, some of us have actually escaped Seattle for greener pastures, so to speak. 🙂
Headline is attention-grabbing, but so rude! And what the heck is “King Conservation District’s Board of Supervisors”? It’s “County”, someday-old-lady (if you’re lucky) Sara.
And what about the lack of affordable housing, and who is running who represents low-income and fixed-income poor working folk, the elderly and the disabled?
Next time you want to diss Repubs, think a bit (and proofread, omg). Libraries are filled with elderly men and women, with parents and their kids, with teachers and their students, and students in general. And with homeless people seeking shelter from the storm. And with liberals of all ages.
Let’s get rid of GMA…then Seattle wouldn’t have the scourge of such high density living.
How is this bullshit legal?
@12: No, it’s King Conservation District. It’s a distinct governmental entity from King County under state law.
@11: Most of the KCD’s money is spent outside city limits, but it’s raised through a per-parcel charge, which means you pay the same for your Maple Leaf townhouse as Farmer Jones pays for his back 40.
I’ve put it on my calendar… Some more info on this once the candidates are announced would be ideal.