Calling all Northern Washington Activists

From Johnny, president of the YAL chapter at Whatcom Community College:

On November 22 at 7pm, Bellingham City Council will vote on Red Light Cameras and Speed trap cameras. The YAL chapter at WCC and other interested Bellingham residents put enough pressure on the Council to get a unanimous vote to hold a public hearing on this issue. Now the Council is cancelling the public hearing because they "already made up their minds." 

If you're interested in joining up with the WCC crew in voicing concerns over Red Light Cameras in Bellingham--or throughout northern/northwestern Washington--Johnny can be reached here. 

Recruitment Week: University of Washington

West Coast students were back in school this week and back in action to promote liberty! The YAL chapter at the University of Washington-Seattle took advantage of the student activities fair to recruit more members and include one of the school's most active political clubs in an annual school tradition.

Situated next to the socialists, WashPIRG and the Young Democrats, YAL-UW received a few dozen signatures and promoted their upcoming organizational meeting. All in all an excellent start to the group's third year on the UW campus!

Check out some of the photos from the festivities:

Since when do Democrats support corporations?

I frequently shop at Bartell Drug Co. more than any other drug store. It's locally run, it has a homey feel to it, good deals and friendly employees. 

This may all come to an end if Washington State passes I-1098, which would establish a state income tax "for the wealthy."

In a recent Seattle Times editorial, George Bartell notes how having to pay this tax would dip into the funds he would use to pay his 1700 employees and could eventually mean the end of the company because its competition -- namely major corporations like Walmart -- wouldn't be affected by this state law. 

Probably it wasn't the sponsors' intention to favor one group of companies over another. But they are activists. They are not sympathetic to business and don't understand it very well. I-1098 is the result.

Medical Marijuana Isn't Enough

In the state of Washington, marijuana thieves and medical marijuana users have clashed, sometimes deadly ways:

In the past week, a man in Orting, Wash., near Tacoma, died after he reportedly was beaten while confronting people trying to steal marijuana plants from his property. On Monday, a prominent medical-marijuana activist shot an armed man who is accused of breaking into his home in a suburban area near Seattle where he grows and distributes marijuana plants.

Thank goodness the second victim was able to exercise his second amendment rights. But right now the state government of Washington wants to reexamine "how it regulates the drug." How's this for an idea: just legalize it, all of it. My bet is that violent marijuana robberies would decrease with legalization.