Whatcom County Chapter

Roger Almskaar
President

Chet Dow
Secretary/Treasurer

Please contact us for chapter and meeting information.

 

May 16, 2017

Wake Up Whatcom County Rally!

The Whatcom County Council needs to hear from you!

Poster

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Whatcom Capr has been closely involved in the planning and content of this event, and urges all who care about property rights to participate.

There will be speakers, including Glen Morgan, Executive Director of Capr, handouts, and signs to carry.

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Regulations, moratoriums and poor public policy will cripple our economy and ruin our ability to protect our cherished environment and quality of life. 

  • Our farmers face unbearable environmental regulation - they can’t make a living. 
  • Our property rights are diminishing while our property taxes are increasing.
  • Our best, highest paying employers face restrictions on their businesses - they may leave.
  • Our tax revenues that fund our schools, roads, and services and our quality of life are at risk.

Please join a family friendly, non-partisan rally in support of family wage jobs, economic opportunity and positive public policy for the citizens of Whatcom County - Tuesday, May 16, 2017, 5:15 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on the Bellingham Public Library lawn. Arrive early, listen to speakers, and have your voice be heard! The first step to make a difference is to show up!

Save our Farms!

  • Regulators want to save farmland, but are destroying farm operations and farmers.
  • Expanding arbitrary wetland buffers removes usable farmland, lowers yields and income.
  • No access to water = No farmers = No farms = No food.
  • Ever-increasing regulation stifles small farmers and local farm-to-table initiatives.
  • If small, organic and family farms can’t compete – large corporations will dominate.
  • Trust our farmers; they know the land best, they protect the land best – it’s their business, and our future.

Protect our Property Rights!

The County Council failed to plan for water use, lost the Hirst decision, then:

  • Immediately placed a building moratorium in October 2016.
  • Had until May 2017 to find solutions or offer relief, but took no reasonable action.
  • Ignored hundreds of citizens’ pleas for help, leaving some families bankrupt.

Over 3,500 private lots are near valueless without wells or access to water service

  • $200,000,000 to $270,000,000 in property value taken from innocent people!
  • $200,000,000 to $270,000,000 taken from our tax base!

We have increasing homelessness and an affordable housing crisis. Without rural development, affordable housing will be scarcer as urban density grows.

Preserve our Jobs!

Cherry Point industries provide over 2,000 family wage jobs, 11% of total county jobs.

The refineries are environmentally responsible, and economically vital to our local and state economy. The refineries:

  • Contribute over $50M/yr to support state-wide environmental clean-up initiatives.
  • Pay average wages over $110,000/yr, vs. the county average of under $45,000.
  • Provide over $200M a year to our schools, and much more for our local services.

They are the cornerstone of our local economy. They provide for our basic necessities, plastics for our kayaks, fuel for our farms, and the pay taxes to fund our parks and trails.

If businesses can’t grow, they can’t compete. They will fail or leave. Our community will suffer.

On May 16th bring your family, friends and neighbors.

Join us and make a difference!

Wake up Whatcom County!

May 11 2017

Notice

For Members and Friends, Whatcom Chapter Citizens’ Alliance for Property Rights (CAPR)

Current issues, actions, events etc.

Major News

A coalition of local organizations and people concerned re property rights, restrictions on Cherry Pt industries and over-regulation of ag has organized a major rally next Tues, May 16, on the B’ham Public Library lawn at 5.15 pm, prior to the regular 7 pm County Council meeting.

It’s called “Wake Up Whatcom County”. See the attached flyer/poster and talking points re these issues for more info.

If you are concerned about the local trend of more and more oppressive rules, and bigger government, you need to join your friends and neighbors here! Whatcom Capr has been involved in planning this event for some time.

Other Topics

Whatcom County Council Agenda for May 16: see May 6 notice for details, mainly a hearing and probable adoption of new restrictive policies for Cherry Point. See proposal here.

At 9.30 am, a new 9 pg annual report on Natural Resources programs by Public Works staff, will be discussed at the 9.30 am Nat. Res. committee.

Also, continued committee discussion of the draft CAO update at about 2 pm. See proposal here. A hearing will be held soon, in June?

Hirst Update

See the May 6 report.

Recent Co. Planning Commission action: proposed tighter impervious surface rules in rural/ag areas met opposition again at April 27 hearing. Revised rules being sent to council. Final issues not reviewed yet.

May 20: Workshop by Elaine Willman on Conflicts on Water and Property Rights with Tribal Governments, in Sedro Woolley. See attached flyer; sponsored by Skagit Capr. She is one of the most knowledgeable people on these now major issues in our state and elsewhere, as

certain tribes assert rights often adversely impacting others, partly based on inaccurate claims to be sovereign nations.

These tribes are frequently abetted in these power grabs by ignorant non-Indian gov’t officials, who don’t see any problems, for instance, with allowing tribes to “cherry pick” isolated and valuable commercial properties for expansion of their “trust lands”, removing them from local land use rules and state and local tax rolls.

Questions? Contact Roger Almskaar, President, Whatcom Capr