Vote NO! on Initiative 18 on Nov. 2, 2004

If passed, Initiative 18 would reduce the size of the Metropolitan King County Council from 13 members to 9.1. REDUCING THE NUMBER OF COUCILMEMBERS DOES NOT SAVE OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT MONEY.2. THE 13-MEMBER KING COUNTY COUNCIL HAS BEEN AN EXCELLENT MODEL FOR GOOD GOVERNANMENT.3. REDUCING THE SIZE OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL FROM 13 TO 9 DILUTES THE LONG HONORED CONCEPT OF “REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY”.4. IT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR MINORITIES TO HAVE REPRESENTATION ON THE COUNTY COUNCIL.5. CUTTING COUNCILMEMBERS REDUCES THE ABILITY OF THE COUNCIL TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE OVERSIGHT OF THE EXECUTIVE AND JUDICIAL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT.6. COUNCIL REDUCTIONS WILL MAKE IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTINUE TO MANAGE THE MYRIAD OF REGIONAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY KING COUNTY.7. LOWERING THE NUMBER OF COUNCILMEMBERS DURING A PERIOD WHEN THE COUNTY IS IN A BUDGET AND FISCAL CRISIS DOES NOT MAKE SENSE!8. INITIATIVE 18 WILL REDUCE THE NUMBER OF COUNCILMEMBERS WITH SIGNIFICANT SEATTLE POPULATIONS IN THEIR DISTRICT FROM 5 TO 3.9. THE NUMBER OF COUNCILMEMBERS REPRESENTING RURAL DISTICTS MAY BE REDUCED FROM 3 MEMBERS DOWN TO 1.10. I-18 IS BAD PUBLIC POLICY, IT MUST BE DEFEATED!Sponsored by NO on I-18 Committee Chair: Larry Gossett Co-Chair: Greg RodriguezP.O. Box 22444, Seattle, WA 98122 Telephone: (206) 375-1165 email: gregorjohn@comcast.net