Weekly Call To Action - July 17, 2022

Quote of the Week:

“It is a common myth that important elections only take place every 4 years. Important state and county elections for various offices occur every 1-2 years, and because turnout is lower, your vote can actually make even more of a difference. 

The same goes for making positive social change: engaging close to home is where your activism is most apt to produce results that will impact your daily life and the lives of your neighbors and community.” – Lisa Ornstein, co-founder, Olympia Indivisible

---

This Week:

There’s a LOT of events and issues shaking this week in Thurston County! Please read this special, County-focused Call to Action and use your activism to make a difference close to home!

---

Electoral Actions:

July 21 Zoom Town Hall with Derek Sanders

When: July 21 at 7:30 pm. Register here. 
Description: Derek is Olympia Indivisible’s endorsed candidate for Thurston County Sheriff. He is fighting an uphill battle in running against longtime Sheriff John Snaza who has a long record of over-spending, disregard for public health, disregard for his staff, and lack of transparency with the public. 

We want our OI members to get to know Derek, to be informed on what Derek sees as necessary changes to the Sheriff’s office, and to help understand his vision for building transparency and accountability in Thurston County’s Sheriff’s Office. 

Action: Mark your calendar, register, and show up!


OI Website: 
Keep up with what is happening with candidates on OI’s Election 2022 resource page which includes the New Candidate Support Calendar. And discover more about OI plans and activities on the website. 

---

​Local Actions:

Getting Ahead of Misinformation
How the Auditor’s Office Spent Grant Money

Mary Hall's office is under a misinformation attack.

Bad actors are raising a lot of questions and generating disinformation about grants from Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) to counties’ election offices across the nation, including Thurston County. We can and must fight back against this.

To get you up to speed on this, Olympia Indivisible is attaching a blog post from the Thurston County Auditor’s office about how the Auditor’s Office spent grant money from the CTCL in 2020. 

This blog indicates why our Auditor's office applied for the CTCL grant and where they spent the money. 
The blog post is a “prebunk” effort, to get the truth out before misinformation spreads in Thurston County.

You can find even more information on this project here: COVID-19 Response Grants - Center for Tech and Civic Life

Action: Share this on your social media: I am proud of the way Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall used CTCL funds to keep our elections safe and accessible during COVID.

---

Push Port Commissioners To Replace Executive Director

Sam Gibboney, Executive Director, Port of Olympia

Port Commissioners recently received a vote of no confidence from 22 Port  employees about their boss, Executive Director Sam Gibboney. 

Over the past three years the Port has lost over half of its staff, including six directors. Gibboney supervises Port staff but only she reports directly to the Port Commission.  

The staff exodus has been attributed to the hostile environment Gibboney has created through ineffective management. According to a July 12 article in the Olympian, the Port staff commented on Gibboney’s “micromanagement at all levels creating an environment of mutual distrust and lack of productivity.” Their letter goes on to say, “We do not believe Sam Gibboney has the capacity to provide the Port of Olympia with the quality leadership and oversight essential to the organization’s health, effectiveness, and functioning. The negative impact of the hostile and ineffective work environment we experience has worsened over the past two years.” 

Gibboney has acknowledged that Port work could not be completed citing lack of staff to carry out the work. In January, Gibboney proposed holding fewer Commission Work Sessions and shorter advanced posting of Commission meeting agendas. The result is that those attending the  Commission meetings have less time to research the agenda, digest the material, and prepare public comments. 

In late 2019, when former Port Commissioner Zita stated her concerns about Gibboney's dishonest, misleading and incomplete communication, micromanagement, and unfriendly work environment, Gibboney struck back by filing a bogus harassment complaint against Commissioner Zita. 

The public, including members of OI’s Port of Olympia Action Team, have witnessed Gibboney’s dishonesty, lack of transparency or consideration for the needs of the public. In December 2021, when the City of Tumwater requested specific changes in an Interlocal Agreement with the Port regarding the Port’s mega-warehouse project in Tumwater, Gibboney broke off communication with all Tumwater officials.    

Action: Email Port Commissioners by Monday, July 18 asking them to call for Sam Gibboney’s replacement. 

Send email to Port Commissioners:

• Email all Commissioners Commissioners@portolympia.com                
  • Commission Chair Bob Iyall bobi@portolympia.com,
  • Commissioner Joe Downing joed@portolympia.com
  • Commissioner Amy Evans-Harding amye@portolympia.com

Script: My name is ___________________and my zipcode is _________.
​I urge you to take action to replace Executive Director Sam Gibboney. A July 12, 2022 article in The Olympian states numerous reasons why the Port Commission should hire a new Executive Director. A letter from 22 Port employees with a vote of no confidence for Ms. Gibboney states that “staff turnover at the rate of more than 68 percent in the last three years demonstrates the lack of trust and confidence in the executive director.” 

---

Push the City of Tumwater’s Community Development Department to Stop Permit for Mega-Warehouse Development

The international warehouse development company, Panattoni, recently applied for a permit from the City of Tumwater’s Community Development Department to build a 480,000 square foot mega-warehouse on 30 acres owned by the Port of Olympia in the New Market Industrial Campus in Tumwater. 

Multiple public concerns about the warehouse have been raised with the Port and the City of Tumwater about the project for over two years. Issues included among others:

• loss of trees and habitat, 
• flooding, 
• environmental protection, 
• health effects of pollution from excessive truck traffic near a school. 

The Port rejected further discussion with the City of Tumwater regarding an Interlocal Agreement which has yet to be finalized. 

The Tumwater City Council asked for critical concerns to be addressed by the Interlocal Agreement.

Action:  Contact the City of Tumwater’s Community Development Department by 5 p.m. on Monday, July 18
Email City of Tumwater Community Development 
C/o Tami Merriman at tmerriman@ci.tumwater.wa.us 

Script: My name is __________, and my zip code is ________.  As a local resident, I have significant concerns about the Panattoni warehouse project whose permit is before you to review. The last thing we need is another mega warehouse project in an environmentally sensitive area, bringing more truck pollution and temporary jobs that will be automated away. This project should not move forward until an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) with the Port of Olympia has been finalized to the satisfaction of the City. Please stop the permit for Panattoni.

---

​You Might Like to Attend:

Watch LWV Candidate Forums: The League of Women Voters of Thurston County Candidate Forums are a type of job interview designed for candidates to explain their views and inform voters. View a list of recorded and future forums on their website. Check back throughout Election season.
​
Save the date July 27 7:30 PM: Training with Planned Parenthood on smart messaging and organizing concerning abortion stigma and activism.