Common Threads Northwest is listed as a non-profit so I’m curious where the funding for attorney fees will be coming from? The group was filed with the Sec. of State in March 2015.

Along with Dick Donahue, on the the list of directors for Common Threads are:
Charter Review Commissioner Chet Dow, Larry Helm (Whatcom Conservation District Supervisor), and John Kirk (authors the local conservative blog “Whatcom Works”).

Sandy’s attached comment to this post:

Common Threads NW submitted a 15-page May 2015 comment to county planning on the DEIS for the 2016 Comp Plan update. Dick Donahue signed it. The consulting company, Public Policy Perspectives (Jack Petree and Clayton Petree), was commissioned by Common Threads to help prepare the comment. The link to the full 15-page comment is below.

So, in Sept. 2013, the pro-GPT Whatcom First PAC was formed. Dick Donahue and Chet Dow were listed on the PAC registration form. The SaveWhatcom/WhatcomFirst affiliated PACs were funded with about $149,000 by contributions from SSA Marine/PIT, BNSF, and coal terminal related companies.

The SAVEWhatcom/Whatcom First PACs tried (unsuccessfully) to get the 4 conservative county council candidates elected in the 2013 election who were thought most likely to potentially vote favorably on a permit needed for GPT.

In May 2014, Donahue’s name was removed from the Whatcom First PAC registration form.

Dick Donahue, Larry Helm, and Chet Dow all ran for Charter Review Commissioner seats in the November 2014 election. Dow was elected to the Charter Review Commission. In that 2014 election, Donahue, Dow, and Helm received the benefit of independent expenditure advertising from SAVEWhatcom/Whatcom First PACs which had received $10,000 from GPT applicant, SSA/PIT.

In Feb. 2015, Chet Dow’s name was removed from the Whatcom First PAC registration form.

In March 2015, Common Threads is filed with the Sec. of State, and Donahue, Chet Dow, and Larry Helm, who all ran for Charter Review Commission, are all listed as directors for Common Threads NW.

Now, Common Threads, is suing Whatcom County in the hopes to keep a charter amendment off the Nov. ballot that could greatly impact future county council elections and the make up of the county council–especially significant if the Charter Review Commission’s charter amendment (proposition 1) for district-only voting were to be approved by voters.

Do you see the common threads here?

Link to Common Threads Northwest’s comment submitted to County Planning on DEIS for the Comp Plan: http://wa-whatcomcounty.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/9530

You can read Sandy’s post on her Facebook page here.