15 mins September 3, 2015 Dena Jensen ACTION
The deadline (tomorrow, Friday, September 4) for comment to help improve the Whatcom Conservation District and their election procedure is upon us! To refresh your memory of what a mess just the voting instructions alone were, there is an annotated photo of those instructions below.
There are many other issues with the Whatcom Conservation District to be addressed as well. Here is the letter I sent today (I copied Governor Inslee) and following it are links to some informative articles on the topic! So send in your own ideas and copy and paste what you wish and get them to any of the addresses at the bottom of this post!
Dear Washington State Conservation Commission,
For the 2015 Whatcom Conservation District election, voting instructions were unclear on mail-in ballots (please see attached graphic), and a number of registered voters that I know, who requested ballots, never did receive them. I am hoping that you will consider changing voting protocol for future Whatcom Conservation District elections.
I am also attaching a list of suggestions that I hope you will also consider for improving the Whatcom Conservation District and its election procedures:
1. For improved turnout and representation, consider Oregon’s Soil and Water Conservation District election procedures and hold the Whatcom Conservation District election with the general elections.
2. Please advertise Conservation District elections, including candidate descriptions, on all significant news outlets as well as the district’s web site.
4. Consider changing the Whatcom Conservation District name to something more specific like the Soil and Water Conservation District, so people can more easily tell by the name what the district’s focus is.
5. Farm workers should be represented on the boards. They are integral in the county’s Conservation District function and because, like farmers, they are physically in direct contact with the resources that are being managed, they are more likely to experience exposure to dangers such as pesticides on land and in the water.
6. Please have all meeting notes easily accessible and available on-line.
I look forward to a much improved election process and a much improved structure to the Whatcom Conservation District in the near future.
Sincerely,
Dena Jensen
Here are a couple helpful sections from Barbara Perry’s post yesterday on Noisy Waters:
Below are just a minute selection of the many articles about the Whatcom Conservation District 2015 Election
“Whatcom Conservation District Elections”: http://www.nwcitizen.com/…/whatcom-conservation-district-el…
Cached
Unofficial election count: “Conservative Helm wins Whatcom”: www.bellinghamherald.com/…/article22281867.htm
Mar 16, 2015 – The Conservation District received more ballots in this race than any … on the Whatcom Conservation District, according to an unofficial count …
“The Whatcom Conservation District Election Is Coming”: www.whatcomwatch.org/php/WW_open.php?id=1781
Cached
“Questions of Fraud”: Whatcom Conservation District”: https://noisywatersnw.com/…/questions-of-fraud-whatcom-cons…/
Cached
Aug 9, 2015 – August 8, 2015 Barbara Perry Are all Washington State District elections for the 47 Washington Conservation districts full of fraud? These are …
“Election for highly-contested Whatcom Conservation District”: http://kgmi.com/…/007700-election-for-highly-contested-wha…/
Cached KGMI
“Whatcom Conservation District Election Results”: http://www.whatcomdemocrats.com/…/whatcom-conservation-dist…
“A Fishhook in My Belly and DEADLINE is Sept. 4 for Whatcom Conservation District Election comments”
https://noisywatersnw.com/…/a-fishhook-in-my-belly-and-sept…/
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Please consider weighing in and fill out the 2015 Election and Appointments Feedback Form here: http://www.formstack.com/forms/?2072656-JfwJs6JKCL
Also, people are advised to submit any comments or concerns by email, letter, phone, or otherwise to Mr. Bill Eller or any Commissioner.:
Email: commission@scc.wa.gov
All the individual emails for commissioners and other contact info (including that one form that is at the bottom) is on the Washington State Conservation Commission website Contact page, http://scc.wa.gov/contact/ , including another online form that can be used at the bottom of the page:
Mailing: PO Box 47721 Olympia, WA 98504-7721
Main line: 360-407-6200 Fax line: 360-407-6215
It may also be wise to send it to Governor Inslee as he is ultimately responsible for the districts. Unless, of course you want to give full trust to the Washington Conservation District.
Governor Jay Inslee
Office of the Governor
PO Box 40002Olympia, WA
98504-0002
Email: Send Gov. Inslee an e-message: https://fortress.wa.gov/es/governor/
noisy waters northwest 