Open letter to Bellingham City Council / Victoria Matey and Maru Mora Villalpando

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Excerpt from the March 6, 2019 “Open letter to Bellingham City Council” by Victoria Matey and Maru Mora Villalpando

March 6, 2019 Victoria Matey and Maru Mora Villalpando

On February 25th, 2019 the City of Bellingham, in Washington State, reviewed the ordinance–#2017-02-008 and BMC Chapter 2.25 regarding immigration matters in the city. Two years ago, undocumented students and community members advised the city not to collaborate with federal immigration officials in order to make Bellingham a safer city for everyone by addressing racial profiling. Instead, the city passed an ordinance that not only dismissed everything the undocumented community was collectively working towards, but also passed an ordinance supposedly to protect the undocumented community with zero enforcement and accountability, and with no promise of keeping our community safe from immigration enforcement families being torn apart. 

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Some same old lines and some questionable progress on immigrant protection: notes on the 2/25/19 Bellingham City Council Justice Committee meeting / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic to access video of the 2/25/29 Bellingham City Council Justice Committee meeting

It’s been two full years since the City of Bellingham abruptly pushed aside the Keep Bellingham Families Working ordinance in favor of approving their own ordinance regarding immigrant protection. In all that time there has been no amending of that ordinance or activation of civilian oversight or of a safe space to report discrimination or persecution.

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Sluggish and inadequate government response to local extreme weather threats to the unhoused / Facebook post, Sj Robson

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City of Bellingham Mayor Kelli Linville, left. Whatcom County Executive Jack Louws, right.

February 14, 2019 Sandy Robson

It is painful to witness the continued sluggish and inadequate response from the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County governments to the critical situation facing some unhoused/unsheltered people in Whatcom County during this current period of very cold weather and the accompanying build-up of snow.

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County Executive takes no immediate action to provide additional shelter space under extreme weather conditions / Facebook post, Sj Robson

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https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=38.52.070

February 14, 2019 Sandy Robson

For almost two weeks now, advocates for unhoused people have been asking Whatcom County and City of Bellingham officials to open up additional shelter during the severe winter conditions our county has been enduring.

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Community steps up, but people could still freeze in Bellingham and Whatcom County / Noisy Waters Northwest

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https://www.facebook.com/groups/WinterHavenTentEncampment/permalink/316039602591758/

February 4, 2019 Dena Jensen

Accuweather said that it got down to 18 degrees last night in Bellingham and tonight the low forecast is for 16 degrees. Below freezing nighttime temperatures are expected for the next few days. In such extreme conditions, people who don’t have houses or other shelter which provide warmth and protection are in extreme peril. It just takes some sudden bad fortune, like slipping on ice unexpectedly, or having your car/sleeping quarters window smashed, to bring on deathly outcomes.

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Give COB’s Climate Action Plan Task Force your great ideas!/ Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic to access the list of members of the Climate Action Plan Task Force on the City of Bellingham website

January 25, 2019 Dena Jensen

A couple of weeks ago, one of the members of the City of Bellingham’s Climate Action Plan Task Force let me know that there was a place online where people could make comments/give input to the Task Force regarding related issues and the work that they are doing.

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