| | Faithful Voters Guide
Religious Leaders Say:
Vote No on Initiative 1033 & Vote to Approve Referendum 71
| As you consider voting on your ballot that's arrived in the mail, I want to share with you the Washington Association of Churches' perspective on two important ballot issues.
The first is Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033. WAC, along with over 200 organizations and communities as well as 100's of religious leaders call on all people of compassion to vote NO on 1033. See letter and signatories
As people of faith, we believe that our tax system should bridge the gap between the rich and poor, promote economic security, and protect our state's most vulnerable residents. This latest initiative from Tim Eyman fails on all three counts. It not only fails to bridge the gap, it makes it wider, deeper and worst of all permanent. It will force deeper cuts and lock them in for years to come.
We call upon all members of the faith communities to join us in raising moral voices to defeat I-1033. Please talk to your friends, family and faith community about the damage this initiative would do to the people of our state.
For our friends in King County, I-1033 is hard to find on the ballot. It is on the lower left of your ballot, below the instructions.
The second issue you will be voting on is Referendum 71 See members of Faith Communities' position on REF.71
The WAC joins the Church Council of Greater Seattle, the Lutheran Public Policy Office of Washington State and over 200 clergy from diverse faith traditions in urging you to vote to APPROVE Referendum 71, the domestic partnership law passed in the 2009 legislative session. This will protect the rights of all families, including same gender partners and unmarried seniors.
As people of faith, we view the role of religion to nurture and support families, not to regard some as less deserving. Failure of this referendum would mean that basic civil rights and essential protections will be provided to some families and denied to others. To deny families, including older couples, the basic right to take care of each other threatens not only those families but our collective commitment to each other.
We respect the rights of all members of faith communities to believe what they are called to believe, and to practice their faith as they see fit. But where such essential rights are involved, the state has an obligation to protect the rights of all members of our communities.
| | | | | Please call us if you have questions about I-1033 or R-71 or a question about voting in general. More information is available on the No on I-1033 or Approve Ref. 71 websites. | | Alice Woldt, Washington Association of Churches 206 625-9790 ext. 11
| | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment