Cascadia Daily, June 11, 2018

by Andrew Engelson

Seattle set to repeal tax for homeless services, housing tomorrow

The Stranger has the story that the Seattle City Council, after unanimously passing an “employee head tax” last month to fund $75 million in housing and services for the homeless, is set to repeal the plan tomorrow. The council has been under pressure from major corporations such as Amazon, and a city referendum putting the tax to a public vote might be on the ballot in the fall. No replacement funding is in the works. Read more about the harsh life that homeless people in Seattle face living in their vehicles in a recent story for Cascadia Magazine.

Supreme Court rules WA state must replace culverts for salmon

According to the Seattle Times, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of Native American tribes, who claim the state of Washington is responsible for fixing hundreds of road culverts that impede the migration of salmon. The ruling affirmed a previous 9th court ruling, and Northwest Treaty Tribes has more on the ruling, which could mean Washington will be required to fix some 800 culverts in order to preserve Salish Sea salmon runs.

Seattle’s proposed safe injection site downgraded to van

According to journalist Erica C. Barnett’s blog, the Seattle City Council, which has been considering a controversial plan for a safe consumption site to deal rising rates of drug overdose–has downgraded its plans to a mobile van. “A concern with mobile units is whether they can offer the same level of therapeutic benefit and privacy and integrated services as a fixed site model. When you go to the doctor’s office, it’s a dignified experience.”

Oregon may be a battleground on abortion rights this fall

According to OPB, though Oregon has historically had strong support for legal abortion, a ballot initiative and the governor’s race may make abortion a headline issue in state politics this November.

Could proportional representation prevent another Doug Ford?

Last week’s election of conservative right wing populist Doug Ford as premier of Ontario provoked shock across Canada, and it’s galvanized supporters of proportional representation in British Columbia, according to an article at The Star Vancouver. The province votes this fall whether to change to a PR system.

New documentary on Ursula K. LeGuin debuts

Arguably Cascadia’s greatest writer, the late Ursula K. LeGuin is the subject of director Arwen Curry’s new documentary, according to a report at OPB. April Baer has an interview with Curry about this 10-year labor of love, and if the preview is any indication, it will be a marvelous tribute. North American viewers can look forward to the doc running on PBS in 2019. You can watch the preview on Vimeo.

“A brief history of the perfect storm,” poetry by John Sibley Williams

At Poetry Northwest, you can read the poem “A Brief History of the Perfect Storm,” by Portland’s John Sibley Williams, the author of nine collections and one of the originators of the “inflectionist” movement.
“Our apple tree shakes loose its last fruits & bends, nightmared, over my boarded-up bedroom window.”
Read the poem in full here.

That today’s roundup of news & arts from across the Pacific Northwest.  –Andrew Engelson

Photo credits: screen shot from the preview for Worlds of Ursula K Le Guin on Vimeo,