VOTE NO on Billionaire Paul Allen's Initiative 1401

[huntrights]

VOTE NO on Billionaire Paul Allen's Initiative 1401

I-1401 is another example of a billionaire buying an initiative.  Remember I-594 (the anti-gun initiative) that was purchased by billionaires.

Check out these articles:

"Paul Allen bankrolls initiative to ban rare-species trafficking"
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/paul-allen-backs-state-ban-on-rare-species-trafficking/

"Seahawks owner Paul Allen, sister settle as bodyguards claim smuggling, bribery"
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Seahawks-owner-Paul-Allen-sister-settle-as-4978500.php
Pay particular attention to the parts about smuggling.
Excerpt from article:
"Deposed under oath, Jody Allen and several former security officers invoked their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination when asked about smuggling ivory out of Africa or penguin skulls out of Antarctica."

One might wonder what was in that settlement.

Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation Summary:
Washington Initiative Measure 1401
http://www.sportsmenslink.org/policies/legislative-alerts/washington-initiative-measure-1401

Initiative Measure No. 1401 Final Text
http://sos.wa.gov/_assets/elections/initiatives/FinalText_784.pdf

[cowboycraig]

Just happy pants stupid crap legislation to set precedence that wealthy Oligarchs can write legislation of their choosing. The Libs that put them on heroic pedestals as philanthropists in King Country will vote "YES YES YES" on anything they put forth.

Welcome to a world without rights in the near future. This crap is evil. 594 was only the start.

Is this how the King County will enforce its will on the state? I would say yes.

Craig   

[Eli346]

 :yeah:x2

[blackdog]

An opposition committee has formed and we will soon have a website legalivoryrightscoalition.org

[huntingbaldguy]

We should kick King County out of the state. 

[Dave Workman]

Vote against anything Paul Allen supports.
Pretty simple

[BNAElkhntr]

This made  me mad yesterday   I Went to Seahawks Training Camp and they had the 1401 booth
out front   fortunately not very much action around them.

[Dave Workman]

We should kick King County out of the state.

Come up with a realistic suggestion and maybe it will get some traction.

[Little Dave]

Voting NO of course...
I was looking into this more closely today.  Part of this appends definitions to the hunting chapter in state law, specifically this:

"Covered animal species" means any species of elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, lion, leopard, cheetah, pangolin, marine turtle, shark or ray either: (a) Listed in appendix I or appendix II of the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild flora and fauna; or (b) listed as critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable on the international union for conservation of nature and natural resources red list of threatened species.

So, I was wondering if this might mean that I get a few wolves in Idaho, make a nice comforter for a friend's king size bed that I might be breaking the law.

So I compared this red list with our state's list of charismatic species... whoops I meant Endangered (mostly extirpated) Species to see how they compare.  Turns out we have a few on the list that are not critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable according to the red list.

It would be great to turn this over to the legislature, do some housekeeping, take a few things off the list.

American white pelican - LEAST CONCERN, INCREASING, not federally listed
Blue whale - ENDANGERED, INCREASING
Brown pelican - LEAST CONCERN, INCREASING
Columbian white-tailed deer - NOT IN LIST
Fin whale - ENDANGERED
Fisher - LEAST CONCERN
Gray Wolf - LEAST CONCERN, STABLE
Grizzly bear - LEAST CONCERN, STABLE
Humpback whale - LEAST CONCERN, INCREASING
Killer whale - DEFICIENT
Leatherback sea turtle - VULNERABLE, DECREASING
Mardon skipper - NOT IN LIST
North Pacific Right whale - ENDANGERED
Northern leopard frog - LEAST CONCERN, DECREASING, not federally listed
Northern spotted owl - NEAR THREATENED, DECREASING
Oregon silverspot butterfly - NOT IN LIST
Oregon spotted frog - VULNERABLE, DECREASING
Pygmy rabbit - LEAST CONCERN
Sandhill crane - LEAST CONCERN, INCREASING, not federally listed
Sea otter - ENDANGERED, DECREASING
Sei whale - ENDANGERED
Snowy plover - THREATENED, DECREASING
Sperm whale - VULNERABLE
Streaked horned lark - NOT IN LIST
Taylor's checkerspot - NOT IN LIST
Tufted puffin - LEAST CONCERN, DECREASING TREND, not federally listed
Upland sandpiper - LEAST CONCERN, INCREASING TREND, not federally listed
Western pond turtle - VULNERABLE, not federally listed
Woodland caribou - STABLE

IUCN Red List
Washington List

[pianoman9701]

This made  me mad yesterday   I Went to Seahawks Training Camp and they had the 1401 booth
out front   fortunately not very much action around them.

Another reason not to support those losers.

[DOUBLELUNG]

I am afraid morons will pass this.  Already marked no on my ballot. 

[WAcoyotehunter]

I am 100% in favor of fighting the poaching and wildlife trade.  I don't think this initiative gets that done though.  It's not what we need.

[saylean]

One of the petition people were at the ferry terminals this summer....I took it from him, read it, for oh...15 minutes and said I wouldn't sign it (of course, the ferry was loading by then too).

I felt better. Voted no, so did the wife.

[timberfaller]

What these "intellectuals" fail to comprehend is HAD they taken all the ton's of Ivory that they had confiscated over the years and PUT it on the open market(instead of publicly burning it up), THEY would have succeeded in ending the "poaching" problem.

ONLY reason Ivory and the animals that have it are Poached is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Take that out of the market and it collapses!

But then again YOUR dealing with "intellectuals"!!  

[CAMPMEAT]

King County is out of control, controlling the rest of the state. It's really disgusting and there is nothing we can do about it..

[huntingbaldguy]

Ugh.

[jtw]

So....looks like this is passing...
http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/current/State-Measures-Initiative-Measure-No-1401-concerns-trafficking-of-animal-species-threatened-with-extinction.html

[timberfaller]

When people don't get out(off their lazy butts)and VOTE, your going to get these stupid emotional laws

NOT even a million voters counted yet

I betcha there is at least that or more that DON'T even know THIS junk was even on the ballot!!

[rudysts]

King County is out of control, controlling the rest of the state. It's really disgusting and there is nothing we can do about it..
[/quote

[huntrights]

It looks the billionaires did it again; they bought the petition signatures, then flooded the media with emotionally based diatribe and propaganda.  I-594 and I-1401 are in the same category of abuse of the initiative process.  The initiative process was supposed to be a method for the people to be heard, not a convenient mechanism for billionaires to achieve their personal agendas.  Unfortunately, most voters don't take the time read beyond the initiative title and the carefully composed introductions that tend to mislead the voting public.

A message to those that did not vote:

Not voting is the same as voting FOR what you DO NOT want.

Remember this article:

"Seahawks owner Paul Allen, sister settle as bodyguards claim smuggling, bribery"
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Seahawks-owner-Paul-Allen-sister-settle-as-4978500.php

Pay particular attention to the parts about smuggling.

Excerpt from article:
"Deposed under oath, Jody Allen and several former security officers invoked their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination when asked about smuggling ivory out of Africa or penguin skulls out of Antarctica."

One might wonder what was in that settlement.

[huntingbaldguy]

Voter turnout in this state is absolutely pathetic.  I can't believe it, every time i see the numbers.

[JimmyHoffa]

Voter turnout in this state is absolutely pathetic.  I can't believe it, every time i see the numbers.

This is the easiest state to vote in that I've ever lived in.  Mail in, drop off a ballot conveniently mailed to you weeks in advance.  Other states it was horrible--took half a day to prove your case for early voting, or your absentee ballot would arrive late and worst was having to go to the booths--looking for parking during the after work rush and waiting in line for an hour hoping you had all your correct papers.

[Curly]

I wonder what the reasons are for some not voting?  I know I get discouraged every time because it is rare that a vote goes my way, but I still vote every time.

I just always think back to when Rossi got robbed.  I believe that if a few hundred more votes for him were cast, he would have stood a better chance of not having the election stolen from him. 

I'd start a poll on here to try to find out why some people don't bother to vote, but then if they don't vote in the election they probably wouldn't vote in a poll on here either.

[Ridgeratt]

 How much of the $450,000 the Seahawks received to “honour” the troops at games was donated to an initiative to restrict gun ownership rights and or 1401?