Monthly Archives: May 2021

Local, National

No, you don’t need to panic buy gasoline or diesel fuel, and no one needed to either

[SEATTLE] – (MTN) Yesterday scattered reports came in through the Puget Sound region of longer than normal lines at some gas stations as news spread of shortages in several southeastern states. Overnight the national average for the price of gasoline broke $3.00 a gallon for the first time in 7 years, while scenes of hoarding gasoline into tubs, trashcans, and in one case a plastic bag flooded the Internet. Anyone worried about gasoline shortages in the Pacific Northwest can relax, and so can almost all Americans.

The Colonial Pipeline feeds 45% of the gas, diesel, and aviation fuel used on the east coast from Texas to the northeastern states. The line was crippled by a Russian ransomware attack on Friday, and pipeline managers had to shut down operations to keep the attack from spreading to other systems. Over the weekend it appeared that operations would resume by Tuesday, but then officials said it may not be until May 15, or longer. That’s when the panic buying started.

On the east coast, Asheville, North Carolina was one of the first cities to report gasoline station closings, and spot closures spread through mostly southeastern states. According to TTAC, only 7% of the gas stations in the southeast were reporting they had run out of fuel. Like toilet paper just a year ago, buyers rushed to gas stations to buy every last drop, filling every container, including unsafe ones, with the fuel.

The issue spiraled from the comical to the dystopian with fights breaking out at gas stations. In North Carolina, 2 people were arrested after a fight described as, “wild,” erupted after a woman tried to cut into a queue for gas, and then rammed a car.

The Pacific Northwest is nearly a closed-loop for vehicle and aviation fuel. The Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains create natural boundaries that make it challenging to ship crude and refined products to our region.

For oil tankers, the trip from the Middle East is a long journey to our corner of the country. The Rocky Mountains prevent large pipelines from reaching our region, so almost all of the crude oil that is turned into fuel for the Pacific Northwest comes from Alaska and is refined in Washington state. Because refineries have to be calibrated to accept certain crude oil products based on the viscosity and how sour it is, using Canada tar sand oil isn’t a viable alternative.

Because Washington and Oregon, and parts of Idaho and California, are in this isolated region our supply is unique and isolated from disruptions east of the Rockies. However, our region is not isolated from national price fluctuations. The Pacific Northwest bears the brunt of market price increases when national averages increase, even when our supply chain isn’t disrupted. There is additional price pressure with the Memorial Day weekend, and the start of driving season, less than 3 weeks away.

Earlier today, officials from Colonial Pipeline announced that fuel was once again flowing, days ahead of schedule. It will take several days for the fuel supply to stabilize, but the best thing consumers can do is not panic buy.

The Russian hacker group DarkSide claimed responsibility for the ransomware attack, but stated they were only interested in making money, and not committing an act of aggression. Russian officials distanced themselves from the group, citing they had no involvement in the hack, and that it was not state-sanctioned.

Over a 9 month period in 2020, the Russian government committed a series of cyberattacks on multiple United States government agencies in what is called the worst breach of government data security in history. Known as the SolarWinds attack, Russian agents used software vulnerabilities within SolarWinds, VMware, and Microsoft. The scope of the attack was revealed in December 2020.

BIPOC, Local

Taunts, slurs, and chants but mostly calm at Bellevue protests

Gallery

Updated 12:00 PM, May 12, 2021: Bellevue Police released additional information on the arrest that happened yesterday.

[BELLEVUE] – (MTN) Four different groups with differing agendas protested in Bellevue last night while the Billy Graham Evangelical Association hosted a police appreciation dinner with keynote speaker Franklin Graham.

The Hyatt in Bellevue closed off their driveway and indicated the parking garage was full, while private security walked the lobby and outside in high visibility vests. The parking garage closure appeared to be a security measure as Bellevue Place parking was open, and the Hyatt parking areas were nearly empty.

Later in the evening, concrete barricades appeared in front of the Wintergarden Entrance to the hotel. According to Bellevue Police PIO Meeghan Black, Franklin Graham’s team handled security at the Hyatt.

Outside at Bellevue Way and 8th, a group of 20 to 30 in support of the LGBTQ community protested Franklin Graham holding signs and flags while a news helicopter hovered overhead.

Around 6 p.m., counter-protesters aligned to right-wing causes and Back the Blue arrived. One person walking to join the group said to a middle-aged woman, “Get out of my way. My dog doesn’t like homos!” That person joined the group of pro-police protesters. One person tore down signs that had supportive messages for the LGBTQ community.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”47″ gal_title=”Bellevue Franklin Graham Protest”]

Inside the Hyatt, things were quiet, with attendees for dinner trickling in. Most were not wearing masks, and in one incident, a person was asked to wear a mask but refused and continued to the dinner location.

The corner of Bellevue Way and 8th had approximately a dozen people waving flags in support of the police. At least two individuals were flashing white power symbols, and one chanted, “back the yellow,” a rallying cry used by the Proud Boys on January 6 during the Washington D.C. insurrection.

About a dozen police officers on bicycles rallied at the Hyatt and then moved to Bellevue Place, watching the group. Bellevue Police drove by several times, taking pictures. Among the small group of right-wing protesters was Turning Point USA social media firebrand Katie Daviscourt and, arriving later in the evening, Tim Eyman.

At approximately 8:15 p.m., a group of 30 to 40 people dressed in black marched up Bellevue Way with a large group of police officers following them. They passed by the Hyatt and the right-wing protesters without incident and marched around the block, ultimately returning to the same intersection where the right-wing protesters had gathered.

Taunts between the two groups were exchanged, and the police moved a phalanx of bike officers between the protesters, closing the intersection. The group in black set a small American flag on fire at the edge of the street while Bellevue Police made multiple announcements through their LRAD system, including stating in one of them that “arson is not protected free speech.” The Bellevue Police Department Twitter feed shows a picture that appears to have been taken from a drone or office building.

At the same time, an officer took photographs of everyone present, including a growing group of bystanders watching the events unfold.

Around 9:10 p.m. Bellevue Police announced they were reopening the intersection to traffic. Shortly after the police retreated, the two groups converged and exchanged words. Bike officers moved back to separate the protesters.

By 9:45 p.m., the area was quiet again. Security had a high presence within the lobby of the Hyatt. The BGEA had planned initially for 2 police appreciation dinners, with the second on May 12, but it appears that has been canceled. According to the BGEA, Franklin Graham will be in North Carolina at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday to host a police appreciation breakfast.

Bellevue Police report there was an arrest of a 32-year old Lynnwood man for third-degree assault. The man was booked into King County Jail and police officials reported the arrest was not related to protest activity. [an earlier version of this story indicated that further information was pending] There were no other arrests last night.

We had previously reached out to the Bellevue City Council and the Bellevue Hyatt for comment, and neither responded to our request.

Health and Lifestyle, Local

Puget Sound COVID numbers indicate SnoCo improving, King plateaued, and Pierce getting worse

[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) On May 4 Governor Jay Inslee announced a pause in Safe Washington reopening phases for all counties for 14 days as new cases for COVID plateaued, and while new cases have flatlined in some counties, the data hasn’t gotten much better. A new deadline is looming on May 16 for another evaluation and for Pierce County that could mean going back to Phase 1 without a change in the phase requirements.

In King County, new case numbers for COVID infections and acute care patients have drifted slightly lower to 242.9 per 100,000 and 6.0% of all acute care beds occupied caring for COVID patients. Both numbers are well above the requirements to remain in Phase 3 and ICU utilization, which isn’t a factor for the Safe Washington reopening, remains troubling high at 83.8%. King County would drop to Phase 2 based on today’s numbers.

Snohomish County is in better territory than a week ago. Although new cases have decreased slightly from a high of 238 per 100,000 to 225.0, the total number of acute care patients being treated for COVID has dropped to 4.1%. If Snohomish County can hold the line, they would stay in Phase 3.

Pierce County is the worst shape of the metropolitan area. Over 12% of acute care beds have COVID patients, and the rate of 364.1 new cases per 100,000 is almost unchanged from a week ago. Of greater concern, positivity continues to increase and is up to 13.3%. Positive test results this high indicate widespread community transmission and significant under testing. Additionally, ICU utilization has increased to 88% and 18.9% of all ICU patients are battling COVID.

It isn’t all bad news in Pierce County, where the number of people fully vaccinated has increased significantly to over 42%, essentially tied with Snohomish County.

But no Washington County can match Ferry County and the dramatic rise in vaccinations in the last 10 days. On April 30, when Ferry County voluntarily moved back to Phase 2 after a super spreader event tore through the county and the town of Republic, the rural county had the third-lowest vaccination rate in the state – less than 25%. Today, 47% of Ferry County residents are fully vaccinated. Although new COVID cases remain one of the highest in the country at 847 per 100,000, the positivity rate and ICU utilization numbers continue to improve.

No official announcement has been on the next Safe Washington evaluation, but it will likely be early next week.

BIPOC, Editorial, LGBTQIA, Local, National

Malcontentment Happy Hour: May 10, 2021

Video

Our live webcast from the former Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction

The show from May 10, 2021, featured David Obelcz and our co-host Jennifer Smith. Patrons at the $5 and above level get access to our show notes and research documents.

  • Toyota campaign contribution story made our readers salty
  • Colonial Pipeline shutdown committed by Russian hackers
  • No one is talking about the AAHM raid done by the King County Sheriff
  • Franklin Graham coming to Bellevue and protests planned – controversy explained
  • Democracy vouchers explained
  • Jenny Durkan’s Textgate
  • Seattle Deputy Mayor Casey Sixkiller enters the 2021 mayor race
  • Angelyiah Lim wins the 2020 Lee Johnson Community Service Award

National

Wages and hiring on collision course as United States inches closer to ‘full employment’

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[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) Social media is abuzz with pictures of businesses closing because they can’t hire employees, entire workforces quitting and walking out, and talk of how extended unemployment benefits are keeping employees from returning to work. The economic reality is more complex and particularly problematic for the 5 states that continue to follow federal minimum wage guidelines, and the retail and hospitality industry have become employment and political flashpoints.

Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee, are the only states that have not passed state-level minimum wage laws. Even Florida has passed legislation that has put it on the path to a $15 an hour minimum wage. For tipped employees, base pay in those five states can be as low as $2.13 an hour, $85.20 for a 40 hour week, before federal payroll and state income tax. Three of these states are bumping up on ‘full employment.’

Full Employment

Some would consider full employment as 0% unemployment, but that has never happened in United States history. The lowest unemployment ever achieved was 1.2% in 1944, during the throes of World War II, millions of men overseas and a massive war effort. At any given point you will have discouraged workers, people between jobs, and others who are changing careers or entering the workforce after completing education.

As the number of people who are unemployed declines, you reach a point where employers need to offer higher salaries to compete. If you have too much productivity you create wage inflation, and a fraction of that is passed back to consumers. In the United States, the Congressional Budget Office considered full employment is achieved when the unemployment rate is 4.6%. Currently, the United States unemployment rate is 6.1% after a high of 14.7% in April 2020.

The states of Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, and 17 others, are already below or near full employment. In Louisiana and Mississippi, new unemployment claims have plummeted, and Louisiana already has a lower unemployment rate than March of 2020.

Bureau of Labor Statistics and U1 – U6 unemployment numbers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a federal organization that tracks unemployment in the United States. Each month they create a report that shows the U1 through U6 unemployment numbers, and each number is formulated by adding or removing different groups of people and their unemployment state. The number you see in the headlines is the U3.

U3 unemployment includes the “total unemployed” as a percentage of the civilian labor force. The U6 number in contrast includes, “Total unemployed, plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force, plus total employed part-time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force, plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force.”

In April national unemployment increased from 6.0% to 6.1%, so what happened? Ironically, an improving economy and job market can move those not counted in the official unemployment number because they were discouraged or currently under-employed in part-time work. When people marginally attached to the labor force move to actively seeking jobs, it can create an increase in the official unemployment rate.

569,000 COVID deaths, 30% post-COVID infected with long-term symptoms

When COVID tore through the United States beginning in March of 2020, workers at fast-food restaurants, core retailers that provided groceries, home repair, and pharmacy needs, and workers in food processing were deemed, essential workers. In some industries such as food processing, these workers bore the brunt of COVID infections.

As the United States creeps towards 600,000 deaths from COVID, these losses impact the number of available workers in a post-COVID recovery. Additionally, up to 30% of people who have survived COVID, including asymptomatic carriers are dealing with long-term effects including chronic fatigue, mental decline, chronic joint pain, and heart damage. In other cases, able-bodied workers can’t return to the workforce because they are now caring for COVID long haulers.

Limited and expensive daycare

In the United States, it costs $11,400 on average to put a child in daycare for a year. For a worker making $7.25 an hour, their entire post-tax annual pay would go to care for one child.

Daycare centers in the United States were short-staffed before COVID, and the situation is more challenging today. Many school systems nationally are doing part-time in-class learning, further complicating when and how parents secure childcare. For some parents, the issue comes down to no available daycare compatible with a work schedule in retail and hospitality.

In retail and fast-food jobs, some workers are reporting working 12 to 14-hour shifts, which is incompatible with most daycare providers. In Idaho, childcare providers shut down en masse to protest budget cuts on the table in the Idaho legislature.

Long hours, irate customers, and understaffing

The hospitality industry is the hardest hit when it comes to open jobs they can’t fill. The worker shortage and competitive job market have created a vicious cycle.

Prior to COVID, retirees were among the ranks of part-time workers at fast food and casual dining restaurants. Chains like McDonald’s even actively recruit retirees as a way for them to stay active, engaged, and supplement retirement income. People over 55 disproportionately bore the brunt of COVID infections and deaths in 2020. Many older Americans are reluctant to rejoin the workforce due to vaccine hesitancy and patchwork mask rules.

Other employees have reported dangerous confrontations with anti-maskers, sometimes spiraling into violence between customers or customers assaulting employees. Frontline workers are attempting to enforce rules where they have no authority, and some customers view them as having to obey their will.

The stress of working with the public in an age lacking civility and being short-staffed has created longer waits, more errors in orders, and more anger among customers and employees. In a viral Tik Tok video, Chipotle employees complained about 12-hour shifts without breaks, being asked to violate employment and health laws to meet customer demand, and uncompensated hours.

Many businesses have moved to offer signing bonuses as high as $500 or even paying people to show up for an interview. However, these one-time payments don’t come for an overall salary boost, and workers have better prospects.

Education, gig economy, self-employment, and package delivery

For some, the return to the workforce isn’t going to happen because they have become job creators themselves. Facing unemployment and slow job prospects during the peak of COVID, some turned to career changes and formed their own businesses. In a report on WSVN, Dailys Gonzalez was a bookkeeper for years but lost her job due to COVID. Instead of looking to reenter the workforce, they formed their own painting business.

Amazon on its own created 400,000 jobs in logistics, shipping, and delivery in the first 9 months of 2020 as Americans flocked to online delivery and shopping. For others work from home or self-employment opportunities in customer service provided better pay, more flexibility, and a 25-foot commute from the bedroom to the kitchen table.

The tech community called 2020 the “great acceleration,” because changes in how, when, and where Americans would work moved faster than previously forecasted due to COVID. For some lower-wage workers, a return to the cash register or grille is never going to happen because they have found better opportunities that enable them not only to work but manage childcare while avoiding face-to-face confrontations with unreasonable customers.

Focusing on five states that follow federal minimum wage laws

Alabama has the biggest challenge in the country, with a state unemployment rate of 3.8%. Almost a full point below full employment and just 1.2 points higher than its record low in March of 2020. The southern state has a record number of unfilled jobs and a severe worker shortage. Business leaders claim that the federal unemployment boost is to blame, but the job market conditions in the Yellowhammer State point to increased wages will be needed to attract outside workers into the state.

Tennessee has an unemployment rate of 4.9%, close to full employment. There are no state-level minimum wage laws so tipped restaurant workers starting pay is as low as $2.13 an hour. Nationally, in-person restaurant dining is at 40% to 60% of pre-COVID levels, cutting into tips simply because of fewer customers. Overworked staff can’t provide a high degree of service, further cutting tips while increasing stress and workload.

If a restaurant is offering $2.13 an hour plus tips while an Amazon distribution center is offering $15 an hour for equally stressful and hard work with benefits, the hospitality industry is uncompetitive.

South Carolina is also close to full employment, with an unemployment rate of 5.1%.

Mississippi, which borders Alabama and Tennessee, has an unemployment rate of 6.3%. However, in March 2020, the unemployment rate was 6.0%, indicating that Mississippi has almost returned to pre-COVID employment levels. Further analysis shows that the unemployment rate in Mississippi was slowly climbing from a low of 4.8% since 2018.

Louisiana has the highest unemployment rate of the 5 states, at 7.1%. However, that rate is lower than the number of unemployed prior to COVID.

A further look at available state unemployment data, 18 states are at full employment, and not a single state has an unemployment rate above 10%. Hawaii has the worst unemployment in the nation at 9.0%, but the state is heavily tourism-dependent with travel down 60% and strict entry rules for the archipelago. Of the 10 states with the worst unemployment numbers, 4 had significant tourism prior to COVID including the aforementioned Hawaii plus, New York, Nevada, and Louisiana.

The employee shortage in the United States is more complex than extended unemployment benefits, with state and federal data indicating that for almost half the nation, unemployment rates can’t move much lower. The more than decade-long argument over increasing the federal minimum wage, the gig economy, and the great acceleration has created new opportunities that an increasing number of people are embracing.

National

Toyota is largest donor to post-insurrection election objectors despite pledge to end contributions

[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) More than 4 months after hundreds of insurrectionists stormed the Capitol on January 6 to thwart certification of the 2020 Presidential election results, Toyota has donated over $62,000 to 40 Republicans, the largest amount from any company that pledged to stop GOP contributions in the wake of the election violence.

In the hours and days that followed January 6, a litany of companies made pledges to no longer fund GOP candidates who fomented former President Donald Trump’s followers. According to a report in Popular Information, April 15 was the first major campaign finance deadline since the insurrection. After Congress reconvened to certify the election results, while the sting of tear gas remained in the halls and blood on the floor, 147 Republicans voted against election certification.

What makes Toyota stand out from other companies that have since made donations, is the dollar amounts involved and how many other businesses stood by the pledges they made. According to Maplight, over 1,100 individual corporate PACs donated to at least one Congressperson who objected to election certification in 2020. In the first quarter of 2021, that number plummeted to less than 70.

Benefactors of the Toyota PAC include Congresspersons Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Cliff Bentz (R-OR), Barry Moore (R-AL), Alex Mooney (R-WV), Jeff Duncan (R-CS), Eric Alan “Rick” Crawford (R-AR), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Tim Walberg (RMI), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), and Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY).

On April 11, in response to a Newsweek article published on April 10 revealing the donation to Congressperson Toomey, Toyota released a statement they were adjusting their stance on who, and why they would donate to candidates.

“We do not believe it is appropriate to judge members of Congress solely based on their votes on the electoral certification.”

“Based on our thorough review, we decided against giving to some members who, through their statements and actions, undermine the legitimacy of our elections and institutions.”

The donation by Toyota’s PAC to Congressperson Biggs of Arizona stands out as being counter to this position. Congressperson Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) released a nearly 2,000 page report in March outlining the social media activity for dozens of lawmakers in the days leading up to, during, and after the January 6 insurrection. The report for Representative Biggs is over 50 pages long.

As early as November 5, Biggs was retweeting calls to “go to total war,” over the 2020 election. On January 8, 2021, Biggs was already calling any attempt to impeach then-President Trump a “manufactured hoax.”

Tweet thread by republican congressperson andy biggs, Arizona, who has benefit from toyota pac donations since the January 6, insurrrection

There has been significant speculation that Representative Biggs’s words and actions have been at least reviewed by the Department of Justice, but to date, no sitting member of Congress has been directly accused of being directly involved in the insurrection plot.

In a tweet from 2018, Biggs thanked Toyota Financial Services for a tour of their facility in Chandler, Arizona, located in his Congressional district.

congressperson andy biggs, (r-AZ) in 2018 at Toyota financial services offices in chandler, Arizona

On June 29, 2020, Toyota announced they were opening a Parts Distribution Center (PDC) in Phoenix, Arizona, in partnership with Koi Distribution. The press released stated the center would stock 57,000 different parts for Toyota and Lexus products, and employ 61 people.

In 2020, Toyota’s PAC donated $8,000 to Biggs, a significant increase from the $3,500 the PAC donated in the 2018 election cycle.

Another contribution that stands out is one made to Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming. Toyota doesn’t have any offices, engineering, manufacturing, design, distribution centers, or research and development facilities in the deeply red state. According to the Toyota corporate website, the 97,000 square mile state only has 7 Toyota dealerships.

Toyota isn’t alone in supporting Congressional leaders that voted to block certification of the Electoral College results despite pledging not to. Cigna and JetBlue are two consumer brands that stand out. Intel and Microsoft have also made donations to GOP-led organizations, stating they did so with assurances that their money would not go to the 147 previously identified Congressional leaders.

According to Car and Driver, the Toyota RAV4, Camry, Tacoma, Corolla, Highlander, and 4Runner were among the top 25 vehicles sold, based on retail total volume, in 2020. The Seattle PI reported that the Toyota Corolla was the number 5 seller in the city of Seattle for 2020.

Health and Lifestyle, Local

Pierce County COVID cases worsen while King and Snohomish County plateau

[TACOMA] – (MTN) COVID numbers in Pierce County continue to worsen with metrics for cases per 100,000 and hospitalizations indicating the county should move to Phase 1 under the Healthy Washington plan implemented on March 11. On May 4, to the surprise of the business community and health leaders, Washington Governor Jay Inslee suspended the Healthy Washington plan for 2 weeks, based on data from the Washington State Department of Health (DoH) that cases were reaching a plateau. The next evaluation will be on May 17.

In the latest data from the DoH, Pierce County has 367 cases per 100,000 and 12.1% of acute care beds occupied by COVID-19 patients. Although the case number has improved, the positivity rate has jumped to 12.3%, which indicates significant under testing and widespread community transmission. Only 35% of the population of Pierce County is vaccinated against coronavirus, the lowest among the most populated counties in the state.

Pierce County COVID Scorecard for May 8, 2021

Snohomish County has also seen cases per 100,000 drop slightly to 225.4 while the positivity rate has increased to 7.5%, which indicates under testing within the community. ICU utilization has increased significantly in the last week to 73%, and 19.1% of all ICU patients have COVID.

King County has seen cases per 100,000 drop to 249.1, which is still well over the number required to stay in Phase 2. The positivity rate has crept upward to 5.5%, which ICU utilization has fallen to 84.2%, which is considered high.

King County COVID Scorecard for May 8, 2021

Incentives are growing to increase vaccination numbers

COVID vaccine demand is declining significantly across the United States, leading many health officials to believe that the country will never achieve herd immunity. Locally, businesses and other organizations are working on promotions to encourage vaccination.

The Seattle Mariners announced that from May 6 to June 2, 5,000 additional seats will be made available for home games with discounted tickets priced at $10 or $20. Tickets are available in the outfield bleachers, the 300 section, and the 100 section.

Additional benefits include exclusive access to the T-Mobile Pen and Trident Deck, which has remained closed due to social distancing rules, a 20% discount on in-park food, a 20% discount at the team store, and special entrances to the park. Through May 19, vaccinated fans and their children can also receive a SEA Us Rise Mariners T-Shirt.

Social distancing is not required in the section, but mask wear is. Individuals over 16 years old must present a valid, signed CDC vaccination card and had their final dose 14 days or more before entry. Children from 2 to 15 don’t need to be vaccinated but are required to show proof of a negative COVID test no more than 72 hours before game time, and must be masked at all times. Tickets for the vaccinated section cannot be resold or gifted.

Additionally, private suites for 14 to 26 vaccinated fans are available. The Mariners indicated that any ticket holder for the designated vaccination sections who cannot provide proof of vaccination or a child who cannot provide a required negative COVID test will not be allowed entry into the park.

Numerous vaccination sites are also offering gift cards and certificates and other incentives to vaccination holdouts.

For those thinking they’ll print their own vaccination card or buy a fake one, be warned it comes with a stiff penalty. Because a valid vaccination card comes with a government seal on it, the production of a fake one is a federal felony. Penalties, if convicted, include fines up to $5,000 and up to 5 years in prison for each offense.

LGBTQIA, Local

Protests planned for Franklin Graham’s police appreciation dinner in Bellevue

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[BELLEVUE] – (MTN) Protests are planned as controversy continues to swirl around an upcoming dinner for Puget Sound area police officers, hosted by conservative religious organization Ministry of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, headed by Franklin Graham, at the Bellevue Hyatt on May 11.

In early April, an e-mail circulated within the Seattle Police Department of a free appreciation dinner hosted by Rev. Franklin Graham. On April 16, on the SPD Police Blotter, Acting Chief Adrian Diaz released a public statement, “Based on Graham’s history and affiliations, the email has raised concerns that the SPD may not be committed to the equity of our community’s LGBTQ members. I want to make clear the Department fully supports the equity and just treatment of all people. The SPD did not sponsor this event and is not connected in any way to its hosts. Today I sent a department-wide email to rescind the invitation because its hosts do not share the inclusive values of the SPD.”

After the statement from Chief Diaz, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) repositioned the event as an invitation to other law enforcement agencies. The Bellevue Police Department reports they never received a direct invitation from the Association, even though the event is being hosted at the Hyatt within their city.

An open invitation on Eventbrite for the dinner indicates that all free tickets have been claimed. The invite does not provide a waitlist, nor indicates how many total tickets were available.

“Come relax in this safe setting and enjoy a delightful meal, an uplifting message, encouraging and practical wisdom from God’s Word, live music, and fellowship with other law enforcement officers. This special time is our gift to you, and there is no charge.”

The controversy stems from Graham’s strong anti-LGBTQIA views. In 2017 he compared gay conversion therapy as “conversion to Christianity.” Through Twitter, Graham attacked former Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who is the first openly gay man to run for the 2020 Democratic nomination for President. Graham was rebuked for his attack by both liberal and conservative entities. He has also openly praised Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin’s gay propaganda law.

In a written statement on April 16, Seattle City Council President and 2021 mayoral candidate Lorena Gonzalez stated that SPD’s inappropriate communication undermines LGBTQ community and public trust. ” By promoting this anti-LGBTQ and far-right religious group’s invitation, the Seattle Police Department is undermining Seattle’s LGBTQ community, alienating our own LGBTQ officers, and further eroding public trust and confidence in law enforcement to protect everyone regardless of their religion or identity. The Seattle Police Department’s sharing of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association event is absolutely a misuse of taxpayer resources. I’m calling on Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and Interim Chief of Police Adrian Diaz to rescind this email immediately.”

BGEA responded, declaring they would continue to move forward with the event on May 11. “This dinner and event are a gift from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and from Christians all across this country who want these men and women to know they are appreciated. Even though the email from Interim Seattle Police Chief Diaz announcing the event has been rescinded, our invitation and the dates still stand.”

The BGEA held a police appreciation dinner for Portland, Oregon police on May 7 at Goldie’s BBQ in Vancouver, Washington.

Franklin Graham is the son of American evangelist Billy Graham and was ordained in 1982. He leads BGEA and Samaritan’s Purse, a charity organization. He has been a lightning rod of controversy since the start of the century.

In the weeks, months, and years, after the 9/11 attacks, Graham made increasingly hostile comments about the Muslim religion. In 2010, the Pentagon rescinded his invitation from the Christian conservative National Day of Prayer Task Force to speak at a Pentagon National Day of Prayer event.

Graham was one of the leading figures to perpetuate the false claim that former President Barack Obama was a Muslim. On CNN in 2010 he stated, “I think the president’s problem is that he was born a Muslim; his father was a Muslim. The seed of Islam is passed through the father like the seed of Judaism is passed through the mother. He was born a Muslim, his father gave him an Islamic name.” Graham continued, “Now it’s obvious that the president has renounced the prophet Mohammed, and he has renounced Islam, and he has accepted Jesus Christ. That’s what he says he has done. I cannot say that he hasn’t. So I just have to believe that the president is what he has said.”

Graham later apologized in an open letter for calling President Obama’s faith into question. Shortly thereafter, he once again attacked the former President questioning his faith, resulting in an open letter condemning his actions and using religion as a political weapon.

In contrast, when Utah Senator Mitt Romney was running for President as the Republican nominee in 2012, Graham had the BGEA remove language from their website calling those who follow the Mormon faith members of “a cult,” stating, ”  we do not wish to participate in a theological debate about something that has become politicized during this campaign.”

The first major personal controversy to face Graham was a 2009 revelation, due to changes in IRS tax law, that he was drawing two salaries from BGEA and Samaritan’s Purse. He agreed to stop drawing a salary from BGEA stating this his ministry was, “never based on compensation,” in a Charlotte Observer article. In 2015 it was revealed that he was once again drawing salaries from both organizations, and at a significantly higher level than the $1.2 million reported in 2009.

In 2017 Franklin Graham gave the prayer at the inauguration of President Donald Trump. In 2019 suggested that any opposition to then-President Trump was the work of a “demonic power.” Graham also supports the debunked claims that Donald Trump is the victim of a coup and the deep state.

The Seattle Police Department has 6 officers under investigation by the OPA for potential involvement in the January 6 insurrection in Washington D.C. Two officers remain suspended while 4 others voluntarily came forward. Seattle has the largest contingent of off-duty police officers under investigation in the country after the failed attempt to disrupt certification of the 2020 election results.

Protests are planned for May 11 by several area LGBTQIA+ organizations. According to the Eventbrite invitation, the dinner will start at 6 p.m. and end at 8:45 p.m. The Hyatt did not return our call for comment.

BIPOC, Editorial, Health and Lifestyle, LGBTQIA, Local, National

Malcontentment Happy Hour: May 6, 2021

Video

Our live webcast from the former Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction

The show from May 6, 2021, featured David Obelcz and our co-host Jennifer Smith. Patrons at the $5 and above level get access to our show notes and research documents.

  • Tik Tok creates a lead in the 18-year-old case of missing person Sofia Juarez
  • Man pulls a gun on protesters in Portland, Oregon
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BIPOC, Local

An order of coffee turns into a thinly veiled racial diatribe

[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) Terren Cason is angry, and his wife rattled after a man accosted her at their business over a Black Lives Matter sign and stole coffee without paying. They opened their business MMMJavalicious at 124th and 116th in Kirkland during the height of COVID and have built a following of loyal coffee drinking customers.

Opening a hospitality business during that period was a significant gamble. In 2020, 40% of all Black-owned small businesses failed, according to the Small Business Administration.  

The Casons, both military veterans, work together and share parenting duties with their recently born son. It was while Terren was tending to his child, the incident happened.

A man arrived to order a drink, and at first, everything seemed normal to his wife. As the man reached over to provide his credit card to pay he stopped, and asked, “Is that your sign?” At first, Cason’s wife wasn’t sure what sign he was talking about, but the man clarified he was asking about a Black Lives Matter sign in a flower pot – one that Terren Cason’s cousin had made. 

When she confirmed, the man screamed, “I think you need to find out who Antonio Junior. Go look him up and fuck off!” 

He sped off, taking his coffee with him. Their business does have security cameras, but they are not angled to catch license plates of vehicles.

Who was “Antonio Junior”

Antonio Mays Jr., 16, died on June 29, 2020, at 3 AM, less than 48 hours before multiple police departments and Seattle City Parks swept CHOP. On that night, Mays and an unnamed 14-year-old teen stole a white Jeep, crashed through street barricades erected by the city of Seattle, and slammed the Jeep into concrete barriers outside the East Precinct police station at 12th and Pine.

A gun battle erupted. When it was over, Mays was dead, and the 14-year-old with him was critically injured. 

Tension was already high among the few people remaining in CHOP that night. Another person had driven through the ball fields at Cal Anderson Park earlier in the evening, and the city’s deadline for a sweep on June 28 had come and gone.

There have been no arrests made in the shooting of Antonio Mays Jr., nor has there been any definitive connection to Mays and Black Lives Matter or any other organization. It has never been officially established why they drove through city street closure barricades, struck the wall outside the East Precinct, or started shooting.

The legacy of segregation creating race on race crime 

Many numbers are tossed around in social media memes to build political narratives. A common misconception is Black on Black crime versus other races. According to the most up-to-date numbers available by the FBI, when violent crime is broken down along racial lines, white on white and Black on Black crime is almost at parity. Declaring, “Black on Black crime is an issue,” while ignoring nearly identical numbers along white identifying racial lines creates a red herring.

These numbers shouldn’t be surprising given the United States history of slavery, segregation, and redlining carrying over into modern zoning laws. Many neighborhoods in America remain racially homogenous. In Seattle, segregation and redlining created the Central District and the International District. Foundationally, Seattle zoning laws created in the 1920s remain the bedrock of housing and commerce decisions today. If you live in a racially homogenous neighborhood, victims of crime in that neighborhood will likely be homogenous. 

The legacy of exclusion and zoning laws has impacted 2021 Kirkland, where neighborhoods such as Juanita-Firs and Kirkland Heights had whites-only covenants. Sixty years later, Kirkland is 1.4% Black in a state that is only 4.4% Black, even though the United States population is 13.4% Black. Before Oregon became a state in 1859 and Washington became a state in 1889, the Oregon Territory was declared whites only in 1844 when the provisional government voted to exclude Black settlers. During that era, modern Washington state was part of the Oregon Territory. These legacy decisions directly impact current racial distribution.

Terren and his wife live in the area. “The vestiges are still active with racism,” he said. “They try to change the faces of it. All the vestiges are still there.”

For the Casons, more than a cup of coffee

Terren Cason’s desire for social justice goes beyond his military service – it is built in his DNA. His grandmother is Leah Royster, a civil rights advocate who worked for equality in Uptown Manhattan.

MMMJavalicious in Kirkland has three Black Lives Matter signs on their business

“I feel my wife was targeted because she is a woman, versus if I was in the stand,” Cason said. “Why did he need to express his views so combatively and then steal from a business? What sense is there in ‘I don’t like his views, so I’m going to steal from him?'”

Cason continued, “You can oppose Black Lives Matter, but why then steal from a business. She didn’t even understand the point. She was appalled and surprised but didn’t understand what that has to do with [him] having a coffee.”

This challenge isn’t unique to the Kirkland Black-owned coffee stand. In Shoreline, Black Coffee Northwest had to close for two days in March to add additional cameras and more secure windows for the drive-thru after a series of similar incidents.

As for the Black Lives Matter signs, including the one hand-made by Terren’s cousin in the flower pot, they will remain.

“Some people think about placing their views and their money over people’s lives.”

To Terren’s point, in northeast Portland, Oregon, three homeowners reported their houses were set on fire during the overnight hours of April 30 as they slept. In one case, the gate to the home was fully ablaze when a city of Portland fire truck by chance drove by and extinguished the fire, preventing disaster.

The reason they were targeted? Black Lives Matter signs in their yards.

MMMJavalicious is located at 12412 116th Ave NE, Kirkland, WA 98034.