May 31, 2024
In this issue:
- Childcare centers, parents and advocates launch ‘No on I-2109’ campaign
- Rep. Stonier, Clark County educators rally to protect WA capital gains tax
- Opponents of initiative to repeal WA capital gains tax hit campaign trail
- NO on I‑2109 calls on Washingtonians to defend education funding this fall
- Puget Sound leaders oppose new WA capital gains tax initiative
Last week, we joined together with community leaders, education advocates, lawmakers, child care providers, small business owners, and parents across the state to launch the NO on I-2109 campaign! We’re proud to join the Children’s Alliance, Save the Children Action Network, Moms Rising, and many others in Washington in saying NO to I-2109.
Bok Bok Chicken restaurant owner Damiana Merryweather says: “If Initiative 2109 passes, it will cut billions of dollars that help families in our community afford high quality childcare programs, like the Para Los Niños center here in Burien, where many of our employees have sent their kids.”
If you own a business, join Damiana and many other small business owners including Molly Moon Neitzel of Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream in endorsing No on I-2109. Add your name now to be a BUSINESS early endorser of the NO I-2109 campaign!
– Treasure
CHILDCARE CENTERS, PARENTS & ADVOCATES LAUNCH ‘NO ON I-2109’ CAMPAIGN
“Education advocates, lawmakers, childcare centers and parents launched a campaign Wednesday urging voters to select “no” on Initiative 2109, which would repeal the capital gains tax currently used to help fund early childhood education services.
Diana Llanes runs a daycare and preschool serving families she says would be impacted were the tax repealed. If the funding ends it will affect families, and it will affect businesses, my small business, and I won’t be able to provide work for my staff, Llanes said.
Many parents have cited the difficulty finding childcare already, with the fear it will become even less accessible if the tax is repealed. Parent and restaurant owner Damiana Merryweather said:
I’m not going to leave my kids if I don’t think they’re safe and well cared for, no job is worth that, and so many working people, especially working women, are forced to choose between what might be a better-paying job or better opportunity and the well-being of their children — and they’re going to choose their children.”
REP. STONIER, CLARK COUNTY EDUCATORS RALLY TO PROTECT WA CAPITAL GAINS TAX
“Leaders of Vancouver’s early-childhood programs gathered Wednesday to warn voters that a Washington ballot initiative would undermine a system that already fails to reach children in need. If passed, Initiative 2109 would repeal Washington’s capital gains tax on some of the state’s wealthiest citizens to provide additional funding for early-childhood education.
Would you believe there are 4,000 children we can’t provide services to because of funding? Families are having to make a decision between rent and child care. That should not be the case, said Rekah Strong, CEO of Educational Opportunities for Children and Families, a local provider of early-learning and child care programs.
(Repealing the tax) would gut funding from a vital program for our communities, said Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver. It won’t do anything to help 99.8 percent of families. It will just shift more tax pressure onto Vancouver’s middle- and lower-class families.”
More – Griffin Reilly & Chrissy Booker, The Columbian
OPPONENTS OF INITIATIVE TO REPEAL WA CAPITAL GAINS TAX HIT CAMPAIGN TRAIL
“Backers of the NO on Initiative 2109 campaign are off and running. I-2109, set for the ballot in November, asks voters to repeal the capital gains tax.
The first year it brought in $896 million which was over what was estimated. That goes to show how much wealth we have here in Washington state.said Treasure Mackley with the No on 2109 campaign. The money generated by the tax goes to childcare subsidies, bonuses for childcare centers, early learning programs and school construction.
What’s really at stake is hundreds of millions of dollars to support childcare and early learning and 2109 seeks to take that away, and line the pockets of the wealthiest Washingtonians, said Mackley. We are a broad coalition of organizations and people from all across the state. We have educators and childcare providers, Save the Children and others dedicated to fighting for our children and schools in every corner of the state.”
More – Carleen Johnson, Everett Post
NO ON I-2109 CALLS ON WASHINGTONIANS TO DEFEND EDUCATION FUNDING THIS FALL
“In Spokane, Yakima, Vancouver, and Burien, early learning and public education advocates were joined by elected officials and childcare providers to speak to the grave damage I-2109 would inflict on essential public services if it were enacted. Nohemi Bautista, who owns CasaLuna Daycare Center in Yakima, agrees that passage of I‑2109 would be a huge blow to families with young children:
Initiative 2109 would cut billions of dollars in childcare assistance. Every one of the parents whose kids I look after and educate relies on this assistance. These parents are healthcare workers, farmworkers, and warehouse workers. They do jobs that are essential for our community to thrive. If Initiative 2109 passes, these parents may not be unable to afford childcare and not be able to do these critical jobs. Kids will miss opportunities, parents will lose income, and our community will suffer.
Parents are worried, too: The father of my oldest two children died in August of 2021 due to complications related to COVID-19. In order for me to be able to work, my children need childcare. For many Washington families, quality childcare feels like a luxury they cannot afford. This isn’t just a burden on parents, it hinders our state’s potential. By making childcare more affordable, we empower parents to join the workforce, boosting our economy. noted Amanda Hammond, a Save The Children Action Network parent from Vancouver.”
More – Andrew Villanueve, Northwest Progressive
PUGET SOUND LEADERS OPPOSE WA CAPITAL GAINS TAX INITIATIVE (I-2109)
“Suzette Espinoza-Cruz, a mother, said if the I-2109 passes in November:
There’s no way we could survive. I needed some place that would provide high-quality early learning for them, but also care for them before the preschool program and after the preschool program for up to 10 hours a day. If I didn’t have childcare for the two littles that I take care of, there’s no way I could work full-time.
Childcare and early learning, especially childcare, is the backbone of our nation’s economy. A lot of people get to go to work because they have high-quality folks they can leave their children with, and they know their children are safe, are well cared for and they’re learning while they’re in that care.
Damiana Merryweather, a mother of three children, who owns a small business, said many of her workers are already struggling with the current childcare system,which affects her business and her ability to give back to the community:
Any reduction in availability of good quality affordable childcare is going to hit working families the most. We’ve had folks who are great employees who had to leave because of the struggles to get care for their families. It limits our ability to be successful as a small business that in turns provides employment and economic vitality to the neighborhoods we operate in. So, it’s a very real threat.”
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