[TRU Research] Researching Kent / South King County?

[Katie Wilson]

Great! Anyone else?

I’d be up for meeting late this week (Thursday/Friday?) or sometime the following week.

Katie

> On Jul 16, 2021, at 2:46 PM, Stephen DeSanto <rachidian at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi Katie. It's good to hear from you. I have time to help research.
> 
> Stephen
> 
> 
> On Fri, Jul 16, 2021 at 1:48 PM Katie Wilson <katie at transitriders.org <mailto:katie at transitriders.org>> wrote:
> Hi Research & Data team!
> 
> It’s been a while. I hope you’re all doing well and enjoying the summer. At last night’s membership meeting we passed the resolution below, to explore organizing in South King County. As a few of you already know, there are reasons to be especially interested in the city of Kent, which has strong connections with Amazon (warehouses & Blue Origin) and a pretty crappy city council & mayor (though that could change somewhat in this election).
> 
> If we are to plan a successful campaign in Kent or South King County, we'll need to do quite a bit of RESEARCH. Anyone game for helping out with this over the next few months? 
> 
> I don’t have a list of specific questions, but a lot of vague ideas. Might be good to meet up (in person even?) and brainstorm. Let me know if you’re interested!
> 
> - Katie
> 
> —————————
> 
> 
> Resolution #152 on organizing in South King County
> 
> Proposed by the General Council
> 
> WHEREAS with the Stay Housed Stay Healthy campaign, TRU has for the first time attempted to move legislation in cities outside Seattle, with some success; and
> 
> WHEREAS through this campaign TRU has begun to build connections with organizations, community leaders and elected officials throughout King County; and
> 
> WHEREAS many of the issues of the greatest importance to TRU members— including public transit and transportation, housing and homelessness— are truly regional; and
> 
> WHEREAS there is in general much less grassroots organizing and power-building happening outside Seattle than within; and
> 
> WHEREAS as Seattle as gentrified, many working and poor people and people of color have been pushed out to the rest of King County, especially to South King County; and
> 
> WHEREAS the city councils in many King County cities are dominated by big business, landlord and wealthier homeowner interests; and
> 
> WHEREAS it has always been the vision of TRU to expand beyond Seattle to become a truly King County-wide (at least!) organization; and
> 
> WHEREAS it has also always been the vision of TRU to grow from being a relatively small group of dedicated activists to become a large, mass-based organization able to support more than just a couple paid staff, so as to be able to more effectively engage large numbers of members and coordinate large numbers of volunteers to win major victories; and
> 
> WHEREAS achieving this will not happen without concerted effort, strategic planning and resources,
> 
> THEREFORE BE IT
> 
> RESOLVED to authorize TRU’s General Secretary and General Council to begin investigating potential for a 2022 organizing campaign focused in South King County and to develop one or more preliminary campaign sketches to bring to the next Membership Meeting for further discussion.
> 
> 
> Katie Wilson
> General Secretary
> Transit Riders Union
> https://transitriders.org <https://transitriders.org/>
> 206-781-7204
> 
> The Transit Riders Union is a democratic organization of working and poor people, including students, seniors, and people with disabilities, taking control over our own lives, and building up the power we need to change society for the good of humanity and of the planet. We will fight to preserve, expand, and improve the public transportation system in Seattle and beyond, so that every human being has access to safe, affordable, and reliable public transit.
> 
> I also write opinions <https://crosscut.com/author/katie-wilson> for Crosscut. Sign up for my newsletter here <http://eepurl.com/g_D3nf>.
> 
> 

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