“It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped.”
– Hubert H. Humphrey

Dear Friend

As the Chair of the Council’s Budget and Fiscal Management Committee, I have been working on the many financial issues facing the county this year as a result of the worldwide recession and economic crisis. When I came across the quote from Vice President Humphrey, I was struck by how well he phrased the problems my colleagues and I face today. The projected 2010 budget deficit in the county’s general fund – the fund that provides the courts, the sheriff, alternatives to detention programs, human services, and the public health clinics - is now at $56 million and could increase. Each of these programs and services are essential to an efficient government and a humane society. Unfortunately, finding the right balance is an extremely difficult task, especially when faced with the daunting reality of extremely limited resources and rapidly increasing need of those most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our community.

That is why I am pleased my colleagues and I were able to find this balance and save some critical human services in the so-called “lifeboat” – those programs providing direct help to the poorest folks in our neighborhoods - by scouring the current budget for efficiencies and reducing both the council’s and executive’s budgets by over $800 thousand each. We were able to find about $2.3 million to continue very successful health and human services programs through December. I will continue to work on these and other budget issues throughout the year, please email me with your suggestions at larry.gossett@kingcounty.gov.

Councilmember Gossett pets the alpaca that won the critter crowning contest at the County fair.

New Consumer Protections

Lack of familiarity with banking systems and the financial products they provide along with the predatory lending practices of payday lenders help perpetuate the cycle of poverty in low-income, immigrant, and communities of color. Both King County and Washington State have recently taken steps to provide these communities with tools necessary to help in these difficult economic times.

Earlier this year, the Washington State legislature passed a new law which I strongly supported, that will go into effect on January 1, 2010, providing much needed protection from predatory payday lenders. The law will help stop the cycle of high-cost, long term debt by giving payday loan borrowers more options, time to repay their loan by keeping more money in people’s pockets and allowing them to meet their basic needs.

On Monday, the King County Council adopted a motion I sponsored supporting the Bank on Seattle-King County program. Bank on Seattle-King County is a public private partnership working with community partners, existing banks, and financial institutions to provide options for people who don’t have bank accounts to access affordable financial services including checking, savings, credit, and financial education.

For more information on Bank on Seattle-King County please go to their website at www.everyoneiswelcome.org. And for more information about predatory lending please contact the Alliance to Prevent Predatory Lending at www.noloansharks.org.

Passing of Dr Sam Kelly

Earlier this month, Dr. Samuel E. Kelly, the first Vice President of the Office of Minority Affairs at the University of Washington, passed away. Dr. Kelly was a leader in the effort to establish a meaningful presence of minority students on the university campus. Without his leadership, thousands of people of color and economically disadvantage whites would not be college students or graduates today. I had the distinct honor and privilege of being hired by him to serve as the first Director of Black Student Diversity in the Office of Minority Affairs. If you would like more information about Dr. Kelly, please read his obituary in the Seattle Times at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/obituaries/2009472057_kellyobit15m.html.

Next Countywide Community Forum on Law and Justice

Councilmember Gossett participates in the discussion at a Community Forum.

Countywide Community Forums is a King County civic engagement program overseen by the King County Auditor. The program is independently funded, run by volunteers, and is designed by volunteers to bring public policy issues that need to be addressed by the County Council right to your kitchen table, neighborhood, or workplace. Since 2007, over 1700 people have signed up to be Citizen Councilors. There is no cost to participate, just the value of your opinions, and the time to gather in small groups to discuss current issues and provide important feedback to county public officials.

Round 4 of the Countywide Community Forums begins in mid-September on the topic of Public Safety: Law and Justice. Issues and topics for Round 4 include access to the court system, county consolidation of law and justice services versus dispersion of services to the cities, criminality and housing, and much more. I encourage you to participate. If you are interested you can register online or by phone and join the conversation about your community. Visit www.CommunityForums.org or call toll free (800) 369-2584.