Two of Spokane’s pools are set to open on July 6th at noon. Shadle and Cannon will both open with an open swim session. The fee’s per session will be $1 for kids and $2 for adults. A kids summer pass will be $15. The open swim schedule will be:

Monday – Friday from 12pm to 4pm

Saturday from 1pm to 7pm

Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

Family swim is from 6pm to 8pm Monday through Friday.

We haven’t heard any news about scholarships or passes for individuals and families living on low-incomes, but when we do we will let you know! If you know about any programs please either post in the comments section below, or call the VOICES office and we will update this site. Thank you! This article in the Spokesman talks about 500 passes for low-income kids and the procedure for applying for one.

If you need more information please call the city’s pool hotline which is updated daily-(509) 625-6960.

The Parks and Recreation Department anticipates that Hillyard and Comstock pools will be done by August 1^st, Liberty Pool by September 1^st and Witter Pool by September 15^th. These pools will likely open to the public  a few days after they are done.

VOICES Annual Picnic will take place at Cour D’Alene Park, July 16 from 5:30-7:30 pm. Please join us for a free picnic and free childcare! There is a playground and splashpad nearby, so bring the kids and some towels! Fun for everyone! Please RSVP if you have a chance, 326-4135, this helps to make sure that we have enough food for everyone!

Even after the news about Spokane Police Officer Thompson’s indictment by the Attorney General’s office came out, the city continues to defend its police officers and hold its defensive position in opposition to the community. Spokane is clearly in need of not only real oversight and accountability of our police force, but also in need of a reality check. The same old tactics are not going to work this time. To build real trust the city must make real efforts to earn that trust.

Building real trust means admitting wrongdoing and attempting to right it. It also means listening to the community and acting in cooperation with them. The city and the mayor have two choices, to work with the residents of the city and county, working towards a relationship of trust and goodwill, or they can wall themselves off, in such a defensive posture that the people can only assume they are hiding the truth and defending wrongdoing.

To watch the tape of the confrontation between Thompson and Zehm is to learn to fear police officers. Beating a defenseless man who was only buying a soda, is wrong, and a crime, no matter who you are. That the city defends it is appalling. The community also responded with fear and outrage after the acquittal of Olsen who shot Shonto Pete. Many in the community are afraid of police officers now. And that is the city’s problem to fix.

They have tried to fix it with an ombudsman without the power to complete independent investigations. Some think that the position is better than nothing. But the people in Spokane have demanded more. We want that clear gesture of goodwill by our Mayor and Police department. Make a better choice Mayor Verner, renegotiate the contract for the ombudsman so that it includes independent investigative authority. Earn our respect and trust on this issue.

Tomorrow VOICES will join many others in demanding that the Mayor and the city respond to our demands. Please join us.

2009-06-25 Ombudsman rally flier

Grumpy bear is sad because the system doesn’t work! We need healthcare that works for us all! Not just a privileged few. Healthcare is a necessary service for the health of our community, just like fire protection and police services. We have socialized these systems so that our communities are better protected, we can do the same for healthcare.

Health care should not be a commodity only accessed by those who can afford it, we should all have access to quality, affordable healthcare. Single payer health care would save us all money. Though sadly the insurance companies would not make a huge profit on scamming the system.

Those insurance companies better start writing up their bids for the switch over to a public payer system, because the people will keep fighting till we get a system that works!

Check out the “more pictures” too.

We had a lot of fun. Marching through beautiful Seattle on a beautiful day for a beautiful cause. Healthcare for all!

See our press release here.

On Saturday May 30, Mother’s will lead the way to healthcare reform  in our nation with a large show of support in Seattle for change at the national policy level.  See details about the event here. This people powered march ends at Westlake Center with a rally.  Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Jim McDermott are both speaking with entertainment and other speakers.

VOICES is planning on attending both of these events, call us if you have any questions!

The new fees are less than originally proposed, but no free swimming time will be provided at all under the new proposal. VOICES hopes that scholarships or low-cost summer passes are provided for families who cannot afford even the reduced fees.

Read what Mayor Mary Verner has to say about the new fees here.

Pool Fees city ordinance:Proposed charge is $2.50 for kids and $5 for adults
New Schedule and Hours Days/Swim Fee Hours Free Hours Hours/Day
Mon – Fri –
Open Swim (FEE 12 – 2 pm)  (FREE 2 – 5 pm) = 2 Fee / 3 Free
Family Swim (FEE 6 – 8 pm) = 2 Fee
Saturday
Open Swim (FEE 1 – 3 pm)  (FREE 3 – 6 pm) = 2 Fee / 3 Free
Sunday
Open Swim (FEE 1 – 3 pm)  (FREE 3 – 5 pm) = 2 Fee / 2 Free
Total Number of Fee Hours Per Week = 24
Total Number of Free Hours Per Week = 20
Total Public Swim Hours = 44

On, May 5th the Parks Board is holding a public hearing at City Hall from 6:30-8:30 pm. This will be our chance to make our voices heard on the issue. West Central Coalition will be leading the charge on this and have encouraged all of the coalition members, and anyone else who feels strongly about this issue, to turn out and testify. If you need help going over your testimony please call West Central Community Center (326-9540) or VOICES (326-4135).

Opportunities for Action:
1) Attend the meeting on May 5th from 6:30-8:30pm to tell them what you think about the issue. Show up early to sign up to testify, the doors will open at 6pm. There will be lots of support there, many people are planning on attending, but please come too! The more support the better! Even if you decide not to testify, you could carry a sign, or show your support in other ways.

2) If you can not attend the meeting please write a letter or email to the Parks Board to tell them what you think. It would be best to do this before the meeting. Send your message by email to -spokaneparks@spokanecity.org or by snail mail to Spokane Parks & Recreation – City Hall 5th Floor, 808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201

3) Write a letter to the editor about how you feel about pool fees in Spokane.  Send letters of up to 200 words. All letters are subject to editing. Please sign with your full name (first name, initial, last name) and mailing address (with city, state and zip), and include a daytime phone number where you can be reached for verification. email- editor@spokesman.com,  snail mail- Spokesman Letters to the editor, PO BOX 2160, Spokane, WA  99201

4)Tell a friend how you feel and what action you took; encourage them to take an action too!

To find out more call 326-4135 or email stories@voicesspokane.org

Please also see Dave Campbell’s post analyzing the larger economic issues for  Spokane and it’s public pools.

Washington collects property taxes and puts some in the State Treasury. Other states do not put property tax in the state treasury, instead the property taxes go to local government and local schools. Other states equalize schools with a progressive income tax. SB5104 would remove the state property tax levy so regular property taxes would be reduced by 25%. The voters could choose to fund local government or local schools.

In Washington the poor pay 17.6% state and local taxes while the rich pay 3.4%. SB5104 would lower property and sales taxes and put an income tax on people who have more ability to pays taxes. These people could choose to raise taxes to reduce class size or get homeless off street without raising tax on low income people.

Business taxes would decrease so they would pay the same rate as in adjacent states. The Business and Occupation tax would be replaced by a corporate profit that taxes business more fairly. School levies could decrease as the State better funds schools with a progressive corporate and personal income tax. 15 years ago the Voters of Ohio voted to raise corporate and personal income taxes to fund K-12 and higher education.

We can do this too! Call 1 800 562 6000 and tell your legislator to pass SB5104 so property tax stays with local government and equalize schools with a progressive income tax like most states.

David Campbell is a longtime advocate with VOICES and Spokane Alliance. He is a strong voices for low-income people in Spokane and statewide. He often shares his income tax literature with the community. To contact David with questions or comments, please call the VOICES office at 326-4135.

In households across the state it would be considered irresponsible to deny a kid treatment for a broken arm for instance, rather than go out and raise some more income to pay for health care. Get a second job, beg, borrow, but hopefully not steal, to get care or treatment that the child needed.

The comparison of a state’s budget to a household budget is tricky, the economics are  too complex. But if you go there, acknowledge that the analogy leads to more than one conclusion.

One conclusion is that raising revenue is by far the more responsible choice when faced with denying lifesaving services to our state’s most vulnerable individuals and families.

Many of these families are sacrificing their lives for the economic prosperity of others. Low-income workers, caught in the trap of high interest debt are the ones who are moving dollars into the profit columns of predatory lenders and big banks. Low- income workers work for low wages generating more profits for business owners and share holders. Many people living on fixed incomes in poverty have made the ultimate sacrifice, sacrificing their health for our country in war.

Would an income tax cause as much hardship for those who make more than $100,000 a year, even $60,000 a year as for those in our community who struggle to make ends meet with much less. Do their children not deserve the same basic opportunities? Basic health services, education and healthy food will still be available to those who make more than $75,000 a year after they pay an income tax. The hardship will be much worse for those loosing vital services under an all cuts budget.

A well designed income tax package could lower the tax burden of 70% of Washingtonians by lowering the sales, business, and property taxes and create a more stable source of revenue for our government services. A far more responsible choice for one of the wealthiest states in the nation.

We are planning on having a table at Peaceful Valley Community Center every Friday for their food bank and free community lunch. Find us there to pick up a newsletter, find out about community resources, get information on advocacy issues and activities through VOICES and just chat with us about what is going on in your life. Your story is essential in creating the change that you want to see.

We will also be at the STA plaza on Wednesdays from 1-3:30pm and Thursdays from 2:30 to 5pm most weeks. Starting on Thursday the 16th from 2:30-4:30pm.  find us either at the top of the escalator or on the main level by the Wall Street door.

Another location will be at Our Place (1509 W. College) on Thursdays from 11:30am-1pm. Our Place provides for individual and family needs like, clothing, food, hygiene, laundry facilities, bus tokens, gas vouchers and energy assistance.

Please contact us if you have a community event around Spokane you would like to have a VOICES presence. We come ready to engage, empower, and educate about community issues, policies and advocacy.