FREE EACH VOLUME 30 MONTH ISSUE 9 A community-based newspaper serving the Puget Sound area since 1981 September 2011 Articles translated into six languages TheTheThe newspaper VoiceVoice of Neighborhood House County Council A Day of Remembrance Gregoire tells state approves car-tab agencies to gird for further cuts fee to fund Metro BY VOICE STAFF BY TYLER ROUSH Less than two months after approv- The Voice editor ing more than $4 billion in cuts to the 2011 – 13 budget, Gov. Chris Gregoire Metro Transit will not see deeper service has signaled to state agencies to pre- cuts, thanks to a car-tab fee approved last pare for more blood-letting. month by the King County Council. Gregoire’s message to state agency The council voted Aug. 15 to approve directors is to prepare for cuts of 5 to a two-year, $20 car-tab fee “councilmati- 10 percent. The high end would put cally,” meaning the ordinance does not total cuts at $1.7 billion. require voter approval. Council support The state will have to await the ensures that funding for King County results of a Sept. 15 quarterly rev- Metro will remain stable, at least for now. enue forecast before deciding how to The car-tab fee will raise a projected $50 proceed if revenue is indeed down. million to fund Metro, closing a substantial Estimates put the shortfall at around budget shortfall and staving off deeper $500 million service cuts — estimates put the cuts at 17 More bad news for the state followed percent of Metro service. The $20 fee will in the week that Gregoire made her an- expire after two years. nouncement to prepare for more cuts. Agreement came just weeks after the The state’s Economic and Revenue car-tab fee appeared headed to the ballot Forecast Council announced that sales- in November. Shortly before an Aug. 15 tax receipts were down $9.4 million for deadline to act on the ordinance, Repub- the one-month period from July 11 – lican Councilmembers Jane Hague and August 10, or about 0.8 percent below Kathy Lambert reversed their positions on the forecast. Other revenue sources the car-tab fee, and said they would join the PHOTO BY TYLER ROUSH were also down over the same period, five Democrats on the council in approving A memorial and day of remembrance on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks and personal income statewide could it. The seven votes on the nine-member will be observed at the International Fountain in Seattle Center. The event, which is be down $3.2 billion from projections. open to the public, will be from 5 – 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 11. For more details, see Please see “Car tab” on Page 3 the related story on Page 2. Voters approve Hwy 99 tunnel; primary results set stage for November BY TYLER ROUSH will be made to foot the bill for any cost man Services Levy, with about 69 percent a rematch of the Nov. 2010 general election, The Voice editor overruns on the project, which has a budget casting a “yes” vote. in which McDermott and Toledo vied for the of $4.25 billion, including $2 billion for the The levy, funded by a property tax rate council seat vacated when Dow Constantine The Highway 99 deep-bore tunel is tunnel alone. of 5 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, is was elected King County Executive. shovel-ready. The referendum is a political defeat for projected to generate $100 million through In primaries for two Seattle City Council Voters approved Seattle Referendum 1 Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, who made 2017. Funds will provide a wide range of positions, two challengers emerged to face by a healthy margin in last month’s primary opposition to the tunnel one of his signature social services, including employment incumbents in November’s general election. election, finally setting the Highway 99 issues even as the City Council voted to go assistance for veterans, treatment for Post- In the Council Position 1 race, challenger tunnel and viaduct-replacement project in ahead with the project. Traumatic Stress Disorder and affordable Bobby Forch, a longtime city employee, motion. Groundbreaking is scheduled for this housing and rental assistance. The levy received 26 percent of the vote. Forch will The referendum passed with 58.4 per- month, and the tunnel is expected to be benefits both King County veterans and face incumbent Councilmember Jean God- cent approval. The successful passage of opened for traffic by December 2015. low-income individuals and families. den (43.4 percent) in November’s general the referendum authorizes the Seattle City Tunnel supporters outspent the opposi- Two races for King County Council ap- election. Council to proceed tion by a nearly 5-to-1 margin. peared on the primary ballot. In District In the Council Position 9 race, incumbent Opponents point to traffic studies that 6, incumbent Jane Hague (37.9 percent) Councilmember Sally Clark (72.2 percent) indicate that the tunnel may actually in- Voters approve Veterans and Human will face challenger Richard Mitchell (30.1 will face challenger Dian Ferguson (21.9 crease traffic congestion downtown and on Services Levy; general elections races percent). percent), the former executive director of Interstate 5, as drivers change their routes set And in District 8, incumbent Joe McDer- public-access channel SCAN TV. to avoid the tunnel’s tolls. King County voters overwhelmingly mott (68.2 percent) will face challenger Di- They also stressed that Seattle taxpayers approved renewal of the Veterans and Hu- ana Toledo (26.6 percent). The race will be Please see “Primary” on Page 5 Neighborhood House Nonprofit org. In this issue Quotable Jesse Epstein Building U.S. postage PAID 905 Spruce Street Seattle, WA Health Notes Page 2 “Anything is possible if you really Seattle, WA 98104 Permit #8887 VACCINE INFORMATION want it. The million-dollar question One to grow on Page 3 is, what do you want?” IT’S TOMATO TIME - Thach Nguyen inspires a group of Famine relief Page 5 young people during a visit to the Neigh- LOCAL RESIDENTS TO RAISE borhood House High Point Center. FUNDS FOR AID TO SOMALIA Please see the related story on Page 4. Translations Page 8 IMMUNIZATIONS 2 – locAl AND natioNAl NewS SEPTEMBER 2011 Health Notes A column devoted to your well-being Volunteer of the month Ready for school? Immunize for a healthy and safe school year BY PUBLIC HEALTH – SEATTLE 5 and 6 are required to have one dose of & KING COUNTY varicella or parental history of disease. Varicella vaccine is recommended for The start of school is just around the children in grades 7 – 12 who have never corner. For a healthy and safe 2011 – 2012 had chickenpox. school year, every parent’s back-to-school • Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-acellular checklist should include making sure chil- pertussis vaccine) is required for students dren are up to date in their immunizations. in grades 6 through 10. Recent cases of pertussis in Wash- The complete list of the immunization ington state, the unusually high number schedules for schools, including child of imported measles cases in the United cares and pre-schools, is online at www. States this year, and an ongoing mumps kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/ PHOTO BY TYLER ROUSH outbreak in neighboring British Columbia communicable/immunization/children. Jared Schapiro helps arrange a place setting prior to the 10th Annual are all important reminders that vaccine- aspx. If you do not have a health care pro- Neighborhood House Breakfast Celebration. preventable diseases remain a threat to vider, contact the Family Health Hotline at BY TYLER ROUSH gram at High Point, and our development health. 1-800-322-2588 or www.ParentHelp123. The Voice editor department. He was also a volunteer This school year, the following vac- org for assistance. referee for a youth basketball tournament cines are required: Although not required for school entry, Since coming to the agency in March, at the High Point Center this spring, and • All students will need proof of three immunizations are also recommended Jared Schapiro has joined the ranks of at our agency’s 10th Annual Breakfast doses of hepatitis B vaccine and two doses for children to protect against hepatitis Neighborhood House’s super volunteers. Celebration in April. of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine A, meningococcal disease and human In between jobs as a public-school It might seem easier to list the pro- (MMR), an age-appropriate series of polio papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Ask your teacher, he has taken on a nearly full-time grams he’s not volunteered with. vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis health care provider about these vaccines. gig volunteering for Neighbor House. Of course, he does have his favorites, vaccine. Parents or legal guardians have the “I’ve been getting to know the orga- and given his background as a teacher, • Two doses of chickenpox (varicella) right to choose not to immunize their nization as much as I can,” Jared said, it’s not surprising he prefers working with vaccine or doctor-verified history of dis- children, based on medical, religious or during a break while assisting in one young people. ease are required for age kindergarten Please see “Health” on Page 3 of our ESL classes at the Neighborhood “What I probably enjoy the most is through grade 3. Students in grades 4, House High Point Center. “I’ve enjoyed working with teens, in a program like everything I’m doing right now.” YELS,” Jared said. That Jared is getting to know the or- He’ll have that opportunity in his new Sign your child up for free or reduced-price meals at school ganization is almost an understatement.