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Washington State's Deep Political and Economic Alliance With the Pentagon
(Photo: Arlington County; Edited: LW / TO)
Support from readers provides Truthout with vital funds to keep investigating what mainstream media won't cover. Fund more stories like this by donating now!
When one thinks of Washington State in the Pacific Northwest, visions of lush temperate Olympic rainforests or glacial glad mountains of North Cascades National Park might come to mind.
Instead, what if you learned Washington State was allocating millions of dollars of its taxpayers' money to fund an institution set up to do nothing more than lobby for a larger military presence?
Additionally, what if you found out that one of your elected representatives, who you were led to believe was a liberal Democrat, had positioned herself atop said institution, and had actively sponsored a bill aimed at allowing the military free reign to do what it wants -- wherever it wants to do it -- within the state, with little or no recourse for the citizens it could impact?
In supposedly "blue" Washington State, this is exactly what is happening.
The taxpayer-funded institution set up to lobby for military expansion is the Washington Military Alliance (WMA). The politician is Washington Rep. Kristine Reeves, a Democrat who also happens to be the executive director of the WMA. The bill she sponsored, HB 2341 (SB 6456 in the state senate), would have essentially handed United States military commanders control of the state's land use powers.
"Kristine Reeves is double dipping, although it might be legal, [by] being the executive director for the Washington Military Alliance while proposing laws that advance the objectives of the WMA as a Washington State legislator," Glen Milner, a researcher with the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action, told Truthout.
"In addition, the Washington Military Alliance gets its grants from the DOD," added Milner, who has been tracking the expanding militarism across Washington State for decades. "I suppose this is just corruption at work."
While Reeves might be progressive on many issues, she's clearly doing the military's bidding, according to Milner.
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/...tical-and-economic-alliance-with-the-pentagon
___________________________________________________
This is why I struggle with voting for the lessor of two evils.
Hey, I get it, Trump and the even worse, turncoat chamber of commerce Republicans suck.
So of course, I should vote for my other viable option which is Democrats. They say all the right things. Down with crony capitalism, wealth inequality, the environment needs to be protected, ECT.
However, what is being said, and reality, tend to be 2 different things.
Do you really believe this Washington State Democrat will ever vote to raise taxes, that would effect Boeing or Lockheed Martin?
Do you really believe this Washington State Democrat would vote for environmental regulations if it cost her military industrial complex constituents money?
The Democrats in western Washington state need to go. We have our own swamp here. And let's be clear, that is the problem. Not that Democrats in Washinton state, and the rest of the country are saying the wrong things, but that they are beholden first and foremost to their true constitutents, their campaign donors and lobbyists.
I know come primary season, I will once again vote 3rd party down the ticket.
If the status quo holds though, and the corporate dems win their primary, I will once again be left with another 2016 sophie's choice, and I have no idea whether I will choose to cut off my hand or foot, given 2 shitty choices again.
Support from readers provides Truthout with vital funds to keep investigating what mainstream media won't cover. Fund more stories like this by donating now!
When one thinks of Washington State in the Pacific Northwest, visions of lush temperate Olympic rainforests or glacial glad mountains of North Cascades National Park might come to mind.
Instead, what if you learned Washington State was allocating millions of dollars of its taxpayers' money to fund an institution set up to do nothing more than lobby for a larger military presence?
Additionally, what if you found out that one of your elected representatives, who you were led to believe was a liberal Democrat, had positioned herself atop said institution, and had actively sponsored a bill aimed at allowing the military free reign to do what it wants -- wherever it wants to do it -- within the state, with little or no recourse for the citizens it could impact?
In supposedly "blue" Washington State, this is exactly what is happening.
The taxpayer-funded institution set up to lobby for military expansion is the Washington Military Alliance (WMA). The politician is Washington Rep. Kristine Reeves, a Democrat who also happens to be the executive director of the WMA. The bill she sponsored, HB 2341 (SB 6456 in the state senate), would have essentially handed United States military commanders control of the state's land use powers.
"Kristine Reeves is double dipping, although it might be legal, [by] being the executive director for the Washington Military Alliance while proposing laws that advance the objectives of the WMA as a Washington State legislator," Glen Milner, a researcher with the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action, told Truthout.
"In addition, the Washington Military Alliance gets its grants from the DOD," added Milner, who has been tracking the expanding militarism across Washington State for decades. "I suppose this is just corruption at work."
While Reeves might be progressive on many issues, she's clearly doing the military's bidding, according to Milner.
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/...tical-and-economic-alliance-with-the-pentagon
___________________________________________________
This is why I struggle with voting for the lessor of two evils.
Hey, I get it, Trump and the even worse, turncoat chamber of commerce Republicans suck.
So of course, I should vote for my other viable option which is Democrats. They say all the right things. Down with crony capitalism, wealth inequality, the environment needs to be protected, ECT.
However, what is being said, and reality, tend to be 2 different things.
Do you really believe this Washington State Democrat will ever vote to raise taxes, that would effect Boeing or Lockheed Martin?
Do you really believe this Washington State Democrat would vote for environmental regulations if it cost her military industrial complex constituents money?
The Democrats in western Washington state need to go. We have our own swamp here. And let's be clear, that is the problem. Not that Democrats in Washinton state, and the rest of the country are saying the wrong things, but that they are beholden first and foremost to their true constitutents, their campaign donors and lobbyists.
I know come primary season, I will once again vote 3rd party down the ticket.
If the status quo holds though, and the corporate dems win their primary, I will once again be left with another 2016 sophie's choice, and I have no idea whether I will choose to cut off my hand or foot, given 2 shitty choices again.
