Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout*Other - BOCCJuly 17, 2020 Dear Commissioner: Thank you for considering our petition before you. We know you have many questions; we'd like to answer some of those in this packet of information. Please feel free to contact us at info alibertystate.org with more inquiries, or discuss them with our representative to your meeting. The Liberty State Movement is an effort to create a new state from Washington State based upon political and geographic lines. Since the formation of Washington State in 1889, people of the eastern and rural parts of Washington State have felt separate from the western capitol in Olympia. As our economies and beliefs grew in separate directions, the chasm has deepened and left Western Washington holding all of the political representation, with little regard or accountability to eastern residents. The current proposal to create Liberty State would draw the boundary down the Cascade Crest. Those counties to the west would remain Washington State, and those counties to the east would be a new state. A government is supposed to best represent the culture, heritage, traditions, values, and beliefs of its citizens, and even more so at a state level than at a federal level. The U.S. Census views the Cascades to the Rockies, Eastern Washington and Oregon, North Idaho and Western Montana as a single economic unit. They know we are economically distinct from the west, and intricately connected. We are already two states on virtually every major issue of the day from water, guns, and wolves to taxes, regulations, and life. In fact, some on the west side say we are a bunch of "welfare freeloaders" siphoning off money from their social programs, and that us "hicks" are constantly an impediment to their more "enlightened" social policies. When both sides are unsatisfied with their representation, some things are just better apart. Recently, the state legislature has shown a willingness to operate without regard for the powers given, or rights protected in, the Washington State or United States Constitution. The east side is predominantly rural with a vastly differentcult re, F RECEIVED JUL 2 0 2020 COUNTY and the west is predominantly urban, again with a vastly different culture. There is nothing wrong with either. However, this population disparity has allowed the urban majority to determine nearly every vote. Thus, the rural side of the state is failing to be represented on every major issue in the last thirty years. On the other side, legislation dear to the urban majority has been hampered to the consternation of many in Seattle. Tax limitations have been passed, also hampering mass transit and raising the ire of many in the urban core. The Founders believed that the best representation was closest to the people. Indeed, with a new state, both east and west would be better represented. We believe all the citizens of Washington deserve a government that is more protective of individual rights and that better reflects their values, traditions, culture and heritage. We believe government that governs least, governs best. We believe that unshackling the entrepreneurial spirit will allow businesses to flourish in an environment with less burdensome regulation and taxation. We believe that it is time for a new state that can chart its own path apart from downtown Seattle. In an online survey by KXLY (news agency in Spokane), 73% of a group of over 8,000 participants approved of creating Liberty State. A second poll conducted later revealed 75% of over 1,600 participants were in favor of Liberty State. In spring of 2019, a Facebook poll conducted by KAPP-KVEW in Tri -Cities and Yakima demonstrated a 71 % approval among over 12,000 participants. That's over 21,000 people weighing in with over 70% support. The COVID-19 crisis and every new tax, regulation, and heavy-handed measure feeds that support. With the recent passage of the largest state budget ever in Washington history, voters are ready for a new state. As to the structure of the new state, our intent is to abide by the Constitution. The U.S. Constitution assures that every state is to be created as a Republic, thus this is the form of government Liberty State will adopt. We will form this new state as authorized in Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution. This is done by a simple majority vote of the both houses of the state and of Congress: "New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress." No approval by any governor or president is required. Since it is a Constitutionally - proscribed action, this movement is not secessionist, and does ensure we remain within the Union of the United States. Kentucky, Maine, and West Virginia were all added to the Union via the Article IV process. The proposed Liberty State is comparable in size to the entire state of Idaho. The new state will produce a similar amount of tax revenue and operating budget. This makes the tax base more than sufficient for a minimal, yet effective government. Our abundant natural resources and diverse industries make us exceptionally qualified to compete with the economies of other states. To drive this point home, if Liberty State found just 10% savings in the size and scope of government, it could easily operate without any property or income taxes. The attached economic analysis gives further details. Property taxes mean, in essence, a person never truly owns their property. Instead, as the first Washington State Constitution in 1878 allowed, we propose true ownership and title in allodium. Outside of income and property taxes, there are many ways to fund limited government functions. One idea is a consumption - based tax, which is historically the simplest, most equitable and consistent system. Most of what government funds today is not Constitutional or appropriate; once these are no longer a state requirement, more proper funding would be available for the important duties of building roads and funding essential services. Without property taxes there are more than enough funds. Spokane Valley is a great example of what would happen with state departments. They contracted the services from the county until they could logistically take them over. They had the same tax base as before. We will find savings from removing redundancies and bureaucracies. Transition teams in each area of government will help with the gradual transition or phase out of atate agencies. Just like Washington's government needs an overhaul, so does the federal government. But as a new state, we can decide if and when to take federal handouts and accept federal strings. However, we would promote and endeavor to make Liberty State as self-sufficient as possible. There are a few other areas where most people assume the federal government has control, when in fact, it does not. First, VA and Social Security benefits: these are individual federal benefits, not state ones, and thus would follow the individual just as if they had moved out of state. Second, schools: per the limits on the federal government in the Constitution, education is a states issue, where government is closest to the people. Third, roads: half of the cost of our state and local roads is spent on regulations, lawyers and environmental studies, not to mention the 10% sales tax on every project. With those changes alone, Liberty State would see a 60% reduction in the cost of roads. As for freeways, they are a geo-strategic asset, and the federal government has the responsibility to maintain those. Our Liberty State effort began with the creation of county chapters, and the activation of local supporters and volunteers. Our intent is to have you, our county commissioners, put an advisory vote on the ballot in our county in November, 2020. We have asked our county residents to fill out petitions to encourage you to do so. Following that, as a unified voice, we hope that all the people of Eastern Washington and their commissioners will support the effort of legislators introducing the bill to create Liberty State. A similar bill will be submitted in Congress, likely including another state to be admitted alongside Liberty State. In 1974, then -Attorney General Slade Gordon gave his opinion that the advisory vote format used at the state level was also appropriate for the county level; many conservation districts across Washington State were created this way. Just as we did last year with the numerous tax hikes the legislature proposed, this advisory vote will simply tell you the attitude of your constituents concerning the Liberty State movement. We ask that you grant We the People that voice on this issue. Please look over the financial pages included in this packet. We're sure you'll agree that the success of the proposed state of Liberty is possible, feasible and likely. We ask that you submit our advisory vote question to the elections office by the August 4" deadline for inclusion on the November ballot in this county. Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to speaking with you again in November. In Liberty, The Board of the Liberty State Foundation, The activists in the Liberty State movement, And your county constituents, here signed. Jim Robinson, President Matthew Shea, Vice President Caleb Collier, Director Mike Munch, Director John Ott, Director Sue Pearson, Secretary Merri Nickerson, Treasurer/CPA G r -Pvk CCA,u %C)Akwu -6 d'-aGS �-� ► �� Z6 - 51.°1- � -- RZ-EC-EVED -M_ GRANT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Date Advisory Vote: The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east S� ss� • � ,� -r�r (4q) 3q5 ;n,,�3 of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the United St tes Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of County &1 0 g*)Z The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a vote. Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date ahs , / l�(� A03 A19-7 044�' S� ss� • � ,� -r�r (4q) 3q5 ;n,,�3 &1 0 g*)Z 7L)r i S "th-�., G�.br sti��� 5-T ff �d - �3l - ��� C�-l✓Y��� FSf �St_Z'� sig Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Advisory Vote: The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the U4ited States Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of County The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a vote. I�i1�2 S N►�n,roP S J"tfegleJF ��,n�,„A;�c r�31'sb ban. r APs ��, kP _ �✓A. �9 LnA UI& hK AJ e ,t� &/- L Wtt JatXr 2 P q AV. /I S. W e G q12, -�-*I .Z) I A 6*1) AAASe fakg- �AIA 'Sol -?'so qc% 4Y2 0 D Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Advisory Vote: The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4. Section 3. of the United States Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of County The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a _Mop- vote. /I/ s � , r NIM�,/^,dq _Mop- �� MoImMl, -IN MIA A -M -91 -MMI -TIN' A MII s,�� y /I/ Mi Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. ����� Advisory Vote: The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3. of the United States Constitution. This vote is an -tali Jov, f�5 expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of County " The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a ��'�'"d� vote. �?y E t'^dc�• �t,�-L e -I ' � old v .�" - ����� t /{y -tali Jov, f�5 " L� 31�\ 1Lke ��'�'"d� `7-735 iMc.p Sr NE IMoSeS U LL, VJA 8Y 3 7 5121 ZsJ Pow -5 lr,�e 1.)P�037 5/a V.Z0 Y2 t uses' tare w.9 po -7o 2 S/2i 120 o�riN eh r"cl� C7 fl -::I X:9 ' ^' � �Ses Ga�� w� `i �f,C37 �j o- r3r -S `�—%G s Z4/z r ,�sPc 23�f SN ICS 1 5 G a L<<kR WA 9%'T3 7 6 -7SCSI 1bI zl-2p Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Date Advisory Vote: - TZ The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the United States Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of County The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a vote. Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date - TZ C reAM ` nF_ ru• �• �rNCI l+of m 5Z7 Al 0211A _. ,. � t.ti ,� � �.w �— \ � `;-c� _ =� < `-ani %� t— t`I Uj :_ � �'_\ri �C` ^ � �,';,�;i. ,�, �^� � ��. �.' M Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Date Advisory Vote: The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east 2 � ,U(4-hJqm of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the U ited States Constitution. This vote is an a l expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of 1' A6 — County The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a lefc� ���� S�e�Fe�s vote. Printed Name Signature Address Comment/emall/phone Date �� i ►'lt� �� 2 � ,U(4-hJqm 9mail . Com a l lefc� ���� S�e�Fe�s %ii`�a2�s��i'✓�i 17, �t 1��� IV�,�r� „J N< 17rY yy �/ Jim pi �' d G fi v r� - �( Z l� n Ilea i)rrA MA; 20 l vt &41 mme a Toe ' I/ 'L,e- M Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Date Advisory Vote: The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the United States Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of Ylt 1 County The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a vote. -- Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date 9/ 26l � q gab� 1'� G" � � ! 17 S' Ga 4- JEW 0-�WAKI 7,0 0 v r -\j -))41-,gl L-�)j 1, '('PAVA�l o?/ZZ/� /�����',���id/sou �2b�� --�5 � � -S �f�/ -�?n V.,T � v .i cklw 1 �✓ �(✓ jT, /70Y 2 ✓ .: '!� /tee' -/4/ t�.Y✓ �" �y�� c� bo s v7 s, ro 71V d Z Z/7 'b -V �jv JG D �� W ��I.v1 �� rd w =� N F2 L 022-fr-- .E�bVL,/ f) v25Asr ��✓ 4 Cry ,017�iAl?���/fj� 14 Ila ^eN 4 iezl-o ro�000� aM9sU� U Jit L�11 rJc)—�*r���"`"�,,�'��-5 -"-,u,.c�� id a;ea 9uoyd/jiewa/ju9Luwo:) ssaappd a.inleuBiS ameN paIuiad 3MSA PV .,::T- <=!!:,--� J _L To plrtce ad VtSorY Votr. en bA.11ot �o ,{C-5) str,�C Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date d urdiEi' � So,% Cit�iL JD�� 1o6r-2 c.J n cUc, y 2 �v� k�e_rar s 14� �ba� SSI U I esus�t/rn� GG1�VCavag,vA k &Wk GS Sc4ca- v-1- C9'/- L n VL rn` v - 1.)--? 0 ecj E . `7 7 �.►�j.Zv As4 Lo M 7 G Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date • 4 0 �`�ltloc�/ A4510 13 qq F- L-ro 55 0 -?0 7— 3 S 7Jr 5 -� hr� b t -C 5 �.sw 5b9 ^ ��►3 -��3 s g�� -7 7 RA `Z 2� V S w Van- 1�30 f, I A40M 4- s dal - 59 71 � �1,d S �S ��,o ��m��� �►• �u� -�� ► - �3�s s-Sr-zo rr441z Azo T09- 77a-4VT1gv r"/oviZa cedvtSorY Vo +..-c en bA.11ot 4o e(;V92 stet Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date 3 lEo i rd. C ut1p,, 0�& Ke p at� 5=9' *'0/Ory /of /V ,Vc- %j ►k 1P Jf �ti/� P�uc ���bl: PA,�v S Zoa 5bsG 5 80 2,2 V6 All- a r\ ' S \ - x- e S cat 1vnch'c, u(cloich,cci, �� =��yR��IA�Q a ii (ILt ye, qw ail coim grocGl w� Gr/��� %��4 X10 Cg4te4Ar/l/ Z- t w�`1��565��vy4h ((a--—1lt� ncclesk.e.t' fey h�11� 5-$o�C� VA km vAtm (ate —� Td fl, , 7., %W1 ' Z`��i� �7cs. S(1 c � w • � /,�, e Y its C vr'"Y L Ti p/ace advt5YbtC or� on, b�e.11oE 4ta!,'vid�,c ste.tc Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date 6 POU/U • (� s�Y/t ►'"1 �; ,�}�,, �23� .r-�n r^d mac, e I �3y-7- 57Cz, �zUyie dp 19 B , 'Ve-4�4'J- JE 6UAPA„� �BQd' li�cu e� (g6j - /a/0IVA ,4 N09) 750- 341L10115 5 81 M 4 0 C MV11- Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date a sfi5jFzb AAA f- D M.P\ q Q J = >�r �� ' �. ., 5 1112 L6 i-5 =1- gy, o flOYq'�S0-.z 5 l �o PS) R!bl 5c9 - �-a 0 )11.2y Raw�i 110n s0�i- 7r7C " IZ 1 3 .&z S �iti52n L. �lrn /4 o 3 yzO(;)- NE J�7J q-7�o�, -Olq-1 S/rz• IoTl r v /V�` �S. �v - '771 ZD I 0 Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background ' County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Date Advisory Vote: The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the U 'ted States Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of County The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a vote. Tn'—j)A V Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date AU 6F War �4 Im �ej e 34� -5 ' Cel', ' wi Dse. LC( 68 ej w Q c9' - 36 • of Z Ae �"a r j� �I 4� 1 - 7`13 -:39 S .7 �r",it 01-: -7 1 - �?-3 gyral Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Advisory Vote: al- Mm, 194111 The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the tImted States Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of County The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a vote. Printed Name...IM,�. , w2m)" al- Mm, 194111 MA m���_� klW _.' Ii1 fnore���! Q A- /J Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Date Advisory Vote: The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the ited States Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of County The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected �K Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a 6I vote. Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date A A. cu/ 6I z, Il jpT Z Z Z 3 ,�� t. G.J X % -c� �1 ���/ ��U qv • �Yo ma'qt2" 17 (2 1 j � J - ' v —2-016) �6 Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Date Advisory Vote: The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east q -7-7n of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the United States Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of vrrsc County The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a vote. Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date L q -7-7n /b/jam — (o 6;, 5 Xle 2-,: L5�, t �✓ Ori -7-7- o C,-IKr 6.9 - 56 C -cl- C / .( �r,�5 l�G n/l: Sp�.7�17 sGo6 �,_ 7 -tall w 00 , i' d. �;. T place cd V tso r t/'o �c o K b�t.11 o t ,�•', . Y � �,v.caCc s �,& Printed Name Si ature Address Comment/email/phone Date S r / / /� �1✓� J -O O ,�,Gy� G `�`f w L oR n,(, Oki - e ry + �a,n►��, �; / ,u, co�+� S"-�? -� /� 73/,1 &d✓lON Ti p/acc crdvtSorY Vo�c, on b�1ot �o o{r'VIAc Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date (moo&L, JZo.21 ,rz oo -126o&a R a 317 1 6a &9 /o . a IVF - `Yjose -Iei&,IlP LA)fi (P,?,3 7 5 %6 0 Ql oZ S, lO'.a?D fSo N KWl4-1 �9 V er 8` 7 4.T A) fp�- 50i 7dd - 393 jq In o`t7 c- K, �-ZS-20a-- '71? 7.2 5-19-26Z ICce e07 0 LAO &A4& A 4A `2S Zz-L 3'3 �3 -��- A� -f 7d S A) ;Z55 - 701'-q57 7 5- /9 - Sn,A � �(70� `' 377 n Ti place coo! vtSorY tAt, b Mal M im, M� MA, AM o - - mz emj,,, - WA. I - MA IVW Wd a I. wii A b Mal T plAct ad vt5o r Y Vo+...c *^ bA.11o E 4 41 0 * VCAC Stir ., Address Comment/email/phone Date: Mar kv- Ou � toAR/C&/,� J�r !JF �q- 1 � J5 �cr�c7 2Z 1 J V L 0 �0? Lde-44--t Or /L/ VI ne K n 14 �T � � � � f • � �lq�-V, rZ �. W A . � �y 5 � � �O�L �L�IAe� f1e�l{�l l 25yy�C,,�r',er �� M.�Ina_�.`x-�j4--ke ler iWU, , y� &rhg rx G a t 5 /t .OAX XZ le t IMO /�ZeZ- 0 IV -tol T11V12 I)q).2,0 amt-_ Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date +. 41 Mub_yl .77,5-- ALJ, AK r-, W6& 6L�;)M r t 5� 5_3 U)4 qzbeg-1 a-c.,ra.x 3&0 f5 - g T S60 Z1`(,1e G'!�l -.7, a,0_-56 'l MIC (ill L, and f �' o►-rH � �°3 � aD1i� 9 -� _ � iri'z.Y `�_ �iw:�� v�� �>Ick�� �Z��vKa�l, c.�r•, >�1��� '1.2 i\ SLC ' y,_L SeEb� #dV I-o'� --�y- 2 V L: on �yl/V 1✓�I DS �,o�l rp `7 ;, 3 3co jkc C-►ry 1032 Ck544-� Buz ANS 3 list\ T�6 ! `9 `r' j N� 6--tO*4 Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Date Advisory Vote: 45 The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the United States Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of County The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a vote. Printed Name Signature t Address Comment%email%phone Date ` s 45 Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date � � sow W11t 2 sha O(rh �� 09�4c r 0UQ fieam\,b) I ^' sA PV,,ckD Conn C 7, l,�i Q Pi�IC�J P- b-7 I PC.,4 iu+el z2tx �taQ.'?TSS? 'S A z� F M. ^ - I CPAEPC - *1 CILXM oCa 44"A T; %-Y-, 5 1 12. �Gb3 W L141cc'� wZ MOS -s Sov�� 7)k Ixrm c. 2ICKEI-90!Tc 617`Z.oL, A 1 �hc��,L, , a ^►c ���1 ' �, 65G(&I' DAM% 9 � G C �v t��� i Ind( . N4- ���-��� - 7s 15 Lo, -,K -P,, w � 0 Sao iso M lw IM ZIO )QC) �6 VIA -1 ,- SO9 _g5s. 39 10 S �� I ,,fir iA1 5/� ✓W� isL�e'� Y—�/ �� — '� `� ��� zi 7d 7 . f r S-O—3d6 36061rl S zZ cvl 3 (,/-o 7 acs thantr Kon��d� L v,� N IoW y►S� a ss de - 1334 f� re q13 5. 6 -"-Pi- D.. V10z -hr 1Moa w 'hvh V, Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Date Advisory Vote: The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east e�P.t1& of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the United States Constitution. This vote is an to the County Commissioners of at/Yp j - County expression of the will of the people The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a vote. Printed Name S'gna ure Address Comment/email/phone Date e�P.t1& aro-.OAJ- ig 6 r. P �. �Pwems" n4t-,=W7 77 WAS i �-�-.. `_— ." _+'� _ —..ter _z.���a�IJ►'J�//t'1f���/ — — _ _ � I 1 i ig 6 Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date 91/ 14t,PIW cb ( Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Advisory Vote: The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3. of the U ited States Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of County The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a I i vote. Eley X03 G� /� t -S Kfly a5�� SL Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. A Advisory Vote: F The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the United States Constitution. This vote is an RIN IS expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of G�fz�tij— County The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected' Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a PJ bf vote. IMM. FF. I.. �. ' 1. • �' " � .1 l�, ! i �� , i .r���,� � '!►�. /� �� . . ME RIN IS or md i idol V 1M �� _ ) ' 1 —ML.— PJ bf IlMim a �—--- 9 RM F�M Jr . mow... �WM MAI NOMI FAM ��a�j z�.. �� — — _ _—Lai: , �._�-.v.�• i / 0 a '-0 Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date .. t .. �...._ A.C' l iUtC 4 C AAO LM %R -Ali LM,U dmIgAk. 0141 LC;L-' lb /V �u) d, 0 167 Oq 392-- 5- l l E �Dv kic 360 ht s '010 2 5 -( Z� .� b s j -� qts: Z 4 -LJ:4wt 5 c, SIL, -,4 �.�,�i, ,�-- _-- kLAICt cP AZ (> �N tea M0VVSYJ elo / sT /vs EPtf, �, le Sir iVl. 5 //Zc3 LZ�-4 17 (111A 511 • J AM (1,1 5,/ 1 ,�f 5�+� _ l�Zc� �c.�Sl�.'�, �1�J keA--CV49nciP� �••s�, �, 5 Zo Z> Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date 0 1 6 lmv,;9�5/,ji VlJll j 2-0 �x.C11h. eV i 3 Lk 5 d W ri YibZ r 1"�fl A11UlXrWll"-a / u , 4— iC !A �u 12v� RV--JOU �Q G L � ?qN L S4 S/7129 (w/( wiz -�ff Q 5/7 �Zozo IQ IV a - �S (.a�Cl�Y ZZo S Cr�sl-nnoni- p� PV Zj d'C L ►Mc I\\ , CO W` Illy a IN M Al M Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date -73 '7/ 74o _ 7 3367 S t ISS Z iz�z -2b i2t, (- 5-.6 A)E g 3�s ,� 376-�1� 15t {,,t 1) it S i m R— �ivs es Ld —off f39&,? l9kn 9903-7M.I S /. m S-Pj Zv a u--� 3S 45��f 56 7 - 765 `�y9 812-6 lob 44yE -s55 2 �� � � � �� �9/� l� � , 9 N E 2 - � � = GSC •� L `5 f�� ^(,�(.1` jf j V V 1 V 1 .' Y I Y S N r 4 A QO ,2J 3 y L,60 - 2 n5���76 101 co WL�..r" Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date A ► row n a� l,q a e a�.f�1�� 6q 731' sl�la� SE za 79 A4 K J1d3 ell AUAO 1eldi 46341t I -C j 0�7 box S o C( --7c(3 -L-% ST J dU —�A,04V4t YT q6 3k) Qwovl Wil Z .Lc► 1', N� d8vnv�hccv��-tsar► �Sa� �a� $ ZOZo el U v 1/., r ( rAl Ti plAce cat vtSorY v'otr. on ba.tlot 4 ►,DvIcZc S fiA& vru *4 - Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone - Date �6C f xO�lz j l 5Ce-) 7 `xc t V 22-01 u�{ 61 Imo, 8 D ol h A ►' �(.- Y� i� C 1%(/VIS �S �S�S it rt -3zk cjl� 12-0 �P�� �� ,�. '37 ► c aelx.q CkIl, e,4�'� l -Tl 7 j W'(clfz-t Lure J693 7 t�oq bsl g �)/t2/Z0 C/, xz(l! l'� ung i�lahacice OW sl r Z�Qo 'A , /��</ 1,1411 Pag ve 5 op Z os t� 0/ T place cd d tso r y Vo'�C. o r� b�t.11 o f 41vcd c SPAL& Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date pry— s Z t22 IJ w ���i�•� iYlQrSC Y1 i!/16(�t�tA-e mows[a1w `� �'�l� �G� f� • �' /U � s / �i170r �. hl�i7la.� �'om � l 2 Z��, ��'�Oi C� �� C �S) �- l.1 Yui✓ZC'����r��-v�� `J�Zc�ZC> l '�Oo W • 4;1V,,Wt c4T) � 16TH -vim. .- I -i M ct�, �Gr Com/' ^ u �vz 13 1,,J,;�as f— vO,4 l/, Nri� y •v a T plAee cd vtso r y Vo �c. o^ bA.,110 t fie, Ott' v t /�dW. s rA& Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date ILI sly ` < L 0^ a. ���1i2 vnc3Z VR Ll ked, -5-,& Al PJ M�nvZ 3 @_ � arm � "Z►-Z.CS C.Gi i o -W Or s /1 v ll °hob On 44014.5 3"a wu.}-h�.y. M Jt/ -s-5 1► 3 3 N g rwp c D Q wr(,,, w►, o�� a l I l @9 0.r — z.2 COI�C�x�- r�.ZUr1 Ge `� <z - 5a � -70-7 7-1 ,0 16 I T place cd tSo r Y bAilo t 4t Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date w�I r -y ,q. caws 6, Sar-I.w1A A'2 a Chubo,//, U/�k 9 31- �t i JCYI mm C(iX ILA 371, (CtAvw 9� IV1 �+�Vv,c,1��ti.�.dh1 5Ii�12r l fI ! 1 1 r or co u,5 CIL � � 1�i/ �a�wfi i��3 S �W 7S1J26 3�' 16-1 - 7� 2 3V Y 7 147- 'v Ti place ud vtSorY V'otc en, bAdlot lo o(rcc,� stet Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date �-) a v h y �J lu2 It O h(c ML � ,,,� �v �1�� U.�� RD MGA, 5 •�� -�� Z 5���� La ✓� ���� `� �.� �� 5-13, v ,V O Nc2 - Wv�e�pwr Pry TYTd<au^ti -732 S. roirba.n(cs Qn l (�Ci j01\-`� ZIA^ I ) ✓ JG�I� �� " ' ✓ kA NOVOI✓ -k c - � (,pd -L-5 dpak52t Zoy E li, I Ti place cd vi6ory V6+., -c. bAilo t 4t 4,00vtd.,c s;k& r � : fes►Hal ' r i 1 Al! r (Or, �-/l 1/% -� A,, Printed Name nature ss ent/ : phone Date 7 so -/C�, e r.� lYl l Z ��► �� ��� �2 S f 9+r� n� ��b � st /!l �° � � c��► 7r� -7k - S 14// ��. l �,A / -0,-`7 S'G -7227 / oseg (&kz q11 -Is�U 1/j +/ tlu4e 1wc)ec? C - 4e x5,19 Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/ phone Date q2 v 160ypl qll,�11,7 1pf Ito IL4 /) A IQ 462, if 14 9v c4t /)c, w T—b q I 07 VNM V- 4 'Fph re, Wg 9682-3 r try �� 6 Boy I rA L '[4t, Wd 436 -b 12 Cl AD L 4 s+f",36� 6im I') cow 4A 0) &K -1-77 /3 IS -1Z 6 4 Sw v gako i V 4 3-/ "1 4,tjr -1105ok Lo", f-1vif Oc011'A LO -KC Aol. clov.? T Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Date Advisory Vote: The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east 8 y`1 8l�jr✓ of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the United Stats Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of fGW1 County I 0 Z " The creation of Liberty State should be: O RejectedXApproved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a vote. Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date I CA I `� rU w � ai3 55 q 3 8 y`1 8l�jr✓ /')�2ozo I 0 Z " no Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Advisory Vote: The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the United States Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of County The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a vote. :J � � : ��, l�c.�� .�, t. , ►.�.. �l.� NTIk �.1. �"I�.l ita s,l r i9, MJA :J Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Advisory Vote: The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the U *ted States Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of 7 _ County The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot fora vote. Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date S Zvi_ / U I?G ? �%, h ►'tet �q � 1 - % 0 --- 6 9 J 7 676 ill rZo r Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot r Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Date Advisory Vote: --�) �• 3 1 ,s.-� The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the United States Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of County The creation of Liberty State should be: ejecte —_ , Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a vote. Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date `, � '✓ j y,- A --�) �• 3 1 ,s.-� /"FlC��+ �•'�-i/rte, 'yam -,7r �� ter+ A' . . ,..J✓ "�1 t � � k)(.Ifaz( /Z0 5w,,1< X05 Mss-;�-a�� �► 4 'iA i Ww, �V-"�- & 2� �7-\���{ Q S - goo C a� Aff, 1�\3s�(,a1k, hlAc i r-tk-tayme . V F3 a�0° COW` `{ `j Cs 1 28/2v Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Date Advisory Vote: The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east Svc>_ 7 St>- at 70 of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the United Sta es Constitution. This vote is an _l 1 C / �� expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of Gr alp County �•�� s�v� 1�`SJ The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected 1S Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a vote. Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date UA Svc>_ 7 St>- at 70 _l 1 C / �� " �•�� s�v� 1�`SJ ry 7s() �iy "z� cora 2-3 "� -7 y 6 7� G -15 , C6rt� t� C -a 247 4.1 C7 es f Ip 0 2Zto31 SC 3S(e� ��87, 0-,r "(1, 5 'yam - POf30-/a.7 wc_ soe� 3� 3SZ7 i-v-�-z Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Date Advisory Vote: Lain. The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east �>, _Z� (AZ LD V ali of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the ited States Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of County �-No The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a 1. 0 vote. Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date ►�l Lain. �atu ft yl-1Of- �>, _Z� (AZ LD V ali (1 ,C �-No nu Z6",� A I MA 1. 0 ) q5a 3 s lbw 7®r- reitbld--)�2 qi-suw . cza ��(04 L� �aAdS, 4 1S/ Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date jqa x Ifa -� t� rl � a� log S U �jQNNC.,� �G� w�uk _ �C-1��.✓t�% Ne -r 1-G g arm 0`�_7? ✓ 3 711 (ol 1(o d-0 iwuA q 'Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot i+ a petition, Ihts ariUcn b}Ilff,. 1'!.(11'1.1: of the prnposctl ~tale of I.ihertt, that $till rcgoc,t till- gryOrwJ t ouuh ( ommi%%ioners to place Ad,. ison' VOW on file Ile%[ bultol. 1dt icon Yolc: I hL 'AAW Irpi"lalurc Ila" introduced .1 1)[0111P,111 Ill LI -011C I.iherlp ~sue Iron, Ili(. 'U Wa.hinplott St,itr r uunui , r,r-,1 of the Ca,cadc OoNl I hit, it, purau,ud to Arm lc 4, Fcctirut 1, 01 the• 1 Initcd Stntc, Comttudnul I hi ,rule r, •ui cxpnr.tihnt of file trill of the people to the t•orunq County I he creation of I.ihcrt) SWte',hould he: O Rejected hJ Appiuvrd for We, the undersigned, are concerned dtliens who urge our Ic*ader, to ert now to put tills IYAW on the next ballot 1`01 a w vole. Dake onsture Address Comment/small/phone I �� SUr-I- 70-7- - -2zo- b4A S 6L 34, /L d4 c� Ca �z �' V s V ,V) / n I �✓ 1 `�/ l /�� IA11 i v aa&- � t 59991 .� L a d _ 2 C21 -(7 -?!/r 1-� 0 s �� Ul q12 C Lto FTMMP--WAK � Divide Washington State? We th'Ink so! i f t ►'1 ' t t �,1' t t� + fz': 1 i f Join the effort that MIN % of Eastern WA residents support! 74 www.libertystate.org Liberty State If you are fed up like we are then join us! Please help us become the 51s' State! It is time to #LEXIT The Facts 1,593,830 Liberty ("E. WA") population (2016 census) $67656,7197385 Amount Liberty ("E. WA") accumulated in 2016 between Gross Operating Costs, Transportation Taxes, & Federal Aid Compared Liberty's Agricultural Rankings Nation Wide 1,695,178 Idaho population (2016 census) $7,294,608,00 Amount Idaho accumulated in 2016 between Gross Operating Costs, Transportation Taxes, & Federal Aid 1st Place Apples I Concord Grapes I Pears I Sweet Cherries I Hops 2nd place Potatoes I Wine I Onions Edible Peas I Apricots I Lentils 3rd Place Hay 4th Place Wheat Other Resources Found Around Liberty • Mines — 27th in Non -Fuel Mineral Production (This would Increase) • Forests — 9" in Total Forest Land. • Hydropower — 91h in Total Energy Production, and Supplies Electricity to 11 States • Cattle — 29th in Total Cows • Data Storage • Tourism • Manufacturing Dedra I Osborn From: Holmes, Stuart <stuart.holmes@sos.wa.gov> Sent: Monday, July 20, 2020 9:11 AM To: Dedra J. Osborn Subject: RE: Number of Names on a Petition Dedra, That 259,622 number would be for an initiative petition to the legislature or initiative petition to the people. Any other initiative petition wouldn't be handled by us. So for example, if they wanted to petition the federal government, I'm not aware of any way to do that other than collecting signatures as a show of support. Stuart Holmes I VoteWA Support Manager Office of the Secretary of State (360) 725-5794 1 www.vote.wa.gov At The information in this email is provided as a service to the public and to our county election partners and is for informational purposes only. The contents should not be construed as, and is not intended to be, legal advice. You should contact your attorney for assistance navigating the law. From: Dedra J. Osborn [mailto:dosborn@grantcountywa.gov] Sent: Monday, July 20, 2020 9:08 AM To: Holmes, Stuart <stuart.holmes@sos.wa.gov> Subject: RE: Number of Names on a Petition Stuart: The amount 259,622 is what I tell them for a petition to make Eastern Washington a separate state? Dedra From: Holmes, Stuart[mailto:stuart.holmes@sos.wa.gov] Sent: Monday, July 20, 2020 9:04 AM To: Dedra J. Osborn <dosborn@grantcountywa.gov> Subject: RE: Number of Names on a Petition Dedra, For initiatives filed in 2017 through 2020 - Based on the number of votes cast for the office of Governor at the last regular state gubernatorial election, the number of signatures required is: 259,622. Stuart Holmes I VoteWA Support Manager Office of the Secretary of State (360) 725-5794 1 www.vote.wa.gov �jLQ 1 V v ,� TOTAL REVENUE A comparison of Idaho and Eastern Washington SIMILAR ECONOMIES Al can be found by $9.59 Billion comparing $10.04 Billion (2018 revenue) ID & E. WA (2018 revenue) Liberty state is economically viable The government of Liberty State will be significantly smaller than its current structure of operation There is more than enough revenue to run Liberty State, contrary to other opinion LIBERTY STATE Find out more at LibertyState.org ID E. WA 2017 8.866 $9* 15B 2018 $9.596 $10.046 SIMILAR ECONOMIES Al can be found by $9.59 Billion comparing $10.04 Billion (2018 revenue) ID & E. WA (2018 revenue) Liberty state is economically viable The government of Liberty State will be significantly smaller than its current structure of operation There is more than enough revenue to run Liberty State, contrary to other opinion LIBERTY STATE Find out more at LibertyState.org PROPERTY TAX Does Liberty State need it? Significance to Liberty State Since WA as a whole collects slightly less in property taxes than Idaho, Liberty State (current area of Eastern Washington) would collect substantially less than Idaho if property tax rates remain in effect. A A $1.8 Billion ID $1.7 Billion WA Would Liberty State have enough teff to operate without a property tax? YES! Idaho redistributes over twice as much in sales tax to local governments than Washington. Since Washington collects much but returns little, withholding 5.24% more in sales tax than Idaho, this difference could easily subsitute the amount that Liberty State would not collect in property tax. LIBERTY STATE Find out more at LibertyState.org Redistribution of sales tax to local governments D 5.26% Liberty State A Financial Profile of Eastern Washington David H. Isakson II Table of Contents Acknowledgments............................................... Introduction.................................................... ..........2 ..........3 Revenues............................................................................................................................................... 4 SalesTax............................................................................................................5 PropertyTax........................................................................................................6 Revenue V Expenditures..........................................................................................7 EastVs West Sides................................................................................................9 Industry............................................................................................................10 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................12 Sources............................................................................................................13 Acknowledgments I would like to thank Dani Bolyard for her professionalism and candor. State Representative Matt Shea for his patience and interest in this booklet even though it took way longer that it probably should have. Introduction This booklet is intended to answer some of the financial aspects of forming a new State. When I joined the Liberty State Movement I felt that there was very little information available particularly on the financial side of things. Though Matt Shea, a legislator for the Fourth Legislative District of Washington State, did a wonderful job of summarizing and comparing financial and population information. I felt that it was lacking substance, though to be fair that was beyond the scope of the summary. However, if the idea of a new State was to be sold to the masses and garner support from financial backers, politics is an expensive business, more than just a summary would be necessary to sell it. Since Matt and his team are busy with their jobs at the Legislative level it would be up to individuals involved with the cause to come up with the required information. Thus I took it upon myself to begin collecting data to build a financial profile of Eastern Washington. This booklet is the result of that work, all of the information contained herein comes from official Washington State Sources, DOR (Department of Revenue), OFM (Office of Financial Management), etc. I have deliberately avoided third party/non-government websites so as not to raise any suspicion of bias or other suspicions for inaccuracy. The only exception being the National Association of State Budget Officers for comparison of State Expenditures and certain estimates. Owing to the act that I am only human inevitably there maybe some errors that have crept into the data due to inaccurate data obtained, rounding, or just plain human error. But I have striven to be as accurate as possible in my collection and presentation of the data. Some of the data I obtained was in PDF(Portable Document Format) format and thus I had to copy and paste the data into a text editor then delimit said data in order to convert it into a spread sheet. All totals and other calculations were done using a spread sheet to avoid data entry errors such as transposing numbers. This booklet is not intended to be all inclusive but to show the financial viability in as much detail as possible whilst not overloading the reader with an orgy of information. But it is my intent to package all the raw data I have used and make it publicly available on-line. You the reader should make your own conclusions of the information presented in this booklet. It is my sincere hope that you find the information herein to be informative as well as persuasive. Whether you believe that Eastern Washington should break off from Western Washington and form its own state or not. This booklet here should lay to rest any argument against financial viability. Revenue Eastern Washington's Revenue generation is comparable to Idaho. Year State Actual Revenues 2017 Idaho $8,859,627,905 2017 Eastern WA $9,146,389,082 Year State Est. Revenues 2018 Idaho $9,586,117,393 2018 Eastern WA $10,042,735,212 Note: All revenues include federal revenue distributions to the states Revenue Sources Eastern Washington Idaho Sales Tax $1,897,504,960 Property $1,798,181,187 State Levy $299,862,636 Sales, Income Tax, Etc $4,352,272,718 Other Levies $1,516,604,115 Federal Funding $2,709,174,000 Real Estate State $959,292,466 Real Estate Local $353,981,241 B$O + Put Est $871,837,600 Other Tax Est. $676,391 Federal Funding Est. $3,246,629,673 Note on Federal Funding: Federal funds are distributed on a Per Capita basis, that is for each person living within the state. The federal funding estimate is based upon the 2015 Per Capita payment of $2,037 and an East Side population of 1,593,829 persons. 4 Sales Tax One of the first objections to forming a new State on the East Side of Washington is that we would be broke. But this objection has no basis in fact and is purely conjecture. Source documents from the Washington Department of Revenue and the Idaho Tax Commission bear out a different story: • Sales Tax Eastern Washington $1.8 Billion • Sales Tax State of Idaho $1.6 Billion Both Washington and Idaho have comparable State Collected Sales Tax with 6.5% and 6% respectively and each State also has a Local Sales Tax on top of the State imposed Sales Tax. Additionally the distributions of State Sales Tax to local governments is different, 11.5% in Idaho compared to 1.26% of the total Washington Sales Tax of $10 Billion went to the East Side. If you compare only the East Side's $1.8 Billion that percentage goes up to 7% but that is just distributions to County Governments. See Chart 1. State Distributions of Sales Tax 5% of State Sales Tax 1.26% of State Sales Tax ■ East Side Distribu- tions • Vest Side Distribu- tions State Sales Tax Kept 94% of Sales Tax Kept by State Chart 1 above illustrates the Distributions of State Collected Sales Tax to the County Governments. The total Sales Tax collected by the State of Washington in 2017 is $10 Billion of that less than 6.5% overall is Distributed to the Counties. Compared to Idaho which generates only $100 Thousand less than Eastern Washington that distributes 11.5% of the State Collected Sales Tax to Counties and Cities. There are some who have conjectured that the East Side takes more than it contributes, just these facts presented here disproves that conjecture. 5 Property Tax There are a number of Property Tax Levies in the State of Washington the following table represents the total levies collected for 2017. Levi Type Collected State $299,862,636 General $210,498,543 Roads $103,931,384 Cities $207,579,811 Local School $652,745,235 Library $41,986,506 Hospital $27,380,239 Fire Protection $123,893,996 Port $21,085,297 Emergency Services $28,956,072 Other $8,688,928 Totals $1,726,608,647 This is on par with Idaho's Property Taxes of $1,798,181,187 for 2017 which does not have the same levy structure as Washington State. C.1 Revenue Vs. Expenditures The following tables show a comparison of revenues to expenses between Idaho and both East and West Washington. It should be noted that the difference column does not necessarily mean that a budget surplus exists. 0 2017 Actual State Rev Exp Dif Idaho $8,859,627,905 $7,471,000,000 $1,388,627,905 E. WA $9,146,389,082 $9,591,738,052 ($445,348,970) W. WA $35,235,964,765 $35,092,261,948 $143,702,817 2018 Estimated State Rev Exp Dif Idaho $9,586,117,393 $7,931,000,000 $1,655,117,393 E. WA $10,042,735,212 $9,827,216,895 $215,518,317 W. WA $38,689,089,312 $35,953,783,105 $2,735,306,207 0 A County by County look at Education in Eastern Washington County Revenue Expenditures Adams $57,368,079 $37,820,969 Asotin $38,474,371 $26,973,068 Benton $394,615,988 $280,496,985 Chelan $154,472,441 $106,220,052 Columbia $6,183,183 $4,408,505 Douglas $84,694,818 $57,363,399 Ferry $14,401,617 $8,836,089 Franklin $220,849,430 $164,106,305 Garfield $4,987,566 $3,414,294 Grant $241,384,835 $159,597,615 Klickitat $44,198,264 $29,857,284 Kitittitas $59,531,559 $39,488,458 Lincoln $31,641,814 $22,094,566 Okanogan $112,049,948 $79,386,147 Pend Oreille $21,506,911 $13,780,748 Spokane $865,218,789 $622,515,687 Stevens $79,279,373 $53,897,491 Walla Walla $108,896,779 $73,920,919 Whitman $61,078,350 $40,680,535 Yakima $619,889,782 $384,781,547 A Comparative of East Vs West Sides The following represent a breakdown of 2017 taxes of the East and West Sides of Washington State West Side East Side Tax Amount Tax Amount Sales Tax $8,199,893,585 Sales Tax $1,897,504,960 Sate Levy $1,813,324,690 Sate Levy $299,862,636 Other Levies $8,419,923,666 Other Levies $1,516,604,115 Real Estate State $959,292,466 Real Estate State $109,953,526 Real Estate Local $353,981,241 Real Estate Local $37,195,183 B&O + PUT est. $3,413,170,182 B&O + PUT est. $871,837,600 Other Tax est. $4,154,974 Other Tax est. $676,391 Federal Funding Est $11,336,305,327 Federal Funding Est $3,246,629,673 Total $34,500,046,131 Total $7,980,264,084 B&O + PUT Estimate: Estimated B&O and Public Utility Tax is based upon a percentage of the state wide total. Percentage is the ratio of East and West side Employers to total employers. Other Tax Estimate: Other taxes refer to several miscellaneous taxes which did not have a county by county breakdown of tax revenue generated within the public records, and is a conservative estimate of 14% of the state wide total. Federal Funding Estimate: Federal funding is apportioned on a per capita basis (per individual based on population estimates). Further more these federal dollars are from 2015 as the number for 2017 were unavailable. While the East Side generates approximately 21% of the total state revenue when compared to Idaho whose 2017 revenue generation is $8,859,627,905 including federal revenue disbursements. Data Not Included: This table does not include revenues generated from state gambling sales. While this data was made available via a freedom of information request the net revenue was statistically insignificant. The gambling act allows for taxation of gambling sales from taverns and clubs, the state it self does not impose a gambling tax. 9 Industry Strengths and Weaknesses Each side of the state has its own unique strengths and weaknesses in Industry but the potential for strengthening industry exists with proper incentives. Below is a side by side comparison of the top tree industries from both East and West. West Industry Rank East Industry Rank Government 1 Agric., Forestry, 1 Fishing & Hunting * Not Elsewhere Classified Professional & Tech. 2 Mining 2 Services Educational Services 3 Utilities 3 Information * Small Business In contrast Government ranks dead last on the East side and the exact same industries tied for the number one spot here in the East are tied for last place in the West. These rankings are based solely on the number of employers as listed in the county by county profiles for 2017 as provided by the Office of Financial Management. It should be worth noting that the reason for some of these Industries on the West side is stronger than the East side is due to the bulk of the infrastructure to support those industries is on the West side. But this also coincides with the fact that the West side has a higher population density with fewer rural areas where on the East side the opposite is true. If you look at the table below it shows the rankings of all the industries for Eastern Washington but I have no doubt that the lower ranking industries could benefit and increase their profitability with the right incentives. In order to figure out which incentives are needed I would recommend that we contact the industry leaders in the state and find out what challenges they would face in order to bring their business to the East side. One challenge that I am certain of which was brought to my attention while I was working at a Liberty State booth in Grant County was the Issue of Licensing. A business owner said that if he needed to pay for new licenses for his business it would cost him around $27,000. But this was just one issue that I was made aware of and should be addressed. Other issues need to be identified and the best way that I know of is to get our there and talk to the business owners and industry leaders. There is ample opportunity to strengthen other industries we just need to identify areas of contention with the industry leaders that would inhibit them from moving or setting up shop on the east side. Then address those issues. One aspect, taxation is addressed in the Revenues portion of this report. 10 East Side Industry Rankings for the State Industry Rank 1 2 3 4 5 Agric., Forestry, Fishing & Hunting/Not Elsewhere Classified Mining Utilities Transp. & Warehousing Health Care & Social Assistance Construction Manufacturing Accommodation & Food Services 6 Wholesale/Retail Trade Arts, Entertainment,& Recreation Fin., Ins., & Real Estate 7 Administrative & Waste Services 8 Mgmt of Companies & Enterprises Other Svcs, except Public Admin. 9 Information Educational Services 10 Professional & Tech. Services 11 Government 12 11 Conclusion It is clear from the data that a separation from Western Washington and the formation of a New State would not significantly impact Eastern Washington from a tax revenue stand point. There are a whole lot of unknowns and concerns; however, the fiscal viability is confirmed. Eastern Washington can survive without Western Washington, how well it can survive is dependent upon those of us on the Eastern Side of the Cascades. Clarifications and My Opinion The first thing that I would like to stress is that this entire work was done on my own and completely independent of the Liberty State Movement Team. I was not asked to compile this information nor was I paid for it. Yes, I have attended Liberty State events an even volunteered at these events. But I have not by any means been influenced by Matt Shea, the founder and state representative for the 4th legislative district. I mention this not because I wish to distance my self from Matt Shea, I DO NOT, but because I want to make absolutely clear that this work is as objective as I can possibly make it. Politics is a fickle business and I refuse to play the political game of character assassination as it is completely irrelevant to the topic of this booklet and an irrational argument against the Liberty State Movement. That been said, I wish express that I support the idea of forming a new state because I do not feel that Olympia has taken Eastern Washington seriously, nor do I believe they have our best interest at heart. Politically I consider my self independent with a moderate leaning to ward the conservative side and some liberal leanings as well, I will not elaborate further on this. I feel that the East Side despite the nay Sayers would best be served if we governed our selves free of the West Side's influence as there is a clear cultural difference between the two sides of the state. Final Note I submit this booklet in its entirety to the Liberty State Movement free of charge or copyright and grant them exclusive right to distribute this work in whole or in part by any means they see fit. I attest that I have taken great care to represent the data herein in as accurate manner as possible and have not deliberately tried to misrepresent anything, any inaccuracies is purely coincidental. David H Isakson II Author 12 Sources County Profiles from the Office of Financial Management for the State of Washington Website: https://www.ofm.wa.gov/ Tax information source comes from the Washington Department of Revenue Website: https://dor.wa.gov/ Idaho Tax information comes from the Idaho Tax Commission Website: https://tax.idaho.gov/ Federal Revenue sources comes from State & Local Government Finance Data Query System Website: http://slfdgs.taxpolicycenter.org/pages.cfm Petition to Add an Advisory Vote to This Year's Ballot Petition summary and This is a petition, written by WE THE PEOPLE of the proposed State of Liberty, that will request the background County Commissioners to place Advisory Vote on the next ballot. Advisory Vote: The state legislature has introduced a proposal to create Liberty State from the 20 Washington State counties east of the Cascade Crest. This is pursuant to Article 4, Section 3, of the United States Constitution. This vote is an expression of the will of the people to the County Commissioners of County The creation of Liberty State should be: O Rejected O Approved Action petitioned for We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to put this issue on the next ballot for a vote. Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date Printed Name Signature Address Comment/email/phone Date VIA E-MAIL EmMAILIED KIMBERLY A. A GRANT COUNTY CLERK and Clerk of the Superior Court Cheryl L. Hill -Roberson, Chief'DeputyClerk July 14, 2020 Grant County Board of County Commissioners P.O. Box 37 Ephrata, WA 98823 Dated this r day of rp 20.,526 Board of County Commissioners Grant County, Washington Approye Disapprove Abstain Dist # I Dist # 1 Dist # 1 Dist #2 ?Dist # 2 Dist # 2 Dist #3 Dist # 3 Dist # 3 Re: Consent Agenda Item — Office Furniture — Purchase Order 2020-00001 Dear Commissioners: Per County Policy 1503.8.1, 1 am seeking your secondary authorization for the purchase of furniture for my office. The funds for this project were budgeted and previously approved by you in the 2020 budget with the capital expenditure coming out of the Law & Justice fund. Please provide final authorization on the enclosed Purchase Order to proceed with this purchase. Thank you! Sincerely, GRANT COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE l Kimberly A. Allen :kaa Enclosures (CDA Proposal/Purchase Order) ___--hL-UE1VE0 JUL 14 2020 Grant County Clerk's Office, P.O. Box 37, Ephrata, WA 98823 509-754-2011 • 509-765-2160 • 800-572-0119 www.1grantcountywa.goy/clerk