Devin For The People

Category: Charter Review

  • My Platform: sheriff accountability and oversight

    My Platform: sheriff accountability and oversight

    I’m spending the next few weeks focusing on some of my key platform points, starting with sheriff accountability and oversight. In the coming weeks I’ll discuss expanding seats on the county council, enshrining protections for vulnerable residents, and making our commissions more powerful, democratic and accessible. Please read, share, and get involved!

    why we need sheriff accountability and oversight

    I recently read the Power of the Badge, the first political science history of Sheriffs as elected officials. It demonstrates that despite their rhetoric, elected Sheriffs are unaccountable, undemocratic and generally unchallenged. This creates issues throughout society -most notably for vulnerable communities– and means internal efforts at reform are infrequent, difficult and unsustainable.

    They are unaccountable because they have the unique ability to both make and enforce policy, which is primarily shaped by their ideological leanings and electoral goals. They are undemocratic because they often run unchallenged and turnout in Sheriff races is notoriously low – one of the reasons we now have our own right-wing, “Constitutional” Sheriff Keith Swank. And they are unchallenged because they generally hand-pick their successors and use both carrots and sticks to control competition. 

    We can start to overcome this with bold, simple reforms.

     As I shared at last week’s Indivisible Tacoma Candidate Forum, I support making the Sheriff appointed and creating a community oversight board with enforcement capacity, like King County recently did in their own charter process. The limited but growing data out there suggests these reforms can be helpful, and community oversight with enforcement has been shown to improve outcomes in police departments.

    But I also support more transformational reforms, including separating jailing from policing (which limits the incentive for Sheriffs to make revenue off of inmates), strengthening charter language around mental health, and creating a mental health commission. If implemented properly, these reforms signal a broader understanding of public safety and enable policing to focus on investigating actual crimes.

    Other Charter Review Candidates I’m Supporting

    As mentioned the last couple weeks, I don’t have a primary race, so I’m out and about supporting other candidates. I’ve had a wonderful time door knocking for Zev Cook and Latasha Palmer, both of whom I’ve endorsed for City Council and provide the kind of leadership this city needs. It’s essential that you vote in the primary to help elevate their progressive, people-powered campaigns.

    I’m also excited about many of the charter review candidates. There are 21 seats up for grab across the seven county districts, and dozens of candidates out there. It can be a little dizzying trying to keep track of them all. I generally align with Indivisible Tacoma’s endorsements if you need a cheat sheet. But I want to highlight some folks in particular.

    Here in District 4, I’m endorsing Jake Hunter for Seat 3 and Kate Ginn for Seat 1. They are both solid progressives who align with my values and fight hard, but also know how to build coalitions and compromise. Jake is a whip smart accountant and Kate is a childcare policy expert and already on the County’s Birth to 25 Commission. Maricres Valdez Castro and Thai Vo are also wonderful choices for District 4, Seat 1.
        
    I’ll be highlighting other areas of the county in coming weeks, where progressive candidates will face a much steeper uphill battle. Luckily, there are some great folks out there grounded in the labor movement and community organizing. Come back in future weeks to hear more

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  • Why my charter race matters

    In last week’s email, I noted how Pierce County’s charter review is an important but misunderstood part of our democracy. It only takes place every 10 years, it’s procedural and wonky, and the offices are short term and “non-partisan.” But it’s also where we decide how we pick leaders, how they govern, and how we relate to them for a decade. These are inherently political choices, and I promise to make sure our charter includes bold, inclusive language that fights Trumpist tyranny, protects vulnerable communities, and makes County Council accessible to all. That’s why my charter race matters!

    But this campaign isn’t just about winning the best charter language possible. It’s also about building a diverse, informed, working class base fighting to expand democracy, whether through the charter review process or in broader society. Real democracy goes far beyond voting, or even having strong principles in our governing documents. It must extend to our society, our homes, and our workplaces. 

    That’s why I’m treating my campaign as a political education project. My newsletters and socials will include links and information about issues most important to our community, how they relate to the charter, and how you can get involved. So please read every week!

    I’m starting with a recent four episode arc of my favorite Podcast, “The Dig,” where host Daniel Denvir interviews Professor Azia Rana on the US Constitution. They connect 250 years of constitutional interpretation in an accessible, powerful narrative, noting many state and local constitutions are more democratic than our founding documents, and that we must critically engage with our constitution to ensure it isn’t used to justify imperialism.

    They offer insights for progressives and workers to push for more democracy at all levels of government. Give it a listen, and support the Dig on Patreon.

    I need your help!

    It’s probably obvious that this campaign is different from most down ballot races. I want to spread these messages as far as possible, so I’m acting like it’s a higher profile race. I’ll be knocking, calling and texting, and sending mailers.

    I’d love to knock at least 5,000 doors in this race and send out 15,000 mailers. That’s far fewer than my 27th LD race, but still ambitious, and I’m estimating we need at least $15,000 to do this.   

    We need YOU to help get this message out. The three best ways to do this are joining me on doors (ideally in your neighborhood, if you’re in the district), endorsing my campaign, and donating what you can. No amount is too small but ideally you would give $25 or $50 a month. This helps get our transformational message out and gives us predictable income. Give today if you can, at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/devinforthepeople

     I’ll also be elevating other progressive charter review candidates in the coming months, and doing whatever I can to help ensure we have powerful voices for our diverse working class on the commission. Remember to vote in down ballot races! Remember to stay engaged! Remember to fight for a future that works for all!

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