Local Seattle activist Tim Eyman’s latest, Initiative 1033, threatens basic services such as education and health care that are vital to the APA community. According to the governor’s budget office, the initiative would reduce state general fund revenues that support education, human services, health care, environmental programs, and general government by an estimated $5.9 billion by 2015.

Because of the economic recession, the state has already slashed education funding by $1.5 billion, forcing school districts to lay off as many as 3,000 teachers and education employees. If passed, I-1033 would take away even more resources from our kids and our schools.

Despite a growing senior population, funds for nursing homes, in-home care, and adult day services are being cut, and 40,000 working adults will lose health insurance under the state’s Basic Health Plan. Eyman’s initiative will make our healthcare crisis even worse.

I-1033 will make it much harder for us to dig out of the recession. The worst recession since the Great Depression has already cost our state thousands of jobs and forced budget costs to basic services. If passed, I-1033 will force deeper cuts and lock them in for years, meaning more job losses, more hard times for Washington families, and a much longer road to economic recovery.

The Asian Pacific American community relies heavily on state funding for services that are crucial to refugees and immigrants, such as bilingual education, programs for at-risk youth, medical interpretation, job training for limited English-proficient persons, naturalization services, and mental health services for persons not eligible for Medicaid. All of these vital services would be threatened if I-1033 were to pass this November.

I-1033 uses the same failed formula as the “TABOR” law passed in Colorado, which led to deep cuts to public schools, children’s healthcare, roads, and highways. It did so much damage to the state that in 2005, Coloradans voted to suspend the law.

The Asian Pacific Islander Coalition (APIC) has fought hard every year to get funding for vital services to Asian Pacific Americans, especially for refugees and immigrants. All of these important services would be in jeopardy if I-1033 were to be approved in November. APIC urges the Asian Pacific American community to vote “No” on I-1033 this November.

Sincerely,
Vickie Asakura
Sutapa Basu
Teresita Batayola
Alaric Bien
Stella Chao
George Cheung
Debadutta Dash
Bob Hasegawa
Elaine Ishihara
Alma Kern
Tanya Kim
Elaine Ko
Tony Lee
Kristina Logsdon
Diane Narasaki
Mark Okazaki
Lan Pham
Lua Pritchard
Shari Song
Al Sugiyama
Sorya Svy
Frieda Takamura
Josephine Tamayo Murray
Thao Tran
Kim Tran
Maiko Winkler-Chin