Coach Brian Schmetzer, and Seattle Sounders FC legends Kasey Keller and Roger Levesque brought the MLS Cup and raised the Sounders flag at the Capitol Campus on Dec. 14, 2016.
Archives for December 2016
Restructuring services to better serve children and families
Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday outlined plans to restructure how state government serves at-risk families and children and create a new Department of Children, Youth and Families. The plans follow the recommendations of the bipartisan blue ribbon commission convened by the governor earlier this year.
The new agency, after a transition period, would oversee several services now offered through the state Department of Social and Health Services and the Department of Early learning. These include Child Protective Services, the Family Assessment Response program, child welfare case management, in-home support services, adoption support, out-of-home licensing functions and extended foster care for youth up to age 21.
DCYF will also administer programs offered by the Juvenile Rehabilitation office and the Office of Juvenile Justice in DSHS, starting in July 2019. These include juvenile rehabilitation institutions, community facilities and parole.
The governor detailed his plans during a visit to El Centro de la Raza in Seattle, which houses a preschool program serving children from low-income families. The program receives funding from the state’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program
Inslee’s visit to El Centro de la Raza caps off three days of rollouts of his budget. Tuesday, he unveiled his plan to fully fund K-12 education, proposing $3.9 billion in new funding for K-12 schools. Wednesday, he released his full budget proposal, which includes a major overhaul of the state’s mental health system. His budget also invests $27.8 million for considerable expansion of early learning, including 2,700 more preschool slots for children from low-income families. This follows historic early learning investments the governor championed and signed in 2015.
The governor is proposing the new agency because of concerns the state lacks a clear focus on the welfare of children and youth.
“We need greater accountability. We need greater visibility of children’s issues. We need fewer barriers to improving our practice. And we need a direct line to the governor on how we’re going to make children safer, healthier, more secure and connected to adults who care about them,” Inslee said.
The governor asked the blue ribbon commission to recommend the best ways to restructure services and create a state agency whose sole charge is to improve programs and outcomes for Washington’s children, youth and families.
State Rep. Ruth Kagi (D-Seattle), chair of the House Early Learning & Human Services Committee and co-chair of the blue ribbon commission, has been critical of earlier proposals to create a new agency but now fully supports the idea of an agency dedicated solely to children, youth and families.
“The way government is organized signals its priorities. This proposal restructures agencies serving high-risk children and families into one department that reports directly to the governor, is accountable for improving outcomes for children and families and can speak to their needs in the Legislature.”
Anne Levinson, a retired judge who served as the other blue ribbon commission co-chair, also supports the new agency.
“We know so much more about brain science and the risk factors that negatively impact healthy development. If we want more children and youth to thrive, we owe it to them to change systems and approaches that were created decades ago. And we owe it to the public to strengthen the collective impact of all services provided by the state to children, youth and families.”
DSHS has long been the state’s primary vehicle for serving children, youth and families. But it also plays a major role in a number of other areas, such as long-term care, the state psychiatric facilities, nutrition services and vocational rehabilitation, to name a few.
The governor said that putting all state children’s services in one agency will concentrate attention and resources on improving outcomes, promoting more accountability and heightening the prominence of children’s issues.
“It’s also a shift from reaction to prevention. We’ve all heard the saying, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’ Early intervention and support will reduce the chances of harm or further harm to children and increase the chances they can succeed in school and in life,” Inslee said.
Other states have had success with the approach the governor is proposing. New Jersey, Wisconsin and Tennessee, for example, have set up departments dedicated solely to serving children and families. These agencies have displayed more accountability and more easily instituted policy improvements while they spotlight the importance of these services to reach more families in need. Washington’s Legislature expressed interest in restructuring during the 2016 legislative session, prompting the governor to issue the executive order creating the blue ribbon commission.
To help ensure a smooth transition, a new Office of Innovation and Alignment will lead efforts to shape the new agency, starting July 1, 2017.
The governor’s budget includes funding to begin the transition planning for the new agency. While this funding is a relatively small part of the total budget, it is critical to getting the structure for DCYF in place. In 2018, the Children’s Administration programs will be transitioned to the new agency, followed by juvenile justice programs the following year.
DCYF will build on the state’s very successful approach to early learning. A decade ago, Washington created the Department of Early Learning to address the opportunity gap and increase kindergarten readiness by providing programs based on brain science. The new agency supports the governor’s commitment to closing that gap and ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed.
“Who Voted, Who Didn’t and Why?”
New Poll Commissioned by Craig Newmark Foundation Finds Disproportionate Impact of Voting Restrictions on Non-White and Young Voters
A new poll commissioned in the wake of the Presidential election by the Craig Newmark Foundation shows that efforts by some states to restrict access to the voting booth both legalistically and procedurally has had a disproportionate impact on non-white and younger voters. The poll, conducted both in states where voter restrictions have been introduced and those where they have not, suggests ways that the voices of people of color and younger voters have been effectively suppressed.
An infographic detailing the poll’s findings is available here.
“If we want a healthy democracy, we should be making it easier for everyone to vote, not harder,” said Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist, whose Craig Newmark Foundation sponsored the poll. “Long lines, restrictions on early voting, challenges by poll workers, registration glitches — all of it adds up to stifling a whole lot of people who both want to participate and have a right to participate.”
“America’s voting system is crumbling under the weight of outdated technology and unfair new voting restrictions. It’s time to come together to fix it,” added Wendy Weiser, director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. “We need to invest in our critical election infrastructure. New voting machines should be a top priority to boost security and reduce congestion at the polls. Automatic voter registration would help streamline our elections, adding millions to the rolls and increasing accuracy.”
Key poll findings include:
* Nearly 1 out of 3 voters of all races (31%) said they couldn’t get time off from work to vote. It was even more often the case for Blacks (41%) and Hispanics (34%), but only 30% for Whites.
* Hispanic voters were two times more likely to wait in line for 30-60+ minutes to vote than White voters were.
* 14% of Hispanic voters said their eligibility to cast a vote was questioned by officials – the same percentage as White and Black voters combined.
*While many eligible voters of all races intentionally did not vote, there were significant numbers of potential voters who wanted to cast a ballot but for various reasons were unable to. This included, among those who didn’t vote, nearly half of Hispanic voters (47%) and (42%) of Blacks, as compared to less than a third (29%) of Whites.
* Black and Hispanic voters were nearly two times more likely than White voters to have their eligibility challenged and required to submit provisional ballots.
* Among voters of all races, the age-group most frequently asked to submit provisional ballots were Millennials — almost 1 out of 4 (24%) were challenged. By contrast, only 6% of Boomers and 2% of Silent/Greatest voter groups were required to submit provisional ballots.
* Two times more Hispanic voters than White voters were harassed or called derogatory names before the election. With Facebook being where the harassment/name-calling took place. And most harassment came from family and friends.
The poll was conducted by Rad Campaign and Lincoln Park Strategies in late November and polled 3,050 Americans online and 450 Americans by phone in Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Arizona, as well as the following counties: Mecklenburg (NC), Harris (TX), Orange (FL), Duval (FL), and Broward (FL). California and Minnesota voters were also polled as control states.
Yahoo Data Breach Presents Opportunity for Strong Response Credit Freezes Remain Only Prevention of New ID Theft
Yahoo Data Breach Presents Opportunity for Strong Response
Credit Freezes Remain Only Prevention of New ID Theft
Statement by Bruce Speight at WashPIRG Foundation, on latest announced Yahoo data breach.
“The latest announcement of a data breach affecting more than one billion Yahoo accounts over three years after the fact raises even more troubling questions about how the breach was able to take place, especially after a breach of at least 500,000 accounts in 2014, and why it took so long to discover and announce. Although it failed its responsibility to protect its users, Yahoo has an opportunity to provide the most consumer friendly response to likely the largest breach of its kind by alerting its users to the benefits of credit freezes and offering to pay for credit freezes with all three major national credit bureaus.
The types of stolen information, which appear to include names, emails addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, passwords, and in some cases, encrypted or unencrypted security questions and answers, do not appear to be the types of information that can directly be used to commit existing or new account identity theft.
However, the information stolen in this breach could be used to “phish” or gather additional information that can be used to access existing credit accounts or create new credit accounts. Everybody, whether they have a Yahoo account or not, should be on the lookout for suspicious emails asking for verification of or submission of even more personal information.
It is imperative that Yahoo’s response to this breach not fall through the cracks as its acquisition by Verizon Communications is finalized. We agree with Yahoo in recommending its users change passwords and security questions they might have reused for other online accounts and be on the lookout for suspicious activity on other online accounts.
Yahoo should also alert its users to the benefits of credit freezes and offer to pay for credit freezes with all three major national credit bureaus. Such a response would be the most consumer friendly response to a major data breach and would be a huge advancement for identify theft prevention in our country. Due to huge marketing pushes by credit monitoring services that only alert consumers to fraud after the fact, most Americans are not aware that they can actually prevent id thieves from opening new credit accounts in their names in the first place by placing freezes on their credit accounts at all three national credit bureaus. Credit freezes help prevent new account identity theft because they keep potential creditors from seeing consumer credit history, without which new accounts are typically not opened.
More information about placing credit freezes is available at http://uspirg.org/reports/usf/why-you-should-get-security-freezes-your-information-stolen
New Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities Report to be Released December 29, 2016 Preliminary data shows a dramatic spike in firearms-related line-of-duty deaths. Expert available for live or taped interviews.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund will release a new report on Thursday, December 29, 2016, with preliminary data revealing a significant increase in law enforcement officer fatalities during the past year, including a dramatic spike in firearms-related deaths, a number of which were horrific ambush attacks.
The report will also detail the number of officers killed in traffic-related incidents, as well as deaths due to other causes. The report will provide preliminary data showing circumstances of fatal shootings, trends in traffic-related fatalities, details of deaths due to causes other than traffic and firearms, and other demographic and jurisdictional data points.
WHAT:
Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities Report providing preliminary officer fatality data for 2016. The report will be available online atwww.LawMemorial.org/FatalitiesReport.
WHEN:
Thursday, December 29, 2016
WHO:
Craig W. Floyd, Memorial Fund President & CEO, is available for live or taped interviews to discuss the report and provide insight.
About the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
Established in 1984, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to telling the story of American law enforcement and making it safer for those who serve. The Memorial Fund built and now operates and maintains the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, which contains the names of 20,789 officers who have died in the line of duty throughout U.S. history. The Memorial Fund is now building the National Law Enforcement Museum, which will tell the story of American law enforcement through high-tech, interactive exhibitions, historical artifacts and extensive educational programming. For more information, visit www.LawMemorial.org.
Seattle Seahawks defense leads the way in 24-3 win over Los Angeles Rams
The Seattle Seahawks (9-4-1) clinched their fourth NFC West Division title under head coach Pete Carroll with a stout defensive effort that jumped kicked a sluggish offense to a 24 to 3 win over Division rivals Los Angeles Rams.
The Seattle defense answered the call to action early and oftenThursday night. The inspired Seahawks defense stopped the Rams offense on its first possession of the game.Unfortunately, the Seahawks offense continued its sleepwalking routine from last Sunday’s lethargic showing at Green Bay and self-destructed after getting two false start penalties on its first possession of the game and promptly punted the ball back to the Rams.
The Rams offense looked liked it would be first to score when Jared Goff drove the team down to the Seattle seven yard line but was unable to go any further as the Seattle defense held the Rams Todd Gurley to no gain on a 4th down and one.
INSPIRED SEATTLE OFFENSE
The defensive stand woke up the Seattle offense from its sleepwalk routine and the unit promptly marched 93 yards down the field and broke the scoreless deadlock when Russell Wilson hit Luke Wilson on an 8-yard pass play to give the Seahawks the 7-0 lead with 12:27 left in the first quarter. The Seattle defense held the Rams to a three and out and the Seahawks increased their lead to 10-7 on a 48-yard field goal by Steven Hauschka. The Rams offense found its rhythm right before half and narrowed the Seattle lead to 10-7 on a 36-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein.
FIRST HALF REPEAT
The Seattle offense sputtered coming out of the halftime break punted. Just like the first half the Seattle defense stood tall and forced a Rams Punt. And right on cue the offense marched 62 yards and scored on a one-yard pass play when Russell Wilson found a wide open Doug Baldwin for the Touchdown to stretch Seattle lead to 17-3. The Seattle defense continued it’s dominance of the Rams offense and the Seahawks offense clicked once again and put the game out of reach when Russell Wilson made it three touchdowns for the day when he hit Tyler Lockett on a 57-yard pass play to complete the scoring at 24-3.
While the game was a bounce back for the team as a whole, the improved one game performance was a point of satisfaction for Wilson who’s performance was a far cry from last Sunday’s career low performance.
TAKEAWAYS
This is a difficult team to figure out in that you never really know what you are going to get outside of hard and determined effort. Outside of the Carolina game, there is no other game where the team executed in all phases of the game. The 40 to 7 win over the Panthers was followed by a lackluster 38-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The win over the Panthers came on the heels of an unexplainable 5-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The question that has and continues to loom is, can this team string together a two or three-game win streak and create some momentum heading into the postseason? Seattle’s last two games are at home Dec 24th vs the 4-10 Arizona Cardinals and January 1st at the 1-12 San Francisco 49ers.
Deputy Director – Position Description The REACH Center – Tacoma, WA, United States
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Effective November 2016 Organization Description: The REACH Center works with nearly 3,000 at-risk youth and young adults ages 16-24 each year to provide them with educational opportunities, career development, peer mentoring, and other supportive services. REACH has a strong track record of leveraging institutional partnerships to serve young people, and coordinates programs that annually place over 500 people in jobs, graduate 50 students on average from GED classes, and provide permanent housing for up to 75 youth experiencing homelessness. REACH is at the forefront of youth development, career readiness, and the fight against youth homelessness in the Greater Puget Sound Region. The work of the REACH Center contributes to positive systems change and has sparked interest in widespread replication of the REACH service delivery model. Position Description: The REACH Center is seeking a dynamic and experienced operational leader to work under the supervision of the REACH Center Director to ensure that REACH Center policies, procedures, facilities, and partnerships function to maximum efficiency and impact on behalf of regional youth and young adults. The Deputy Director supervises a talented and dedicated team of intake, outreach, and program coordination staff and manages the logistical operation of REACH and the activities of the many partnering organizations co-located at REACH. The Deputy Director serves as a spokesperson for REACH to the community—including foundations, elected officials, compliance managers, and nonprofit, education, and business leaders—and as lead site supervisor in the absence of the Director. The Deputy Director will also take on special projects related to organizational growth as they become available. Responsibilities:
Experience Required and Desirable Skills:
Salary Range: $50,000-55,000 per year, depending on qualifications. This is a grant-funded position and its continuation beyond the fall of 2018 is contingent on acquisition of new funding sources. How to Apply: Email a cover letter, your resume, and three professional references to: [email protected] In your cover letter, please address the following questions:
Additional Information: The REACH Center is a partnership project of Tacoma Community House. While all work-related duties will be performed at and for The REACH Center, this position will be filled by Tacoma Community House, one of the longest-serving nonprofits in Tacoma. Tacoma Community House is committed to increasing the diversity of its staff and clients and to strengthening sensitivity to diversity throughout the agency. TCH is an equal opportunity employer and service provider and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, religion, creed, disability, national origin, political or union affiliation, marital status, sexual orientation, Vietnam era veteran status or other non bona fide job requirement. Applicants in need of accommodations are encouraged to call (253) 383-3951. Tacoma Community House is an equal opportunity employer. |
Washington Huskies fall to Nevada 87-85
The University of Washington Huskies Men’s basketball (4-5) team is in deep waters and needs to do a quick dog paddle before the season ends before it begins. The Huskies have lost four straight nonconference games and are below .500 with three nonconference contest left before the Jan 1. The pac-12 opener against Washington State.
After a 27 -point beat down by Gonzaga last Wednesday, the Huskies suffered a disappointing 87 to 85 buzzer beater to Nevada at home.
Marcus Marshall hit an off-balance 15-footer with less than a second remaining to give Nevada an 87-85 victory over Washington on Sunday night.
Marshall was unable to shake the defense of Washington’s Matisse Thybulle, but was able to get the off-balanced attempt off and slide it over the rim with 0.2 seconds remaining, giving the Wolf Pack their second win this season over a Pac-12 school.
Washington (4-5) had rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit and pulled even at 85-85 with 12 seconds left on two free throws by Markelle Fultz.
Marshall finished with a game-high 32 points on 11-of-24 shooting, including three huge baskets in the final four minutes. D.J. Fenner added 16 of his 20 points in the second half for Nevada (8-2).
Fultz and David Crisp both finished with 21 points for Washington.
MLS Champions Seattle Sounders to hold Parade
Seattle Sounders FC will hold a parade and rally to celebrate the teams first ever MLS Cup Championship. The Sounders beat Toronto FC 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out Saturday night in Toronto. Here are the parade details.
Seattle Sounders FC announced further details concerning the route and timing for its MLS Cup Champions March and Rally. The event celebrates the team’s historic MLS Cup victory, which was secured on Saturday night in a penalty-kick shootout over Toronto FC and is set to take place on Tuesday, December 13 throughout downtown Seattle.
The march portion of the event kicks off at 11:00 a.m. PT at Westlake Park on Fourth Avenue and Pine Street. The championship Sounders FC players and coaches are then set to travel via Emerald City Trolleys north along Fourth Avenue, turning right on Cedar Street to continue north on Fifth Avenue before heading west at Thomas Street and onto Seattle Center grounds.
Sounders FC Supporters’ Groups and Alliance Council are set to lead the procession of player and coach trolleys, which are then followed by representatives from Sounders FC’s Academy teams. The Sound Wave Band brings up the rear of the march and, as the band passes, fans lined along the road are encouraged to file in behind and march along to the rally grounds at Seattle Center. Fans may also choose to proceed directly to Seattle Center for the team rally.
The rally portion of the event is scheduled for 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. PT on the Fisher Lawn and fountain mall at Seattle Center. This location holds special meaning for Sounders FC, as the team hearkens back to its original NASL roots by rallying with fans in celebration of its first MLS Cup Championship at the foot of the Space Needle, where the club began playing its games at Memorial Stadium in 1974.
At the rally, Sounders FC play-by-play voice Matt Johnson serves as emcee of the celebration and Mayor Ed Murray, King County Executive Dow Constantine and Congressman Jim McDermott are set to be in attendance to briefly address Sounders FC’s accomplishment as it applies to both the City of Seattle and the State of Washington.
Sounders FC players and coaches are scheduled to be introduced and present the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy to the city and region that have supported the club since its inception.
Those planning daily travel in the areas affected by march and rally plans should be aware of scheduled road closures and take advantage of alternate routes as necessary. A full list of road closures and times is scheduled to be available later this afternoon.
SOUNDERS FC MLS CUP CHAMPIONS MARCH AND RALLY
- WHAT: Sounders FC MLS Cup Champions March and Rally – celebrating Seattle Sounders FC’s historic 2016 MLS Cup title
- WHEN: Tuesday, December 13 – March set to begin at 11:00 a.m. PT from Westlake Park and Rally planned for 12:30 p.m. PT kickoff at Seattle Center
- WHERE: March procession begins at Westlake Park from Fourth Avenue and Pine and turns right down Cedar Street, continues north on Fifth Avenue before proceeding west at Thomas Street past the Museum of Pop Culture and onto Seattle Center grounds. Rally is being held on the Fisher Lawn and fountain Mall at Seattle Center, in the shadow of the Space Needle
City of Seattle seeks African American Elders
The Seattle Mayor’s Council on African American Elders (MCAAE) is currently seeking candidates to fill eight open positions, beginning in January 2017. The MCAAE pro- motes quality of life for African American elders through- out the greater Seattle area.
Council members are appointed by Seattle Mayor Ed Mur- ray to serve renewable two-year terms. Council members can reside in Seattle or elsewhere in King County and must be willing to serve without compensation.
To be considered for appointment to the MCAAE, please send a letter of interest and resume to:
Seattle Human Services Department Karen Winston, Planner
PO Box 34215
Seattle, Washington 98124-4215
The Murray administration is committed to promoting di- versity in the City’s boards and commissions. Women, per- sons with disabilities, sexual minorities, and persons of color are encouraged to apply.
For more information, visit the MCAAE webpage at www.seattle.gov/mcaae and Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MCAAE or contact Karen Winston at 206-684-0706 or [email protected]
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