May 5
Seattle Sites of the Day:

Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste
- About PCUN
- Pestcides

"Farmworkers and Pesticides - The agricultural industry has convinced lawmakers to exclude farmworkers from federal and state labor legislation... farmworkers often are forced to tolerate unsafe working conditions for fear of losing their job."

"Workers apply carcinogenic pesticides using little or no protective gear and suffer exposure from aerial spraying and improper storage."

"The use of pesticides, even according to label directions, has resulted in thousands of poisonings of farm workers and their families. Farm workers suffer the highest rate of chemical-related illness of any occupational group."

"The Project has... video-taped dozens of unsafe practices... In 1997, we filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency to challenge the registration of 'Ronilan', documented to cause infertility, prostrate and ovarian cancers. In December 1999, we filed a complaint with Federal OSHA and Region X of EPA regarding Oregon OSHA's failure to adequately enforce regulations pertaining to farmworkers."

Washington Association of Community and Migrant Health Centers

"These health centers serve low income and other persons with limited access to health care. As a membership organization, WACMHC's mission is to promote health and human services for the underserved people in Washington State.

"It is also WACMHC's mission to help ensure that all Washingtonians have access to primary health care, regardless of geographic location, nationality, or income level."

Community Health Network of Washington
Community Health Clinics in King County

"Community Health Plan was established in 1992 by 21 Washington Community and Migrant Health Centers that have been serving low income people, minorities and under-served populations for 30 years."

Health Care 2000 - Initiative 725

Proponents of I-725 are gathering signatures. This site presents their proposed financing reforms. The plan's backers claim that:

"The initiative will create a financing system to cover all Washington residents, regardless of income, employment, or health status."

In a letter to the editor in the April Seattle JACL newsletter, Robert Shimabukuro writes, in part:

"I had heard the moans and groans from other parents checking out schools for their kids, but I didn't know what they were going through until I was faced with the same situation... It should be obvious to the most casual observer that some schools and communities in Seattle are getting shortchanged...

"... few rocket scientists and brain surgeons will be coming out of southend schools unless drastic changes in policy are made and carried out. ... It has to do with recognizing the inequities and doing something about it. ... Nobody is mentioning the words racism or classism anymore, but they obviously should be.

"... where is the outrage over the state of the school itself, regardless of the name? ... Could the lack of outrage possibly be because the student body is 88% non-white? Could it possibly be because 71% of the school's students are on free or reduced lunch? ... Somebody, convince me that this isn't about race and money. ...

"Show that you care, that you really are concerned about the students. Show some support, along with dig deep-down heartfelt dollars, to help turn the school around, to help the community around the school in improving Aki Kurose Middle School. And when the school starts producing not only rocket scientists and brain surgeons, but well-informed, thinking students, prepared for high school, we can all rejoice together."

May 20 - 23
CPSR Conference:
Shaping the Network Society