The hospitality industry has a lot riding on this ballot.
Tomorrow is Election Day, and I would encourage you and your team to get out and vote.
State Initiative 2066
Our biggest issue this election season is Initiative 2066. This will clearly make a statement on whether Washington state is going to protect natural gas and make a smooth transition to a more sustainable world.
We’re urging a yes vote to preserve energy choices. There’s a reason we were able to get 540,000 signatures in a record amount of time, so quickly, and that’s because people really want that energy choice.
Natural gas provides energy and warmth to over a million homes here in Washington and jobs and security to more than 100,000 businesses. Washington already has the cleanest energy grid in the country. Preserving that option does nothing to disincentivize the choices Washingtonians continue to make for hydropower, home solar or electric cars. This choice is about the survival of our restaurant culture.
The cost to convert from natural gas is tremendous: Tens of thousands of dollars in equipment and tens of thousands of dollars in remodeling. In addition, most electrical panels don’t have the capacity to deal with the additional power demand that would be required by all-electric cooking equipment, so each restaurant would have to get new electrical panels and new permitting before even starting on the other costs. This burden would fall heaviest on small businesses.
While we’re talking about converting, we’re also highly concerned about the capacity of the electrical grid. Just this year Puget Sound Energy has told its electrical customers to conserve energy eight times to reduce the stress on our state’s grid. Our grid is at capacity. Yet our population continues to grow, and we continue to add demand in the form of innovations like electric cars. Right now, our grid is simply not prepared to absorb the additional electricity demand from banning natural gas.
If we fail to protect natural gas it will only further stress our energy reliability. We need more sources of energy, not fewer. We’re asking you to preserve real choices around energy and to vote yes on I-2066.
Local Everett Initiative 24-02
One of the biggest elections you’ve likely not heard of this fall is in Everett. An advocacy group in Everett is running their own $20.24 minimum wage.
After experiences in other cities where simply opposing minimum wage has not put the industry in a position to achieve a better outcome, we proposed our own initiative which puts total compensation and healthcare squarely in the middle of the conversation about real labor costs.
If we win in Everett, this gives the industry hope to reset the debate and a better path to a better business climate moving forward.
Everett is a bold experiment. Simply opposing a higher minimum wage does not work. Putting our own alternative against labor on the ballot puts us in a better position to find a solution.
Initiative 24-02 gives minimum wage workers a raise and allows small employers and nonprofits to absorb these higher costs sustainably and without dramatically curtailing current operations or impacting the prices you pay for goods and services.
If it is successful, it could provide a new strategy across the state.
Our endorsed candidates
And then, of course, there are the people who are elected. They are going to make decisions on major issues like labor costs and environmental sustainability.
We need people who understand business elected. Please check out and spread the word about our endorsement list. Our team has interviewed more than 300 candidates, connected them with businesspeople and collected your recommendations. This is a great list of the people who we think can make a difference for your business.
Please use this information and pass it on to get the best folks elected in Washington state.
And don’t forget, if you haven’t already, turn in your ballot before 8 p.m. tomorrow.
And as always, it’s an honor to serve you.
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