Alert! Land giveaway comes at expense of supports for people with DD

The House Capital Budget includes a provision that would give the City of Shoreline 6 acres from the Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center (RHC) for a dog park and to create low income housing. This property is worth millions of dollars.

The problem is that the land at the Fircrest RHC, and any proceeds from it, are to be directed to the Dan Thompson Memorial Trust Fund to create a revenue stream for community services for people with developmental disabilities.

Parks and low-income housing are important, but the state should not give away this land at the expense of people with developmental disabilities.

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The following alert was sent from The Arc of Washington:

We need to ACT NOW to avert a catastrophic House Capital Budget proposal that would eliminate critical funding for unserved people with developmental disabilities by taking the only valuable piece of excess property in the DD Community Trust at Fircrest and give it away to the City of Shoreline for a dog park (valued around $25 million)!

Whether you support or oppose the Residential Habilitation Centers (RHC)s does not matter. This decision would not affect the operation of the RHCs, but it would eliminate funding for the unserved!

Contact House Capital Budget leadership now and flood their offices with phone calls and emails and messages TODAY!

1. If one of the legislators below represents you, call the toll-free hotline at (800) 562-6000 and leave a message telling them to “OPPOSE THE FIRCREST LAND GIVE-AWAY IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET”
2. You can call the offices of each legislator listed and ask them to “OPPOSE THE FIRCREST LAND GIVE-AWAY IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET”
3. Send an email to each legislator below and put in the email header “OPPOSE THE FIRCREST LAND GIVE-AWAY IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET”

Let’s work together to protect what little belongs to people with developmental disabilities in our state!

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• Ranking Chair: Representative Tharinger (24th District), Steve.Tharinger@leg.wa.gov, (360) 786-7904
• Ranking Vice Chair: Representative Doglio (22nd District), Beth.Doglio@leg.wa.gov, (360) 786-7992
• Ranking Vice Chair: Representative Peterson (21st District), Strom.Peterson@leg.wa.gov, (360) 786-7950
• Minority Chair: Representative DeBolt (20th District), Richard.DeBolt@leg.wa.gov, (360) 786-7896
• Minority Vice Chair: Representative Smith (10th District), Norma.Smith@leg.wa.gov, (360) 786-7884
• Minority Vice Chair: Representative Steele (12th District), Mike.Steele@leg.wa.gov, (360) 786-7832