On August 16, the Guardian reported that President Trump declared at a White House press conference that Washington DC had been ‘overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals’” – a typical flourish untethered from reality – and announced he would seize control of the city’s police force.
By Tuesday night, national guard troops were patrolling the otherwise quiet streets of the U.S. capital. As columnist Moustafa Bayoumi put it, the president’s takeover was straight out of a fascist playbook.
On September 25, the Governor of Illinois responded to the news that Trump is planning to send troops to Chicago:
“If you hurt my people, nothing will stop me, not time or political circumstance, from making sure that you face justice under our constitutional rule of law. As Dr. King once said, the arc of the moral Universe is long, but it bends toward justice.
In recent months, Trump has also targeted cities and county in Puget Sound with disruption of funding for some of the neediest people. Fortunately in Pierce County we have a couragous democratic majority on the County Council. They are willing to push back against Trump and have succeeded in keeping our county government functional.
County Executive Ryan Mello has been making significant progress towards defusing the Trump administration’s efforts to defund $100 million of important community programs.
Pierce County joins legal fights against coercive federal funding requirements
From Ryan Mello’s newsletter:
“Much of our attention is consumed with tracking and responding to the Trump Administration’s efforts to defund important community programs,” said Mello.
“Pierce County receives about $100 million in federal funding every year. While the future is far from certain, our funding losses so far have been relatively small. One reason is that Pierce County is involved in two major litigation efforts:”
- King County v. Turner prevents Health and Human Services (HHS) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from imposing certain grant conditions related to DEI, immigration, “gender ideology,” and elective abortions. This is the lawsuit the county joined to protect funding for Pierce County’s Continuum of Care, and could affect other programs too. The county won preliminary injunctions so far that are allowing funding to continue.
- San Francisco v. Trump challenges the Trump Administration’s unconstitutional immigration policies. The lawsuit argues that forcing local governments to aid in immigration enforcement violates the 10th Amendment and other constitutional protections, including the separation of powers. This lawsuit is still making its way through the courts. This is an important case in terms of protecting public safety and emergency management funds we receive from agencies such as Homeland Security and Department of Justice.
The County has created a litigation tracker for people who want to stay apprised of our legal efforts: piercecountywa.gov/LitigationTracker
Pierce County braces for Trump cuts with new mitigation fund
In mid-August, the Pierce County Council approved the county executive’s supplemental budget request for a new $25 million mitigation fund. While this fund is not enough to backfill lost federal dollars, it does provide a buffer in case the Trump Administration suddenly ends a grant or program.
One example is the recent and immediate termination of our Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant from the Department of Homeland Security. This $700,000 grant supported an effort to coordinate with schools and community groups on violence prevention efforts.
It funded two employees. Instead of chaotically ending the program and these two jobs, the county funded it for two additional weeks so the employees could notify partners, wind the program down, and maintain another two weeks of benefits and employment.
“This constant uncertainty causes anxiety among county employees and our community partners,” said Ryan Mello. “I’m very thankful to County Council Chair Hitchen and councilmember’s Denson, Ayala and Yambe for approving this mitigation funding. It’s one more tool that helps us thoughtfully and compassionately respond to Trump’s senseless and reckless funding cuts.”
Democratic party struggles to maintain its majority in county and state senator elections
“One race I’m paying close attention to is Bryan Yambe’s campaign to retain his County Council seat in District 5.” said Ryan Mello in his August newsletter. “Bryan has been an incredible partner on several of my top priorities including housing and safe communities. . “He won the three-way primary but needs help to keep the momentum through Election Day.”
If you have a day to doorbell or a few dollars to donate, please help Bryan win in November and protect our council’s Democratic majority.
Other updates and County headlines:
- Pierce County launched an expansion of opioid detox servicesby using opioid settlement funds to double the number of days patients can receive care. Due to Medicaid restrictions, most patients are able to receive care for five days at most. But the evidence is overwhelming that patients who receive 8-10 days of treatment are more likely to be successful.
- Pierce County opened a new 60-unit tiny home villagein South Tacoma called Kingfisher Village. With support from the state’s Right-of-Way Safety Initiative, the county was able to build these new homes and provide meaningful support services so that folks can get back on their feet. Projects like this are crucial for reducing homelessness.
- In mid-August, the Pierce County Executive announced a new task force to develop recommendations for a new juvenile justice facility. Remann Hall is well past its useful lifeand no longer supports the kinds of programming and services our youth and their families deserve.
- Construction of a new facility has repeatedly delayed and the County needs to act. This effort reflects the priority to ensure fair and effective legal and justice systems.