Keep our city strong enough to resist a lawless federal government

by Josh Rosenau - Josh Rosenau is a resident of Lake Forest Park and a candidate for city council, position 3. Learn more at https://joshforlfp.com

In the last few months I’ve knocked a lot of doors in Lake Forest
Park. A neighbor recently asked me, a candidate for city council, "how
can we keep LFP safe from the horrors federal agents are inflicting on
Chicago?" Earlier in the summer, I got similar questions about LA and
DC, and fear for how we protect and welcome our immigrant neighbors in
this era. As a city councilmember I'll have power to make our
neighborhoods more welcoming in many ways: more third spaces, more
trees, more parks, more community. But, inspired by my daughter, born
election week last year, I’m also running to ensure our city, region,
and state does everything possible to protect the most vulnerable
against this campaign of fear being waged today.

In Lake Forest Park, our public safety systems reject the warlike
culture we see from federal agents in other cities, and which may yet
come to the Seattle area. For decades, our city’s police have forged a
culture that is welcoming and supportive, community policing rather than
conflict. We've adopted the Charter for Compassion, and crafted local policies based on the US and state constitutions, state laws, and our community culture that protect and welcome immigrants and the vulnerable.

Because our police and our residents know many situations cannot be
solved with handcuffs or a badge, we are proud members of the Regional Crisis Response
agency. For 8 years, that innovative program has sent mental health
professionals as first responders, where appropriate, a crucial piece of
our overall city public safety budget.

Our small, but extremely effective, public safety programs face increasing costs, including for jail services and 911 dispatch.
Our municipal court must spend more on public defenders. Property tax
revenue only grows by 1% per year, nowhere near how the city’s public
safety expenses grow. At one time, we might have looked to federal
grants (or state grants reliant on federal funds) to cover those rising
costs. But the Trump administration has made clear such funds will be
blocked or delayed in retaliation for our state's political resistance.
When extreme weather hits, our city and others in Washington have been denied support from FEMA for incidents like the bomb cyclone last winter. Other grant programs
are now encumbered by requirements to comply with federal mandates
around immigration, ending DEI programs, or to abandon compassion for
our LGBTQ neighbors. We must pay our own way if we want to resist
federal lawlessness.

On our current ballot, voters have a chance to strengthen our city
against the Trump administration's efforts, and give our city the tools
it needs to resist Trump’s tyranny. I've already drafted legislation to
give our police legal tools to resist federal incursions. Strong laws
aren’t enough. We need to protect our police force’s independence and
ability to stand with our people, not tyrannical force. Our city is
proud to follow a different path than Trump and his allies, but that
independence, strength, and freedom comes at a cost. That is why I plan
to vote for LFP's public safety levy lid lift — Prop 1 on our city's
ballot now — to keep us LFP Strong.

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Josh Rosenau
Josh for LFP • http://joshforlfp.com • 425-405-5536
Endorsed by: 1st District Dems, King County Dems, King County Young Dems, Shoreline Firefighters IAFF 1760