Have Zambrano Shooting and Elections Resulted in ‘Pressure’ On Pasco?

In the wake of the Antonio Zambrano shooting in 2015, there have been a series of events taking place, many of them seemingly 'under the radar' when it comes to policy and practices. Also, recent efforts have been made to make unconstitutional changes to Pasco's City Council voting process. The result? A pair of events are coming soon.

The latest such 'event' is a pair of 'Community Visioning Project' events taking place in Pasco October 29th and December 10th, at the Pasco Senior Center, and the City Parks and Rec Gym respectively. Throughout this story we have added bold lettering for emphasis on what we believe are key statements. The quotes included did not have bold lettering.

After some research, the Community Visioning Project (CVP) appears to be an 'offshoot' of the Washington State Human Rights Commission. They're the same people who quietly passed the gender neutral or same-sex bathroom laws the day after Christmas in 2015, which touched off a firestorm of controversy.

This project, according to information released by the CVP:

"Community Visioning Project of Washington State, a public participatory community process series, hosted by state-wide advocacy organization Latino Civic Alliance (LCA), will host a free two-part community public event series to be held on October 29, 2016 and December 10, 2016. Community members will be selected from the initial two forums to participate in leadership development training scheduled for January 14, 2017 to further the visioning project outcomes."

The Latino Civic Alliance are among the groups who called for the investigations into the Zambrano shooting, and questioned the integrity of the Special Investigative Unit. They also voiced their displeasure over the three officers involved not being prosecuted. Click here to read their statement on the matter.

Information released about this event says the purpose is to "create safe and healthy communities."  One of the participating board members is King County Superior Court Judge Veronica Galvan, who is a board member of the Washington Minority and Justice Commission.  The Commission is an official state group who's mission statement is as follows:

"The purpose of the Minority and Justice Commission is to determine whether racial and ethnic bias exists in the courts of the state of Washington. To the extent that it exists, the Commission is charged with taking creative steps to overcome it. To the extent that such bias does not exist, the Commission is charged with taking creative steps to prevent it."

Judge Galvan is quoted as saying about this CVP event:

"Our courts are symbolic of justice and the rule of law. However, as any human institution, courts are not perfect.  The Minority and Justice Commission recognizes that ensuring our courts are accessible equally to all requires leadership, vigilance, and an ongoing commitment to the ideals of justice. I am honored to return to my hometown to discuss how our courts can build public trust and confidence in our system of justice and the ideals it represents."

While on the surface that may sound great, the purpose of a judge is not to build trust and confidence, nor is it to participate in activism that clearly favors special interest groups. A judge's purpose is to interpret and uphold laws and remain unbiased.

It is also noted that there has been pressure on Pasco to change it's system of electing City Council members, because special interest groups claim the current system makes it more difficult for minority candidates to be elected. Proposed changes coming from such groups as the ACLU violate the State Constitution.  The following quote from Franklin County Matt Beaton was included in the information about these events:

“Elections  are the cornerstone of our Republic. It has been said that the future of the United States is not in the hands of the people but in the hands of the voters.  It is important that everyone understands how our elections work and are encouraged to participate to the fullest.  It is a privilege to be included in the LCA forum to help everyone understand their elections processes and most importantly to get involved to create the community they want.”

While those involved appear to have sincere motives in improving the community, one cannot help but notice  that in the wake of the Zambrano issue, and the election controversy it appears special interests are attempting to bend or influence policy, procedures and other matters of public interest.

The information released about these events included these details on how to participate:

* Anyone interested for more information and or to volunteer please send inquiry to: info@latinocivicalliance.org.

The October 29th event will start at 1pm at the Pasco Senior Center, the December 10th event will start at 1pm at the Pasco Civic Center gym.

We have asked the City of Pasco public information department exactly how this event will affect policy, procedures and more with the city, but have not received a response as of this writing.