A "Co-operative" Culture

Cascadia abounds with joiners. There are so many organizations to be members of, and we do tend to jump on the bandwagon: charities, political organizations, and affinity groups (clubs) fill our lives. The Northwest also has a strong history of building and supporting a range of co-operatives. Some of the country’s oldest and largest co-operatives (“co-ops”) reside here in Cascadia.

What’s A Co-op?

Per the International Co-operative Alliance, a co-operative is: “"an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise." They "are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others."

Very idealistic, non? Also, very practical. Co-operatives are created by their members to further mutual values and goals such as to create/ensure: access to organic food for consumers, access to commonly-owned processing equipment for farmers, affordable and healthcare. There are all kinds of co-ops. Here’s a sampling of a few you will find here:

Co-operative Banking (Credit Unions): Boeing Employees Credit Union

Started in 1935, BECU is ranked the fifth largest credit union (by asset size) in the United States and claims over 460,000 members. Their mission is to uphold our fundamental responsibility to actively serve people within their field of membership, and as appropriate, the communities they live in. They deliver a range of low-cost products and services to members. As stated on their website, “We will continually, in all facets of operations, demonstrate the value of membership in BECU while we look for better ways to reach out to the under-served.” Providing fair, affordable banking services and a commitment to improve quality of life in the community by reaching out to in-need communities in the area is the core of their purpose.

Consumer Co-operatives, Food: Puget Consumer Cooperative

PCC started as a food-buying club of 15 families in 1953. Today, it is the largest natural food co-operative in the nation. Their mission is to: 1) Provide the highest quality natural foods and products, 2) Create and cultivate the marketplace for locally grown and organic products and are a vital community resource on food, nutrition and environmental issues, and 3) Create and deliver the most satisfying natural foods shopping experience in the Northwest. PCC actively addresses issues such as farmland preservation, genetically engineered foods, organics and sustainable seafood through its buying policies and through advocacy activity.

Consumer Co-operatives, Outdoor Clothing and Equipment: Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)

REI was founded in 1938 by a group of Seattle-area mountaineers who wanted access to quality outdoor recreational gear at reasonable prices. It has grown to be the country's largest consumer-owned co-operative far exceeding 2 million active members. They focus on serving the interests of our customers through providing high quality clothing and equipment at fair prices with a liberal return policy, promoting environmental stewardship, and giving back to the community. Per their website, REI: “…donates millions of dollars to support conservation efforts nationwide, and sends scores of volunteers to build trails, clean up beaches, and teach outdoor ethics to kids. Through responsible business practices, we strive to reduce our environmental footprint.”

Healthcare Co-operatives: Group Health Cooperative

Group Health Cooperative was opened in 1947 by a community coalition dedicated to making quality health care available and affordable. Group Health is a consumer-governed, nonprofit health care system that coordinates care and coverage. Based in Seattle, the Group Health network serves approximately 568,344 members in Washington and Idaho. Per its website: “Today it is one of the few health care organizations in the country governed by consumers rather than internal executives. Its 11-member board of trustees — all Cooperative members elected by other members — work closely with management and medical staff to ensure that the organization's policies and direction put the needs of patients first.” GHC’s stated purpose is to transform health care, working to improve the care and well-being of their members and communities.

Housing Co-operatives

There are a range of forms of co-operative residences. None are large organizations, but are based on a singe home or small group of homes in the same area. Seattle Wiki has a list.

Co-ops provide viable and competitive options for purchasing goods and services for both individuals and small businesses, like farmers. Since the “shareholders” are the consumers (members) themselves, benefits including profit, is returned. Also, a lack of profit-motive helps ensure that the values and goals the co-ops are founded on do not erode under the pressure to reduce costs and maximize revenue. They are organizations in balance, or least strive to be. Each co-operative is led by a board of directors that represent the membership, ensuring the organizations management and staff operate efficiently and effectively in the organization’s interest. The success of co-ops, despite their relatively minimal marketing and other promotion, in the Northwest proves their relevance and necessity here. For-profit organizations aren’t meeting all needs of a market place that demands values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others as well as quality products at competitive prices. Viva la co-op!

Get to Know the Locals

This blog, as well as Seattle Song, are changing a bit. A blogroll of personal blogs by Cascadians is now added to the sidebar. Each is a blog I have found to be thought provoking, funny or otherwise worth a glance or more. Although not necessarily reflective of my own views or interests, each seems to be thoughtfully (or at least earnestly) written relative to its purpose. Some are philosophical, some political, some pursue a hobby, and others are purely personal. The list is composed to provide readers a smattering of perspectives and experiences of the folks who live in this region. The blogroll will be growing, so keep an eye out for new additions.

The Seattle Blogsphere is a-Yapping...

...about the proposed state legislation to allow bars & liquor-licence-holding restaurants the option to allow dogs (see prior post):

West Seattle Blog
Seattle Metroblog
Seattlest
Horse's Ass

It seems the vote is rancorously divided. (Yes, we have a lot of energy around our pets here.)

A-grrrrrrr.

A Dog's Life in Cascadia Might Get Even Better

In an earlier post, I described many of the ways in which Cascadia is a dog's paradise, from dog parks to chic boutiques to specialized medical care. It seems that canine quality of life here may get even better, if a piece of proposed state legislation is passed.

It was reported in the Seattle Times today that state Senator Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle, submitted a bill to the legislature which would give bars and restaurants with liquor licenses an option to allow well-behaved, leashed dogs on premises, providing they stay next to thier owner. Currently only service dogs are allowed.

The bill may face an uphill battle against current code barring animals in eating establishments, which is based on a national food-code standard set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Despite this, there are already a few renegade pubs and cafes in the area that allow dogs in on occasion, particularly in outdoor areas, provided no other patrons complain. Generally, as long as the pooch is well-behaved, Cascadians don't mind.

Hopefully, most of our state Senators and Representatives feel the same. Remember, there is a toll free phone line to your state legistators to voice your opionion on matters such as this: 1.800.562.6000 . You can find out who represents you here.

The Price of a Little Piece of Paradise

A report has been released by the research firm Demographia on the relative expense of home-ownership in cities across Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US. The major cities in Cascadia were rated as some of the most unaffordable in the study, which based its rankings on median home prices in each city relative to its median income.

The report concludes that the cause of unafforability of housing in the high-ranking cities is what they call "land use planning excesses." These include:

1) Land Use Policies that Produce Unaffordability, such as land rationing (urban growth boundaries and infill requirements), extravagant amenity requirements, excessively high infrastructure fees and approval processes that are unnecessarily lengthy and complicated.

2) Ignoring the Economic and Social Dimensions, by which they mean governments imposing restrictive planning policies without fully considering the ultimate impacts on the economy and quality of life.

3) The Emerging Costly Reality of Land Use Planning, by which they mean that restrictive land use policies compromise the competitiveness of urban areas, leading to less economic growth.

Their conclusion is that land use planning erodes (or, as they stated, "destroys") housing affordability. Demographia is self-monikered as "pro-choice" with respect to urban development. This is another way of saying they are a property rights advocacy group. So, the conclusions should be looked at carefully (skeptically?), based on the implicit mission of the organization's work. And, although the research seems to be sound, the scope of factors they consider are very narrow. Cascadia Report highlighted some factors omitted by the report that should be considered when calculating affordability, such as interest rates and robustness of economies as well as other considerations such as efficient public transportation that frees residents from the need for private cars, thus lowering their living expenses.

Further, although the findings of the report may be accurate, the benefits to the long term health of a city through policies and codes to contain urban sprawl, protect environmental health, and maintain cautious review of building and development applications for safety and quality of life standards are effectively dismissed as beside the point.

Yes, living in the cities of Cascadia can be expensive. Part of the cost does have to do with urban planning demands and development restrictions, and the report makes many valid points. However, there are great benefits that come with many of the expenses incurred by urban planning and oversight. If Cascadia were to focus on affordability to the exclusion of concern for the environment and other assets, the livability would erode and with it the economy of the region as its attractiveness to residents and business alike would be "destroyed" over time.

As a final consideration, it should be noted that lowering government-imposed costs on development in a region with a robust economy and high livability would not necessarily make the area more affordable. It is a supply and demand world, and the developers here would likely just reap a greater profit on development leading to equally "unaffordable" homes that are less sustainable and degrade the livability of the region.

The Mountain has Left the Building

What a difference a day (or two) makes.
What a difference the weather makes.

It is astounding how a change in weather here transforms our world. Sunday was a palatte of oversaturated colors in sharp focus and infinite. Today everything is soft and grey and insulated.

The Mountain is Out

“The Mountain is out!” If you say this, just about any Washingtonian will turn to look, because they know exactly what you mean. There in only one Mountain (with a capital M). It is Mount Rainier. This is because, on a clear day, it is visible to almost everyone who lives here. Standing over 14,400 feet tall, it is not only the highest peak in Washington State, but in the entire Cascade range. (A unifying symbol of a state with diverse landscapes and communities, the Mountain was chosen to represent Washington on the state’s quarter.)

Left: A view of Rainier from Seattle.

The Mountain is a magnificent place… a wonderland of old growth, temperate rain forest, alpine meadows that bloom like a festival in early summer, and wicked glacier fields and craggy peaks year around. It is a magnet for hikers, climbers, skiers and other wilderness sport enthusiasts. The entire mountain resides inside Mt. Rainier National Park and the vast majority of the park is designated as wilderness, which means it is protected by strict conservation laws but is also accessible for certain types of (non motorized) recreation. Rainier is a live volcano (although there has been no significant activity for over a hundred and fifty years) and lahar (volcanic mudslide) warning systems are installed in towns near the mountain.

It is also, simply, a sight to behold. Rising from surrounding miles of evergreen forest, it dominates the skyline. And, when someone says “the Mountain is out,” it is the best of days. It means the sky is clear and the beauty of the region is in its full glory. Like today.

"Solar Power"

Every Cascadian, when emerging from his or her home today, peeked up to the sky then danced gleefully in the street. The sun is out again, making it two days in a row of blue sky. Moreover… sun is forecast for the entire next week. Hallelujah. We haven’t had a week of sun for months. Literally.

Left: Early morning blue sky over Bellevue and the Cascade Mts.

In terms of light, this is a tough time in the Pacific Northwest. The sun rises late and sets early. Thick cloud cover is the sky-du-jour just about every “jour” of the winter season. Magnifying the deprivation is that most folks arrive to their offices before sunrise and leave them after sun set. We end up a city of moles, squinting into the glare of the occasional sunny day, sunglasses long misplaced in the weeks of dreary grey. It’s a bit of a shock to the system, albeit a welcome one.

Many folks up here feel the effects of this. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) sets in with a mild case of the blues, lethargy and a general desire to hibernate. Many of us take a sun trip sometime between January and early March to off set this. It doesn’t have to be warm (although that is the ultimate winter escape). A ski trip to Idaho or Utah can off set the withdrawal. All those sun rays reflecting off all that snow. Some of us get full spectrum light boxes or sunrise alarm clocks Some of us just tough it out.

In the glory days of July and August, when the days are long, warm and lushly green it’s easy to forget this time of year and to remember why we stay. Last week we dared not dream of the sun, it seemed so remote. Today we revel in it.

Wilderness Sprawl

Two days ago, while walking the shoreline of Seward Park (a city park) I watched a pair of bald eagles cooperatively hunt and catch a grebe in the bay. It was a page out of National Geographic coming alive before my eyes. After making the catch, they flew to a nearby tree to pluck the carcass and have lunch. This morning, I watched a pair commute past my bedroom window, trailed by a murder of livid, squawking crows.

It is common anywhere, when human communities sprawl into a wilderness environment, that wildlife will be spotted. What is amazing about Seattle is that wilderness persists on "sprawling" into long-established urban areas. Bears, coyotes, mountain lions, deer, and eagles are not uncommon in the city and nearby towns. Whales are spotted in Elliott Bay and sealions are a perennial "pest" at the Ballard Locks during the salmon runs.

Above: A blue heron on the peak of my roof.

I think it is a hopeful sign that we've managed to strike a balance, so far, between human and nature's needs... that we've not yet strained nature so much as to destroy the web of life here. Pollution control, daylighting of urban streams, protecting wetlands and watershed buffer zones, and creative land conservency projects all play a part. And these are born out of an appreciation by the folks who live here for the importance of this balance, not only for the sake of preserving the beauty of it all, but preserving our own, human community as well.

You Know You're a Seattlite When.....

The best of the "You know you're a ________ when" jokes mix self-depricating humor with right-on truth. This is the case for Seattle PI blogger Christina Hyun's list of astute observations about Seattlites. I saw myself in most of these, including:

5. You take your dog to play at a special park just for dogs.
18. You go to a small concrete/glass enclosure on an annual basis to watch fish desperately swim against the current.
23. You stop for pedestrians because you know they don't even look before stepping into traffic.
26. You know which house is Bill's.
31. You recycle everything possible and think people who don't are criminally irresponsible.
33. You don't wear high heels/hose or neckties, pretty much ever.
42. You think beaches are just fine at 65 degrees with ankle-numbing water.
52. You don't need to call a computer specialist for home computer problems because you or someone you know can fix it.
53. You give directions like this: I can't remember what that road's called, but it's just past the hill, after the Shell station. If you start going up another hill, then you've passed it. I think there's some kind of plant nursery across from where you turn, so look for that.
59. You eat at least one kind of Asian food on a regular basis.
61. You do one or more of the following: catch rainwater in rain barrels, compost, and/or use organic pesticides/weed killer.
74. You're polite with people but not too personal.
75. You email way more than you phone anyone.
76. You've visited The Troll, Lenin, and Hendrix.
79. You own your own tent and about a hundred other camping supplies.
84. You've "met The Man".
99. You think the recently suggested state slogan, "Say-Wah" is about the dumbest thing you've ever heard.

Some of these may be cryptic to non-Seattlites. Just ask... I will explain.
Enjoy.....

Pendleton Blankets

When I was a kid, there was always a car blanket or two in backseat of the Oldsmobile. We would use them on outings to the beach and mountains when, sitting in the car looking out over a stormy Pacific or snowy fir trees, we could have a picnic lunch of tuna sandwiches and carrot sticks and oatmeal cookies and maybe a thermos of tomato soup before heading out to build sand castles or snowtube.

They were always Pendleton blankets; big, woolly sheaths of slightly itchy, warm comfort. They would be on the boat and at friends' cabins, and on my bed at home on particularly cold nights. With bold stripes or bright Indian prints, they were an iconic element of my childhood landscape. They meant excursions and adventure as well as long car rides home. My mother and grandmothers also grew up with them.
The Pendleton Woolen Mills has been making blankets in Pendleton,Oregon since before the beginning of the last century. Originally, the blankets were not only inspired by Native American tribal designs, but manufactured for Native Americans. And, to this day they are prized ceremonial gifts in many tribes.

Pendleton blankets remain a staple in the Northwest. They fit into the sensibility, style and the landscape of Cascadia. (In fact, an early Dale Chihuly project was inspired by the blankets. He made a series of basket-like vessels based on the Pendleton designs.) Sturdy, multifunctional, beautiful, these blankets become family heirlooms, the kind that get used as well as loved.