Health Equity and Recovery Trust – the HEART Plan
A proposal to meet the challenges of today and invest in a better future for us all.
In the face of the pandemic and the resulting economic crisis, we must develop a path forward to avoid austerity budget cuts now and address the critical needs of the public for the future. The best way to economic recovery is to invest in our people. Progressive revenue will provide funding for critical public purposes and will promote fairness in our tax system.
We need to respond to this challenge, by:
- Identifying the clear priorities for targeted investments, and
- Showing the specific revenue sources to pay for the investments.
Urgent Public Need
With remarkable speed, the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on personal and public health and crashed the economy. This unprecedented health and economic crisis caused mass unemployment, intensified underlying social and racial inequities, exposed the underfunding of public health, and devastated our state budgets.
Without significant state funding for foundational public health, investment in the survival of our community agencies, and the prevention of austerity budget cuts, our economic recovery will be prolonged. Our public-health system and frontline workforce may not be prepared for a re-emergence of coronavirus or the next public-health emergency that arises. This crisis affects our entire state and the investments we make should be extended to all residents in need across Washington, centering those most impacted by the virus (Black, Indigenous, Latinx and Pacific Islanders).
Community Investment
Respond to the pandemic
- Foundational public health, including frontline workforce
- Personal Protective Equipment produced and warehoused in Washington state to end our reliance on haphazard supply lines
- Community-based, culturally-relevant community health workers and specialized case workers to assist families, people who are unhoused and other priority populations, particularly Black, Indigenous and People of Color
- Free testing and contact tracing for the virus
- Preventive care, including health education and culturally relevant communications to priority populations.
Invest in behavioral health and mental illness treatment
- Expanded treatment for people with, or at risk of behavioral health illnesses; preserve available “psych beds”
- A variety of facilities, including the Behavioral Health Institute, a new Behavioral Health Teaching Hospital (to move patients out of Western State Hospital) and other local programs, to improve access and treatment
- Thousands of new units of supportive housing with treatment services, to provide long-term housing for the chronically homeless
- Preventive care such as free mental health first aid, school mental health counselors, youth programming, restorative justice organizations, and geriatric mental health therapists
- Drug court funding to address criminal behavior caused by substance use disorders
- Expanded first responders’ capacity and trauma informed care training for first responders
- Increased support to 211 and crisis lines, including those for suicide prevention, poison control, domestic violence and sexual assault.
- Increase community mental health workers to respond to 911 calls, to reduce the use of police
Support community health care for all across Washington
- Universal health care for All
- Expand our state’s Apple Health program to cover all young people to 26 years of age
- Subsidize people to afford the Public Option health plan on the Washington State Health Exchange
- Expand funding for community health clinics, dental clinics, outreach services, community health workers, home visiting, medical interpreters, cultural navigators
- Family planning and reproductive health care
- Services for people with developmental disabilities
- Dental care and maternity care for people on Medicaid
Paid for by Progressive Taxation
Washington’s upside-down tax code amplifies inequities. Households with the lowest incomes pay the highest percentage in state and local taxes. To fund the community health investments and advance equity, opportunity, and economic recovery in Washington state, it is time to establish a corporate excise tax on annual compensation for large corporations and impose a wealth tax on high net-worth individuals and corporations to produce $500 million per year, in a dedicated account, to meet our common health and economic challenges.
Establishing a Fair Share Contribution tax on large corporations:
- Tier one: a 5% corporate contribution on per employee compensation exceeding half a million dollars
- Tier two: a 10% corporate contribution on per employee compensation exceeding ten million dollars.
Establish an annual wealth tax on high net-worth individuals.
We are all in this together.
It’s time to have a HEART.
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Rep. Frank Chopp Follow 281 758
Former director @SolidGround. Speaker Emeritus. Check out my plan to fund #childcare4all, #housing4all, & more with a capital gains tax ↙️
So excited to see this pass today--providing critical funding for #childcare, early learning and education and helping balance our state's tax code! Special thanks to @NoelFrame @gruberobinson Sen Rolfes @ChoppRep for your partnership! #capitalgains #taxfairness #waleg https://twitter.com/InvestWANow/status/1386438517811679236
THANK YOU #waleg, thank you @TanaSenn @NoelFrame @gruberobinson Christine Rolfes for your strong leadership! Send your thanks NOW! --> http://bit.ly/thankyouwaleg <--
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electfrankchopp
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electfrankchopp
Oct 27
Honored to be sole endorsed by @oneamericavotes! I’m so proud of our work together — including passing the #DreamAct and free college for DREAMers.
As COVID disproportionately impacts immigrant communities, I’m working to invest in community childcare providers, expand stimulus for ALL, and more.
To our neighbors who can’t receive federal aid: you could receive up to $1000 in stimulus through the WA COVID Immigrant Relief Fund. Click here: https://www.immigrantreliefwa.org/
Washington provides the most stimulus to immigrants in the nation. Just as I lobbied Gov. Inslee for this #DownPayment for immigrant relief, I’ll lobby my colleagues to fund the full $100 million requested by the community. ...
electfrankchopp
Sep 25
Today, nurse practitioners endorse my campaign — along with unions representing 50,000+ frontline healthcare workers. Together, we’ll fight for healthcare for all, no matter your income or zip code.
I’ve passed free, single payer healthcare for all low-income kids. With your help, I’ll expand care to all Washingtonians. ...
electfrankchopp
Sep 8
This #laborday, I’m reflecting on the positive impact #unions have had on working families.
During COVID, unions have fought for much-needed hazard pay and PPE.
To address climate change, we need unions to help facilitate a just transition to the future green economy.
I’ve worked with unions to raise and minimum wage, enact the 100% Clean Electricity Act, and much more. We’ll keep working together to pass COVID relief and more funding for social services.
I’m proud to be the labor candidate in this race, endorsed by unions representing over 500,000 workers in Washington! ...
electfrankchopp
Sep 3
Thrilled to announce the @sierraclubwashingtonstate has endorsed our campaign!
I’ll prioritize an ambitious #climate agenda that builds a fairer economy for us all.
Top of my agenda? Eliminating transportation emissions by electrifying cars & buses, funding public transit, & building transit-oriented, affordable housing. ...
electfrankchopp
Aug 12
Over the past several months, I have personally urged @govinslee to provide unemployment aid (direct cash assistance) to our state’s 220,000 undocumented residents.
I'm thrilled that the governor responded to the undocumented community and created this #downpayment for COVID relief!
It’s critical that our progressive state leaders protect immigrant communities and migrant farmworkers, who have disproportionately high rates of COVID-19 and job loss.
I’ll keep advocating with organizations like @oneamericavotes for more aid for our undocumented residents and to protect programs that benefit #undocumented folks — like the Washington College Grant, which provides free and reduced college tuition to thousands of undocumented students. ...
electfrankchopp
Aug 6
While we face today’s challenges head-on, we must invest in urgent #ClimateAction.
The climate crisis is already affecting communities across our state, and like every other systemic issue, it’s falling hardest on Native, Black, immigrant, and homeless communities.
We must fight against climate change like our lives depend on it and pass legislation to rapidly reduce our carbon emissions.
I’ve worked hard to pass breakthrough climate legislation, including the 100% Clean Electricity Mandate, which puts Washington on the fastest path in the nation to zero-emission electricity.
I call the coalition we assembled to pass the mandate “Green Power—Blue Collar” because we're made up of environmentalists, labor unions, frontline community leaders, and working families.
Next up: electric vehicle mandates, progressive revenue for public transit, and more. I passed 2019 and 2020’s biggest #climate bills in the state legislature, and I’ll do it again in 2021. ...
electfrankchopp
Aug 5
Thank you 43rd district!!
70% of the votes cast in this race are for Democrzatic candidates, and I am pleased with the strong first place showing we have.
In these challenging times voters are clearly responding to the call for progressive leadership that can truly deliver for the priorities of Seattle.
I'm so proud of the coalition of labor, student and education groups, pro-choice and community leaders that have given our campaign this great momentum. I look forward to the general election! ...
electfrankchopp
Jul 28
During a global pandemic and economic crisis, cutting bus service would be a gut punch to thousands of working families who rely on #transit every day.
I will work to repeal or overturn the disastrous I-976, which threatens to cut bus service, end the ORCA Lift program, end free transit passes for high school students, and reduce para-transit service for disabled riders.
We should be investing in bus service, which makes our city more affordable and accessible, not cutting it.
Beyond repealing I-976, we need to allow localities to fund transit with progressive revenue. We shouldn't have to choose between a regressive sales tax and a cut to bus service.
When I voted to authorize the Seattle Transportation Benefit District (#STBD), it included a car tab tax -- a progressive revenue source. Tim Eyman's I-976 cut that tax and left us with sales tax as the only mechanism to fund transit. This is unacceptable.
I have a progressive revenues plan to fund housing, healthcare, public health, childcare, & cash assistance for working families.
I will fight for the same for transit. With more progressives in the legislature than ever before, I know we can get it done. ...
electfrankchopp
Jul 8
I wear a mask to protect the most vulnerable in our community.
Folks without access to housing & healthcare are most at risk during this pandemic — especially our 10,000+ neighbors who are experiencing homelessness. Wear a mask for them. #MaskUpWA ...
electfrankchopp
Jun 28
As #pride month comes to a close, I’m thinking about the incredible progress we’ve made on LGBTQ rights — and I’m reminded of the work we still have to do.
Last year, advocates asked us to ban medical discrimination. I worked with my seatmates Rep. Nicole Macri and Sen. Jamie Pedersen to pass SB 5602 to guarantee access to gender-affirming reproductive healthcare for all Washingtonians.
When advocates asked us to protect transgender students, we passed SB 5689 to ban discrimination based on gender expression in public schools.
And when advocates asked us to improve equity in state government, we established the Washington State LGBTQ Commission.
For all our progress, we must do more to protect the most vulnerable in the #lgbtq community — especially trans women.
Last year, Nikki Kuhnhausen was murdered in Vancouver, WA. She was just 17 years old, and she was one of 330 trans people killed worldwide in 2019.
Our work for justice & civil rights is far from over. I promise to listen to the trans community, work with them to develop policies to protect their lives, & fight like hell to get it passed. #transrightsarehumanrights ...
electfrankchopp
Jun 14
Thank you @cmtmosqueda for your support! On affordable housing, expanded childcare, COVID relief, and so many other issues, I’m eager to work together for Seattle’s working families! ...
electfrankchopp
Jun 11
Let’s reinvest police funding in affordable housing and social services! I raised millions of dollars for the future Youth Opportunity Center at Broadway/Pine, which will create 80 apartments for homeless youth. This type of community investment is a much better use of public funds than using toxic chemicals against peaceful protesters #seattleprotest #capitolhillautonomouszone ...
electfrankchopp
Jun 5
I strongly support these reforms, proposed by @girmay, and I pledge to work with community leaders to make them happen. We need WAY more funding for housing, homeless services, and our social safety net. Reducing police funding to pay for these priorities shouldn’t be controversial. ...
electfrankchopp
May 14
I pledge to take #NoFossilFuelMoney. Climate change is the defining issue of our time. I will fight for a Clean Fuel Standard, investments in transit, cleanups for toxic sites, and everything else we need to defeat the climate crisis. Join my campaign to say no to the fossil fuel industry and yes to a livable future for us all. ...
electfrankchopp
May 14
I’m running for re-election because we need experienced leadership to fight for our communities.
We have to look out for our most vulnerable neighbors, as I’ve been doing for decades at the Fremont Public Association. Most of all, we need a progressive state government that understands the urgency of this crisis, that rejects austerity, and spends the money needed to protect our health and our economy. I have 20 years of experience leading a Democratic house majority in Olympia. I’ve faced two economic and budget crises in 2000 and 2008. I know how to stand up for our community and fight for a progressive response to this pandemic. Together, we can create a safer, healthier, and fairer Washington for all of us. ...