I have lived here in the 20th District for 20 years, and have been involved in the area, one way or another for nearly 50 years. In the last 5 years, I have been deeply involved in the legislative process as a lobbyist for the largest motorcycle rights organization in Washington State. It is through this work, that I have learned the workings of legislation, and the importance of constituents taking part in the efforts of their elected officials.
It is important for me to express my political viewpoints, as someone seeking to represent the citizens of the 20th District it makes sense that you understand whether my beliefs are in line with yours. It is my hope that you will find that even if we disagree on some finer points of the political spectrum, we can find common ground to be able to work together on other aspects of our diverse community's political life.
One of the things I must say from the beginning is that I once swore an oath like I am sure many of you have as well, to protect and defend the Constitution. To me, that means the entire Constitution, not just one or two of the Amendments in the Bill of Rights. I strongly support the voice of the people be heard as in the effort for $30 car tabs, and no new taxes. Personally, I believe that the citizens of this state deserve a tax cut, not more additional taxes. That means that the Legislature should work to create priorities in state spending, and methods of financing those priorities other than creating more new taxes on the citizens and businesses of Washington. There should also be, in my opinion, more concern about the effects of some environmental policies driven by a progressive agenda in the metropolitan regions of our state that can have severe unintended consequences for the citizens in the more rural portions of our state. As William Jennings Bryant once said; "Destroy your cities but leave our farms, and your cities shall rise up again as if by magic. But destroy our farms and the grass will grow in every city of this nation." There must be a more balanced design to any environmental regulations that affect small businesses and farmers in rural locations in order to benefit urban citizens.
