Economic Relief for the 24th District's Workers and Small-Businesses

Through my work as a fireman/paramedic and my wife’s work as a schoolteacher, I am in daily contact with the 24th District at its most vulnerable. I know the hardships that the honest, hardworking families of our community are experiencing because I see them everyday. I have listened to the people of the 24th District, and what they are almost unanimously asking for is representation in Olympia that is willing to do absolutely everything it can to help alleviate the recession devastating our communities. My mission as a legislator is to fight in Olympia to deliver the family-wage jobs, economic stimulus, and support for small businesses that the 24th District so desperately needs.

This may seem like it would be a universal goal for legislators, but, in fact, many ideological extremists in Washington today believe that there is no such thing as "government-created jobs." Both Republican candidates for the 24th District state representative seats are so blinded by their far-right ideology that they believe there's nothing they can do in Olympia to create jobs in the 24th District. Their philosophy during this time of crisis is "Every man for himself!" Personally, I could not live with myself if I did not fight tooth-and-nail in Olympia to bring every single job opportunity to the hard-working, honest, tax-paying people of our district with families to support.

Contrary to what hardcore partisans might say, government can create jobs and economic relief for the 24th District -- I know because I've done it! The evidence is incontrovertible. Over the past couple of years, I have brought jobs to the 24th District by:
 

• Securing the contract for Aberdeen businesses to build the new Pontoons for the 520 bridge replacement.
• Developing new “biomass” energy projects for our pulp mills and other local businesses.
• Fighting to open Peninsula Plywood in Port Angeles, thus creating more than 125 family-wage jobs with benefits.
• Preventing local shellfish farms from being shut down by state regulations.
• Doubling the state small business tax credit.
• Passing a Permitting Bill of Rights to cut the bureaucratic that strangles local small businesses.

During this recession, the last thing the 24th District can afford are representatives so blinded by ideology that they chase away dearly needed job opportunities like these.

Maximizing the Efficiency of State Government

Inevitable byproducts of a recession are budget shortfalls and government cuts. Unfortunately, the first things to suffer from severe budget cuts are pivotal government services and our hardworking, indispensable state employees who find themselves furloughed or laid off. I believe that Washington's taxpayers deserve a world-class return on their investment of tax dollars, and that means protecting protecting the government budget from being indiscriminately gutted by ideologically-motivated extremists who don't care if the taxpayers receive sub-par services. Instead, I will continue to fight to maximize the efficiency of the state government in order to balance the budget while still assuring that the taxpayers still receive world-class government services on time, on budget, and at competitive free-market prices.

Examples of the work I've done to maximize the efficiency of the state government:
 

• Requiring the industries who rely on the Neah Bay Rescue Tug to pay for it, saving state taxpayers over 3 million dollars every year.
• Restructuring the Environmental Hearing Boards so as to streamline the process for small businesses and save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Honoring our Veterans

I cannot express how much I admire the courage and selflessness of those Americans who have volunteered to serve in our nation's armed forces to protect their fellow citizens at home. It is a personal mission of mine to ensure that no veteran or active service member in the 24th District ever feels that his or her personal sacrifices on our behalf are unappreciated. They are personal heroes of mine and heroes to our community at large, and I will continue to do everything I can to make sure that the veterans and active service members of the 24th District know how much we appreciate them.

On behalf of veterans and active service members, I have:

• Sponsored legislation to welcome all returning veterans back home by giving them assistance in obtaining family-wage jobs in our local communities.

• Spearheaded the creation of "The Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial Highway” in Clallam County.