What We’re Fighting For

We need peace, not war. All across social media, we see the horrors that are going on in Gaza. Civilians, including many thousands of children, are being bombed and starved to death right in front of our eyes. The US government, with our tax dollars, is funding this gruesome operation. Thousands of people wrote and called their legislators to urge the President and congress to stop the bloodshed, and there were huge rallies at the capitol calling for a permanent ceasefire - yet not one legislator took a strong public stand for peace and justice in Palestine. All those constituent voices were politely dismissed or ignored. Meanwhile, the tax dollars being sent abroad to commit atrocities are desperately needed to fund housing, healthcare, education, and social services in this country.

This is a profound failure by our elected officials. I have been part of movements for justice and peace for many years. We need elected officials at every level of government to demand peace, not war. I won't be silent if I'm elected. I will use my platform to speak out, and together we will rebuild the peace movement. It's more important now than ever.

We're not going to stop climate change and environmental destruction just by taking shorter showers. A major economic shift is necessary to sustainably meet everyone's needs and avoid environmental catastrophe. Climate scientists have been warning us and providing studies for decades, yet global emissions keep rising. The logic of capitalism is that every business must maximize short-term profits first or they will eventually go under.

So who is looking after the earth and what we leave for our children? We have to face facts and see that we must quickly transition away from capitalism into an eco-socialist future. For a start, we need publicly owned, clean energy generation, storage and transmission. We must organize with the building trades for retrofits and social housing. Expanded and fully funded public transportation should be a right. We need green public spaces and facilities like parks and schools. If we pass legislation to establish a state bank, we can invest our revenues into a sustainable future, instead of sending our money to Wall Street.

Healthcare should not be an expensive commodity, but a right. Let's move to a robust, state Medicare for All model like that laid out by Whole Washington. It is past time we transition away from our current expensive, confusing maze of a system where a few wealthy people can afford premium services, while many of us either have no coverage, or can barely afford the most basic healthcare.

We also need strong public health infrastructure dedicated to disease control and prevention, not the short-term profit of the ownership class and a medical system designed to profit off treating symptoms instead of cultivating wellness. As school absenteeism and the national labor shortage reach crisis levels, we need to develop treatment for long COVID, upgrade air filtration and ventilation systems in schools and workplaces, and create vaccines that stop COVID transmission.

With this foundation, we will be prepared to address future disease outbreaks.

The cost of living is rising out of control, and it is a struggle for many people in our communities to even keep a roof over their head. Incomes are not keeping up, especially for low-wage workers. They are essential, and as members of our community, they deserve financial stability. If we organize and fight, we can significantly raise the minimum wage. We also need to hold down rent increases. I’m organizing with Olympia for All, and we’re fighting to stop the greedy rent hikes. We also need to overturn the state ban on rent control and let counties and cities pass local ordinances that can go beyond any enacted state laws to protect tenants. Rent should be frozen for at least a year, and then not be allowed to rise more than 2-3% per year.

Around the country and the world, workers are once again realizing their own power and fighting for a better future. Workers of every race, gender, religion, and nationality are uniting for victory against corporate power. This resurgent labor movement needs unwavering supporters in the halls of government, to make it easier for workers to join a union, and to protect the gains organized labor makes at the bargaining table.

I know that a good voting record is just the bare minimum. Not only will I be a dependable vote for organized, and unorganized, workers, but I will be on picket lines and in meeting spaces to build solidarity across unions. I will join in union political education and in efforts to inspire and revitalize the working class into a fighting force that will win real material gains.

A strong and growing labor movement is the greatest force to defend and improve our country’s democracy and its people’s quality of life. As a State Senator, I will stand steadfastly with Washington’s workers and unions.

Our tax system is upside down. Poor and middle class people pay too much in tax and the ultra-rich pay way too little. Our sales tax falls heavily on people with low and limited incomes, and middle class homeowners have to pay property tax on their homes, but the super rich aren't paying anywhere close to their fair share. We need a wealth tax! I will fight for a property tax on extreme wealth derived from the ownership of stocks, bonds, and other financial assets, with the proceeds dedicated to education, housing, disability services, and tax credits for average people.

I have a rose on my yard signs. The rose has many beautiful symbolic meanings, one of which is the slogan from over a century ago, "Bread for all, and roses, too!" We need more than just our basic needs met; we need beauty to nurture our souls.

I will work to keep our parks and natural areas pristine and accessible. We also need to provide support to our artists and musicians to make our communities vibrant and creative. In particular, I would love to give more support to the music scene across the state. Music of every genre. Not only will this stimulate economic development, but people will be have their lives enriched. I'm ready to get down. Are you?

How many elected officials talk about the destructive nature of capitalism, and how it's intertwined with so many of our problems? Close to zero. I'll talk about it. And with your help, and the help of many others, we will do something about it. Capitalism produces a few billionaires and lots and lots of poor people. We need to transition to a sustainable system that puts people and the planet first, not corporate profits. Frankly, with the environmental crisis barreling down on us, time is running out. But this is our moment. I'm asking you to join us. Let's make history.