Hello Neighbors,
It’s Time To Vote!
I hope you have received your ballot by now and are making a plan to vote. If you have not received your ballot, please contact King County elections. Democracy is not a spectator sport; we need everyone to join in! Ballots must be in the ballot drop box (by 8pm) or postmarked on November 7th - remember, no postage is required to mail your ballot in WA State.
Drop box locations and more information on returning your ballot can be found here.
Correcting The Record
It has come to my attention that my opponent has made false assertions about where I stand on some important issues. I’d like to take a moment to correct the record, and ensure that you know the truth.
On our current homelessness crisis and tent encampments, my opponent claims that I “oppose limits on tent encampments”.
The reality of my position is that I would prefer not to have our residents living in tents, so I would have voted to accept the $1,000,000 and tiny homes that King County offered to us nearly 5 months ago. We all know that one tiny home village will not solve homelessness in Burien, but if our current council had taken swift action back in June, we could have around 50 fewer people sleeping on the streets right now. Burien is a small city with big city problems and limited resources. We need to work creatively and collaboratively with our partners to ensure we have housing options for people at all income levels.
Continuing to move people around and then out of the city while at the same time refusing to accept resources is not leadership and solves nothing. These actions only make matters worse for everyone involved, as we have seen.
On policing and public safety, my opponent claims that I said, “arresting criminals doesn’t make our community safer”.
Here’s the fact about me: I am driven by data and make my decisions accordingly. For non-violent, low level crimes I support the LEAD program and other pre-arrest diversion programs because the data says they work. These programs are not about not arresting criminals, they are about addressing the underlying issues that lead people to commit these types of behaviors; often crimes of poverty or survival. The data shows that these programs actually do make us safer by freeing up police to focus on addressing violent crime.
I’m disappointed that my opponent has decided to use misinformation and fear to gain support. But honestly, there’s not much else to use, because I stand for values that most people agree with: caring for our vulnerable populations, working collaboratively, and focusing on solutions!
You Have A Clear Choice In This Election!
We as voters can continue to be fear based and reactionary, waiting for non-existent perfect solutions while the issues we face compound, or we can follow the evidence and take action to implement creative and data driven solutions in partnership with our neighbors.
I will lead from my head and my heart. I will listen closely, lead powerfully and work collaboratively.
Please Help Me Get My Message Out To Voters
We are excited to be planning a final Get Out The Vote event with special guest, Representative Pramila Jayapal, the final weekend before election day. Keep an eye on our social media and your inbox for details.
My team and I are out knocking on doors every day between now and Election Day (November 7th). Please join us! I need your help to let voters know who I am and what I will do for Burien.
