Other Issues

Prioritize local businesses: They create most new jobs, provide a stronger tax base, support community nonprofits, and reduce environmental impacts through local purchases and neighborhood proximity.

Prioritize hiring local workers: Workers like construction, industrial, teaching, nursing, caregiving, and service/retail employees form the backbone of our economy.

Invest our tax funds locally wherever possible, boosting local businesses and jobs.

Consider reallocating city funds from US Bank, which finances fossil fuel companies, to local nonprofit credit unions such as WECU, to boost local employment and community investment.

Adopt pre-approved home designs, enabling local manufactured housing businesses to supply the need with quick turnaround times.

Reduce emissions and increase tree cover while allowing for new housing.

Promote infill housing to lower overall environmental impact by reducing sprawl.

Expand urban tree cover, especially in neighborhoods that lack it most.

Clean up the Bellingham Bay waterfront and expand public access.

Lake Whatcom is the source of our drinking water. Despite ongoing investment aimed at improving water quality, key indicators point to stagnation. We must step up land acquisition and restrictions on development in its watershed.

Adopt stronger measures to reduce plastic. Plastic comes from fossil fuel and eventually ends up as greenhouse gases. Only about 5% is “recycled” (more accurately repurposed). Microplastics harm the environment, wildlife, and human health.

Explore an outdoor lighting ordinance to minimize light pollution, reduce energy waste, decrease glare, and prevent light trespass onto neighboring properties.

My wildlife photography promotes appreciation of the natural communities we must preserve.

Support proven crime deterrents:

· Visible community policing, such as Mayor Lund’s resumed bicycle patrols and assignment of public works personnel to keep downtown safe and welcoming.

· Certainty of being caught, which is again linked to a visible police presence.

· Certainty of facing accountability, which includes both traditional prosecution and diversion programs for low-level offenses. According to the US Department of Justice, the certainty of consequences, more so than their severity, reduces crime.

· Improving police, fire, and EMS response times. Infill housing reduces travel distances while increasing tax receipts to invest in additional personnel, equipment, and infrastructure.

· Community engagement through public cooperation that builds trust and transparency with law enforcement.

· Fair and impartial policing by all law enforcement agencies, including equal access to legal resources.

· Long-term safety strategies, including stable housing for the homeless and zoning adjustments to deconcentrate poverty.

Support all workers in their efforts to achieve family wages and benefits.

Build middle wage and family sized housing all over the city, including all residential areas.

Enforce laws against wage theft and misclassification of workers as independent contractors.

Facilitate affordable childcare throughout the city.

Stand with struggling workers. I joined Macy’s, Alaska ferry, Peacehealth, and Starbucks workers on picket lines. As Whatcom Democrats Chair, presented resolutions to REI Co-op management and Western Washington University trustees on behalf of retail and academic workers. 

Through Community First Whatcom I helped draft the initiative raising the Bellingham minimum wage by $2. That is providing our lowest paid workers an extra $4,000 a year to pay rent and other basic expenses. To mitigate the impact on small businesses, we must make permitting simple and quick.

Ensure getting around the city without a car is as easy, convenient, and safe as driving.

Expand walking and rolling infrastructure that is both safe and desirable to use.

Consider a fare-free policy for WTA. Revenue from fare collection is balanced by cost of collection. Eliminating fares would reduce time spent at each stop and reduce travel time.

Partner with the Port of Bellingham to explore establishing a foot ferry to the San Juan Islands. 

Lobby for more frequent and dependable Cascades service in the near term, and high-speed rail in the longer term.

Honor treaty obligations and enhance consultation and collaboration with Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe.

Explore adopting Ranked Choice Voting in city elections.

I support city charter amendments for 1) term limits and 2) making it easier to run for city council.

I also support direct public access to the ballot. City charter amendments I drafted in 2001 lowered signature requirements for initiatives and city charter amendments.

Whatcom County: Wrote county charter amendments that reduced the number of signatures required for initiatives (2021) and prohibited holding two elected offices at once (2024). Another charter amendment on this year’s ballot would reduce the number of signatures required for charter amendments from the public (there has never been a charter amendment from the public because the current requirement is too high).