These are the candidates on the ballot in 2007 that have signed the America In Solidarity pledge to support working families.
David Stemp
Candidate for Fircrest (WA) City Council
David Stemp has thrown his hat in the ring in this important race for Fircrest City Council. Why is a little town like Fircrest, so important? Because Wal-Mart has set its eyes on building a store there which would threaten living wage jobs in the neighboring cities of Tacoma and University Place. And Stemp has pledged to do what he can to keep Wal-Mart out of Fircrest.
David's answer to the closed debate about Wal-Mart with the current Council:
Currently there is very little openness in the
Fircrest city government. It is
difficult to get information regarding business development, specifically the
possibility of a new Walmart. I would
work to make our government open and more transparent so that labor has a
chance to deal with the issues fairly and accurately.
David's answer about some of our other issues:
Labor must have the tools of organizing,
bargaining, and striking to create equality.
I believe every American is entitled to a living wage, affordable health
care and a quality public education.
Without the support of organized labor this would not be possible.
Every worker and their family should have access
to GOOD affordable health care. We need
to set the highest standards on the planet for environmental protection so that
we can lead the way for the rest of the world.
And we should have the most open and inclusive worker and civil rights
policies in the world.
David's website
Rose Ehart
Candidate for University Place City Council
Rose, one of our registered volunteers, is trying to make a difference by running for city council in University Place.
A former small business owner and realtor, Rose left the for-profit
world in the 90’s and embarked on a mission to “make a difference” in
her community. She founded the Bread Basket, a 501c3
non-profit food and clothing bank, which delivers food at no charge to
low-income homebound seniors and disabled persons.
Rose is
elected to the Pierce County Conservation District Board. Local
conservation projects include Chambers Clover Creek Watershed Project,
salmon recovery and improvements at Curran Apple Orchard. Rose is
active in her church and her community. She volunteers most of her time
in community service and political activism. Rose is a member of
several local and county boards. Choosing to serve her community on the
University Place City Council is a natural outgrowth of her business
and political experience and her love for her community.
Rose's answers to our questionaire:
1. Why are you seeking office? I am running in order to lead our city in a new direction
and tackle some of the difficult issues we face as a community. University
Place is undertaking a significant change to it’s economic infrastructure. This
includes constructing new buildings, new roads and providing opportunities to long-term
employment. These projects and jobs should be done by those companies with safe
working conditions who offer family standard jobs.
2. What qualifies you to represent
working families? I am a
mother and a wife in a middle class working family. I know from experience the
difficulties and joys working families face. I have run a food bank in my
community for a number of years and I understand the challenges facing many of
our working families. Additionally, I have worked closely with Rep. Tami Green
and will continue to work with all elected officials to address the issues of
providing jobs that allow for dignity and respect of working families. I
believe we need to spur economic development in order to bring in family
standard jobs and as a city institution, we must make sure we pay our employees
a livable family wage.
3. What are the main issues affecting the
people you would represent? We need to complete the Town Center Project, which will
attract new businesses and family standard jobs to our city, boost our economy
and reduce our personal taxes.
4. What is your position on the “Right
to Work” issue? I
oppose “right to work” laws. The state of Idaho’s
diminutive minimum wage and overall low standard of living for their working
class is one of many examples of the results of “right to work”. Washington State,
with higher union density and higher standard of living for working families demonstrates
the positive impact of organized workers and collective bargaining has on
overall economy and standard of living for Washington Workers.
5. Do you feel government entities should
change zoning laws to accommodate big block retailers like Wal-Mart? ABSOLUTELY
NOT! Current laws and the Growth Management Act sometimes make it difficult for
zoning committees to deliberately favor homegrown “small town” businesses over
big box stores. However, this is the direction I would take if elected. I
disapprove of the business model Wal-Mart uses because it is not good for
working families and it is not good for communities like University Place.
6. Do you support initiatives like the “Fair
Share Health Care” Bill that would force large companies to either provide
health insurance for their employees or pay into the state’s health care
system? It is
inherently unfair for working taxpayers and ethical businesses such as Brown
and Cole, to subsidize corporate profits of Wal-Mart and others by paying their
corporate responsibilities. Big companies that do not offer adequate healthcare
insurance tax our entire healthcare system, and our state and city resources. I
support single payer solutions like that of Senator Rosa Franklin’s SB 5756 as
the long-term fix for this problem.
7. What is your position on living wage
ordinances? I support living wage ordinances. The creation of family
wage employment must be a significant criteria in selecting contractors to
provide goods and services to the city or to qualify for economic incentives to
locate a business in the City of University Place. I am also aware that our state’s minimum wage law did NOT
devastate small businesses. The history of minimum wage here shows that even
those businesses that have minimum wage workers do very well to the benefit of
their communities.
Rose's website
Jackie Minchew
Candidate for Everett City Council, Position # 7
A public school teacher, Jackie Minchew is running for a seat on the Everett City Council. He is running to represent the working families of Everett, a voice sorely missing on the current council. A true progressive, Jackie has served with the 44th District Democrats and as Chair of Democracy for Snohomish County.
Jackie's website
Here is his answers to our questionaire:
Why are you seeking office? – I seek this office primarily to represent the voice of the under-represented. I seek a better balance between upscale developments and affordable housing. I seek distributed representation, so that every part of the city is represented on the council, rather than just the downtown power corridor.
What qualifies you to represent working families? I have a passion to serve the citizens of Everett and I am committed to seeing that their interests are represented at City Hall. I am of the working class, and I understand the challenges working families face. I am an aggressive learner and a patient teacher.
Finally, I have the necessary work ethic and drive to be always on the job for my
constituents.
What are the main issues affecting the people you would represent? Number one on the list is the fact that the determined gentrification of the city is making it harder and harder for working families to stay here. As appraised property valuations skyrocket, assessed property taxes follow suit. As more and more apartment buildings go condo, affordable rentals become ever scarcer. As mobile home parks are bought up and developed, senior citizens on fixed incomes find their “Golden Years” dogged by the specter of eviction and economic ruin.
What is your position on the “Right to Work” issue? I come from a “Right-To-Work” state. Right-to-work laws are absolutely anti-union, in my opinion. They are intended to weaken unions and make it difficult if not impossible to organize.
Do you feel government entities should change zoning laws to accommodate big
block retailers like Wal-Mart? Absolutely not.
How would you use your position to address America's health care crisis? I am not sure a City Council has much of a role to play on this issue, but I am personally an advocate for some sort of a single-payer plan.
What is your position on living wage ordinances? I would support a living wage ordinance in Everett, along the lines of the one adopted in Bellingham, WA.
What is your position on trade agreements like NAFTA, CAFTA and the WTO? I believe so-called “Free Trade Agreements” bear the bulk of the blame for the exportation of America’s manufacturing capacity, along with American jobs. I oppose them.