If you’ve visited a lawmaker’s office, you’ve probably seen family photos on the desk and awards on the wall from various community groups.
It’s nice to get recognized, and even better when it’s by an organization that you respect.
I want to return the favor. Because stakeholders and citizen-activists are a huge part in getting things done in our democracy.
Without the tireless help of the Washington Low-Income Housing Alliance, we wouldn’t have secured $75 million for housing and the passage of two key bills:
House Bill 1223, providing for local financing of affordable housing near transit centers like light rail stations; and
House Bill 2263, which gives more local options for low-income housing for many people, including those with developmental disabilities.
I believe the measure of any society is how well you take care of the innocent and the vulnerable: children, and seniors, wounded veterans and the disabled.
Additionally, I want to thank the Association of Washington Cities for working hard to bring city council members and mayors together with their lawmakers to get things done for the people we all represent back home.
Serving on the city council is how I got started, so I know how many hours people put into making their city a better place to live, work and raise a family.
It’s wrong to look at politics as a zero-sum game where for somebody to win, somebody else has to lose. All of us have differences of opinions on issues. Sometimes we passionately disagree. But that doesn’t make anyone our enemy.
We are all Washingtonians, and Americans, and we will always get more done by listening to each other and working together to tackle common problems.
If you or your organization have ideas about how to tackle a problem like housing, jobs or education, please contact my office. I’d love to hear from you.