ISSUES

Safe Communities:

Our streets are not safe, and our businesses are struggling. Our law enforcement officers are understaffed and underfunded. The unsustainable rise in crime in our community is a direct result of the anti-police legislation enacted in Olympia in 2021. The result of House Bill 1054 limits our law enforcement officers ability to pursue car thieves (auto thefts are up 99%). They don’t arrest shoplifters, and their hands are tied in their interactions with suspects in fear of using excessive force because of House Bill 1310’s new standard for use of force and modification of who is liable in those interactions. The combination of all the laws passed in the spring of 2021 resulted in a mass exodus of our law enforcement officers, with Washington state now boasting the lowest officer to citizen ratio in the country. Our legislators have effectively made our law enforcement officers the bad guys while those that choose to commit crimes are not held accountable. As your representative I will fix this broken system with new investments for our officers with an emphasis on recruitment, wages, and training. I will invest in new mental health facilities, treatment centers, and jails. And above all I will hold those that commit crimes accountable for their actions and so we once again deter crime. Our families and our community must feel safe. There is no more important issue.

Affordable Living:

Inflation is rampant. Prices are rising faster now than any other time in over 40 years. Gas has nearly doubled in two years. Current food prices are stretching our budgets to the breaking point. Rent is up over 20%, used car prices are up over 40%. We feel it every time we shop and fill up at the pump. Even with both parents working, many families are barely surviving. Our legislators in Olympia did nothing to relieve these pressures. With a chance to provide relief this year with a 15-billion-dollar surplus in revenue, their tax and spend policies funded their unrealistic plans. In fact, we can expect more pain at the pump and the grocery store when their so called “Washington Climate Commitment Act” takes effect in January of 2023. Recent analysis expects a $0.46 per gallon increase on our gasoline tax and a $0.56 per gallon tax on diesel in the first year alone (expect that to rise to almost a dollar per gallon increase by 2030). As a family man and your representative, I will put your needs first, not special interests or someone’s ideology. I will eliminate the policies that unnecessarily drive up the costs of our daily lives.

Accountability:

We no longer hold much of our society accountable for their actions. Politicians are not held accountable for their poorly written laws and policies. Bureaucracies’, like our education system, are poorly managed and not accountable for their poor performance. Criminals are not held accountable for the damage they inflict on society. When elected, I will work to restore accountability. We will deter crime with effective, measured, and consistent punishments. We need to cut wasteful governmental spending and reign in their over-reach into every facet of our lives. As a lifelong Washingtonian and your representative, I will audit our bureaucracies and bring my private sector experience to the table to bring back a smaller, agile, and more pragmatic government so we can once again trust our representatives have our families needs at the top of their priorities.

Taxes:

The state budget under democratic leadership has doubled in size over the last ten years. Our taxes have been consistently raised each year, even while revenues have risen. State taxes raise our cost of living and deprive businesses of money needed to expand and pay employees a competitive wage. In 2022 the state experienced a surplus of $15 billion. Instead of returning the unexpected wealth in the form of tax relief, my opponent’s party spent much of the excess funding on unrealistic policies. I support lowering taxes whenever possible and consistently eliminating waste in government.

Parental Rights:

As the cornerstone of a society, families need to be supported. Our recent experience created by our government’s response to COVID-19 allowed parents and grandparents to see what is being taught in our schools. With mandated standards of Social Emotional Learning, Critical Race Theory, and Comprehensive Sex Education many families in our state and country chose to leave the public education system. With a 4% enrollment drop for public schools statewide our politicians didn’t ask why, they doubled down and authorized additional funding and tax authorizations. They also passed legislation that actively disrupts our families’ relationships. House Bill 1225 established state funded School Based Health Centers. Senate Bill 5889 prohibits insurance providers from notifying parents of health care services provided to their children and Senate Bill 5313 requires insurance providers to provide gender affirming services. The resulting combination of these laws allows schools to provide our children with depression medication, birth control, abortions, and gender hormone therapy without parental consent. As an active father of four who watched my sons struggle during this period and your representative, I will actively support the relationship between parent and child. I will encourage all parents to actively engage in their children’s education. I will demand schools achieve superior results in reading, writing, math and science and we will provide parents options for their children when schools don’t.

Health Care:

Our healthcare system needs a cure. Costs rise each year while health outcomes don’t keep pace. My opponent, Monica Stonier, receives $1,000’s of dollars from the pharmaceutical and health insurance companies that have a financial interest for us not to be healthy but rather in a perpetual state of illness. She sponsored bills mandating vaccines and requiring insurance companies to provide services that raise costs for everyone while benefitting few. Our health is too precious to sacrifice to special interests. As your Representative I will sponsor the fundamental pragmatic changes needed for a healthy healthcare system: open competition for our health care dollars, allow alternative treatments such as naturopathy, focus measures that support healthy lifestyle choices and access to quality food. I will stand up for great family healthcare which will affect generations of Washingtonians to come. Our families deserve this.

A Business-Friendly Economy:

The anti-business agenda of my opponent has pushed our once vibrant industrial sector out of our state and overseas. The transformation of our economy from a powerhouse of industry and innovation to a consumer driven economy has imperiled the middle-class. Our reliance on global supply chains has seen us see empty shelves and offshore manufacturing has exacerbated the inflation crisis. Washington needs to refocus on attracting industry and manufacturing to the state. My experience in the private sector will bring a business-friendly voice to our capitol and enable us to revitalize industry and manufacturing and bring living wage jobs to the citizens of Washington. I support fiscal responsibility, lowering taxes whenever possible, and eliminating waste in government.

Energy Costs

The traditional and simplistic approach of my opponent’s party to a dynamic system is to limit or even eliminate our fossil fuel use. My opponent consistently votes to restrict use of fossil fuels which drives up the cost of everything in our economy. Their clean energy plan passed in 2019, effectively eliminates natural gas from retail sales by 2045, forcing us to use less effective and more expensive types of energy to heat our homes. The zealous push to fundamentally transform our state’s use of fossil fuels exports our industry to far away countries with far less regulations on pollution, effectively giving those countries the benefits of our good paying jobs while providing negligible benefits for the environment. Eliminating fossil fuel use before proven technologies are viable risks a less reliable and more expensive energy system. This complex system needs a realistic and balanced approach that benefits the environment but also provides reliable, affordable, and flexible energy for families and businesses.

ISSUES

Safe Communities:

Our streets are not safe, and our businesses are struggling. Our law enforcement officers are understaffed and underfunded. The unsustainable rise in crime in our community is a direct result of the anti-police legislation enacted in Olympia in 2021. The result of House Bill 1054 limits our law enforcement officers ability to pursue car thieves (auto thefts are up 99%). They don’t arrest shoplifters, and their hands are tied in their interactions with suspects in fear of using excessive force because of House Bill 1310’s new standard for use of force and modification of who is liable in those interactions. The combination of all the laws passed in the spring of 2021 resulted in a mass exodus of our law enforcement officers, with Washington state now boasting the lowest officer to citizen ratio in the country. Our legislators have effectively made our law enforcement officers the bad guys while those that choose to commit crimes are not held accountable. As your representative I will fix this broken system with new investments for our officers with an emphasis on recruitment, wages, and training. I will invest in new mental health facilities, treatment centers, and jails. And above all I will hold those that commit crimes accountable for their actions and so we once again deter crime. Our families and our community must feel safe. There is no more important issue.

Affordable Living:

Inflation is rampant.  Prices are rising faster now than any other time in over 40 years. Gas has nearly doubled in two years. Current food prices are stretching our budgets to the breaking point. Rent is up over 20%, used car prices are up over 40%.  We feel it every time we shop and fill up at the pump. Even with both parents working, many families are barely surviving.  Our legislators in Olympia did nothing to relieve these pressures. With a chance to provide relief this year with a 15-billion-dollar surplus in revenue, their tax and spend policies funded their unrealistic plans.  In fact, we can expect more pain at the pump and the grocery store when their so called “Washington Climate Commitment Act” takes effect in January of 2023.  Recent analysis expects a $0.46 per gallon increase on our gasoline tax and a $0.56 per gallon tax on diesel in the first year alone (expect that to rise to almost a dollar per gallon increase by 2030). As a family man and your representative, I will put your needs first, not special interests or someone’s ideology.  I will eliminate the policies that unnecessarily drive up the costs of our daily lives.

Accountability:

We no longer hold much of our society accountable for their actions. Politicians are not held accountable for their poorly written laws and policies. Bureaucracies’, like our education system, are poorly managed and not accountable for their poor performance. Criminals are not held accountable for the damage they inflict on society.  When elected, I will work to restore accountability. We will deter crime with effective, measured, and consistent punishments. We need to cut wasteful governmental spending and reign in their over-reach into every facet of our lives.  As a lifelong Washingtonian and your representative, I will audit our bureaucracies and bring my private sector experience to the table to bring back a smaller, agile, and more pragmatic government so we can once again trust our representatives have our families needs at the top of their priorities.

Parental Rights:

As the cornerstone of a society, families need to be supported. Our recent experience created by our government’s response to COVID-19 allowed parents and grandparents to see what is being taught in our schools. With mandated standards of Social Emotional Learning, Critical Race Theory, and Comprehensive Sex Education many families in our state and country chose to leave the public education system. With a 4% enrollment drop for public schools statewide our politicians didn’t ask why, they doubled down and authorized additional funding and tax authorizations. They also passed legislation that actively disrupts our families’ relationships. House Bill 1225 established state funded School Based Health Centers. Senate Bill 5889 prohibits insurance providers from notifying parents of health care services provided to their children and Senate Bill 5313 requires insurance providers to provide gender affirming services. The resulting combination of these laws allows schools to provide our children with depression medication, birth control, abortions, and gender hormone therapy without parental consent. As an active father of four who watched my sons struggle during this period and your representative, I will actively support the relationship between parent and child. I will encourage all parents to actively engage in their children’s education. I will demand schools achieve superior results in reading, writing, math and science and we will provide parents options for their children when schools don’t.

Taxes:

The state budget under democratic leadership has doubled in size over the last ten years. Our taxes have been consistently raised each year, even while revenues have risen. State taxes raise our cost of living and deprive businesses of money needed to expand and pay employees a competitive wage. In 2022 the state experienced a surplus of $15 billion. Instead of returning the unexpected wealth in the form of tax relief, my opponent’s party spent much of the excess funding on unrealistic policies. I support lowering taxes whenever possible and consistently eliminating waste in government.

Health Care:

Our healthcare system needs a cure. Costs rise each year while health outcomes don’t keep pace. My opponent, Monica Stonier, receives $1,000’s of dollars from the pharmaceutical and health insurance companies that have a financial interest for us not to be healthy but rather in a perpetual state of illness. She sponsored bills mandating vaccines and requiring insurance companies to provide services that raise costs for everyone while benefitting few. Our health is too precious to sacrifice to special interests. As your Representative I will sponsor the fundamental pragmatic changes needed for a healthy healthcare system: open competition for our health care dollars, allow alternative treatments such as naturopathy, focus measures that support healthy lifestyle choices and access to quality food. I will stand up for great family healthcare which will affect generations of Washingtonians to come. Our families deserve this.

A Business-Friendly Economy:

The anti-business agenda of my opponent has pushed our once vibrant industrial sector out of our state and overseas. The transformation of our economy from a powerhouse of industry and innovation to a consumer driven economy has imperiled the middle-class. Our reliance on global supply chains has seen us see empty shelves and offshore manufacturing has exacerbated the inflation crisis. Washington needs to refocus on attracting industry and manufacturing to the state. My experience in the private sector will bring a business-friendly voice to our capitol and enable us to revitalize industry and manufacturing and bring living wage jobs to the citizens of Washington. I support fiscal responsibility, lowering taxes whenever possible, and eliminating waste in government.

Energy Costs:

The traditional and simplistic approach of my opponent’s party to a dynamic system is to limit or even eliminate our fossil fuel use. My opponent consistently votes to restrict use of fossil fuels which drives up the cost of everything in our economy. Their clean energy plan passed in 2019, effectively eliminates natural gas from retail sales by 2045, forcing us to use less effective and more expensive types of energy to heat our homes. The zealous push to fundamentally transform our state’s use of fossil fuels exports our industry to far away countries with far less regulations on pollution, effectively giving those countries the benefits of our good paying jobs while providing negligible benefits for the environment. Eliminating fossil fuel use before proven technologies are viable risks a less reliable and more expensive energy system. This complex system needs a realistic and balanced approach that benefits the environment but also provides reliable, affordable, and flexible energy for families and businesses.

Destructive Bills Sponsored by our Current Democrat Legislators

• Soft on Crime policies:

– Weakened 3-Strikes law: SB5288 (2019) and SB5146 (2021): Removes second-degree robbery from persistent offender list and mandates resentencing of offenders.
– Example repercussion: Convicted murderer of a 14-year-old girl in Vancouver in 2005 to be resentenced in October and possibly released in 5 years.
– Reduced penalties gang shootings: HB1169 (in committee): Reduces sentences for drug offenses, gang related felonies, and gun offenses and includes process for early release.

• Drug offenses are not prosecutable in Washington:

– SB5476 (2021) response to State vs Blake decision: Prosecutors MUST offer alternative treatment for the first two drug offenses and are encouraged to offer alternatives on ALL subsequent offenses.
– 66% increase in overdose deaths in 2021 with over 2,000 deaths with over 1,000 from fentanyl.

• 99% increase in auto thefts from March 2021 to March 2022.

– ESSB1054 (2021): Vehicle pursuit of criminals is severely restricted. Directly influenced rise of car thefts with an estimated 50,000 cars by end of 2022.

• Washington has lowest officer per person in nation
– HB1310 (2021): Modified use of force and criminal liability. Transfers liability to police officers.
– SB5051 (2021): Changes background checks and certification and decertification process.

• Undermining Parental Rights

– SB5082 (2019): Mandates Social emotional learning in schools. Promotes “trusted adults” in schools (School’s policy 3211 prevents communication between parents and school employees). 
– HB1225 (2021): School-based health centers: Schools are not required to notify parents prior to service of gender affirming care, abortions, depression meds, or birth control.
– SB5889 (2019): Prohibits insurance companies from informing parents of treatment for minors.
– SB5313 (2021): Mandates gender affirming care be covered by insurance companies.

• Sexualizing our children

– SB5395 (2020): Comprehensive sexual education teaches sex and sexuality to 10-year-old children. (Youth aged 15-24 are 50% of new cases of STDs in U.S).
– Graphic books picturing and describing sexual acts are in our school libraries.

• Tax increases of $0.46 per gallon of gas and $0.56 per gallon of diesel in January 2023

– SB 5126 (2021): Washington climate commitment act. Carbon cap and trade scheme increases government caused inflation on ALL goods and services.
– This tax will increase over time. By 2030 expected increase will be $0.80 per gallon of gas and $0.97 per
gallon of diesel.

• Prohibiting coal fired power and removing natural gas option for our homes by 2045

– SB5116 (2019): Clean Energy Economy: Eliminates coal and retail sales of natural gas must be greenhouse gas neutral by 2030 must be 100% non-emitting and renewable by 2045
– Reduces options and raises home heating cost nearly 300%

• All new vehicles in 2030 to be electric vehicles

– SB5974/SB5975 (2022): Move Ahead Washington sets goals for 100% EV vehicles in 2030 and transfers 30% of highway projects budget to pedestrian, bike, and green energy public transportation.

About

Born and raised in Washington, Clark County and Vancouver is my home.  Growing up my family did not have a lot of money.  We relied on our community and the state to make ends meet.  I grew up believing in the American Dream and my father showed me the value of hard work.  I quickly learned that if I wanted anything I would have to work for it.  This foundation has served me well and is why I am now in a position to serve my community.

I am a graduate of Washington State University with a bachelor’s in history with the goal of teaching, but twenty years ago teachers were not well compensated for their efforts, and I decided to pursue a career in the trades.  After several years of being a laborer, I joined the brick mason’s union, started a business with my father, and am currently the Operations Manager for the Vancouver office for the company we sold our business to.  Working my way through life starting at the bottom has given me an appreciation for those of us that have decided to work with our hands.  Although most of the time the work is not glorious, it is always rewarding, and is absolutely necessary.

I am married to my high school sweetheart of 28 years. Together we are blessed with four sons and both of us find great joy in parenting them as they grow into their roles in this society.  It is my belief that there is no more important role or greater reward in this life than to be a father.  I truly cherish the life that my wife and I created. I am seeking to be your representative in hopes that my input will help build a world in which the children in this community can flourish and find the success that they desire.

After I graduated from Prairie High School in 1994, I joined the United States Marine Corps to find direction and purpose in life, as well as to serve the country that I loved.  When the terrorists attacked our country on September 11th 2001, I knew I would get a chance to defend our nation from future attacks.  In January of 2003 my unit deployed to Kuwait in anticipation of our eventual operation liberating Iraq from Saddam Hussein.  It was the truth of war that impressed me the most during this time in my life.  War is sometimes necessary but should never be entered into lightly nor the sacrifices made by our armed forces taken for granted. This experience was a pivotal moment in my life.

There are many hobbies that I enjoy.  Wood working, boating, snowboarding are quite rewarding, but there is one activity that I enjoy above the rest.  Riding motorcycles.  My youth consisted of countless hours riding dirt bikes on old logging roads and neighbors’ homemade tracks.  I rediscovered them in my adulthood and have cherished the camping trips with families and friends where we truly reconnect with each other and nature free from the distractions of this modern world.  It has also been an outlet to test my limits, in 2012 my brother invited me to Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico for the Baja 500 desert race and I have been hooked ever since.  In 2018 I successfully iron manned the 50th anniversary of this iconic 500-mile race in the Mexican desert, a feat few accomplish, and hopefully by doing it, signaled to my sons that the only limits in life are the ones that we set for ourselves.

As a local resident who has lived over 33 years in this district, I am not only invested in this community but committed to its prosperity.  As I start this next chapter of my life, I am looking forward to giving back to this wonderful community.  I am looking forward to building a future together that includes all.  And above all, I am looking forward to the foundation that we will build together for the next generation and their children.  Thank you for your vote.

Born and raised in Washington, Clark County and Vancouver is my home.  Growing up my family did not have a lot of money.  We relied on our community and the state to make ends meet.  I grew up believing in the American Dream and my father showed me the value of hard work.  I quickly learned that if I wanted anything I would have to work for it.  This foundation has served me well and is why I am now in a position to serve my community.

After I graduated from Prairie High School in 1994, I joined the United States Marine Corps to find direction and purpose in life, as well as to serve the country that I loved.  When the terrorists attacked our country on September 11th 2001, I knew I would get a chance to defend our nation from future attacks.  In January of 2003 my unit deployed to Kuwait in anticipation of our eventual operation liberating Iraq from Saddam Hussein.  It was the truth of war that impressed me the most during this time in my life.  War is sometimes necessary but should never be entered into lightly nor the sacrifices made by our armed forces taken for granted. This experience was a pivotal moment in my life.

I am a graduate of Washington State University with a bachelor’s in history with the goal of teaching, but twenty years ago teachers were not well compensated for their efforts, and I decided to pursue a career in the trades.  After several years of being a laborer, I joined the brick mason’s union, started a business with my father, and am currently the Operations Manager for the Vancouver office for the company we sold our business to.  Working my way through life starting at the bottom has given me an appreciation for those of us that have decided to work with our hands.  Although most of the time the work is not glorious, it is always rewarding, and is absolutely necessary.

I am married to my high school sweetheart of 28 years. Together we are blessed with four sons and both of us find great joy in parenting them as they grow into their roles in this society.  It is my belief that there is no more important role or greater reward in this life than to be a father.  I truly cherish the life that my wife and I created. I am seeking to be your representative in hopes that my input will help build a world in which the children in this community can flourish and find the success that they desire.

There are many hobbies that I enjoy.  Wood working, boating, snowboarding are quite rewarding, but there is one activity that I enjoy above the rest.  Riding motorcycles.  My youth consisted of countless hours riding dirt bikes on old logging roads and neighbors’ homemade tracks.  I rediscovered them in my adulthood and have cherished the camping trips with families and friends where we truly reconnect with each other and nature free from the distractions of this modern world.  It has also been an outlet to test my limits, in 2012 my brother invited me to Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico for the Baja 500 desert race and I have been hooked ever since.  In 2018 I successfully iron manned the 50th anniversary of this iconic 500-mile race in the Mexican desert, a feat few accomplish, and hopefully by doing it, signaled to my sons that the only limits in life are the ones that we set for ourselves.

As a local resident who has lived over 33 years in this district, I am not only invested in this community but committed to its prosperity.  As I start this next chapter of my life, I am looking forward to giving back to this wonderful community.  I am looking forward to building a future together that includes all.  And above all, I am looking forward to the foundation that we will build together for the next generation and their children.  Thank you for your vote.