Washblog || Scott Olson to Launch New Bid for 39th LD House Seat

Scott Olson to Launch New Bid for 39th LD House Seat

By The Left Shue
Sat Jan 12, 2008 at 10:38:07 AM PST
Section: Diary Topic: Election news/info

With a nod to Jerry Cornfield at the Everett Herald; via his new online effort The Petri Dish I am pleased to pass along the notice that Scott Olson will launch another effort against 39th LD Republican, Dan Kristiansen.

I first told you about Scott Olson here

"... I was introduced to Scott by Steve Galea, Chair of the 39th LD Democrats at the Snohomish County Convention on Saturday. I was impressed with his knowledge of the issues facing the district and his enthusiasm for the challenge. Scott has lived in the 39th LD for nearly 20 years and has been active in many areas."

While he was not successful in his first effort, Olson gave Kristiansen a serious challenge and had some folks genuinely concerned on election night when the race was too close to call. Unfortunately for Scott, some late money put in to a Republican GOTV effort to secure the 39th proved too much to overcome as the late arriving ballots made the difference in Kristiansen's win.

Just as in 2006, the issues in the 39th still center on land use and transportation. Olson's Issues page at the time addressed those and more:

Relieving Traffic Congestion: Our current traffic mess is not just a safety issue; it is an economic and family issue as well. Our economy suffers when raw materials and goods and services can't be delivered in a timely fashion. Our families suffer when we spend more time on the road, cutting into the time we should be investing in our families. But traffic safety and congestion issues can't be solved in isolation, a piece here, a piece there. They must be part of a broader, regional solution or we're just shifting the problem somewhere else. And that just doesn't make sense. I will work for common sense solutions to our traffic problems; solutions that encourage innovative programs to get more vehicles off our roads as well as increasing safety and capacity.
Strengthening public schools: Every child, regardless of economic situation or geographic location, deserves access to the best tools, teachers, and technology available. Whether they live in Monroe or Medina, Bellevue or Sedro-Woolley, Mercer Island or Granite Falls, every student deserves a shot at success. Sound investments in public education now will only strengthen our economy and improve our communities by creating a more educated workforce and offering our children alternatives to drugs and crime. In national comparisons, Washington schools rank at the bottom in class size, an indicator of student success, and compensation for our educators lags behind as well. We must work to improve these conditions and at the same time maintain accountability within our schools to ensure that our investment is being well spent.
Getting affordable health care to all Washingtonians: Over 600,000 everyday folks in Washington are without health care insurance. With rising premiums and deductibles, more and more working men and women and small businesses are squeezed tighter and tighter trying to keep their families and loved ones healthy. This is not acceptable. It's time to create a fair, common sense system in Washington that delivers access to affordable, quality health care to all our citizens.
Improving the business climate for small businesses: As a former small business owner and an active member of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, I know first hand the challenges faced by small business. I am also keenly aware of the critical role small businesses play in the economic vitality of our communities. It makes little sense to me that millions of dollars in tax incentives are given to large corporations and pennies to small businesses. I will make every effort to relieve the excessive tax and wasteful administrative burdens placed on small businesses and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit that built our country.

Ensuring responsible land use: Washington is one of the 10 fastest growing states in the country. Three of the fastest growing counties in the state are Skagit, Whatcom and Snohomish Counties, the heart of the 39th district. While growth brings benefits to our communities, it also has created several serious problems. Irresponsible growth is threatening our family farms and open spaces and puts undue pressure on the capacity of existing infrastructure; roads, schools, police and fire services, and utilities. I will work diligently to make sure that our quality of life, and the quality of life of future generations, is not further degraded by irresponsible growth practices. I will work with officials and citizens on all levels to ensure that as our region grows we use smart, responsible policies that create livable, vibrant communities.

One of the most pressing transportation issues in the 39th LD is addressing the fatal stretch of roadway that is U.S. Highway 2. Scott recently wrote of Kristiansen's failure to live up to his promises to deal with the top traffic safety issue in the district in a LTE to the Everett Herald

"For five years Rep. Dan Kristiansen has promised to make U.S. 2 a "top priority."

Two years ago when he lost a friend to another tragic accident, he pledged to put his efforts into fixing the deadly road, saying "it's personal."

Now yet another legislative session has passed where U.S. 2's problems were largely ignored.

Where was Dan? Where has he been for the last five years when the accident and death tolls were climbing?..."

"...The truth is that during Dan's time in office more than $10 billion toward road and transportation projects have been allocated throughout the state. By a generous estimate, including dollars allotted in the last biennial budget, the share of those and other allocations to fix U.S. 2 figures out to about 4/100th of 1 percent of the total or roughly 40 cents for every $1,000 spent.

In the last five sessions he has missed out on opportunity after opportunity to get money flowing toward this outdated and dangerous hiway..."

I will be talking with Scott in the near future and will be pass along any new information that comes my way. Just as in 2006 I believe that Scott will be a great Progressive voice for the folks in the 39th LD and the rest of the state. I hope when the time is right, many of you will offer your support.

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

< mudslide and lewis county | On Considering The Past Week, Or, It's Time For A Difficult Conversation >

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