Every vote I make as a council member will have to pass these tests: will my vote keep your family and business safe and our parks and public areas clean? Is my vote equitable? Does it represent the diverse needs of the people who have come from all parts of the world who call Federal Way home?

We must always ask ourselves, do we have enough police officers? Have we provided them with all the tools and training they need? When I work on the budget I will ensure they are fully staffed and have educational opportunities for advancement and building their relationship and trust with the public.

In order for our city to be safe, we need to get people off our streets and housed.

Our streets and roads must be maintained and safe to drive on.

People suffering from drug and alcohol addiction need to go to treatment. It is a treatable medical disease and many people have recovered and gotten their lives back.

Federal Way is a beautiful city. We must support our local businesses, and when people visit Federal Way, they can enjoy that we have people from so many different backgrounds, who speak different languages, and run different restaurants. Federal Way should be a magnet for people to come taste different flavors and dine at our restaurants. A place to stop, eat at our restaurants – enjoy Ethiopian food, Indian cuisine, Korean dishes.

We also need to communicate the amazing career opportunities available to learn a skilled trade and become a carpenter, electrician, HVAC technician, etc. and be paid while learning.

There are many reasons why a person becomes homeless. There is no catch-all root cause. We must find out why they became homeless. Is it chronic untreated mental health problems? Is it substance abuse addiction? Are they the working poor, who cannot afford housing? We need that knowledge in order to find them the right services and solutions to get them into housing and back on their feet. We need to treat our homelessness crisis with compassion and the understanding that whenever we treat somebody with a substance abuse addiction, we’re getting a person off the street, back to work, and reunited with their families. That is worth investing in.

Opioid use, especially illicitly manufactured fentanyl made by drug cartels, is the number one public health crisis. But physical dependence is a treatable, medical disease.

I’ve worked as a mental health nurse, an addiction nurse, an outpatient treatment nurse, detox nurse, I’ve worked at Western State Mental Hospital, worked as a consultant for locally owned small business in Federal Way as a Marketing and Business developer, and I’ve been homeless. I have the background and understanding that my opponent lacks.