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Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
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July 28, 2016     Shelton Mason County Journal
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July 28, 2016
 
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4- ; Page A-22 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, July 28, 2016 Kevin Shutty (R) - District 2 Roslynne Reed (D) - District 2 Steve Bloomfield (I)- District 2 What is the No. 1 issue facing Mason County residents and what kind of solutions would you propose? The number one issue facing Mason County is unemployment, which is averaging 8.1 percent in 2016 and is well above our neighbors in Kitsap and Thurston counties. We can begin to address this issues in three ways. First, we must improve our permitting and regulatory process so that it is fair, flexible and transparent. Second, we should strengthen part- nerships, both regionally and locally, and invest in training and education opportunities for people who are out of work or looking to advance in the econo- my. Third, we must aggressively seek new opportunities for resi- dents by recruiting new employ- ers to Mason County. As a member of the county's Shutty Planning Advisory Commission, I have advocated for policies that would protect our environment, property rights and tourism industry while also allowing for the sensible growth we need to provide jobs and op- portunities for our next generation of workers and their families. I believe with my leadership we can build a di- verse economy that works for everyone and makes Mason County a leader regionally and a competitor across the state. What separates you from other candidates? Speaking with residents across Mason County it's clear they are ready for new leadership in our district. They don't believe voices from the past can take us where we need to be to have a strong fu- ture. They are concerned about our county moving backward when unemployment is still above 8 per- cent, wages aren't going up and people are strug- gling to find affordable housing. Ill bring a new voice to the commission to help solve these issues and bring people together. I also have the experience needed to get to work on day 1. I have served our community by helping constituents navigate state and local government, working with small-business owners to move the economy forward as Vice Chair of the North Ma- son Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee, and advocating for fairer, more flexible county regulations as a member of the Planning Advisory Commission. I will bring that experience to the commission and be a full-time advocate for the residents of Mason County. I have support from Democrats, Republicans and Independents from all walks of life in Mason County. While they might, not identify with my party, they support my vision for a stronger econ- omy, safer neighborhoods and expanding opportu- nity for every resident. Together I believe we can build a stronger future for Mason County. What is the No. 1 issue facing Mason County residents and what kind of solutions would you propose? Lack of jobs. I am committed to economic devel- opment that will promote living wage jobs while maintaining a balance between growth and pro- tecting the environment that we all love so much. I will focus on encouraging diverse companies to move to Mason County to provide jobs in our own community. This will also provide opportunities for our children so they have an alternative to drug use and homelessness. There are many issues to tackle, but we must start with the basics. We need to take advantage of what is here. Like other communities, we can develop a rails-to-trails program by con- verting the abandoned railroad beds to jogging/walking trails. Some partnering opportunities Reed have opened up for the County with schools to jointly use track and field when schools are not using them. We can come up with other ways to ensure our citizens can live, work and play here in Mason County. What separates you from other candidates? I have proven my commitment to the commu- nity for the past 20 years by using my experience as a volunteer with a cancer program, senior citi- zen programs, fundraising for various community projects, assisting with planning for start-up youth programs, and other projects. My intent is to help others have a better life. I was born in Mason County and I am a long- time property owner with a family history in Ma- son County. I have been a small business owner, and have an appreciation for the challenges facing our local businesses. I have a work history that has prepared me to perform the specific functions of a County Commissioner. I have experience with Fed- eral level budgets and fiscal management, human resources, labor relations, emplo vee assistance, conflict resolution, project management, and su- pervision. What is the No. 1 issue facing Mason County residents and what kind of solutions would you propose? I believe the number one issue facing Mason County residents is effective cost aware adminis- tration of criminal justice. When the criminal jus: tice budget is well over half the total county bud- get we need to look deeply at where and how it is being spent and work with criminal justice teams to get the most for our money. There are a couple areas that have desperate need for attention. The juvenile detention facility and the jail both need attention There is much more space in the deten- tion center than is being utilized No photo and there is need for expansion provided of the jail in a cost effective man- ner. I would work toward finding a smaller more space efficient center for youth of our commu- nity. I also believe that a regional Bloomfield jail facility should be explored. A larger facility that has capacity to hold prisoners from a four or five county region and house overflow from state prisons would help miti- gate cost. These issues need to be addressed before they break our budget. What separates you from other candidates? I believe what separates me from other can- didates is history and experience. I've lived and worked in this community my whole life and have served previously as Mason County Commissioner for a little over a year. I am a team builder and work for many different sectors of our community. I've never been afraid to take a hard stand for what I believe is the right course for our community. I am an independent and do not believe in partisan politics at the local level. I would be there for the people not the party. My door would always be open and my phone will be on. Washington governor Goodspaceguy (Republican) Bill Hirt (Republican) Mary Martin (Socialist Worker) Steve Rubenstein (Independent) David W. Blomstrom (Fifth Republic) Johnathan Dodds (Democratic) Patrick O'Rourke (Democratic) Christian Pierre Joubert (Holistic) James Robert Deal (Democratic) Jay Inslee (Democratic) Bill Bryant (Republican) Secretary of state Tina Podlodowski (Democratic) Kim Wyman (Republican) Tim Turner (Libertarian)