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-Hello. 23 years ago,
I came to this beautiful city.
I was a single woman coming
to make my future here,
working for
the Seattle Supersonics team.
I've lived here
as a single, carless woman
and as a parent of two kids.
I've been a tenant,
landlord, and homeowner.
I've been an employee
as well as a small business owner.
I'm now a lawyer
while raising my kids in District 5.
I've also worked
with the United Nations
in a Cambodian refugee camp
along the Thai-Cambodian border.
But what's currently happening
in our streets is far worse
than the conditions in that camp.
For as long as my 8- and 10-year-old
could ask,
I've been answering
their difficult questions
about what they see
on the streets of their hometown.
I've watched Seattle change
throughout my children's lifetimes.
The two defining factors
have been a city council
that fails to take meaningful action
and unresponsive council members
who leave unanswered questions,
e-mails, and residents feeling
like their voice doesn't matter.
No more.
That is why I've decided to run.
We need a new Seattle City Council.
We can and must do better for our city.
We can see help
directed to those in need on our streets
by using emergency relief response.
Instead of public camping,
we can bring people off the streets
and into FEMA-style shelter
for needs assessment
to get them help.
We can imagine and have
a litter-free city
with green spaces
that are open to everyone.
We can enforce our laws,
support first responders,
and prioritize safety for the public.
Instead of open-air drug use
and drug injection sites,
we can push for on-demand detox,
shortening wait times
for underfunded treatment programs
so those struggling with addiction
can get medicalized help
and long-term rehabilitation.
We can do this
with the new Seattle City Council.
I'll match my vision for our city
with three pledges to you --
I pledge to take the time
to listen to you,
I pledge to hear
and understand your concerns,
and I pledge to respond
and act on those concerns.
It's time to be serious
about change in our city leadership,
and that starts
with the new city council.
This is a turning point for Seattle,
and I'm ready and passionate
about making these changes
for the city we know and love.
So, let's do this together.
I ask for your vote on August 6th.