Podcasts about evans school

It's Friday, and we're rounding up the biggest stories of the week. First, CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy Chris Wright — also known as the guy who drank fracking fluid on camera to “prove” it was safe — is President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Energy. Who is Wright, and what would his appointment mean for the climate crisis? Then, the city has proposed building pickleball courts to fill the vacant lot at Colfax and Broadway. Will pickleball players go for it? Host Bree Davies is joined by stand-up comedian Joshua Emerson and Denver Post environmental reporter Noelle Phillips to talk climate change, local recreation, Westernaires' problematic Native American reenactments, a new pizza spot coming to Cap Hill, and more wins and fails of the week. Bree mentioned the proposed pedestrian bridges to the Capitol and the Evans School going from an artist studio space to a beer garden. Joshua discussed the Douglas County School District and their decision to postpone an AP African American studies course. What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬ For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/Denver Learn more about the sponsors of this November 22nd episode: Meow Wolf PineMelon - Use promo code CITYCASTDENVER for $35 off your first delivery Denver Health Unit E Records - Use promo code CITYCAST for a free vinyl record with your subscription Warren Village Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When I say the one percent, what do you think of? Is it the ultrawealthy? A phrase coined during the Occupy Movement? Is it the second wateriest form of milk on the market? This story is about a different group of one percenters, it's primary election season, after all, and we're talking about voters who have their ballots rejected in Washington. Over the last decade, around 99 percent of cast ballots were accepted.But of those one percent that were disqualified, the Secretary of State's office noticed a trend: certain demographic groups had higher rates of rejections than others.  That's something the office wanted to know more about, so they teamed up with University of Washington researchers to better understand whose ballots were rejected and why. Guest: Scott W. Allard, Associate Dean for Research & Engagement at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington Relevant Links: Washington State Ballots Project See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this topical show re-air, Crystal welcomes Dr. Stephan Blanford, Executive Director of Children's Alliance, for a wide-ranging conversation on childcare. They delve into the importance of childcare as an economic driver and its societal impacts through preparing kids for success in school and life. A review of the state of childcare in Washington reveals that this critical resource is often out-of-reach for those who need it most and looks at the factors that make it inaccessible and expensive. Crystal and Dr. Blanford then discuss how various stakeholders can make an impact on the issue at all levels of government. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii, find Dr. Stephan Blanford at @StephanBlanford and Children's Alliance at @ChildAllianceWA.   Dr. Stephan Blanford As the Executive Director of Children's Alliance, Dr. Stephan Blanford leads a team of committed staff, volunteers and more than 6,000 members, advocating fiercely for the improved outcomes for children in Washington state. As an unapologetic advocate for racial and social justice, Stephan's work has ranged from early learning to college entrance leading small, direct service youth development agencies to multidisciplinary demonstration projects. In 2013, he was elected by the voters of Seattle and served a four-year term on the Seattle School Board, where he received the “Leadership for Equity” award at the conclusion of his term. More recently, the Evergreen Chapter of the American Society of Public Administrators awarded him the “Billy J. Frank Race and Social Justice” award for leadership and advocacy. Extending his work at a national level, he is the board chair of Integrated Schools and serves on the board of Partnership for America's Children, Balance our Tax Code Coalition, and several other progressive organizations. Dr. Blanford holds a Bachelors' degree in Social Justice from Antioch University, a Masters in Public Policy from the Evans School of Governance and Public Policy and a Doctorate from the College of Education at the University of Washington.   Resources Children's Alliance   Washington Child Care Collaborative Task Force | Washington State Department of Commerce   2023 KIDS Count Data Book | Annie E. Casey Foundation   “Child care costs more than college in Washington state” by Melissa Santos from Axios   “Report: WA's high cost of child care hits single moms hardest” by Sami West from KUOW   “The Real Costs Of Child Care In America” by Joy Borkholder from InvestigateWest   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review show and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. Well today, I am very pleased to welcome to the program Dr. Stephan Blanford, the Executive Director of Children's Alliance. And I wanted to have a conversation today about childcare - how important it is, how unaffordable it has become, and how we fix this - it's so important to so many people. And so I guess I will just start off by asking you, Stephan, why is childcare so important? Why does it matter so much? And what brought you to this work? [00:01:24] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Interestingly, I have a background in education - I served as, I was elected and served for a term on the School Board in Seattle. And also my doctoral work was in K-12. And there's a tight correlation between kids having experience in high-quality early learning settings and them doing well in K-12 settings. And so if you are interested in increasing achievement in the K-12 setting - and in particular, if you're interested in addressing the opportunity gaps, the racial opportunity gaps that affect so many children - you have to prioritize early learning and high-quality childcare in order to achieve that goal. And so that's something that I've been passionate about since - in particular - since my young child was of an age where she was getting into childcare. And I learned a lot about it and then have had a passion to try to have all kids have the type of experience that she had. [00:02:29] Crystal Fincher: Certainly, and I certainly have had my own experiences with childcare with my son, who is now definitely much older than childcare age right now. What do you say to people who say - maybe are an employer - what does childcare have to do with me? Why is this something we should be worried about as a community and as a society? [00:02:51] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Yeah, that's a great question. Because in many parts of the state - Seattle in particular, but many parts of the state - we're one of the most childless cities in the United States. So lots of people don't have that type of experience where they're looking for childcare, where they even know someone that is seeking out childcare. But it is such an economic driver. And so many of the negative outcomes that we see in society - in all parts of the state and in all parts of the nation - are correlated with kids not doing well in school and then not being successful in life. And so I tell people all the time, whether you are a grandparent that whose kids are no longer in school or a business owner or whatever, there's a huge implication on your life by the access or lack of access to childcare. [00:03:43] Crystal Fincher: Well, speaking of access - what is the state right now? We hear that it's unaffordable, we hear that it's hard to come by. Is that true? [00:03:53] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Yes, it is. In many parts of the state, there are families that have to drive great distances in order to find childcare. We call them childcare deserts, where there's such a limited supply of childcare that families are just giving up on that. And in many cases, it affects women - because obviously women are, who would normally be in the workforce are having to make really tough decisions and go back to taking care of kids at home where they would prefer to be out in the workforce and helping to support their families. So it has huge implications, whether you're in one of those childcare deserts or even if you're in a more populated part of the state - because that inability to find any childcare and more importantly to find high-quality childcare has severe implications for families and communities at large. [00:04:50] Crystal Fincher: Why is it so hard to find? [00:04:52] Dr. Stephan Blanford: There's a great number of complex factors that lead to the fact that the supply is reduced. The fact that when I sent my kid to childcare - I was also in school in a graduate program - and I was paying more in childcare costs than I was paying for tuition at that time. And that has not improved over the 10 years since I graduated from graduate school. That hasn't changed - where the cost of tuition at the University of Washington is lower than the average cost of childcare in most parts of the state right now. And so - mine is a middle-class family - if you're a low-income family, then the economics of that just do not pan out. And so we are coming to realize that childcare is a public good - it's a public benefit in the same way that K-12 education benefits the community as well as it does the individual child. But we don't have a mechanism by which we can support childcare centers so they can provide this critical service. And if I could add one more thing that I think is really important and complicates this matter, many of the childcare providers in Washington State and around the country are Black and Brown women. And for some unknown reason that has a lot to do with race and racism, they are undercompensated. It is the third lowest paid profession in Washington State right now. And when we think about the importance and the change in trajectory for kids that having access to high-quality childcare can have, it's unconscionable that that would be the third lowest paid profession. You would think that it would be way up there with doctors and other critical professions - it would be compensated at a rate that is commensurate with its importance in society - but for some reason it is not. [00:06:51] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely. And you brought up a great point. It is more expensive to pay for childcare than it is to pay for college, which is really saying something with the inflation that we've seen in higher education prices and along with childcare costs. So in this situation, how is it that costs are so high yet compensation for workers is still so low? [00:07:18] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Well, there's a big component of it that has to do with ratios. In most childcare centers that are licensed, you have to have a certain number of adults for a certain number of children. And in particular, kids that are 0-3 years old - they require an even more robust ratio to ensure that the kids are safe during that time that they are away from their parents. And so that has a lot of bearing on the cost - as well as a licensed center has to have exits, has to have lots of equipment in the center, has to be safe and obviously secure so kids aren't getting out and getting out into the street or whatever. And all of those costs are borne by the childcare provider, usually a business person who is trying to establish a center that has all the safety measures in place and the appropriate staffing ratios to ensure that kids are safe and learning while they're in their care. And that all of those things together lend themselves to it being a pretty expensive enterprise. [00:08:27] Crystal Fincher: Now, what does it mean - for a family and for a community - for childcare to be this expensive? [00:08:34] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Well, we spend a lot of time at Children's Alliance advocating that there is a role that the state government has to play in subsidizing the cost. Because the reality right now is - for low-income families who cannot afford those expensive costs that we've been talking about, that means that their kids don't have access to childcare at all. Or they have access to very low-quality childcare - we're talking about being placed in front of a TV and spending eight hours a day, not engaging in that way - and those are pretty significant, have long term consequences for young children. We believe that there is a role that the state government has to play. It has funded the Fair Start for Kids Act in 2021, which is driving about a billion dollars into the sector. And that's a start, but it is by no means the solution to the problem. So we will continue to advocate for improvements and increased funding to make it more affordable for families - middle- and low-income families - to be able to afford childcare, and also provide support for the providers who are trying to provide the service. [00:09:49] Crystal Fincher: So, you talk about how it is so challenging for the families to afford it. It sounds like the families who most stand to benefit from high-quality childcare, and who we need to make sure have access, are the ones having the hardest time affording and accessing it. Is that how you see it? [00:10:09] Dr. Stephan Blanford: That is exactly correct. Yes, that is exactly correct. And so the Fair Start for Kids Act that was passed in 2021 has gone a long way towards making it more affordable, but we don't have enough supply in Washington state. And that lack of supply is impeding the ability of the legislation to provide childcare. Ultimately, if you're a childcare provider and there are subsidies that are available, you're still trying to figure out ways to make sure that all the families in your community are getting childcare. And if you are constrained by the fact that you're only licensed to take care of 15 or 20 or 50 kids, then if there are a 100 kids standing outside your door waiting to get in, then you have to make some difficult choices. And in many cases, the families of those children - those hundred that are stuck outside - they then have to make difficult choices, which include someone staying at home so that there's someone to take care of the children. [00:11:15] Crystal Fincher: Which again, impacts a family's ability to be economically mobile, to participate fully in our economy, to be able to advance in the workplace. Childcare - for people with kids, communities with kids - is so key to just everybody's ability to function and participate in our society, basically. [00:11:40] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Right. And it has disproportionate impacts, as I've shared before, on women and their participation in the workforce. There's a study out of Washington State University that says that the gains that have been made in women's participation in the workforce in Washington State have been totally eroded by the fact that childcare is so inaccessible. Women who have decided that they want to participate in the workforce and have made that move and have gotten the training necessary to be able to participate in the workforce - those gains have been eroded by the fact that there is no childcare. And so we're trying to bring that data to legislators and say that we are at a time now where there's need for significant intervention and investment in the childcare sector to ensure that women can participate and children can be served. [00:12:37] Crystal Fincher: So you talk about there being this shortage and the wages being so low. How do we impact this shortage of childcare workers and pay them a living wage? [00:12:52] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Well, it has been nice to see - as someone who's kind of a grizzled veteran of advocacy around childcare and other issues - it's been nice to see a coalition of people who are now concerned, who now see the implications of this situation that we're in. So now there are business leaders, governmental leaders who never would have been talking about childcare 5 years ago, 10 years ago. And they now know that it is critically important to the economies of their communities, to business interests, to just every aspect of society. We can't really restart the economy to the degree that it needs to be restarted without a significant investment in accessibility and availability of childcare in the state. It just won't happen. And what it portends - our inaction - is that more and more populations are gonna be disproportionately impacted by that inaction. [00:14:02] Crystal Fincher: So what else is needed to help address both the affordability and the issues on the business owner's side - like the regulations, which sound like they're necessary to protect kids - and the costs involved? [00:14:18] Dr. Stephan Blanford: I believe that at some point we're going to have to have a statewide conversation about childcare. And my hope is that that will lead to more significant legislation. And if not legislation, a referendum that is passed or an initiative that is passed by the citizens of the state to tax themselves to be able to afford childcare for anyone who needs it. There are other states that are playing around with the idea of universal pre-K - making sure that every child in the state has access, which means a significant investment in childcare - there's an argument that says that it's a public good and should be funded in the same way that public education is funded. And the economics of it - there's a study that says that for every dollar invested in childcare, there's a $17 return to the economy of the jurisdiction that makes that investment, which is a significant bargain and helps to address some of the biggest challenges that we face around opportunity gaps - racial and economic opportunity gaps. So my hope is that there - we'll continue to have these conversations and get to the point where the voters of the state take this issue up. I believe it will pass. I think enough people are connected to it and understand that they will benefit. And my hope is that we'll see that in the short-term because it's having detrimental impacts right now for families and communities all across the state. [00:16:07] Crystal Fincher: It absolutely is having detrimental impacts. Barring a statewide initiative being passed - and that's a great idea - what can cities, counties, regions do to try and address this in their own areas? [00:16:27] Dr. Stephan Blanford: A great question. So I mentioned the fact that I served as a School Board director here in Seattle. And during that time, we were able to create a partnership between Seattle Public Schools and the City of Seattle where there were significant investments and collaboration between the two sectors - the K-12 sector and the early learning sector - to actually have childcare centers based in some of our elementary schools that were under-enrolled. Kids would move directly from the early learning part of the school into the K-12 sector. And there was a national organization that reviewed that collaboration and gave it its highest rating - saying all states in the nation should emulate that type of a model. Because in many cases there are schools that are under-enrolled - so they have classrooms that are unoccupied - and by doing a little bit of work around licensing and changing the structure of the school, they can ensure that kids at all ages in their community from 3 years old to 5 years old, and then from 5 years old to 10 or 11 are served by that elementary school. And I think that's a model that could be emulated in many parts of the state and would go a long way towards solving this problem because there's a significant investment that a business owner has to make in order to secure a space, make the changes in that space before they can open their doors and serve the first child. There are existing buildings - schools - that can solve that problem very easily, but it requires a lot of collaboration and cooperation between schools, cities, and in some cases those aren't easy collaborations to make. [00:18:25] Crystal Fincher: Definitely, but it does sound promising - obviously, with the review that it received from when it was happening. Is that still happening? [00:18:34] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Oh yeah, yeah. I was having a conversation with a parent the other day that was talking about the fact that she was able to get childcare and it was just down the street at her local school here in Seattle. And she was just gushing about how important it was and how much it helped her family to be able to have that accessibility and availability so close to their home. And when she got done, I said - Yeah, I was on the School Board, I voted for that, I helped to champion that. And she was really grateful. And it made me very proud because that was a contentious issue - not everybody on the School Board was supportive of that notion. But I know that collaborations between sectors like the early learning sector and the K-12 sector - they go a long way towards addressing some of these very pernicious issues that we've been grappling with for years, like our opportunity gaps, that Black and Brown kids stand to benefit, particularly if those collaborations are set up in the schools that they normally attend. [00:19:42] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. Now we also are hearing a lot about school closures right now, about coming deficits, about structural deficits in education. Are these types of partnerships things that can help that kind of situation? [00:19:59] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Absolutely, absolutely. I think you have hit the nail on the head in that - I hear those stories and I'm really glad that I'm not a School Board director anymore and have to grapple with the declining enrollments that we're starting to see in Seattle and many other school districts. But there's an opportunity there to address the childcare crisis while those schools are going through the challenges that they're going with finance and declining enrollments. I think there's a great opportunity to take some of those classrooms and be very intentional about making them childcare settings. And there's always the possibility that we can be building new childcare settings in communities - and in the short-term, we can redeploy empty classrooms in schools to serve that challenge while we're building those settings 'cause eventually the kids are gonna come back. We know that our enrollments go up and then they go down. And at some point those classrooms are gonna need to be filled by K-5 students. But during that time where we have empty classrooms, why not redeploy them in order to solve the childcare crisis that we are in right now? [00:21:20] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. I think some other things I've heard talked about were challenges with zoning in some areas, challenges with opening up - being allowed to open in certain areas - obviously, in Downtown Seattle and several downtowns who've experienced a lot of growth and the availability of childcare and childcare centers has not grown with them, especially in some of those concentrated areas where it's harder to get real estate, afford a lease, find space. What can be done in that area? Is that something worth addressing and taking on? [00:21:57] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Yeah, I think so. While I was on the School Board - and I was campaigning 10 years ago, so I've been done with my School Board service for about 6 years - and there was a real push to try to make Downtown more of a living neighborhood and involving having an elementary school being based there, increasing the number of childcare settings. And in many cases, it didn't really pencil out - we have a number of families that are choosing to live in the Downtown area, but not at sufficient numbers to warrant the opening of an elementary school. I don't know if that has changed in the six years that I've been off the board, but we need to make decisions that are based on the data that we have and not use childcare and K-12 as a driver to create that neighborhood. Seattle Public Schools didn't have the luxury of investing, hoping that kids were gonna come. We needed to be sure that kids were already there before we tried to deploy a childcare setting or a K-12 setting there. But the question that you ask, which I think is an important one, has to do with licensing and changing settings to be able to allow children to be served in those settings. And that's a partnership between the City, which can do a lot of the licensing, the state and the school districts in order to work in collaboration to ensure that the spaces are conducive to learning and the safety of the kids that are going to be put there. [00:23:41] Crystal Fincher: And is there anything within the private sector that employers, especially larger employers, can do to help their employees afford and access childcare? [00:23:53] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Yes, and many, many employers are starting to do that - either by placing a childcare setting inside of their buildings. And I think in particular, given the fact that there's so many vacancies in office space Downtown - if I were an employer and I was trying to one, get my staff back into the office, and two, help to drive the economy by getting people back to work - I would seriously consider working with a childcare provider to provide their service inside of my building. I can tell you from my own personal experience that I have employees right now who are very challenged by the notion of coming back to work, being back in the office on a regular basis because of the inaccessibility of childcare. And so if there were a site in our offices that was dedicated childcare, I could imagine that those employees would be excited by that notion. They'd be able to hang out with their kid at lunchtime. They would - the transit or the transportation issues that are associated with taking your kid to childcare and then going into the office - a lot of that would be solved because you'd all be in the same place. I have worked for an organization that had onsite childcare, and I know it was a driver - it was something that helped us to attract talent and retain talent because in many cases, people wanted to be in the same building that their kids were getting their childcare. [00:25:32] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. Onsite childcare is an elite benefit for employees with families, certainly. So looking - for average people in the community who recognize that this is a problem, that this is an issue, but maybe aren't seeing the urgency from some of their elected officials or from within their community. What can the average person do to help move policy like this forward, to help advocate for what can help? [00:26:04] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Well, it's something that Children's Alliance has been working on for quite a while, so I'm gonna be shameless and plug my organization and say - check us out at childrensalliance.org, and you can lend your voice to the many voices that - we have 7,000 members across the state who are all advocating for childcare. We are reaching out to legislators. I have two legislators on my schedule today that I'll be talking to about this issue. And I think it is critical that those who are concerned about this issue, they're reaching out to their legislators and saying the time for studying this is over - we need to take action on it and demanding that type of action. I think that extends to School Board races - here in Seattle, we have School Board races that are occurring right now. City Council races - every opportunity to reach out to your elected officials and share with them why this is a priority. I know from my own experiences as an elected official, childcare is usually way down on the list of things that people think are important. And as we've discussed today, we're now understanding how central it is to so many aspects of life for families and communities all across the state. And so I encourage your listeners to be very active and not just sit on the sidelines around this critical issue. [00:27:39] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely, that's fantastic advice. And even in the candidate world - we've seen candidates in recent years not be able to run or to have to drop out of races for lack of childcare. It really is something affecting everyone. And it also shines a light on the importance of electing people who understand this issue, who have experience with what it's like to deal with this. And hopefully that helps them to be more invested in making some better policy. So I thank you so much for the time that you've taken to speak with us today - very informative, definitely given us a lot to think about, some things to move forward on, and an outlook for and a pathway to get this thing fixed. So thank you so much for your time, Dr. Stephan Blanford. [00:28:29] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Oh, thank you, Crystal - you ask really good questions and I'm hopeful that we're moving some of your listeners to action. [00:28:37] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely, thank you so much. [00:28:39] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Thank you. [00:28:40] Crystal Fincher: Thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks, which is produced by Shannon Cheng. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on every podcast service and app - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review shows and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the podcast episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston was clear Saturday when someone asked during a House1000 town hall meeting what will happen to those who say no to free housing.He said taking 1,000 people off the streets with accepting an offer of free housing “allows us to focus much more rigorously on the enforcement of those who don't (want the housing).” He said those in the grips of addiction will be offered “outpatient treatment and if not, we will get you inpatient treatment.” Johnston made his remarks during a town hall meeting at Evans School in Golden Triangle. The forum answered questions from neighbors of proposed micro community sites at 1199 N. Bannock and 1375 N. Elati.Homeless advocates have forecast an expected enforcement sweep following the de-commissioning of encampments. Those fears appear well-founded.Support the show

On this Election 2023 re-air, Crystal chats with Sarah Reyneveld about her campaign for King County Council District 4 - why she decided to run, the experience she brings as a public sector attorney and community advocate, and her thoughts on addressing frontline worker wages and workforce issues, the need for upstream alternatives in the criminal legal system and substance use crisis, how to improve policy implementation, climate change and air quality, and budget revenue and transparency. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find Sarah Reyneveld at @SarahReyneveld.   Resources Campaign Website - Sarah Reyneveld   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday almost-live shows and our midweek show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. Hello, I'm so excited to be welcoming to the program today King County Council candidate, Sarah Reyneveld. Hello. [00:01:01] Sarah Reyneveld: Hello, Crystal. Thank you so much for having me today - I'm excited about the conversation. [00:01:07] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. I guess just starting out - we have seen you run for State Legislature before. I'm wondering why you're choosing to run for the County now, and what do you hope to accomplish in that position? [00:01:18] Sarah Reyneveld: Yes, I think that King County Council and the King County is really at a critical point in time, and I'm excited to bring my lived experience as a working parent, a Seattle Public School parent, a transit rider, a union organizer - I helped organize my union of Assistant Attorney Generals - and also my experience as a public sector attorney who has fought for workers and our environment, and as a community advocate working with communities across King County to really make transformative change for workers, working families, and our environment on the King County Council. So for some background - in 2016, I became King County Councilmember Kohl-Welles' appointment to the King County Women's Advisory Board where I had the opportunity to work with communities throughout King County and the King County Council to help advocate for and secure investments in affordable housing, in behavioral health, childcare, and services to support survivors of gender-based violence. I started this work and became the Chair of the King County Women's Advisory Board before the pandemic - and I had two young kids at the time - and we had struggled like so many parents with access to affordable childcare, and the board at that time decided to take up that issue. So we worked on recommendations to expand childcare access for working parents and were able to work together with communities across King County, and the Executive, and King County Council to help reinstate a childcare subsidy, to expand access to childcare for working families, and establish a wage provider boost to help increase pay for childcare providers who are disproportionately women and BIPOC women and immigrants. And then the pandemic hit and I continued to do this work and it really laid bare - staggering inequities and injustices in King County that disproportionately impacted women and our communities of color and immigrants and other marginalized communities, who are more likely to be on the forefront and were experiencing disproportionately - unemployment and financial loss and illness. So as I continue to work on these issues, I saw what an important role King County played in not just responding to the pandemic and now the shadow pandemic, but in really providing public health, and behavioral health, and public transit, and helping with food security and housing. So I'm running for King County Council because I've been doing this work with community and I think the status quo is no longer good enough. We need bold and transformative action to really meet the urgency of this moment. We have a really unique opportunity to create a more equitable economy and a sustainable future for all workers and working families in King County. And I think that King County can and must do more - and my priorities are to create more truly affordable housing to help better meet the behavioral health needs of our neighbors in crisis, to really tackle the climate crisis and protect our environment for future generations, to provide accessible and frequent public transit for all, and to really look at what we can do to reimagine our public safety and criminal legal system. So I'm excited about the opportunity. [00:04:46] Crystal Fincher: I see. Now you covered a lot there. In there, you mentioned caring for workers, addressing housing. One thing called out by experts as a barrier to our homelessness response is that frontline worker wages don't cover the cost of living. Do you think our local nonprofits have a responsibility to pay living wages for our area? And how can we make that more likely with how we bid and contract for services? [00:05:10] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, absolutely. I absolutely think that our nonprofits have a duty to pay more in terms of adequately funding - not just contracts - but ensuring that those contracts lead to an equitable living wage and union jobs. And that includes cost of living adjustments and other supports for workers. So right now we have a really high turnover rate for frontline workers and particularly those workers that the County contracts with - I've heard 40-60% turnover rate. And I think we need to address the underlying issue of why those workers are turning over. And the underlying issue - one of them is pay equity and not ensuring that we are paying, particularly our frontline workers, adequately or providing them with the supports that they need. So it's about equitable pay, it's about cost of living adjustments, and it's about ensuring that those workers have access to affordable housing and transit in King County as well - so they can really afford to live where they work. And so I see this issue as very intersectional and something that King County can do more to address. And I would just say, generally, I think we as a society tend to lift up certain sorts of workers - the CEOs of companies, for example. And those people that are really doing the real work of caring for our community - of building our housing, of connecting us through transit, of providing behavioral health services - we don't invest equitably or sufficiently in those workers. And so starting with contracting is critically important, but we need to do more to ensure that we're investing in living wage jobs, and workforce housing, and bonuses, and ensuring that these workers have the supports that they need. And that is part of my vision for building back better and creating a more equitable economy that really centers workers and working families in King County. [00:07:13] Crystal Fincher: Gotcha. Now, would you have voted to approve the transfer of inmates to the SCORE jail to alleviate a lot of the issues plaguing the King County Jail, including overcrowding, lack of water, inadequate healthcare, illnesses, understaffing? Would you have voted in the same way that the King County Council did? [00:07:31] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think that's a great question. I want to start with just the conditions at the King County Jail. So the six deaths in 2022 in the downtown jail and kind of the subsequent ACLU lawsuit, I think, show that King County is failing too many criminally involved individuals, particularly our Black and Brown community members and those with chronic behavioral health and substance use issues. I am really concerned about what is happening in terms of inhumane conditions at the jail that include excessive use of solitary confinement, and lack of transportation to medical appointments and court appointments, and delays with mental health and other medical appointments. And I think King County, which is the oversight body of the King County Jail, needs to do more to address these concerns and ensure safety. And these really poor conditions at the jail didn't happen overnight. They are partially caused by lack of adequate staffing - that's been an issue for decades and was exacerbated since COVID. And also issues with an antiquated, really obsolete building. And lack of access to medical care and treatment, as I was stating. So on the King County Council, if elected, I want to work with disproportionately impacted communities and fellow King County Councilmembers to urgently address these issues. I think we need to invest more in restorative justice. And when the King County Council took that vote in terms of transferring those incarcerated folks to SCORE, I think they noted that we need to do more in terms of investing in restorative justice and upstream alternatives to really reimagine our criminal legal system. So first I think we need to prevent and reduce incarceration through investing in upstream - investments in youth and vulnerable adults. And that means doing more to expand effective diversion programs, such as the Law Assisted Diversion Program and Co-LEAD, which has been really effective in diverting folks out of the criminal legal system and out of the King County Jail to begin with. I think we also need to move towards actualizing King County Executive's vision and so many activists' vision of really closing the downtown jail and reimagining and reducing the size of the King County facilities. So in terms of the SCORE vote, I don't think either option were good options. The King County Council arrived at that vote because there had not been enough, really, work done on restorative justice and on the underlying issues around staffing and overcrowding at the jail. And I think keeping vulnerable incarcerated people in a downtown jail that had significant understaffing and overcrowding issues and a lack of access to medicine, or transferring incarcerated people to a facility that had potentially access-to-justice issues is not - neither one of those are good options. And so that's why I want to roll up my sleeves and ensure that we're really investing sufficiently in diversion programs and alternatives - to invest in folks to prevent them from becoming incarcerated in the first place and also move towards reimagining our system. And I will say that I don't think King County Council can address this issue alone. In 2022, there were over, I think, 100 people in King County Jail that were deemed to be incompetent to stand trial in King County that were awaiting a treatment bed. So if we work with our state partners to really fund mental health and ensure treatment for vulnerable populations like this, then we won't have to make these sort of decisions. [00:11:00] Crystal Fincher: So am I hearing that you would not vote - disagreeing with this vote? If in the future a vote were to come up to extend or expand this SCORE transfer or transfer to other jails, does that mean you're a No vote on that? [00:11:13] Sarah Reyneveld: I think that we need to, like I said, invest in alternatives and upstream alternatives to the criminal legal system. So like Councilmember Zahilay and Councilmember Kohl-Welles said - the transfer to SCORE was really not addressing the root cause of the issue. We need to be investing in upstream alternatives and staffing and ensuring that folks within our system are safe. [00:11:36] Crystal Fincher: Gotcha. Now you talked about substance use disorder being so key in treating upstream issues to really address the root causes of what is leading people to criminal behavior. We're dealing with a conundrum. The governor just called a special session following our State Supreme Court invalidating personal substance possession as a crime. Our Legislature took action a couple of years ago to recriminalize it - that has a sunset provision. They were not able to decide on any statewide policy before the session ended, so they're going to be taking that up in a special session. There are conversations about - should drug use be criminalized at all? If it should, is it a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, felony? Where do you stand? Where should personal possession of substances be dealt with? How would you handle that? [00:12:27] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think this is an issue that the Legislature has been grappling with and it's really an important issue. And I think we need to be moving away from criminalization of drug possession. Specifically, we moved away from criminalization of drug possession for marijuana - we need to do the same thing with psychedelics and other sorts of drugs that have medicinal and other positive effects. I think when it comes to addressing our fentanyl and heroin crisis, I think that if I were a legislator, I'd probably move in the direction of ensuring that we're looking at the lesser of any sort of crime - which would be a misdemeanor - and looking at pathways to treatment for that use. And I think we have to think about how we can connect folks that are in crisis because of substance use disorder with services. And so to me, it's about what more can King County do - because I'm not sitting in the place of a legislator - to ensure that we're investing in upstream solutions and treatment. And so I think helping to implement the King County Crisis Care Center Levy and ensuring that folks that are in - particularly a substance use crisis, whether - we know that we have a fentanyl crisis. I have worked on litigation to sue Purdue Pharma and understand just the addictive effects of those drugs. And we need to make sure that there's - those folks are connected to Medicaid-assisted treatment on demand, that they're connected to services. And so looking at what more we can do to scale up the crisis centers in an equitable way and preserve and restore beds that are primarily aimed at treating the underlying causes - I think it's critically important. And so one of my priorities, if elected to the King County Council, will be to look at how we're implementing these crisis care centers, how I'm working potentially with the Legislature for additional treatment beds for substance use disorder. I have, as so many people have had, someone in my life that has experienced a substance use disorder issue. And I think it's so hard to navigate the system to even find detox or substance use treatment for someone like me that knows how to navigate systems, much less someone that could be either at-risk at being involved in the criminal legal system or becoming unhoused or dealing with a substance use crisis. And so finding ways in which we can ensure that those that are affected are obtaining treatment, I think is critically important. [00:15:07] Crystal Fincher: You raised a number of important issues there and you touched on helping to get the Crisis Care Centers Levy - which passed - implemented. [00:15:16] Sarah Reyneveld: Yes. [00:15:17] Crystal Fincher: There have been some criticisms and challenges with implementation of programs - at all levels of government, really, but including with the County - and issues of staffing that may not have been foreseen, or challenges run into, communication issues. Do you think there's an opportunity to improve implementation of policy and programs overall? And how do we need to do that? What needs to change in order for that to happen? [00:15:42] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think that's an excellent point. And I absolutely think there are opportunities to improve policy implementation at the County. One of the things that I really appreciate about King County's work and that I wanna bring as a lens to my work is that I do believe that the best public policy is made - I think Councilmember Zahilay says this in his views and paraphrasing him, but - by those that are closest to the injustice. And so we really need to invest in community-based solution to a lot of our largest challenges in King County. And so I appreciate that on all issues of County government and all levels of County government, whether it be addressing the gun violence crisis or the behavioral health crisis or childcare, we're really investing in community-based solutions. So I think that's critically important, but I think we also have to have a way to measure outcomes in terms of what is the County doing that's working and what is the County doing that's not working. And if we have, for example, a health through housing facility that we have stood up, but it's not being adequately staffed and we're not adequately utilizing it, and really ensuring that vulnerable populations can access housing and those services - we need to look at what more we can do to ensure that that is being used appropriately and we're really maximizing opportunities to make good use of public dollars. So I think we absolutely need to be working with communities and listening to communities and centering their voices. And then I think King County, as a body, needs to work with those communities to make sure that the investments that were being made are working on the community level and that we're really scaling up things that work. And I, as someone who's taught at the Evans School of Public Affairs and has been a policy wonk for years, am really interested in working with community and my fellow councilmembers in doing that work. [00:17:38] Crystal Fincher: So on almost every measure, we're behind our 2030 climate goals. You've talked about addressing climate change and mitigating the impacts of that on people being one of your priorities. We've experienced the impacts from wildfires, heat and cold, floods, et cetera. What are your highest priority plans to get us on track to meet our 2030 goals? [00:17:59] Sarah Reyneveld: Yes, thank you for that excellent question. As an Assistant Attorney General that works to protect our environment and public health, this is an issue that is critically important to me because of the urgency of action and the need to really address this challenge - centering communities in a just transition. So first, I think we need to electrify transportation and invest deeply in transit. We know that to meet our carbon reduction goals, we have to get people out of cars and into transit. And yet we have seen that Metro Transit service has languished since the pandemic and ridership has fallen by half. And those transit delays - I'm a transit rider to work, I take my little boy to daycare downtown with me - and they're disproportionately affecting transit riders, which are working families, BIPOC communities, low income communities, youth, seniors, and others that rely on transit. And it's a transit justice issue. So I have already been doing some of this work, but if elected to the King County Council, I want to continue this work by working with a coalition of transit riders and groups like the Transit Riders Union and Seattle Subway and The Urbanist and others to pass a county-wide transit revenue package to fund a King County Transportation Benefit District, which would supplant the city one and really help us restore an increased Metro Transit service to deliver faster, more frequent, reliable, and zero-emission service that connects all our community members. I think the measure should also ensure that transit is free to those who are cost-burdened. Right now, one of our impediments to increasing transit service and getting people out of cars is the shortage of transit operators and mechanics. And part of this funding package, or looking at other funding sources, has to be to address that issue of recruiting and retaining Metro bus drivers. And that has to include a living wage and additional incentives and supports, including safety supports, to build the workforce of Metro operators. Now, I just spoke to Metro operators at ATU last week, and they told me they're facing significant workplace safety and pay and other challenges that are really contributing to job stress and attrition. So we have to address that underlying issue if we're gonna get people out of cars and into transit. I also think we need to do more to decarbonize our built environment, which is probably the largest carbon emission in King County, through the adoption and strengthening of commercial building codes that will require communities to reduce energy use and also center communities in initiatives such as the Climate Equity Capital Pool to electrify their homes, for electric appliances and retrofits and solar panels. I think there's a lot of opportunities that we can leverage on the federal level to use grants and incentives and rebates to really update the building codes - and achieve these energy efficiencies and decarbonize our environment and our built environment - while bringing workers along. And I think we need to look at passing stronger provisions and incentives to transition off natural gas in a way that brings people and workers along and hastens this just transition to a clean energy economy - because we know that natural gas use in commercial and residential buildings accounts for a really large percentage of greenhouse gas emissions. I would also say that we need to do more to sustainably manage our forests and our working lands to ensure climate-friendly forest management and farming to mitigate climate change impacts and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and look at how we can promote carbon storage in soils and increase the use of green space. I would also say, probably lastly, a large percentage of the carbon emissions in King County result from our food system. So I wanna lead in ensuring that all communities have opportunities to become food producers, to access urban and rural farmland, and that we're really centering disproportionately impacted communities and empowering them to become farmers - particularly in food deserts and ensuring that tribes have access to their traditional food sources and cultural resources. And I've talked a lot to labor about this, and I would say that I believe that we can work towards a just transition to a clean energy economy that really centers workers and equitable pathways to green jobs and apprenticeships, but it's gonna take us building a coalition. And I'm committed to really rolling up my sleeves and working with our labor partners and folks that are disproportionately impacted and our community members to build that just transition towards a clean energy economy and a sustainable community that addresses our climate crisis. [00:23:01] Crystal Fincher: You talked about needing to address the staffing issues in our public transportation department, certainly an issue in Metro that is urgently in need of addressing. We've seen in several other departments - with sheriffs, certainly with municipal police departments in the County - that they're giving retention bonuses, hiring bonuses to help attract people. And what we've seen is - although they are on record saying that that isn't really moving the needle and may not, there are a lot of people in other departments saying that would absolutely move the needle here. Do you support retention bonuses and hiring bonus and some of the things that we've seen for folks working in public safety for other workers? [00:23:40] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think that's an excellent question. I think we really need to listen to workers, and my platform is all about lifting up and centering and listening to workers. And to me, hiring bonuses are not gonna address the root cause of the issue. And the root cause of the issue is really living wages and supports for drivers. But if hiring bonuses will help certain segments of workers - I did talk to, for example, an ATU bus operator that said that they had hiring bonuses in Pierce County and that they had not yet received any sort of retention or hiring bonus. And so if that's something that's going to help workers feel valued, I think that we do have to look at that as an option. However, it doesn't really address the root cause. And that is we need to support our frontline workers and give them a living wage. So we need to increase base pay for workers. We need to give them benefits - adequate benefits - flexibility, and the working conditions that they deserve. And for some frontline workers, that's gonna mean more investment in safety measures or hazard pay. And for other frontline workers, that may include a bonus. But I think we need to listen to workers, we need to center workers, and we really need to give them living wages, benefits, and the working conditions they deserve. I think you are absolutely right to say that the workforce issue is huge in King County, and we have to do more to address it. When I talk to workers - everyone from grocery store workers to our bus operators, to behavioral health workers - they're really struggling to make a living wage to afford to live in King County, and save for retirement, and raise their kids. And they're really the sheroes and heroes of, I think, responding to the pandemic or the shadow pandemic, but also just of taking care of our communities. And they're really bearing the brunt of our crises - our unhoused crisis, the opioid crisis, the behavioral health crisis. So we at King County have to do better to support them, and that includes living wages, benefits, and working conditions. And I am interested and very committed to doing that work to center workers. [00:25:56] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely, and you're completely correct that they are bearing the brunt of that. Another issue that kind of delves both into addressing climate change and mitigating the impacts of it and public health is air and clean air within buildings. And this has been increasingly talked about - especially as we've learned more about airborne pathogens, and as we've dealt more with wildfire smoke, and how much we've learned about how pollutants and pollution impact health, impact life expectancy. There are areas in Seattle that have life expectancies years shorter than other areas in the same city. Does the County have a responsibility to provide clean and safe air within its buildings and to try and incentivize that throughout other privately owned buildings and businesses in the County? [00:26:45] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I absolutely think the County has a responsibility - working with our state regulators as well as our federal regulators and policymakers - to ensure that everyone has access to clean air. I see this as an environmental justice issue - you pointed out that disproportionately - communities that live in areas with higher rates of pollution and that are more impacted, disproportionately impacted by climate change are experiencing poor air quality. And I think we have seen through the effects of climate change and really rampant wildfires and other issues, that these are disproportionately impacting our frontline communities and communities that are already overburdened. So I think that one thing that we can do at the King County level is really urgently lead on addressing the climate crisis. And our air quality is just gonna get worse as the climate crisis and the impacts increase. And so I think we need someone that's gonna really roll up their sleeves and provide strong leadership to really address these underlying issues around air and water pollution and to address the climate crisis. And so I wanna do that work with disproportionately impacted communities, and part of that work is really getting people out of cars and into transit. So really think having a strong vision for what that looks like and how to center frontline communities is really critically important. [00:28:18] Crystal Fincher: Looking at the state of this race, you're in a competitive race this time - you were last time, too - but this time you're part of a competitive race. What do your endorsements say about you, and what are you most proud of? [00:28:33] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think I am - just to get back to my roots - I am a public sector attorney, I am a working parent, I am a community advocate, and I have lived in the 4th Council District for 25 years, and really have dedicated my 15-year public service career to advancing progressive policy, legal, and budgetary solutions to some of our most pressing challenges. And I have worked in community to drive progressive policies forward, and I think my endorsements reflect the work that I've done in community. I have endorsements from five members of the King County Council, including Councilmember Kohl-Welles and Councilmember Zahilay, who I've worked with directly around securing access to more childcare, to addressing gender-based violence, to doing more for affordable housing. And I think my endorsements really speak to the depth of work and the way that I have worked to elevate community voices in community and doing that work. I would say that one of the endorsements I'm most proud of is Councilmember Kohl-Welles' endorsement because she's been a mentor to me and I have worked with her on a number of issues to improve the lives of women in disproportionately impacted communities in King County. And I'm also proud of the endorsement from my boss, A.G. Bob Ferguson. I have dedicated my career to being on the frontlines, to helping enforce workers' rights to fair wages to equal pay, to protect our environment. And I've done this work in the Attorney General's office and the fact that I have the support of my boss as I'm running for King County Council, just like he ran for King County Council, and that he's been helping me out on the campaign trail. And ensuring that I'm running a strong grassroots campaign really means the world to me. [00:30:20] Crystal Fincher: Now, we've also talked about how important it is to enact a lot of policy, to take care of people - obviously, we need to address staffing. All of the things that we've talked about today - a lot of them require revenue. We just ran a big levy because we needed the revenue. The list of things that everyone says is necessary, evidently costs more than we have in the budget, so new revenue is needed. What progressive revenue options exist at the County level today, and will you pursue any of them? [00:30:50] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, so I have a long history of advocating for progressive revenue, including the capital gains tax as a citizen advocate and board member of Washington's Paramount Duty. And so I have fought with, alongside a coalition of folks that are really pushing for progressive revenue reform at the state level. I still think there's so much more we can do and look forward to being a strong partner in that work. King County is projected to face revenue shortfalls and has constrained revenue sources. I do wanna fight against austerity budgets and look really critically at how we can obtain authority from the Legislature to pass truly progressive revenue sources that center working people. I think we also need to look at potentially lifting the 1% property tax lid if we can provide exemptions for homeowners and fixed income seniors. But I think the kind of frustrating thing about the County is it is revenue-constrained and that we need to work hard both on the County Council and in partnership with communities to figure out what more we can do to obtain authority to pass truly progressive revenue sources, whether or not that's taxing business or looking at more progressive revenue sources other than property tax and sales tax and some of these use fees. So I'm dedicated to doing that work in partnership with community and I'm really looking forward to that. [00:32:26] Crystal Fincher: Gotcha. And with the budget, King County does incremental budgeting making it difficult for the public to understand - making it difficult for some people in government to understand, but especially the public - to understand how King County funds are allocated in the base budget. What can be done to make the budget easier for the public to understand and influence? [00:32:47] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think that's an excellent question. We need more transparency in the budget process and we need more participation from community at the County level in the budget process. I have testified, for example, funding for the mental health counselors under MIDD. I have testified for affordable housing. I've testified for more childcare funding. And sometimes it's difficult, as the budget comes over from the Executive, to know what's different about the budget, right? And so I find generally that through this work as a member of the King County Women's Advisory Board and as a citizen advocate that King County budgets are not as accessible, for example, as legislative budgets. And more needs to be done to ensure that they're more transparent and accessible, and also that we're ensuring that the public is engaged in the budgeting process and understands it. So I think one of the things that we can do, and Councilmember Zahilay has done such a great job of this, is just explaining the King County budget process - how the budget comes over from the Executive, what the budget looks like, and how to understand the budget. I think another thing we could do is helping to really center folks that historically have not had a seat at the table in the budget process and have been excluded from power structures in developing policy and budgetary proposals - so that those folks are actually involved in the collaboration process through working groups and meetings and collaboration so that we're moving more towards participatory budget models, where constituents are not just involved in testifying, but really involved and actively involved every step of the process and ultimately in the decisions that impact them. So I'm really interested in working with all communities, and particularly frontline communities that are disproportionately impacted by these issues, and to really look to see what we can do towards more participatory budgeting. But first, of course, we have to make that process more transparent. [00:34:49] Crystal Fincher: Now, as we said before, you have at least one opponent now - the filing deadline isn't for a few weeks, couple weeks, few weeks here. So as you're talking to people who are considering who they're gonna vote for in this race, why should they vote for you over your opponents? [00:35:08] Sarah Reyneveld: Thank you. I'm running because I wanna continue the work that I've done with community and elevate community voices here in the 4th Council District and beyond to advance bold and transformative action for workers, for working families, and our environment on the King County Council. And as I said before, I think we're in a critical moment of time, and I am really committed to working with our most impacted communities to ensure that we are building back better and really creating equitable economic recovery that centers workers and working families and leads to a more sustainable future. Like many in our district, I'm a working parent, I'm a public school parent, transit rider, community organizer, and I have really dedicated my career to advancing progressive legal policy and budgetary solutions to some of our most pressing challenges - and I think we've really gotten results. As a member of the King County Women's Advisory Board, I have worked in partnership with community and the King County Council to secure investments in affordable housing, behavioral health, childcare, and services for survivors of gender-based violence. And I really wanna build on that track record. And I think I have the skills to do so - to really center community voices and to advance really bold, progressive solutions. I think there's three things that I would highlight to voters about why they should choose me in a competitive race. One is community - I'm running for the community and have demonstrated a history of leadership in my community, which is really reflected in our campaign's range of endorsements from elected officials to community leaders and labor. And I have lived experience as a mom and union member and transit rider that is not only reflective of my district, but I feel can be valuable on the King County Council. And lastly, I have a demonstrated history of leadership in my community working to build coalitions to deliver on progressive policies for workers and working families. And I think I've demonstrated that I'm unafraid to grapple with and do the real work of really advancing transformative solutions that are necessary at this critical moment in time. And I really look forward to the conversation on the campaign and hopefully to working with my community to ensure equitable economic recovery that really centers workers and working families and creates a more sustainable future for all. [00:37:37] Crystal Fincher: Thank you so much for joining us today. [00:37:40] Sarah Reyneveld: Thank you so much for having me. [00:37:42] Crystal Fincher: Thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks, which is co-produced by Shannon Cheng and Bryce Cannatelli. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday almost-live shows and our midweek show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

On this Tuesday topical show, Crystal welcomes Dr. Stephan Blanford, Executive Director of Children's Alliance, for a wide-ranging conversation on childcare. They delve into the importance of childcare as an economic driver and its societal impacts through preparing kids for success in school and life. A review of the state of childcare in Washington reveals that this critical resource is often out-of-reach for those who need it most and looks at the factors that make it inaccessible and expensive. Crystal and Dr. Blanford then discuss how various stakeholders can make an impact on the issue at all levels of government. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii, find Dr. Stephan Blanford at @StephanBlanford and Children's Alliance at @ChildAllianceWA.   Dr. Stephan Blanford As the Executive Director of Children's Alliance, Dr. Stephan Blanford leads a team of committed staff, volunteers and more than 6,000 members, advocating fiercely for the improved outcomes for children in Washington state. As an unapologetic advocate for racial and social justice, Stephan's work has ranged from early learning to college entrance leading small, direct service youth development agencies to multidisciplinary demonstration projects. In 2013, he was elected by the voters of Seattle and served a four-year term on the Seattle School Board, where he received the “Leadership for Equity” award at the conclusion of his term. More recently, the Evergreen Chapter of the American Society of Public Administrators awarded him the “Billy J. Frank Race and Social Justice” award for leadership and advocacy. Extending his work at a national level, he is the board chair of Integrated Schools and serves on the board of Partnership for America's Children, Balance our Tax Code Coalition, and several other progressive organizations. Dr. Blanford holds a Bachelors' degree in Social Justice from Antioch University, a Masters in Public Policy from the Evans School of Governance and Public Policy and a Doctorate from the College of Education at the University of Washington. Resources Children's Alliance   Washington Child Care Collaborative Task Force | Washington State Department of Commerce   2023 KIDS Count Data Book | Annie E. Casey Foundation   “Child care costs more than college in Washington state” by Melissa Santos from Axios   “Report: WA's high cost of child care hits single moms hardest” by Sami West from KUOW   “The Real Costs Of Child Care In America” by Joy Borkholder from InvestigateWest Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review show and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. Well today, I am very pleased to welcome to the program Dr. Stephan Blanford, the Executive Director of Children's Alliance. And I wanted to have a conversation today about childcare - how important it is, how unaffordable it has become, and how we fix this - it's so important to so many people. And so I guess I will just start off by asking you, Stephan, why is childcare so important? Why does it matter so much? And what brought you to this work? [00:01:24] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Interestingly, I have a background in education - I served as, I was elected and served for a term on the School Board in Seattle. And also my doctoral work was in K-12. And there's a tight correlation between kids having experience in high-quality early learning settings and them doing well in K-12 settings. And so if you are interested in increasing achievement in the K-12 setting - and in particular, if you're interested in addressing the opportunity gaps, the racial opportunity gaps that affect so many children - you have to prioritize early learning and high-quality childcare in order to achieve that goal. And so that's something that I've been passionate about since - in particular - since my young child was of an age where she was getting into childcare. And I learned a lot about it and then have had a passion to try to have all kids have the type of experience that she had. [00:02:29] Crystal Fincher: Certainly, and I certainly have had my own experiences with childcare with my son, who is now definitely much older than childcare age right now. What do you say to people who say - maybe are an employer - what does childcare have to do with me? Why is this something we should be worried about as a community and as a society? [00:02:51] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Yeah, that's a great question. Because in many parts of the state - Seattle in particular, but many parts of the state - we're one of the most childless cities in the United States. So lots of people don't have that type of experience where they're looking for childcare, where they even know someone that is seeking out childcare. But it is such an economic driver. And so many of the negative outcomes that we see in society - in all parts of the state and in all parts of the nation - are correlated with kids not doing well in school and then not being successful in life. And so I tell people all the time, whether you are a grandparent that whose kids are no longer in school or a business owner or whatever, there's a huge implication on your life by the access or lack of access to childcare. [00:03:43] Crystal Fincher: Well, speaking of access - what is the state right now? We hear that it's unaffordable, we hear that it's hard to come by. Is that true? [00:03:53] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Yes, it is. In many parts of the state, there are families that have to drive great distances in order to find childcare. We call them childcare deserts, where there's such a limited supply of childcare that families are just giving up on that. And in many cases, it affects women - because obviously women are, who would normally be in the workforce are having to make really tough decisions and go back to taking care of kids at home where they would prefer to be out in the workforce and helping to support their families. So it has huge implications, whether you're in one of those childcare deserts or even if you're in a more populated part of the state - because that inability to find any childcare and more importantly to find high-quality childcare has severe implications for families and communities at large. [00:04:50] Crystal Fincher: Why is it so hard to find? [00:04:52] Dr. Stephan Blanford: There's a great number of complex factors that lead to the fact that the supply is reduced. The fact that when I sent my kid to childcare - I was also in school in a graduate program - and I was paying more in childcare costs than I was paying for tuition at that time. And that has not improved over the 10 years since I graduated from graduate school. That hasn't changed - where the cost of tuition at the University of Washington is lower than the average cost of childcare in most parts of the state right now. And so - mine is a middle-class family - if you're a low-income family, then the economics of that just do not pan out. And so we are coming to realize that childcare is a public good - it's a public benefit in the same way that K-12 education benefits the community as well as it does the individual child. But we don't have a mechanism by which we can support childcare centers so they can provide this critical service. And if I could add one more thing that I think is really important and complicates this matter, many of the childcare providers in Washington State and around the country are Black and Brown women. And for some unknown reason that has a lot to do with race and racism, they are undercompensated. It is the third lowest paid profession in Washington State right now. And when we think about the importance and the change in trajectory for kids that having access to high-quality childcare can have, it's unconscionable that that would be the third lowest paid profession. You would think that it would be way up there with doctors and other critical professions - it would be compensated at a rate that is commensurate with its importance in society - but for some reason it is not. [00:06:51] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely. And you brought up a great point. It is more expensive to pay for childcare than it is to pay for college, which is really saying something with the inflation that we've seen in higher education prices and along with childcare costs. So in this situation, how is it that costs are so high yet compensation for workers is still so low? [00:07:18] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Well, there's a big component of it that has to do with ratios. In most childcare centers that are licensed, you have to have a certain number of adults for a certain number of children. And in particular, kids that are 0-3 years old - they require an even more robust ratio to ensure that the kids are safe during that time that they are away from their parents. And so that has a lot of bearing on the cost - as well as a licensed center has to have exits, has to have lots of equipment in the center, has to be safe and obviously secure so kids aren't getting out and getting out into the street or whatever. And all of those costs are borne by the childcare provider, usually a business person who is trying to establish a center that has all the safety measures in place and the appropriate staffing ratios to ensure that kids are safe and learning while they're in their care. And that all of those things together lend themselves to it being a pretty expensive enterprise. [00:08:27] Crystal Fincher: Now, what does it mean - for a family and for a community - for childcare to be this expensive? [00:08:34] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Well, we spend a lot of time at Children's Alliance advocating that there is a role that the state government has to play in subsidizing the cost. Because the reality right now is - for low-income families who cannot afford those expensive costs that we've been talking about, that means that their kids don't have access to childcare at all. Or they have access to very low-quality childcare - we're talking about being placed in front of a TV and spending eight hours a day, not engaging in that way - and those are pretty significant, have long term consequences for young children. We believe that there is a role that the state government has to play. It has funded the Fair Start for Kids Act in 2021, which is driving about a billion dollars into the sector. And that's a start, but it is by no means the solution to the problem. So we will continue to advocate for improvements and increased funding to make it more affordable for families - middle- and low-income families - to be able to afford childcare, and also provide support for the providers who are trying to provide the service. [00:09:49] Crystal Fincher: So, you talk about how it is so challenging for the families to afford it. It sounds like the families who most stand to benefit from high-quality childcare, and who we need to make sure have access, are the ones having the hardest time affording and accessing it. Is that how you see it? [00:10:09] Dr. Stephan Blanford: That is exactly correct. Yes, that is exactly correct. And so the Fair Start for Kids Act that was passed in 2021 has gone a long way towards making it more affordable, but we don't have enough supply in Washington state. And that lack of supply is impeding the ability of the legislation to provide childcare. Ultimately, if you're a childcare provider and there are subsidies that are available, you're still trying to figure out ways to make sure that all the families in your community are getting childcare. And if you are constrained by the fact that you're only licensed to take care of 15 or 20 or 50 kids, then if there are a 100 kids standing outside your door waiting to get in, then you have to make some difficult choices. And in many cases, the families of those children - those hundred that are stuck outside - they then have to make difficult choices, which include someone staying at home so that there's someone to take care of the children. [00:11:15] Crystal Fincher: Which again, impacts a family's ability to be economically mobile, to participate fully in our economy, to be able to advance in the workplace. Childcare - for people with kids, communities with kids - is so key to just everybody's ability to function and participate in our society, basically. [00:11:40] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Right. And it has disproportionate impacts, as I've shared before, on women and their participation in the workforce. There's a study out of Washington State University that says that the gains that have been made in women's participation in the workforce in Washington State have been totally eroded by the fact that childcare is so inaccessible. Women who have decided that they want to participate in the workforce and have made that move and have gotten the training necessary to be able to participate in the workforce - those gains have been eroded by the fact that there is no childcare. And so we're trying to bring that data to legislators and say that we are at a time now where there's need for significant intervention and investment in the childcare sector to ensure that women can participate and children can be served. [00:12:37] Crystal Fincher: So you talk about there being this shortage and the wages being so low. How do we impact this shortage of childcare workers and pay them a living wage? [00:12:52] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Well, it has been nice to see - as someone who's kind of a grizzled veteran of advocacy around childcare and other issues - it's been nice to see a coalition of people who are now concerned, who now see the implications of this situation that we're in. So now there are business leaders, governmental leaders who never would have been talking about childcare 5 years ago, 10 years ago. And they now know that it is critically important to the economies of their communities, to business interests, to just every aspect of society. We can't really restart the economy to the degree that it needs to be restarted without a significant investment in accessibility and availability of childcare in the state. It just won't happen. And what it portends - our inaction - is that more and more populations are gonna be disproportionately impacted by that inaction. [00:14:02] Crystal Fincher: So what else is needed to help address both the affordability and the issues on the business owner's side - like the regulations, which sound like they're necessary to protect kids - and the costs involved? [00:14:18] Dr. Stephan Blanford: I believe that at some point we're going to have to have a statewide conversation about childcare. And my hope is that that will lead to more significant legislation. And if not legislation, a referendum that is passed or an initiative that is passed by the citizens of the state to tax themselves to be able to afford childcare for anyone who needs it. There are other states that are playing around with the idea of universal pre-K - making sure that every child in the state has access, which means a significant investment in childcare - there's an argument that says that it's a public good and should be funded in the same way that public education is funded. And the economics of it - there's a study that says that for every dollar invested in childcare, there's a $17 return to the economy of the jurisdiction that makes that investment, which is a significant bargain and helps to address some of the biggest challenges that we face around opportunity gaps - racial and economic opportunity gaps. So my hope is that there - we'll continue to have these conversations and get to the point where the voters of the state take this issue up. I believe it will pass. I think enough people are connected to it and understand that they will benefit. And my hope is that we'll see that in the short-term because it's having detrimental impacts right now for families and communities all across the state. [00:16:07] Crystal Fincher: It absolutely is having detrimental impacts. Barring a statewide initiative being passed - and that's a great idea - what can cities, counties, regions do to try and address this in their own areas? [00:16:27] Dr. Stephan Blanford: A great question. So I mentioned the fact that I served as a School Board director here in Seattle. And during that time, we were able to create a partnership between Seattle Public Schools and the City of Seattle where there were significant investments and collaboration between the two sectors - the K-12 sector and the early learning sector - to actually have childcare centers based in some of our elementary schools that were under-enrolled. Kids would move directly from the early learning part of the school into the K-12 sector. And there was a national organization that reviewed that collaboration and gave it its highest rating - saying all states in the nation should emulate that type of a model. Because in many cases there are schools that are under-enrolled - so they have classrooms that are unoccupied - and by doing a little bit of work around licensing and changing the structure of the school, they can ensure that kids at all ages in their community from 3 years old to 5 years old, and then from 5 years old to 10 or 11 are served by that elementary school. And I think that's a model that could be emulated in many parts of the state and would go a long way towards solving this problem because there's a significant investment that a business owner has to make in order to secure a space, make the changes in that space before they can open their doors and serve the first child. There are existing buildings - schools - that can solve that problem very easily, but it requires a lot of collaboration and cooperation between schools, cities, and in some cases those aren't easy collaborations to make. [00:18:25] Crystal Fincher: Definitely, but it does sound promising - obviously, with the review that it received from when it was happening. Is that still happening? [00:18:34] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Oh yeah, yeah. I was having a conversation with a parent the other day that was talking about the fact that she was able to get childcare and it was just down the street at her local school here in Seattle. And she was just gushing about how important it was and how much it helped her family to be able to have that accessibility and availability so close to their home. And when she got done, I said - Yeah, I was on the School Board, I voted for that, I helped to champion that. And she was really grateful. And it made me very proud because that was a contentious issue - not everybody on the School Board was supportive of that notion. But I know that collaborations between sectors like the early learning sector and the K-12 sector - they go a long way towards addressing some of these very pernicious issues that we've been grappling with for years, like our opportunity gaps, that Black and Brown kids stand to benefit, particularly if those collaborations are set up in the schools that they normally attend. [00:19:42] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. Now we also are hearing a lot about school closures right now, about coming deficits, about structural deficits in education. Are these types of partnerships things that can help that kind of situation? [00:19:59] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Absolutely, absolutely. I think you have hit the nail on the head in that - I hear those stories and I'm really glad that I'm not a School Board director anymore and have to grapple with the declining enrollments that we're starting to see in Seattle and many other school districts. But there's an opportunity there to address the childcare crisis while those schools are going through the challenges that they're going with finance and declining enrollments. I think there's a great opportunity to take some of those classrooms and be very intentional about making them childcare settings. And there's always the possibility that we can be building new childcare settings in communities - and in the short-term, we can redeploy empty classrooms in schools to serve that challenge while we're building those settings 'cause eventually the kids are gonna come back. We know that our enrollments go up and then they go down. And at some point those classrooms are gonna need to be filled by K-5 students. But during that time where we have empty classrooms, why not redeploy them in order to solve the childcare crisis that we are in right now? [00:21:20] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. I think some other things I've heard talked about were challenges with zoning in some areas, challenges with opening up - being allowed to open in certain areas - obviously, in Downtown Seattle and several downtowns who've experienced a lot of growth and the availability of childcare and childcare centers has not grown with them, especially in some of those concentrated areas where it's harder to get real estate, afford a lease, find space. What can be done in that area? Is that something worth addressing and taking on? [00:21:57] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Yeah, I think so. While I was on the School Board - and I was campaigning 10 years ago, so I've been done with my School Board service for about 6 years - and there was a real push to try to make Downtown more of a living neighborhood and involving having an elementary school being based there, increasing the number of childcare settings. And in many cases, it didn't really pencil out - we have a number of families that are choosing to live in the Downtown area, but not at sufficient numbers to warrant the opening of an elementary school. I don't know if that has changed in the six years that I've been off the board, but we need to make decisions that are based on the data that we have and not use childcare and K-12 as a driver to create that neighborhood. Seattle Public Schools didn't have the luxury of investing, hoping that kids were gonna come. We needed to be sure that kids were already there before we tried to deploy a childcare setting or a K-12 setting there. But the question that you ask, which I think is an important one, has to do with licensing and changing settings to be able to allow children to be served in those settings. And that's a partnership between the City, which can do a lot of the licensing, the state and the school districts in order to work in collaboration to ensure that the spaces are conducive to learning and the safety of the kids that are going to be put there. [00:23:41] Crystal Fincher: And is there anything within the private sector that employers, especially larger employers, can do to help their employees afford and access childcare? [00:23:53] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Yes, and many, many employers are starting to do that - either by placing a childcare setting inside of their buildings. And I think in particular, given the fact that there's so many vacancies in office space Downtown - if I were an employer and I was trying to one, get my staff back into the office, and two, help to drive the economy by getting people back to work - I would seriously consider working with a childcare provider to provide their service inside of my building. I can tell you from my own personal experience that I have employees right now who are very challenged by the notion of coming back to work, being back in the office on a regular basis because of the inaccessibility of childcare. And so if there were a site in our offices that was dedicated childcare, I could imagine that those employees would be excited by that notion. They'd be able to hang out with their kid at lunchtime. They would - the transit or the transportation issues that are associated with taking your kid to childcare and then going into the office - a lot of that would be solved because you'd all be in the same place. I have worked for an organization that had onsite childcare, and I know it was a driver - it was something that helped us to attract talent and retain talent because in many cases, people wanted to be in the same building that their kids were getting their childcare. [00:25:32] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. Onsite childcare is an elite benefit for employees with families, certainly. So looking - for average people in the community who recognize that this is a problem, that this is an issue, but maybe aren't seeing the urgency from some of their elected officials or from within their community. What can the average person do to help move policy like this forward, to help advocate for what can help? [00:26:04] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Well, it's something that Children's Alliance has been working on for quite a while, so I'm gonna be shameless and plug my organization and say - check us out at childrensalliance.org, and you can lend your voice to the many voices that - we have 7,000 members across the state who are all advocating for childcare. We are reaching out to legislators. I have two legislators on my schedule today that I'll be talking to about this issue. And I think it is critical that those who are concerned about this issue, they're reaching out to their legislators and saying the time for studying this is over - we need to take action on it and demanding that type of action. I think that extends to School Board races - here in Seattle, we have School Board races that are occurring right now. City Council races - every opportunity to reach out to your elected officials and share with them why this is a priority. I know from my own experiences as an elected official, childcare is usually way down on the list of things that people think are important. And as we've discussed today, we're now understanding how central it is to so many aspects of life for families and communities all across the state. And so I encourage your listeners to be very active and not just sit on the sidelines around this critical issue. [00:27:39] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely, that's fantastic advice. And even in the candidate world - we've seen candidates in recent years not be able to run or to have to drop out of races for lack of childcare. It really is something affecting everyone. And it also shines a light on the importance of electing people who understand this issue, who have experience with what it's like to deal with this. And hopefully that helps them to be more invested in making some better policy. So I thank you so much for the time that you've taken to speak with us today - very informative, definitely given us a lot to think about, some things to move forward on, and an outlook for and a pathway to get this thing fixed. So thank you so much for your time, Dr. Stephan Blanford. [00:28:29] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Oh, thank you, Crystal - you ask really good questions and I'm hopeful that we're moving some of your listeners to action. [00:28:37] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely, thank you so much. [00:28:39] Dr. Stephan Blanford: Thank you. [00:28:40] Crystal Fincher: Thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks, which is produced by Shannon Cheng. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on every podcast service and app - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review shows and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the podcast episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

On this Primary Week re-air, Crystal chats with Sarah Reyneveld about her campaign for King County Council District 4 - why she decided to run, the experience she brings as a public sector attorney and community advocate, and her thoughts on addressing frontline worker wages and workforce issues, the need for upstream alternatives in the criminal legal system and substance use crisis, how to improve policy implementation, climate change and air quality, and budget revenue and transparency. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find Sarah Reyneveld at @SarahReyneveld.   Resources Campaign Website - Sarah Reyneveld   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday almost-live shows and our midweek show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. Hello, I'm so excited to be welcoming to the program today King County Council candidate, Sarah Reyneveld. Hello. [00:01:01] Sarah Reyneveld: Hello, Crystal. Thank you so much for having me today - I'm excited about the conversation. [00:01:07] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. I guess just starting out - we have seen you run for State Legislature before. I'm wondering why you're choosing to run for the County now, and what do you hope to accomplish in that position? [00:01:18] Sarah Reyneveld: Yes, I think that King County Council and the King County is really at a critical point in time, and I'm excited to bring my lived experience as a working parent, a Seattle Public School parent, a transit rider, a union organizer - I helped organize my union of Assistant Attorney Generals - and also my experience as a public sector attorney who has fought for workers and our environment, and as a community advocate working with communities across King County to really make transformative change for workers, working families, and our environment on the King County Council. So for some background - in 2016, I became King County Councilmember Kohl-Welles' appointment to the King County Women's Advisory Board where I had the opportunity to work with communities throughout King County and the King County Council to help advocate for and secure investments in affordable housing, in behavioral health, childcare, and services to support survivors of gender-based violence. I started this work and became the Chair of the King County Women's Advisory Board before the pandemic - and I had two young kids at the time - and we had struggled like so many parents with access to affordable childcare, and the board at that time decided to take up that issue. So we worked on recommendations to expand childcare access for working parents and were able to work together with communities across King County, and the Executive, and King County Council to help reinstate a childcare subsidy, to expand access to childcare for working families, and establish a wage provider boost to help increase pay for childcare providers who are disproportionately women and BIPOC women and immigrants. And then the pandemic hit and I continued to do this work and it really laid bare - staggering inequities and injustices in King County that disproportionately impacted women and our communities of color and immigrants and other marginalized communities, who are more likely to be on the forefront and were experiencing disproportionately - unemployment and financial loss and illness. So as I continue to work on these issues, I saw what an important role King County played in not just responding to the pandemic and now the shadow pandemic, but in really providing public health, and behavioral health, and public transit, and helping with food security and housing. So I'm running for King County Council because I've been doing this work with community and I think the status quo is no longer good enough. We need bold and transformative action to really meet the urgency of this moment. We have a really unique opportunity to create a more equitable economy and a sustainable future for all workers and working families in King County. And I think that King County can and must do more - and my priorities are to create more truly affordable housing to help better meet the behavioral health needs of our neighbors in crisis, to really tackle the climate crisis and protect our environment for future generations, to provide accessible and frequent public transit for all, and to really look at what we can do to reimagine our public safety and criminal legal system. So I'm excited about the opportunity. [00:04:46] Crystal Fincher: I see. Now you covered a lot there. In there, you mentioned caring for workers, addressing housing. One thing called out by experts as a barrier to our homelessness response is that frontline worker wages don't cover the cost of living. Do you think our local nonprofits have a responsibility to pay living wages for our area? And how can we make that more likely with how we bid and contract for services? [00:05:10] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, absolutely. I absolutely think that our nonprofits have a duty to pay more in terms of adequately funding - not just contracts - but ensuring that those contracts lead to an equitable living wage and union jobs. And that includes cost of living adjustments and other supports for workers. So right now we have a really high turnover rate for frontline workers and particularly those workers that the County contracts with - I've heard 40-60% turnover rate. And I think we need to address the underlying issue of why those workers are turning over. And the underlying issue - one of them is pay equity and not ensuring that we are paying, particularly our frontline workers, adequately or providing them with the supports that they need. So it's about equitable pay, it's about cost of living adjustments, and it's about ensuring that those workers have access to affordable housing and transit in King County as well - so they can really afford to live where they work. And so I see this issue as very intersectional and something that King County can do more to address. And I would just say, generally, I think we as a society tend to lift up certain sorts of workers - the CEOs of companies, for example. And those people that are really doing the real work of caring for our community - of building our housing, of connecting us through transit, of providing behavioral health services - we don't invest equitably or sufficiently in those workers. And so starting with contracting is critically important, but we need to do more to ensure that we're investing in living wage jobs, and workforce housing, and bonuses, and ensuring that these workers have the supports that they need. And that is part of my vision for building back better and creating a more equitable economy that really centers workers and working families in King County. [00:07:13] Crystal Fincher: Gotcha. Now, would you have voted to approve the transfer of inmates to the SCORE jail to alleviate a lot of the issues plaguing the King County Jail, including overcrowding, lack of water, inadequate healthcare, illnesses, understaffing? Would you have voted in the same way that the King County Council did? [00:07:31] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think that's a great question. I want to start with just the conditions at the King County Jail. So the six deaths in 2022 in the downtown jail and kind of the subsequent ACLU lawsuit, I think, show that King County is failing too many criminally involved individuals, particularly our Black and Brown community members and those with chronic behavioral health and substance use issues. I am really concerned about what is happening in terms of inhumane conditions at the jail that include excessive use of solitary confinement, and lack of transportation to medical appointments and court appointments, and delays with mental health and other medical appointments. And I think King County, which is the oversight body of the King County Jail, needs to do more to address these concerns and ensure safety. And these really poor conditions at the jail didn't happen overnight. They are partially caused by lack of adequate staffing - that's been an issue for decades and was exacerbated since COVID. And also issues with an antiquated, really obsolete building. And lack of access to medical care and treatment, as I was stating. So on the King County Council, if elected, I want to work with disproportionately impacted communities and fellow King County Councilmembers to urgently address these issues. I think we need to invest more in restorative justice. And when the King County Council took that vote in terms of transferring those incarcerated folks to SCORE, I think they noted that we need to do more in terms of investing in restorative justice and upstream alternatives to really reimagine our criminal legal system. So first I think we need to prevent and reduce incarceration through investing in upstream - investments in youth and vulnerable adults. And that means doing more to expand effective diversion programs, such as the Law Assisted Diversion Program and Co-LEAD, which has been really effective in diverting folks out of the criminal legal system and out of the King County Jail to begin with. I think we also need to move towards actualizing King County Executive's vision and so many activists' vision of really closing the downtown jail and reimagining and reducing the size of the King County facilities. So in terms of the SCORE vote, I don't think either option were good options. The King County Council arrived at that vote because there had not been enough, really, work done on restorative justice and on the underlying issues around staffing and overcrowding at the jail. And I think keeping vulnerable incarcerated people in a downtown jail that had significant understaffing and overcrowding issues and a lack of access to medicine, or transferring incarcerated people to a facility that had potentially access-to-justice issues is not - neither one of those are good options. And so that's why I want to roll up my sleeves and ensure that we're really investing sufficiently in diversion programs and alternatives - to invest in folks to prevent them from becoming incarcerated in the first place and also move towards reimagining our system. And I will say that I don't think King County Council can address this issue alone. In 2022, there were over, I think, 100 people in King County Jail that were deemed to be incompetent to stand trial in King County that were awaiting a treatment bed. So if we work with our state partners to really fund mental health and ensure treatment for vulnerable populations like this, then we won't have to make these sort of decisions. [00:11:00] Crystal Fincher: So am I hearing that you would not vote - disagreeing with this vote? If in the future a vote were to come up to extend or expand this SCORE transfer or transfer to other jails, does that mean you're a No vote on that? [00:11:13] Sarah Reyneveld: I think that we need to, like I said, invest in alternatives and upstream alternatives to the criminal legal system. So like Councilmember Zahilay and Councilmember Kohl-Welles said - the transfer to SCORE was really not addressing the root cause of the issue. We need to be investing in upstream alternatives and staffing and ensuring that folks within our system are safe. [00:11:36] Crystal Fincher: Gotcha. Now you talked about substance use disorder being so key in treating upstream issues to really address the root causes of what is leading people to criminal behavior. We're dealing with a conundrum. The governor just called a special session following our State Supreme Court invalidating personal substance possession as a crime. Our Legislature took action a couple of years ago to recriminalize it - that has a sunset provision. They were not able to decide on any statewide policy before the session ended, so they're going to be taking that up in a special session. There are conversations about - should drug use be criminalized at all? If it should, is it a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, felony? Where do you stand? Where should personal possession of substances be dealt with? How would you handle that? [00:12:27] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think this is an issue that the Legislature has been grappling with and it's really an important issue. And I think we need to be moving away from criminalization of drug possession. Specifically, we moved away from criminalization of drug possession for marijuana - we need to do the same thing with psychedelics and other sorts of drugs that have medicinal and other positive effects. I think when it comes to addressing our fentanyl and heroin crisis, I think that if I were a legislator, I'd probably move in the direction of ensuring that we're looking at the lesser of any sort of crime - which would be a misdemeanor - and looking at pathways to treatment for that use. And I think we have to think about how we can connect folks that are in crisis because of substance use disorder with services. And so to me, it's about what more can King County do - because I'm not sitting in the place of a legislator - to ensure that we're investing in upstream solutions and treatment. And so I think helping to implement the King County Crisis Care Center Levy and ensuring that folks that are in - particularly a substance use crisis, whether - we know that we have a fentanyl crisis. I have worked on litigation to sue Purdue Pharma and understand just the addictive effects of those drugs. And we need to make sure that there's - those folks are connected to Medicaid-assisted treatment on demand, that they're connected to services. And so looking at what more we can do to scale up the crisis centers in an equitable way and preserve and restore beds that are primarily aimed at treating the underlying causes - I think it's critically important. And so one of my priorities, if elected to the King County Council, will be to look at how we're implementing these crisis care centers, how I'm working potentially with the Legislature for additional treatment beds for substance use disorder. I have, as so many people have had, someone in my life that has experienced a substance use disorder issue. And I think it's so hard to navigate the system to even find detox or substance use treatment for someone like me that knows how to navigate systems, much less someone that could be either at-risk at being involved in the criminal legal system or becoming unhoused or dealing with a substance use crisis. And so finding ways in which we can ensure that those that are affected are obtaining treatment, I think is critically important. [00:15:07] Crystal Fincher: You raised a number of important issues there and you touched on helping to get the Crisis Care Centers Levy - which passed - implemented. [00:15:16] Sarah Reyneveld: Yes. [00:15:17] Crystal Fincher: There have been some criticisms and challenges with implementation of programs - at all levels of government, really, but including with the County - and issues of staffing that may not have been foreseen, or challenges run into, communication issues. Do you think there's an opportunity to improve implementation of policy and programs overall? And how do we need to do that? What needs to change in order for that to happen? [00:15:42] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think that's an excellent point. And I absolutely think there are opportunities to improve policy implementation at the County. One of the things that I really appreciate about King County's work and that I wanna bring as a lens to my work is that I do believe that the best public policy is made - I think Councilmember Zahilay says this in his views and paraphrasing him, but - by those that are closest to the injustice. And so we really need to invest in community-based solution to a lot of our largest challenges in King County. And so I appreciate that on all issues of County government and all levels of County government, whether it be addressing the gun violence crisis or the behavioral health crisis or childcare, we're really investing in community-based solutions. So I think that's critically important, but I think we also have to have a way to measure outcomes in terms of what is the County doing that's working and what is the County doing that's not working. And if we have, for example, a health through housing facility that we have stood up, but it's not being adequately staffed and we're not adequately utilizing it, and really ensuring that vulnerable populations can access housing and those services - we need to look at what more we can do to ensure that that is being used appropriately and we're really maximizing opportunities to make good use of public dollars. So I think we absolutely need to be working with communities and listening to communities and centering their voices. And then I think King County, as a body, needs to work with those communities to make sure that the investments that were being made are working on the community level and that we're really scaling up things that work. And I, as someone who's taught at the Evans School of Public Affairs and has been a policy wonk for years, am really interested in working with community and my fellow councilmembers in doing that work. [00:17:38] Crystal Fincher: So on almost every measure, we're behind our 2030 climate goals. You've talked about addressing climate change and mitigating the impacts of that on people being one of your priorities. We've experienced the impacts from wildfires, heat and cold, floods, et cetera. What are your highest priority plans to get us on track to meet our 2030 goals? [00:17:59] Sarah Reyneveld: Yes, thank you for that excellent question. As an Assistant Attorney General that works to protect our environment and public health, this is an issue that is critically important to me because of the urgency of action and the need to really address this challenge - centering communities in a just transition. So first, I think we need to electrify transportation and invest deeply in transit. We know that to meet our carbon reduction goals, we have to get people out of cars and into transit. And yet we have seen that Metro Transit service has languished since the pandemic and ridership has fallen by half. And those transit delays - I'm a transit rider to work, I take my little boy to daycare downtown with me - and they're disproportionately affecting transit riders, which are working families, BIPOC communities, low income communities, youth, seniors, and others that rely on transit. And it's a transit justice issue. So I have already been doing some of this work, but if elected to the King County Council, I want to continue this work by working with a coalition of transit riders and groups like the Transit Riders Union and Seattle Subway and The Urbanist and others to pass a county-wide transit revenue package to fund a King County Transportation Benefit District, which would supplant the city one and really help us restore an increased Metro Transit service to deliver faster, more frequent, reliable, and zero-emission service that connects all our community members. I think the measure should also ensure that transit is free to those who are cost-burdened. Right now, one of our impediments to increasing transit service and getting people out of cars is the shortage of transit operators and mechanics. And part of this funding package, or looking at other funding sources, has to be to address that issue of recruiting and retaining Metro bus drivers. And that has to include a living wage and additional incentives and supports, including safety supports, to build the workforce of Metro operators. Now, I just spoke to Metro operators at ATU last week, and they told me they're facing significant workplace safety and pay and other challenges that are really contributing to job stress and attrition. So we have to address that underlying issue if we're gonna get people out of cars and into transit. I also think we need to do more to decarbonize our built environment, which is probably the largest carbon emission in King County, through the adoption and strengthening of commercial building codes that will require communities to reduce energy use and also center communities in initiatives such as the Climate Equity Capital Pool to electrify their homes, for electric appliances and retrofits and solar panels. I think there's a lot of opportunities that we can leverage on the federal level to use grants and incentives and rebates to really update the building codes - and achieve these energy efficiencies and decarbonize our environment and our built environment - while bringing workers along. And I think we need to look at passing stronger provisions and incentives to transition off natural gas in a way that brings people and workers along and hastens this just transition to a clean energy economy - because we know that natural gas use in commercial and residential buildings accounts for a really large percentage of greenhouse gas emissions. I would also say that we need to do more to sustainably manage our forests and our working lands to ensure climate-friendly forest management and farming to mitigate climate change impacts and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and look at how we can promote carbon storage in soils and increase the use of green space. I would also say, probably lastly, a large percentage of the carbon emissions in King County result from our food system. So I wanna lead in ensuring that all communities have opportunities to become food producers, to access urban and rural farmland, and that we're really centering disproportionately impacted communities and empowering them to become farmers - particularly in food deserts and ensuring that tribes have access to their traditional food sources and cultural resources. And I've talked a lot to labor about this, and I would say that I believe that we can work towards a just transition to a clean energy economy that really centers workers and equitable pathways to green jobs and apprenticeships, but it's gonna take us building a coalition. And I'm committed to really rolling up my sleeves and working with our labor partners and folks that are disproportionately impacted and our community members to build that just transition towards a clean energy economy and a sustainable community that addresses our climate crisis. [00:23:01] Crystal Fincher: You talked about needing to address the staffing issues in our public transportation department, certainly an issue in Metro that is urgently in need of addressing. We've seen in several other departments - with sheriffs, certainly with municipal police departments in the County - that they're giving retention bonuses, hiring bonuses to help attract people. And what we've seen is - although they are on record saying that that isn't really moving the needle and may not, there are a lot of people in other departments saying that would absolutely move the needle here. Do you support retention bonuses and hiring bonus and some of the things that we've seen for folks working in public safety for other workers? [00:23:40] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think that's an excellent question. I think we really need to listen to workers, and my platform is all about lifting up and centering and listening to workers. And to me, hiring bonuses are not gonna address the root cause of the issue. And the root cause of the issue is really living wages and supports for drivers. But if hiring bonuses will help certain segments of workers - I did talk to, for example, an ATU bus operator that said that they had hiring bonuses in Pierce County and that they had not yet received any sort of retention or hiring bonus. And so if that's something that's going to help workers feel valued, I think that we do have to look at that as an option. However, it doesn't really address the root cause. And that is we need to support our frontline workers and give them a living wage. So we need to increase base pay for workers. We need to give them benefits - adequate benefits - flexibility, and the working conditions that they deserve. And for some frontline workers, that's gonna mean more investment in safety measures or hazard pay. And for other frontline workers, that may include a bonus. But I think we need to listen to workers, we need to center workers, and we really need to give them living wages, benefits, and the working conditions they deserve. I think you are absolutely right to say that the workforce issue is huge in King County, and we have to do more to address it. When I talk to workers - everyone from grocery store workers to our bus operators, to behavioral health workers - they're really struggling to make a living wage to afford to live in King County, and save for retirement, and raise their kids. And they're really the sheroes and heroes of, I think, responding to the pandemic or the shadow pandemic, but also just of taking care of our communities. And they're really bearing the brunt of our crises - our unhoused crisis, the opioid crisis, the behavioral health crisis. So we at King County have to do better to support them, and that includes living wages, benefits, and working conditions. And I am interested and very committed to doing that work to center workers. [00:25:56] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely, and you're completely correct that they are bearing the brunt of that. Another issue that kind of delves both into addressing climate change and mitigating the impacts of it and public health is air and clean air within buildings. And this has been increasingly talked about - especially as we've learned more about airborne pathogens, and as we've dealt more with wildfire smoke, and how much we've learned about how pollutants and pollution impact health, impact life expectancy. There are areas in Seattle that have life expectancies years shorter than other areas in the same city. Does the County have a responsibility to provide clean and safe air within its buildings and to try and incentivize that throughout other privately owned buildings and businesses in the County? [00:26:45] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I absolutely think the County has a responsibility - working with our state regulators as well as our federal regulators and policymakers - to ensure that everyone has access to clean air. I see this as an environmental justice issue - you pointed out that disproportionately - communities that live in areas with higher rates of pollution and that are more impacted, disproportionately impacted by climate change are experiencing poor air quality. And I think we have seen through the effects of climate change and really rampant wildfires and other issues, that these are disproportionately impacting our frontline communities and communities that are already overburdened. So I think that one thing that we can do at the King County level is really urgently lead on addressing the climate crisis. And our air quality is just gonna get worse as the climate crisis and the impacts increase. And so I think we need someone that's gonna really roll up their sleeves and provide strong leadership to really address these underlying issues around air and water pollution and to address the climate crisis. And so I wanna do that work with disproportionately impacted communities, and part of that work is really getting people out of cars and into transit. So really think having a strong vision for what that looks like and how to center frontline communities is really critically important. [00:28:18] Crystal Fincher: Looking at the state of this race, you're in a competitive race this time - you were last time, too - but this time you're part of a competitive race. What do your endorsements say about you, and what are you most proud of? [00:28:33] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think I am - just to get back to my roots - I am a public sector attorney, I am a working parent, I am a community advocate, and I have lived in the 4th Council District for 25 years, and really have dedicated my 15-year public service career to advancing progressive policy, legal, and budgetary solutions to some of our most pressing challenges. And I have worked in community to drive progressive policies forward, and I think my endorsements reflect the work that I've done in community. I have endorsements from five members of the King County Council, including Councilmember Kohl-Welles and Councilmember Zahilay, who I've worked with directly around securing access to more childcare, to addressing gender-based violence, to doing more for affordable housing. And I think my endorsements really speak to the depth of work and the way that I have worked to elevate community voices in community and doing that work. I would say that one of the endorsements I'm most proud of is Councilmember Kohl-Welles' endorsement because she's been a mentor to me and I have worked with her on a number of issues to improve the lives of women in disproportionately impacted communities in King County. And I'm also proud of the endorsement from my boss, A.G. Bob Ferguson. I have dedicated my career to being on the frontlines, to helping enforce workers' rights to fair wages to equal pay, to protect our environment. And I've done this work in the Attorney General's office and the fact that I have the support of my boss as I'm running for King County Council, just like he ran for King County Council, and that he's been helping me out on the campaign trail. And ensuring that I'm running a strong grassroots campaign really means the world to me. [00:30:20] Crystal Fincher: Now, we've also talked about how important it is to enact a lot of policy, to take care of people - obviously, we need to address staffing. All of the things that we've talked about today - a lot of them require revenue. We just ran a big levy because we needed the revenue. The list of things that everyone says is necessary, evidently costs more than we have in the budget, so new revenue is needed. What progressive revenue options exist at the County level today, and will you pursue any of them? [00:30:50] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, so I have a long history of advocating for progressive revenue, including the capital gains tax as a citizen advocate and board member of Washington's Paramount Duty. And so I have fought with, alongside a coalition of folks that are really pushing for progressive revenue reform at the state level. I still think there's so much more we can do and look forward to being a strong partner in that work. King County is projected to face revenue shortfalls and has constrained revenue sources. I do wanna fight against austerity budgets and look really critically at how we can obtain authority from the Legislature to pass truly progressive revenue sources that center working people. I think we also need to look at potentially lifting the 1% property tax lid if we can provide exemptions for homeowners and fixed income seniors. But I think the kind of frustrating thing about the County is it is revenue-constrained and that we need to work hard both on the County Council and in partnership with communities to figure out what more we can do to obtain authority to pass truly progressive revenue sources, whether or not that's taxing business or looking at more progressive revenue sources other than property tax and sales tax and some of these use fees. So I'm dedicated to doing that work in partnership with community and I'm really looking forward to that. [00:32:26] Crystal Fincher: Gotcha. And with the budget, King County does incremental budgeting making it difficult for the public to understand - making it difficult for some people in government to understand, but especially the public - to understand how King County funds are allocated in the base budget. What can be done to make the budget easier for the public to understand and influence? [00:32:47] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think that's an excellent question. We need more transparency in the budget process and we need more participation from community at the County level in the budget process. I have testified, for example, funding for the mental health counselors under MIDD. I have testified for affordable housing. I've testified for more childcare funding. And sometimes it's difficult, as the budget comes over from the Executive, to know what's different about the budget, right? And so I find generally that through this work as a member of the King County Women's Advisory Board and as a citizen advocate that King County budgets are not as accessible, for example, as legislative budgets. And more needs to be done to ensure that they're more transparent and accessible, and also that we're ensuring that the public is engaged in the budgeting process and understands it. So I think one of the things that we can do, and Councilmember Zahilay has done such a great job of this, is just explaining the King County budget process - how the budget comes over from the Executive, what the budget looks like, and how to understand the budget. I think another thing we could do is helping to really center folks that historically have not had a seat at the table in the budget process and have been excluded from power structures in developing policy and budgetary proposals - so that those folks are actually involved in the collaboration process through working groups and meetings and collaboration so that we're moving more towards participatory budget models, where constituents are not just involved in testifying, but really involved and actively involved every step of the process and ultimately in the decisions that impact them. So I'm really interested in working with all communities, and particularly frontline communities that are disproportionately impacted by these issues, and to really look to see what we can do towards more participatory budgeting. But first, of course, we have to make that process more transparent. [00:34:49] Crystal Fincher: Now, as we said before, you have at least one opponent now - the filing deadline isn't for a few weeks, couple weeks, few weeks here. So as you're talking to people who are considering who they're gonna vote for in this race, why should they vote for you over your opponents? [00:35:08] Sarah Reyneveld: Thank you. I'm running because I wanna continue the work that I've done with community and elevate community voices here in the 4th Council District and beyond to advance bold and transformative action for workers, for working families, and our environment on the King County Council. And as I said before, I think we're in a critical moment of time, and I am really committed to working with our most impacted communities to ensure that we are building back better and really creating equitable economic recovery that centers workers and working families and leads to a more sustainable future. Like many in our district, I'm a working parent, I'm a public school parent, transit rider, community organizer, and I have really dedicated my career to advancing progressive legal policy and budgetary solutions to some of our most pressing challenges - and I think we've really gotten results. As a member of the King County Women's Advisory Board, I have worked in partnership with community and the King County Council to secure investments in affordable housing, behavioral health, childcare, and services for survivors of gender-based violence. And I really wanna build on that track record. And I think I have the skills to do so - to really center community voices and to advance really bold, progressive solutions. I think there's three things that I would highlight to voters about why they should choose me in a competitive race. One is community - I'm running for the community and have demonstrated a history of leadership in my community, which is really reflected in our campaign's range of endorsements from elected officials to community leaders and labor. And I have lived experience as a mom and union member and transit rider that is not only reflective of my district, but I feel can be valuable on the King County Council. And lastly, I have a demonstrated history of leadership in my community working to build coalitions to deliver on progressive policies for workers and working families. And I think I've demonstrated that I'm unafraid to grapple with and do the real work of really advancing transformative solutions that are necessary at this critical moment in time. And I really look forward to the conversation on the campaign and hopefully to working with my community to ensure equitable economic recovery that really centers workers and working families and creates a more sustainable future for all. [00:37:37] Crystal Fincher: Thank you so much for joining us today. [00:37:40] Sarah Reyneveld: Thank you so much for having me. [00:37:42] Crystal Fincher: Thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks, which is co-produced by Shannon Cheng and Bryce Cannatelli. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday almost-live shows and our midweek show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

On this week-in-review, Crystal is joined by Publisher of The Urbanist, Doug Trumm! The show kicks off with a rundown of The Urbanist's primary election endorsements, followed by discussion of a Federal Way shooting that raises lots of questions, the Burien council majority's continued failure on homelessness response, Ed Murray being spotted at political events, a court ruling that Seattle's primary encampment sweeps tool is unconstitutional, and a Mayor Harrell change of heart on South Lake Union light rail stations. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, Doug Trumm, on Twitter at @dmtrumm.   Doug Trumm Doug Trumm is Publisher of The Urbanist, where he has contributed as a writer and editor since 2015. He graduated from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at UW in 2019 with a concentration in urban policy. As a car-free renter living in Seattle, his policy focuses include improving transit and street safety and tackling the housing affordability crisis. His cat Ole is a national treasure.   Resources “Carrie Barnes, Chair of the King County Democrats” from Hacks & Wonks   “2023 Primary Election Endorsements” from The Urbanist   “The Stranger's Endorsements for the August 1, 2023, Primary Election” from The Stranger   “Seattle Times editorial board endorsements: Aug. 1, 2023, primary” from The Seattle Times   Endorsements from PubliCola   Progressive Voters Guide from Fuse WA   2023 Policing and Public Safety Voter Guide - Seattle City Council from People Power Washington   “Person killed during drive-by shooting in Federal Way, police say” by Lauren Girgis from The Seattle Times   “Burien still can't decide whether it'll take homelessness offer” by Anna Patrick from The Seattle Times   “After Refusing Shelter Offer from King County, Burien Proposes Camping Ban” by Erica Barnett from PubliCola   “Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announces his resignation on September 12, 2017.” by Nick Rousso from HistoryLink.org   “City's Primary Tool for Sweeping Encampments Without Notice Ruled Unconstitutional” by Erica Barnett from PubliCola   “Harrell Advances New Denny Station Options That Could Delay Ballard Link” by Doug Trumm from The Urbanist   “Transit Advocates Push to Save South Lake Union Light Rail Station” by Doug Trumm from The Urbanist   Ballard Link Extension: South Lake Union Stations Webinar #2 | Sound Transit   Find stories that Crystal is reading here   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Tuesday topical show and our Friday week-in-review delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. If you missed our Tuesday topical show, I chatted with Carrie Barnes, Chair of the King County Democrats, about how the county party engages in local elections and politics to improve lives in our area. Today, we are continuing our Friday week-in-review shows where we review the news of the week with a co-host. Welcome back to the program, friend of the show and today's co-host: Publisher of The Urbanist, Doug Trumm. Hey. [00:01:20] Doug Trumm: Hey, good to see you - thanks so much for having me. [00:01:22] Crystal Fincher: Very, very happy and excited to have you. And as we sit here, people have ballots at their homes - you should have received your ballot - if you haven't, you should pursue getting another one or tracking down where that is. But primary election is in full swing. The primary election end date is Tuesday, August 1st. And wow, there have been a lot of endorsements, including endorsements from The Urbanist. Who did The Urbanist decide to support in several different races? And what was the approach The Urbanist took to making these endorsements? [00:01:58] Doug Trumm: Yeah, we are excited to announce our slate. I'll, I guess, start with how we got there, which was a painstaking process - we've done it the same way, going back six, seven years. And that involves - first, the questionnaire to get people on the record about some issues important to urbanists and Safe Street advocates and housing advocates. And then after they've submitted their questionnaire, we invite them in for actual interviews that are now happening over Zoom - which has been convenient, I think, for everyone, since we're covering a wide area. We probably should have been doing this the whole time - save the candidates time and you get through more candidates. And it's about a 25-minute interview and you learn a little bit more - when you get a vague response in a questionnaire or some issue becomes relevant that maybe wasn't when you sent out the questionnaire. And then we debate what we felt about it. And luckily we didn't have any big fights this year, but obviously some disagreement. And I guess I can start with the Seattle City Council. We also endorsed in Bellevue this year, but where we endorsed, there's not a primary - so not the big fireworks that rolled that one out, but there will be more in the general. But we'll start in order. District 1 in Seattle - Maren Costa, we liked. She's a climate activist and clearly had the best housing platform. A slam dunk as far as what urbanists are looking for, I think, as some of the other candidates were much more wishy-washy about how much housing are they going to allow and how many ways are they going to allow to block it. Costa was pretty clear - I want housing. And then in [District] 2, we liked the incumbent, Tammy Morales. She's been the most strident Safe Streets advocate in the council, so we need someone like that 'cause it's very hard to get Safe Streets projects done. And her district is also in most in need of it, and she's been very clear about that. So it just seems like we need a strong voice, especially in that district. D3, we went with Alex Hudson. We thought she had the most policy chops experience - a lot of progressives in that race, but we thought Alex had the most ability to get it done. In D4, we liked Ron Davis. Didn't really seem to be anyone else who wanted the progressive mantle in that race, and maybe that's a credit partially to Ron Davis being a strong candidate. And we think he is really clear about where he stands and not very politician-y in that way, which is refreshing - was very clear about he wanted a lot of housing in the Comp Plan update that's due next year. Just to underscore that it's a really consequential election because that Comp Plan update is happening next year and a lot of big stuff happening next year, so definitely don't sit out this election. And Ron seems like the person clearly who actually believes in urbanism, believes in 15-minute cities, and things that can make it easier to get around the city as well. Competition just isn't very good. Then in D5, we went with Nilu Jenks. And that is interesting, right - so maybe I get your take on that rather than keep grandstanding here with our endorsements - but we liked Nilu a lot, but then it turned out The Stranger went with ChrisTiana ObeySumner, who we didn't get a chance to interview, otherwise we might have been so inclined potentially - just couldn't get that scheduled. So we ended up going with Nilu, who is pretty strong on most of our issues - was clear she was for housing abundance. And we didn't love some of her police takes, but we thought she was the best candidate we interviewed. And then The Seattle Times went with Cathy Moore. D5 is a weird race because Cathy Moore is now the de facto business chamber candidate, but there aren't as clear of lines. Did you have anything on that or should I keep going? [00:05:18] Crystal Fincher: I think you should keep going and I will chime in at the end. But I do agree that is a race with a number of very interesting candidates that I think are all worthy of looking into. And I think looking deeper into, particularly ChrisTiana ObeySumner and what they're doing is warranted. [00:05:36] Doug Trumm: Yeah, we're gonna continue to try to get that interview scheduled, so there's always potential in the general - it can be different. Also, who knows who's gonna make it through that primary, so it could be a very interesting field - there's a lot of candidates who have a decent shot. Tye Reed also has the Transit Riders Union endorsement and some other progressive endorsements, and is running probably farthest to the left. We wrote in our write-up that we liked Tye as well, but we just thought Nilu had the stronger chance in the general and also a little bit more of a bridge builder. Then moving on to D6, we went with Dan Strauss. We weren't terribly excited about it. He's been someone who's definitely tacked to the center and to the right. And his district has too, so maybe that's just survivalism, but we don't think those votes are good - I'm thinking of his recent vote that gave Ann Davison the power to lock poor people and drug users on the street. It just seemed like a forced vote - there wasn't actually a treatment plan and a diversion plan offered, but on pinky swearing - I don't know how you would take that pinky swear from Ann Davison. So that was a culmination of a continuing slide to the right, especially on safety. And he's been all right as Land Use Chair, but also has moved fairly slowly. But compared to Pete Hanning, his main competition, Dan's still clearly better so we went with Dan. And then D7, we went with Andrew Lewis. We thought Andrew Lewis and Dan Strauss were very similar - they both reflected as progressives and there was always questions about how progressive they really are, but I think Andrew's done a better job than Dan at defining himself and taking some brave votes here and there - he's been more accessible in explaining his waffles, rather than waffle-and-hide - I think that waffling is indicative of his kind of process to get somewhere. I'm not sure, always, what Dan's thinking. So we went with Lewis. The people running against Lewis also are all running pretty far right. It wasn't like there was someone who was gunning for The Urbanist endorsement in that race. But I think Lewis, as Chair of the Homelessness Committee, has done some good stuff and been very clear about trying to set up a alternate response and really hammering on that, so he's definitely worthy of a second term. We also endorsed in King County Council. One really hard race for us to endorse - because we had so many candidates we liked and we really went back and forth about how to do it - we ultimately decided not to do a dual. But in District 4 of the King County Council, which is Northwest Seattle, we went with Becka Johnson Poppe. And she works at King County now as a Budget and Policy Director, and that experience pushed her over the top for us. She's someone who already can hit the ground running. She knows this stuff inside-out and she has credibility - she is a progressive and has pushed on stuff. And one thing we're really watching on the King County Council is Metro Transit service - it's not where it was pre-pandemic, there's less frequency. And she's someone who's been clear about county-wide Transportation Benefit District, which could fund bus service and get us back to that pre-pandemic level eventually. Oddly, the King County Council's been dragging their feet on that and letting obstacles stand in the way rather than solve those obstacles, which is always frustrating to see. I think getting some new people in there, maybe they can take more of a problem-solving approach rather than - We can't get enough bus drivers, so I guess we're gonna accept mediocrity from our transit delivery. [00:08:32] Crystal Fincher: If that would have been a dual endorsement, who would have been the other? [00:08:36] Doug Trumm: Probably Jorge Barón. The vote didn't go that way, so I couldn't say for certain how it would have went. We liked all three candidates in that race, so I think it would probably have been Jorge - who got in late, but has an incredible record as far as leading [Northwest] Immigrant Rights Project. He's led that organization, has done incredible work. We certainly heard from him how he was going to apply that background to advocating for people of color communities in the county and understanding their issues better. And even though you're not gonna be determining that policy at the county level, you are doing a lot of policy that still affects people's livelihood. So liked Jorge Barón - he ended up getting The Seattle Times endorsement, he's pretty progressive for a Seattle Times endorsement. It might just be a reflection of three pretty progressive people in the race. Did The Stranger also go with Jorge? [00:09:19] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, he nailed what many candidates don't usually nail, which is getting both The Times and The Stranger endorsement. That doesn't happen that often, but when it does, it is usually a very encouraging sign for that candidate. But you're right, this is a race where there are only good choices. And so it just depends on your personal preferences and who you think can best carry out the vision - three solid candidates, each with impressive resumes and impressive experience. [00:09:49] Doug Trumm: Yeah, the third being Sarah Reyneveld, who got the Transit Riders Union endorsement, and I think a handful of labor endorsements. And has also been someone who's been active on transit issues - that countywide Transportation Benefit District, or other funding measures, to get the county back on track. Another open seat in the County Council in District 8, a more West Seattle-type area all the way to Burien and Tukwila. We went with Teresa Mosqueda, which was an easy choice for us, especially after her main competition - Burien Mayor Sofia Aragon - has been on this get-the-homeless-people-out-of-our-city-and-not-provide-services tangent now. So Teresa Mosqueda has been a great City Councilmember in Seattle, and obviously it'd be tough to see her go. She has a clear plan of how she's going to continue working on these issues at the county - transit, housing, healthcare, and childcare kind of being the pillars of her platform. And yeah, she's just someone who got a lot done, including JumpStart, which was the biggest step forward for progressive tax reform in Seattle in maybe ever. So I think that kind of resume is tough to beat. [00:10:49] Crystal Fincher: And that makes sense. There are a number of races for people to choose from this year - definitely going to be reshaping what the Seattle City Council looks like, with so many vacancies and so many open seats and new candidates that are going to be coming aboard. I think it's a solid group of endorsements. There are arguments that can be made for some other candidates in some of those races. I think District 5 is one of those where there are a number of good choices. You talked about Tye Reed, who was instrumental in the passage of social housing in Seattle - making that happen, getting that passed, and has been an organizer for a while around a number of different issues in the city. No one can question Tye's dedication to these issues and real personal investment - and making sure it can get better. We talked about ChrisTiana ObeySumner and Nilu Jenks, so we'll see how that race turns out - that's going to be another interesting one to check out. So we'll leave that there. We'll probably include links to other endorsing entities - just as you try to make up your mind as a listener and a voter - just to give you resources there to assist with those. Also want to talk about a number of other things, but we will go to this brief story about a drive-by shooting - evidently, sheriff deputies were on-site. There's not much that's been reported, and it really seems like the reporter dictated an initial statement from the police and didn't ask any questions. I'll read it to you, and then we can talk about it. Title - Person killed during drive-by shooting in Federal Way, police Say. A person was killed during a drive-by shooting while King County Sheriff's Office deputies were performing a wellness check early Saturday morning in Federal Way. Officers were attempting to check on the person seen behind a property in the 3900 block of South 320th Street shortly before 3 a.m. when two vehicles sped off and two shots rang out. Sheriff's spokesperson, Sergeant Eric White said the person was hit by gunfire and died at the scene. Deputies followed the two vehicles but they got away. No arrests had been made as of Saturday afternoon. Several businesses are located in the area of the shooting. That's the whole story. That's quite an interesting tale. What is your initial reaction to this, Doug? [00:13:16] Doug Trumm: Yeah, it's a head scratcher - have a story, we don't have a lot to go on. It tears down the mythology of what policing can do, especially with us rolling back our police chase limitations and letting police go hog wild in these chases again - at this past session at the State Legislature - because of pushback from the police lobbying forces. Theoretically, they were gonna do these chases and catch people exactly like this. They saw someone doing a drive-by shooting and they were in their cars, conceivably - this is the perfect time to do that chase. And yeah, it didn't work out, so it just underscores that using police chases is such a uncertain and certainly dangerous type of way to try to apprehend criminals when you can easily just ID the car and catch up with them later. And there's so many pedestrians and other bystanders that die in these chases - there really has to be a good chance of a good outcome, like some sort of win, to deal with that collateral damage. That's the first thing that popped into my mind. And the drive-by was apparently someone else. All these police press releases, reported with very little critical eye - when police are involved, they put it in passive voice and passive action. But because of that way they write the press releases, you wonder - Did the police open fire? Did they do anything? - we don't have that information yet. It was reported as a drive-by, so one would assume it wasn't just police opening fire during a wellness check. Were these people involved in the wellness check at all? - you end up with more questions than you have answers. In real-life situations, you realize there's so much that could go wrong. [00:14:42] Crystal Fincher: So many questions I have - a person was killed during a drive-by. Okay, so King County Sheriff's Office deputies were performing a wellness check. First thing, Federal Way has its own police department - doesn't contract with King County for its deputies. So these deputies, for some reason, responded instead of the Federal Way Police Department. Was it in response to a call? Who called it in? But they decide to go by themselves. Why were they on scene? So they were attempting to check out a person behind a property, they say, when two vehicles sped off and two shots rang out. I notice it doesn't say those shots came from the vehicle - it's vaguely worded and isn't useful, especially when there's so much that can be consequential, based on their characterization of what happens. Then the Sheriff's spokesperson said the person was hit by gunfire and died at the scene - I'm wondering if this reporter did anything but dictate this statement - did they ask anything about this? This is just a very vaguely worded statement. Deputies followed the two vehicles, but they got away. Again, this is a situation where even with the police pursuit law, they would have been able to follow them, but they said they needed a rollback to be able to catch criminals like this, and evidently that's not the case. What happened here? So no arrests have been made, no information has been shared that we've seen. What was the make and model of the car? Any description of the people inside the car? What came of that whole thing? There's no information. So if we take what they say at face value, what a spectacular failure in public safety. You have two officers on-site, and a person still gets murdered according to this account? All the excuses of they need more officers, they need more funding, we need to be able to have the officers nearby, on-site to protect people - there were two here, and they couldn't protect one person. How does that happen? Why does that happen? What was the situation? Was something missed? Did they not see people prowling in the area? What a failure. They assume that the shots came from this vehicle that killed this person. How do we not have a description of the car, a license plate, the people inside, any followup on that? Where does this case stand? None of that information provided. If police departments want to restore trust, if they want to have people work for them - those are the kind of answers that people want to see. Do people want to work for a department that can't stop a murder when two deputies are on scene, that can't apprehend a perpetrator when they have a zero-second response time and they can immediately respond? What is the purpose and utility here? And are they doing the work to figure out how to keep this from happening again, to figure out how to actually ensure safety? Unfortunately, too often that is not the case. And that's if you take everything just at face value here. It would be great to see some supporting information - some dash cam, body-worn camera video - just to see what happened, how this happened, and does the evidence match up with the narrative here? There is work that the Federal Way Police Department needs to do, that many departments need to do, and that the King County Sheriff's Office needs to do to rebuild trust within the community. [00:17:54] Doug Trumm: Why even run the story if you have so little information? It plays right into the police narrative. [00:17:59] Crystal Fincher: Yep, definitely a decision that The Seattle Times should dive into and ask themselves a lot of questions - about how this came to be published and what information they were relying on. Also wanna talk about the City of Burien and their continuing shame, really. The council majority deciding that not only do they wanna refuse the offer of shelter - the million dollars, 30-some odd Pallet shelters on provision, 100-ish parking spaces to backfill some space that a dealership was using. They are turning all that down and moving towards just a blanket camping ban in the city, which we've seen fail in so many other cities, but they are determined to do it themselves. This again is happening on a 4-3 council vote. The council majority, unfortunately, is winning this. What do you see happening here? What's your reaction to this, Doug? [00:18:57] Doug Trumm: Yeah, it's pretty sickening. I don't know that folks necessarily saw this coming. We saw some progressives elected onto the Burien City Council, so there was some hope that they were actually going to be looking towards making progress on this issue, doing things that actually work in the long term - rather than sweeping it under the rug and pushing it to other cities. But the four centrists on Burien City Council continue to hammer on this issue - they're not taking this offer of help that very few other cities in the region have, with so few strings attached, to a million dollars worth of housing for their homeless people. It's the type of thing that makes your head explode because - if you're mad about homeless people, having more roofs over the people's heads is the most direct way of dealing with that. And they had a million process complaints, like - Oh, what's gonna happen in five years or whatever? We're gonna be on the hook. It's just that type of thing that they wouldn't ask for any other offer of a million dollars from the county - suddenly they want a 20-year plan for this when they have no plan themselves. It's really, like you said, shameful. They've lost the majority of their Burien Planning Commission, as you've talked about in this podcast before, because of this move when the mayor decided to remove the head of the Planning Commission and then some other Planning Commissioners quit in protest. We all covered all that, but the one thing that's gonna happen if that commission continues to be unfilled is it's gonna slow down the production of housing in Burien - large projects have to go to that commission. If that happens, you're exasperating your housing shortage - they're creating the problem that they're complaining about. It's maddening, it's not treating these folks as human beings - I think it was Stephanie Mora referring that they should poop in doggy bags like they're dogs - it's clearly dehumanizing language. I think should be disqualifying for holding this office, but hopefully they lose their seats. For now, they're the people making policy for a city of about 50,000 people - it's crazy. [00:20:43] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, it absolutely is. And as you talked about, Mayor Sofia Aragon, Deputy Mayor Kevin Schilling, Councilmember Jimmy Matta have been part of making these decisions that are unconscionable. This is really a depiction of this soft, kind of progressive rhetoric with a wink and a nod. In previous statements, they had talked like - We definitely want to sweep, but we'll do it in a nice way, in a compassionate way, in the progressive way. But when it comes down to it, they really weren't interested in that at all. They just wanted to get people away and using very dehumanizing language. The real tell is - the place where they usually make an excuse and get away with it - We don't have the money. We don't have the resources. If we could, we would, but we just can't - we don't have anything, I'm sorry. So the only choice we have is to sweep because we just don't have the choice to do anything else. King County basically called that bluff and said - Okay, we've got a million dollars for you. We've got Pallet shelters ready to go. We've got a location that we can partner with. And hey, this dealership is gonna be impacted? We'll provide 100 parking spaces, which is larger than their inventory. - every objection, every excuse, every hurdle that they had was basically responded to by the county. And by the way, kudos to Dow Constantine and his office for taking a stance and for trying to constructively work with the City of Burien. There sometimes have been criticisms for Dow doing that in South County. He is doing it here. And Burien and the Council majority - they turned all that down. They could have already housed the people there. This would make a meaningful, visible, substantial difference in their situation overnight - once this is implemented - and they just decided not to. They're just looking for a ban. Bans are wholly ineffective, as the prior sweeps were wholly ineffective. And they just moved people from one location to another and making, as you said, the problem they're allegedly trying to fix even worse. This is just a continuing shame and negligence from the council. These people are their constituents - whether someone has a home or not, these are Burien residents - and their job is to help them and to serve them. And they refuse to do so. And it's shameful. It's pathetic. [00:22:59] Doug Trumm: Hopefully they come to their senses - this 4-3 split has been pretty durable. [00:23:03] Crystal Fincher: We will see what the primary elections hold. Sofia Aragon is running currently for King County Council against Teresa Mosqueda. I don't think anyone really expects Sofia to win this race. But it is really important to make sure people don't just rest on their laurels and sit on the sidelines. And even in this primary, even when it seems like one person is clearly more qualified than the other, you actually need to vote and make your own choice. [00:23:28] Doug Trumm: These are like conservative trial balloons - they're testing the waters - can Democrats get away with very conservative Trump-esque rhetoric, dehumanizing homeless people, pandering to cops in completely unaccountable ways? They want to see if that works. I don't know if Sofia is connecting these two - it seems like she would be when she declares for office for the King County Council race. But maybe her calculation is this makes her more popular. And I think it's really incumbent upon people who don't agree with that to actually turn out to an odd-year election, because it's validating that approach. And you're going to see more and more of it if people get rewarded for that. [00:24:05] Crystal Fincher: That's blatantly the calculation that they're making. Kevin Schilling has an opponent - Patricia Hudson - running against him right now, who is the progressive choice who is endorsed by King County Democrats. I mean, they received a very unusual letter of rebuke from the King County Executive's office, also from the 33rd District Democrats, which encompasses part of Burien. And the other part of Burien is the 34th, who also submitted an open public letter of rebuke. Anyone who calls themself a Democrat on record, locally, is outwardly opposing it. And it hasn't stopped them. In fact, they seem to be using that as cred. So this is important. These are still the people in office. They do need to be held accountable, and people need to make their voices heard. Another disillusioning development we've seen over the past couple of weeks is Ed Murray evidently popping up at political events around the region and definitely catching a number of people off guard. There seem to be some people who are okay with it. But just as a reminder - Ed Murray, former legislator, former mayor of Seattle, had to resign in disgrace as mayor of Seattle after credible allegations of molestation of underage people who were under his care and also potentially a family member. Also troubling was his response using someone's background against them - they were going through hard times as unhoused youth working with LGBTQ youth, who oftentimes very unfortunately are disowned by family, kicked out of the house, and left in very vulnerable positions - to then cite that vulnerable position as a reason why someone may not be believed was really victim blaming. The entire community, who has so many people who have been victimized - was a re-victimization to hear that. But he's been out of the public eye for a while and seems to be doing a soft launch to get back in. What's your reaction to this? [00:26:04] Doug Trumm: With someone like that who's had such a long political career, they don't start going to political events just for fun. They're plotting getting back into politics. He's clearly testing the waters here, seeing if he can get back into politics. He's seeing if he can get acceptance enough to the point where he can run for something again or be a campaign manager. I don't think it should happen. And it's also not a pleasant experience for folks who did have a negative reaction to his handling of that situation - making it very hard for his accuser to come forward because he was using the whole weight of his office against that person. That's not how you handle it if you're a leader - you don't victim blame. Luckily, he finally resigned, but he was going to hold on to that office with everything he had. [00:26:44] Crystal Fincher: I also think that's a low bar. It's wholly inappropriate for him to be in these. There's been no atonement. There's been no acknowledgment of what he's done. And while I don't believe in throwing people away forever, there has been nothing to indicate that he acknowledges what he's done, that he's attempted to make amends to his victims. In fact, that seems quite the opposite. He's just hoping to pick up where he left off. I think it is going to be really interesting to survey who is okay with him being at political events, and at their political events, and who is not - and what that says about different people as candidates. Who is finding this troubling and who is finding it just fine? I'm curious about where he does feel welcome and why, and what that says about those spaces. We will see how this continues to unfold throughout the city. And if you spot Ed Murray, shoot me a message. Also, a pretty significant court ruling this week came in about encampment sweeps, particularly about the City of Seattle - Seattle has been sweeping too broadly and is unconstitutional in its application. When there's clearly a risk to public safety or they are blocking completely a sidewalk, there is cause for encampment sweeps. But they've been doing it too much and for reasons that are too broad - they need to effectively offer shelter and provide shelter if they're going to sweep people. Without that provision of shelter, there's nowhere else for someone to go. It is illegal to say you can't exist here - in essence, you're saying you can't exist anywhere. And this court ruling was powerful with some pretty clear statements calling the current policy dehumanizing, destabilizing, and counterproductive. How did you see this? [00:28:31] Doug Trumm: The two individuals who brought it - their story was so tragic - they mentioned losing wedding rings, family heirlooms, because they've just been repeatedly swept while they're getting services or going to work or whatever. One person mentioned losing their work boots and then that jeopardized their employment and that sunk them deeper into the spiral of homelessness. They kept getting these last-second-notice sweeps because they were supposedly an obstruction. If the definitions are broad, they don't have anywhere to go. The ruling says the two main ways they were bending this rule is they were defining the blockages - 50% blockage, it becomes 100% blockage in their eyes, or even a 30% blockage - because some of these sidewalks in downtown are fairly wide. And unfortunately, some sidewalks in our city are pretty narrow. Often folks aren't trying to block the whole sidewalks. They're trying to go somewhere they can and not fear that their stuff's gonna get snatched up and taken away. They lost all these valuable possessions, including their wedding ring. What are we doing here? This cruel unusual punishment that rises to a constitutional violation and this judge issues this ruling. Now the City's gonna have to rethink how they do this. The other main way they avoid the Boise ruling, Martin v. Boise, is they say that anything in the park is an obstruction - because someone wants to use that particular part of the park, even if it's some secluded, say in the forest, in a large park when 99% of the park is still accessible. Part of Mayor Harrell's campaign pledges to clear the parks. Some of the parks are clearer than they were when he took office, but others still have encampments and it goes to this whack-a-mole approach of you're constantly chasing people around the city at great expense and great suffering to some individuals, like the two that brought the suit, and we haven't made durable progress. [00:30:11] Crystal Fincher: Another event this week with Sound Transit - Mayor Harrell is up for a Denny Station on West Lake Avenue again. How'd this happen? [00:30:19] Doug Trumm: Hey, I gotta give credit to grassroots organizers there - there's a lot of people involved. Seattle Subway sent, I think, over 6,000 letters via online petition. Uptown Alliance got a lot of letters because they were also very dismayed to see that the station on the eastern edge of their neighborhood was suddenly gonna disappear - at a whim - six, seven years into this process. And what was happening here, if you didn't follow this story, is there's gonna be obviously this new Ballard Link Light Rail line that will go from Downtown to Ballard. And on the way, it's gonna pick up Denny Triangle, it's gonna pick up South Lake Union, it's gonna pick up Uptown. And these were gonna be really high-use stations, but there's one problem in that some of the corporations and real estate interests in Denny Triangle were not excited about the station location. Folks like Amazon, Vulcan, were lobbying against this location because they didn't like the closure of Westlake Avenue, they said, which South Transit at this point in this process was estimating a full closure of four years. They're putting the station right under Westlake so they do have to mine it, it's gonna be closed for that part. But they realized that they could put decking over the top - they didn't propose that initially 'cause it's more complicated and expensive. But they realized they could do that, obviously, if the alternative is putting some station two blocks to the west, which is what the proposal that came forward out of this last-minute wrangling - wasn't in the DEIS, the draft environmental impact statement. So that means it requires more planning and process. So there's two public meetings online that Sound Transit is hosting - I think one of them is today and the other one is a couple of days from now - we can link to that in the notes maybe. But because this shifted-west alternative came forward late in the process, was proposed as a way to alleviate these concerns from corporations and real estate - they had to do this process. The mayor backed it at a meeting last month, I think it was, but then last week he walked that back. He said - You know what? We really need to keep the South Lake Union Station because what happens with shifting the station west is it gets super close to the other station on Aurora, which is a major bus artery. - so that's where a lot of people were going to transfer from bus to rail. And it would put you closer to Uptown too if you're headed to the eastern part of Uptown. So the shifted-west alternative consolidates the two stations into one. And that's what sort of set off all these alarm bells with Seattle Subway and Uptown Alliance and the urbanists and others that - Hey, why are we dropping a station? And they presented to Uptown Alliance - Sound Transit did two days ago, I think it was - and apparently the consolidating those two stations, they shared their ridership analysis, which was new information. It's gonna cost about 10,000 riders - someone who was at that presentation told me. And that's a pretty big deal - 10,000 daily riders. So the mayor didn't have that information last week when he made his statement - he said he was still waiting for ridership to confirm his decision, but he said he's starting to lean Westlake and just wants a good mitigation plan, which I don't know why we couldn't start there from the first place - because we're seeing across, especially the Ballard Link Station, that there's lots of changes that are happening because people don't like the construction period and don't think the mitigation plan is very good. And there may be something to that. The mitigation plan should be really good, but rather than focus on the mitigation, we've been just tossing around all these different ideas and extending the - what that means is you have to do a whole new study and that delays the whole project. So maybe small progress there on the Denny Station decision - we can focus on how to do that right and get a good construction mitigation plan, rather than last-minute options that are un-vetted and are going to require another year or two of study. [00:33:51] Crystal Fincher: And with that, we thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks on this Friday, July 21st, 2023. The producer of Hacks & Wonks is Shannon Cheng. Our insightful cohost today is Publisher of The Urbanist, Doug Trumm. You can find Doug on Twitter @dmtrumm, that's two M's at the end. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks. And you can find me on all platforms - Bluesky, SPILL, Twitter, all of them, Mastodon - @finchfrii, that's two I's at the end. You can catch Hacks & Wonks wherever you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review shows and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the podcast episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

Evans Kaame is a graduate student at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington. A student advocate, who is serving with passionate student leaders and multiple community organizations, he seeks to improve the wellbeing of students in our institutions of higher education across the state of Washington. In this podcast, he shares the incredible story of how he came from the streets of Lodwar, Kenya to the halls of a great university.

On this Hacks & Wonks week-in-review, Crystal is joined by a friend of the show and today's co-host: Executive Director of The Urbanist, Doug Trumm! They discuss Sen. Mark Mullet announcing he's running for governor, The Amazon employee walk-out, SCOTUS ruling against the Teamsters in a blow to workers' rights, City of Burien encampment sweep controversy continues, the Redmond Salary commission being abruptly disbanded by the mayor after they considered paying council members competitive salaries, and SPD wasting public money meant for school and pedestrian safety.  As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, Doug Trumm, on Twitter at @dmtrumm. Doug Trumm Doug Trumm is executive director of The Urbanist, where he has contributed as a writer and editor since 2015. He graduated from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at UW in 2019 with a concentration in urban policy. As a car-free renter living in Seattle, his policy focuses include improving transit and street safety and tackling the housing affordability crisis. His cat Ole is a national treasure.   Resources “The Big Waterfront Bamboozle with Mike McGinn and Robert Cruickshank” from Hacks & Wonks   Washington State Senator Mark Mullet launches 2024 gubernatorial campaign    After shootings and new threats, Seattle's Garfield High cancels in-person classes   Pedestrian Projects Face Delays As School Camera Funding Falls Short - The Urbanist    Amazon walkout to go ahead after 1,700 employees sign on, organizers say | The Seattle Times    Some Amazon employees walk out in Seattle to protest climate, office policies | Reuters    Seattle city attorney will end community court, but some say the reason why is misleading    Emotions run high – but no action taken – at Burien City Council's Special Meeting Tuesday night    Burien Decides to Take No Action on Encampment on Its Property, Opening Path for Private Sweep - PubliCola    SCOTUS rules WA company can sue union over strike-related damage | Crosscut    Redmond mayor disbands commission proposing increased council salaries | The Seattle Times    Pedestrian Projects Face Delays As School Camera Funding Falls Short - The Urbanist    Find stories that Crystal is reading here

In this episode of Money Tales our guest is Dr. Akhtar Badshah. Born, raised, and educated in India, Akhtar was accepted to MIT for graduate school. As he explains, that was the easy part. To attend school in the U.S. he also had to win the visa lottery and receive a scholarship to make his dream come true. Fortunately, the stars aligned for Akhtar. From then on, his life was shaped by people asking him to do something different from what he had been doing all along the way. As a curious and mindful person, Akhtar often said yes. These yeses led him to the enviable position of leading Microsoft's philanthropic efforts for ten years, where there was no shortage of money conversations. Akhtar is Chief Catalyst at Catalytic Innovators Group where he advises organizations and individuals to catalyze their strategy focused on social and philanthropic investments. He also conducts Purpose Mindset leadership Workshops with organizations to help individuals articulate their strengths and values and craft their purpose statement. Akhtar is the Distinguished Practitioner at University of Washington at the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, the Business School, at the Bothell campus and a faculty advisor at the START Center in the Department of Global Health. He is the founder and curator of Accelerating Social Transformation, a mid-career professional development certificate course on social impact. Akhtar is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in international development, managing a corporate philanthropic program and co-founding a global nonprofit for social enterprise. Akhtar led Microsoft's philanthropic efforts for 10 years, where he administered the company's community investment and employee contributions. He was instrumental in launching both Unlimited Potential and Youth Spark – the company's focus to bring digital technology to the underserved communities and youth all over the world. His most recent book “Purpose Mindset: How Microsoft Inspires Employees and Alumni to Change the World,” was recently published by Harper Collins Leadership. In May 2020, Akhtar and his colleagues launched Restart Partners funded by the Department of Commerce, WA State and supported by Facebook to increase confidence in mask adoption and vaccines and help restart the economy. Akhtar serves on the boards of Altruist Nonprofit Accelerator, CROP (Board Chair), Global Washington, Microsoft Alumni Network, National Museum and Center for Service, Restart Partners and The Indus Entrepreneurs, Seattle Chapter. He is an accomplished artist and a doctoral graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Akhtar and his family are very active philanthropists in the Seattle area.

On this midweek show, Crystal chats with Sarah Reyneveld about her campaign for King County Council District 4 - why she decided to run, the experience she brings as a public sector attorney and community advocate, and her thoughts on addressing frontline worker wages and workforce issues, the need for upstream alternatives in the criminal legal system and substance use crisis, how to improve policy implementation, climate change and air quality, and budget revenue and transparency. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find Sarah Reyneveld at @SarahReyneveld.   Resources Campaign Website - Sarah Reyneveld   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday almost-live shows and our midweek show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. Hello, I'm so excited to be welcoming to the program today King County Council candidate, Sarah Reyneveld. Hello. [00:01:01] Sarah Reyneveld: Hello, Crystal. Thank you so much for having me today - I'm excited about the conversation. [00:01:07] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. I guess just starting out - we have seen you run for State Legislature before. I'm wondering why you're choosing to run for the County now, and what do you hope to accomplish in that position? [00:01:18] Sarah Reyneveld: Yes, I think that King County Council and the King County is really at a critical point in time, and I'm excited to bring my lived experience as a working parent, a Seattle Public School parent, a transit rider, a union organizer - I helped organize my union of Assistant Attorney Generals - and also my experience as a public sector attorney who has fought for workers and our environment, and as a community advocate working with communities across King County to really make transformative change for workers, working families, and our environment on the King County Council. So for some background - in 2016, I became King County Councilmember Kohl-Welles' appointment to the King County Women's Advisory Board where I had the opportunity to work with communities throughout King County and the King County Council to help advocate for and secure investments in affordable housing, in behavioral health, childcare, and services to support survivors of gender-based violence. I started this work and became the Chair of the King County Women's Advisory Board before the pandemic - and I had two young kids at the time - and we had struggled like so many parents with access to affordable childcare, and the board at that time decided to take up that issue. So we worked on recommendations to expand childcare access for working parents and were able to work together with communities across King County, and the Executive, and King County Council to help reinstate a childcare subsidy, to expand access to childcare for working families, and establish a wage provider boost to help increase pay for childcare providers who are disproportionately women and BIPOC women and immigrants. And then the pandemic hit and I continued to do this work and it really laid bare - staggering inequities and injustices in King County that disproportionately impacted women and our communities of color and immigrants and other marginalized communities, who are more likely to be on the forefront and were experiencing disproportionately - unemployment and financial loss and illness. So as I continue to work on these issues, I saw what an important role King County played in not just responding to the pandemic and now the shadow pandemic, but in really providing public health, and behavioral health, and public transit, and helping with food security and housing. So I'm running for King County Council because I've been doing this work with community and I think the status quo is no longer good enough. We need bold and transformative action to really meet the urgency of this moment. We have a really unique opportunity to create a more equitable economy and a sustainable future for all workers and working families in King County. And I think that King County can and must do more - and my priorities are to create more truly affordable housing to help better meet the behavioral health needs of our neighbors in crisis, to really tackle the climate crisis and protect our environment for future generations, to provide accessible and frequent public transit for all, and to really look at what we can do to reimagine our public safety and criminal legal system. So I'm excited about the opportunity. [00:04:46] Crystal Fincher: I see. Now you covered a lot there. In there, you mentioned caring for workers, addressing housing. One thing called out by experts as a barrier to our homelessness response is that frontline worker wages don't cover the cost of living. Do you think our local nonprofits have a responsibility to pay living wages for our area? And how can we make that more likely with how we bid and contract for services? [00:05:10] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, absolutely. I absolutely think that our nonprofits have a duty to pay more in terms of adequately funding - not just contracts - but ensuring that those contracts lead to an equitable living wage and union jobs. And that includes cost of living adjustments and other supports for workers. So right now we have a really high turnover rate for frontline workers and particularly those workers that the County contracts with - I've heard 40-60% turnover rate. And I think we need to address the underlying issue of why those workers are turning over. And the underlying issue - one of them is pay equity and not ensuring that we are paying, particularly our frontline workers, adequately or providing them with the supports that they need. So it's about equitable pay, it's about cost of living adjustments, and it's about ensuring that those workers have access to affordable housing and transit in King County as well - so they can really afford to live where they work. And so I see this issue as very intersectional and something that King County can do more to address. And I would just say, generally, I think we as a society tend to lift up certain sorts of workers - the CEOs of companies, for example. And those people that are really doing the real work of caring for our community - of building our housing, of connecting us through transit, of providing behavioral health services - we don't invest equitably or sufficiently in those workers. And so starting with contracting is critically important, but we need to do more to ensure that we're investing in living wage jobs, and workforce housing, and bonuses, and ensuring that these workers have the supports that they need. And that is part of my vision for building back better and creating a more equitable economy that really centers workers and working families in King County. [00:07:13] Crystal Fincher: Gotcha. Now, would you have voted to approve the transfer of inmates to the SCORE jail to alleviate a lot of the issues plaguing the King County Jail, including overcrowding, lack of water, inadequate healthcare, illnesses, understaffing? Would you have voted in the same way that the King County Council did? [00:07:31] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think that's a great question. I want to start with just the conditions at the King County Jail. So the six deaths in 2022 in the downtown jail and kind of the subsequent ACLU lawsuit, I think, show that King County is failing too many criminally involved individuals, particularly our Black and Brown community members and those with chronic behavioral health and substance use issues. I am really concerned about what is happening in terms of inhumane conditions at the jail that include excessive use of solitary confinement, and lack of transportation to medical appointments and court appointments, and delays with mental health and other medical appointments. And I think King County, which is the oversight body of the King County Jail, needs to do more to address these concerns and ensure safety. And these really poor conditions at the jail didn't happen overnight. They are partially caused by lack of adequate staffing - that's been an issue for decades and was exacerbated since COVID. And also issues with an antiquated, really obsolete building. And lack of access to medical care and treatment, as I was stating. So on the King County Council, if elected, I want to work with disproportionately impacted communities and fellow King County Councilmembers to urgently address these issues. I think we need to invest more in restorative justice. And when the King County Council took that vote in terms of transferring those incarcerated folks to SCORE, I think they noted that we need to do more in terms of investing in restorative justice and upstream alternatives to really reimagine our criminal legal system. So first I think we need to prevent and reduce incarceration through investing in upstream - investments in youth and vulnerable adults. And that means doing more to expand effective diversion programs, such as the Law Assisted Diversion Program and Co-LEAD, which has been really effective in diverting folks out of the criminal legal system and out of the King County Jail to begin with. I think we also need to move towards actualizing King County Executive's vision and so many activists' vision of really closing the downtown jail and reimagining and reducing the size of the King County facilities. So in terms of the SCORE vote, I don't think either option were good options. The King County Council arrived at that vote because there had not been enough, really, work done on restorative justice and on the underlying issues around staffing and overcrowding at the jail. And I think keeping vulnerable incarcerated people in a downtown jail that had significant understaffing and overcrowding issues and a lack of access to medicine, or transferring incarcerated people to a facility that had potentially access-to-justice issues is not - neither one of those are good options. And so that's why I want to roll up my sleeves and ensure that we're really investing sufficiently in diversion programs and alternatives - to invest in folks to prevent them from becoming incarcerated in the first place and also move towards reimagining our system. And I will say that I don't think King County Council can address this issue alone. In 2022, there were over, I think, 100 people in King County Jail that were deemed to be incompetent to stand trial in King County that were awaiting a treatment bed. So if we work with our state partners to really fund mental health and ensure treatment for vulnerable populations like this, then we won't have to make these sort of decisions. [00:11:00] Crystal Fincher: So am I hearing that you would not vote - disagreeing with this vote? If in the future a vote were to come up to extend or expand this SCORE transfer or transfer to other jails, does that mean you're a No vote on that? [00:11:13] Sarah Reyneveld: I think that we need to, like I said, invest in alternatives and upstream alternatives to the criminal legal system. So like Councilmember Zahilay and Councilmember Kohl-Welles said - the transfer to SCORE was really not addressing the root cause of the issue. We need to be investing in upstream alternatives and staffing and ensuring that folks within our system are safe. [00:11:36] Crystal Fincher: Gotcha. Now you talked about substance use disorder being so key in treating upstream issues to really address the root causes of what is leading people to criminal behavior. We're dealing with a conundrum. The governor just called a special session following our State Supreme Court invalidating personal substance possession as a crime. Our Legislature took action a couple of years ago to recriminalize it - that has a sunset provision. They were not able to decide on any statewide policy before the session ended, so they're going to be taking that up in a special session. There are conversations about - should drug use be criminalized at all? If it should, is it a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, felony? Where do you stand? Where should personal possession of substances be dealt with? How would you handle that? [00:12:27] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think this is an issue that the Legislature has been grappling with and it's really an important issue. And I think we need to be moving away from criminalization of drug possession. Specifically, we moved away from criminalization of drug possession for marijuana - we need to do the same thing with psychedelics and other sorts of drugs that have medicinal and other positive effects. I think when it comes to addressing our fentanyl and heroin crisis, I think that if I were a legislator, I'd probably move in the direction of ensuring that we're looking at the lesser of any sort of crime - which would be a misdemeanor - and looking at pathways to treatment for that use. And I think we have to think about how we can connect folks that are in crisis because of substance use disorder with services. And so to me, it's about what more can King County do - because I'm not sitting in the place of a legislator - to ensure that we're investing in upstream solutions and treatment. And so I think helping to implement the King County Crisis Care Center Levy and ensuring that folks that are in - particularly a substance use crisis, whether - we know that we have a fentanyl crisis. I have worked on litigation to sue Purdue Pharma and understand just the addictive effects of those drugs. And we need to make sure that there's - those folks are connected to Medicaid-assisted treatment on demand, that they're connected to services. And so looking at what more we can do to scale up the crisis centers in an equitable way and preserve and restore beds that are primarily aimed at treating the underlying causes - I think it's critically important. And so one of my priorities, if elected to the King County Council, will be to look at how we're implementing these crisis care centers, how I'm working potentially with the Legislature for additional treatment beds for substance use disorder. I have, as so many people have had, someone in my life that has experienced a substance use disorder issue. And I think it's so hard to navigate the system to even find detox or substance use treatment for someone like me that knows how to navigate systems, much less someone that could be either at-risk at being involved in the criminal legal system or becoming unhoused or dealing with a substance use crisis. And so finding ways in which we can ensure that those that are affected are obtaining treatment, I think is critically important. [00:15:07] Crystal Fincher: You raised a number of important issues there and you touched on helping to get the Crisis Care Centers Levy - which passed - implemented. [00:15:16] Sarah Reyneveld: Yes. [00:15:17] Crystal Fincher: There have been some criticisms and challenges with implementation of programs - at all levels of government, really, but including with the County - and issues of staffing that may not have been foreseen, or challenges run into, communication issues. Do you think there's an opportunity to improve implementation of policy and programs overall? And how do we need to do that? What needs to change in order for that to happen? [00:15:42] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think that's an excellent point. And I absolutely think there are opportunities to improve policy implementation at the County. One of the things that I really appreciate about King County's work and that I wanna bring as a lens to my work is that I do believe that the best public policy is made - I think Councilmember Zahilay says this in his views and paraphrasing him, but - by those that are closest to the injustice. And so we really need to invest in community-based solution to a lot of our largest challenges in King County. And so I appreciate that on all issues of County government and all levels of County government, whether it be addressing the gun violence crisis or the behavioral health crisis or childcare, we're really investing in community-based solutions. So I think that's critically important, but I think we also have to have a way to measure outcomes in terms of what is the County doing that's working and what is the County doing that's not working. And if we have, for example, a health through housing facility that we have stood up, but it's not being adequately staffed and we're not adequately utilizing it, and really ensuring that vulnerable populations can access housing and those services - we need to look at what more we can do to ensure that that is being used appropriately and we're really maximizing opportunities to make good use of public dollars. So I think we absolutely need to be working with communities and listening to communities and centering their voices. And then I think King County, as a body, needs to work with those communities to make sure that the investments that were being made are working on the community level and that we're really scaling up things that work. And I, as someone who's taught at the Evans School of Public Affairs and has been a policy wonk for years, am really interested in working with community and my fellow councilmembers in doing that work. [00:17:38] Crystal Fincher: So on almost every measure, we're behind our 2030 climate goals. You've talked about addressing climate change and mitigating the impacts of that on people being one of your priorities. We've experienced the impacts from wildfires, heat and cold, floods, et cetera. What are your highest priority plans to get us on track to meet our 2030 goals? [00:17:59] Sarah Reyneveld: Yes, thank you for that excellent question. As an Assistant Attorney General that works to protect our environment and public health, this is an issue that is critically important to me because of the urgency of action and the need to really address this challenge - centering communities in a just transition. So first, I think we need to electrify transportation and invest deeply in transit. We know that to meet our carbon reduction goals, we have to get people out of cars and into transit. And yet we have seen that Metro Transit service has languished since the pandemic and ridership has fallen by half. And those transit delays - I'm a transit rider to work, I take my little boy to daycare downtown with me - and they're disproportionately affecting transit riders, which are working families, BIPOC communities, low income communities, youth, seniors, and others that rely on transit. And it's a transit justice issue. So I have already been doing some of this work, but if elected to the King County Council, I want to continue this work by working with a coalition of transit riders and groups like the Transit Riders Union and Seattle Subway and The Urbanist and others to pass a county-wide transit revenue package to fund a King County Transportation Benefit District, which would supplant the city one and really help us restore an increased Metro Transit service to deliver faster, more frequent, reliable, and zero-emission service that connects all our community members. I think the measure should also ensure that transit is free to those who are cost-burdened. Right now, one of our impediments to increasing transit service and getting people out of cars is the shortage of transit operators and mechanics. And part of this funding package, or looking at other funding sources, has to be to address that issue of recruiting and retaining Metro bus drivers. And that has to include a living wage and additional incentives and supports, including safety supports, to build the workforce of Metro operators. Now, I just spoke to Metro operators at ATU last week, and they told me they're facing significant workplace safety and pay and other challenges that are really contributing to job stress and attrition. So we have to address that underlying issue if we're gonna get people out of cars and into transit. I also think we need to do more to decarbonize our built environment, which is probably the largest carbon emission in King County, through the adoption and strengthening of commercial building codes that will require communities to reduce energy use and also center communities in initiatives such as the Climate Equity Capital Pool to electrify their homes, for electric appliances and retrofits and solar panels. I think there's a lot of opportunities that we can leverage on the federal level to use grants and incentives and rebates to really update the building codes - and achieve these energy efficiencies and decarbonize our environment and our built environment - while bringing workers along. And I think we need to look at passing stronger provisions and incentives to transition off natural gas in a way that brings people and workers along and hastens this just transition to a clean energy economy - because we know that natural gas use in commercial and residential buildings accounts for a really large percentage of greenhouse gas emissions. I would also say that we need to do more to sustainably manage our forests and our working lands to ensure climate-friendly forest management and farming to mitigate climate change impacts and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and look at how we can promote carbon storage in soils and increase the use of green space. I would also say, probably lastly, a large percentage of the carbon emissions in King County result from our food system. So I wanna lead in ensuring that all communities have opportunities to become food producers, to access urban and rural farmland, and that we're really centering disproportionately impacted communities and empowering them to become farmers - particularly in food deserts and ensuring that tribes have access to their traditional food sources and cultural resources. And I've talked a lot to labor about this, and I would say that I believe that we can work towards a just transition to a clean energy economy that really centers workers and equitable pathways to green jobs and apprenticeships, but it's gonna take us building a coalition. And I'm committed to really rolling up my sleeves and working with our labor partners and folks that are disproportionately impacted and our community members to build that just transition towards a clean energy economy and a sustainable community that addresses our climate crisis. [00:23:01] Crystal Fincher: You talked about needing to address the staffing issues in our public transportation department, certainly an issue in Metro that is urgently in need of addressing. We've seen in several other departments - with sheriffs, certainly with municipal police departments in the County - that they're giving retention bonuses, hiring bonuses to help attract people. And what we've seen is - although they are on record saying that that isn't really moving the needle and may not, there are a lot of people in other departments saying that would absolutely move the needle here. Do you support retention bonuses and hiring bonus and some of the things that we've seen for folks working in public safety for other workers? [00:23:40] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think that's an excellent question. I think we really need to listen to workers, and my platform is all about lifting up and centering and listening to workers. And to me, hiring bonuses are not gonna address the root cause of the issue. And the root cause of the issue is really living wages and supports for drivers. But if hiring bonuses will help certain segments of workers - I did talk to, for example, an ATU bus operator that said that they had hiring bonuses in Pierce County and that they had not yet received any sort of retention or hiring bonus. And so if that's something that's going to help workers feel valued, I think that we do have to look at that as an option. However, it doesn't really address the root cause. And that is we need to support our frontline workers and give them a living wage. So we need to increase base pay for workers. We need to give them benefits - adequate benefits - flexibility, and the working conditions that they deserve. And for some frontline workers, that's gonna mean more investment in safety measures or hazard pay. And for other frontline workers, that may include a bonus. But I think we need to listen to workers, we need to center workers, and we really need to give them living wages, benefits, and the working conditions they deserve. I think you are absolutely right to say that the workforce issue is huge in King County, and we have to do more to address it. When I talk to workers - everyone from grocery store workers to our bus operators, to behavioral health workers - they're really struggling to make a living wage to afford to live in King County, and save for retirement, and raise their kids. And they're really the sheroes and heroes of, I think, responding to the pandemic or the shadow pandemic, but also just of taking care of our communities. And they're really bearing the brunt of our crises - our unhoused crisis, the opioid crisis, the behavioral health crisis. So we at King County have to do better to support them, and that includes living wages, benefits, and working conditions. And I am interested and very committed to doing that work to center workers. [00:25:56] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely, and you're completely correct that they are bearing the brunt of that. Another issue that kind of delves both into addressing climate change and mitigating the impacts of it and public health is air and clean air within buildings. And this has been increasingly talked about - especially as we've learned more about airborne pathogens, and as we've dealt more with wildfire smoke, and how much we've learned about how pollutants and pollution impact health, impact life expectancy. There are areas in Seattle that have life expectancies years shorter than other areas in the same city. Does the County have a responsibility to provide clean and safe air within its buildings and to try and incentivize that throughout other privately owned buildings and businesses in the County? [00:26:45] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I absolutely think the County has a responsibility - working with our state regulators as well as our federal regulators and policymakers - to ensure that everyone has access to clean air. I see this as an environmental justice issue - you pointed out that disproportionately - communities that live in areas with higher rates of pollution and that are more impacted, disproportionately impacted by climate change are experiencing poor air quality. And I think we have seen through the effects of climate change and really rampant wildfires and other issues, that these are disproportionately impacting our frontline communities and communities that are already overburdened. So I think that one thing that we can do at the King County level is really urgently lead on addressing the climate crisis. And our air quality is just gonna get worse as the climate crisis and the impacts increase. And so I think we need someone that's gonna really roll up their sleeves and provide strong leadership to really address these underlying issues around air and water pollution and to address the climate crisis. And so I wanna do that work with disproportionately impacted communities, and part of that work is really getting people out of cars and into transit. So really think having a strong vision for what that looks like and how to center frontline communities is really critically important. [00:28:18] Crystal Fincher: Looking at the state of this race, you're in a competitive race this time - you were last time, too - but this time you're part of a competitive race. What do your endorsements say about you, and what are you most proud of? [00:28:33] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think I am - just to get back to my roots - I am a public sector attorney, I am a working parent, I am a community advocate, and I have lived in the 4th Council District for 25 years, and really have dedicated my 15-year public service career to advancing progressive policy, legal, and budgetary solutions to some of our most pressing challenges. And I have worked in community to drive progressive policies forward, and I think my endorsements reflect the work that I've done in community. I have endorsements from five members of the King County Council, including Councilmember Kohl-Welles and Councilmember Zahilay, who I've worked with directly around securing access to more childcare, to addressing gender-based violence, to doing more for affordable housing. And I think my endorsements really speak to the depth of work and the way that I have worked to elevate community voices in community and doing that work. I would say that one of the endorsements I'm most proud of is Councilmember Kohl-Welles' endorsement because she's been a mentor to me and I have worked with her on a number of issues to improve the lives of women in disproportionately impacted communities in King County. And I'm also proud of the endorsement from my boss, A.G. Bob Ferguson. I have dedicated my career to being on the frontlines, to helping enforce workers' rights to fair wages to equal pay, to protect our environment. And I've done this work in the Attorney General's office and the fact that I have the support of my boss as I'm running for King County Council, just like he ran for King County Council, and that he's been helping me out on the campaign trail. And ensuring that I'm running a strong grassroots campaign really means the world to me. [00:30:20] Crystal Fincher: Now, we've also talked about how important it is to enact a lot of policy, to take care of people - obviously, we need to address staffing. All of the things that we've talked about today - a lot of them require revenue. We just ran a big levy because we needed the revenue. The list of things that everyone says is necessary, evidently costs more than we have in the budget, so new revenue is needed. What progressive revenue options exist at the County level today, and will you pursue any of them? [00:30:50] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, so I have a long history of advocating for progressive revenue, including the capital gains tax as a citizen advocate and board member of Washington's Paramount Duty. And so I have fought with, alongside a coalition of folks that are really pushing for progressive revenue reform at the state level. I still think there's so much more we can do and look forward to being a strong partner in that work. King County is projected to face revenue shortfalls and has constrained revenue sources. I do wanna fight against austerity budgets and look really critically at how we can obtain authority from the Legislature to pass truly progressive revenue sources that center working people. I think we also need to look at potentially lifting the 1% property tax lid if we can provide exemptions for homeowners and fixed income seniors. But I think the kind of frustrating thing about the County is it is revenue-constrained and that we need to work hard both on the County Council and in partnership with communities to figure out what more we can do to obtain authority to pass truly progressive revenue sources, whether or not that's taxing business or looking at more progressive revenue sources other than property tax and sales tax and some of these use fees. So I'm dedicated to doing that work in partnership with community and I'm really looking forward to that. [00:32:26] Crystal Fincher: Gotcha. And with the budget, King County does incremental budgeting making it difficult for the public to understand - making it difficult for some people in government to understand, but especially the public - to understand how King County funds are allocated in the base budget. What can be done to make the budget easier for the public to understand and influence? [00:32:47] Sarah Reyneveld: Yeah, I think that's an excellent question. We need more transparency in the budget process and we need more participation from community at the County level in the budget process. I have testified, for example, funding for the mental health counselors under MIDD. I have testified for affordable housing. I've testified for more childcare funding. And sometimes it's difficult, as the budget comes over from the Executive, to know what's different about the budget, right? And so I find generally that through this work as a member of the King County Women's Advisory Board and as a citizen advocate that King County budgets are not as accessible, for example, as legislative budgets. And more needs to be done to ensure that they're more transparent and accessible, and also that we're ensuring that the public is engaged in the budgeting process and understands it. So I think one of the things that we can do, and Councilmember Zahilay has done such a great job of this, is just explaining the King County budget process - how the budget comes over from the Executive, what the budget looks like, and how to understand the budget. I think another thing we could do is helping to really center folks that historically have not had a seat at the table in the budget process and have been excluded from power structures in developing policy and budgetary proposals - so that those folks are actually involved in the collaboration process through working groups and meetings and collaboration so that we're moving more towards participatory budget models, where constituents are not just involved in testifying, but really involved and actively involved every step of the process and ultimately in the decisions that impact them. So I'm really interested in working with all communities, and particularly frontline communities that are disproportionately impacted by these issues, and to really look to see what we can do towards more participatory budgeting. But first, of course, we have to make that process more transparent. [00:34:49] Crystal Fincher: Now, as we said before, you have at least one opponent now - the filing deadline isn't for a few weeks, couple weeks, few weeks here. So as you're talking to people who are considering who they're gonna vote for in this race, why should they vote for you over your opponents? [00:35:08] Sarah Reyneveld: Thank you. I'm running because I wanna continue the work that I've done with community and elevate community voices here in the 4th Council District and beyond to advance bold and transformative action for workers, for working families, and our environment on the King County Council. And as I said before, I think we're in a critical moment of time, and I am really committed to working with our most impacted communities to ensure that we are building back better and really creating equitable economic recovery that centers workers and working families and leads to a more sustainable future. Like many in our district, I'm a working parent, I'm a public school parent, transit rider, community organizer, and I have really dedicated my career to advancing progressive legal policy and budgetary solutions to some of our most pressing challenges - and I think we've really gotten results. As a member of the King County Women's Advisory Board, I have worked in partnership with community and the King County Council to secure investments in affordable housing, behavioral health, childcare, and services for survivors of gender-based violence. And I really wanna build on that track record. And I think I have the skills to do so - to really center community voices and to advance really bold, progressive solutions. I think there's three things that I would highlight to voters about why they should choose me in a competitive race. One is community - I'm running for the community and have demonstrated a history of leadership in my community, which is really reflected in our campaign's range of endorsements from elected officials to community leaders and labor. And I have lived experience as a mom and union member and transit rider that is not only reflective of my district, but I feel can be valuable on the King County Council. And lastly, I have a demonstrated history of leadership in my community working to build coalitions to deliver on progressive policies for workers and working families. And I think I've demonstrated that I'm unafraid to grapple with and do the real work of really advancing transformative solutions that are necessary at this critical moment in time. And I really look forward to the conversation on the campaign and hopefully to working with my community to ensure equitable economic recovery that really centers workers and working families and creates a more sustainable future for all. [00:37:37] Crystal Fincher: Thank you so much for joining us today. [00:37:40] Sarah Reyneveld: Thank you so much for having me. [00:37:42] Crystal Fincher: Thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks, which is co-produced by Shannon Cheng and Bryce Cannatelli. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday almost-live shows and our midweek show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

KVI's John Carlson interviews two guests on opposing sides of what should happen to the current drug possession law in Washington. Gov. Jay Inslee has requested a special session of the state Legislature for May 16th to pass a uniform law rather than the patchwork of laws that Washington cities are passing in the absence of state law, technical legal issues aside. Listen to these two interviews with St. Rep. Lauren Davis (D-Shoreline) and a recovering meth and heroin addict who has now graduated from the University of Washington's Evans School, Ginny Burton.

In this episode, Dean of the University of California, Riverside School of Public Policy Mark Long talks with a student about Affirmative Action Policies in College Admissions. About Mark Long: Mark C. Long began his role as Dean of the School of Public Policy at UC Riverside in January 2023, following the successful tenure of Anil Deolalikar, who served as founding Dean of SPP. From 2004-2022, Long was a Professor of Public Policy and Governance and Adjunct Professor of Economics at the University of Washington. He served as the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance's Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs (2018-19) and Associate Dean for Research (2016-18). Long served on the faculty of George Washington University as an assistant professor of economics and public policy and administration from 2002-04. Learn more about Mark Long via https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/marklong Podcast Highlights: “If your goal is representation by race, but you use other indicators like income or wealth, you need to put as much as four times as much weight on those other factors than you would if you just put weight directly on race. From an efficiency perspective, if what you're interested in is generating racial representation, it's inefficient to put weight on socioeconomic status.” - Mark Long on the topic of different indicators for racial representation in college admissions. “Yes, you can predict race, but you can't predict race, particularly with the date that universities have on hand.” - Mark Long on the topic of using measures to predict race to increase racial representation on college campuses. “Those gaps are present as of kindergarten, so clearly, things are going on in the homes and communities of these students before they even hit high school.” - Mark Long on the challenges minority students face from an early age. Guest: Mark Long (Dean of the School of Public Policy) Interviewer: Kevin Karami (UCR Public Policy Major, Dean's Chief Ambassador) Music by: C Codaine https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Minimal_1625 https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/Phase Commercial Link: https://spp.ucr.edu/mpp Register for the event here: estolano-jan24.eventbrite.com Click here to learn more about Dean Long's research on this issue. This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: https://spp.ucr.edu/ Subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast.

So, who reading this knows the definition of BIPOC? Listen to this episode and Peter Bloch Garcia will define the word for you right at the start. Peter's life after being in school stayed in education where primarily taught at the secondary school level.   Later, he decided to move out of being a direct educator and into working for and serving with a number of not-for-profit agencies in the Washington State area.   Our conversation ranges far and wide and, as far as I am concerned, is one of the most pertinent discussions I have had in quite a while. We talk about everything from racial inequity to climate change and how all interrelate together.   I urge you to listen and even leave the interview with a list of books Peter suggests for outside reading. I hope you will give this episode a 5 rating and that you also will review it. Enjoy and be inspired. That's the best thing I can suggest.     About the Guest: Peter Bloch Garcia is the son of a Mexican immigrant, and grew up in Yakima, Washington. He began his career as an educator, later becoming a foundation program officer focused on improving education quality and access for students from low-income and BIPOC youth, and empowering them to advocate for systemic change.   When he learned that foundations do not equitably support BIPOC communities, he organized others to form the Latino Community Fund of Washington State, where he served as Board President, Treasurer and Executive Director to steward growth and development of a vitally needed organization. He was instrumental in forming and leading Progreso: Latino Progress, a c4 organization to build political power in the Latine community for more representation and voice at state level issues.   While at LCF he increased resources to enhance community leadership, build capacity of non-profit organizations, and advocate systems change to improve the well-being of Latine residents across the state. As head of Progreso, he coordinated with LCF to increase Latine voter registration and civic participation and engaged Latine community voice to lobby for racially equitable policies at the state and local levels.  His leadership with LCF and Progreso was honored when he received the American Society of Public Administration northwest chapter's Billy Frank, Jr. Award for Race and Social Justice in 2017.   To round out his experience and impact in the community, Peter moved to the public sector to focus on economic equity and justice by supporting neighborhood business districts in BIPOC communities to improve safety, placemaking, and community building events.   Peter is passionate about advancing racial equity and addressing climate change through movement building of BIPOC communities for systemic change. He is also dedicated to moving the nonprofit sector to improve their internal organizational cultures to match the values of their mission and become intentionally anti-racist in practice. He is a co-host with Tania Hino of Adelante Leadership podcast to encourage and inspire more Latine community members to step into leadership.   He serves on the Seattle Foundation Community Programs board committee, the board of Evergreen Social Impact, and as treasurer of Sustainable Seattle.   At Valtas Group, Peter has served in the following Interim ED roles. ●      Seattle International Foundation (SIF) ●      Mockingbird Society Peter's educational background includes -       BS in English and Secondary Education, Western Washington University -       MPA, University of Washington, Evans School of Public Administration, Concentration: Public & nonprofit management, social enterprise, quantitative analysis, financial management, community & economic development, and urban environmental sustainability. -       Certificate in Leading DEI Initiatives, Northwestern University   Social Media Links:   LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-bloch-garcia-ba878810/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/peter.b.garcia Twitter @pblochgarcia   Adelante Leadership https://www.adelanteleadership.com/     Valtas https://www.valtasgroup.com/peter-bloch-garcia.html Seattle International Foundation https://seaif.org/ The Mockingbird Society https://www.mockingbirdsociety.org/ Latino Community Fund https://www.latinocommunityfund.org/     Poetry 2019 San Jose Poetry Center Finalist https://www.deanza.edu/english/creative-writing/red-wheelbarrow.html Real Change https://www.realchangenews.org/news/2000/12/28/poetry-dec-28-2000 Poets West https://www.poetswest.com/books.htm Blue Mountain Review https://issuu.com/collectivemedia/docs/bluemountainreviewseptember2021   About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.     Transcription Notes* Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i  capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson  01:20 Well, hi again, wherever you happen to be. This is Michael Hingson. And you are listening to unstoppable mindset. And today we get to meet Peter Garcia. Or would you rather go by Peter Bloch Garcia?   Peter Bloch Garcia  01:34 It's Peter Bloch Garcia.   Michael Hingson  01:35 Peter Bloch Garcia. All right. And Peter grew up in Yakima, Washington, and as spent most of his life in I guess the the Northwest, has been an educator and a foundation person who's been responsible for a number of things, and he'll talk to us about that, and definitely an advocate. And among other things, Peter has spent a lot of time dealing with education and quality of access for low income and bipoc people. And I asked Peter, and I'm gonna ask you again, what is bipoc? Because I think probably a lot of us haven't heard of it at least, I hope I'm not the only one.   Peter Bloch Garcia  02:16 Yeah, happy to in No, I don't believe you are the only one. Because it's a relatively new term that's emerged in the last few years. It's actually an acronym that stands for black indigenous people of color. And it's being used more as an inclusive way. But also to amplify the significance of an importance of addressing racism by calling out and emphasizing the importance of black and indigenous aspects of that of people of   Michael Hingson  02:54 color. Got it? We have acronyms for everything nowadays, don't we?   Peter Bloch Garcia  02:58 Yes, it is. Nothing. More is a common noun, though. Yeah.   Michael Hingson  03:04 And that's fair. But we we do like to describe everything. Well, tell me a little bit about you growing up and kind of how you got to where you are?   Peter Bloch Garcia  03:14 Well, so basically, my story is, so my mom is an immigrant from Mexico. And I was born here in the United States after she came to the US. And she came without speaking English, but learned it fairly quickly. And how that sort of has shaped me, you know, we grew up with as we got older, we, me and my siblings had very typical or stereotypical even challenges and situations that are typical of folks of color in this country and in society. From a background like that, it is a time Yakima was it was very much of a migrant farming community. And growing up there, I was really not very happy growing up there for a variety of reasons, both the typical traumas and issues within our family, as well as the extended community that was not very inclusive, and but I didn't have the language. I didn't know I didn't really understand why or what was happening. But what I think was really important to me that shaped me who I am today was that I had some adults in my life who were very influential one was, I was in a youth employment and training program for low income kids. That was federally funded back in the day, and my case manager. Her name's You and Karaca, she, she saw more in me than I saw in myself. But also, as an African American woman, she was starting to talk to me, it started, that's where I think I started getting some of the language to understand issues around race. But it wasn't until I went to college where I also got active on campus. Back then, in in mid 80s, you know, if race in this country was seen as something that we had already dealt with in the past, oh, that was something in the 60s. In fact, all kids of color, pretty much were seen on campus as taking somebody else's seat, taking a white student seat, or that we got into the school, because we weren't qualified, but it was a affirmative action thing that we we didn't really belong, you know, all of that stuff. And so I spent something like, you know, in my spare time on is an undergraduate as a student activist and, and try to work on improving things, recruiting more students of color, supporting the students of color, improving our, our graduation rates, and things such as that. And then I went into teaching after that, partly because I felt so privileged from my kind of background to have gotten a college education. Some of my siblings didn't graduate high school. And yet, here, I was going through college, and I wanted to give back. So I first started going into education, because I wanted to, to, you know, share the kind of education that I felt privileged by with other kids like me. So I started going into teaching, and I taught for a number of years, I taught in different countries, Mexico and Italy. I taught for a short time in New York City. But I left teaching eventually, and I ended up working in nonprofits. And that's where you mentioned the foundation work, which was purely coincidental, because I didn't know there was a sector on giving money away, you know, philanthropy, right. But I learned a foundation.   Michael Hingson  07:14 What kind of places did you teach high school, college or why taught   Peter Bloch Garcia  07:18 mostly secondary levels? So high school and more of the years was spent in middle school? Sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, some ninth 10th? In a few junior level classes. You say? Go ahead. I was just gonna say I was an English teacher, mostly. But I taught a little bit of social studies as well.   Peter Bloch Garcia  07:41 Which kind of relates Oh,   Michael Hingson  07:45 well, you said something really interesting. Which I thought about a lot. I know it's true. But you said that people probably in the 80s sort of thought, well, race is all taken care of it was all dealt with in the 60s and 70s. But the view generally was that people of different races were taking seats from white people. Yeah. And I think actually, there are still a lot of people who think that way today, but nevertheless, that doesn't sound like it was really dealing with race, of course, does it?   Peter Bloch Garcia  08:26 Right. Yeah. I mean, it is still definitely a part of the frame. You know, especially with our immigration policy, you know, for the last 30 some years, it's been Oh, we got to control immigrants, immigration, because they're taking our jobs kind of thing.   Peter Bloch Garcia  08:43 But I think to your question,   Peter Bloch Garcia  08:49 it it was it still was rooted in racism from my, my perspective. But it was sort of a, it was sort of an excuse, like, you know, no, no, we don't have to deal with racism, because it was done before. And, and no sort of self awareness of the privilege. In fact, there was this one class I was taking. In college, it was an ethnic studies, political science kind of class. And the professor throughout this, this term of reverse discrimination in a lecture once and in my study group with friends. They mentioned something about reverse discrimination. And I said, Oh, but that's not what he meant. But at that time, in that period of time, there was this belief that reverse discrimination was rampant all over the country. And that's where, you know, it's reverse discrimination because folks of color students of color are taking the seats of white students then they're not they're not qualified to be here kind of thing. So It was about race and racial bias. But also the system at the time itself was not doing a good job of encouraging more kids of color to go to college.   Michael Hingson  10:11 What do you think about this whole concept of they're taking our jobs? And today we're talking about immigration, and well, we're letting them in our country, and they're taking our jobs.   Peter Bloch Garcia  10:24 Well, I mean, there's been plenty of research that's been done on that to show a how that's not true. And the type of workers and partly like, there's more experts in that in that research field that have disproven that over time. And again, and there's even other research that talks about how countries with thriving economies, it's because they are thriving economies, because they have a growing immigrant population all the time. They have they continue that, like you're adding to the workforce, and that sort of thing. So there's plenty of other evidence to counter it. But, you know,   Michael Hingson  11:13 nevertheless, it gets promoted.   Peter Bloch Garcia  11:15 It is an important political wedge, it's promoted as a political wedge,   Michael Hingson  11:18 right? And I'm still looking for the jobs that they are taking, because most of the time when I hear about that I'm I'm sort of looking at people that I know. And I know a number of people who have come from other countries. And mostly, I haven't seen people who live here. And I guess, if we say, white people, or whatever, or are people who come from here, necessarily even wanting to work in those jobs, yeah, which is a little. Now my, my mystery about that is, of course, I've spent a lot of time in New York. And for the longest time, cab drivers were white guys and white women, and so on. And that's evolved. And I've never figured out exactly why that's the case, because it's just in the US. It's just the economics. But you know, but in general, I just don't see that as really being anyone's taking anyone's job.   Peter Bloch Garcia  12:20 Well, and I've heard the expression not as frequently as I did back then. But I still hear it from time to time. Often it's with In fact, just maybe three or four years ago, I was at this social gathering. And there were some high school students who were just graduating high school and applying to college. And one of the young men said, Well, I didn't get accepted, because they, they probably prioritize some students of color over me. And I was like, Really, though, like, it's an easy go to steal that, that folks of color have been getting privileges and special treatment that it's become on, the system's become unfair. However, when I used to, when I used to challenge people, I did not challenge that young man. He wasn't I just overheard his conversation I was like, right. But I would often say to people, well, if there was so many more advantages for folks of color to go to college, and or over employment opportunities, why are they so why are the numbers so low in college? Why are the numbers so low in terms of percentages of employment, for folks of color, in fact, it's, you know, for African Americans, no matter what the what the the unemployment rate is, nationally, historically, African Americans have always had twice the level of unemployment, whether in good times or bad times, economically, their unemployment is twice the rate for white populations. So there's, there's lots of other evidence of it not being you know, that there's still systemic challenges with racial equity, but yet, the myths and the beliefs of people still hold on and come up.   Michael Hingson  14:19 Of course, we're dealing with, in this case, race and so on. Whereas if we really want to get to statistics, we could deal with persons with disabilities whose unemployment rate is something close to 20 times what it is for so called Able bodied people, and it is just as much a prejudicial issue, whereas the reality is, it isn't that we can't do the work. So we're not given the opportunity to do the work.   Peter Bloch Garcia  14:48 Right. And, and, you know, do you do you know, if within the disabilities population or the disabled populations, the intersectionality of race within that is that Like if if a disabled person is is disabled white person has a 20%? Or what how did you how did you say   Michael Hingson  15:09 20 times as much? The unemployment rate typically is between 65 and 70%. Yeah. Is it as it defines it? Is it different based on race? Oh, there are definite differences.   Peter Bloch Garcia  15:21 Probably I suspect there is. But given that I'm curious, just curious.   Michael Hingson  15:27 But the overall, I think the overall number from census and yeah, so Security Administration and others is, is that number is it is a different? racially? I don't have the statistics, but I think I have heard that it is. So you're not going to find that. A look. I know blind people who are very prejudiced against people who are black. Yeah. And it's an extremely unfortunate. We know that's a learned behavior. Right. Personally speaking. Not having ever seen color. It doesn't matter to me a single solitary bit. But it is it is an issue that we we encounter. Yeah. And we've got to get over that somehow. And the whole immigration thing is such a problem, because we have allowed it to become political, which makes it even worse. To to deal with.   Peter Bloch Garcia  16:24 Yeah, yeah. For sure.   Michael Hingson  16:26 How do we how do we deal with the immigration thing? Do you have any thoughts?   Peter Bloch Garcia  16:31 Well, to me, the anti immigrant views are one form of racism. In fact, there's a there's a guy I know. And I'm forgetting I'm totally blanking on his name right now. Oh, no. Got it. Eric Ward, Eric Ward, who? I think he's currently the Executive Director of that lost the name I have may come up with it later. Eric Ward, had done research that showed how there was a symbiotic social relationship between the rise in anti immigrant speech and media coverage, leading to violence against African American people and other races. And I think, Raisa Yeah, well, right. Right, right. And we probably saw that play out. We will we all saw it play out more. So during the the racist and the racially biased and statements that the former person who's currently under indictments   Michael Hingson  17:51 who shall not be named.   Peter Bloch Garcia  17:54 Right, when he would say these things, there was an increase in hate crimes, you know, people being accosted at gas stations and, and things So. So. So I think of, you know, anti immigrant sentiment, being an extension of racist views, mindsets and values. And so in order for us to address anti immigrant mentalities and thinking, we have to address the root causes of racism. And I think within that, we have to look at how do we help individual people learn? How do we shape or restructure or reshape our organizational systems have, you know, our nonprofit organizations, that's where I've been spending a lot, so many of my years working in and thinking about how to use those spaces of organizational structure to undo racism. And then there's the systemic level, that racial inequity is perpetuated from the policies and the systems that have excluded or set barriers for equal access. So so in order to, to address it, it's sort of a three pronged strategy, I believe. Yeah, not and I would say also, at the, at the beginning place, for the individual level, is learning about racial bias, because there's a lot more research and writing just about I'd say, in the last four years, there's more books that are coming out than ever before when I was young. That's partly why I didn't have any language to understand my world around me that right, but yet, there's been so much more great work that's been done in this field, and more and more books coming out in the last four years than ever I've seen in my life.   Michael Hingson  19:53 What's unfortunate is that in some quarters, people want to ban books. I mean, there there's a lot of there's a lot The value in what To Kill a Mockingbird teaches. Yeah, and, and similar books and yet people want to get rid of those. And that is just crazy.   Peter Bloch Garcia  20:10 It is the To Kill a Mockingbird one in particular. I'm a huge fan of having been an English teacher actually not just because of that, but when I I used to have to teach it To Kill a Mockingbird is a frequently taught book in like eighth or ninth grade, right. And every year I would teach it, and I swore I don't know, I probably read the book like 10 times. And every time I would read it, I would see a new insight into Oh, my God, look what she was doing. Look what Harper Lee was, was raising with that story. So I'm a huge fan of it. And I think though to to that point about book banning, I think that's partly the how the power structure of the system, as we're going through these social changes, with the emergence of more consciousness, more intentionality, to eliminate racism, you know, that thank God for the Black Lives Matter movement. Thank God for the me to movement. And all of these, these these social reckonings that have been happening, I'd say, really, more so than in the last six years. I think that there's more more of the, the white privilege mentality that is desperately wanting to hold on because they see it as a loss, they see it if if we give those people of color, the same thing, I'm going to lose something, right. So they are striking out at anything that they think is going to challenge the system, the status quo, or the system or their privilege. And so that's where I think some of the, in fact, I swear, I just saw a post on social media about librarians, getting harassed and called names from folks who are wanting them to banned books in our library. So kids are not exposed to these sorts of ideas.   Michael Hingson  22:11 I am a great fan of and collect old radio shows as a hobby. And I think that it is part of our history. And some of it, from time to time reflects racism. One of my favorite shows, and I'll explain why is Amos and Andy, which is about two black guys. And I've had an opportunity to interact with one of the foremost experts on Amos and Andy, some time ago. And for me, my history with Amos and Andy is that Bob long before I really understood a lot about old radio. I grew up watching Amos and Andy on television. Well, you know, I didn't see the colors, but I didn't even know they were black. And I didn't even understand all of that. Okay, so anyway, I learned later that it was taken off television, because black people objected to being portrayed that way. And I can appreciate that intellectually looking back on it. But I asked this expert from the the, the whole issue of Amos and Andy. So when did they stop? Really referring to Amos and Andy is black. And what she said was basically, it started out that way, when Amos and Andy came to New York, they asked where all the dark people lived, and so on. But by 1937, it wasn't even talked about. They were just there they were characters, and yes, they had the voices they did. But there wasn't really a lot of reference to black or white or anything else. And you could draw your own inferences. And I know a lot of people did. But it across the board as a radio program was extremely entertaining, and came up with a lot of very good plots that people reacted to, in fact, on Saturdays during the matinees people would the this, the theater, people would cut off the film so that everybody could listen to Amos and Andy. Hmm. And and I appreciate the problems with the show from that the standpoint of race, but at the same time, it was something that across the board was very entertaining to people, but now we see discussions of well, we can't have that our libraries. We should get rid of that. That doesn't help either.   Peter Bloch Garcia  24:35 Right. Yeah. Well, and you're reminding me of so one of the ways that racial bias has been perpetuated has been through media. Right? In fact, I mean, there's much more research of late on this looking back at movies and television shows and and I was I remember thinking about this a few years ago when my my kids were young. And I thought, Oh, I'm going to I'm going to look up those movies that I enjoyed as a kid. And I'll watch them with my kids. And so I watched them. And I was stunned at how many racial stereotypes they would they would portray in these movies. And I'm like, Oh, heck, I can't share that. And that's, but we just grew up with it. Right? It was that's part of where our racial biases come from the images, the stereotypes that were used throughout media, and similar within the nonprofit sector, actually, I kind of think the nonprofit sector has perpetuated racial stereotypes as, as all folks of color are poor. Because most of the time, I mean, this is the whole premise of of fundraising, for nonprofits, as they put pictures of the very small percentage that they're actually serving of the kids of color, or colleges. And universities do this all the time. It's the they find the few kids of color in their organization, and they put their pictures up there, and they go, they tell the sad story, oh, this poor child, he had all these disabilities or challenges and, you know, setbacks and, and we turn their life around and give to us so that we can, you know, keep doing that. But it's perpetuating a deficit based story, right, and a stereotype in that set entire industry. And I'm seeing there's actually, and I'm, I'm not remembering his name, but there's a guy, I think he does a TED talk. But he's been developing this work around asset framing. And he he talks about it as the media is that as the news, he goes into journalism, I think his angles, about that, of how here's an example of the way the traditional story talks about communities of color, from a very deficit based, there's always problems Oh, the crime or the blah, blah, blah. And then he illustrates how to how to change that it doesn't mean that there aren't still needs within and disproportionality within communities of color. But there's a way to frame that that is what he calls sort of his asset framing. So that's another area that's emerging more and more so these days that I think is helpful.   Michael Hingson  27:29 But I think the issue also has to be in part, that we can't deny our history, what we should do is learn from it. And so taking programs like Amos and Andy away, and just denying that they existed, doesn't help either. Well, and   Peter Bloch Garcia  27:45 but it has to be brought forward as a as a learning opportunity. Right. And, and, in fact, Michael, I think, you know, I'm still, I still continue to be surprised at what how little or we received in our high school, or college history courses about the inclusion of people of color in history,   Michael Hingson  28:11 or, or any minority group. Right,   Peter Bloch Garcia  28:14 right. And, and, and, like, in fact, there's a woman, Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz, she's written a number of books, one of them in particular is the Indigenous People's History of the United States. And I only just read this maybe a year or two ago. And it was mind blowing, I had no idea. And I'm somewhat fairly informed by other things I've read about Native American, you know, information in books and literature, but it's still eye opening. There's such a rich history of within our diverse populations that has been excluded.   Michael Hingson  28:53 Yeah. And we shouldn't do that. But we do. We we, in our high school environment, don't discuss it didn't discuss it. Right. I hope it's better than it was. I have not taken high school history lately. But I'm aware that there is so much that we didn't discuss and refuse to really look at the rich history that all of us, whether it's race, persons with disabilities, and recognizing all of the things that that people have contributed. One of the poll, most famous cardiac surgeons in the early 1900s was Jacob Lawton, who was blind. You know, and there's so many others, and there are so many different people who have contributed to our country, and they're not all white men. And there's no reason that we should be excluding those other than some improperly placed attitude, shall we say?   Peter Bloch Garcia  29:55 Yeah, well, and Michael, I'm wondering, I got a question for you. What As a couple years ago, I felt like I was seeing more disabilities. Inclusion around the term when organizations and people were talking about D i diversity, equity and inclusion, they were adding another lever, was it I forget which letter it was useability. A, was it a thing so and so it was being more included a couple years ago, but I'm not hearing so much about it being included. These Well,   Michael Hingson  30:35 the problem with saying diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility doesn't deal with it. So that deals with part of the issue with for persons with disabilities, if you will, but the issue still comes down to social acceptance, issues still comes down to equals, and I and I realized that the term disability has an implication. But we have totally warped the concept as far as I am concerned, of diversity. When you talk to people about diversity, they'll talk to you about race, gender, sexual orientation, social class, and so on. You don't hear discussions of disability, which is why inclusion has gotten to be part of it. Yeah, but then they want to add in accessibility. But again, that is a nebulous term. So accessibility is as relevant for Latino people or black people, it is for persons with disabilities in that sense. And so we need to change our definition, if you will, of disability, and include it directly in the discussion. Or another way to put it is if you're truly going to call yourself inclusive, then you have to be inclusive, you can't be partially inclusive. It either is or it isn't. And I tend to believe in the quantum orientation of the word either you're inclusive, which means you're going to involve disabilities as well, or you're not inclusive at all, you can't have it both ways.   Peter Bloch Garcia  32:05 Right? Yeah. And so   Michael Hingson  32:09 I think there's there continues to be a significant effort. There are places where it's getting better, New York announced some about a month ago, that and it's not going to happen instantly, there's a lot to be done to make it happen. I forget his 2045 or 2050, or something, but they're going to make 95% of all the subway stations in New York City wheelchair accessible. And that's a major undertaking to do, given that a lot of those subway stations were not, and are very difficult to make accessible. So that's a major commitment. On the other hand, are they going to hire blind architects to help make that happen? Because they are blind architects? Are they going to do other things? There's, there's a lot to the process. Yeah, yeah. And so I'm not I'm not trying to leave out persons of race or whatever, or different races, as opposed to blind people. But we need to get back to really expecting and demanding equity and inclusion across the board.   Peter Bloch Garcia  33:14 Yeah, yeah. For sure, you,   Michael Hingson  33:17 you talk a lot about racial equity and inclusion and climate change. Tell me something about that, why you bring the two together?   Peter Bloch Garcia  33:28 Well, for me,   Peter Bloch Garcia  33:32 for a couple of reasons, actually. But, you know, for me, I think at this stage of my life, where I want to spend my efforts and energy is to address racism and climate change, because I think there are two root problems or root roots to so many other issues, that if we, I like to think about getting upstream or to the root of an issue, so that if we can fix that, then so many other things will will improve consequent to that. And for climate change. You know, if we don't, as humans address climate change and reverse it, the predictions, the scientific predictions are so severe, that, you know, college access to college education kind of won't matter because the college might be underwater, when the seas as the seas continue to rise, you know, like, that's just one. There's so I'm kind of being facetious about that, but but   Peter Bloch Garcia  34:39 not all three.   Peter Bloch Garcia  34:42 And so, for me, part of the the view is that it if we don't reverse climate change, there are going to be so many other catastrophes from hurricanes to forest fires can Continue devastation, that it will wreak havoc on so many of our other people's lives and our systems, that some of the other issues kind of won't matter so much not that they aren't important, I'm just saying that people are going to be so strapped we, as human beings around the world or, you know, we're facing more droughts, etc, when basic needs are not going to be met. So we need to at the same time address climate change, but how I connect these two, and why they are connected, is, is that racism at its root is about power. And I think the same sort of mindset or thinking that is, the foundational beliefs or mindsets of racism, are about power in the same way that has led us down the system's paths towards creation of climate change, like the if we which which are about a power, exploitation control. There's there's so many different factors and variables to it. But I see the two definitely in are interlinked. And even so, in addition to that, I guess I'd say, there's, there's plenty of other research that's been describing this is that people of color, historically have always had a disproportionate disproportion disproportionate environmental impact from pollution from where they live, where their housing is built upon waste sites, or air pollution quality. In the city of Seattle, there's one of the poorest neighborhoods where life expectancy is nine years lower than if you just drive 20 minutes to the wealthier neighborhood where the families in that neighborhood are. And that's because of the air pollution, the air pollution is so severe in the poor neighborhood, which is mostly folks of color, that, that it's affecting their health in just a short distance away, right. So there's always been that disproportional environment or environmental exposure. And our systems have not necessarily changed that. And that's where climate change is continuing to impact folks of color more so as a frontline impact as climate change continues to increase. For more folks of color percentages of folks of color are going to be experiencing the impact sooner and more severely.   Michael Hingson  37:41 So what kinds of things are you doing to advance dealing with these issues?   Peter Bloch Garcia  37:45 Well, so with with climate change, I have done some work here in Washington before we formed a few years ago, we formed a coalition of bipoc coalition called front and center. And we worked with other mainstream environmental organizations to propose legislation. That was we came up with a more racially equitable policy proposal, we tried to work on it legislatively at the time in Olympia here in Washington State, we we didn't get it passed that legislatively. So then we organized a statewide ballot initiative. It was close, but it still didn't pass. But but those were some of the kinds of in that coalition continues to work today. And so I'm involved in another environmental organization and that sort of thing. But most of my time has been, because like I say, I don't believe that. I believe that these two things are so intertwined, that most of my time lately has been spent on anti racism work that will also benefit and lead to systems change. For climate issues.   Michael Hingson  39:00 Do you think that we need to somehow completely tear down the process that we're using and start over? Can we can we make progress with doing things the way we are to promote racial and other kinds of difference equity, if you will, as well as dealing with climate change? Or maybe climate change can help lead us to the other?   Peter Bloch Garcia  39:25 So had you asked me this question? Maybe four years ago? I would have I would be giving you a different answer. I think four years ago, I would have said, I don't have a lot of belief or hope in the existing system, that it's going to be able to change enough in my lifetime. But what I'm seeing on a broad scale, and in talking to folks about there is been finally what I never thought I would see in my lifetime Is some social reckoning around race. And even even some of the opinion polling is starting to shift focus on on their understanding of climate change. In fact, it was maybe only just about six years ago, I attended a chamber of commerce conference, and one of the keynote speakers at this conference, you know, it was mostly for profit corporations, lobbyists and different elected leaders across different levels of our regional and local governments. And the keynote speaker was saying how he said, it doesn't matter. His talk was about how, even if you personally as your business does not believe that climate change is real, you're going to have to, to change your opinion, because more people believe it's true, whether or not you think it is or not, but that was only six years ago, right. And similarly, in the same way that we have anti rhetoric constantly in our politics, that's shaping public opinion, we have had an enormous amount of, of misinformation about climate change climate change deniers, politicians, claiming that it was, you know, it was a hoax from China or whatever, you know, it was, we've had so much of that influence. But even that has started to change. And some more of the folks who have claimed before in at the federal level are finally seeing the impacts like in Florida, that how they cannot continue denying the impact of climate change that's happening right on their shores, you know. So so there's some of that, but that that's what I've seen starting to change in the last few years, and especially around race, there does seem to be a social reckoning, a desire from people wanting to change to learn. Whereas my own racial bias, there was that book that came out, and it's getting more and more broadly read the book, white fragility. And it's, I think it's really helping people see things that like, oh, yeah, we cannot continue down this road. Look what it's led us to, we have to change course. There was a part of your question, I didn't answer that. What was what was the question again?   Michael Hingson  42:31 Why is there air? I think the question basically was, oh, burn it all down? Do we burn it all down on start over?   Peter Bloch Garcia  42:42 And that's where so so I similarly, I would have said six years ago, when I used to do more direct lobbying work or direct policy advocacy work, that there was such a lack of understood fundamental understanding about racial inequity. Like, I would talk to potential candidates who were running for elected office and do interviews with them and say, What's your view on racial equity? And what would you do if you got elected to advance it? And nine times out of 10, they didn't know what I meant by racial equity. But these days in the last several years, I'd say, I'm starting to see much more understanding the policies that are coming out of our legislature are. In fact, in fact, some of the advocacy and lobbying started to shift a little bit of when when I was going with in coalition's to talk to policymakers, and we'd say, Okay, we like this, we want to support this issue. But we want it to include some aspects that will address the racial inequity in this issue. And they'd say, Oh, okay, that sounds great. But what should it be? So so then we would come up with their recommendations to make it more racially equitable. But that was a new thing. And now, I'd say in the last four years, more and more elected folks are coming up with, you know, talking to folks in the community, asking for their solutions, so that they can make new new policies and new improved systems to break down the barriers that have been in place that have perpetuated. So these days, I'm much more optimistic that the system is finally moving in a way that is going to start undoing it, self and improving. But secondly, I guess I've come to the belief, Michael, that our systems are so massive, our organizational structures are so entrenched, that we would never be able to tear them all down, that we have to work within the structures that we are given and that's where so my work around antiracism has been focusing on. There's this whole sector of nonprofit organizations and structures. So How do we work within the structure because some of those structures actually have some value, there were some aspects of structural things that were supposed to be in place to, you know, to ensure that nonprofit organizations had some level of assurances or accountability that their missions were going to benefit the public. Right. It was a, some sort of checks and balance. But the way the how the organization's were implementing is where the the perpetuation of racism has been occurring. So I'm still working within the system of nonprofit structures to shift the way that people think about how it shows up, what does racism and power show up within our existing structures? And how can we work within that to make to, to do things better, or undo racism?   Michael Hingson  45:55 So I have a couple questions. Let me start with with this one, which is kind of more general and it just came to mind, we tend to let's talk about climate change, as an example, we tend to not want to pay attention to or deal with things that collect well, that don't affect us directly. And so climate change is a very existential thing. How do we, in our educational system, for example, start teaching people to be more curious? And to look a little bit farther than just their own psyche? And I, I can think of, of answers to that question. And it depends on where in the country you live, because some people have beliefs that are so entrenched, that there's just no discussing it. Yeah. And as you point out, there are places where there's a little bit more open to openness to it, but it still is an issue that we're going to have to deal with. And you talked about climate change, look at what's going on in California. Yes, all of the fires with the Colorado River, now being where it is, and Lake Mead is 27% of where it normally is. And we're going to have to figure out these things. And I suppose some people can say, well, you can blame it on climate change, but it's natural. Well, it's not natural, right, in the scheme of what we need to do or can do to address it. So how do we get people to be more open and look beyond themselves a little bit?   Peter Bloch Garcia  47:29 The last part of that question for me is about undoing racism. Because being an anti racist is about caring about other people. It is about its fundament anti racism is fundamentally about love. You know, when Dr. King talked about the beloved community, it's a creation of a caring community. And it's a recognition that my, my, my future is completely intertwined with your future. And that we have a mutual inextricable interconnectedness in our in a shared positive future, right. That value or that it's almost like a value that we need to teach. Right. But how you teach that is it's something I continue to experiment with in my work with nonprofits, right? Sometimes I draw from Dr. Keen kings writing, but also Bell Hooks, one of her books called all about love talks about love and an aspect of within society, within family within within organizations. But there's the other part of your question, that is exactly what some researchers are grappling with trying to figure out. Why is it that we as human beings, they sit you know, that they've they've recognized that that because climate change is, you don't see it happen? I don't know how to say this very well. I'm not saying this very well. Climate change has been happening, but it's been happening over time and so slowly, that sometimes it's been hard for people to recognize it right when it's happening, but it's accumulating so much like you say in California, that it's undeniable, right? It's speeding up, and it's speeding up. And I just heard this, my wife and I'm not going to remember the name of it, but she had me listen with her to to a news program. I can't remember if it was an NPR program. And it was this story. Was it Lake Mead was that the lake that completely dried up, there's a lake in California that did completely dry up a few years back.   Michael Hingson  49:49 Not like me, but there are some so I'm not sure which one was in the program.   Peter Bloch Garcia  49:55 There was it was one that dried up a few years back already and completely. But what, what what happened? He goes in and I had never heard of this, right? I was like, Oh my God, how did I never hear this before? Because he's he talks about he's the story he's starting with is how Salt Lake is drying up. Right? And the ramifications of if Salt Lake completely dries up what a disaster it will be, it will be a disaster to the families who make a living whose economy depends on it, not just the the birds and the species, etc. But he also goes and says he tells the story about this other lake in California that did dry up and it caused so many other disasters and the impact of it was so massive, it's the state of California had to spend like billions of dollars for the ramifications of of that one lake drank drying up. And that was small compared to what Salt Lake is.   Michael Hingson  50:57 Well in Lake Mead is fed by the Colorado River, which is why it is so low compared to where it normally is because the water just isn't there.   Peter Bloch Garcia  51:06 Yes. Well, and that's part of what he said. Like I think I thought this was fascinating in his story where 70% I think he said of Salt Lake is from the reason it's shrinking. The reason is shrinking 70% of the reason it's shrinking is because the rivers that feed Salt Lake is being diverted. Right. And that's in it's being diverted for agricultural reasons, which is important. But that's again, a systemic challenge, because we have had the technology to to implement agriculturally, to be more to ensure that the water that we are using for irrigation systems will be more efficient and not wasted. But we haven't really implemented that.   Michael Hingson  51:53 Right. Tell me about the nonprofits that you work with. And you started one I believe,   Peter Bloch Garcia  52:00 Oh, yeah, I well. I've helped start a few of them. But what the one that that I talk most about? From my end, I've learned so much from getting started a few years back is called the Latino community fund Washington State. I started that when I was working in in the foundation world where there was some research that came out that pointed out how foundations everybody assumes that Oh, foundations give money to all these poor folks of color, right? Well, in reality, foundations were only giving 1.3% of their foundation grant dollars to Latino nonprofit organizations, all communities of color combined, it was only 8.6, which is significantly disproportionate to the size of the populations for the inequities in the systems. And so a few of us started up what's called Latino community fund in Washington State to try and see what we could do to move more resources to Latino programs and organizations here in the state.   Michael Hingson  53:05 So what are you doing today, primarily?   Peter Bloch Garcia  53:08 So, I mean, I continue to support Latino community fund. But mostly as I've been working in different nonprofits, I've been serving as a Interim Executive Director. Currently, I'm working for one called the mockingbird society, actually, a reference to Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird. And its mission is to eliminate youth homelessness, and transform the foster system to one of caring and doing that with a lens of racial disproportionality. And so what I've been doing it within these kinds of organizations, and I do some consulting projects, from time to time, working with boards, working with staff, to work within the structure of the nonprofit organization to to adopt an anti racist practice, to move towards an anti racist culture of the organization that all people in the organization can be happy health healthy and thrive, as well as how they deliver either programs services in the community, or how they engage and develop the organ of the community that they're working in. In fact, I just came out with an article that I co authored. I think I just sent you the link to it. Now, if you can't access it, let me know and I might be able to find some other way to share it with you. But a few months ago, like for Well, let me back up the story a little bit because it was where were these notions had been coming from and why I focus on this so much of my work is part of my story of you know, I think when I When I was working, when I started working in foundations, I was they were miserable places to work. But I also started a graduate graduate school program. And in that program, they had a series of courses on leadership. And I think at that time, I had assumed that leadership meant the people at the top of the hierarchy, as commonly what that definition meant. In my leadership courses, I was doing all this reading and a part of the program to realize, oh, leadership is actually a set of behaviors or actions that people do wherever you are within structures, whether it's society, whether it's in an organization, whether it's in a family, or your neighborhood, or wherever. So I remember thinking, Hmm, oh, okay, well, maybe I'm a leader. Maybe that means does that mean I'm a leader, right. And so over the years, then I started looking at, like, around me in the organizations that I was at, and especially when these organizational cultures were so toxic, so painful places to work. I was trying to figure out well, why, you know, they have this wonderful mission statement, or externally, they're seen as having such a great purpose. But yet inside, it was a toxic, horrible place to be. Right. It was like the opposite of their own mission and stated values. So I've spent many years trying to figure out like, what do we do about that? Again, back to your earlier question of within this structure, how can we make it better? And that's where I use a lot of the draw, I draw from a lot of the previous work that others have done, especially around identifying characteristics of white supremacy culture, you know, I think what is there's like 15 or 16 of those, and the work that they've done, folks, prior to me, learning about them have done to identify what are the antidotes to white supremacy culture. And that's where I think there is also a complete alignment of the antidotes to white supremacy, culture, with the effective leadership behaviors and practices. And so that's where I'm working on trying to empower more Latino leadership for folks to see themselves in that and to step into it, right, but to have some understanding of it based on the values that are also going to advance anti racism. And that's where I've been working with a friend of mine. And working with a friend of mine, Tanya, you know, Gonzalez, and we came out with a podcast series ourselves called adelante leadership. And we're interviewing a whole series of folks that are unrecognized, often unrecognized Latino community leaders, but having them share their wisdom, knowledge and experience to inspire and encourage others. And similarly, about when was it earlier this year, a lot of this thinking and work I've done with friends and colleagues in the nonprofit space led me to put on a workshop at the Washington nonprofit conference called applying anti racist leadership across the whole organization. And that workshop led to me co authoring a piece that just came out yesterday with a title very similar to that.   Michael Hingson  58:40 The reality is that if we really talk about leadership, and we look at leaders who are recognized, because maybe they lead companies, and so on, and they're the, the ultimate people in charge are the people who direct the smart leaders are the ones who know when to give up leadership to other people in the organization, because those people have specific expertise or gifts, that make them more able to strengthen part of the organization. And the wise leaders, the one that knows how to essentially what I'm saying is create a team where everybody can contribute and feel like that they can contribute.   Peter Bloch Garcia  59:26 And that example, is one of the antidotes to white supremacy culture. Sure, it is about sharing power. We you know, the example you're citing to me sounds like sharing power and that's where, you know, the, the, the, but not all, but right the people who are the CEO of an organization if they don't have sort of an awareness about power, because it they will never even be consciously or intentional to to share it because that's right Talk in the same way that racism is the default. So is hoarding power is the default?   Michael Hingson  1:00:07 Sure it is. And it makes you and the organization a whole lot less effective. When to use your terms you hoard power. Yeah, rather than recognizing the gifts that everyone has. And you talk about love and joy and healing, as being part of what one needs to do to deal with improving equity across the board. And the the good leader is joyous in finding other people who can add value to what they do. And for me, I've led organizations and one of the things that I say to most people and other people on this podcast have heard me say it before is, my job isn't to tell you what to do. My job is to add value to enhance what you do. You and I will figure that out together. Right? Absolutely, then that's what we really need to do is find more ways to work together, and we've got to make it a volitional process. Or we're, we're going to be in a real world of hurt, and it's going to become worse as time goes by, whether it's with climate change, racial or Yeah, attitudinal toward persons with disabilities or whatever the case happens to be.   Peter Bloch Garcia  1:01:17 Absolutely. Right. Right. And that's where for me, I think, fundamentally, you're reminding me, Michael, it's like, why, why this is important, these issues are important to me, is because at least if we can make some progress, it will reduce the pain and the harm and the hurt so that maybe more people will surely have opportunities to experience more happiness and joy. That everybody, that should be mental, right?   Michael Hingson  1:01:47 It should be. And we've got to get over thinking that we're better because they're different than us. Yes. So much. Well, Peter, tell me how can people reach out to you maybe learn more about you or find ways to work with you? And so on? Oh,   Peter Bloch Garcia  1:02:08 gosh, well, so I'm on Facebook and LinkedIn. Peter Bloch Garcia B L O C H oftentimes, P because it's pronounced block, but it's spelled with a ch instead, people often mix that up. Yes. But you know, any, I'm always responding to people on that reach out to me on LinkedIn or Facebook. They can find out more about the work I'm doing with my friend Tanya. on Atlantic leadership. It's Adelante leadership.com. They can find our jeeze, like to write it out.   Peter Bloch Garcia  1:02:53 It's a test. It is.   Peter Bloch Garcia  1:02:56 It is it's like, right, actually, because,   Michael Hingson  1:03:03 Oh, it's okay. Yeah,   Peter Bloch Garcia  1:03:05 A D, E, L, A, N, T, E, and then leadership all together as one word. Right? Yeah. Adelante means to like, kind of push forward to go forward. It's got sort of a, a sentiment in Spanish. That's, that's an encouragement to, you know, advance. And so, and we're kind of combining it trying to do some of these interviews, both in English and Spanish, so that it's a bilingual podcast. But it's adelanteleadership as one word.com.   Michael Hingson  1:03:42 And you're gonna say something about the podcast? How people can listen. Oh, right.   Peter Bloch Garcia  1:03:48 Yeah. And the podcasts are also available wherever podcasts like on Spotify or Apple, whatever platforms that people access podcasts they can find Atlantic leadership on   Michael Hingson  1:04:05 if people feel that they might be able to contribute to it, how can they explore being guests,   Peter Bloch Garcia  1:04:11 they can email us at, I think there's a mechanism on the website, but also other people have reached out to me through LinkedIn or Facebook. They have emailed me that way, too. I think we have a Facebook or LinkedIn adelante page. No, I know we have. I know we have an unrelenting LinkedIn page. Maybe that's where I've had some people reach out that I'm talking to this one young woman. She's, uh, I don't know how old she is. Dang, she's smart, young, Latina, like PhD, etc. That she just came across us on the internet on social media and emailed us. Cool. Yeah.   Michael Hingson  1:04:55 Well, I want to thank you for being here. And I want to continue this in the future. Sure, I'm sure there's going to be more that we can talk about. So I hope that we get you to come back on maybe you and Tanya both ought to come back on at some point. And because I'd love to continue this discussion, it's been fascinating. And I've learned a lot, and I hope others have as well. So I'm really glad that you were able to be here. And all of you listening, wherever you are, please reach out to Peter and learn more about Atlanta leadership.com. And learn more about the efforts that are going on and help all of us get rid of these prejudices around difference, because it doesn't matter whether you're dealing with race, or disabilities, or any topic that identifies somebody is different than somebody else, we've got to get rid of it. We've got to start recognizing we're all on the same planet, and we need to work together. So, Peter, thank you, but also, again, all of you, thank you. If you'd like to comment on today's podcast, please do so. You can email me at Michaelhi at accessibe A C C E S S I B E.com. Or go to the podcast page, Michael hingson H i n g s o n.com/podcast. Or, again, wherever you find this podcast. And as Peter said, wherever you can find podcasts. And I would ask that you give us a five star rating, please say positive things and give us a great rating. We appreciate it. Your comments and your thoughts are what help us. If you know of anyone else who should be a guest on our podcast, please let us know. And we would be glad to talk with you and them about that. So once again, Peter, thank you very much for being here with us today.   Peter Bloch Garcia  1:06:46 Thank you for having me. It's my pleasure.   Michael Hingson  1:06:53 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com. accessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

Dr. Akhtar Badshah is Chief Catalyst at Catalytic Innovators Group, where he advises organizations and individuals to catalyze their strategy focused on social and philanthropic investments. In this episode, they discuss his purpose mindset view of innovation: self, community, and work. This episode also unpacks his five principles of a purpose mindset. More about our guest:Dr. Akhtar Badshah  also conducts Purpose Mindset Leadership Workshops with organizations to help individuals articulate their strengths and values, and craft their purpose statement. A seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in international development, managing a corporate philanthropic program and co-founding a global nonprofit for social enterprise, Dr. Badshah led Microsoft's philanthropic efforts for ten years, where he administered the company's community investment and employee contributions. He was instrumental in launching both Unlimited Potential and Youth Spark, the company's focus to bring digital technology to underserved communities and youth all over the world. Dr. Badshah serves on the boards of Microsoft Alumni Network, Global Washington, Restart Partners and The Indus Entrepreneurs, Seattle Chapter. A Distinguished Practitioner at the University of Washington at the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, the Business School, at the Bothell campus, and a faculty advisor at the START Center in the Department of Global Health, he is the founder and curator of the University's Accelerating Social Transformation program, a mid-career professional development certificate course on social impact. In May 2020, Dr. Badshah and his colleagues launched Restart Partners, funded by the Department of Commerce, WA State, and supported by Facebook to increase confidence in mask adoption and vaccines with the goal of helping to restart the economy. He is an accomplished artist, a doctoral graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and author of the 2020 release, Purpose Mindset: How Microsoft Inspires Employees and Alumni to Change the World (HarperCollins Leadership). Dr. Badshah and his family are very active philanthropists in the Seattle area.------------------------------------------------Episode Guide:1:32 - What is Innovation?2:37 - Critical pieces of innovation6:23 - Happiness Squad8:02 - Hardwired for Fear9:27 - Losing innovation to survival11:06 - Hardwiring for Happiness15:02 - Work and Mind-wandering17:00 - Creative 'time'18:57 - New book: Hardwired for Happiness19:39 - 9 Practices: Self Awareness21:19 - Practice: Purpose23:09 - Practice: Community Building24:00 - Practice: Wellbeing27:42 - Upgrading our operating system: becoming agile31:34 - Advice for innovators-------------------------Resources Mentioned: Books / Articles:Book: Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life --------------------------OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

On this midweek show, Crystal chats with current Secretary of State Steve Hobbs about his campaign for Washington Secretary of State - why he decided to run for re-election, the threat of misinformation campaigns and cyber attacks on Washington's elections, how partisanship affects the office, and whether partisan attacks on his opponent are warranted. On the topic of elections, they discuss how he builds trust in the system in an environment of disinformation, addressing issues with disproportionate rates of signature rejection across the electorate, his plans to increase voter turnout, and his stance and approach to local jurisdictions potentially adopting alternative systems such as ranked choice voting. The conversation continues with the experience Secretary Hobbs brings to manage other components that fall under the Secretary of State's large umbrella and his vision to create greater accessibility for experiencing the state archives' historical records, resources for corporate and charity filings, and requesting governmental documents via public disclosure requests. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find Secretary Steve Hobbs at @electhobbs.   Resources Campaign Website - Steve Hobbs   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington State through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes.   Today, I'm thrilled to be welcoming a candidate and the current officeholder for one of the most important roles that we have in our state - Secretary of State. Welcome, Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. [00:00:51] Secretary Hobbs: Thank you. And thank you for saying it's very important. Thank you - I appreciate that. [00:00:56] Crystal Fincher: It is extremely important. And I think a lot of people are recognizing just how important it is now perhaps. Many more people are recognizing that than they have before because of how much talk we've had over the past couple of years about how important elections and election integrity are. But also, in addition to elections, all of the other things that the Secretary of State is responsible for like archives and records management and all those different things. And we're seeing an increasing amount of news stories and coverage in issues and challenges in those areas. So with all of that, what made you decide that - one, you wanted to take this on in the first place, and two, that you want to run for a new term? [00:01:41] Secretary Hobbs: Well, first of all, I've always dedicated myself to public service - starting at the age of 17 when I enlisted in the Army Reserves - then, and then going on to active duty shortly after that. So this was a nice transition from serving in the State Senate, which I did for 15 years, into this role because it's a nice little Venn diagram - you know how you have the two circles there? So one is defending democracy in my role in the military and the other is serving in the State Senate. And this is a great overlap because right now, as and your listeners would know, our elections have been under attack. Our democracy has been under attack. [00:02:30] Crystal Fincher: Sure has. [00:02:31] Secretary Hobbs: And so having that background that I have in the military - serving in the National Security Agency, being a Public Affairs Officer - having been in that role and defending elections in both Kosovo and Iraq, this is a great fit for me. And I enjoy it, I love it - but it of course has its challenges, which we have had several this year with three misinformation campaigns and a cyber threat that has occurred already just this year alone. [00:03:04] Crystal Fincher: So how do you defend against those? And what is the plan to combat all of this misinformation and the targeted attacks? [00:03:12] Secretary Hobbs: Well, it first started when I got into the office and there was an outbriefing by former Secretary Kim Wyman, who is now working for the Biden administration. And in that outbrief, she had told me there were several thousand - thousands - of attacks, cyber attacks, on elections and 180 instances of misinformation and disinformation. We all know about what happened in January 6 in our nation's capital, but some of you may not know or remember - there was an attack on our own State capital. We had to deploy the National Guard there. In fact, several of my soldiers had to go on that mission to defend our capital. And so I started by looking at the budget that was submitted by Kim Wyman and pulled it back and resubmitted it. And what I did was expanded the cyber security team. So we had a cyber team of four, now we've gone to eight. We're strengthening our relationships with the Air National Guard that we call upon for cyber security when we are overwhelmed. We are looking into doing exercises - one step up from a tabletop exercise, but actually a full-blown exercise in 2023, where we'll be having folks who are trying to penetrate our system through cyber and through misinformation, disinformation - a closed system there where we can react to it. We have created a team that would combat misinformation and do voter outreach and education, because some of the vulnerabilities that we have of people not having trust in our elections is because they simply don't know how we do elections here in Washington State. So we've got to do a little more education of that. And then creating a team of outreach to our disenfranchised and underserved and underrepresented communities that we're doing. Sorry, I went on, but there's a lot to do. And there's a lot that we have done so far in trying to push back on some of the misinformation campaigns that happen and the cyber threat that happened this year. [00:05:23] Crystal Fincher: Well, and it's really important - there is a lot going on. And I guess one of the more fundamental questions that people are asking themselves is - with the nature of the office and because this is a little bit different this year in that you're running against someone who identifies as an Independent, not as a Democrat or a Republican, what is the role of partisanship in this office? Is this an office that should be a partisan office? Is there any advantage or disadvantage to being a partisan in this office? How do you view that? [00:05:53] Secretary Hobbs: Well, in my personal view, I can operate in this office if the Legislature deems that it should be a nonpartisan office. Now, in order for that to happen, you have to pass a bill to do that. I doubt that will make it out of the Legislature since the Legislature is controlled by Republicans and Democrats and I don't see that happening any time soon. I think what you have to do is look at the individual who's occupying this office. How do I say this? Well, I go back to a motto - when I'm serving an infantry battalion, all infantry battalions have mottos and mine was, or ours was - "Deeds, not words." So look at what I've done, not what I say. And you'll see that I'm a person that works across the aisle. You'll see that I'm a person that can get things done. And you look at the list of endorsements that I have - I have Republican endorsements, Democratic endorsements. I have the endorsement of the Association of Washington Business and the Washington State Labor Council. And having a label on there - it doesn't do anything if you're going to be a bad person. So the last three Secretaries of State were partisan - Sam Reed, Kim Wyman, and Ralph Munro - and they were trusted with the public and they got the job done. I will say - in this day and age, though, people tend to trust Democrats running the elections, because they know where they're coming from. And I'm not going to back away from the fact that I am a Democrat. I'm proud that I'm pro-choice. I'm proud that I'm pro-labor. I'm proud that I support the environment. I don't think those are bad things at all. Whatever the Legislature decides - if they want to make this a partisan office - or nonpartisan office - that's fine. But I can operate in any environment. And I don't think it really matters anyway, at this particular time, but I'm not going to back away who I am. I'm a Democrat. [00:08:05] Crystal Fincher: That makes sense. No secret here. I think the values that you listed are very good. And that the people, in this day and age - given the harboring of anti, disproven, disinformation about elections and campaigns that they see coming from the Republican Party are comfortable - more comfortable - with the Democratic Party in this position. But with that said, there have been - I don't know that any of this has come directly from your campaign. But the State Party and the leader of the State Party has attacked the other candidate, your opponent Julie Anderson, for her associations with some Republicans, or the Republican Party. Given that - you just talked about, hey, it's about who you are, it's about what you do - do you think those attacks are warranted or fair? [00:08:57] Secretary Hobbs: Crystal, you did bring up a couple of points that have been brought up recently in this campaign. And all I can say is - to the listeners out there, look into it, right? So she did show up at the fundraiser of the minority party in the House who wants to take control of the House - that's JT Wilcox, Representative Wilcox. If you're calling yourself nonpartisan, I'm not sure why you would go to that fundraiser, representing a party and some folks out there that want to put these elections back to poll voting and eliminate vote by mail. And the same group of folks that fan the flames of misinformation and disinformation. She does have a political consultant that's Republican, and a communications team that's Republican, and a treasurer that's Republican. But I'm not here to bash on her. I'm just saying to the listeners out there - do your own research on it. But yeah, that's true that there are, she's - has some ties there. [00:10:07] Crystal Fincher: You mentioned your willingness to work across the aisle. Could that just be her attempting to do the same types of things that you were talking about in reaching out? To that, it does look like she has also, in the past - I don't know if she has in this general election - but met with Democrats and Democratic organizations. Do you put that under the same umbrella? Or is that different than just trying to work in a bipartisan manner? [00:10:33] Secretary Hobbs: I think it's an attempt to look at this race and go - okay, well, Steve's got the Democrats, so maybe I'll go get the Republicans. Because there are Republicans out there that simply just don't want a Democrat in office - and doesn't matter if that person's a good Democrat or not - they just can't stand the fact that there's a Democrat occupying that office. And so - she's going to reach out to those folks, it's just a campaign strategy. But again, I stress to the listeners - look at the backgrounds and see the deeds of the person and see what they can bring to the office. Again, I've been in the office so far for almost a year. And you got to ask yourself - is anything wrong with what's going on? And if not, why change horses at this particular moment in time? Crystal, I mentioned the three misinformation campaigns and the cyber threat - these are real things. These are real threats to democracy - I would say that you'd want someone who understands how to counter those threats. There was a story in NPR All Things Considered about a recent misinformation campaign that we pushed back on. And that happened in February - and it had to deal with one of the cybersecurity devices known as an Albert sensor that Homeland Security asks every government agency to have on their system network so that they can be warned when there's a suspicious IP address that data is coming from and to - because that's what an Albert sensor does - it tells you where the data is coming from and to. And you're not going to believe this, but the misinformation campaign directed at the Albert sensors was trying to tie the Albert sensor to George Soros. I'm not making this up. [00:12:30] Crystal Fincher: Well, unfortunately, I do believe it, but it is wild. That is - the attempt to tie everything - my goodness. [00:12:39] Secretary Hobbs: Yeah, yeah. [00:12:40] Crystal Fincher: I'm sure lots of people are shocked to hear that what they've been working on is somehow masterminded by that person. But yeah, there have been wild and malicious attacks and just an outright denial of what has happened in elections. And I actually think you raise an excellent point that we don't talk about a lot - in that you brought up even - we see this stuff happening on the national level and even January 6th on a national level. But that we did experience that in our own state at that time - both in-person and the attacks on our voting system. And so I guess one of the questions I have is given that we're in this environment of not just misinformation, but malicious disinformation, and people with an agenda to erode and degrade trust - how do you build trust in our electoral system? Because although there are absolutely people who are intentionally misleading people, there's a lot of people who sincerely believe we have issues within our system - and for a variety of different reasons and from different perspectives - this is not just Republicans, it can be a variety of people. In an environment where there is so much disinformation, how do you build trust and credibility with voters in this state? [00:13:58] Secretary Hobbs: Oh, it's a long-term campaign that you have to start right away and not only be aggressive on, but consistent on. So for example, the misinformation campaign on the Albert sensor, you have to - we brought together all the county auditors and we brought, we invited county commissioners, and we brought in Kim Wyman, Homeland Security and FBI to inform the county auditors - hey, don't believe this misinformation. It's not true. The Albert sensor is simply a device that protects you, not a George Soros machine. Unfortunately, one county removed that system and now we're still working with that. But we are right now launching a major voter information campaign called "Vote with Confidence" - we launched it yesterday. It'll be out on TV and probably when you're pumping gas - sometimes you see those video screens that are up that's showing commercials - and on social media platforms. And basically we're going to do more than just remind people to vote because we've done a great job of reminding people to vote. Myself and the county auditors have have all done that, but what we haven't done a good job of is letting you all know what happens to your vote and how it is secure, transparent, and accessible. You may know this here, Crystal, because you're familiar with politics - that you can go to your county auditor and witness the process. You can see these ballots come in, you can see them get counted, you can see every signature being checked. But the average person doesn't know that and that's what we need to start doing. We need to start telling people - even things that are somewhat technical - that this state is part of the ERIC system, the Elections Registration Information Center, where our state is connected to other states and different databases so that if you were to move to another state and register there and fail to cancel your registration here - guess what? We're going to know about it. Don't try to vote multiple times in the same election by trying to register in different counties because guess what? We're going to catch you and we have caught people doing that. This whole myth about dead people voting - that's just not true and when it does happen on very rare occasions, it's because a spouse votes for a recently deceased loved one and maybe that spouse, before they died, said who they were going to vote for and they voted for them and they signed their ballot and guess what? We catch that. We find that out, but we have to do more though - we have to let people know what happens with their ballot and we haven't been doing that. [00:16:49] Crystal Fincher: Well, and one question I have - we have seen, and there have been reported on, inconsistencies in how rigorous people are in either checking signatures or even potentially malfeasance in checking signatures. And we saw in a report on a county in our state where people with Latino surnames had signatures that were rejected at a much higher rate than those with other names, even though it appears they were valid voters, that everything else was in order - but they seemed to be disqualified visually with the commonality that they did have a Latino surname. And questions about whether racism was at play and bias within our electoral system - what role can you as the Secretary of State play to make sure that we're implementing process and executing processes across the state, throughout all of the counties, in a consistent way? And how do you hold counties accountable to that? [00:17:48] Secretary Hobbs: Yeah, thank you for that. That was a study that came out of the State Auditor. And she had - it's very shocking - Blacks were four times as much rejected, Hispanics three times as much, Asians twice as much. Young men were actually rejected at a slightly higher rate. And our role on that one is we're taking action on it. So already we're working with the Legislature. Now we know about this data, now we got to find out why that is - and so we're doing another study with the Evans School at the University of Washington. But we're not going to stand idly by and wait for the study. There's some actions that we can take already to try to mitigate that. And one of the things that we are doing, though it won't come online for probably another - probably not 'til next year - and that is text messaging the voter the moment their ballot is rejected. Because the main reason why ballots are rejected - it actually has to do with not signing the ballot. A lot of folks just fail to sign it because they - maybe they didn't see the signature block. Or, especially those where English is not their first language, they just didn't read it because it was in English. And so you have ballot rejections happening because people fail to sign. And right now the current system is we send you mail, which - not very efficient. Counties might call you. But what we're thinking about doing and what we'd like to do is - hey, send a text message out to them right away so that they know their ballot is rejected and so they can do something about it before, and sometimes even before the Election Day. Because right now most people get their ballots cured - and the term cured is used when your signatures don't match, or you failed to sign your signature - is there's a close election and a bunch of people go into a particular Legislative District or jurisdiction and they're curing ballots because there's a campaign - the campaign is trying to get their candidate across the finish line. [00:20:12] Crystal Fincher: So now - with that, and you're trying to get voters there, you're trying to make sure every vote counts. Do you also see one of your core roles as getting more people to vote - increasing turnout and participation? And if that is, how do you plan to do that? [00:20:30] Secretary Hobbs: Oh, absolutely. I think it's very important. I think we have to constantly try to do that. It's a struggle because sometimes voters just - oh, this election is not important, so I'm not going to vote. Well, we have to constantly remind folks that, hey, elections are important, it's part of the democratic process. That's why I'm happy that the Legislature gave me the funding to not only do this voter information campaign letting people know how their ballots process, but also reminding them again - hey, don't forget you got to vote, there's an election coming up. One thing that we are trying to do to increase voter turnout and increasing the amount of people getting registered - because there's a lot of people out there who are eligible to be voters but haven't done it yet - is getting at young people before they even turn a voting age. And so we're looking at, and this is theoretical this moment, but we're going to try to really push it in the next - if given the opportunity to serve out the rest of the term - a mobile gaming app targeted at young people. Maybe it is where they vote in a fantasy setting, they vote for imaginary folks - we throw on some civics questions, and maybe they get points, and they level up - to get them jazzed up, if you will, about voting and participating in our democracy. And looking at our curriculum, because we do provide curriculum to the elementary, middle school, and high school about elections - and so maybe there's a way we can make that more exciting, maybe we team up with our local tabletop game companies here in the State of Washington and send out - in a form of a game. The other thing we need to do is reach out to our underserved communities out there. And so taking a great idea from King County, the trusted messenger program - hiring folks that come from a particular community - knowing the language, knowing the community, knowing the culture. They go out there and do the outreach necessary to get people registered to vote, and teaching them and informing them about the process of voting. I can't hire enough people to do that, so we're already looking at - well, maybe we also contract out to different organizations that do that already. I was talking to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce a couple weeks ago - maybe that's an opportunity there out in the Tri-Cities - I'm going to go visit them again on the 18th of October. But we just have to do more. I was very excited - we started because COVID is slowly getting manageable - we were able to go to the July 4th naturalization ceremony in Seattle and we registered about 300 new citizens. And that is exciting - we're going to be at those events as well. [00:23:41] Crystal Fincher: So in a debate early in this race, you shared your view that we shouldn't change our electoral process to ranked choice voting, which is on the ballot in a handful of jurisdictions in our state, or approval voting - because you had concerns that some people already have issues with trust in our system and making changes might make that problem even worse. Is not making changes because of a fear of misinformation a valid reason not to explore changes? Or should we be investing in things that help make the process more clear to people, especially if it's going to update them on a voting system that should increase turnout? How did you come to that decision? [00:24:19] Secretary Hobbs: Well, Crystal, it basically - it comes to the fact that I've been in this job for a while, I've seen the amount of disinformation that's going out there. There's a King 5 poll that showed 35% of Washingtonians didn't trust the 2020 election - that's Washingtonians. And looking at the voter turnout - right now our system is pretty easy - you vote for the person that you like and it's one vote. Under ranked choice voting, you have an algorithm, you rank people. And at this particular moment in time, when you have this amount of disinformation going on and you have the situation in our own - US capital and or state capital - really now is not the time to do something like that. But one thing that I get very concerned about, and this is my own personal connection to this, is that you're asking people to vote in a foreign way, something completely different. And that we have a huge population of people where English is not their first language. And so now you are going to disenfranchise a group of people. And that's something we certainly do not want to happen. I think about my own mother who naturalized to this country - English is not her first language - and I can't imagine if you go back in time and all of a sudden you said - hey, vote ranked choice voting, and you didn't have a voter's guide or any explanation to her in her language, it'd be very difficult. I also think about my son. I have a - my middle son, Truman, who's got a cognitive disability. It's very easy for him to vote because I show him the ballot and I show him the voter's guide and I go - hey, Truman, all you do is you color in the bubble to the person that you like. And for Truman, a lot of it's visual - he's going to look at the picture, he's not going to do a lot of reading. And by the way, he has every right to vote. If you have a disability, that shouldn't prevent you from voting. [00:26:29] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. [00:26:30] Secretary Hobbs: He is going to have a hard time doing ranked choice voting. It's just not possible for him. And so I know the advocates out there pushing the ranked choice voting, but let's not disenfranchise a whole group of people out there. They may not be the majority, but they're out there and we shouldn't disenfranchise them. Also, I don't know what this is solving. I really don't. We have the most diverse legislative body right now under the current system of voting, a very diverse city council if you live in the City of Seattle. I'm not quite sure what this is trying to solve. But I will say this because I know that there has been - people say, oh, well, he's not going to help us out when we do ranked choice voting. That's not true. My job as Secretary of State is to support the elections in the state and local municipalities. And that is exactly what I'll do if a municipality or county chooses to do ranked choice voting. But I am telling you and I am asking the citizens, please pause and think about it before you choose ranked choice voting, because there are other people out there that may not get it. It may be difficult to understand. Let's not leave them out in the cold and let's think about our democracy right now with the amount of misinformation that's out there. [00:27:59] Crystal Fincher: Well, and I guess I should ask a clarifying question because ranked choice voting is certainly one reform or change that is on the ballot. There's also another change currently on the ballot in a jurisdiction this year - approval voting. We see different methods of voting - one, just in our neighbor to the south in Portland - there they have a different type of voting on the ballot for their city this year. We're seeing a number of different types. So is your opposition strictly to ranked choice voting or to any of the kinds of changes, whether it's ranked choice or approval voting or any kind of change that would be made? [00:28:36] Secretary Hobbs: It's right now - this particular moment in time - is any kind of change, unless you can find a way where you're going to get the word out to those individuals where English is not their first language, where they've got cognitive disabilities, and the fact - hey, is this vulnerable to a misinformation? Because right now, if there's a close election, you just count out the votes and whoever has the most votes wins. That's how it's done, right - in close races. But let's say it's ranked choice voting or preferred voting - it gets slightly complicated. In ranked choice voting, you're basing it upon an algorithm. And so now, what's going to happen? Well, what's going to happen is you're going to have a group of individuals who didn't get their way, and they're going to say, oh, this algorithm got hacked, which is not true. This algorithm, written by George Soros, and again, not true. But that's what's going to happen. [00:29:36] Crystal Fincher: Well, I don't know that I would call it an algorithm, but a different method of tabulation and rounds of tabulation. [00:29:42] Secretary Hobbs: Well, that's what we call it - it doesn't make it a bad thing. It just - that's what it is. There's nothing wrong with it. I'm just saying to you that you just leave yourself vulnerable to misinformation that could attack it. [00:29:59] Crystal Fincher: I got you - but I think the underlying, as you pointed out, related concern is they are on the ballot and those changes may be made in places. And so the role of - again, in the implementation of these things - certainly there can be a lot of challenges that are introduced with implementation - how well just the system itself is implemented, and how well residents are trained and informed and educated before it happens. Do you plan on playing a role in that and being an advocate for voting and participating in the system should one of those be implemented? [00:30:41] Secretary Hobbs: Well, we have to - that's the role. I can't not do that as Secretary of State. I have to make sure that these - if a local jurisdiction chooses this form of election, then of course, we're going to be there to support it. [00:30:59] Crystal Fincher: And so I do want to talk about - we've talked about elections - and that's, to most people, the most visible thing that you're involved with as Secretary of State. But my goodness, you have a lot more responsibilities than that - just going down the list, aside from dealing with elections and initiatives and referendums - producing and distributing the Voters' Pamphlet and any legal advertising; registering private corporations, limited partnerships and trademarks; registering individuals, organizations and commercial fundraisers involved in charitable solicitations; administering the State's address confidentiality program, which is really important for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking; collecting and preserving the historical records of the state and making those records available for research; coordinating implementation of the State's records management laws; affixing the State seal and attesting to commissions, pardons and other documents to which the signature of the governor is required; regulating use of the State seal, which came in handy in another state - there was a whole thing about - that is an important and relevant thing. Filing and attesting to official acts of the Legislature or governor and certifying to the Legislature all matters legally required to be certified. You're also frequently called upon to represent the State of Washington in international trade and cultural missions, and greet and confer with dignitaries and delegations visiting the State of Washington from other countries. This is a big, big job and my goodness, you have your hands full with just elections, but there are so many other things underneath the umbrella of your responsibility. How do you both focus on elections and all of the other stuff? And how has this gone so far? [00:32:47] Secretary Hobbs: Well, I've got a great staff and I got great people who manage these different divisions. Thank you for mentioning those other things because sometimes my employees that are in libraries and corporations and nonprofits and legacy - which is history of Washington State - not to mention our CFD, our Combined Fund Drive - sometimes they feel neglected. My Secretary of State's office is about nearly 300 people and 22 people occupy Elections. There's a lot more that we do than just elections and I love it. I actually love the other side. It's very therapeutic to me because there's not the controversy that's involved in those other aspects. Libraries are near and dear to my heart. In fact, we have libraries in every state institution - our state prisons and our state hospital. I'm proud to announce that we're actually going into our state juvenile detention facilities, which we haven't done, and I'm glad we're doing that. It's about time - they should be in there. What I'm going to do and what I'm starting to do is use our state libraries as a place for rehabilitation - getting folks who are incarcerated, giving them the skills necessary when they leave the prison. We really haven't done that in the past and I'm looking forward to doing that. I get it's not going to be a lot of people, but you know what? Let's not let that space go to waste. I'm also excited using libraries as a place where we can provide therapy for the incarcerated. I'm working with, or talking with, some of the tabletop gaming companies - the use of RPGs and gaming as a form of therapy is an opportunity for us - to have that in our state libraries, so I'm looking at that. We team up with rural libraries and community libraries out there in Washington State - we're looking at doing more of that - creating game libraries out in the rural communities. They do it in Vancouver and in Spokane - they actually have game libraries where you can go and play games and it's an opportunity to create a safe space for young people out there in rural communities where a library is the only place where they can go to. And of course, corporations, charities - you had mentioned that. We are on the verge of creating satellite offices so that you don't have to drive all the way to Olympia if you have a problem with your corporate filings and your nonprofit filings, so I'm looking forward to that. People shouldn't have to drive to Olympia if they're having major problems. And there's a lot of people out there just - it's hard for them to navigate the internet, especially those who are older. So we're doing a lot out there with the other agencies of my office, so thank you for bringing it up. [00:35:53] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely. And so there are a few things - so many things we could talk about - these are all things that have areas, they're crucially important, they require deep expertise. You are there, and as in many departments and in many areas, there are very professional, dedicated, experienced staff who keep this running between and across administrations who are crucial to the work. But there are conversations about how important having a leader with experience in these types of work is. And that's been one of the areas that your opponent, Julie Anderson, has talked about as an advantage that she has in this race - as an auditor who, in addition to dealing with elections, also deals with a broad portfolio of responsibilities - that she has experience with many of these things, in addition to elections. And decades of experience she talks about, and that it's important to have that kind of experience in elections and in these other areas in the office, and saying you don't have it. How do you respond to that? [00:37:06] Secretary Hobbs: Well, I would say that clearly she doesn't know my background. And again, I offer anyone to look at my background, but I've been in the military for 33 years. And I've had varying levels of experience in the military leadership - commanded recently a 750 joint task force dealing with COVID support operations in Western Washington. That is far more employees than I even have now as Secretary of State, far more than what Julie Anderson has in her office doing multiple tasks. And that's just not just one thing - commanding companies and commanding battalion-level units - multiple people in a unit. Also, the the fact that I'm doing it right now. I've been running the Secretary of State's office for almost a year, and no complaints - I really haven't heard any major complaints from anybody. And it's been a blast doing it, using my skills - not just in the military - but having a Master's in Public Administration, my service in the State Senate. It's not easy being Chair of Transportation and managing that very large budget and navigating legislation. So I have more than enough skill, right now, in this office. Again, I just invite you to look at the backgrounds of each of us. [00:38:41] Crystal Fincher: Which makes sense. And so within those, what are you doing to preserve historical records, which is one of the things within the state - especially as we see in some areas, there are people who are much less interested in the preservation of historical records. And sometimes challenging that and attacking that at the federal level, bleeding down to other levels. And how do you make those records more readily available to the public than they are today? [00:39:09] Secretary Hobbs: Ah, yes. Well, so one of the things that we're doing - and it's challenging, because we just have so much paper records right now - digitizing all those records. So we're trying to provide more, hiring more people to do that, hiring better equipment. Just as I got into office, I traveled all - most, pretty much all the state archives buildings, except for one - talking to rank and file there. When I went to Bellingham, I talked to the archives folks there. And they were telling me, Hey, we need a large scanner to be more efficient, because right now we got to take - so you got to scan sometimes larger maps and stuff, you got to send it all the way to Olympia. It's well, let's see if we can purchase and get you a scanner so that you can do it there to make things more efficient. So those are the things I've been looking at. And of course, being able to have access to that online is very important to me. And digitizing our records is just one small part in keeping our records, but also telling the story about our state. As the state archives, I have the - we have the State Constitution, we have these old documents, and they shouldn't be behind a vault, a dark vault. People should see this, so I'm again, this is theoretical, and hopefully I have to get the Legislature's funding approval on this. But I'd like to bring these artifacts out, this history out, and travel the state and show people, show young people - visit, maybe, the high schools and elementary schools - hey, this is the history of our state. We're building a new library, and we're going to put a lot of info - not just our archives in there and books, but the state's history and the state's culture - let's tell the story about, especially in my community - I'm an Asian American, there's the Japanese that were put into camps. Let's talk about that story. Let's talk about Native, our Native peoples in this state - how we took their land and how they were struggling, and now they've become a political power in this state and how great that is, and how they have educated us on the environment - saving salmon. We need to tell these stories, and I've been looking at using our archives and our libraries to develop - not competition with you, of course - but doing a podcast. [00:41:35] Crystal Fincher: I'm all for it. I'm all for it. [00:41:38] Secretary Hobbs: Yeah, and talk and do it in the style of YouTube and Twitch, so there's interaction there at the same time. And I'm going to go on a bit of a tangent here, because I forgot to mention this, but - the listeners out there, if you're really into podcasts, there's one called Ear Hustle, which is a podcast ran by those incarcerated in the California penal system. And I want to do that here in the State of Washington. I want the prisoners to do their own podcasts to talk about how they got there, and how is life behind bars, and how they're changing themselves for the better. No, I really want to bring to life, light, what is going on in Washington State. [00:42:26] Crystal Fincher: So is it fair to say that you would want to - we have our physical libraries, we have our archives across and around the state - that you want to also create a digital library that is accessible to researchers, to the public - to see these artifacts. I was on a different site reading treaties, actually, that are incredibly interesting - to see what was promised and agreed to, and what actually wound up being delivered - which are in most cases, two very different things. But is that what you're looking to do - to be able to have people access, have access to these things - to view, to see - virtually as well as in-person? [00:43:08] Secretary Hobbs: Oh, yes, absolutely. You can do some of that already. But man, we have so much - so much archives. I was up in, again, the Bellingham one, and I pulled out this old, dusty, large leatherbound book. And I opened it up - a lot of the pages were empty. I just kept on turning the page, turning the page, and finally a page came up, and there was this story. It was very funny - it was nice handwriting - it basically said something like, Laura Smith marries David Hamilton, and two chickens, a cow, and some land was exchanged, or something like that. That, I don't know, I geek out over that. I think that's totally cool. It was a story of, obviously, a wedding, because we counties always record marriages, and that was recorded before the days of statehood in our territorial days. So all that needs to be preserved, that needs to be digitized, and we all need to see it. I think that's fantastic. [00:44:09] Crystal Fincher: All right - so we have heard from several municipalities, several reporters in municipalities about challenges with record management. And this is another part of your portfolio - records management across the state, which is also really related to the ability to deliver on public records requests, public disclosure requests - the ability to do that. And how many challenges there are within the system - hearing from municipalities and from reporters across the state that wait times for documents, for discovering whether something exists or doesn't exist, for records that should have been retained that have been deleted - creating lots of challenges for - really the goal of retaining a record is so you can be able to access the information. And so people who are entitled to that information, including the public, can access their information. We are seeing so many challenges with that right now - in the length of time it takes to fulfill requests, in the consistency of how records are retained and managed. What can you do to improve that? [00:45:15] Secretary Hobbs: Well, just like I said last time, I just got to get more people to do the digitization of our records and better equipment - especially the older documents - to have that scanned in. But the other thing that we've been noticing, Crystal, and maybe your listeners out there might know this - is the weaponization of the public records requests, where you have somebody making an outrageous request of a government agency to simply overwhelm them. And we have seen the rise of that as well, which is unfortunate, because that is not what the public records laws were meant to do. It was meant for transparency, not to overwhelm a local government with a frivolous request. Which is unfortunate - local governments and our own state government are struggling to try to keep up, but we have to be transparent, and that's what we constantly are trying to do. [00:46:19] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, and even that area is a big challenge. For the person making the request, it's always interesting, but I think there have been some instances - certainly that I can recall - where someone who disagrees with the nature of the request, or maybe it's from some political - people who disagree with decisions that they've made before, or reporters who are simply investigating what is going on - being characterized as malicious, but seemingly making some standard requests. Now, there are certainly bad actors out there, but that is not the entirety of the issue. And so for - looking at implementing records management processes across the state, assisting municipalities with that - is there anything that can be done? Is it a situation where truly - sure, we have these retention policies, we have to save this, but if we don't have the staff, then that's just it. And ultimately, then the public does not get access to information that they're entitled to. Are we really relying on allocations of funding from the Legislature and from other levels of government to be able to deliver upon this really basic entitlement that the public has? [00:47:32] Secretary Hobbs: Well, there's certainly attempts and technology changes to make this easier, but it does come down sometimes to people. And so that is a struggle. But we've done a really good job of meeting the public records requests ourselves in our own - we're a separately elected agency - but some of these small towns and cities are, they're having some challenges out there. [00:48:02] Crystal Fincher: Well, as we get close to wrapping up our time here, as voters are considering who they're going to choose in this election and trying to weigh - okay, I'm hearing arguments on one side, I'm hearing arguments from the opponent. Why should I choose you, and what am I going to see that's different, or what will I not see that's different - if they vote for you? What do you say to voters who are undecided as they consider this decision? [00:48:33] Secretary Hobbs: What I would say to them is the Office of Secretary of State has changed. It has changed across the United States and those offices as well. It's not one that it just simply works with the counties to manage, oversee, and support elections. It is now one where you have to protect democracy, you have to protect elections from threats of misinformation and cyber threats. And I am the only candidate that has the background to do that - with my background in the military, having served in the NSA, with my background of being a Public Affairs Officer, being a graduate of Department of Defense Information School, knowing how to combat misinformation and combat cyber threats. Also, the fact that I can work across the aisle and have done so in my 15 years in the State Senate - it's the one of the reasons why I have Republican endorsements and why I've been endorsed by organizations that typically oppose each other, like the Association of Washington Business and the Washington State Labor Council. Also, we need to have somebody that understands and can speak for those communities that are underserved and underrepresented. I'm a son of an Asian immigrant. I am the first API member that's ever been Secretary of State, and I'm the only statewide official who's a person of color. We need to have somebody that represents them as well. And lastly, I ask you this - because in all these elections, when you're trying to get rid of someone, is that person just not working for you? Are they not doing a good job? I've been in this office for almost a year. Are there any complaints? If the horse is getting you to the place where you need to go to, and the horse is a good horse and strong and improving, why change horses? We've done, like I said, we've handled three fairly large misinformation campaigns that - reported in NPR and NBC News. We've had two special elections in a statewide primary, and those have gone smoothly. And then you've heard in this episode here about what I want to do with other aspects of the office, such as libraries and corporations and legacy. So if you're happy with those things, there's really no need to change. And so I'm hoping that you will give me a chance to do the full term. And just to think of the improvements that I can do in the next two years. And of course, I'm always going to be there to defend democracy, defend elections, because I did it for real in Kosovo and Iraq, and I'm doing it now as your Secretary of State. [00:51:34] Crystal Fincher: Well, thank you so much for joining us today, for having this conversation, and for letting the voters get to know you a little bit more. Much appreciated. Thank you so much. [00:51:42] Secretary Hobbs: Thank you. [00:51:43] Crystal Fincher: Thank you all for listening to Hacks & Wonks. The producer of Hacks & Wonks is Lisl Stadler. Our assistant producer is Shannon Cheng, and our post-production assistant is Bryce Cannatelli. You can find Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks, and you can follow me @finchfrii, spelled F-I-N-C-H-F-R-I-I. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get our Friday almost-live shows and our midweek show delivered right to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave us a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

Dr. Akhtar Badshah is Chief Catalyst at Catalytic Innovators Group, where he advises organizations and individuals to catalyze their strategy focused on social and philanthropic investments. In this episode, they discuss his purpose mindset view of innovation: self, community, and work. This episode also unpacks his five principles of a purpose mindset. More about our guest:Dr. Akhtar Badshah  also conducts Purpose Mindset Leadership Workshops with organizations to help individuals articulate their strengths and values, and craft their purpose statement. A seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in international development, managing a corporate philanthropic program and co-founding a global nonprofit for social enterprise, Dr. Badshah led Microsoft's philanthropic efforts for ten years, where he administered the company's community investment and employee contributions. He was instrumental in launching both Unlimited Potential and Youth Spark, the company's focus to bring digital technology to underserved communities and youth all over the world. Dr. Badshah serves on the boards of Microsoft Alumni Network, Global Washington, Restart Partners and The Indus Entrepreneurs, Seattle Chapter. A Distinguished Practitioner at the University of Washington at the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, the Business School, at the Bothell campus, and a faculty advisor at the START Center in the Department of Global Health, he is the founder and curator of the University's Accelerating Social Transformation program, a mid-career professional development certificate course on social impact. In May 2020, Dr. Badshah and his colleagues launched Restart Partners, funded by the Department of Commerce, WA State, and supported by Facebook to increase confidence in mask adoption and vaccines with the goal of helping to restart the economy. He is an accomplished artist, a doctoral graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and author of the 2020 release, Purpose Mindset: How Microsoft Inspires Employees and Alumni to Change the World (HarperCollins Leadership). Dr. Badshah and his family are very active philanthropists in the Seattle area.------------------------------------------------Episode Guide:2:09 - What is Innovation?  4:07 - Trinity: Sales, Community, and Work6:04 - Capitalist Societal Environment6:54 - Unfolding from Capitalism: Questioning and Recognizing 'Meaning'  10:25 - The Purpose Gap: reducing tension and friction12:25 - Deriving value and purpose in life journey  14:16 - Purpose alignment16:05 - What Catalytic Innovators Group works on17:00 client stories: corneal transplant  20:02 - Five principles of purpose mindset: work from your strengths  20:58 - 2nd principle: Lens of Abundance22:33: 3rd: focus on the effectiveness vs efficiency24:03 - Working with formerly incarcerated people26:09 - Scalability and feasibility of working with formerly incarcerated people28:46 - Advice for innovators / movement starters--------------------------OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

On this midweek show, we present Part 1 of the Hacks & Wonks 2022 Post-Primary Election Recap which was live-streamed on August 9, 2022 with special guests EJ Juárez and Doug Trumm. In Part 1, the panel breaks down primary election results in the 3rd and 8th Congressional Districts before moving on to battleground districts for State Legislature seats in the 26th and 30th LDs. Stay tuned for Part 2 of the recap releasing this Friday for more primary analysis! As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today's co-hosts, EJ Juárez at @EliseoJJuarez and Doug Trumm at @dmtrumm. More info is available at officialhacksandwonks.com.   Resources Hacks & Wonks 2022 Primary Election Recap Livestream | August 9th, 2022: https://www.officialhacksandwonks.com/august-2022-postprimary-recap   Transcript   [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show we talk with Policy Wonks and Political Hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work, with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening and what you can do about it. You're listening to part 1 of our 2022 Post-Primary Election Recap, with special guests EJ Juárez and Doug Trumm, which we live-streamed on August 9th, 2022. You'll get part 2 in your feed this Friday, August 19th, in place of our regular week-in-review episode. You can find the audio and full transcript for this recap on our website, officialhacksandwonks.com. Thank you for listening! Good evening, and welcome to the Hacks & Wonks Post-Primary Election Recap. I'm Crystal Fincher - I'm a political consultant and the host of the Hacks & Wonks podcast. And today I'm thrilled to be joined by three of my favorite Hacks and Wonks to break down what happened in last week's primary election. Before we begin tonight, I'd like to do a land acknowledgement. I'd like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Coast-Salish peoples, specifically the Duwamish People, past and present. I would like to honor with gratitude the land itself and the Duwamish Tribe. We're excited to be able to live stream this recap on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Additionally, we're recording this recap for broadcast on KODX and KVRU radio, podcast, and it will be available with a full text transcript at officialhacksandwonks.com. We invite our audience to ask questions of our panelists. If you're watching a live stream online, then you can ask questions by commenting on the livestream. You can also text your questions to 206-395-6248. That's 206-395-6248, and that number will scroll at the bottom of the screen. Our esteemed panelists for the evening are EJ Juárez. EJ is a public servant who remains involved in numerous political efforts across Washington. In his day job, he's the Director of Equity and Environmental Justice for the Department of Natural Resources. He leads that agency's work to reduce health and economic disparities through environmental justice practices. He previously served as the first Public Policy Manager for the Group Health Foundation, where he led the work to create that organization's political and legislative portfolio after serving in leadership posts at the Seattle Library and as the Executive Director at Progressive Majority and ColorPAC, organizations dedicated to recruiting, training, and electing progressive champions in Washington and Oregon. Thank you so much - welcome. [00:03:01] EJ Juárez: Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here. [00:03:03] Crystal Fincher: Excellent. And next we have Doug Trumm. Doug is the Executive Editor of The Urbanist and serves on The Urbanist Elections Committee, which crafts the organization's endorsements. An Urbanist writer since 2015, he dreams of pedestrianizing streets, blanketing the city in bus lanes, and unleashing an eco-friendly mass timber building spree to end the affordable housing shortage and avert our coming climate catastrophe. He graduated from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington. He lives in East Fremont and loves to explore the city by bike, foot, or bus. Welcome, Doug Trumm. Great to have you - so we are having a little bit of technical difficulties with Doug, he will join us back again as soon as he's able, but we'll get started with EJ Juárez. Starting off - I think we can start with the Congressional races, where just yesterday - in the 3rd Congressional District, which is in Southwest Washington - we saw Jaime Herrera Beutler concede. And so Joe Kent, the Republican, is finishing in second place in the primary - proceeding to go to the general election against Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who is the Democrat in that race and finished first. What did you see happening in this? Did you expect Joe Kent to make it through? And what does this mean for what this race is gonna look like in the general election? [00:04:37] EJ Juárez: So I'll be honest and say no - I did not expect Joe Kemp to make it through. I think I had more faith in Southwest Washington, honestly. This is a situation where - I think conventional wisdom had most of the energy focused on Jaime - how were folks going to make the case that Jaime needed to be replaced? And unfortunately for Jaime, that meant everybody was really against her and the results prove that. My big concern moving forward - and I think things that I'm gonna be watching for is - is this a Democratic operation in that district that can pull through and actually deliver a field strategy, that can deliver on the fundraising and the hopes of the strategy of what the national Democrats have been doing - is supporting these Trump conspiracy theorists over more moderate candidates in the hopes that Democrats pull through and take them out in the general. This is one where it's really gonna be - is Nancy Pelosi's strategy gonna play out the way they hope. [00:05:42] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, this is gonna be really interesting. There was a lot of late money that came in in support of Jaime Herrera Beutler. There was a lot of talk that she wasn't very visible throughout the end of that campaign and so it - that may have had something to do with it. But I think the GOP electorate is pretty fractured. And this is one - we'll talk about several others coming up - but one of a number of races where the party establishment made it known what their preference was, put resources and a big push behind their candidates, and it actually didn't quite land. Their voters said that's actually not our choice and went a different direction and Jaime Herrera Beutler has been known as - it's interesting to say "moderate Republican," but more moderate than her counterparts, I think is fair. She had that reputation, but had been pushed further to the right kind of in response to where the base is this time, but not far enough. Joe Kent is in the race, he's Trump-endorsed, he is a frequent guest on the Sean Hannity program, he thinks that Jim Jordan should take over as leader of the party in place of Kevin McCarthy, he said that he's going to immediately call for Joe Biden's impeachment and investigate the 2020 election, he does not believe in support for Ukraine, defended calling President Zelenskyy a thug - just has a number of beliefs that seem like they aren't in line with where the GOP has traditionally been, certainly different than where the majority of residents in the state are if you look at all available polling. But he cobbled together a coalition that made it through the primary. Do you think that Republicans are going to coalesce behind him, Doug? [00:07:40] Doug Trumm: I think ultimately they will. And I guess it depends how many people are dyed-in-the-wool Republicans in that district, because I think the sort of structural problem maybe that the state GOP is running into is just that the more they make their brand true to that base that elected Joe Kent, the less that they're appealing to the swing independent voters. So I don't know what to make - I think Republicans ultimately might come home, but they might lose a few folks who just - disgusted about the whole thing about her losing her seat. But it seems like there's been an incredible amount of brand loyalty throughout a near coup, so I don't know when to expect a huge exodus, but just a little bit of bleeding in that district would - could end up being costly. [00:08:35] Crystal Fincher: Do you think they're gonna be able to effectively moderate, EJ? [00:08:42] EJ Juárez: I'm gonna go with no. I'm sitting here thinking of what it must be like to be a Republican who shows up to your county Republican meeting in this moment where you have such dissatisfaction - both with your options, your party apparatus and strategy - where literally, there is no consensus. And when we talk about - how are Republicans gonna activate their base, I'm not convinced Republicans know who their base are in this moment. And it shifts in every district based on every candidate and the lack of consistency there - one, makes their money less effective, right? You're not operating in scale and you're not operating with the mass kind of penetration that you can get when you have a consistent messaging strategy that is born out of multiple cycles of races. So I think it's messy, and I think that this race in particular really is a great illustrative moment for what happened in the legislative races and what we're seeing across Washington State right now - where you cannot get Republicans on-brand, which is so wild to me given the past 30 years of rigid brand management. [00:09:54] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, definitely. It's going to be very interesting to see just how that turns out. And I've certainly been asked recently - well, Joe Kent is a different kind of Republican, not the traditional kind of Republican we've seen elected here in Washington State. Does that mean that Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has a chance to win this race? This is a district where Jaime Herrera Beutler previously won it with 56% of the vote, I believe it was. Donald Trump won it with just under 51% to Joe Biden's around 48%. So this is certainly a district that at least leans Republicans if not more. Does the Democrat have a shot, do you think, Doug? [00:10:42] Doug Trumm: Absolutely. A lot of race still to happen, but I would not be feeling confident if I was just assuming that was going to be a safe R seat. Just the impact of that particular issue - and Jaime Herrera Beutler's been there a long time, so I'm sure there's some loyalists who are a little bit offended that that's how her career ended. So I don't know - it's just, like you said, it's messy. And the brand is just murky right now and so much of it's driven just by anger and backlash - that's a very crude tool to wield. It's effective in motivating people, but you don't know which direction they're gonna go. And if just the conservative media apparatus is just - it completely runs on that type of thing and it's unwieldy. [00:11:40] EJ Juárez: I'll just jump in briefly - I agree with Doug. I think the challenge here is that in any other year, if you were gonna look at the Democrat in that race and say you pulled less than 34%, that's not a good number to build from. And that's a really tough place to find a strategy and a foothold. I think that given the uniqueness of the challenger who's making it through to the general, it throws that playbook out. And we're gonna see over the next month - I think these next 30 days are gonna be really telling over just how much get up and go those local Democrats have in order to make up those percentages. [00:12:20] Crystal Fincher: I agree. And so we'll move to the 8th Congressional District race, which is a bit further north - parts of a few different counties, including King County - that saw Kim Schrier, who is the current incumbent Democrat, finish with a pretty strong result. And had some strong challengers in terms of Republicans who were duking it out - so you had Reagan Dunn, Matt Larkin, and Jesse Jensen all competing on the Republican side, with Matt Larkin making it through. What do you make of this result, EJ? And what do you think it says about where Republicans are at, even in King County? [00:13:03] EJ Juárez: I think it says a lot about Reagan Dunn. I really do. I think that to be perhaps the most high-profile Republican in King County and maybe in that entire district and have that showing really shows - I think it says a lot about both his candidacy and viability for further office, but ultimately his track record and what he's been able to accomplish. Matt Larkin, a relatively unknown Republican coming in, being able to beat a sitting County Councilmember in this contested primary - definitely bad news for establishment Republicans in this moment. [00:13:46] Crystal Fincher: Certainly not what a lot of people predicted. What do you think the general election's gonna look like in this race, Doug? [00:13:53] Doug Trumm: It does have the makings of a squeaker. When I was looking on election night, I was optimistic and I think - if I'm recalling correctly - that Kim Schrier's lead's just eroded a little bit and maybe that's just the rural parts of the district are seeing less of that traditional King County progressive swing at the end. But she still does have, I think, the upper hand and with the higher-profile candidate not making it through again, you have the case of - is the party going to be really excited getting behind Larkin the way they may have for Dunn, as the anointed dynasty son or whatever. And it just goes to show again - they're just having a really hard time picking candidates in the way that they easily used to - anoint the successor and get a candidate through who had all the connections and all the money. Larkin might find that with this sort of being a high-profile race for control of the House, but it certainly isn't what they'd planned. [00:15:02] Crystal Fincher: Does not appear to be what they planned. And it seems like Reagan Dunn and Jesse Jensen were really concerned with going after each other and not really paying attention to Matt Larkin. It seemed, or at least he seemed to duck a lot of the crossfire going back and forth. Do you think that might have contributed to him making it through - just that he wasn't in-between the whole mud slinging battle? [00:15:28] Doug Trumm: Yeah, that seems to be the case. And Reagan Dunn was just doing so much to try to rebrand himself. And maybe that just wasn't a great idea because a lot of the King County Republicans tried to make this moderate brand that they thought would be - and probably that would play - better in the county. But then knowing that he had this primary, suddenly he's taking these votes where he's reaffirming he's anti-abortion, anti-choice and taking these County Council votes where, if he wasn't in that race, you feel like he might have voted differently. And I don't know if voters also just react negatively that kind of like finger-to-the-wind opportunism. Just be yourself sometimes can get you some points that being a little too smart by half might actually cost you. [00:16:24] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, I think so. I think this was interesting - also the Senate race with Tiffany Smiley and Patty Murray was interesting - in that, especially this 8th Congressional District race, was one that Republicans really thought was - they were going to have, I think certainly a stronger showing than this, that they were expecting Kim Schrier to be a little bit more vulnerable than she turned out to be. And looking at some of these other races where they thought - Hey, these are big opportunities for pickups - and not only did it not turn out very well percentage-wise, but their preferred candidates didn't even make it through. I think both of you alluded to some of the message discipline challenges that they're having. And a lot of times we've talked about - Hey, Democrats' messages are, may have some issues and stuff. They seem to actually be pretty effective that the Democratic results were fairly strong compared to what expectations were going in, and Republicans seemed to struggle. And you just talked about Reagan Dunn having a challenge with talking about where he's at in terms of abortion rights. He before had tried to be a moderate, this time it seemed like he really initially and in the middle there felt like he needed to say - yeah, absolutely I'm pro-life, I personally don't believe in abortion and don't want that. And with the Dobbs decision - Republicans could say that before, certainly more than if you had - I don't think that Washington residents, feeling that they had protections federally plus in the state, really felt like there was a vulnerability and so just let that slide. I don't think that was the case this time. And I heard Reagan Dunn in one interview say - yeah, that happened federally, but here in this state, abortion is settled law - which is literally what we heard Justice Kavanaugh say, what we heard a number of Congresspeople say before that right was eliminated at the federal level. So there just isn't confidence or comfort that that is settled law and it seems like Republicans are a bit flatfooted. And realistically, just not in-step with the 65 or so percent of the public that strongly favors abortion rights. How do you think they handle that issue in the primary? And what does that say for how things will look in the general? [00:18:59] EJ Juárez: I'll jump in first here. I think it feeds into this idea that I think Republicans have been happily beating the drum on of - everything's fine, except for we're gonna oppose everything that might not make it fine - in this divorced-from-reality narrative of - as long as we hold the line, it can't get worse and we're not actively participating in that. And at the same time, 65+%, 78+% of the actual electorate are saying - we are totally on the other side of this issue than you, and you've missed the boat. And it doesn't take much for a voter to look at candidates, frankly like Reagan Dunn, who have that record or others who have public statements like Matt Larkin to say - actually, you've not done that, you've not done anything, you've chosen not to take an action here. And I think Kim Schrier was expertly deploying her messaging on the other end of that by - whether it was her TV ads or her radio spots and her visibility were always spot-on - bringing in the Republican mayors of Wenatchee, the mayors of Issaquah highlighting the fact that she was on the ground being active, not playing into the Republicans' assumption that voters would just be defense-oriented. [00:20:22] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, and she's been active throughout her term on the ground and building those relationships and really delivering for the people in all of the areas of her district, which I think a lot of people questioned initially - Hey, is she gonna represent all of us? Is she gonna get out to the various counties? Is she comfortable in this really diverse district that is both urban, suburban, and rural - and that stretches nearly from the coast to the mountains. It is really an interesting district and a microcosm of the state, and she seems to have navigated that very well. So I think we will proceed to a number of the legislative district races. And we'll start with a few - I think overall, it's fair to say that Democrats finished very strongly. Certainly at the beginning of this cycle, there was a lot of excitement from Republicans here in the state, legislatively, and concern from Democrats saying - Hey, this could be a tough year. We have a lot of seats that we may need to be defending. We've got redistricting. We're not knowing how that's gonna turn out. And so is this going to be a year where Democrats potentially lose a number of seats? It's a midterm that a lot of times is challenging for the party in power - just that's the way it's traditionally gone. And these results turned out pretty favorably for Democrats across the board. Thinking about things overall before we get into specific districts, are there thoughts that you have, Doug, on just how things look for Democrats across the board legislatively? [00:22:07] Doug Trumm: I think we can pretty safely say that Democrats are still gonna have control of the State Legislature. There might be a swing of a seat or two in either direction - and that can include Democrats getting more seats, which if you believe all of the coverage - but leading into this election, it was just a lot of reprinted Republican press releases about how there was a wave coming and you better tremble. They might lose a seat or two but given where they're at right now, which is if you haven't been following along - that's 57-41 advantage in the House, it's a large advantage in the House. And then the Senate, there is a 28-21 advantage for Democrats. So they got a little cushion, so if they lose a seat or two - becomes a little bit more of a headache from time to time, as far as whipping the votes. But they're ultimately still setting the agenda, controlling the committees. So at the end of the day, the hope of controlling one of those chambers and stopping all this string of legislation - and, Crystal, I know we've criticized the Democrats here and then for some of the stuff they weren't able to get done, but let's take a moment to acknowledge that there has been a pretty steady stream of major legislation coming from this last few years of having Inslee in the governor's seat and having both chambers controlled that - including a major climate bill and including a major transportation package - neither of them are perfect, but they're definitely a lot better than doing nothing. So anyway I don't know if that's partially a reflection of voters realizing - Hey, this is working out decently for us to let one party with a fairly clear vision and passion for what they're doing lead things. And then on this other side, we have a pretty honestly all-over-the-place message - and other times just really simple to the point of ad nauseam, just hating taxes every time. Well, sometimes we have to pay for stuff. So I think it's a favorable result and it'll be interesting to see some of those close races actually end up coming the Democrats' way. [00:24:26] Crystal Fincher: Yeah. Any thoughts that you have, EJ? [00:24:29] EJ Juárez: I've been thinking a lot about what it must be like to be JT Wilcox right now - the man who's running the Republican House strategy, the guy who's raising all this money in his caucus - for what purpose? And I kept believing that the strategy would become clear, that we were going to get indications of how all that money was going to be used on that side. And ultimately, they might as well just put that in a vault, and set the vault off to the ocean, given it a Viking funeral - because it did not produce. And there is nothing more damning in politics than being able to spend that much money with no results. And so I think the big takeaway for me looking at these legislative races, and I largely agree with Doug, is that Democrats who had controlled both chambers and the governor's office for so long and had really legitimate critique around not delivering on the biggest issues for Washington for many years from all sides - passed some big stuff and started to do big things and voters rewarded them by bucking what was supposed to be a very bad year for them. And so I hope that at least many of those Democrats, especially the incumbents maybe who aren't on the ballot this year, are watching that going - okay, here's the data point, let's keep going, let's do more, and see if this holds if voters will continue to reward us for delivering on the things that we know are important to them. [00:26:09] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, I would completely agree with that. And to your point, to both of your points - they have taken some substantive moves, particularly at a time - we're seeing some significant action taken congressionally recently, that they're just making some progress with some major legislation. But even on issues that, federally, congress has been stuck on, our State Legislature has been able to act and move - things like a $35 cap on insulin for families was something that was passed by Democrats this past session. As you just talked about, Doug, record investments in transportation and transit and mobility and helping people be able to safely get through their communities and handle their daily tasks, even if they don't drive. And even areas where - Hey, there's highway expansion - that may be a little bit controversial. They moved on an issue that had been stuck for over a decade and getting through and getting past the I-5 bridge connection between Washington and Oregon. And so it is something where they have done some big things. They do appear to have been rewarded - particularly those that have stood strong. And there was, I think, a question in some of these swing districts that have gone between Democrats and Republicans, that have been repeatedly extremely close, whether Republicans were gonna be able to land some arguments that stuck, whether some of those criticisms from a couple years ago, or four years ago were still valid today. And it seems they fell flat, flatter than they have for a long time. So I think just starting with a few legislative districts - starting with a big focus in the Senate, which I know Republicans were looking at as one of their potential biggest pickups. In the Senate, where the margin is closer than it is in the House, in the 26th Legislative District down on the Kitsap Peninsula with Senator Emily Randall facing a very strong challenge initially from Republican Jesse Young, who is a state representative running for that Senate seat. And Emily has finished - I think stronger than most people anticipated. I think this is one of those races where Republicans - to your point, EJ - invested a ton of money. Jesse Young was one of the biggest fundraisers - outraised, outspent Emily Randall - but Emily finished with over 50% of the vote. She's at 51.5% right now to Jesse Young's 44.3% - certainly not the result that Republicans were looking for and I think frankly, a better result than Democrats were expecting. What happened in this race and why do you think Emily finished so strongly, Doug? [00:29:20] Doug Trumm: I think basically that that part of the state, which is just across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge from Tacoma - it's behaving a lot more like part of the Seattle metropolitan area. And that means it's, I think just generally, it's shifting to the left. And there's a lot of specific things - there was the big thing they were gonna try to hit Emily on - was they wanted to lower the toll on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. And that ended up being a huge football this session, but ultimately Democrats got to a place where they were okay with slightly moderating that toll, but maybe there was some thought that that left them vulnerable. But it appears that if that was gonna be their dark horse issue or whatever, voters went - well, that seemed like the responsible thing to do. You still do have to pay for that bridge and you have to pay for roads in general. You can't just suddenly go - everything's free. As much as we would love that, that means it's coming out of sales tax and other even more regressive sources that are farther from the use case. I guess I just bring that up since I do focus on transportation issues a lot, but I do think that getting around the district is a big one - and they did get a upgrade to the Gorst interchange as well in the transportation bill. And as urbanists, we maybe don't love that widening, but in that district - solving that bottleneck for them might have been something they look at Randall - she's getting stuff done. And certainly we already talked about abortion, but I think in that district it's likely to be a very big issue that's motivating turnout. And with Jesse Young being a pretty extreme right Republican - that's just not a good matchup as they maybe thought it was on paper, just because he has name ID from being a representative and raising a lot of money. At the end of the day, it's just not the right messenger or the right message. So it's not a gimme, by any means - she has 51.5%, I think you said - but that's certainly a good, strong position to be into and barring some sort of real stumble, I think she'll get re-elected and rightfully so. [00:31:44] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, and helping a potential seatmate in the Representative open seat currently there - Adison Richards, the Democrat, also finishing with just over 50% against Spencer Hutchins, the Republican candidate. And I think, particularly with Spencer - they tried to paint him as pragmatic, just worried about what people would call kitchen table issues traditionally. I think people talk about a lot at the kitchen table, including issues of values and rights - but really tried to focus on an economic message. They certainly tried to hit Emily Randall when it came to taxes, they were also talking about gas prices. And I think there was a recognition that - one, as they talked about with Biden sometimes, this is a bigger problem than just Washington State or even the United States when it comes to gas prices. There are some other major geopolitical forces at play there that influence that. And I think as you mentioned, Doug, it's not that most people are actually anti-tax - they just want to get their money's worth, I think is the bottom line. And I think with a number of the things that Emily Randall, that Democrats have really talked about being important to invest in, people are feeling that money is being spent in the ways that they feel is valuable and useful and they can see a case to be made for that. What do you see in this district, or what do you think this says about just competitive districts overall, EJ? [00:33:31] EJ Juárez: I'll start by - I think every time we talk about Jesse Young, we also have to talk about the fact that he was barred from talking to his own legislative assistants by the Legislature. This is a man who faced credible and serious allegations of being hostile and intimidating to staff. This is also a man who mixed his professional staff with his campaign staff and was campaigning with state resources on state time, so every opportunity - [00:34:00] Crystal Fincher: Which is illegal, which you cannot do. [00:34:05] EJ Juárez: - had to get that in there 'cause good governance, good - excuse me - good government is important. The second thing is the 26th gives me big 30th LD circa five, six years ago vibes. This is a pattern where we gradually saw Federal Way - that region - transfer to a much more solidly Democrat district, or at least more reliably Democrat district than we have. I think we're watching in real-time, the 26th make a similar transition - probably not apples-to-apples, but it's close enough where we're seeing this trend line of more Democrats consistently showing up. And our candidates, regardless of fundraising ability, doing better and better. That is not to take anything away from Emily because that woman is a rock star, right? She is working really hard. She is in the field and she's actually addressing the least sexy issues of many districts, right? It is the retail politics of where are your sidewalks, let's talk about the farmer's market, let's talk about land use in your neighborhood and the park down the street. And unlike many other legislators, this is something that's popping up again and again on her socials and in her campaign ads and how she is moving through the world. So I think this is a case of an incredibly hard-working Democrat incumbent, who is earning potentially this reputation of somebody who can hold super hard districts and I think raise a bunch of money at the same time. While she may have been outraised, she's pulling in sizable donations and has been a consistent, I think, player in her caucus. [00:35:46] Doug Trumm: Yeah, that's dead on. And I just want to add in quick to that - in addition to her just being clearly a rising star in the party, this district has a fast ferry to Seattle and it's close to Tacoma - this is a place where people are going to escape really high housing prices in Seattle. That is where the working class is moving and that's where your barista lives, maybe. So it's certainly someplace where it's easy to see that trend continuing because Bremerton is building a good amount of housing - they're embracing that to some extent and that's gonna change who's in the district - it's gonna be a younger district for that reason. [00:36:34] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, and to your point - Bremerton has, Gig Harbor has made important strides on zoning housing action, building enough housing to house the people who are moving there, who are living there, and really taking steps to address the housing affordability crisis that we've been seeing - and making progress in those conversations and taking action in ways that I think is surprising sometimes to people in Seattle, and that Seattle is lagging behind areas in Pierce County and in Spokane, when it comes to taking definitive steps to build more housing supply, address the housing crisis, and move there. It's really interesting. I completely agree that this does remind me of the 30th Legislative District around the Federal Way, Auburn area of a few years back, of the early to mid-20 teens that we saw there and that it is progressively coming more blue. And I do think that is because we're seeing a lot more people, displaced really, from Seattle and more expensive areas to those areas, discovering how they are - those areas or are organically growing also. And so we're seeing a number of the Pierce County suburbs shift to be a little bit more blue as well as suburbs in King County. And so it's a really interesting phenomenon that we're seeing - which we might as well move to the 30th Legislative District results. This was another really interesting district, especially with redistricting - a lot of people wondering is this going to be a district that's a challenge? There's been a lot of talk about public safety, there's been a lot of talk about economic issues. And this is another area where Republicans invested a lot of money and tried to attack the Democrats in this district for taking action that was popularly supported by voters in the district before, seems to have been a vindicating vote in that area where Claire Wilson is at 54% ahead of Linda Kochmar, who was a known Republican name in the area. Jamila Taylor finishing above 54% against Casey Jones, who's actually a policeman, an officer in the area. And then with an open seat - the one vacated by Representative, or that's being vacated by Representative Jesse Johnson - Kristine Reeves, who is a former State Representative who left to run for Congress and now is running again for this seat, finished with just shy of 43%. And that was a competitive Democratic primary - so between Kristine Reeves 43% just about, Carey Anderson, the other Democrat in the race, at just about 14% - a really strong Democratic showing in that seat against the Republican who made it through to the general election with 37% of the vote. 55+% is what people would love to see. This used to be a district with Republicans there - very purple, not reddish purple - that has just continued to move solidly blue. I think to that point you have legislators here with Jamila Johnson [Taylor], who's the head of the Black Legislative Caucus, and Senator Wilson who are great retail politicians, great in the community, doing the work on the ground to get this through. What does this result say to you, starting with EJ? [00:40:23] EJ Juárez: At the risk of being a little too snarky, I think what this says is Federal Way and Auburn love a good repeat candidate. We've got Linda Kochmar, who has run how many times now? We've got Kristine Reeves coming back to serve in the House. And by no means is it a single value on any of these also-rans and multiple-time candidates. It is that - one, the bench there is producing the same types of candidates, but the difference is the Democrats are doing better every time, right? These are not radically different candidates than that have been running in the past. What I'm interested in is - you've got Representative Johnson, who had done incredible work on criminal justice reform. Voters clearly were not buying the hype from the media on just how controversial this must have been when it's actually not - that would've been borne out in the vote share - that is a clear correlation, there would've been some level of backlash. I think the other piece here is that turnout was not good in that region. And when you look at King County overall and you look at who's voting specifically in the 30th LD, there is much work to be done. And so while it is impressive that Democrats are putting up 44, or excuse me, 54+% in each of these races, I don't think they can rest. And I think that if they do their - while I don't think it's enough for the GOP to come back and pull one of these seats, it would be a disservice to the nearly decade of massive investments that that caucus and the party has made in that region - that is full of renters that is full of young families, and people that - to Doug's point earlier - escaping housing prices who are sandwiched between Tacoma and Seattle now. So I think it's a fascinating place with lots to watch still. [00:42:18] Crystal Fincher: Very fascinating - a ton to watch. You are absolutely correct - turnout there, in many areas in South King County really, is bad. It's poor. And everyone has to do a much better job of engaging voters where they're at. We have to meet them on the doors. We have to meet them in the community. We have to do the work to make sure that we're reaching out to everyone and listening and hearing what they need, what's concerning to them, what they're saying is needed in their neighborhoods and their communities, and responding and addressing that to make sure that government and their representation is relevant to them. I think there's work to be done there and just the continued communication. So I think this is certainly one where I agree that it probably is not going to flip, but a lot of work just needs to be done in the community. And the more the community is engaged and galvanized, the more they're going to be able to do and lead. This seems like such an opportunity in this district - where sometimes we look at for Democrats, the Seattle districts and say - okay, this is just a safety seat. These people can lead on groundbreaking policy on things that we know are the right thing to do and that just need more proof of concept, more data from implementations on the ground, and people can say - okay, they implemented it there. It wasn't scary. The sky didn't fall. We can expand this. We've seen that with $15 an hour minimum wage. We've seen that with a lot of paid leave legislation. Even renter protections in Federal Way - they were among the leaders in passing a local initiative there that then we saw replicated across the state and legislative action taken on. So it's - I just see this as such a district of opportunity, if they really can engage and connect with the community to be able to do that. Thank you for listening to part 1 of our Hacks & Wonks 2022 Post-Primary Election Recap. Part 2 will be in your feed this Friday, August 19th. You can find the audio and transcript for the full recap on our website, officialhacksandwonks.com. The Producer of Hacks & Wonks is Lisl Stadler. Our Assistant Producer is Shannon Cheng, and our Post-Production Assistant is Bryce Cannatelli. Our wonderful co-hosts for the recap were EJ Juárez and Doug Trumm – that's two m's at the end. You can find EJ on Twitter at @EliseoJJuarez, and you can find Doug at @dmtrumm. You can find me on Twitter @finchfrii and now you can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter at @HacksWonks. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on itunes, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Just type “Hacks and Wonks” into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get our Friday almost-live shows, and our mid-week show, delivered right to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com, and in the podcast episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

Since joining CorStone as Chief Executive Officer in 2008, Steve Leventhal has focused on helping some of the world's most marginalized and economically disadvantaged populations to find their personal strengths, advocate for their rights, and become agents of positive societal change. Under Steve's leadership, CorStone's evidence-based resilience programs have reached upwards of 200,000 youth and women living in poverty in India, Kenya, Rwanda, and the US. Steve oversees all strategic planning, program development, external relations, and operations for the organization. During Steve's tenure, CorStone has pioneered the development, implementation, and scale-up of some of the first personal resilience and positive psychology programs delivered in low and middle-income countries. Steve came to this work after a near-fatal car crash, in which, as his car tumbled down an embankment, he found a renewed purpose: to empower under-served adolescent youth, particularly girls and young women, to unleash their inner potential, transform their circumstances, and thrive in the face of pervasive adversity and conflict. Steve Leventhal has served as an executive and strategic consultant in the US, Asia, and Africa with start-ups, Fortune 500 firms, and global nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining CorStone, Steve served as Director, External Relations at the San Francisco, CA-based Fritz Institute. Previously, at Population Services International | PSI, he brought together leading global private and public health partners to launch an innovative web-based medical training program for healthcare workers in Zimbabwe. Prior to that, Steve served as Director & General Manager of PlanetSearch Networks at Philips Electronics, and as founder and CEO of Point Asia, Inc. Steve holds a BA in Psychology and Asian Studies from Create your own automated PDFs with Jotform PDF Editor- It's free 1 Washington University, St. Louis, MO, and an MPA with an emphasis in organizational psychology and conflict management from The Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. He holds a 4thdegree black belt in the martial art of Aikido. In 2019, Steve received the Outstanding Practitioner Award at the 2019 World Congress of Positive Psychology, awarded bi-annually to a practitioner who has shown outstanding excellence and impact in advancing the practices of positive psychology in ethical and evidence-based ways. Welcome to Profiles in Success and thank you for listening! For more visit: https://profilesinsuccess.com/ Work with us: https://www.bernhardtwealth.com/

On this midweek show, Crystal welcomes Anna Zivarts of the Disability Mobility Initiative and Paulo Nunes-Ueno of Front and Centered to talk about transportation advocacy. The three dig into the importance of centering the non-driver experience, a Transportation Bill of Rights, and how a just transition from the entrenched status quo of transportation funding is difficult but needed as we tackle the climate crisis and ensuring environmental justice. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com.   Find the host, Crystal on Twitter at @finchfrii, and find Anna at @AnnaZivarts, Paulo at @pnumoves, and the Disability Mobility Initiative at @dismobility.   Resources Disability Rights Washington - Disability Mobility Initiative: https://www.disabilityrightswa.org/programs/disabilitymobility/   Front and Centered - Just Transition in Transportation: https://frontandcentered.org/just-transition-in-transportation/   Alice Wong on Twitter @DisVisibility: https://twitter.com/disvisibility   “Draft Regional Transportation Plan Glosses Over Harmful Roadway Expansion” by Ryan Packer for The Urbanist: https://www.theurbanist.org/2022/01/27/draft-regional-transportation-plan-glosses-over-harmful-roadway-expansion/   Puget Sound Regional Council - Draft Regional Transportation Plan: https://engage.psrc.org/welcome-rtp   “More Dollars for Highways? Infrastructure Funding Is Not Necessarily a Gift” by Paulo Nunes-Ueno for The Urbanist: https://www.theurbanist.org/2021/12/06/more-dollars-for-highways-infrastructure-funding-is-not-necessarily-a-gift/   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington State through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. Well today, and by popular demand, we are thrilled to have two extraordinary guests joining us. I'm very excited about it. First up is Anna Zivarts who's the director of Disability Mobility Initiative and Disability Rights Washington, and also Paulo Nunes-Ueno, Transportation and Land Use policy lead with Front and Centered. Welcome to you both. [00:01:02] Anna Zivarts: Thank you. [00:01:03] Paulo Nunes-Ueno: Thanks for having us. [00:01:05] Crystal Fincher: Very excited to have this conversation today. So I think I just want to start by learning more about what each of your organizations do and what brought you to this work? [00:01:18] Paulo Nunes-Ueno: Oh, so Front and Centered is a statewide climate justice, environmental justice organization by/for people of color and is a membership organization that has - counts over 70 community based groups from all over Washington. And we work together to create policy and create advocacy around climate justice, environmental justice in three key areas: in transportation, in energy policy, and in pollution reduction. [00:01:58] Crystal Fincher: Excellent. And we recently had conversations with Senator Saldaña and Representative Wicks, both of whom talked about how critical Front and Centered has been in helping to pass critical policy like the HEAL Act and just really being a powerful and necessary force for advocacy, so this is very exciting. And Anna? [00:02:27] Anna Zivarts: Hi. So Anna here, I'm the director of the Disability Mobility Initiative, and we are a program that launched just a little over a year ago at Disability Rights Washington. Disability Rights Washington is a statewide disability organization - and the Disability Mobility Initiative is an organizing project within Disability Rights of Washington focused on bringing together non-drivers from throughout the state. And not just disabled non-drivers - we are working across identities, across experiences. We want to involve anyone who doesn't have access to a car, doesn't have reliable access to a car, can't afford a car, maybe is too young to drive, is aging out of driving, or like myself can't drive because of a disability. And so that work that we're doing is how we got to know Paulo and Front and Centered, because there's a lot of overlap in our constituencies. And yeah, that's how we came to work together. [00:03:27] Crystal Fincher: Well, this is really exciting and I have to say - when I say by popular demand - we interview a number of people, have a lot of conversations, and have certainly referenced the work of both the Disability Mobility Initiative and Front and Centered. And I will tell you, there are people on Twitter who are like, "You know who you need to talk to is Anna. You need to get them on, you need to talk to Paulo. And like, we would love to hear from them." So it's just a testament to the work that you've done and the broad coalition you've built and the people who you speak and advocate for that so many people from different walks of life are interested. And to your point, this is not just about disabled people, although lots of people have disabilities - an increasing amount of, an increasing percentage of our population is disabled. Most people have someone in their families that they know, and it is absolutely critical that we allow our community to be completely accessible to everyone in our community. How did you get started doing this work? [00:04:44] Anna Zivarts: Yeah, so I was born low vision. I was born with an eye condition that reduces my visual acuity, but I was not really connected to the disability community. I was born before the ADA and just not aware of how, identifying as disabled, could actually and asking for accommodations that I eventually was legally entitled to could help my life and could give me access to the education and the resources that I needed. And so I worked for many years in the labor movement - I worked with low income service workers organizing and organizing against, or organizing for better wages, organizing for healthcare. And disability was always there at some level because we were talking about capitalism and we were talking about work and ability and sort of how you are valued in this structure, but it wasn't something - like I wasn't connected to the disability community. And then my son was born and he has the same genetic eye condition I do. And it was this major reckoning for me around, "Okay. I have to be comfortable with this part of myself that is part of me, but I've been hiding and trying to hide and trying not to disclose and trying to pretend is not part of who I am if he's going to be comfortable in the world." And so that's when I sought out the disability community on Twitter - and basically Alice Wong, who's an amazing person to follow on Twitter, was how I got introduced to the community and felt like it was a place that I could start to identify with. And then I interviewed for the job at Disability Rights Washington and actually this became part of my career. And I brought to it that perspective of there's a lot of people out there that may not be comfortable identifying as disabled who have disabilities, but there's so much stigma out there and there's so much pressure to be a good worker and produce and be independent and not rely on other people. And so if people have any choice to sort of hide that identity that could be a deep part of them, they often do. And so how can we create spaces where we can talk about access needs and talk about disability, but make it feel like it's an identity that can be part of our lives and not something that has this huge bundle of stigma attached to it. [00:07:21] Crystal Fincher: That makes sense. What brought you to this work, Paulo? [00:07:25] Paulo Nunes-Ueno: This is a kind of a second career for me. I was a theater director in a previous life and did that for 10 years and kind of ran its course and then I moved to Japan. And then I was thinking, what do I want to do with the rest of my life? I was thinking - how I really want to do something at the intersection of sustainability in cities. And thinking - how do I spend my life trying to make cities better habitats for human beings so that we can have this planet for a little bit longer. And when I was thinking about what to do there, transportation kind of came up and it turns out that the whole theater thing was I was trying to get away from the family business, because my grandfather was a transportation engineer and so was my father. And then I reverted back to mean - moved back to Seattle, got a job at Metro, went to graduate school at the Evans School at UW to get a public affairs degree. And my window into this has always been - we need to work against auto dependency because it leaves - A) it destroys the planet and B) it's leaving so many people behind, like we were saying earlier when we were chatting. It's a system that - it treats people as if they're a customer of a transaction. If you buy gas, if you own and operate a car, if you buy insurance - then you get dignity. But if you don't, then you're an afterthought. And that seemed to me like, "Wow, this is something we can do much better." And, Anna's story is really a kind of personification of that, I think. [00:09:32] Crystal Fincher: We have defaulted to designing our communities around freeways and so many people, just a commute is not an optional thing - it's something that they have. And we do have a very car-centric lifestyle and some people love their cars and some people love that, but I think a huge problem is that it is almost mandatory in some areas, that people really don't have an option - a good viable option in many places to not have a car and that's extremely limiting. It creates a lot of instability, insecurity, bad health outcomes, really unhealthily and unsustainably designed cities and communities. And so it's been a big conversation in our legislature, all over the country - how do we do a better job of accommodating people who don't drive? Of giving people really viable choices for even if they don't have to not drive? You know, I'm a person who does have a car, who would prefer not to drive to places and I don't drive many places, but that's - I live in a location that is easier to do that, but lots of people do not have that privilege. How do we make that an accessible thing for everybody? [00:11:01] Anna Zivarts: I think listening to people who are already not driving, who don't have that choice - and doing what - using that lived experience to inform how we can design and fund a better system, right? Because there is this narrative that everyone drives. And I think even in places like New York City where a lot of people don't drive, the people who are proud to live in New York City because they don't drive think that outside of New York City, everyone drives. And the reality is there's a lot of people in every community who can't drive - there's young people, there's old people, there's disabled people, there's people who can't afford cars, there are folks who have been recently incarcerated or recently immigrated here who don't have valid licenses. You know, there's a lot of reasons people don't drive. And I think there's a real undercounting and undervaluation of our lives as non-drivers because the dominant sort of narrative is that everyone drives and you have to drive to participate. And it's true that that is often the easiest way to get somewhere. So we're trying to get a - I think the work we're doing is trying to give people a sense that there's a lot of us out there for whom the system isn't working very well, but we're trying to make it work as well as we can, and we have a lot of lived experience doing that. And how many of us there are? We, based on driver's licenses in the state of Washington, we think it's around 25% of the population that doesn't have a license. Puget Sound Regional Council just came out with their regional transportation plan and they say 47% of the population in the PSRC region is not served well by driving as sort of this special transportation - people with special transportation needs, 47%, right? That's huge. And so I think we need to start to look a little closer and start to ask people more specifically, "Do you drive and is driving working out for you?" Is it really everything that you have been sold to believe that it is? [00:13:10] Crystal Fincher: And you have done - the Disability Mobility Initiative has done great work in this area and has produced some wonderful resources that center and highlight what people who are not able to drive are currently doing and facing. And everything from the lack of sidewalks, to the lack of roads and sidewalks being cleared of snow or leaves or overgrowth, to just not having safe and consistent ways to get from point A to B are challenges. What can fix that? What will help? From a policy perspective, what can our leaders do at different levels of government to make a meaningful change to improve this? [00:14:07] Paulo Nunes-Ueno: Well, no, I think that our joint work has been exactly around that. And one of the things that our approach does is just to ask basic questions, right? So one of the key tools that we developed is this idea of a Transportation Bill of Rights that really articulates - even if you don't drive because of whatever reason, even if you live in a place that's not a megastar city where there's a lot of options - you deserve dignity when you are trying to get places and those are basic rights. And we need to create policies and create funding mechanisms and create the expectation that people deserve to be safe. When we went - and we spoke at Front and Centered with lots and lots of our member organizations and listening sessions and asked people, "Well, what do you want? What do you want your communities to be like? What do you want transportation to do for you?" And people said really basic - they said, "We want to feel safe when we're walking and biking and driving and taking transit. We want cleaner air and we want functioning transit." And when we look at the ways in which the transportation funding works, it's so weird and balkanized because ultimately at the end of the day, everything is just doing the same job, right? Whether it's a sidewalk or a bus or a highway or a road in front of your house, it's just moving people and goods from one place to the other, but we treat them so so differently in the way that we do funding - and the legacy - and other policies. And the legacy of that is not a pretty one, right? Anna and I have written a lot about the Washington state 18th amendment and the gas tax restrictions that say this pot of money can only be used for highway purposes. And some of the history of that is really ugly. It really is the redlining on wheels portion of funneling funds, funneling public good, public dollars in a way that supported white flight to the suburbs and starved Black and brown communities of investments. So I think that part of getting to that vision that you're just describing, Crystal, is addressing these root causes of how we got here. Why do we have such amazing disparities? [00:16:46] Crystal Fincher: Are you finding that there's a willingness to address those root causes among our leaders? [00:16:50] Anna Zivarts: I think it becomes a question of power. It really does, right? I mean, there's a certain amount of work that we can do with just being like, "Hey, we exist" and people are like, "Oh look, cute - disabled people showing up to testify." And then there's the, "Okay, we actually want your funding for this highway expansion project and we want to take that and we want to invest it in sidewalks and transit." And then people are like, "Oh, not so cute. Never mind." And so, this becomes an organizing project - I think fundamentally - that we need to build a base of non-drivers and a base of people who are willing to stand up and say, "Hey, we can't just keep doing what we've been doing. We can't." I think the latest fight's going to be around what replaces the gas tax as we move towards more electric vehicles. We have to be real sure that that money's not going to be restricted the same way that the gas tax was and funneled into these highway projects that are just digging ourselves deeper and deeper into climate and health equity crises, and accessibility crises. Like every additional lane of road that we build, whether it's a highway or even just a wider local road - that's an access barrier, increased access barrier, for someone who was walking or rolling and trying to get across that road that has more traffic and faster traffic as a result of that widening. [00:18:19] Crystal Fincher: Which makes sense. You know, it seemed - that seems very reasonable and logical, Anna. But we are in this conversation that seems contentious with a hesitance to move forward, certainly, as we are talking about a transportation package in the legislature right now, as we're having continuing conversations within cities and between cities about how to most effectively move people and goods. And there seems to be a hesitance to even be able to say, Yes, we actually need to pause the expansion of roads. Sure, we can maintain them, but let's actually focus on investing our new dollars in ways that support our entire community and make our entire system accessible - no matter how someone gets around. How are you finding those conversations and how can people who want to be part of a coalition change and engage with this in a way that's helpful? [00:19:24] Paulo Nunes-Ueno: Well, one of the things that I think is really changing around this conversation is that we are really picking up more and more the idea that this is a place of really deep intersections - ha ha ha, sorry - between the climate crisis and climate activism and environmental justice in communities that are safe and accessible for everybody, right? So this is - what's really sort of been exciting about this work that Anna and I are doing is that it brings people from a lot of different communities and a lot of different points of view. And you're right, Crystal, that the entrenched status quo of - these are the ways in which we must spend these dollars, these are the kinds of industries that are already equipped and tooled to do the planning and the design and the construction of these particular projects - would want to maintain the ways in which we've been doing things, in spite of all of the evidence that we have that it's not what our communities need. It's not in line with our climate goals or our environmental justice goals - is really tough. It's going to take, like Anna was saying earlier, a lot of power building of people saying, "Hey, I care about this because of this particular point of view", but it really centers on - we need to do the way that we invest - we need to do transportation investment really differently with a different lens. [00:21:12] Anna Zivarts: And I think we need to be really thoughtful and think more about who this car-based system is working for, and why the powers that are behind ensuring that it continues - and who it's not working for. And you think about, when you turn on a television or whatever streaming service you're using, how many car ads you see - there is a lot of money and capital out there convincing us that cars are freedom, convincing us that we need to have these neighborhoods that look a certain way that are heavily auto dependent. And to change that is going to be difficult because there is so much inertia or not even - let me re-say that - to change that is going to take - it's like changing the direction of a big ship. It's going to take time, but I think we're starting to say, "Hey, look, this isn't working for a lot of us and this paradigm that began at the beginning of the automobile age is failing us on so many levels that we have to start to change direction." And as we're changing direction, I think the framework that Front and Centered is working within - this Just Transition framework - is a really useful way to think about it. That it's not going to happen overnight, but we need to make sure that we are building towards a more equitable future and that every step we take is building towards that. And I think that links back to the transportation package and what goes on there and what we advocate for. Because I think - there's this argument that, well, a little bit of transit funding, a little bit of pedestrian funding, that's better than nothing and we should be pushing for that. But looking at the bigger picture, if we get that pedestrian funding attached to a whole bunch more road expansion or electric vehicle capacity expansion, is that getting us towards this Just Transition? Is it really changing who has access to resources? Is it really changing the equity of our communities, the health of our communities? I think we need to think about that. [00:23:32] Paulo Nunes-Ueno: Yeah, that's exactly right, Anna. That's exactly right because what our experience to date is, like you're saying is, we get this huge road expansion proposals and they have a little bit of transit funding, a little bit of sidewalk here that "sweeten the deal." But that only works if you're looking at a very generalized view of the state as a whole. But when you start actually unpacking - well, who is benefiting from this and who is getting harmed by this? What you see is that it's the same communities over and over and over again that are getting the lion's share of the impacts in terms of loss of connectivity in their neighborhoods because there's a highway through them now. And are the same communities that have been historically overburdened by industry and by pollution from highways. And it turns out those map exactly to where the red lines were when there was all of this exclusion in real estate and underinvestment. And so what Anna and I are working towards is to say - we, as advocates, and our allies who are advocating in the same space need to call it for what it is. We are asking the same people to bear the price for these bad policies again and again, whether it's by lack of connectivity or by overburden for pollution. And giving one set of communities a little bit of extra transit funding - it can't paper over the harm that these policies are causing. So we have to stop the harm now and then figure out the policies that figure out how to redress the harms that we've made, but also build the future that we need. And this dynamic that we've been in for a long time - hopefully is changing - where the shotgun marriage of transit and a little bit of transit and enormous road expansions is not good for anybody. [00:25:45] Anna Zivarts: Well, it's good for some people. [00:25:46] Paulo Nunes-Ueno: It's not good for most people. [00:25:51] Crystal Fincher: And it's not good for an increasing amount of people. And I think that is certainly there - our current infrastructure is not working for more and more people. It is proving to be inadequate under, not only the widening and increasingly extreme conditions that we find ourself in, but also as people do, once they do have a choice, are choosing not to drive all the time. Or especially through this pandemic, people experiencing what it's like to not have to have a commute. Even for those who can drive and wanting to prioritize - just saving that time with their families, even just the matter of time can be a privilege. And for folks who have been pushed out of higher price areas and pushed further away from their jobs - certainly that's another burden that people are bearing. So, we talk about a state transportation package - certainly there's a lot that needs to be done just within cities, whether it's a large one or a small one or a suburb. What should people be prioritizing and what lens - how should they approach decisions about, not only transportation and transit, but land use and design. How should our - not only legislative electeds, but also local electeds - be approaching this, and what should they be looking to do? [00:27:21] Anna Zivarts: My take on this is that we should be looking at every - we have these project lists that are out there for all these road projects that are - many were our old project lists. Like they've been building since the 90s. And so many of them are for additional capacity because they were created under this paradigm that by increasing capacity we'll reduce congestion. Well, we know that's not the case. We know that increasing capacity just increases driving and then all the increased pollution, increased climate impacts of that, and decreased access for people walking and rolling. And so I really think we need to start going back through these lists of - some of them are zombie projects and some of them aren't quite zombies but should be - and looking really, who is this serving? And is this really the best investment of our transportation dollars? If we were actually moving towards a future where people can get around without having to rely on a vehicle, what would we be investing in? What would that future look like? And we're not going to get there tomorrow, but let's start building the connected network we need so that it's a possibility for our kids' generation. [00:28:34] Paulo Nunes-Ueno: Yeah, exactly. So to that end, we've got a budget proviso up in the legislature this year for consideration that we hope will pass - that allocates a little bit of money for WSDOT to start researching what a frequent accessible transit standard would look like for different communities across the state. One of the analogies that we use when we're talking about this is that it's really hard to go out and rent an apartment, or rent a house, or buy a place in Washington state that doesn't have an indoor toilet, but that wasn't always the case. We've worked really hard over the last a hundred years to make electricity and indoor plumbing be a standard thing that you expect wherever you go for the most part. And there's no reason why, in 10 or 15 or 20 years, sidewalks and good transit can't be like that. We've worked hard in a variety of different ways from the funding, to the standard setting, to the engineering, to the planning - to say, just walking safely down the road to an easy walk to a bus that comes fairly often and goes to the places you need to go - that's not a huge thing to expect. We could do that. Like we do hard things, right? Like building this enormous interstate highway system and making sure that pretty much every road that you drive on has a uniform surface and signs that you recognize? That was hard, but we did it - but now we need to turn our attention to the unfinished business of making sure that we've got sidewalks and buses that run in a lot of places, if not all places. So that, I think, is really important to set as an aspiration - that this isn't a bone that you're throwing to disabled people, or a bone that you're throwing to a community of color. This just should be a basic thing that everybody expects that we can do. We have the tools to do this. [00:30:51] Anna Zivarts: And we need to do it everywhere, right? Because if we just do it in the central areas, in the areas that are already well-connected, those are the areas that have already become too expensive for the folks who need this the most to afford to live. So we can't just be doing this in targeted areas. We really need sidewalks everywhere, transit everywhere. And it's totally possible - it's not going to be the same frequency of transit, perhaps, in our more rural areas. I mean, it's not, but to have a daily bus service or a twice a day bus service in our more rural communities is not unreasonable. And we used to in earlier eras, but we've given that up. And the result of that is a lot of folks are completely isolated. And as people are getting priced out of areas that have better transit and that have connected - the connected sidewalk network - the cost of that to these individuals and then to the public because we have to provide other services to try to get people where they need to go, that's huge. And it's not something that I think we're thinking about enough. [00:31:58] Crystal Fincher: If we make transportation more accessible to everyone - if we provide better sidewalks, better transit access, it actually helps all of us. All of us have dealt with traffic, or not having a bus available when we need it, or a long walk or a connection, or not being able to have a safe and reliable route to where we want to walk or our kids going to school. And if we actually help things become accessible to everyone, they become easier and friendlier to use for everyone in society. This is actually a benefit to all of us to make sure that everyone has access. And we just cut out so many people and make things so much more difficult for all of us, whether it's just walking down through our own communities - if a sidewalk is cluttered or not completely accessible or not existent. It builds stronger, healthier, more resilient and desirable communities for all of us together. I guess in the little bit of time that we have left - are there any last words or thoughts that you want to leave listeners with? [00:33:14] Paulo Nunes-Ueno: Well, we're talking on the Eve of Rosa Parks' birthday, which has been recently celebrated as Transit Equity Day. And so I guess the thought that I would leave with is that - transit access, being safe in the streets, has been a central part of the civil rights movement of the 1960s because of the work around the Montgomery bus boycott. And you know that history that we know, but apparently being safe and having safe access and dignity in the Philadelphia street cars in the 1860s was a movement that was led by Black women that were part of the abolitionist movement and the civil rights movement of that era also. So, we stand on the shoulders of giants, of people that have been doing this work in the faces of much worse odds. And I think that we can take inspiration from them and win this fight too. [00:34:27] Anna Zivarts: Oh, gosh, I think I'll leave it at what Paulo said. I think, we do have to have hope that we can get to a more equitable future, but I have that hope and so I am fighting this fight. That's why we're working together. That's why we're asking the folks that we organize to step up because we actually do believe that it's possible. [00:34:51] Crystal Fincher: Well, I thank you both - Anna Zivarts, the director of the Disability Mobility Initiative with Disability Rights Washington, and Paulo Nunes-Ueno, Transportation and Land Use policy lead with Front and Centered. Thank you so much today. And we will definitely be including links to your work and what we talked about today in the show notes. Thanks so much. I thank you all for listening to Hacks & Wonks on KVRU 105.7 FM. The producer of Hacks & Wonks is Lisl Stadler with assistance from Shannon Cheng. You can find me on Twitter @finchfrii, spelled F-I-N-C-H-F-R-I-I. Now you can follow Hacks & Wonks on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcast - just type "Hacks & Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get our Friday almost-live shows and our midweek show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the episode notes. Thanks for tuning in. We'll talk to you next time.

Ginny Burton was addicted to heroin and crack, and convicted of 17 felonies. She was homeless and lived on the streets of Seattle. Now at 48 years old, she has overcome it all. She is a graduate of the University of Washington. “It is possible, if I can do it anybody can,” said Ginny Burton. “Whatever I had to do, everyone was a victim and everyone was prey,” said Burton. “There were a number of times I just barely made it out.” After serving time in every women's prison in the state, in 2012 something changed. “I was looking at my fourth prison sentence and I made a decision. The minute I got into the police car. That was it. I was done and I was super grateful I had been arrested because I knew it was going to give me an opportunity to change my life,” said Burton. She served her time, got clean, and got out with new dreams. In 2016, the mother of three went back to school. Now she will graduate from UW with a degree in Political Science. She starts graduate school at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance in the fall. Burton was arrested more than 20 times, desperate to feed her drug habit. She did it all from identity theft, to assault, to armed robbery, even stealing from drug dealers. Ginny shares her story of how she overcame trauma as a youth, drug addiction, and became an honors scholar. What we discussed: Overcoming adversity (Your past doesn't have to define you) The ugly truth about addiction & the beauty of service Taking accountability for all of your choices can affect how you view yourself How to energize and recharge yourself Keys to lead yourself no matter how much you've been beaten down Leaderships philosophies and principles that she believes in Overcoming self-doubt Connect with Ginny: https://www.facebook.com/virginia.anne.549 (Facebook) https://www.instagram.com/maxartsis/ (IG) https://nationalovercomersnetwork.org/ (website) https://www.linkedin.com/in/v-ginny-burton-5816a0b9/ (LinkedIn) Let's connect: https://open.acast.com/shows/5e759e3195fa07a414c9afe8/episodes/60ed28a18c0c31001917b838/www.yourultimateplaybook.com (My book (The Ultimate Playbook for High Achievement) ) https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-molden-9693431b/ (LinkedIn) https://www.instagram.com/alexmolden/ (IG) https://www.facebook.com/alex.molden1/ (Facebook) https://open.acast.com/shows/5e759e3195fa07a414c9afe8/episodes/www.alexmoldenspeaks.com (website) https://thehaacademy.com/get-full-access (High Achievers Academy) *Get you a https://www.uv-brite.com/ (UV Brite water bottle)!! Use coupon code Sharkeffect15 for 15% off!! **Get stronger w/https://frogfuel.com/ (Frog Fuel)!! Use coupon code Sharkeffect20 for 20% off of your 1st order! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Creative leaders break the mold by chartering their own destiny. They have confidence in their ideas and never give up on bringing them to fruition. It means leading without frontiers by seeing around the corners and fearlessly navigating into the future with an insatiable curiosity and lust for life.Mia Reyes is a polymath who has mastered the art and science of divergent and convergent thinking epitomized in her non-linear trajectory that has encompassed leading Microsoft's global go-to-market strategy for the defense and intelligence industry. Directing the foreign policy and international trade on digital policies within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), multilateral trade and economic forum comprising 21 countries around the Pacific Rim. Led negotiations on behalf of U.S. companies in the APEC Business Advisory Council. Staffed White House-appointed C-suite business executives representing the U.S. industry. Traveled extensively around the Asia-Pacific region representing the United States and the U.S. private sector, and worked closely with Fortune 100 companies, international business leaders, and foreign governments on international policy issues. Mia has worked in the music industry, social services, and nonprofits, if that wasn't enough to live a fulfilled life. A world event forecaster, a former professional BBQ judge, a radio DJ appeared in television commercials. Lived in an eco-village in southern India, rode horseback across Mongolia, and walked across Spain. She holds a Master's in Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington.Mia provides perspective about creativity in shaping public policy and what it means to have an authentic purpose-led mission-driven approach to unleashing your creative power by making people's lives better and advancing society toward a greater good.(99+) Mia Reyes | LinkedInMore about Creativity:"Creativity Without Frontiers" is now available at Unknown Origins Books and all relevant book retailers. Stay in touch:Web: https://www.unknownorigins.com/Twitter: Unknown Origins (@UnknownOrigins9) / TwitterInstagram: Unknown Origins (@unknownorigins_)Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Unknown-Origins-112791887004124LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unknown-origins/YouTube: Unknown Origins - YouTubeMusic by Iain MutchWALKERANDWILLIAMSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/unknownorigins)

Derrick Velasquez is an artist and exhibition organizer who lives and works in Denver, Colorado. His most recent exhibitions include solo shows at The Herron School of Art and Design, The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, Robischon Gallery, Pentimenti, and The Black Cube Nomadic Museum. He has had recent group exhibitions at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Carvalho Park and Transmitter in New York, and was a 2017 recipient of the Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant for Painters and Sculptors and a 2019 MacDowell Fellow. Derrick also runs Yes Ma'am Projects, an artist-run gallery in the basement of his Athmar Park home and Friend of a Friend, a project space in the Evans School in the Golden Triangle.

Show NotesIn this episode, Sujani speaks with Assistant Dean and Director of Career Services at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Heather Krasna about the public health workforce. They discuss the 3rd edition of 101+ Careers in Public Health, Heather's co-authored publication that is set to be released in the fall. Heather relays her advice for getting employed in the public health sector after spending 22 years as a career coach. You'll LearnAbout recent publications in the field of public health workforce researchMore on what is classified as a position in the field of public healthThe number of graduates entering the public versus the private sphereThe literature on workforce taxonomies and the labour market competition for public health graduatesMore on the rising sectors for employment opportunities for public health graduatesAbout the public health career opportunities that are available for graduates with a Bachelor of Arts degreeTips on successful networkingSteps to creating meaningful workplace connections leading to employment opportunities Today's GuestHeather KrasnaHeather Krasna, MS, EdM, has served as Assistant Dean of Career Services at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health since 2013. In this role, she spearheads efforts to ensure that students and alumni of the school obtain meaningful careers in public health by developing career education programs and building connections with employers. Throughout her 22 years as a career services professional, she has served as Director of Career Services at the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Affairs as well as Internship Program Coordinator at Baruch College, CUNY.In addition to being co-author of the book, 101+ Careers in Public Health, 3rd Edition, she is the author of Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public Service (2010) as well as more than 100 blog articles. She has a small private practice, specializing in careers in nonprofits, government, health, the social sector. To learn more, visit her website at heatherkrasna.com. ResourcesBooks by Heather Krasna101+ Careers in Public Health (3rd edition)Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public ServiceResearch Articles by Heather Krasna  Labour market competition for public health graduates in the United States: A comparison of workforce taxonomies with job postings before and during the COVID-19 pandemicThe New Public Health Workforce: Employment Outcomes of Public Health Graduate StudentsArticles and studies mentioned in the interview The Public Health Workforce by Kristine GebbiePH WINS public Health Workforce surveySupport the show (http://www.phspot.ca/signup)

Episode #80: Sandeep Dutt in conversation with Jim McCue, who works with Partners in School Innovation, and his focus is renewing the promise of public education. An Education Policy Fellow; Leadership for Educational Equity; Independent Consultancy; Partnering with several nonprofit organizations and charter schools to conduct empathetic, student-led redesign of long-term, sustainable strategic planning and fundraising related to inclusive, equity-based ecosystems, social and emotional health for stakeholders, and improvements in mathematical agency and culture building. Professional Learning Community Leader; Teach For America; Cross Country & Long-Distance Track Coach. He has to his credit courses from Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, University of Washington Seattle, WA and Master of Public Administration. Cohosts a podcast ‘A Revolution in Education' with Chris Unger, Teaching Professor of Northeastern University. In this show, he shares the role of community members in making education a priority with a focus on inequity. What it means to be a learner; how running and teaching are intervened, both need perseverance and accountability, with no real day off! The training process is continuous, on the so-called off-day you can sleep, hydrate, breathe, walk to the grocery store and do what rejuvenates you, thereby taking your learning forward. In todays' day, we need to think about why I am a teacher, what has changed and what is the role of each stakeholder. Above all, we need a growth mindset. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/learningforward/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/learningforward/support

Happy one year anniversary to the Marketing for Good podcast! Today Erica takes a look back over the past year, and highlights the importance of employee engagement and getting real about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). She gives suggestions to listeners on how to be authentic and that DEI is a journey, not a destination. Erica also discusses mission (what you do and how you do it), vision (where you are going and why), values (principles that guide your work), and purpose (why you as an organization exist). Erica uses the Evans School as an example, to show why it is necessary to deconstruct in order to reconstruct.  Resources Referenced:Do your mission, vision, and values have purpose?: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/do-your-mission-vision-and-values-have-purpose/id1510085905?i=1000504986603 Marlette Jackson and Erin Dowell: Are you guilty of woke-washing?: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marlette-jackson-erin-dowell-are-you-guilty-woke-washing/id1510085905?i=1000495260222 Kate Slater: Making Your Messaging Anti-Racist: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kate-slater-making-your-messaging-anti-racist/id1510085905?i=1000506495948 Evans School mission, vision, and values: https://evans.uw.edu/about/mission-values/ Connect with Erica:Website: http://www.claxonmarketing.com/https://claxonuniversity.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/EricaMillsBarnLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericamillsbarnhart/Email: info@claxonmarketing.com

Robert Goldstone of the Percepts and Concepts Laboratory at Indiana University and editor of the APS Journal Current Directions in Psychological Science interviews Crystal Hall professor at the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance at University of Washington. The interview was held on February 3, 2021.

Back in 2019, I had the opportunity to attend a two-day Search Inside Yourself training lead by Tony Back and Larissa Benson sponsored by the UW Resilience Lab. It was an amazing opportunity to learn about, and have the lived experience of brining mindfulness practices into my daily life and work. I wanted to have them on the podcast to talk about Search Inside Yourself and some of the mindfulness practices that listeners can try. I interviewed the pair remotely in March of 2020, just a few days before the Covid-19 Pandemic forced the shutdown of in-person instruction and closed the UW Campus.  Due to some technical issues with the remote interview service I was using for the first time, the sound quality of the recording was less than ideal. Upon re-listening to the conversation, I decided that the content was still relevant today and did my best to clean up the audio, edit the conversation and release it here. Tony Back is a medical doctor, the co-director of the UW Center for Excellence in Palliative Care at the UW and a UW professor of Oncology and Medicine and an adjunct professor of Bioethics and Humanities. He is also the founder of Vital Talk a training organization for clinicians seeking to advance their communication skills with seriously ill patients. Larissa Benson is a leadership embodiment coach, the host of the Government Joy Network, Is the president of the board of the Whidbey Institute and use to lecture at the Evans School of Public Policy here at the University of Washington. We discuss how they both came to Search Inside Yourself -- the mindfulness training program developed at Google -- how they bring mindfulness practice into their work and life, and some practices you can try in your life to be more mindful and communicate more effectively. Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute www.siyli.org Search Inside Yourself (the book) Joy On Demand (the book) The Inner Work of Racial Justice by Rhonda Magee (chair of SIYLI and law professor at U San Fran) Leadership Embodiment by Wendy Palmer My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem - for trauma informed healing and embodiment practices Rick Hanson’s online course the Foundations of Well-Being and he has tons of free resources https://www.rickhanson.net/ `If you’d like to try mindfulness on your own, you can check out apps like Calm, Headspace, Ten Percent Happier, and Waking Up all end up requiring a subscription fee after a few free sessions. Insight Timer has thousands of free meditations, Oak and Healthy Minds are also free(mium). You can also find guided meditations from the Whole U and FreeMindfulness.org. Other resources at the university include the Whole U Meditation Series a video series that helps to reduce stress, increase calmness, and promote happiness. All of them are great, but there are two short, guided meditations on gratitude that by UW Mindfulness Manager Danny Arguetty and  UW Tacoma associate professor Jane Compson. You can listen to my conversation with Jane Compson from Season 1.

Learning Matters series on convening methodologies for holding space for hope, healing and restoration.Today we have with us Randy Engstrom discussing culture, racial equity, community development, and hopeful acts of inclusive creativity and the arts.Randy Engstrom has been a passionate advocate and organizer of cultural and community development for over 15 years. He is currently an Adjunct Faculty at the Seattle University Arts Leadership Program and an independent consultant focused on cultural policy, organizational development and racial equity. Most recently he served as Director of the Office of Arts and Culture for the City of Seattle, where he expanded their investments in granting programs and Public Art, while establishing new programs and policies in arts education, cultural space affordability, and racial equity. He served as Chair of the Seattle Arts Commission in 2011 after serving 2 years as Vice-Chair, and was Chair of the Facilities and Economic Development Committee from 2006 to 2010. Previously he served as the Founding Director of the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, a multimedia/multidisciplinary community space that offers youth and community member’s access to arts, technology, and cultural resources (www.youngstownarts.org). Prior to Youngstown, Randy spent 3 years as the Founding CEO of Static Factory Media, an artist development organization that owned and operated a record label, bar/performance venue, graphic design house, recording studio, and web development business. In 2009 Randy received the Emerging Leader Award from Americans for the Arts and was one of Puget Sound Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. He is a graduate of the Evergreen State College in Olympia, and he received his Executive Masters in Public Administration at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Affairs.Support the show (https://www.twu.ca/donate-now)

"The Purpose Mindset" Akhtar Badshah is an expert on social impact, philanthropy, CSR and international development, an author and artist. He is the founder and Chief Catalyst of Catalytic Innovators Group a new consulting practice focused on accelerating social impact through catalytic innovation. He a Distinguished Practitioner and Associate Teaching Faculty at the University of Washington, School of Business (Bothell Campus) and Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. He also is a faculty lead at START Center at the Department of Public Health. Formerly, he was the Senior Director of Microsoft Citizenship and Public Affairs, where he administered the company’s global community investment and employee programs. Through monetary grants, software and curriculum donations, technology solutions, and employee giving, Microsoft supports programs and organizations that address the needs of communities worldwide. Since 1983, Microsoft and its employees have provided around $5 billion in cash, services and software to nonprofits around the world through localized, company-sponsored giving and volunteer campaigns. Among his responsibilities, Badshah managed the philanthropic elements of Microsoft’s YouthSpark, a global initiative that is designed to help youth into opportunities through training, employment and help starting their own ventures. His new book Purpose Mindset: How Microsoft Inspires its Employees and Alumni to Change the World, is available at https://lnkd.in/gJZWb6W. The book is published by #HarperCollinsLeadership and is also a @MicrosoftAlumniNetwork imprint. Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akhtar-badshah-6250105/

Akhtar Badshah is an expert on social impact, CSR, philanthropy, and international development—in addition to being an author and artist. Akhtar spent a decade at Microsoft, acting as a senior director of citizenship and public affairs to lead the company’s global community investment and employee programs. After leaving Microsoft, Akhtar founded Catalytic Innovators Group, a consulting practice focused on accelerating social impact through catalytic innovation. Additionally, he teaches at the University of Washington School of Business, and Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. His most recent book, Purpose Mindset, helps people recognize their deeper purpose in life—both in terms of who they want to become, and who they want to serve.Listen for Akhtar’s insights on:How Microsoft developed, evolved, and scaled its global citizenship efforts, including groundbreaking programs like YouthSpark; and how it engaged and empowered employees around the world through skilled volunteerism, gift matching, and moreHow to advocate for investments and advancements in citizenship, philanthropy, and purpose within your organizationHow adopting a “purpose mindset” can help both senior leaders and ground-floor employees bring personal purpose to work, and thus better invest in an organization’s purpose and the stakeholders it servesLinks & NotesAbout Akhtar BadshahAkhtar Badshah on LinkedInCatalytic Innovators GroupPurpose Mindset: How Microsoft Inspires Employees and Alumni to Change the World (Microsoft Alumni Network) by Akhtar Badshah

Akhtar Badshah is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of international development experience, managing a corporate philanthropic program and co-founding a global nonprofit for social enterprise. Dr. Badshah is Chief Catalyst at Catalytic Innovators Group, advising individuals and organizations to catalyze their social and philanthropic investments.   Dr. Badshah is the Distinguished Practitioner at the University of Washington at the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance and the Business School, Bothell campus. He is the founder and curator of  Accelerating Social Transformation, a mid-career professional development certificate course on social impact. Dr. Badshah led Microsoft's philanthropic efforts for ten years, where he administered community investment and employee contributions.   He was instrumental in launching both Unlimited Potential and Youth Spark – the company's focus to bring digital technology to the underserved communities and youth worldwide.  His forthcoming book is titled Purpose Mindset: How Microsoft Inspires its Employees and Alumni to Change the World, Harper Collins Leadership Series, Nov 2020.  Dr. Badshah is a doctoral graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  In this episode, Dean Newlund and Dr. Akhtar Badshah discuss:Rethinking what work looks like as we work remotely. Using this opportunity to reassess and build our sense of purpose. Focusing on the right things, not doing things the right way.Scarcity mindset vs. abundance mindset. Key Takeaways:What are your driving factors, purpose, wealth, or status?A growth mindset is in service of yourself or your company, while a purpose mindset moves you from the service of yourself and the company to the community's service and the common good.Purpose centered leadership: work from abundance, discover and focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Embrace empathy and compassion. "Doing work out in the community nourishes my soul that in turn enables me to serve the company." —  Dr. Akhtar Badshah  See Dean's TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7IConnect with Dr. Akhtar Badshah:  Website: http://www.catalyticinnovatorsgroup.com/Email: akhtarb@uw.eduInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/akhtarbad/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/akhtar.badshahLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akhtar-badshah-6250105/Book: Purpose Mindset: How Microsoft Inspires its Employees and Alumni to Change the World  Connect with Dean:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkwWebsite: https://www.mfileadership.com/The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/Twitter: https://twitter.com/deannewlundFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/Email: dean.newlund@mfileadership.comPhone: 1-800-926-7370 

Mary Kay Gugerty discusses her book, The Goldilocks Challenge: Right-Fit Evidence for the Social Sector, with co-host Nathan Mallonee. Professor Gugerty studies nonprofit performance and accountability systems and teaches public policy to master's students at the Evans School of Public Policy at the University of Washington. Topics include: + why we need to be careful about how we use the term "impact" + when an organization should NOT consider doing impact evaluations + what you should do if you aren't doing impact evaluations (and why organizations should prioritize getting robust output and immediate outcome data) + how to apply the CART (credible, actionable, responsible, and transportable) principles to your monitoring & evaluation work + why you need a performance framework (or a theory of change) to make your data actionable + how to know when you have a "right-fit evidence system" Links: The Goldilocks Challenge book: https://www.poverty-action.org/right-fit-evidence/book/the-goldilocks-challenge Right Fit Evidence website: https://www.poverty-action.org/right-fit-evidence Professor Gugerty's website: https://evans.uw.edu/profile/mary-kay-gugerty/ Recommended books: Measuring Social Change by Alnoor Ebrahim: https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=27990 Between Power and Irrelevance: The Future of Transnational NGOs: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/between-power-and-irrelevance-9780190084721?cc=us&lang=en&

In today's episode we sat down with Mia Reyes, the Global Director of Government and Industry Marketing for Microsoft. She comes with a unique perspective as an industry outsider who was recruited into the world of tech.Mia would advise a company that cannot find diverse talent to think about how, what and where they are recruiting. She began working in the tech space when someone identified her talents and realized the benefits she could bring to the company. Many things that employers list as core competencies in tech are actually things that can be taught. Look for the individual qualities you need in an employee and teach the rest. Currently, the barriers to get into tech can feel insurmountable for industry outsiders. In Mia’s opinion, removing that requirement for a degree for certain software engineering roles would help companies find more diverse talent. In regards to apprenticeship programs she finds there's more value in doing real work over a longer period of time than there is in short term stints. Instead of dipping your toes into the water, an apprenticeship is like jumping right into an opportunity. In regards to employee retention, Mia believes it's all about trust. Employees can tell when a company is genuinely investing in diversity and inclusion programs and when they are just paying lip service. For inclusion programs to be successful they have to be driven, promoted, and incentivized from the highest levels of the company. Mia Reyes leads Microsoft's global/worldwide industry marketing and go-to-market business planning and strategy for government. Formerly she was a Policy Director who specialized in digital and financial services policies, representing U.S. technology companies (Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Airbnb and more) and the U.S. private sector in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). She is an accomplished speaker who hosts Microsoft's podcast series Gov Pod, a podcast that discusses how governments are adopting Intelligent technologies. Mia holds a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance.Mia Reyes: www.linkedin.com/in/miareyesGov Pod: https://aka.ms/govpodMicrosoft Global Diversity and Inclusion: www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/default.aspxMore episodes of the SnackWalls Podcast: http://podcast.snackwalls.comSnackWalls is powered by San Diego Code School: https://sdcs.ioPlease share like and subscribe for more reach

On Friday, Gov. Tim Walz announced more of Minnesota’s coronavirus pandemic restrictions can be lifted. That’s good news for businesses. But as the opportunities for activity grow, the public is left to weigh the risks. Is wearing a mask to the gym worth it? Is it safe to let the kids hug their grandparents? Can we go to the lake? What about camping? Nothing is 100 percent safe, and risk isn’t binary. But learning to build a framework for assessing exposure can help. Monday on MPR News with Kerri Miller, we talked with an epidemiologist and an expert on risk psychology about how to make decisions so you can enjoy your summer — even in the middle of a pandemic.   Guests: Dr. William Miller, epidemiologist at Ohio State’s College of Public Health  Ann Bostrom, professor at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts , Spotify or RSS. To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

About Akhtar Badshah: Dr. Badshah is an Innovation Catalyst, Educator, Philanthropist, Social Entrepreneur, Artist, Author, and Public Speaker. He is the founder and CEO of Catalytic Innovators Group, a consulting firm focused on accelerating social impact. His current work focuses on issues related to ‘democratizing innovation,’ ‘disruptive technology,’ and catalytic philanthropy. He is the curator of Accelerating Social Transformation. He is the author of Purpose Mindset: How Microsoft Inspires its Employees and Alumni to Change the World (forthcoming Fall 2020) HarperCollins Leadership series. Dr. Badshah is a Distinguished Practitioner and Senior Lecturer at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, and the University of Washington’s Business School at the Bothell campus. He teaches classes on Social Enterprise – New Models for Mission-Based Business; Funding the Nonprofit Sector and Global Business Strategies.In this episode, Erica and Akhtar discuss:How the giving program at Microsoft helped those who participated move from an individual mindset to a focus on the collective.The collective effort required for getting through this COVID-19 crisis, even though we are separated.The reality of the digital divide and how that plays into communication in general, and in marketing.Focusing on the purpose behind what you do to create a movement.Key Takeaways:The greatest sense of purpose comes from having a collective mindset and being a part of a community.In order to reach the most people, you have to recognize and adapt to the different ways people are able, or not able, to use technology. You must find ways of practicing compassion towards yourself so you have a well of compassion to draw from for those you serve.Creating a movement is not just marketing a product or a service, but a purpose behind it. "Think about how you think about marketing. That attaches purpose to it, which then moves you out from the mechanics of what you are serving as a product, (into) actually, what is the end goal of what you want to see happen?" —  Dr. Akhtar Badshah TEDxRainier - Akhtar Badshah - Harnessing Disruptive TechnologiesPitchfallsTry out the Wordifier FREE to see if you should stop using a word, use it with caution, or use it all you want? http://www.claxonmarketing.com/wordifier/CONNECT WITH AKHTAR:Website: Catalytic Innovators GroupTwitter: twitter.com/Akhtarbad (@Akhtarbad)LinkedIn: Akhtar Badshah - Chair Of The Board Of Directors CONNECT WITH ERICA:Website: http://www.claxonmarketing.com/about-erica/http://www.claxonmarketing.com/http://www.wordifier.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/EricaMillsBarnLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericamillsbarnhart/

On this episode of On the Evidence, we talk about policy research by, about, and for indigenous communities. Our guests are Cheryl Ellenwood, a PhD candidate in the School of Government and Public Policy at the University of Arizona, and Laura Evans, an associate professor at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. We discuss efforts to build a community of policy researchers focused on issues important to indigenous communities, the need for more and better data on indigenous populations (collected in respectful ways), and the application of decolonization methodologies in policy research. This episode is part of a series produced by Mathematica in support of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) and its fall research conference. Summaries of the indigenous policy scholarship discussed at the conference are available here: https://appam.confex.com/appam/2019/webprogram/Session13239.html

On today’s episode, I’ll be speaking with two incredible mamas, Beth and Stacey. This Fall, we are doing a series on transitions for the podcast. Today, these ladies are going to share about the transition of growing in faith.

Today we're speaking with two incredible mamas, Jamie Flynn & Brooke Phelps. This Fall, we are doing a series on transitions, and today, these ladies are going to share about the transition we go through as our kids get into those school years.

Jacob Vigdor of the University of Washington talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the impact of Seattle's minimum wage increases in recent years. Vigdor along with others from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance have tried to measure the change in employment, hours worked, and wages for low-skilled workers in Seattle. He summarizes those results here arguing that while some workers earned higher wages, some or all of the gains were offset by reductions in hours worked and a reduction in the rate of job creation especially for low-skilled workers.

Akhtar Badshah believes that we should be unreasonable in life but also a learner. He is a former Senior Director of Microsoft Citizenship and Public Affairs, an expert on social impact, philanthropy, CSR and international development but also an author and artist. Akhtar is the founder and Chief Catalyst of Catalytic Innovators Group a consulting practice focused on accelerating social impact. He teaches at the University of Washington, School of Business and Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. This conversation is unique, contrarian and refreshing, sometimes hilarious but profoundly deep conversation. Akhtar doesn’t do things like others and prefers to live an unstructured life! Sit down, relax and really pay attention to this ground-breaking conversation. Let’s dive in Key points discussed Akhtar explains how he became a Philanthropist after a highflying career. How he moved out of a middle-class India to explore the world and the circumstances that shaped his vision of the world Why meaning in life comes through you and how to make time to do what is important to you now A valuable framework with the Six Cs to live a successful life What it really means to have passion vs compassion And so much more Now let’s listen to this insightful conversation with Akhtar Badshah.

Today’s episode and connects the topic of the previous season, which focused on the past, present and future of Seattle music, with the topic of this season, which is focused on homelessness. The episode features an interview with Anthony Briscoe whose Seattle-based band, Down North, is on the cusp of a breakout. Brisco opens up about his struggle with poverty and his experience being homeless in our region.  The episode also features an interview with noted author and UW professor Scott Allard. He dispels some myths associated with poverty, describes which programs are effective and which programs build a poverty trap, and offers actions you can take to help improve your community.  The song Heartbreaker, by Down North, is played in this episode. Down North consists of Lead Vocalist/Dancer Anthony “Renegade” Briscoe, whose North Carolina breeding makes fans swoon and has no equal in the Pacific NW. Raised on Michael Jackson and Sam Cooke, Anthony combines a style and emotional impact reminiscent of Prince in his vocal expressions, proudly stealing the spotlight with his ballet-trained dancing. Scott W. Allard joined the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington as a professor of public policy and governance in 2014. Allard is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program and co-primary investigator of the Family Self-Sufficiency Data Center at the University of Chicago. He is author of Out of Reach: Place, Poverty, and the New American Welfare State (2009, Yale University Press), which examines the contemporary social service safety net through survey interviews with almost 1,500 government, for-profit, and nonprofit social service organizations. In 2017, he published a book entitled Places in Need: The Changing Geography of Poverty, which focuses upon the rise in poverty in America’s suburban areas and the stubborn persistence of poverty in urban areas.

Podcast #16 (Education) (Dr. Evans) (School Psychologist, Counselor, and Educator)

Ashley Evans, Product strategy at School by Design. https://www.linkedin.com/in/evansashleym/ Sponsors: www.rebelmethod.com/listen Host: Sergio Marrero https://www.linkedin.com/in/sergiomarrero/ Music credit: Starlight by NUBY https://soundcloud.com/nubymusik/starlight Keywords: FutureOfWork FOW HR HumanReources GigEconomy Innovation Startup

This week: The school shooting in Florida, and the state of the gun debate in America. Plus, Trump's budget and infrastructure plan, and what it indicates about the GOP's priorities. Panelists: - Heidi Groover, writer for The Stranger - Charmila Ajmera, co-founder of the Indivisible group, Seattle Taking Action, and a graduate student at the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Policy and Governance

Listen to the first ever taping of Seattle Growth Podcast before a live audience at the Impact Hub in Seattle. University of Washington's Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship organized the event on October 17th, 2016. Host Jeff Shulman moderated a panel of three individuals who have made immeasurable contributions to Seattle and will play a major role in its future: Maggie Walker, John Connors, and John Creighton. Maggie Walker is well known in Seattle as a philanthropist and civic leader. Walker was a founding member of Social Venture Partners and of the Washington Women's Foundation. She is Chair and Board President of Global Partnerships. She is Vice Chair of the National Audobon Society Board of Directors. She is a member of the UW Foundation Board of Directors and the Seattle Art Museum Board of Trustees where she previously served as President. She is a board member of Friends of Waterfront Seattle. She is an advisory board member for the University of Washington's College of the Environment, the Evans School of Public Policy, and the College of Arts & Sciences. Walker previously served as chair of The Bullitt Foundation's Board of Trustees, co-chair of the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) Board of Trustees, chair of the Washington Women's Foundation (founding member and first Chair) and was the first vice-chair of The Seattle Foundation Board of Trustees. John Connors is a managing partner at Ignition Partners, an early stage, business software venture capital firm. Connors was named to the 2013 Forbes Midas List, a ranking of the world's top venture capital investors, and to Business Insider's 2013 list of top enterprise technology VCs. Connors joined Ignition in 2005 after a distinguished career as a software-industry executive. Connors spent sixteen years at Microsoft in several high-level, strategic roles. From January 2000 to April 2005 he was senior vice president of finance and administration, as well as the company's chief financial officer. Connors is a member of the board of directors of Nike (NKE), Splunk (SPLK), FiREapps, DataSphere, Motif Investing, Chef, Azuqua, Tempered Networks, and Icertis. John Creighton has served on the Port of Seattle Commission since 2006. He came to the commission with broad experience as a lawyer specializing on complex international transactions in the port cities of Singapore, Helsinki and Istanbul prior to returning home to Seattle. Creighton currently has a solo practice focused on business law and public policy. As a commissioner, Creighton has focused on keeping the Port strong as a jobs creation engine while increasing the agency's commitment to the environment and making it a more accountable, socially responsible public agency. Creighton grew up on the Eastside and graduated from Interlake High School in Bellevue. He earned a B.A. and M.A. from Johns Hopkins University, a J.D. from Columbia University and a Certificate of Administration from the University of Washington Foster School of Business.

  Rena Strober (Rita) made her Broadway debut in Les Miserables (Cosette) and went on to perform in numerous show in NY and across the country. She toured with Topol & Harvey Fierstein in Fiddler on the Roof playing their eldest daughter Tzeitel. Rena also stared opposite Betty Buckley & Peter Scolari in the Off-Broadway comedy White’s Lies. Rena also performed her 1-woman show Spaghetti & Matzo Balls to sold out audiences Off-Broadway. After an illustrious stage career in NY, Rena moved to Los Angeles where she has worked on both the stage & screen. She is a recurring guest star on Disney’s Liv & Maddie, she plays Emily Knowland on Shameless for Showtime and has lent her voice to the Big Bang Theory. On stage she starred opposite French Stewart in Stoneface: The Rise & Fall of Buster Keaton and worked with Jason Alexander on When You’re in Love the Whole World is Jewish. Rena made her movie debut in Waiting in the Wings and couldn’t be happier to have brought Rita to life. Rena also lends her voice to DisneyXD’s Penn Zero, Mattel’s Ever After High and over a dozen video games for Nintendo, and other gaming platforms. When she’s not singing or voicing a 5 year old for a cartoon, Rena teaches voice at the Academy of Music for the blind where she works with blind children ages 4-18 years old. www.renastrober.com Strippers from Waiting In The Wings – with film stamp Synopsis: Waiting In The Wings: The Musical is a feature film where two entertainers, destined for the big time, are mismatched in a casting office from two very different online contests. Tony, a stripper from New York, is cast in an Off-Broadway musical and needs to trade in his tear-away trunks for tap shoes and tights. Anthony, a naive musical theatre enthusiast from Montana, needs to decide if he can strip all the way down just to stay in town. Hilarity ensues as they realize that “to make it” they’re gonna have to learn some new tricks. Shirley Jones, Sally Struthers, and Lee Meriwether round out this heartwarming homage to Broadway with some delightful cameos. Waiting in the Wings Trailer: Making of “Waiting in the Wings” Awards BEST FEATURE FILM – Central Florida Film Festival (CENFLO) BEST FEATURE FILM – QFlix Philadelphia BEST FEATURE FILM (Audience Choice – First Place) – Rhode Island International Film Festival BEST MUSICAL – Manhattan Film Festival BEST MUSICAL – Garden State Film Festival (Atlantic City) FESTIVAL FAVORITE – B’more Q Fest (Baltimore) FESTIVAL FAVORITE (Audience Choice) – Cinema Diverse: Palm Springs LGBT Film Festival BEST FIRST TIME FEATURE (Audience Choice) – Film Out: San Diego BEST CALIFORNIA FEATURE – California Film Awards BEST ACTOR IN A FEATURE FILM – Pasadena International Film Festival BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (Audience Choice) – Film Out: San Diego CELEBRATION OF COURAGE AWARD – Out Here Now: Kansas City LGBT Film Festival WEBSITE LINK: http://www.witwthemusical.com/   ———————————— REP. MARCUS RICCELLI Floor pic 2015Marcus was born and raised in Spokane, graduating from Mead High School (’96) and Gonzaga University (’00). He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. In 2007, he received a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Washington. After graduating from UW, Marcus served as U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell’s Eastern Washington Director, from 2007 to 2010. He served as Senior Policy Advisor to Washington State Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown from 2010 to 2012. As a state representative, Marcus serves as Vice Chair to the Health Care & Wellness Committee. He also serves on the Capital Budget and Transportation committees, andwas elected by his colleagues to leadership role of Deputy Whip. He is an appointed member of the Community Economic Revitalization Board and the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee. Outside his duties with the legislature, Marcus recently served as the Operations Manager for the Northeast Community Center. He is also an adjunct professor at Eastern Washington University’s College of Health Science and Public Health Marcus is active in Spokane’s downtown Rotary 21, and he is deeply committed to fostering opportunities for young people in Spokane. He has served as a Big Brother with Big Brothers and Sisters of Spokane, and he is actively involved with the Spokane YMCA Youth Legislature Delegation. He serves on the Spokane advisory board for Daybreak Youth Services, and has served as a City Plan Commissioner. Marcus believes strongly in building relationships and working across the aisle. He was the 2013 organizer of bi-partisan legislative basketball and co-founder of the bi-partisan under-forty legislative caucus. He lives in Spokane with his wife, Amanda, and their two young children. Community Involvement: Chair, Children’s Health One Table Appointee, Community Economic Revitalization Board Appointee, Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee Spokane Advisory Board Member, Daybreak Youth Services Co-Director, Spokane Central YMCA Youth & Government Youth Legislature Program Rotarian, Spokane Rotary Club 21 Member, Financial Education Public-Private Partnership Member, Spokane Public Schools Public Affairs Advisory Council Member, Eastern Washington Long Term Care Ombudsman Program Advisory Council Committee Member, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs Denny Alumni Council Awards and Honors: 2013 Washington State Housing Finance Association Proud Partner Award 2013 WACOPS House Democrats Legislator of the Year 2013 Associate Students of Washington State University Champion of Higher Education Award 2013 Chase Youth Foundation Champion of Youth Award for Government 2013 Washington Student Association Legislator of the Year 2013 Washington State Young Democrats Half Lifetime Achievement Award 2012 Washington State Democrats Warren G. Magnuson Award for Rising Star of the Year 2008 Washington State Presidential Elector casting an electoral vote for the Honorable Barack Obama 2007 Nominated for The Robert H. Pealy Prize for a Degree Project of Outstanding Merit, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington Official website Subscribe to Rep. Riccelli’s e-newsletter

Migration and Multiculturalism in Europe: A Teacher Workshop on the EU and its Eastern Neighbors. For Middle School, High School and Community College Educators. Hosted by the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, at the University of Washington. Arista Cirtautas is a Visiting Lecturer in European Studies at the Jackson School of International Studies and Affiliate Faculty in the UW's REECAS program. She is a specialist on EU enlargement and East European politics and government. She was based at the University of Virginia before coming to the UW. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California Berkeley. Teresa Indelak Davis was appointed Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Seattle in September 2014. A longtime resident of Seattle, Consul Davis has been an active member of the Polish-American community and served as President of Polish American Chamber of Commerce Pacific Northwest, Board Member of the Polish Home Foundation, and as co-founder and Managing Director of Polish Festival Seattle, among others. She spent more than 15 years working at Microsoft in corporate communications positions in Redmond and internationally. In Europe, she managed Microsoft's Central and Eastern European communications strategy and community affairs programs, including the subsidiary in Poland. In Redmond, she managed global PR programs, disaster response communications, executive relations, and worked as a business communications consultant. She holds an MPA from The Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, UW and a BA in Communications from the University of Washington and has also attended Jagiellonian University in Krakow, before leaving Poland.

Robert J. Pekkanen, Steven Rathgeb Smith, and Yutaka Tsujinaka are the authors of Nonprofits and Advocacy: Engaging Community and Government in an Era of Retrenchment (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014). Pekkanen is professor in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies and adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Washington. Smith is executive director of the APSA and affiliate professor in the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington, and Tsujinaka is the president-elect of the Japanese Political Science Association and a professor of political science in the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Tsukuba. This edited volume asks a simple question: Does nonprofit mean nonpolitical? The editors assemble a group of all-stars on the subject to answer that question, including: Jeffery Berry, Elizabeth Boris, and Kristin Goss. In doing so, the authors confront what they call the “double definitional dilemma” that has hampered research on the political dimensions of nonprofits in the past. The answers in this volume reflect the newest research and thinking on nonprofits and should be read by political scientists, generally, and those interested in organizations, civic participation, and representation, more specifically. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert J. Pekkanen, Steven Rathgeb Smith, and Yutaka Tsujinaka are the authors of Nonprofits and Advocacy: Engaging Community and Government in an Era of Retrenchment (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014). Pekkanen is professor in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies and adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Washington. Smith is executive director of the APSA and affiliate professor in the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington, and Tsujinaka is the president-elect of the Japanese Political Science Association and a professor of political science in the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Tsukuba. This edited volume asks a simple question: Does nonprofit mean nonpolitical? The editors assemble a group of all-stars on the subject to answer that question, including: Jeffery Berry, Elizabeth Boris, and Kristin Goss. In doing so, the authors confront what they call the “double definitional dilemma” that has hampered research on the political dimensions of nonprofits in the past. The answers in this volume reflect the newest research and thinking on nonprofits and should be read by political scientists, generally, and those interested in organizations, civic participation, and representation, more specifically. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert J. Pekkanen, Steven Rathgeb Smith, and Yutaka Tsujinaka are the authors of Nonprofits and Advocacy: Engaging Community and Government in an Era of Retrenchment (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014). Pekkanen is professor in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies and adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Washington. Smith is executive director of the APSA and affiliate professor in the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington, and Tsujinaka is the president-elect of the Japanese Political Science Association and a professor of political science in the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Tsukuba. This edited volume asks a simple question: Does nonprofit mean nonpolitical? The editors assemble a group of all-stars on the subject to answer that question, including: Jeffery Berry, Elizabeth Boris, and Kristin Goss. In doing so, the authors confront what they call the “double definitional dilemma” that has hampered research on the political dimensions of nonprofits in the past. The answers in this volume reflect the newest research and thinking on nonprofits and should be read by political scientists, generally, and those interested in organizations, civic participation, and representation, more specifically. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices