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2 episodes with ptsa
On today's MJ Morning Show: 15 old-school Tampa restaurants that are still great today Morons in the news PTSA is hiring... ATM Crotchety Call Airbnb anti-party tech... We took calls A gift for Michelle from a listener Louisiana teacher dropped a baggie of cocaine at school Passenger boards plane with a list of allergies Diddy trial update MJ's plans for jury duty MJ and family went to see 'Mission: Impossible' Tommy Lee drama Kidney Kim is getting a new kidney Decision on pennies has been made Taylor Swift/Blake Lively drama Kanye West drama Video of man knocking down a tray of food in a restaurant released Applebee's customer spits on employee Taco Bell employee spits in customer's food Checker's employee shoots and kills customer Kentucky couple each lose an arm trying to survive a tornado Ladies, don't wear this on an flight Southwest Air changes policy on power banks Private plane crash in San Diego Menendez brothers' parole hearing delayed
“Keep it simple because the more complex things get, the less people will do it” - Gary Garcia For years, water treatment professionals have relied on PTSA tracers to estimate system performance, but emerging technologies are offering clearer, more direct answers. In this episode of Scaling UP! H2O, host Trace Blackmore welcome once again returning guest Garret "Gary" S. Garcia of Masters Company, now a business unit of MFG Chemical to explore how fluorescent tagged polymers are revolutionizing the way water treaters monitor system health and chemical performance. With decades of expertise, Gary offers practical insights into this game-changing technology. Why Tagged Polymers Matter Trace and Gary discuss the limitations of relying solely on PTSA tracers, a method that only indicates product presence rather than active ingredient performance. Gary explains how fluorescent tagged polymers, by chemically bonding the fluorophore to the polymer backbone, provide a direct and reliable measure of active polymer concentration, helping water treaters make more informed service decisions. Instrumentation and Integration Challenges Listeners will gain a practical understanding of how to implement tagged polymer technology. Gary outlines how existing probes and meters compare, what calibration and integration may look like, and whether both PTSA and tagged polymers can be used together. He also explains why tagged polymers are especially useful in systems impacted by iron, cationic biocides, or inconsistent load demands. Real-World Applications and Benefits Tagged polymers make it possible to move beyond "set-it-and-forget-it" dosing practices. Gary discusses how accurate polymer monitoring can reduce overfeeding, optimize chemical performance, and improve system health. For both QC in manufacturing and daily service checks, these tools offer better visibility into what's really happening inside the system. The Simplicity of Switching Gary highlights the ease of adopting tagged polymers – often a direct drop-in with no reformulation needed. For water treaters, that means minimal disruption and an immediate opportunity to upgrade their programs. Conclusion Fluorescent tagged polymers are not just another tool in the toolbox; they represent a critical step forward in water treatment precision and reliability. As Gary notes, understanding and adopting these technologies allows professionals to elevate their programs, save resources, and better serve their customers. Continue advancing your technical expertise. Explore additional Scaling UP! H2O episodes, stay updated on innovations in water treatment, and connect with leaders like Gary Garcia who are shaping the future of the industry. Visit scalinguph2o.com to access more resources and educational discussions. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge! Timestamps 01:55 – Trace reflects on last week's episode of Ben Frieders' talking about fire safety advice. 08:03 – Water You Know with James McDonald 09:33 – Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals 13:01 – Interview with returning guest Gary Garcia of Master's Company 15:39 – Volunteering and Career growth through AWT 18:22 – Differences between PTSA and fluorescent tagged polymers 28:43 – Misconceptions about single-parameter testing with PTSA 34:01 – How to learn more and connect with experts like Gary Garcia Quotes “For every ounce of effort you put in, you get 10, 20 ounces back in return.” Garcia “We're the good guys. We're helping people save water, energy, helping the environment.” “When you're measuring for the fluorescent tagged polymer, you're actually measuring for the active ingredient.” “You gain more information; you gain more expertise. No one person has it all.” Connect with Garret S. Garcia Phone: 16302389292 Email: gary@masterscoinc.com Website: www.masterscoinc.com Click HERE to Download Episode's Discussion Guide Guest Resources Mentioned 314 2023 Water Industry Updates 206 The One That's All About Customer Solutions In A Drum Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned AWT (Association of Water Technologies) Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses Submit a Show Idea The Rising Tide Mastermind Water You Know with James McDonald Question: What field test is used to measure how likely a water source is to foul reverse osmosis membranes due to suspended solids? 2025 Events for Water Professionals Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we've listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE.
Georgia has formed its first PTSA with a focus on special needs students. Special Education Parent Teacher Student Association was established to provide advocacy for special needs students and their families across the state – a group that lacks resources outside of the Atlanta metro area. Rose talks with Lola Green, the founder and executive director of the Urban Indigo Foundation, Priscilla Borders, the Georgia PTA family engagement chair and Anita Hagins Jones, the president of the Georgia PTA. They talk more about the mission of the association and its top priorities. Althea Holmes has spent much of her life navigating a world that often underestimates what’s possible for people with rare conditions. She was born with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, and has suffered the loss of her husband and mother. Now, she’s using her life experience to support others through creativity. She offers a deeper glimpse into her journey and inspires others through a self-published bio-zine, called Ewkniklee Mee. Holmes talks with Rose about some of the most defining moments in her life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, Lisa and Brian discuss:Strategies for maximizing college scholarships given by the institutionsThe difference in merit vs. need-based financial aidThe role of GPA and standardized testing, ACT and SAT, in scholarship awardsColleges with merit scholarship grids where students can know the amount they can earn for good grades and scoresTransparency of college financial aid policiesKey Takeaways: Merit aid is often more predictable than need-based aid because many colleges offer fixed scholarships based on GPA and ACT and SAT scores, making it easier to estimate college costs.Skipping standardized tests can cost students thousands in scholarships, as many schools that are “test-optional” for admission still require test scores for merit aid or reduce the award if applying test optional.At some universities, it is possible to calculate the number of additional correct answers on the ACT a student needs to raise their merit aid award, making test prep a highly valuable investment.Over 90% of scholarship money comes directly from colleges rather than private sources, meaning that researching a school's financial aid policies is more effective than chasing small external scholarships.“When the airplane is going down, you put the mask on yourself first—you first, your kids second. The merit aid from the school is the 'putting your mask on yourself'… after that, if a kid has free time, definitely apply to some of the outside scholarships.” – Brian EufingerAbout Brian Eufinger: Brian Eufinger is the President of Atlanta-based Edison Prep and has tutored over 14,000 students for a combined 35,000+ hours on the SAT, PSAT, and ACT over the past two decades. A founding board member of the National Test Prep Association, he is frequently invited by school districts across the Southeast to lead out-of-state ACT boot camps. Brian is passionate about tracking test-optional admissions data and sharing strategies for reducing college costs through merit aid and scholarships. He regularly speaks on test prep, college admissions, and scholarships at PTSA meetings, webinars, and education podcasts.Episode References:Merit Aid Grids: https://meritaidgrids.com/Student Email Template: How to Get Clear Answers About College Merit Aid https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/merit #042 Will grade inflation hurt your teen with Brian Eufinger? https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/042Get Lisa's Free on-demand video: How-to guide for your teen to choose the right major, college, & career...(without painting themselves into a corner, missing crucial deadlines, or risking choices you both regret). flourishcoachingco.com/video Connect with Brian Eufinger:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edisonpreptutoring/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edisonprepWebsite: https://www.edisonprep.com/Email: brian@edisonprep.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eufinger/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EdisonPrepTutoringConnect with Lisa:Website: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flourishcoachingcoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourishcoachingco/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flourish-coaching-co
In this episode of Seattle Hall Pass, we discuss school and student safety in Seattle Public Schools, featuring interviews with students, staff, and parents. We explore concerns about balancing physical safety measures with the need for mental health support, sharing perspectives on a $20 million initially promised from the city for mental health. Voices from the community highlight the role of telehealth, community organizations like Community Passageways, and the controversial possibility of the return of School Resource Officers (SROs). Interviewees offer suggestions for improving safety, including wellness rooms and better communication between students and administrators.Community voices featured in this episode include:Rafi Brewer, a sophomore at Garfield High SchoolFatra Hussein, a junior at Franklin High SchoolIsaiah Parker, a student at Ingraham High SchoolKaz Hill, a student at Ingraham High SchoolShraddha Shrudde, a math teacher at Cleveland High SchoolLexi Awdziejczyk, a counselor at Franklin High SchoolAlicia Spanswick, co-president of the PTSA at Garfield High SchoolKathleen Zagers, president of the parent organization at Ingraham High SchoolSee our Show NotesContact us: Send corrections, suggestions, and comments to hello@seattlehallpass.org. Disclaimer: Seattle Hall Pass features a variety of voices. Each person's opinions are their own. Support the showMusic by Sarah, the Illstrumentalist, logo by Carmen Lau-Woo.
We all know that getting into and paying for college represent two very different challenges. But what if you could focus on factors that improve your odds of accomplishing both at the same time? For a surprising number of schools, you can! Amy and Mike invited educator Brian Eufinger to explain the role of test scores in college merit aid. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What's the difference between need-based aid and merit aid? Can people with incomes too high for need-based aid still qualify? What are merit aid grids? How have they evolved over the last 20 years? How much merit aid can students earn based on ACT, SAT, or PSAT scores? Does every college offer merit aid based on test scores? How can students maximize the chances of merit aid? MEET OUR GUEST Brian Eufinger graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2004. While an undergrad, he enjoyed working as a teaching assistant for Political Science 101, a resident advisor (RA) and as a volunteer paramedic with WashU's Emergency Support Team. Brian is frequently invited to speak about test prep, college admissions, and scholarships at PTSA meetings at Atlanta-area high schools as well as Edison Prep's free parent meetings. Brian serves on the Board of Directors of the National Test Prep Association. He is an active member of Washington University's Young Alumni chapter in Atlanta, as well as the WashU Alumni Admissions Interviewer Program. Brian was our guest to discuss THE REALITY OF GRADE INFLATION (#28), SELF-PREP FOR THE SAT & ACT (#131), and SHOULD I TAKE THE ACT WRITING TEST? (#271) TESTING GAMEPLAN FOR THE CLASS OF 2025 (#432) and STATE OF TEST OPTIONAL ADMISSIONS IN 2024 (#550). He hosted the show CELEBRATING OUR 500TH EPISODE and facilitated our 2019-20 ACADEMIC YEAR IN REVIEW (#100). Find Brian at https://www.edisonprep.com. LINKS meritaidgrids.com RELATED EPISODES PSAT AND THE NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP FOUR SCHOLARSHIP MYTHS FLORIDA BRIGHT FUTURES SCHOLARSHIPS ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.
It's a patrons-first podcast on the future of Seattle Public Schools! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel talks with Seattle Council PTSA President Samantha Fogg about declining school populations (and funding), school closures planned for the fall of 2025, and school safety, too. If you like this podcast--where you can learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break--please support it on Patreon!
When you're a new high school counselor, you think you need to have a Pinterest-perfect office in order to be effective. However, your worth as a high school counselor isn't dependent on how much stuff you have in your office or how much financial support you get from your principal, districts, or PTSA. But having a few essentials and office must-haves that you can't live without will certainly make your life easier! This episode highlights a few back-to-school tips and some high school counselor office non-negotiables and “would be nice” things to get your space and program ready for students. While these things worked for me when I was working as a school counselor, everyone's must-have office items will be different and need to work for you. Rest assured, all the things in this episode will just enhance the wonderful things you're already doing as a high school counselor since it's your skills, knowledge, and experience that make you an effective high school counselor!Resources Mentioned:Private Podcast: How to Kick-Start Your Year as a High School Counselor https://counselorclique.com/privatepodResource: School Counselor Beginning of the Year Presentation https://counselorclique.com/beginningResource: Back-to-School High School Counseling BundleBlog: 4 Helpful Categories of Back-to-School Essentials for High School Counselors https://counselorclique.com/back-to-school-essentialsBlog: 3 Ways to Complete Your School Counselor Office Like a Rockstar https://counselorclique.com/school-counselor-officeAmazon Store Front: https://amazon.com/shop/counselorcliqueBack-to-School Blogs and Podcasts: https://counselorclique.com/category/back-to-schoolLeave your review for School Counseling Conversations on Apple PodcastsConnect with Lauren:Sign up for the free, 3-day prep for High School Counseling Job Interviews https://counselorclique.com/interviewsVisit my TpT store https://counselorclique.com/shopSend me a DM on Instagram @counselorclique https://instagram.com/counselorcliqueFollow me on Facebook https://facebook.com/counselorcliqueSend me an email mailto:lauren@counselorclique.comJoin the Clique Collaborative https://cliquecollab.comFull show notes on website:
Today's word of the day is ‘two sleeps' as in baseball is back as in the Dodgers as in the Padres as in Seoul as in Opening Day as in the Mets as in the Marlins as in the Cardinals! Ohtani and the Dodgers kicks things off on Wednesday against the Padres. (8:35) Eury Perez is being shutdown. It is bad news for the Marlins. Why did they say it was a blister!? (12:00) What's going on in Mets land? Steve Cohen met the media to talk Pete Alonso, to talk expectations, to talk farm system. Fun times! (16:20) Why did the Cardinals extend Oli Marmol? What was the point before this season? (25:00) Review: Madame Web. (27:23) Let's talk football. The Steelers signed Russell Wilson, traded Kenny Pickett, and then traded for Justin Fields. Wow. Why did they trade Pickett? Why did the Bears accept so little? (35:00) March Madness is here! Go Yale! Go Wisconsin! But what about all these teams saying no to the NIT? Ridiculous! (42:30) NPPOD. What happened to scoring in NBA games? (47:40) A chocolate scheme in Maryland is crazy. The PTSA treasurer used $29,000 of chocolate sales on himself and gambling! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today's word of the day is ‘two sleeps' as in baseball is back as in the Dodgers as in the Padres as in Seoul as in Opening Day as in the Mets as in the Marlins as in the Cardinals! Ohtani and the Dodgers kicks things off on Wednesday against the Padres. (8:35) Eury Perez is being shutdown. It is bad news for the Marlins. Why did they say it was a blister!? (12:00) What's going on in Mets land? Steve Cohen met the media to talk Pete Alonso, to talk expectations, to talk farm system. Fun times! (16:20) Why did the Cardinals extend Oli Marmol? What was the point before this season? (25:00) Review: Madame Web. (27:23) Let's talk football. The Steelers signed Russell Wilson, traded Kenny Pickett, and then traded for Justin Fields. Wow. Why did they trade Pickett? Why did the Bears accept so little? (35:00) March Madness is here! Go Yale! Go Wisconsin! But what about all these teams saying no to the NIT? Ridiculous! (42:30) NPPOD. What happened to scoring in NBA games? (47:40) A chocolate scheme in Maryland is crazy. The PTSA treasurer used $29,000 of chocolate sales on himself and gambling! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the wake of the 2020 global pandemic, every U.S college and university announced test-optional or test-blind admissions, leading some pundits to predict that the influence of standardized test scores in admissions decisions was over. Based on recent announcements from a suite of public and private schools, nothing could be further from the truth. Amy and Mike invited educator Brian Eufinger to share the state of test-optional admissions in 2024. What are five things you will learn in this episode? As of early 2024, what is the state of test-optional admissions? What is the interplay between grade inflation and post-pandemic admissions policies? How do students know whether to submit scores or not? What does the term 'miswithholding' mean? Will more schools follow Dartmouth and MIT to test mandatory admissions? MEET OUR HOST Brian Eufinger graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2004. While an undergrad, he enjoyed working as a teaching assistant for Political Science 101, a resident advisor (RA) and as a volunteer paramedic with WashU's Emergency Support Team. Brian is frequently invited to speak about test prep, college admissions, and scholarships at PTSA meetings at Atlanta-area high schools as well as Edison Prep's free parent meetings. Brian serves on the Board of Directors of the National Test Prep Association. He is an active member of Washington University's Young Alumni chapter in Atlanta, as well as the WashU Alumni Admissions Interviewer Program. Brian was our guest to discuss THE REALITY OF GRADE INFLATION (#28), SELF-PREP FOR THE SAT & ACT (#131), SHOULD I TAKE THE ACT WRITING TEST? (#271), TESTING GAMEPLAN FOR THE CLASS OF 2025 (#432), and CELEBRATING OUR 500TH EPISODE (#500). He also facilitated our 2019-20 ACADEMIC YEAR IN REVIEW (#100). Find Brian at https://www.edisonprep.com. LINKS Truth About Test Optional What Does Test-Optional Mean? RELATED EPISODES TEST SCORES: TO SUBMIT OR NOT DO TEST OPTIONAL POLICIES DRIVE EQUITY? WHAT DO TRULY TEST-OPTIONAL COLLEGES FOCUS ON? ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.
Some inventive parents came up with a great fundraiser and It Takes Two has all the details. Get your tickets and start looking for the perfect prom dress! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Best D Life with Daniela- Helping You Find the Bliss in Your Busy
Chanté Dent is a Personal Development and Executive Coach and a Certified Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Safety Workshop Facilitator with BlueEQ, serving national and international companies in multiple industries, including Fortune 50. She is also the founding principle of her namesake firm, whose mission is to help married women live emotionally healthy lives and experience thriving marriages. Chanté is a proud alumna of California State University, Easy Bay, and her work has not gone unnoticed; in 2018, her alma mater recognized her as one of their 40 Under 40. Chanté is also active in her community, serving as a Committee Member of her children's PTSA. Connect with Chante Website: www.chantedent.com Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn BONUS - The 3 Biggest Mistakes We Make During Difficult Conversations with Our Spouse 3-Part Mini Podcast Series www.mymarriagethrives.com
Thank you for tuning into another Episode of All Gas No Breaks Podcast. We have a special interview with DMV Real Estate developer Ayesha M. Hudson of A-Peace LLC (www.apeacellc.com) @apeacellc (IG). Ayesha is an Advisory Councilmember of the Prince George's Community Collaborative Resolution Center, an associate in the Sustainable Communities Project®, a member of the District of Columbia's Landlord Advisory Group, and co-chair for her local PTSA. Ayesha also holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from the University of Maryland College Park's Robert H. Smith School of Business. We had some great laughs with the BOSS, she explained why she first purchased her first property, what got her into the real estate industry, and how she knew from the womb that real estate development was her calling. Ayesha is a native Washingtonian, who began her public service career with DC Fire and EMS and later retired from the Prince George's County Fire and EMS Department (PGFD) in May 2021. For over 20 years, A-Peace LLC has acquired, self-managed, and developed multifamily properties. Their firm manages a portfolio within opportunity zones and emerging neighborhoods across three Washington DC quadrants. We also got blessed with a great song by my R&B Soulstress Sanavi @seesanavi (IG) "Euphoria." (Full Video) Listen to the All Gas, No Breaks podcast here https://feed.podbean.com/agnbpodcast/ ... and wherever you stream podcasts Social Media: https://linktr.ee/agnbpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/AGNBpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agnbpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllGasNBreaks/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ALLGASNOBREAKSPODCAST
Thank you for tuning into another Episode of All Gas No Breaks Podcast. We have a special interview with DMV Real Estate developer Ayesha M. Hudson of A-Peace LLC (www.apeacellc.com) @apeacellc (IG). Ayesha is an Advisory Councilmember of the Prince George's Community Collaborative Resolution Center, an associate in the Sustainable Communities Project®, a member of the District of Columbia's Landlord Advisory Group, and co-chair for her local PTSA. Ayesha also holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from the University of Maryland College Park's Robert H. Smith School of Business. We had some great laughs with the BOSS, she explained why she first purchased her first property, what got her into the real estate industry, and how she knew from the womb that real estate development was her calling. Ayesha is a native Washingtonian, who began her public service career with DC Fire and EMS and later retired from the Prince George's County Fire and EMS Department (PGFD) in May 2021. For over 20 years, A-Peace LLC has acquired, self-managed, and developed multifamily properties. Their firm manages a portfolio within opportunity zones and emerging neighborhoods across three Washington DC quadrants. We also got blessed with a great song by my R&B Soulstress Sanavi @seesanavi (IG) "Euphoria." (Full Video) Listen to the All Gas, No Breaks podcast here https://feed.podbean.com/agnbpodcast/ ... and wherever you stream podcasts Social Media: https://linktr.ee/agnbpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/AGNBpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agnbpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllGasNBreaks/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ALLGASNOBREAKSPODCAST
Thank you for tuning into another Episode of All Gas No Breaks Podcast. We have a special interview with DMV Real Estate developer Ayesha M. Hudson of A-Peace LLC (www.apeacellc.com) @apeacellc (IG). Ayesha is an Advisory Councilmember of the Prince George's Community Collaborative Resolution Center, an associate in the Sustainable Communities Project®, a member of the District of Columbia's Landlord Advisory Group, and co-chair for her local PTSA. Ayesha also holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from the University of Maryland College Park's Robert H. Smith School of Business. We had some great laughs with the BOSS, she explained why she first purchased her first property, what got her into the real estate industry, and how she knew from the womb that real estate development was her calling. Ayesha is a native Washingtonian, who began her public service career with DC Fire and EMS and later retired from the Prince George's County Fire and EMS Department (PGFD) in May 2021. For over 20 years, A-Peace LLC has acquired, self-managed, and developed multifamily properties. Their firm manages a portfolio within opportunity zones and emerging neighborhoods across three Washington DC quadrants. We also got blessed with a great song by my R&B Soulstress Sanavi @seesanavi (IG) "Euphoria." (Full Video on B Side Releases 10/20/23 Listen to the All Gas, No Breaks podcast here https://feed.podbean.com/agnbpodcast/ ... and wherever you stream podcasts Social Media: https://linktr.ee/agnbpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/AGNBpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agnbpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllGasNBreaks/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ALLGASNOBREAKSPODCAST
Thank you for tuning into another Episode of All Gas No Breaks Podcast. We have a special interview with DMV Real Estate developer Ayesha M. Hudson of A-Peace LLC (www.apeacellc.com) @apeacellc (IG). Ayesha is an Advisory Councilmember of the Prince George's Community Collaborative Resolution Center, an associate in the Sustainable Communities Project®, a member of the District of Columbia's Landlord Advisory Group, and co-chair for her local PTSA. Ayesha also holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from the University of Maryland College Park's Robert H. Smith School of Business. We had some great laughs with the BOSS, she explained why she first purchased her first property, what got her into the real estate industry, and how she knew from the womb that real estate development was her calling. Ayesha is a native Washingtonian, who began her public service career with DC Fire and EMS and later retired from the Prince George's County Fire and EMS Department (PGFD) in May 2021. For over 20 years, A-Peace LLC has acquired, self-managed, and developed multifamily properties. Their firm manages a portfolio within opportunity zones and emerging neighborhoods across three Washington DC quadrants. We also got blessed with a great song by my R&B Soulstress Sanavi @seesanavi (IG) "Euphoria." (Full Video on B Side Releases 10/20/23 Listen to the All Gas, No Breaks podcast here https://feed.podbean.com/agnbpodcast/ ... and wherever you stream podcasts Social Media: https://linktr.ee/agnbpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/AGNBpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agnbpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllGasNBreaks/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ALLGASNOBREAKSPODCAST
Join Niki Tudge, Jean Donaldson, Judy Luther, and Rebekah King as they gather to officially launch PPG's new Pet Training Science Alliance (PTSA)! Learn about what the program is, how the program works, and how you can help support it as an educator or as a learner. Stay up to date on the latest PTSA projects here: https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/Pet-Training-Science-Alliance
The success of the Tests and the Rest podcast can be credited to our focus on fascinating guests with specific expertise and insight into admissions, testing, education, and learning. To celebrate our 500th episode, we're throwing all that away to focus on ourselves! Amy and Mike invited educator Brian Eufinger to guest host our first show devoted to listener questions. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What were Mike and Amy's favorite topics, most famous guests, and most popular episodes? How spontaneous are podcast conversations, and do we record the podcast intro every time? What is the connection between Tests and the Rest, Test Prep Tribe, and the NTPA? What are Mike and Amy's tips for anyone starting a new podcast? What fascinating information came out during the speed round? MEET OUR HOST Brian Eufinger graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2004. While an undergrad, he enjoyed working as a teaching assistant for Political Science 101, a resident advisor (RA), and as a volunteer paramedic with WashU's Emergency Support Team. Brian is frequently invited to speak about test prep, college admissions, and scholarships at PTSA meetings at Atlanta-area high schools as well as Edison Prep's free parent meetings. Brian serves on the Board of Directors of the National Test Prep Association. He is an active member of Washington University's Young Alumni chapter in Atlanta, as well as the WashU Alumni Admissions Interviewer Program. Brian was our guest to discuss THE REALITY OF GRADE INFLATION (#28), SELF-PREP FOR THE SAT & ACT (#131), and SHOULD I TAKE THE ACT WRITING TEST? (#271) and TESTING GAMEPLAN FOR THE CLASS OF 2025 (#432). He also facilitated our 2019-20 ACADEMIC YEAR IN REVIEW (#100). Find Brian at https://www.edisonprep.com. LINKS Meet Amy Seeley Meet Mike Bergin Test Prep Tribe National Test Prep Association New Tutor Podcast Playlist RELATED EPISODES SAT & ACT TESTING TIMELINES + Mike Bergin's origin story PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF TESTING + Amy Seeley's origin story INTRODUCING THE NATIONAL TEST PREP ASSOCIATION ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.
Cynthia Covey Haller, daughter of the late Stephen R Covey joins us on Awakened Nation to discuss her father's last book: Live Life In Crescendo: Your Most Important Work Is Always Ahead of You. A capstone to his international bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and The 8th Habit, Crescendo shares key insights for people who feel they have peaked in life. "There are all these retirement myths that people carry around, and they just didn't work for my father." Life is meant to be lived in crescendo, not in diminuendo. Cynthia worked with her father up to his untimely death, and continued writing to bring Crescendo to life. It is as much her book as it is her father's. This is a heartwarming episode as Cynthia shares stories of her father Stephen and his love for his children, as well as memories of her mother Sandra Covey who worked tirelessly on the Covey Center for the Arts in Provo, Utah, USA. And lastly, Cynthia shares how her faith in God, and the support of the entire Covey Family, that got her through the toughest of times. About Cynthia Cover Haller: Cynthia Covey Haller is an author, teacher, speaker, and active participant in her community. She has contributed to the writing of several books and articles, notably, The 3rd Alternative by Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, and The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make, both by Sean Covey. Cynthia has held multiple leadership positions in women's organizations, served as a PTSA president, as an organizer for refugee aid and a food pantry volunteer, and she is currently working with her husband, Kameron, as a service volunteer helping with employment needs. She graduated from Brigham Young University and lives with her family in Salt Lake City, Utah. About Awakened Nation: Fueled by the passion to ignite game-changing conversations, award-winning author Brad Szollose created Awakened Nation—a podcast dedicated to deeper conversations with today's outliers and cutting edge entrepreneurs, idea makers and disruptors, bestselling authors, activists, healers, spiritual leaders, professional athletes, celebrities, politicians and rock stars...conversations that take a deep dive into the extraordinary. This podcast will challenge your beliefs. Think Art Bell meets Joe Rogan. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awakenednation/support
Some people are born into water treatment, and others fall into it. Darius Barkauskas, CWT, LEED-AP water career journey started after graduating from Purdue and serendipitously landing his first job at HOH Water Technology, where he has been working and growing for over 20 years. As a water treatment professional, Darius understands the importance of creating a well-balanced workforce and hiring the right people for your team. He reveals valuable insights on coaching others effectively, ensuring that people feel heard and empowered to contribute their best work. Darius also emphasizes the significance of getting to the root source of an issue rather than treating symptoms, and how embracing constructive feedback can drive continuous improvement. But that's not all! Darius also discusses the importance of asking clarifying questions to unlock the full potential of your water treatment company and team. With his wealth of experience, Darius provides practical tips and strategies to help you create a thriving work environment where employees rave about their "best job ever" experiences. Join us for Part 1 of this two-part series, where Darius Barkauskas shares his insights on building a winning water treatment team, coaching for success, and unlocking the true potential of your company. Don't miss out on this inspiring conversation that will empower you to make positive changes in your water treatment business. Tune in now and get ready to scale up your H2O knowledge! Bottom line: Darius will share how to build a water treatment team or a company where employees boast that they have “the best job ever”. Timestamps Trace Blackmore thanks you for turning your windshield time into learning time and for saying “hello” at AWT [1:00] Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals [9:00] Periodic Water Table With James McDonald [11:15] Interview with Darius Barkauskas, CWT, LEED-AP [14:00] Quotes “When I hire people, I tell them “I want your time at HOH to be the best job you've ever had.” - Darius Barkauskas “Getting constructive feedback can make you feel stressed, lean into that, it's okay to feel stressed. Feelings are natural. Be willing to lean in and get real value.” - Darius Barkauskas “You need to have a balanced team.”- Darius Barkauskas “When people are complaining they are not actually complaining. They're just not able to articulate their vision of how they want things to be, so the complaint is derived from not being able to share what the vision of what it ‘should be' is, they want their vision to come to fruition.” - Darius Barkauskas “I'm a firm believer that Everybody deserves a coach, and not necessarily your boss.” - Darius Barkauskas “You need some sort of an outlet to vent or get guidance. Someone who will not judge you and allow you to be vulnerable to give you that space to work through that stuff you've got going on.”- Darius Barkauskas “Everyone's got issues, if someone says they don't have issues they are probably lying to you.”- Darius Barkauskas “Ask clarifying questions. I like to give people solutions, so I force myself to slow down and listen.”- Darius Barkauskas Connect with Darius Barkauskas Phone: (630) 272-3944 Email: darius.k.barkauskas@gmail.com Website: hohwatertechnology.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dariusbarkauskas/ Read or Download Darius Barkauskas' Press Release HERE Links Mentioned The Rising Tide Mastermind Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses Submit a Show Idea AWT (Association of Water Technologies) 2023 Events for Water Professionals Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we've listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE or using the dropdown menu. Books Mentioned I Said This, You Heard That by Kathleen Edelman Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni Periodic Water Table With James McDonald Let's start off with why fluorescein is used? Why is fluorescein typically used in boilers but PTSA used in cooling systems? What would be the impact if they were switched? At what concentrations is fluorescein used? What is the chemical formula? How does one test for fluorescein? Can any colorimeter or fluorometer be used or does it take a special one? What wavelength of light is being measured? What can interfere with this test? Can it be measured online? How would the level of fluorescein be controlled with an online feed and monitoring system?
This episode contains: Steven and Ben grill Devon as to why he was not on the last episode. The answer is sleep. Ben had a weird bug so took a day off work. Devon keeps complaining about his kids, who can be heard in the background. Ben is applying to be the president of the PTSA. Steven has been making his "old wife" play a new Star Wars deck building game. Ben recommends the Humble Bundle: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/kart-racers-games-bundle?hmb_source=&hmb_medium=product_tile&hmb_campaign=mosaic_section_1_layout_index_1_layout_type_threes_tile_index_2_c_kartracersgamesbundle_bundle Walmart Has Everything: A bug expert went shopping at Walmart—and made a historic insect discovery. The giant lacewing had seemingly disappeared from eastern North America over 50 years ago. “The fact that this insect was spotted in a region that it hasn't been seen in over half a century tells us something more broadly about the environment.” https://www.popsci.com/environment/giant-lacewing-jurassic-walmart/?fbclid=IwAR2tmEEv4NxWjpmChq4FuIhTKMOdxUKRzRaBpTiHhm02Tj_QghSEE2XFs9Q F'ing Finally: FCC orders phone companies to block scam text messages. First robotext rule requires blocking of texts from invalid and unused numbers. The Federal Communications Commission today finalized rules requiring mobile carriers to block robotext messages that are likely to be illegal. The FCC described the rules as the agency's "first regulations specifically targeting the increasing problem of scam text messages sent to consumers." https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/03/fcc-orders-phone-companies-to-block-scam-text-messages/ Big Question: Would you be able to tell if time had been altered in some way? Sci-Fi: Everything Everywhere All at Once review, The Last of Us season1 finale talk, Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister recommended by Devon's book club, maybe.
We're bringing back listener favorite, James McDonald, CWT on the show to talk about Nitrites. Today, he answers listener questions such as: How do you convert Nitrite to Sodium Nitrite? How do you make sure your Nitrite levels are not too high or too low? Does microbiological activity impact nitrite levels? What can cause a reaction in a closed loop system when there's Nitrite involved? What do you need to know before adding a biocide to a system that has Nitrite in it? How can you prevent pitting from happening when you are using Nitrite? What is Nitrite used for? Bottom line: Tune in to learn all about Nitrite from James McDonald. Timestamps Trace Blackmore welcomes you to the podcast made by water professionals for water professionals [01:01] Periodic Water Table With James McDonald [4:15] All about Nitrite with James McDonald, CWT [8:20] What sparks inspiration [16:00] How to get involved with the AWT Technical Committee [27:00] Trace and James tell Chuck Norris Jokes [36:00] Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals [38:00] Periodic Water Table With James McDonald With the right lighting, this molecule has a certain glow about it. Why is PTSA used? Can PTSA be used in both cooling towers AND Boilers? Why or why not? How about closed loops? What does PTSA stand for? What is a typical dosage of PTSA? How is the concentration of PTSA measured? What can cause PTSA to degrade? Is PTSA compatible with all biocides? Why did PTSA come into more widespread use within the last decade or so? Should other parameters be measured regularly in addition to PTSA or can one rely solely upon the PTSA reading when monitoring product dosage? Quotes “Nitrite can be tested in the field, which is great because not everything can be.” - James McDonald “To convert from Nitrite to Sodium Nitrite, you multiply Nitrite by 1.5; that's a big multiplier. So if you're not talking apples to apples, you're talking apples to oranges, and you may be out of range and not know it.” - James McDonald “Having too low of Nitrite levels can be worse than no Nitrite in the system because of the pitting that can occur.” - James McDonald “Nitrite can be bug food. Do some tests and make a plan.” - James McDonald “Nitrite can get a reaction in a closed loop when adding sulfites and biocides.” - James McDonald Connect with James McDonald Phone: (937) 689-4031 LinkedIn: in/james-mcdonald-pe Websites: industrialwaterscience.com Chemaqua.com Industrial Water Treatment Cartoon: industrialwaterscience.com/fun James McDonald Press Release: Read or download Here Links Mentioned The Rising Tide Mastermind CWT Practice Course from the Scaling UP! H2O Academy 2023 Events for Water Professionals Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we've listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE or using the dropdown menu. Book Mentioned Drop by Drop: Articles on Industrial Water Treatment by James McDonald
Major transitions often result in major confusion for the unprepared. If you are–or support–a teen in the high school graduating class of 2025, the time to consider taking or skipping the new digital SAT is now! Amy and Mike invited educator Brian Eufinger to strategize a testing game plan for the class of 2025. What are five things you will learn in this episode? When will the digital PSAT and SAT be available in the United States? Should students worry about being among the first wave of digital test takers? How should high schoolers plan for the digital SAT? Will the ACT be changing at the same as the SAT? How can students try out the new digital SAT? MEET OUR GUEST Brian Eufinger graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2004. While an undergrad, he enjoyed working as a teaching assistant for Political Science 101, a resident advisor (RA) and as a volunteer paramedic with WashU's Emergency Support Team. Brian is frequently invited to speak about test prep, college admissions, and scholarships at PTSA meetings at Atlanta-area high schools as well as Edison Prep's free parent meetings. Brian serves on the Board of Directors of the National Test Prep Association. He is an active member of Washington University's Young Alumni chapter in Atlanta, as well as the WashU Alumni Admissions Interviewer Program. Brian was our guest to discuss THE REALITY OF GRADE INFLATION (#28), SELF-PREP FOR THE SAT & ACT (#131), and SHOULD I TAKE THE ACT WRITING TEST? (#271). He also facilitated our 2019-20 ACADEMIC YEAR IN REVIEW (#100). Find Brian at https://www.edisonprep.com. LINKS When To Take The SAT or ACT A New Digital SAT Is Coming! Bluebook | College Board RELATED EPISODES NEW SAT TEST SPECIFICATIONS FIRST THOUGHTS ABOUT THE NEW DIGITAL SAT SUCCESS IN COMPUTER-BASED TESTING ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.
The second half of life presents a crucial choice. Will you live in Crescendo - or it's opposite Diminuendo? Cynthia Covey Haller joins us to discuss the new book she co-authored with her father, the late Stephen Covey - Live Life in Crescendo: Your Most Important Work Is Always Ahead of You. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey is an international bestseller, with over 40 million copies sold. It's principles have stood the test of time. Now, Covey's eldest child brings his final work to life with a valuable mindset that can help you make the second half of life full of purpose, meaning and contribution. Cynthia Covey Haller joins us from her home in Salt Lake City, Utah. Bio Cynthia Covey Haller is an author, teacher, speaker, and an active participant in her community. She has contributed to the writing of several books and articles, notably The 3rd Alternative by Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make, both by Sean Covey. Cynthia has held multiple leadership positions in women's organizations, served as a PTSA president, an organizer for refugee aid and food pantry volunteer, and she is currently working with her husband, Kameron, as a service volunteer helping with employment needs. She graduated from Brigham Young University and lives with her family in Salt Lake City, Utah. _________________________ For More on Cynthia Covey Haller Live Life in Crescendo: Your Most Important Work Is Always Ahead of You _________________________ Mentioned in This Podcast Episode The 8th Habit _________________________ Podcast Episodes You May Like The Vintage Years – Dr. Francine Toder The Second Curve of Life – Arthur C. Brooks Breaking the Age Code – Dr. Becca Levy How to Live a Values Based Life – Harry Kraemer __________________________ Wise Quotes On the Purpose of Living in Crescendo "My mission is what his mission was for this book: to bring hope to people at any age and stage of life that they, despite past failures and successes, still have important things to accomplish and great contributions to make in life. And so we're hoping to give hope and inspiration to people that you still have great things ahead of you. And despite what setbacks and challenges you've gone through, keep at it and recreate yourself. Do what you need to do to become the person you want to be." On Choices in the Second Half of Life "And so the challenge in this book is to adopt a Crescendo Mentality, meaning that despite what you've done in the past, what are you going to do next? Are you going to live in Crescendo? Are you going to keep contributing? Are you going to keep doing things in other areas? Even if you don't hold a 9 to 5 job, what are you going to contribute? How do you keep living in Crescendo as opposed to living in Diminuendo, which means you basically are shutting down and getting ready to not give anymore - and what a state that is. So, one of the things that you need to do is find purpose while you age and while you live." On Contributing "This was his personal mission statement: Live Life in Crescendo. And he adopted that because people were asking him - and second guessing - why he was still working and still speaking. But he would say that there is no greater time than right now. [Look at] what people have in the second half of life. Just think about it. Here are some of the advantages. The truth is you have more time, more wisdom, more experience, probably more money, more resources, more networking, and more connections to offer than you ever have in your entire life. And so what are you going to lend that to? Someone who would retire and do very little when they've been running a company or they've been contributing, they've been responding to needs, and then they stop after that. What a waste of great talent and opportunity to bless others. My father always liked to quote,
Cynthia Covey Haller is an author, teacher, speaker, and an active participant in her community. She has contributed to the writing of several books and articles, notably The 3rd Alternative by Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make, both by Sean Covey. Cynthia has held multiple leadership positions in women's organizations, served as a PTSA president, an organizer for refugee aid and food pantry volunteer, and she is currently working with her husband, Kameron, as a service volunteer helping with employment needs. Live Life in Crescendo is Covey's answer to these questions, outlining his vision for those in the prime of life, whatever age you may be. Covey urges all to “live life in crescendo,” continually growing in contribution, learning, and influence. In the same way that music builds on the previous notes, life too, builds on the past and unfolds in the future. This crescendo mentality urges you to use whatever you have—your time, talents, resources, gifts, passion, money, and influence—to enrich the lives of people around you, including your family, neighborhood, community, and the world. Cowritten with his daughter, Cynthia Covey Haller, and published posthumously, Live Life in Crescendo is a life-changing and life-affirming book that befits the generosity and wisdom of the late Stephen R. Covey. Connect with Cynthia on LinkedIn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's midweek show, Crystal welcomes Senator Manka Dhingra, Chair of the Senate Law & Justice Committee, to preview the tough issues her committee will take on in the upcoming legislative session. Senator Dhingra walks through her data-driven and community-informed approach to legislating and how this lens guides her thinking on revisiting the Blake decision fix, a temporary solution put in place by the Legislature in 2021 when the Washington Supreme Court struck down the state's drug possession law as unconstitutional. Despite widespread recognition of the need for a public health approach to substance use disorder, Crystal and Senator Dhingra lament the unfortunate political truth that the public is often ahead of elected officials and that the Blake fix will likely not be based on best practices. The two then discuss the pushback from some in law enforcement interests in response to bills that restricted their use of high-speed vehicle pursuits and sought to hold officers liable for taking wrong actions. Senator Dhingra stands by these policies that solve the issues of unnecessary bystander deaths and community demands for reduction in police violence. Finally, the show wraps up with what a trauma-informed criminal justice system could look like, where implementation of the 988 crisis system is, and Senator Dhingra's delightful tradition of introducing legislation from teenagers in her district. 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 Senator Manka Dhingra at @Dhingrama. Senator Manka Dhingra Manka Dhingra is Deputy Majority Leader of the Washington State Senate. She brings two decades of experience as a prosecutor to her role as Chair of the Senate Law & Justice Committee. She also serves on the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee and Senate Ways & Means Committee. In November 2017, Dhingra was elected to the Senate by the constituents of the 45th Legislative District, the first Sikh legislator in the nation. Since then, she has sponsored and passed legislation addressing a wide range of issue areas, including: curbing domestic violence and sexual assault, preventing firearm violence, providing property tax relief for seniors and people with disabilities, prosecuting financial fraud, and reforming the criminal justice system with an evidence-based approach. During her time in the Senate, Dhingra has helped pass legislation and funding to transform the Washington State behavioral health system, reorienting it around prevention rather than crisis response. She continues to strive to ensure that Washingtonians with behavioral health needs get the treatment they need and deserve. As a member of the Special Committee on Economic Recovery, she is helping the state craft an economic plan to lead an equitable recovery from the COVID economic downturn. She also serves on several task forces dedicated to reducing poverty, reforming the criminal justice system, improving equity in state government, and providing a sound and fair fiscal footing for the state. Dhingra continues to serve as a Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. As Chair of the Therapeutic Alternative Unit, Manka helped develop and oversee the Regional Mental Health Court, the Veterans Court, and the Community Assessment and Referral for Diversion program. As a mental health and crisis intervention expert, she has also been an instructor at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission for the 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training for law enforcement officers to reduce the risk of tragedy and improve the response to people in crisis. Outside the courtroom, Dhingra is a community leader and anti-domestic violence advocate on the Eastside. She co-founded Chaya, an organization that assists South Asian survivors of domestic violence and led the organization's work to end systemic violence through education and prevention. She also serves on the board of Hopelink. Resources Senator Manka Dhingra | Washington Senate Democrats “With Dhingra's Win, Democrats Take Control of the State Senate” by Hayat Norimine from SeattleMet Q & A: The Blake Decision | ACLU of Washington “In Last-Minute Move, Legislature Adopts New Approach to Drug Possession” by Paul Kiefer from PubliCola “WA lawmakers try to thread needle on drug possession, to mixed reviews” by David Kroman from Crosscut “Washington Voters Want to Decriminalize Drug Possession and Fund Substance Abuse Resources” by Anika Dandekar with Data For Progress State v. Blake: ESB 5476 and behavioral health expansion | Washington Health Care Authority “Not all crimes merit high-speed chases that risk bystanders' lives” by Manka Dhingra in The Seattle Times “Pursuits and Fatalities in WA since 2015” by Martina Morris from Next Steps Washington and Washington Coalition for Police Accountability 2021-2022 Washington State Legislature Policing Bills Explainer | People Power Washington “State leaders prepare for implementation of the 988 call line” by Shane Ersland from State of Reform “Meet the students who fought for free menstrual products at Washington schools — and won” by Sara Gentzler from The Olympian 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. So today I'm absolutely thrilled to have joining us the Deputy Majority Leader of the Washington State Senate, Manka Dhingra. Welcome. [00:00:47] Senator Manka Dhingra: Thank you so much. It is such a pleasure to be here with you. [00:00:50] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely a pleasure to have you - have followed your work and admired your work for quite some time. So you are also the Chair of the Senate Law & Justice Committee, you've done a lot of work. I just wanted to start off with - what was your path to the State Senate and what have you been working on? [00:01:11] Senator Manka Dhingra: So I'll just say my path to the State Senate has been extremely unusual. I don't know anyone else who came into politics the way I did. I, as a young person, knew very early that I wanted to go to law school and that I wanted to be a prosecutor. I got involved in gender-based violence early on because my grandmother used to help survivors of domestic violence back in India. And so I went to law school, became a prosecutor with King County. I actually created and ran the first ever Therapeutic Alternative Unit where we really took a look at alternatives to incarceration, crisis intervention. I helped train law enforcement in the 40-hour crisis intervention training at the Criminal Justice Training Center. And I considered myself a good Democrat because I voted. And then we had our 2016 national election. And for the first time in my life, I was actually having an Election Night party at my house because I really wanted my children to see the face of the first U.S. woman president. Clearly the night did not go as I had planned. And so I went to my first Democratic Party meeting that December. And when I went there, I can tell you that the room was full - packed - with women. When I looked around that room, I recognized so many of the PTSA moms. And most of us were there, again, for the very first time because we felt we had to do something. And I didn't know what that something would look like. And a very good friend of mine who was on city council saw me there and she said, We have to have coffee. And so we sat down for coffee and her first question was, Do you want to run for office? And my response was, I don't think I'm qualified. And she literally fell off her chair laughing. And later I realized what a cliché my response was because apparently that's what all of us women say - we think we're not qualified. So she kind of worked on me and we had a Senate seat that was available. And February 14th, I announced I was running for the Senate. So my entire political engagement from the time from my first meeting to me announcing for Senate was two months. [00:03:25] Crystal Fincher: Wow. Well, and then you ran in a district where your victory was certainly not guaranteed - very competitive race - where you were successful and victorious and a first yourself, the first Sikh member of our state Senate. How did you use all of your lived experience in the Senate and how was your first term? [00:03:56] Senator Manka Dhingra: So the election was exciting because my seat actually flipped our State Senate. So our Senate was controlled by the Republicans and when I won, Democrats got in control. So the first session was actually pure chaos because we'd had gridlock in Olympia for so many years because we really couldn't pass meaningful bills. We had a session that would go into special session year after year because budgets couldn't be agreed upon. The year I was running, there were three special sessions and they still did not have all their budgets passed. And so when I won, normally people have orientation or some kind of onboarding. But when I won - because of the change - we had new Chairs, all this legislation that had been blocked for so many years like the flood gates had opened. So it was a very exciting time because I think we just passed such amazing progressive legislation and really were this beacon of light for the entire country on what a progressive legislation could look like or what a progressive state can look like. But I got to tell you, I was kind of lost in the mix there. But luckily I was able to hold my own and was very proud of the nine bills I passed my first session. [00:05:16] Crystal Fincher: And what were some of those bills? [00:05:17] Senator Manka Dhingra: So a lot of those bills were things that had really irked me for a very long time as an attorney and as a prosecutor. So there were a lot of bills around helping survivors of domestic violence, there were bills around sexual assault, around trafficking, and I had a Medicaid fraud unit bill, work around behavior health because I have been very concerned about mental illness and substance use disorder in our state. And normally when you're a first-time legislator, they do this thing on the Senate floor where your first bill - people actually kind of tease you a little about it or kind of give you a hard time. And when they looked at all my bills, they were all of such serious matters that they couldn't figure out which one should be my first bill. And so actually the Medicaid fraud unit was my first bill because that was the least serious about my other bills. But this was legislation that I knew that had to be fixed and we needed to do it. And frankly, I think the reason why I was so successful is because most of my bill ideas come from people who do the work and are able to really articulate what the problems are and then have the solutions because they're the experts in that field. And so I have maintained that manner of doing my work - is really making sure I hear from the people on the ground doing the work. [00:06:42] Crystal Fincher: And you have built that reputation of being very in touch with the community, of reaching out to stakeholders for your various bills, making sure that you speak with, inform, get feedback from people who are involved with and impacted by legislation you're proposing and the issues you're trying to address. One such issue was spurred by the Blake decision - that the Supreme Court found in our state - that essentially decriminalized personal use possession. And because of some challenges that that presented, like a potential patchwork of different laws passed by different cities all throughout the state, the Legislature decided to take action to try and pass one uniform policy all across the state. What was your approach to that and where did that end up? [00:07:30] Senator Manka Dhingra: Thank you. That is really the issue and the question that has been - people have been interested in for the last two years. Any time legislation is required, my question always is why? And what you gave in your question was really one of the reasons why we knew that legislation - is because we wanted a uniform way of making sure enforcement is the same for people, that they're not treated differently because they're using at a different intersection down the street. So that's why we wanted to make sure we had state legislation. This decision came out in the middle of session, so the timing was not optimal. And then it was very important to me to have a solution that is based on best practices and that is practical. So the original bill that I had was actually based on what the policy of the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office was, along with a lot of the other prosecuting attorney's offices around the state. Because what we found at that time is - a lot of people doing this work had realized - that dealing with substance use disorder, it's not a criminal justice issue, it's a public health issue. And treating it like a criminal justice issue is what has really led us to where we are today. But you have to make sure you're focused on getting people into the treatment that they need. And so I was really trying to come up with a solution that said you have to have public health lead. And you also have to understand that while using the substance shouldn't be illegal, if there's criminal activity around that - like theft, criminal trespass, possession of weapons - that is still a criminal offense, but really being able to focus on treatment. So after a lot of negotiations, because I'll tell you, elected officials are very nervous of criminal justice issues. And I come from it differently because I practiced for 17 years. And we unfortunately did not get a bill that was based on best practices. We came close, but not quite. So what became the law of the land is that law enforcement was going to offer diversion the first two times that they came into contact with an individual. And then only after that would they refer that for a criminal case. And we took this opportunity to really provide a lot of resources for treatment - so we ensured that we had substance use disorder navigators who can help get people into treatment, we provided funding for treatment like Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, to wraparound teams like HOST - Homeless Outreach Stabilization Teams, PACT - these assertive community treatment models. So really making sure that those resources go hand-in-hand, because if people have no place to go and they don't have treatment, nothing's going to really work. I also wanted to make sure that because we were creating this in the middle of session, that we had an expiration date. So I insisted that this law expire in three years. And we created a committee or task force made up of a wide variety of individuals - people with lived experience, people in the treatment community, housing people, law enforcement, prosecutors, defense - everyone who deals with this issue to come together to come up with recommendations. So those recommendations have officially been made. And our law expires this 2023, so we as the Legislature have to actually pass another substance use disorder law to make sure that we're, again, pushing ourselves to doing things that are based on - with best practices. [00:11:16] Crystal Fincher: Now the bill did not end up - at that time what passed - was not what you were ultimately happy with and didn't earn your vote at that time. But you did say that - because of some of those things that were funded, you really wanted to focus on getting those implemented and working across the state, because it's important to - if someone is going to make a referral for treatment or for services, that those services be available. And we were in a situation where those were not available in sufficient quantities around the state and people may not have been able to get their needs met. Where do those stand today? How far have we made it in terms of implementation and availability of services? [00:12:02] Senator Manka Dhingra: So I'll just say - on paper - the funding, the availability of services looked amazing. And then COVID hit. And one of the biggest barriers became COVID, because we weren't really able to implement everything that we wanted to. We had inpatient treatment services that had to be dramatically reduced because of social distancing - they had to limit their bed capacity. And so it's very challenging to talk about how successful or not successful this program could have been because it was greatly hampered by COVID. And we know from years and years of data and just knowing how humans behave - that when there is a huge incident like COVID - people do tend to self-medicate because of anxiety and depression. And we saw that. We saw use of alcohol and drugs go up exponentially because people were dealing with trauma. And so the combination of factors made it a lot more challenging. And so the resources weren't able to be deployed as timely as we would have liked. Now we're in a position - with this summer, we were able to do statewide deployment of the substance use navigators, so now they're around. We have funded a lot more options for law enforcement assisted diversions. So we have this program set up, but unfortunately we also had a lot of inpatient treatments that actually closed - because of COVID and their not being sustainable. The other issue also became is - there are a lot of individuals who really feel that there has to be an option for court-directed treatment - the court has to force you to do treatment. And so one of the things we had talked about is - if you want the option of that, you still have that through Drug Court, Mental Health Court, Veterans Court - if people engage in other criminal activity in addition to substance use disorder. We also have a civil commitment statute - we have Involuntary Treatment Act - we have assisted treatment where if you really want it to be court-ordered, you can do it through the civil system. And so we were really hoping to ramp up our civil system to do that. And again, due to COVID and what happened with our judicial system, we weren't really able to get there. So I would say where we are now from when the bill was passed - not as far along as we would have liked. And we simply haven't had the time to give these programs the setup that they actually needed. So in an ideal situation, I would have liked to see one more year of us working under this bill to really see what's working and what's not, and then come up with a different solution. But unfortunately we don't have that time and COVID did make things more challenging in terms of implementation. [00:15:00] Crystal Fincher: So in terms of these programs and what was funded and addressing the capacity and now increased staffing issues with a lot of these services, is there going to be a push for increased funding? Does the existing funding already cover the implementation? What action needs to be taken from the legislature to ensure that in another year's time we are where we do want to be? [00:15:24] Senator Manka Dhingra: So absolutely the funding needs to continue and it will. The cities and the counties that do have the programs up and running - because it was a gradual start - have actually shown really positive results. We are seeing individuals getting the help they need. We have had law enforcement in those areas actually appreciate the resources that have been provided to the community to do this work. We also have to take a look at - how do we staff inpatient units? The way we pay them for per bed usage doesn't really work when you have pandemics because a third of the beds can't be used. So if you're only paying them for the beds, they can't do full staffing if they're not allowed to use a third of their beds. So we really have to rethink what that payment for treatment looks like. And there've been some really interesting ideas on integration, and paying for the whole person, and paying for programs rather than for each beds. And that's what COVID really taught us - being really creative on how we are supporting some of our community clinics, so I think you're going to see some really exciting stuff coming in on more integrated community-led efforts. Our federal government, in the last two years under President Biden, has really made a lot of federal dollars available for us to do this work. And Washington is really set up very well to take advantage of these federal dollars. I think it's still an exciting time and - it always gets darkest before the light, but I do think we are going to be turning the corner on the opioid epidemic. [00:17:06] Crystal Fincher: I hope so. And so now you're going to be taking up this legislation again - you're forced to - and many people were supportive of the sunset and revisiting of this legislation this session. It looks like there, once again, is a mixed variety of opinions on the right way forward this session. And it looks like there are a growing amount of people, supported by what looks like changing public sentiment, or absolutely a number of polls in support of a public health approach as opposed to a criminalized approach to substance use disorder and possession of personal amounts. Is there the opportunity this session to move towards a full public health approach and move away from criminalization of personal possession of substances? [00:17:59] Senator Manka Dhingra: I wish I could tell you there was. This is unfortunately the truth in politics that I've learned - is that normally the public is way ahead of elected officials. Over and over again, I've heard from the public that when they see their loved one, their neighbor, their friend, or even the stranger struggling with substance use disorder, they want treatment. The first response isn't to send someone to prison. And so the recommendation out of this committee - it's actually called SURSAC [Substance Use Recovery Services Advisory Committee] - was for decriminalization of personal use. And so the bill that I will be sponsoring is based on the committee's recommendation, because I think it's really important to honor that work. That work and their conclusions are based on best practices, it's data driven through looking at what has worked around the world - not just in the United States - because we know this is a worldwide problem. We don't have the votes for that in the Senate or in the House. So I'll have my bill, which is based on best practices and data. We are going to have another bill by Senator Robinson, who is going to take a lot of the treatment recommendations coming out of that group, but it does make possession of personal use a gross misdemeanor. It encourages diversion, but that's where it's at. We're going to have other individuals who may want to make it back as a felony - I don't think there's appetite at all to have it be a felony because that has failed so miserably. And I know there's some interest in making it a misdemeanor. All of those have issues, right? No one is going to agree on one version of it, but I think the best decisions are always the decisions that are made when they're data-driven. I don't think our legislature is there. I don't think the Blake fix is going to be evidence-based or data-driven. It will criminalize personal drug use with a lot of options for diversion. And the hope really is that the prosecutors, the judges are in a position to make those referrals. The hope really is that community resources come in and are able to help people outside of the criminal justice system. I'm a little disappointed, but that's human nature. All you can do is continue to make the case on trying to do things that work. [00:20:40] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. [00:20:41] Senator Manka Dhingra: But people are driven by fear. [00:20:43] Crystal Fincher: Yeah. And appreciate your continued work to continue to make the case and for standing by that when it comes to voting. Is there the opportunity with this to implement another sunset - for as you said, as we get more infrastructure set up around the state, accounting for the COVID delays and challenges, that maybe we get to revisit this in another couple of years? [00:21:08] Senator Manka Dhingra: You know, I'm not sure about that - we'll have to see how it works. The reality is you can have whatever laws you want - it depends on what implementation looks like. So when the Blake decision came out, the current individuals who were charged with drug possession cases - all those cases had to be dismissed. And if they were in custody, they had to be released. Now, I was very curious to know how many of those individuals currently existed, because I had heard and know that most of these cases weren't being prosecuted - that they were actually being deferred. And that was actually true. People thought the Drug Courts would close - they didn't. There were very few Drug Courts that actually had individuals that were only there for drug possession cases, because the culture of enforcement has changed so much. Because the people that do that work know that having someone go through the court system or look at incarceration does not improve the substance use disorder. It actually makes it worse. And so practically, there were not people in Drug Court to any significant degree when this decision came out. And that's why I tried to tell people - that there was already that recognition in our criminal justice system that said, We're not prosecuting these individuals, they're being offered diversions at the time of booking. Or they end up pleading guilty to a reduced sentence and finish that time in jail and leave. So there is a disconnect between the laws on our book and what is being implemented. And I think all we can do is actually make that community treatment program really robust and provide those resources, and destigmatize substance use disorder so that people can actually feel comfortable going for treatment and acknowledging that they have a problem. [00:22:56] Crystal Fincher: That makes sense. Another issue that has been an issue that has been talked about throughout the community has been those surrounding police pursuits. High speed vehicle chases - I suppose some may not be at high speeds - but pursuing people who they suspect of fleeing because of some crime or being wanted for a reason. And lots of talk in the community and data and evidence about the injuries and deaths caused by police pursuits - and really weighing whether the risk of pursuit is worth it in cases where someone is not wanted for a violent crime and people's health and wellbeing seem to be in immediate jeopardy, as opposed to a property crime or something else like that. What is the work that you've done on that? And do you anticipate that being an issue? Where do you stand on that? [00:23:53] Senator Manka Dhingra: I go back to the way I deal with legislation - I start off with what is the problem you're trying to solve? So when it came to police pursuits, the question was - what is the problem we're trying to solve? And the problem we were trying to solve is data that came out that said 50% of the people that are killed during police chases are individuals that have nothing to do with the incident. These are innocent bystanders who get killed. And that number is at 50% in the state. That is an unacceptable number. So we took a look and said, OK, how can we reduce that number? And so the police pursuit bill that was passed by the Senate and the House and signed into law is one that's actually based in best practices. It was based on a policy that very closely mirrored what a lot of our cities were already doing. So we do have some cities that had very similar policies and others that frankly were not good partners in doing this work. And so we passed that. There were a few cities who didn't really have to change their policies because that is what their official policy was. And there were others that were forced to change their policy. And this is exactly what you mentioned, Crystal - it is about doing that analysis. We made sure that if it's a domestic violence case, you can pursue the vehicle. If it's a case involving violence, you can pursue the vehicle. If it's a DUI, you can pursue the vehicle. But when it comes to property, we said, No, you can't - because there are other ways to catch an individual in today's day and age. And guess what? We haven't had innocent people dying since this policy was enacted. So did we solve the problem of not having 50% of the fatalities be uninvolved? We absolutely did. We do not have innocent people dying in vehicle pursuits. And I've heard criticism that, Oh, people are just fleeing and not getting caught. And I've asked the question, Are they not getting caught in that instant? Are they getting arrested the next day or a few days later? Guess what? They're being arrested, they're just arrested a few days later. And now they're being charged with a felony - attempting to elude - because they fled. So I know that there are cities and law enforcement agencies that want us to go back on our vehicle pursuit bill. And I have asked them for data - because I do tend to be data-driven - and I've said, Show me how many people have not been caught because of this data. The only data they can show me is the number of pursuits is up. And I'm like, And what happens the day after? Because when they share the stories with me, they always end with, Oh, yes, and we caught the guy two days later or the next day. And so again, I think for those who want us to change our policy, I come back with what is the problem you're trying to solve and where is the data supporting that? And I have not seen the data that tells me that this is the wrong policy. [00:26:53] Crystal Fincher: Well, and I appreciate the approach you take in being very data-driven because really - there's a lot of conflicting information out there. There's a lot of people who sometimes are scared just by change. And so looking at what the situation actually is based on evidence makes a lot of sense. This was an issue with a number of bills around public safety in prior sessions where there - in 2020 - where a number of accountability bills passed. And then following that, some seeming cold feet amid pushback from some law enforcement officials and others saying, Well, you have prevented us from being able to do our jobs and you're putting public safety at risk by holding us more accountable. What was your take on that, and on some of the legislation that rolled back some of the accountability progress that was made? [00:27:53] Senator Manka Dhingra: When people started saying - Oh, the Legislature prevented us from doing our work, my question was - No, we made sure you can be held liable for taking wrong actions. If they choose not to act because they're afraid of liability, that is not the Legislature preventing them from doing their job. It's that they have to relearn how to do their job. Or go back to best practices that they were taught - but over time, those practices have kind of gone away because you just kind of start doing what everyone else does and not really focus on best practices. And the bottom line is this. We had to do all of that work because of George Floyd. And the years and years and years of Black people telling us that they're being killed at the hands of law enforcement and frankly, the world not listening - until we had COVID, was stuck in our house, didn't have any new Hollywood movies coming out or new TV shows coming out - and we had to watch the video that was captured. And finally acknowledge and say, Yes, what people have been saying is true and real. We, as elected officials, have to do something about it. So it comes down to, again, what is the problem that we were trying to solve? And the problem is that Black and Brown men and women are treated unfairly with law enforcement. And when you see that so blatantly and so starkly that you cannot make excuses for it anymore, like we have been for decades, you have to do something and you cannot do business as usual. There has to be accountability. And like you said, change is hard. People don't like making change. But unless they do it themselves, it is thrusted upon them and that is - the job of electeds and the Legislature is to make sure we are standing up for each and every human being. I represent cities like Duvall and Woodinville, Redmond, Kirkland - each and every one of these cities had a Black Lives Matter protest - down in Duvall, Woodinville, Redmond, Kirkland. I was there at all of them. This is something that our population demanded and the Legislature provided. And it's going to take a while for people to make the changes, but these are changes that are needed. We are an outlier in the United States when it comes to fatalities at the hand of law enforcement. No other country has that rate like the US does. And it's time we took it seriously and put in practices that are going to prevent it. [00:30:46] Crystal Fincher: Agreed. And as you talked about before, lots of times the public is more in tune with data and reality - because they're living it - than some of the elected officials. We just saw in these past elections in November where we had a county prosecutor race where people with two very different views were running. One focused on more punitive punishment measures, focused a lot on criminalization and focusing on that. Another one who's saying, Okay, we're not going to not follow the law, but we need to follow the evidence and start to pursue policies, or continue the path of pursuing policies like diversion that have been shown to be more successful in helping people get on a productive path to not commit any more crimes and to reduce the amount of people who are victimized. As you continue through this path of various legislation in this session, what is your message to people who do say that police accountability gets in the way of public safety? [00:31:54] Senator Manka Dhingra: And I just say that is absolutely not true. Holding someone responsible for bad actions has nothing to do with public safety. Public safety is about your perception of safety. You can talk about domestic violence and I can tell you, and I'm going to say mostly women - because we are talking mostly women who are victims or survivors - they have not felt safe in their house for decades. And people will not say that that is a public safety issue because they're thinking about what happens when they walk down the street, not what is happening in their own home. When we talk about sexual assault, it's a different concept of public safety. When we talk about trafficking, it's different. And so we have to - when we talk about public safety, it's not about property crimes. It's about individuals feeling safe - at home, in their school, or out in the street. And so we have to be focused on human safety and them feeling safe in whatever environment they're in. Right now when people talk about public safety, they're only talking about car thefts, and thefts from businesses, and graffiti, and seeing people using drugs on the street - that's not public safety. Those all tend to be public health issues and systems that aren't funded appropriately. And frankly, the systemic racism that has occurred in this country for generations that has allowed these wealth inequities. So we have to talk about public safety as the human feeling safe. And I can tell you - it is women, women of color who are most at risk of being victims of public safety, but we don't talk about that. I do. And that is how I frame these issues is - we have done a terrible job when it comes to investigating, reporting, prosecuting sexual assault. Same thing about domestic violence, same thing about trafficking. And when you take a look at the ills in our society, it comes down to gender-based violence. It comes down to our children being raised in households where they see domestic violence, the trauma that occurs through there. So public safety is a lot more complicated than seeing there's a rise in their concerns about public safety - because when you really take a look at the holistic concept of public safety, there isn't. And I'll just say for decades, crime in our country has been reducing. Then the last three years, because of the pandemic, you've seen a rise in violence and a rise in crimes, but overall, when you take a look at trend over decades, we are at a downward trend. It is still the best time to live in America right now than it ever has been. That is actually true. Technology is there to help us, we have more access to resources, there are more people being fed, and there are more people who are actually safe. So let's try to change that conversation on public safety because the sound bites are not based in reality. [00:34:55] Crystal Fincher: They really aren't. And it looks like by these - once again - most recent election results, the public recognizes that and wants to move towards more evidence-based solutions. I also want to talk about - you talk about who are most often victims of crime. And when we talk about victims, so often it's in the context of, Well, victims would want this person punished. And what are you going to say to the victims if this person doesn't spend a whole bunch of time in jail? But it seems like we engage less on - how do we actually best support victims? How do we do that? And how can we do better? [00:35:32] Senator Manka Dhingra: That is such a great question. Thank you so much for framing it the way you just did because that's absolutely true. People - because of TV shows - mostly have this image of this victim who's like this innocent, fragile, vulnerable person who has never done anything wrong in her life. That is not who the victim is. Victims are as complicated as any single human being. And many times when you take a look at a victim of crime, especially in our society, they're not strangers. You normally know the perpetrator of violence, and there's that connection. And so when you talk about what the victim wants, it isn't necessarily punishment or prison time for 20 years. It is much more nuanced and much more complicated. As I mentioned, I used to run the Therapeutic Alternative Unit, and we really used to make sure - we were the first in the country, actually, to not have any criminal history that's a bar to participate in this program. But I insisted that part of this program, we have a victim advocate. And that when there were crimes involving victims, that the victim's voice would be part of what the resolution is. And I cannot tell you - over and over again, when you provided victims the resources and the services and you explained the program, they wanted that defendant to go through that program. Because they want that person to get better, they want to make sure that what happened to them doesn't happen to anyone else. And when the victim feels supported and has resources on their own, they can actually deal with their own trauma and move on - because no one wants to hold on to that hurt and that anger. It is not good for anybody. But unless we as a society can provide those resources and that support, the victims aren't going to get better. And when they don't, you just have that cycle over and over again. And one of the bills that I'm really proud of - I passed a couple of years ago - and it was about making sure that if you are a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault or trafficking, when you are on your path to recovery, you can get your criminal history, your convictions expunged. And the reason I really wanted that bill is because - trauma exerts itself as a reaction, not just as a memory. And so there are so many people in the criminal justice system who are survivors - they're survivors of violence. And they're engaging in the criminal justice system because of that trauma. And we don't have a criminal justice system that is trauma-informed. We're trying to get there. But being trauma-informed means you have to understand that anyone coming into that system may and most probably has suffered trauma. And unless you deal with that underlying trauma, you're going to continue on that cycle. So I think there's a lot more work we need to do in being trauma-informed throughout our criminal justice system. [00:38:31] Crystal Fincher: Well, I appreciate that and appreciate your work. And also, your work on the 988 system. Can you explain what that is and where that stands in terms of implementation? [00:38:43] Senator Manka Dhingra: Absolutely - you're asking about my favorite bills. I've been working with the mental health community for a very long time in my other job as a Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. And one of the things people have wanted for a very, very long time is a mental health crisis line. Because it's not illegal to be mentally ill, yet we call 911 and have law enforcement show up. And so 988 is a national number that went live in July. And we took this opportunity in the state of Washington to create an entire crisis system around 988. So right now, if anyone who needs help - if they're suicidal or in crisis, that's a mental health substance use disorder crisis - they can call 988. The 988 phone number is actually staffed by mental health professionals - individuals who are trained in how to deescalate and help with situations. And so we made sure that we provided funding for the people responding to the calls - that they had the credentials needed to do this work. We made sure that these hubs of 988 are actually going to - in the next few years, they are going to have a mobile response team that is made up of community mental health professionals along with peers. We are connecting 911 and 988 in the sense that there's cross-training - because a lot of the calls that come to 911 are actually mental health calls. So we want them to be able to transfer those calls through 988. And there may be times when a call comes into 988, but there's a weapon involved or a gun involved, and they need that help from 911. So we're working on cross-training and some kind of cross-mobilization. But what we have found is - from other states that have done some of this work - is that when you have a mental health professional answering these calls, 90% of the calls are able to be resolved. The 10% that need someone to show up for them - 7% can be handled with a mental health professional going out along with a peer, and only 3% need law enforcement. And so being a lot smarter about how we are responding to people in crisis - because they don't need to go to jail, most of them don't even need to go to an emergency room. We also took this opportunity to set up a structure where we can have more technology and data. We would love to do a bed tracking system, so someone who needs help - the 988 operator can take a look and know that there is a bed available for them, that they can connect them to treatment. Come January, our state mandates next-day appointments. So if you call the crisis line, your insurance or Medicaid - whatever it can be - is mandated that the next day you are going to go see somebody. And that's going to be a game changer because you're making sure people get the treatment they need when they need it. So I am super excited about this system. More work to be done on it, but we are well on our path to do it. We - normally, in the state of Washington, while we can be proud of so much, we are not the state that is in the top 10 for mental health services, but our 988 bill is the national model in the country. And I have to say, I was very proud - with Representative Orwall who sponsored the bill, and I - both of us got an award, actually a national award, recognizing us for our 988 bill. So very, very exciting time and so much more to come on this. [00:42:20] Crystal Fincher: Excellent. And what do you say to people who are concerned that - who are trying to avoid a situation that may be escalated, especially with some of the challenges that law enforcement have in responding to and deescalation, deescalating situations - whether it's people of color, or disabled people, or people in crisis - that calling 988 could result in a law enforcement response or an involuntary confinement for behavioral health treatment. [00:42:53] Senator Manka Dhingra: When I said the numbers on the percentage of calls and the manner in which they're dealt with, what you find is when you have the right resources right at the beginning, you don't need law enforcement, you don't need civil commitment because you are able to, again, use your motivational interviewing skills. You're able to offer people services and support. That next-day appointment is critical. Because if they're willing to go see someone - a doctor, a nurse, a mental health specialist, whoever that person may be - they don't need to be involuntary treatment, ITA'ed as they call it, because they're going in for treatment. So you have to make early intervention options available as much as possible. There are always those individuals who may need a high level of care, so you have to make sure that you are able to meet them wherever they are - but you got to make sure you're providing early intervention. I will have a bill next session that actually sets up these facilities called 23-hour facilities. And so the hope really is that those individuals who can't wait for the next-day appointment, that we are actually able to take them to these 23-hour facilities where the hope really is that they're there for 23 hours - because they can't stay there longer than that - and then you have to have a transition plan on how you're going to get them connected to other services and support. And that's what we have found is that - the right intervention at the right time - really, people want help, that's why they're calling. They're not calling because they actually want to kill themselves. It's because they're like, Help me, I'm afraid I'm going to do this. And so you have to provide the help that they're asking for. [00:44:31] Crystal Fincher: Much appreciated. I appreciate you taking the time to go through all of this with us today. As we close, I wanted to talk about one of my favorite things that you, or any legislator does - and that is working with youth. How do you do that? And what were you able to accomplish? [00:44:49] Senator Manka Dhingra: I love working with our youth. When I first ran for office five years ago - at that time, my kids were 13 and 15. And I used to coach Destination Imagination, and Math Team, and a lot of teams. And so I had to tell them that, Hey, I'm going to run for office, so I'm going to have to step aside from coaching these teams. And the teens were like, Can we help? And I'm like, Yes. So I had 250 teenagers helping me on my first and second campaign - no one had heard, seen so many teenagers working on a campaign. And so my promise to them was - I will continue engaging with them. So I sponsor bills that have been brought to me by teens every year for the last five years. And my favorite bill for next session is going to be one - is one - that's been brought to me by teens in my district. And that's around eliminating gender-based pricing. They literally went to Target and Costco and took pictures of a bike helmet that's pink in color and the exact same helmet - same company, same everything - that's blue in color. And the blue helmet is for $20 and the pink helmet is for $25. And they even did that with adult diapers. I didn't know this, but apparently women's adult diapers are much more expensive than men adult diapers - no clue why. So I'm going to have that bill next session - I'm super excited about it. But these teens are the ones that made sure we now have menstrual products in all our schools and college bathrooms. We no longer, in Washington, pay taxes on menstrual products. And it's not just this stuff they care about - they care about access to mental health treatment and services, and substance use disorder, and criminal justice reform. You name it, and these teens want to make positive changes. And I cannot tell you how excited I feel looking at the next generation. [00:46:44] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. And this isn't even the first bill that they've brought to you. In fact, we have better access to menstrual products because of youth bringing up legislation, correct? [00:46:54] Senator Manka Dhingra: Absolutely. They really want to make sure that they can change the world. And that bill came about because of a conversation I was having with some of the teens. And the teens in the Redmond High School said they have menstrual products in their school. And I knew that teens in Kent and Moses Lake did not. And they started talking about how that's just not fair - that our school districts in more affluent communities are actually providing menstrual products than schools that are not in affluent areas. And guess who needs it more? And so just the fact that these teens think about access - and think about who is getting services and resources and who isn't - is just heartwarming for me. And the fact that they're willing to fight for others. So yes, all schools in Washington and colleges provide menstrual products in bathrooms now. [00:47:51] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. And if people want to learn more about the work that you're doing or support legislation that you have, what's the best way for them to get engaged? [00:48:00] Senator Manka Dhingra: The best way is to email my office, or get a hold of me on social media, and subscribe to my newsletter. If anyone is interested in any particular bill or issue, my office can help you get connected to how to get more information. But check out our website, leg.wa.gov - they have a lot of resources on how you can follow a bill, how you can sign up to testify. Our hearings are all hybrid, so you can testify on an issue from the comfort of your home or your car - as long as you're not driving. And if you don't want to testify, you can send in written testimony or simply show your support for a bill or opposition to a bill - and all of that gets counted. And democracy is not an individual sport - it is a team sport. You got to play and you got to be part of a team - and that's the only way we make our world better. [00:48:56] Crystal Fincher: Well, thank you so much today, Senator Manka Dhingra, for joining us and for sharing all of the work that you're doing. [00:49:02] Senator Manka Dhingra: Thank you so much. This was a great conversation and I loved absolutely chatting about these tough issues with you. [00:49:09] Crystal Fincher: Well, thank you and we will stay in touch. 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.
Today's episode is a recording of a live debate between 37th LD Representative Position 2 candidates, Emijah Smith and Chipalo Street. The debate was hosted by the South Seattle Emerald on October 4, 2022 at the Rainier Arts Center. Hacks & Wonks' very own Crystal Fincher moderated the debate. Resources For links to the YouTube video, summary of lightning round answers and more, visit the debate's page on our website. Campaign Website - Emijah Smith Campaign Website - Chipalo Street Register to vote, update your registration, see what's on your ballot and more - click here. Past felony conviction? Information on re-registering to vote - Washington Voting Rights Restoration Coalition. Transcript [00:00:00] Bryce Cannatelli: Hi everyone – this is Bryce Cannatelli from the Hacks & Wonks team. Today's episode of the show is a recording of a live debate between 37th LD State Representative candidates Emijah Smith and Chipalo Street. The debate was held on October 4, 2022 and was hosted by the South Seattle Emerald and was moderated by Hacks & Wonks' very own Crystal Fincher. We hope you find it informative and thank you for listening. [00:00:41] Crystal Fincher: Welcome! Welcome everyone to the South Seattle Emerald's 2022 General Election Candidate Debate. My name is Crystal Fincher. I'm a political consultant and the host of the Hacks & Wonks radio show and podcast, and I'm honored to welcome you all to tonight's debate. I'm also excited to hear from our guests running for State Representative Position 2 in the 37th Legislative District. Before we begin tonight, I'd like to do a Land Acknowledgement. I would like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Coast-Salish Peoples, specifically the Duwamish peoples, past and present. I would like to honor with gratitude the land itself and the Duwamish tribe. We'd like to thank all of our partners here this evening, including the League of Women Voters of Seattle & King County for their support as well. Tonight's in-person show is following numerous COVID precautions. All in-person audience members, volunteers, staff, and candidates have either provided proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test upon entry, and all audience members in attendance are wearing masks. We're excited to be able to live stream this event on Facebook and YouTube. The debate also features questions from our audience members and voters like you. If you're watching the livestream online, you can submit audience questions by going to seattleemerald.com/debate. If you're in-person, you can write audience questions down on the note cards that have been handed out to you - or will soon be handed out to you - that will be picked up partway through the show. Volunteers will collect written questions at 8:00pm, right after the lightning round, and again at 8:30pm. Please keep questions to one question per card. A few reminders before we jump into the debate: I want to remind you all to vote. Ballots will be mailed to your mailbox starting Wednesday, October 19th, and you can vote anytime until election day on Tuesday, November 8th. You can register to vote, update your registration, and see what will be on your ballot at VoteWA.gov - that's VoteWA.gov. I also want to remind you that if you've had a previous felony conviction, your right to vote is now automatically restored after you serve your prison term, even while on community supervision. You do have to re-register to vote, but your right to vote exists. Go to freethevotewa.org for more details, and help spread the word. The candidates running for the 37th Legislative District State Representative Position 2 with us tonight are Emijah Smith and Chipalo Street - and we'll welcome them up to the stage right now as I explain the rules. So tonight's debate will begin with candidate introductions. Each candidate will have one minute to tell us about themselves. After introductions, we will enter a lightning round of yes/no questions, which candidates will answer silently by using paddles that indicate their answer. Just double-checking that you both have your paddles. Excellent, it's going to be a robust lightning round. Following the lightning round - at the end of the lightning round, each candidate will be allowed 90 seconds to explain anything you want to about what your answers were. Following the lightning round, we'll enter into the open answer portion of the debate. Each candidate will have 90 seconds to answer each question. Candidates may be engaged with rebuttal or follow up questions and will have 30 seconds to respond. Times will be indicated by a volunteer holding a sign in the front of the stage - right here. When a candidate has 30 seconds remaining, you will see the yellow "30-second" sign - right there. When a candidate has 10 seconds remaining, you'll see the orange "10-second" sign. And when time is up, the volunteer will hold up the red "STOP" sign, and I will silence the candidate. So now, we'll turn to the candidates who will each have one minute to introduce themselves, starting with Emijah Smith and then Chipalo Street. Emijah? [00:04:51] Emijah Smith: Welcome everyone. Thank you for being here. Thank you to all who are watching through the YouTube streaming. My name is Emijah Smith, please call me 'Mijah. I am raised and rooted in the 37th. I am a mother, I'm a grandmother, and a daughter of this district. Ever since I was a teen, I've been doing advocacy and community organizing - really seeing firsthand in real time that failed War on Drugs that is still continuing now, really seeing the devastation in my community. It was at that time that I said I want to bring healing, restoration, and resources back to the community. So my vision is healthy families and healthy communities, and in doing so, we have to look at multiple issues - prioritizing housing, fully funding education, pre-K, health equity, and really centering racial justice. I just want to highlight very briefly some sole endorsers within the 37th - Senator Saldaña, Girmay Zahilay - our King County Councilmember, Tammy Morales, Andrew Lewis, Kim-Khánh - thank you so much. [00:05:58] Crystal Fincher: Thank you so much. Chipalo Street. [00:06:01] Chipalo Street: Good evening. I'm an innovative problem solver, and I've been giving back to the South Seattle community for 15 years. We have some really pressing issues facing us, and we need to send a proven leader to Olympia to solve them. Housing prices are out of control, and it's displacing generational families and making renters pay more of their paycheck to skyrocketing rents. People are struggling to make ends meet, and the pandemic has only made this worse. The recovery, or so-called recovery from the pandemic, hasn't been felt evenly by all of us, and we need to protect working people so that we all come out of the pandemic better than we went into it. The pandemic's also made our schools worse and exacerbated existing issues. Just recently, Black and Brown kids tested three and a half levels behind their counterparts, and I want to make sure that all kids have a great public education system like the one that I went through. So I'm glad to be here tonight, and I'm honored to discuss how we move this district forward. [00:07:01] Crystal Fincher: Thank you so much. Also, it's a useful reminder that while you do have 90 seconds to answer, you aren't obligated to always take 90 seconds. Feel free to take it if you want to, but you will not be penalized for finishing early if you desire. So now, we will move on to the lightning round - making sure you both have your paddles in hand and ready. All right, we've got a number of questions to go through. So we will start talking about homelessness and housing. First question, are there any instances where you would support sweeps of homeless encampments? Yes or No? Looks like Emijah is waffling there, or landed on No. And we have Chipalo with No. Next question, will you vote to end single-family zoning to address housing affordability? Chipalo says Yes. Emijah says No. Would you vote to end the statewide ban on rent control and let localities decide whether they want to implement it? Emijah says Yes, as does Chipalo. Will you vote in favor of Seattle's social housing initiative, I-135? Both Emijah and Chipalo say Yes. Do you favor putting 400 additional units of housing and services for the unhoused in the CID? We've got a waffle with Emijah and a No with Chipalo. Do you rent your residence? [00:08:52] Chipalo Street: Sorry - as in, do I - am I a renter? [00:08:55] Crystal Fincher: Yes, are you renters? Both say No. Do you own your residence? Mortgage or outright. Chipalo and Emijah both say Yes. Are you a landlord? Emijah says No. Chipalo says Yes. In public safety, would you vote for a law ending long-term solitary confinement? Both say Yes. Would you vote for a law prohibiting traffic stops by armed law enforcement officers for low-level non-moving violations such as vehicle registrations and equipment failure? Both say Yes. Do you support establishing an independent prosecutor for cases of criminal conduct arising from police-involved deaths? Both say Yes. Do you support investments in the ShotSpotter police surveillance tool? Yep, it is in Mayor Harrell's budget that he just announced - so both say Yes. Do you think police should be in schools? Both say No. Would you vote to provide universal health care to every Washington resident? Both say Yes. The Legislature just passed a law that will cap insulin costs at $35 per month. Would you vote to expand price caps to other commonly used drugs? Both say Yes. Will you vote to ensure that trans and non-binary students are allowed to play on the sports teams that fit with their gender identities? Emijah waffled and Chipalo says Yes. [00:10:58] Emijah Smith: I waffle but I say Yes. [00:10:59] Crystal Fincher: Emijah waffles but she says Yes. For people wishing to change their name to match their gender, do you support removing the cost and need to see a judge for legal processing, name changes, and gender marker changes? Both say Yes. Will you vote in favor of an anti-extradition law that protects queer people, including children and their families, who flee to Washington from states where their gender-affirming care is punishable by law? Both candidates say Yes. Will you vote to increase funding for charter schools? Both Emijah and Chipalo say No. Will you vote for continued investments in anti-racism training for staff and students in Washington schools? Both candidates say Yes. Washington is facing a school staffing crisis and a funding crisis, especially with special education. Will you vote to increase funding in both of these areas? Both say Yes. Will you vote to enact a universal basic income in Washington? Both candidates say Yes. Our state has one of the most regressive tax codes in the country, meaning lower-income people pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than the ultra-wealthy. In addition to the capital gains tax, will you vote for a wealth tax? Both candidates say Yes. Will you vote for any bill that increases highway expansion? Chipalo says Yes and Emijah is waffling. Would you vote to allocate state dollars to help accelerate the delivery of Sound Transit and other regional rail projects? Would you vote to allocate state dollars to help accelerate the delivery of Sound Transit and other regional rail projects? Both candidates say Yes. Will you vote to enact state investments and updating homes with more environmentally friendly utilities? Both say Yes. Have you taken transit in the past week? Chipalo says Yes. Emijah says no. Have you taken transit in the past month? Chipalo says Yes. Emijah says her family has, but not her personally, so that's a No. Elections. Potential changes in the way people vote for elections in the City of Seattle will be on the November ballot. Will you vote in favor of changing the system in Seattle elections? Both candidates say Yes. Will you vote in favor of ranked choice voting for Seattle elections? Both candidates say Yes. Will you vote in favor of approval voting for Seattle elections? You can only vote for one. So both candidates say No. Will you vote to move local elections from odd years to even years to significantly increase voter turnout? Chipalo and Emijah say Yes. In 2021, did you vote for Bruce Harrell? Emijah says Yes. Chipalo says No. In 2021, did you vote for Lorena González? Emijah says No. Chipalo says Yes. Did you vote in the general election in 2021? Emijah says Yes. Chipalo says Yes. In 2021, did you vote for Nicole Thomas-Kennedy for Seattle City Attorney? Emijah and Chipalo say Yes. Will you be voting for Julie Anderson for Secretary of State? Correct - she's running against Steve Hobbs. That is correct. Both candidates say No. Will you be voting for Steve Hobbs for Secretary of State? Both candidates say Yes. Will you be voting for Leesa Manion for King County Prosecutor? Both candidates say Yes. And that means that you will be voting No - you will not be voting Yes for Jim Ferrell. Correct - both candidates will not be voting for Jim Ferrell. Have you ever been a member of a union? Both candidates say Yes. Will you vote to increase funding and staffing for investigations into labor violations like wage theft and illegal union busting? Chipalo and Emijah both say Yes. Have you ever walked on a picket line? Both say Yes. Have you ever crossed a picket line? Both candidates say No. Is your campaign unionized? Both candidates say No. If your campaign staff wants to unionize, will you voluntarily recognize their effort? Both candidates say Yes. That concludes our lightning round. Thank you very much for that - helps to level set for the open-ended questions, but before we get to those, each candidate will have 90 seconds to explain anything you want about any of your answers. We will start with Chipalo. [00:16:40] Chipalo Street: Sure. I think the only one that I would like to explain is expansion of highways. The reason I answered Yes to that is the qualifier of is there any reason that I would do that. In general, no, I do not support the expansion of highways. However, if it is to help freight mobility that helps our unions, then that would be something that I would consider. If it comes back to our economy and helping union jobs, then we should definitely consider that. But in general, no, I would not vote to expand highways. [00:17:10] Crystal Fincher: And Emijah? [00:17:11] Emijah Smith: So I think there was a couple of questions there that I waffled on. And for me, when it comes - because I center racial justice - I'm an anti-racist organizer, I have to always look at what are the unintentional consequences of any decisions that's made. So there's this yes or no - we have to bring context into the conversation. So if it unintentionally or intentionally causes more inequities and more harm to people of color and those marginalized, I have to look more deeply into that before I could just say a quick, simple yes or no. So I just want to share why there might have been a waffle there. And also, if I don't fully understand something and I need to learn a little bit more and lean into community organizations and lean into the community - we talked about the ID - that's a very diverse community, they're not a monolith. So if there's an issue that's happening in the ID, I need to lean and learn from that community before I just make a decision as a legislator to do so. So I definitely - my style, my servant leadership is definitely to listen from community, learn from community, and be accountable to community. So I don't just do yes or no. Thank you. [00:18:13] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. So now we'll start the open answers portion. Our candidates will get 90 seconds to answer each question and they may be engaged with rebuttal or follow up questions and will have 30 seconds to respond. So starting out - in the Dobbs decision that obliterated the right to abortion - in Justice Thomas's concurring opinion, he identified decisions he felt should be re-evaluated after their ruling in Dobbs, cases that established our right to same-sex marriage, rights to contraception, and rights to sexual privacy. What can our State Legislature do to proactively protect these rights? Emijah? [00:18:55] Emijah Smith: Thank you for the question. And I definitely do not agree with the decision that was made. I think as state legislators and state leaders that we have to go directly and correct our Constitution to prevent these type of things from happening. Washington does a lot of talk. I think that our community, particularly in the 37th, is really intentional about our racial equity and about equity overall and fairness and all the great words. But we have to be actionable about that. And so putting something in the written language in our Constitution, we have to move in that direction. And I believe that our legislature for this 2023 session will be centering and very active around the Roe v. Wade and the Dobbs decision. [00:19:36] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. Chipalo? [00:19:38] Chipalo Street: Yeah, what I found interesting about Justice Thomas's dissent or concurrence was that he did not also include same or biracial marriage into his writing, even though that is based on the same logic of the other cases. Ironically, he is in a multiracial marriage. So the hypocrisy there, I don't think is lost on anyone. And I'm a product of a multiracial marriage - and so making sure that these rights are protected is deeply important to me. In terms of gay marriage, I am glad that we have a strong legislature and that passed marriage equality. In terms of Roe, I think we should fund clinics to take care of the increased traffic that we'll see in our state from the states that have - around us - that have banned abortion. I have background in technology. I would love to make sure that our data isn't used to go after people searching abortions or providing abortions. There's plenty of providers who provide telehealth. And if they are consulting with someone across state lines into a state that has banned abortion, I would be super scared about whether I could be sued, whether my data could be subpoenaed, if I could lose my license. And so making sure that we protect our data and protect our providers, I think, is paramount. Also making sure that we have security around our clinics - just as we'll have more traffic from people looking for abortions, we'll have more traffic from people protesting abortions. So those are some of the things that I would do to protect gay rights and the women's reproductive rights. [00:21:12] Crystal Fincher: And I just want to circle back to one thing for both of you in a 30-second rebuttal. Specifically when it comes to contraception, is there anything that strikes either of you - we'll start with Emijah - that you think the Legislature could do to help ensure and guarantee access and availability? [00:21:31] Emijah Smith: Well, definitely education. I definitely think that we need to ensure and continue to make sure that we're educating our youth in schools and making - contraception needs to be available. It needs to be available to all birthing parents, but we also need to make sure that we are including and not fighting to have education for our youth to understand sex education. And so that's been a big deal before the Roe V Wade issue had came up, so I'm a supporter of making sure our families are talking to each other, because this is a family issue. It's not just a woman's issue. It's not just anyone's issue. It's an issue about our bodies and our rights of what we want to do. [00:22:06] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. Thank you very much. And Chipalo? [00:22:08] Chipalo Street: Yeah, I agree. Education is a big part of this. Funding is also another part. Making sure that contraception is available to anyone who wants it. Making sure that preventative medications like PrEP is available to anyone who wants it as well - that goes a little bit past reproductive rights and into sexual rights for our folks, but making sure that it's just available to everyone, I think, is very important. [00:22:31] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much. Next question. What will you do when you're - [00:22:35] Emijah Smith: We need some call and response in here - this is, you know - [00:22:40] Crystal Fincher: What'd you say? [00:22:40] Emijah Smith: I need some call and response. We in the 37th, we are very diverse - this is how we move, so I'm just - go ahead, sorry. [00:22:48] Crystal Fincher: What will you do in your capacity as a state legislator to help small local businesses? Chipalo? [00:22:55] Chipalo Street: So, I'm a small business owner myself and I understand the problems of balancing books, the stress that the pandemic has put on different small business owners. And so - number one, making sure that when we look around at other types of businesses - like we have incubators for tech businesses, we have incubators in high-tech businesses. Why don't we have incubators for smaller businesses, for communities of color? Access to capital is one of the issues that holds businesses back - where I think we saw in the video - the guy who founded WeWork completely did a scam and then got another $350 million to go start Lord knows what. So making sure that we have access to capital in community is really important. Working with organizations like Tabor 100, who provide incubation-type services is really important. And then working to make sure that our communities foster businesses - so for example, businesses that are in walkable and bikeable areas get more traffic. Not only will that increase business to those businesses, it will also get us towards a greener climate future if we have an environment and community that encourages us to get out of single-occupancy vehicles. [00:24:11] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. Emijah? [00:24:11] Emijah Smith: Thank you. I am a member of Tabor 100. And one thing I've learned - I've been a member for a number of years - is oftentimes the resources only go to a couple of places, right? So a lot of our small businesses are pop-ups. So a lot of, even through COVID, the money that's coming from the federal government or from our local government agencies are not making it to the small businesses. Similar to what Chipalo was saying, you need capital to even get a loan, but also the money that was coming to support the businesses, it wasn't reaching those businesses. It seems like the same million dollar companies, people who always were getting the money kept getting the money. And also, when I think about the displacement that's happening in our community, I would like to see some restrictions or some policy that is not targeting our small businesses in neighborhoods or communities that have been historically gentrified and displaced. Similarly like the Central District, but all throughout the 37th - all the constant building could be harming - it has harmed our communities, most marginalized, but it also, in some ways, makes it harder for them to start up and rebuild. So there's education and awareness. Sometimes small businesses do not find out about the funding until it's too late. And so I'm hearing from business owners all the time about they're seeing, they feel like it's a scam. They feel like even though they've had some opportunity to try to start something up in cOVID, that it's gonna go away. It's gonna be the same old, same old people getting it all the time, the same status quo. So we gotta figure something out. We have some small business owners here in the neighborhood. Even in my campaign, I learned, the small businesses cannot unionize because it costs so much money. We should be figuring out a way to make sure our small businesses can get themselves the access in the door. [00:25:49] Crystal Fincher: And that is time. [00:25:50] Emijah Smith: You said we can keep going. It wasn't a penalty, correct? [00:25:53] Crystal Fincher: No, the red is stop. [00:25:55] Emijah Smith: Okay. [00:25:56] Crystal Fincher: You get a 10-second sign. That 10-second sign is like, okay, we gotta wrap up. [00:26:00] Emijah Smith: Well, thank you very much. That's call and response. I just want to say that I definitely value our small businesses. I stay aware and I try to stay connected as much as possible. And I would do any and everything I could in my role as a legislator to make sure that those investments are being made in our small business community, particularly the 37th and people of color. Thank you. [00:26:18] Crystal Fincher: Okay. Chipalo. [00:26:21] Chipalo Street: Oh, sorry. Do we - I think we took a fair amount of time. [00:26:24] Crystal Fincher: Oh, yeah, we just did. Sorry. [00:26:25] Chipalo Street: I didn't necessarily have a rebuttal there. [00:26:26] Crystal Fincher: Okay. Next question. Washington State has seen an explosion of traffic violence in the last two years with an extraordinarily disparate impact on those who live in our districts - the 37th district. For example, there are major Sound Transit investments coming online in the district at Judkins Park that are surrounded by unsafe freeway entrances on Rainier Avenue. It's not if, but when that folks in the 37th will be injured or killed by cars at that station entrance. And I should clarify, this is an audience question submitted before. What will you do as a member of the legislature to ensure that our streets are safe for pedestrians and cyclists? Emijah? [00:27:07] Emijah Smith: I appreciate that question. Living here in the 37th, living here near MLK where the light rail has been placed on top, when the community organized to have that light rail put underground. And the community won that fight, but with promises of housing and business investments and all the things that did not happen from Sound Transit, we have it on top. And so there's been - I see, oftentimes, those accidents. I see those fatalities. My heart goes out to the family of the mother who was killed at the Mount Baker station. I knew her before she was a mother. So these things are near and dear to my heart. When I think about traffic safety, I think that we have the data - Sound Transit does. They have the data that we should be - as things are being built and created, they should be co-designed with community, and then we should be making decisions while we're implementing these light rail stations, these new highways, whatever, it's not a highway, but these new ramps. All that should be taken into consideration in the beginning because the lives that are being lost mainly are BIPOC lives, Black and Indigenous people. And so our lives are being sacrificed for something that we never even asked for here in South Seattle. But I also want to think about traffic safety. I think about when our young Black men, who are the most targeted to even get on Sound Transit, being harassed because they're looking for ID or for payment - that to me is a safety issue. That's why oftentimes you may see me driving or driving my children somewhere because it's a safety issue because they may be harassed by the police, as well as those who tend to cycle. [00:28:41] Crystal Fincher: That is time. [00:28:42] Emijah Smith: Thank you. [00:28:43] Crystal Fincher: I just want to double check just to be clear. So we got that yellow 30-second sign, the orange one - okay. [00:28:50] Emijah Smith: Thank you. [00:28:51] Crystal Fincher: Cool. Chipalo. [00:28:53] Chipalo Street: So bike and pedestrian safety is something that I lived on a daily basis. Before the pandemic, I tried to bike to work from the CD all the way to Microsoft two times a week. And that exposed me to some very nice bike trails, but also some very dangerous streets. And so if I'm elected into the legislature, I would want to make sure that we have a comprehensive network of connectivity. So regardless of what type of transportation network it is, it needs to be connected. We built a monorail from downtown to the stadium - like Climate Pledge - that doesn't do much. For a long time, our two streetcar networks weren't interconnected, which means people didn't want to use it. So we need to make sure that all of our infrastructure is connected. We need to invest in bike transit and infrastructure. And this is particularly important to the 37th, because we have two of the most dangerous streets in Rainier Ave and MLK Way, 40% of the injuries there are pedestrian. And I think this is a place where we can, I mentioned before, find a win-win with business, because businesses that are in bikeable and pedestrian-friendly areas get more business. So I believe this is a way that we can build a coalition around fixing the problem of safe streets in the 37th. And it's also an issue for our kids, because we have 10 or 11 schools that are on both of those two most dangerous streets. So we can make sure that our kids are safer today as well. [00:30:22] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much. Next question. One of the biggest things we can do publicly to fight the spread of all airborne illnesses, including COVID and the cold and flu, as well as protect against poor air quality days because of wildfires - which we've seen over the past few weeks - is to improve ventilation and filtration in public buildings. What will you do to ensure that public buildings, including schools in the 37th district, meet recommended air circulation and filtration standards for good health? Chipalo? [00:30:57] Chipalo Street: To me, that sounds like a question - if I could be appointed to the Capital Budget, where we have the power to change our physical infrastructure. I would love to set aside money for that. When I look at committee assignments, we can start all the great programs that we want, but if we don't fund them correctly, they will not have the desired outcome. So making sure that whoever comes from this district gets put on Appropriations or gets put on Capital Budget is really important so that we can bring the money back to the district to make sure that it is used in community to make us better. [00:31:30] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. Emijah? [00:31:32] Emijah Smith: Thank you. In my experience being in Olympia, we can make the decision. So Senator Saldaña, of course, is leading the HEAL Act - that's an environmental justice issue, but it's about implementation. So it's easy - it's one thing to put in a law, then you do have to fund the law, but you also have to implement it. So when it comes down to the other municipalities locally, sometimes they're stuck. So we have to make sure we're following the legislation all the way down to the community or to the district that you want and make sure that it's being implemented in a way, in a timely fashion as well - not three years, four years, five years down the line, but immediately. That should be part of the planning. So of course we have to fund it, but if we're not able to implement it, it's just words. So I would like, in my leadership role, is to make sure that there's language in the bill that makes it more accessible to our municipalities so that they can actually do something about it. If you put in the bill and it can't be ambiguous, it needs to be really focused and maybe restricted funding to air quality in the schools, rather than just saying, Here's some money to your school for air quality. Because they'll use that money any way that they choose to use it if the legislature does not direct them with restricted funding. So I would target it. Thank you. [00:32:48] Chipalo Street: Can I provide an example of how we would do that? [00:32:51] Crystal Fincher: I will give you both 30 seconds to rebut. Go ahead, Chipalo. [00:32:53] Chipalo Street: So a good example of how we can do that and how that has been built into some of the laws that have been passed is - recently, we passed the cap and trade bill. And one of the things I liked about that bill is that it built equity into it, so 30% of the funds that are created from the cap and trade go back to investment in BIPOC communities and an additional 10% go into investment in our Native nations. So that is a source of revenue that we could use to improve air quality in our schools and I think aligns to the point of that funding. [00:33:26] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. Emijah? [00:33:28] Emijah Smith: Yeah, my follow-up with that would be - I just want to also say I'm solely endorsed by the Washington Conservation Voters. So they're looking at this issue across - and so I would definitely, again, lean into the organizations and to the leaders to help direct being a servant leader into doing this work. But nevertheless, what I have found in my experience - when there's a law passed - it takes the community to still apply the pressure on the entities and organizations to make something happen. So I have that experience, that organizing experience, and building those partnerships on the ground level to make sure it's being implemented. Because once they move it from the state, the state lets their hands go. So they need more guidance and direction, and that direction needs to come from community. Thank you. [00:34:09] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much. Next question. How will people tangibly feel your impact as their legislator? What is one concrete thing that people will be able to see is different by the end of your term should you be elected? Emijah? [00:34:28] Emijah Smith: So are you asking what has been done already or what you plan to do going forward? [00:34:31] Crystal Fincher: No - if you are elected, what will people see is different by the end of your term than it is right now? [00:34:38] Emijah Smith: I think people will continue to see - at least for me - they'll see a continuation of the work. It's not something I'll start to do, it's something I will continue to do. So first and foremost, I think, doing racially justice-centered justice reform work - and that's all interconnected. So when I think about our healthcare and the doulas, the doulas have been seen as a medical profession led by Kirsten Harris-Talley, but we need to put money in the budget to make sure that they're being reimbursed for their services. I think in these two years - that you will see that that definitely happens. My granddaughter was born during COVID. My daughter almost lost her life during that birth. It is a well-known fact that Black women are three times as likely to lose their life during childbirth. So having a doula, having somebody there with culturally relevant care will make sure that the lives are not being lost. In addition to that, I am a board member of the Tubman Health Center - this is another place - making sure that we have capital investments to make sure that we create a clinic that is going to center Black and Indigenous community and bring culturally relevant care, and that will also serve our LGBTQ community. That's something that you will see, I believe, and I strongly believe within the next two years as a representative, if I am honored to earn your vote. Thank you. [00:36:00] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. Chipalo? [00:36:03] Chipalo Street: So technology has been changing our lives from the way we communicate, to the way we move about the city, to how we get health care, or even go about banking. And I'm excited to bring my expertise in the tech industry to make sure that technology opens doors for all of us, but also prevent technology from rolling back the rights that we have. So I mentioned earlier that one of the first things I would do is work to make sure that our data is protected so that it can't be used to go for people looking for abortions or providing abortions - that is something I would start with. And then continue to do the work that I have done in the tech space. When I got out to Seattle, I volunteer taught computer science at a school in South Seattle. We started with a Intro to Computer Science program and then over six years built it up to an Advanced Placement program. So I would make sure that we distribute the wealth of tech to make sure that everyone in this community can take part in the industry that's been changing our region. The 37th has also been a strong supporter of kinship care, and so I would build on the work that Eric Pettigrew has done to make sure that kinship care and kinship providers are funded at the same rate as a foster care parent. [00:37:12] Emijah Smith: May I follow up? [00:37:13] Crystal Fincher: You may. I'll give you both 30 seconds to follow up. [00:37:16] Emijah Smith: Thank you. I, first and foremost, want to say that I would love to learn the school that you served, 'cause I think that's a wonderful thing that you've done. But just being a resident in the 37th and living in South Seattle for a number of years, it's important for me to know what school you're mentioning. Also with regard to kinship care, I've held relationships throughout the years with our grandmothers for taking care of their kids every single day. And so there has been a gap of care and service for our kinship care program once Representative, our former representative, Eric Pettigrew had stepped back. [00:37:50] Crystal Fincher: And that is time. [00:37:50] Emijah Smith: So I've been in relationship with the community and I am definitely going to continue to serve that community. Thank you. [00:37:56] Crystal Fincher: Chipalo? [00:37:57] Chipalo Street: So the school is Technology Access Foundation - it was started by Trish. When I was working there, it started on Rainier Ave - right on Rainier and Genesee - and now they have bought a building down a little farther south in South Seattle. So it is a very well-known technology - [00:38:14] Emijah Smith: It's not a school. [00:38:14] Chipalo Street: Excuse me? [00:38:15] Emijah Smith: It's not a school. [00:38:16] Chipalo Street: Technology Access Foundation is a school. Technology Access Academy is the school. [00:38:21] Emijah Smith: Yeah, it's not in South Seattle. And actually they started right up here. [00:38:24] Chipalo Street: It started on Rainier Ave. [00:38:26] Emijah Smith: But - [00:38:26] Crystal Fincher: Let's allow Chipalo to complete his answer. [00:38:28] Emijah Smith: Okay. [00:38:29] Chipalo Street: So, okay - [00:38:29] Emijah Smith: I just wanted - [00:38:29] Chipalo Street: Technology Access Foundation is the foundation that started Technology Access foundation Academy, which is a school that started on Rainier Ave - which is in the 37th - and then was moved down farther south, which is still South Seattle, and serves people who have been displaced in the 37th. So it is still serving our community. I served there for six years, which is a long time, to go from a start of an Intro to Computer Science to an Advanced Placement Computer Science program. [00:38:58] Emijah Smith: I just want to - [00:38:58] Crystal Fincher: And we'll call that at time, and that is the rebuttal time that is there - [00:39:00] Emijah Smith: Okay, but they're not a school though and my daughter went to TAF Academy -. [00:39:03] Crystal Fincher: Emijah, please respect the time limits. [00:39:06] Emijah Smith: We're going to center time, or we're going to center the issues that are really in the 37th. I live in the 37th. I raised my daughter here next door. [00:39:13] Crystal Fincher: I have a question from a resident in the 37th that I'm going to ask. [00:39:16] Emijah Smith: Okay, I'll be respectful, but I also want us to bring - let's bring the real issues forward. [00:39:21] Crystal Fincher: So how would you help address the affordable housing crisis? Starting with Chipalo. [00:39:27] Chipalo Street: So when I think about housing, I think about three buckets of issues. This is something that we hear at every door when we go out and canvass. We were just talking to an elderly gentleman who is part of - he was a state employee, and so he has one of the oldest pensions, but we have not funded that pension so that he cannot keep up with the rising housing prices. So when I think of housing, I think of how do we stop harm, how do we get more units on the market, and how do we tide ourselves to the way there. So stopping harm looks like anti-displacement measures, so making sure that seniors can afford the rising taxes, making sure that - right now what we have is we allow seniors to defer taxes, but once they die, then they have to pay all of those back taxes, which essentially forces a family to sell the house, unless you have $10,000, $15,000, $20,000 lying around. We also need to increase renter protections - landlords can do some crazy things. Even though I'm a landlord myself, I live that business through progressive values, so we can't allow felons to be disqualified from having housing. I have a tenant who's a felon, he's one of my best tenants. We should lift the ban on rental control, we should - rent control statewide. We should limit the types of fees that a landlord can charge their tenants. In terms of long-term measures, we need to invest in low-income housing through the Housing Trust Fund. We need to figure out something about workforce housing because even two teachers who are underpaid already - if they're living together, they can't afford housing in the district - and we need to invest in mass transit to increase density around it to get us towards a greener climate future and have more houses. [00:41:04] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. Emijah? [00:41:05] Emijah Smith: Thank you. So what I've been doing and currently been doing is really - with community members, locked arms, going to Olympia, going to our state-level Washington Housing and Finance Commission - and demanding that they release the funds in our community. So what I have done with community, because it's a team effort, is to release the funds to make sure Africatown Plaza has been funded. Community development for us by us - the Elizabeth Thomas Homes of Rainier Beach, the Ethiopian Village here in South Seattle - these are all housing developments - low-income, stable housing opportunities in the 37th. That's one thing. The second thing is - I agree - lift the ban on rent control on the state level. Number two is definitely providing increasing - no, lowering the income level for seniors to qualify for these tax deferments. I've talked to multiple seniors who are living on Social Security and who cannot qualify for King County's tax exemptions or deferments, and so that's a hardship on our seniors. In addition to that, I do agree with middle housing, but what I want to see is that we're not continuing to displace community as we're bringing more density in. We need to be more equitable and look at the houses in the communities on the north side of the Montlake Bridge - let them carry some of the weight of some of the housing developments, because what we don't want to do is continue to keep displacing folks. But I've been doing the real work - I sit on coalitions that are looking to remove the barriers for felons or any person who's just trying to rent. But rent should not be our goal - home ownership is the goal in order to create generational wealth. Thank you. [00:42:41] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much. Next question - from the audience. What is the State Legislature's role and responsibility on digital equity and addressing the digital divide? Emijah? [00:42:54] Emijah Smith: This is a multi-pronged question or answer and solution, because it's around making sure that our kids' education is fully funded. Because in order to close the digital divide, which I have done and supported as a co-convener of the Black Community Impact Alliance. We have just recently did our open house in the William Grose Center - that is a hub to make sure that we have a think tank and provide opportunities for our youth for the tech world. But that took community building, going to the City's office to get the land transferred - that took organizing. It also means you have to make sure that our children are prepared for kindergarten and making sure their reading and their math is on par at third grade. Making sure our freshmen are finishing their freshman year. So really being an advocate in Seattle Public Schools, making sure the strategic plan and the resources are going to those furthest from educational justice. That's what I do in real time. But the William Grose Center is what the community locked arms and myself as a leadership on co-convening the Black Community Impact Alliance - that's what we've done for the digital divide. And my children have benefited from the opportunities from coding, from change makers, from all the different things that our public schools do not offer. And our school system needs to be fully funded, particularly making sure those who are receiving special education services get a real opportunity - because you can't close the divide if you're dropping out of school or they're sending our kids to prison. You can't get the opportunity if you're not graduating. So that's my goal - is to make sure that we're fully funding our education and utilizing our education system and doing community building at the same time to make sure we're closing this. Thank you. [00:44:32] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much. Chipalo? [00:44:35] Chipalo Street: Yeah, I agree. There's a ton that we can do for education. I'll speak specifically about what we can do to close the digital divide. It's crazy to think that more than 50% of our students aren't competent in math and sciences - that is just plain scary. And we have to change that. And that's in high school. And so we have to make sure that we improve our STEM education. We have to make sure that we do public-private partnerships to bring tech education into our junior highs and high schools. It's an embarrassment that we have so many resources here in this area, but yet our tech education lags behind many other places in the country and the world. When we also look at STEM and tech, we can't only afford to have people getting a good job out of tech. We need multiple ways for people to get good jobs. So to me, that looks like creating pipelines to the trades. For too long, we've sort of said, Oh, you went into the trades because you can't hack college. No, you went into the trades maybe because you like to work with your hands, or you want a job that can't get offshored, or you want dependable hours - two of my best friends went through four-year college, got jobs, hated them, came back, became journeymen electricians, get paid more than those jobs that they had going to college. One's about to start a business. And so making sure that the trades are a respected option for our kids is important, just like it should be an option to go into technology. And then we should also fund free two-year college. Free four-year college is great - we should definitely get there. However, we need to start with free two-year college, just like the Seattle Promise, because 50% of Seattle graduating seniors applied for that, and 1,000 took part in it. [00:46:09] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much. [00:46:10] Emijah Smith: Can I follow-up? [00:46:11] Crystal Fincher: I'll give you 30 seconds each for a rebuttal - go ahead. [00:46:13] Emijah Smith: Thank you. I just wanted to also add - on the state level - that determines the college-bound scholarship money, right? And right now, it's saying you need to have at least a 2.7 GPA - it keeps going up every year. But also is saying that a young person cannot have a felony on their record. And so I really, truly want to get that removed, because how are we going to expect our youth to graduate and get to these opportunities, but we're already setting them back because they made a mistake? And we understand the brain science and the development there is that their brains are not fully matured. So we're kind of setting them up for failure, so that's another place I would like to work on. [00:46:49] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Chipalo? [00:46:50] Chipalo Street: She's right. And it shouldn't only be our youth, it should be our brothers and sisters getting out of jail. We should not be limiting the professional licenses that people getting out of jail can attain. And then we should also make sure that University of Washington is funded with the Allen School. We have great resources there - or teachers and staff - but we don't have the resources to scale it out the way we would like to. [00:47:13] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. Another audience question. Crime has been increasing across the state, and people are concerned about their safety and whether the right things are being done to address current levels of property and violent crime. Given that the Legislature has already voted to increase public safety funding, largely devoted to policing and prisons, do you feel that we need to invest more in that area, or would you also take a different approach? And we are starting with Chipalo. [00:47:45] Chipalo Street: So I think we need to think about public safety comprehensively as more than just police. This is something that is near and dear to my heart. When I was at Brown, we had an open campus - me and my best friend were walking around campus onto a public street and Brown police came and asked me and my friend for our IDs. I didn't do anything wrong, so I continued to walk. My friend stopped, told him who I was, showed him his ID, but that didn't stop Brown police from calling out for backup. Providence police got that call, caught up with me and beat me so badly that they had to take me to the hospital before they took me to jail. Despite that experience, I still think police are part of public safety, but we have to be able to hold the police force accountable, or we're not going to have trust with the police force. I want to work with them to make sure that we set them up for success, so that we are sending a mental health counselor out to mental health crises - because they are trained to deal with these situations - and the person receiving a service will get a better service than sending three or four cops. We don't need cops in schools, we need counselors in schools. And so I think if we think more comprehensively about public safety, then we'll get better outcomes for the community and a better relationship with the police force. We should also fund like violence preventer programs. We should get guns off the streets - one of the sad things about gun violence prevention is that there are very, very common sense gun laws that 60, 70, 80 percent of people agree on. However, federal legislators can't get their act together, so we need to make sure that those laws pass here in our state. [00:49:14] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. Emijah? [00:49:16] Emijah Smith: Thank you. When I think about public safety, I think about community safety - it's not just a conversation just about what the police are doing in community. It's also about how does the community feel safe - with the police. So there has to be an accountability conversation. So on the King County Community Safety Violence Prevention Task Force that I've served on, really it came down - of all their research and all their conversations and co-design - it really came down to families needing their basic needs met. Housing, education, food security, the basic needs - they believe that that's what it's gonna take to really bring prevention. So our state has already been working at some things with regard to guns and taking, looking at how many bullets, a clip - I don't know, got so many words coming - reducing how many bullets that you can have. I think that we need to make sure that every person who gets a gun needs to have a class - similar, if you want to get your driver's license, you need to learn how to drive - we need to learn how to use a firearm. You also need to make sure that it is locked up. Again, I am solely endorsed by the Alliance for Gun Responsibility. So community safety, also - we need to look at the funding that's coming from the State Department - so there's federal money that was brought down to the state, they've started a new division. We need to work with that division to make sure that it's meaningful in the 37th, because the 37th has different issues. We're not looking at machine guns and going into the schools in that way. What we're looking at is handguns that we gotta get removed and get them off the street. Thank you. [00:50:53] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much. Next question - from the audience. Washington State funds only about half of what Seattle Public Schools spends on special education and only about one-third of what Seattle Public Schools spends on multilingual education. What is your commitment to fully fund public schools, particularly special education and multilingual education, and how would you get that done? Starting with Emijah. [00:51:20] Emijah Smith: We gotta get out, we gotta go on the state level, we have to be loud and proud, and we have to make sure that the funding is fully funded. Of course, special education is not being resourced. Our special education students tend to be the main students that are getting pushed into the prison pipeline. So I am definitely gonna be loud and proud up there to make sure that that occurs, because we can't waver there. But Seattle Public Schools is also advocating to our state legislators right now, because the issue is that there was a tweak in the formula - that Seattle Public Schools is not getting as much money that it needs, but we also want to make sure our teachers are getting livable wages. And so it's coming to a point that if something's not addressed and more funding doesn't come into the education system, then maybe the public education here at Seattle Public Schools may falter. They're not sure what to do, teachers may go onto a strike. So we will have to figure it out, and we're gonna have to figure it out without taking away our children's basic needs - we should not be taking healthcare out of our schools, we should not be taking our social workers and mental health counselors away from our students. We have to do all the things, and we just have to figure it out and get creative. There are some great leaders there around education, but I'm a fierce advocate as well, and I don't think we should leave any student behind, especially those who are receiving special education services. Thank you. [00:52:34] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. Chipalo? [00:52:35] Chipalo Street: So currently there's a funding cap on how much Seattle Public Schools gets reimbursed for special education funding, and if we were to remove that, Seattle Public Schools would get another $100 million that it would be able to put towards that. That is just a start. We - McCleary got us closer to funding education, but we do not fully fund it, and this becomes a revenue issue. Washington State has the most regressive tax code in the whole country, despite how progressive and liberal that we claim we are. We need to make sure that every corporation and person pays their fair share - so that looks like closing corporate tax loopholes, making sure that we keep our capital gains tax, which is - the revenue from that is used to fund early education, which is a necessary part of the education system - and then also implementing a wealth tax. Personally, I would prefer an income tax because an income tax is - you can withhold that. It's been tried before, we know how to implement that - however, there are constitutional issues with that. So in lieu of an income tax, we should be able to try a billionaire tax. And the thing that gives me hope is while things get stymied on the federal level, we've seen localities and states try out new things, and so maybe this is something that we can pilot here in the state, and at the end of the day, a billionaire tax and an income tax aren't mutually exclusive. We can still work towards an income tax, even if we have a billionaire tax. [00:53:58] Emijah Smith: May I follow-up? [00:53:59] Crystal Fincher: Yep. You each can have 30 seconds. [00:54:02] Emijah Smith: Thank you. What I want to share is that our community - I agree - Washington has the worst tax setup and structure. And we have been, in Washington State, been trying to bring forth initiatives multiple times to the state to address this issue so that we can make our wealth more equitable. And our community members and residents and citizens have been voting it down. So I'm thinking with this inflation, with the impact of COVID - but now it could be a really great time that more of our citizens and our residents will see that this is really necessary and will vote in their best interest instead of voting it away. Thank you. As well as our legislators making a move in our best interest. [00:54:43] Crystal Fincher: Chipalo? [00:54:45] Chipalo Street: I'm good. [00:54:46] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much. Next question. What is your connection to unincorporated Skyway? If elected, how will you support the development and investment in this neighborhood? Starting with Chipalo. [00:55:00] Chipalo Street: So if I was to be elected for this State Rep position, I would basically be one of three elected representatives for Skyway. So Skyway is unincorporated - that means it does not have a city council person to whom they can go for local issues. That basically means that myself, Representative Santos, Senator Saldaña and Councilman Zahilay would be the elected representatives for that area. So I would love to work with them in partnership to understand what development needs they would like to see. It was great to see that we went through a community budgeting process where folks were able to actually vote on how money was spent. And so supporting community involvement in how money is spent, making sure that we can advocate to get money set aside for Skyway because we know that it is not going to come through the City of Seattle, it's not going to come through the City of Renton. Those would be the ways that I would partner with the community to make sure that we develop it in a way that the community members see fit. [00:56:00] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. [00:56:01] Emijah Smith: Thank you. I love that question - yeah. So I'm connected with Skyway for the simple fact that I shop at Grocery Outlet, I get my taxes done over there, I patron the restaurants over there. My mom has recently moved, but had lived there for about 15 years - family's there, people use the post office there, banking there, utilizing the library there - Skyway is my community. And so that's my relationship. Second part to that question is - again, part of being Chief of Staff with King County Equity Now and just having relationships in that community - making sure that we got money from the state level to support Petah Village - early learning development, and also just the new outside - door - preschool, right? There's leadership there, there's expertise there, there's churches there, there's a nail shop - there's all the things that are near and dear to my heart, to be honest. That community is mine - not mine, but it's shared. I was on the Community Investment Budget Committee for King County's participatory budgeting to make sure that money was stored in a way that was definitely led by community members and getting the input from community members to see how they want to move that and looking to make sure that King County does it again in the future. So that was $10 million. We had a celebration about a few weeks ago, naming the projects that were funded. So yeah, this is near and dear to my heart - has been neglected, Skyway has been ignored. I'm thankful to King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay, another sole endorser, for the leadership that he's had there, as well as Senator Saldaña, KHT - Kirsten Harris - I gotta stop, but all the legislators who have been pouring into that district. And let me shout out to Cynthia Green Home there - Center. [00:57:45] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much. Another audience question. Will you use your position at elected office to uplift more progressive voices in the office? And that question goes to Emijah. [00:58:01] Emijah Smith: Will you repeat that please? [00:58:03] Crystal Fincher: Will you use your position in elected office to uplift more voices into office, and how will you do that? [00:58:09] Emijah Smith: Yes, most definitely. I see this opportunity as being a bridge builder, right? If I'm in Olympia, you'll have a space in Olympia. The work that I've done over the years has definitely been providing workshops, not only in my professional capacity but in my personal capacity, to make sure that our everyday people understand how a bill becomes a law, right? Also the nuances - how to effectively communicate with your legislators - how do I go into those spaces and really center racial justice, knowing that I am a descendant of stolen ones in this country? I can't go into those spaces and just talk A, B. I have to go in there and really give them the nuances, the impact of what it means to be a Black mother in this community and navigating these systems. So I share that expertise and I share that knowledge with others, as well as being a pTSA president - always constantly talking to families about how they can strengthen their partnerships with their teachers, strengthen their partnerships with their principals. That's just the natural work that I do. So in order to be successful in this role, I need the community to come along with me. I need y'all to be the wind behind my back and be in locked arms. That space is our space. That's my plan - if I'm there, they comin'. [00:59:18] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much. [00:59:19] Emijah Smith: Thank you. [00:59:19] Crystal Fincher: Chipalo? [00:59:21] Chipalo Street: For sure. Building a pipeline of people to come after is something that I've always done in everything that I've done. So for example, when I got to Brown, I noticed that the pre-med students had a great support group to help other students of color get through pre-med, but we did not have that in the engineering. So I restarted our chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers so that we had a community to not only get us through, but also pull in the next class of freshmen and sophomores to get them through. I've continued to do that in Seattle. I serve on the board of a program called Institute for a Democratic Future where the goal is to increase the Democratic Party across the state. I loved that program when I went through it, but one of the reasons I joined the board was to make sure that we had more equity in the fellows and the board members. And in my six years, we have dramatically changed what the class makeup looks like, both racially but also geographically, so that we have a stronger Democratic Party across the state so that we can win in every district. And then on the board itself, we have drastically increased the number of people of color and women of color on the board. And we actually now have our first woman of color who is the Board Chair. So this is something that I've been doing in all aspects of my life - even at Microsoft, equity was a huge thing for me. I required that we interview a person of color or underrepresented minority for every opening on the team that I led, and we ended with a team of 40% people of color or underrepresented minorities. So yes, I would continue to do that in Olympia. [01:00:55] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. [01:00:55] Emijah Smith: Follow up, please. [01:00:57] Crystal Fincher: You can have 30 seconds - yes. [01:00:58] Emijah Smith: Yes - I also wanted to just include that - in my organizing and advocacy work, it's definitely bringing the youth along. My children have been in Olympia with me since they were in preschool - up there advocating for better school lunches - really understanding that process and understanding that they too, at one point, will be there in a leadership role. So I wanted to also include - it's not just - families include the children and includes the elders in that space. Thank you. [01:01:25] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. Next question. What is the most important climate legislation that should be passed by Washington in the legislature? And what climate organizations will you partner with to make that happen? Starting with Chipalo. [01:01:43] Chipalo Street: So I am glad that we have passed cap and trade. I think the next hurdle there is to implement cap and trade, especially the equity measures around the money that is brought in through the tax on carbon. So making sure that we implement that holistically - and groups that I'd work with are folks like Washington Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, the Environmental Climate Caucus - those are all groups that understand what's going on and can provide guidance and have been working to move this legislation through Olympia for multiple years. I'm also glad to see that the HEAL Act passed - and one of the things I loved about the HEAL Act is that it specifically called out that we need to gather data. As a scientist, I have a background in using data to address problems and for too long we've just sort of waved o
On this midweek show, Crystal chats with Emijah Smith about her campaign for State Representative in the 37th Legislative District - why she decided to run and her thoughts on addressing issues such as community representation, housing affordability and zoning, homelessness, public safety, mismatch between passed policy and subsequent implementation, education funding, and climate change. 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 today's guest, Emijah Smith, at @ElectEmijah. Resources Campaign Website - Emijah Smith: https://www.electemijah.com/ South Seattle Emerald's 37th LD Representative Position 2 Debate (October 4, 2022) - Moderated by Crystal Fincher: https://www.officialhacksandwonks.com/sse-37th-ld-debate-2022 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 very excited to have a guest joining us from the 37th Legislative District who's a candidate for State Representative. Thank you so much for joining us today, Emijah Smith. [00:00:49] Emijah Smith: Thank you - I'm happy to be here. [00:00:51] Crystal Fincher: Happy to have you here. I guess just starting out - I would love if you could just share what experience you're bringing to this race and why you decided to run for office? [00:01:03] Emijah Smith: As you know, I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother. I'm raised and rooted, been living in the 37th my whole entire life basically. I have historical context of the community, as well as current context. I chose to step into this role because I've been in Olympia for over 10 years - locked arms with families, bringing our youth forward - to really advocate for meaningful change that we want to see in our community. Advocating for universal preschool, advocating for stable and affordable housing, food security, the broken tax system, racial justice - you name it - the things that are important to really ensure that our families are healthy and our communities are healthy. So I've been doing the work and I want to - I'm here to be a bridge builder, really - to say, I'm in Olympia, this is your space. I'm told when I'm out here canvassing all the time that we really - the 37th wants to transform status quo. So people are like - I'm a great champion for the voiceless, they know I have the credibility and the consistency of doing the work. So having that current real lived experience of the lives of the 37th, having demonstrated experience in Olympia, and really having some really powerful relationships with families and our children in the 37th is the reason why I step into this opportunity. [00:02:29] Crystal Fincher: And it is a unique opportunity and you bring up something important - which you talk about - the context of how the community used to be versus how it is today, which is different. The district has grown, it has changed, the composition of people who are there are different. As you look at how the 37th Legislative District has changed, what do you think is the most important thing you as a representative can do to connect with the community today, while not displacing any further the community that has been left out and preserving the culture and heritage and history of the district? [00:03:10] Emijah Smith: Thank you for asking that question. I am from the historic Black community of the Central District - raised there, grandparents there, parents there - and really seen firsthand, really, the love and the investment in our community. Although it started out with redlining, that's how the community came to be. It's been a very joyful childhood experience that I had there - it felt safe - until that failed War on Drugs came into the community. And I believe those policies - steeped in racism, the over-policing, the criminalization of addiction, and the lack of resources - just as a young person, I was committed and committed myself to say, I'm going to go to college, I'm going to do any and everything I can to bring resources to the community, bring healing to the community, as well as restoration. So in that process of those policies, I believe that's really key to what started the displacement and the gentrification - because of those poor policies that were just really targeting a community that I believe was vulnerable at the time. And so being - having the privilege to stay in my community, I have not been pushed outside of Seattle - doing all that I can to ensure that me and my children can stay in place with regard to the taxes and things. I have really seen and built relationships with the new faces in community - so through my, as a PTSA president at my children's elementary school as well as my kids' school currently, really seeing the families that are coming in, having the opportunity to learn some of the issues that they care about. But in addition to that, along the way - again, since as a youth - been advocating for community building and development and making sure that folks can stay in place. So fighting for or advocating that taxes can be reduced for low-income communities - a Black community's average income in Seattle is around $50,000, probably a little bit less. How can one - how can anyone - survive and live in Seattle with the rents and the cost of living? It's impossible. And so our elders and our seniors are just holding on. But I will say - going to Olympia, really, with King County Equity Now and other organizations in our ecosystem - really holding the Washington Finance and Housing Commission accountable to ensure that our dollars were coming back to community so that we can get the developments like the Africatown Plaza, Ethiopian Village, Elizabeth Thomas Homes, Petah Village - these are all community investments that are in the 37th. And so to be on the frontline doing that work is what we have to do, is what I do. This is a people's campaign, this is about people-powered policy. And I have found along the way, although I have a Master's in Public Administration - seen on the professional side of the academic side of how to move policy - I have found the most meaningful policy has always come from community voice and community's power. [00:06:09] Crystal Fincher: I would agree with that. And you talk a lot about the need to make sure people can afford to stay in there. You just talked about the average income of Black families being around $50,000, which is half - less than half now - of what the median income is in the entire City of Seattle. So there is a huge gap, with historical reasons behind that, and that absolutely needs to be addressed. When it does come to housing and just the ability for people to continue to live where they've been living, to stay in the housing that they currently have, to age in place - what are the most impactful things you can do to help to keep housing affordable? [00:06:52] Emijah Smith: Again, it's - there's a few things. I currently sit on state-level housing justice coalitions and Housing Trust Fund coalition - really speaking to those policy teams in Olympia designated by the governor to look at housing, really speaking - so this is a statewide collective, but we speak directly to the barriers that are at hand. We speak to the historical racial injustice and marginalization as well as policy that has created such barriers and marginalization. We bring the real lived experience of folks of - this is the barrier to even applying for housing, these are the reasons people are denied housing. But your system, through the Department of Commerce, also has these barriers because it's set up for organizations that oftentimes don't look like the most marginalized to get the funding because they've had the decades of opportunities to build the capital or had the experience. And right now, in order to develop housing from communities that are marginalized, they have to - in order to apply, you have needed to have already built some housing. Well, how does one do that if the resources are barred, or I won't say that they're scarce, but they're limited. So we're trying to talk to the Department of Commerce and really advocating there - those are the things that I'm doing. Also looking at taxes, right? Too many seniors have reached out - just trying to stay in place, they're on limited incomes - either retirement, social security - and they just cannot afford the taxes that keep going up in prime areas, particularly like the Central District. But I would love to say that all of the Seattle proper, the taxes keep rising because property values keep rising. I'm even speaking with families who are new, who are the new faces who've come in and bought a home and they're like - they're concerned if they can even keep the current home that they've had maybe for the past five years because the taxes just keep rising. And when taxes rise and you're a property owner, of course you're going to pass that on - most do - to the renters. So property taxes are definitely to be in place, we need to look at incomes - provide a level of income of how much your property taxes need to be, some things need to be exempt - particularly for our seniors. The cost of living is already so high - people are having to choose between prescriptions, food, or rent, or mortgage, or paying those huge taxes. So those are the things that I'm looking into. My value is that everyone should have a home. No one should be unhoused. And I know people are making choices due to other reasons to choose if they should be housed or not. But nevertheless, housing should be available. I'm heartbroken to even share, but just two weeks ago I came across a family - a mother, two children, 4 and 10, living in tents just - not too far, maybe a couple miles from my home - and not for me seeing the child being rejected to going to the bathroom maybe to wash up. I was like, Can I speak to your mom? The mom was willing to share the story and I immediately reached out to some people I know who professionally work sheltering families and luckily they answered the phone, then they called someone else and that person answered the phone, and we were able to get the family into at least some emergency shelter. But I'm telling you, a 4-year old and a 10-year old out in the woods in tents - that is unexcusable and that was in the 37th. And I'm willing to do any and everything that I can to ensure that that's not happening to anyone else. But the reality is I know that it is. [00:10:41] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, and there are a lot - there are a lot of things that need to be done to address this issue. Legislatively, in your capacity as a legislator, certainly legislation that is in process that could potentially help a lot of other things that are needed. I guess one of the things that will be coming up in this upcoming session, should you be elected, is the missing middle housing bill, sponsored by Representative Jessica Bateman, to address the shortage of housing supply which experts say is a necessary component of addressing this, not necessarily the only component, but one of the necessary components. Do you support that missing middle housing bill? [00:11:20] Emijah Smith: I do support missing middle housing. I also support some level of rent control. We have to create a pause - again, I'm meeting single people who are afraid of - what can I do? So yeah, I do support that. I think that those things are happening. I've also talked to families just in general throughout my years of engaging in community - where there's low-income housing - there's not enough low-income housing, first and foremost, so people can even apply for that. But there's a lot of low-income working class families in the 37th who need to stay in place. Then there's also affordable housing and if you need to make $80,000 or more just to try to get into that one-bedroom, things are impossible. So middle housing is definitely needed. Whenever I look at legislation, I have to look at the racial equity impact of that legislation. I don't like to jump on anything without understanding the unintentional harm, 'cause we don't want to create more inequities. We don't want to increase the disproportionality on anyone. So that - one thing about me as a leader, as a legislator, in that role representing community will definitely be looking at the fuller impacts, not just quick looks, let's just move and make a quick decision. 'Cause what we don't want to do is invest a lot of time and a lot of money and still causing more harm in community. [00:12:41] Crystal Fincher: And then in terms of addressing housing, we need to get people sheltered - first and foremost - no matter what people are dealing with. I think you have expressed several times that people do deserve housing, period - even if they're dealing with an addiction, dealing with behavioral health issues. Not only do they deserve that, but that's helpful in stabilizing or getting to the point where they can stabilize the issues that they're dealing with. We do have challenges with availability of services to help people - whether it's behavioral health services, substance use disorder treatment - we do wait for people to fall through all the cracks and maybe even become involved in the criminal legal system before they have access to any kind of intervention and then it's much harder to address that problem by that time. How do you plan to address the availability of those services? [00:13:39] Emijah Smith: Wraparound services are definitely necessary. I have family members with behavioral health issues and recovering from addiction. And what I have found to be successful is that people can have stable housing, have stability at least for a year, have something stable to be able to address some of the other issues. I've spoken with firefighters who are concerned that they're going to the housing that is being developed for folks with the multiple issues that have disability, mental illness, whatever - there's different issues - but they're being called for something that's not oftentimes a fire or a heart attack or a health issue, and so there's these reservations. Clearly it's showing that we need more investments - we need more investments in our mental health across the board. And we definitely need more wraparound services for those who need it. And I also would include those who are re-entering from the carceral system - they're given $40 of gate money. If they are not - have a strong support family or community network that could provide housing, oftentimes those folks are really right out in the streets and they're unhoused - and that doesn't support success, that supports recidivism. So the things that I'm looking at is how do we increase vouchers for those who are coming out - it was increased from 3 months to 6 months - but I am a believer in a year's time for stability because I've seen firsthand what it did for family members and community members to stay stable and in place. I also think about our children. When COVID first happened, there was a lot of children who were even in these tiny homes - they might be sheltered, but how can one learn in such a small space in our weather? So as you know, that just really touches my heart. So we have to utilize the revenue, we have to address our backwards and broken tax system to create the dollars and bring them there. I love Washington State - I'm not someone who wants to leave and go to another state and live. It is vibrant here and I want to do everything I can do to invest - not only in Washington, but in the 37th - we have the revenue, we have the marijuana dollars. So I was advocate last session that provided that $400 million to come to our communities, to go to organizations that can also continue to keep investing in community. So we have the revenue, we have a broken tax system that if corrected, or repaired or fixed - whatever you want to use - we can make some serious change. And if we center that revenue on our basic needs - housing, healthcare, education - our families can be healthy, our communities can be healthy. So that's my mindset. These are some complex issues because of who holds the purse strings, but also who's in place to make those decisions. But my value is where I share with you before - everybody deserves housing, healthcare, education, and I do any and everything I can do to champion and support to ensure that happens. We also have to look at the policy language, though - that becomes the issue. These big values and these big systems - who's going to disagree? No one would disagree. But oftentimes our institutions are working in silos instead of working together. So a quick decision can come from housing, but you didn't look into Department of Corrections to see - can that really work. And so again, there's unintentional harms that are created and then we have to go back and it takes a long time to keep going back. So we have to be better at talking with each other and looking at the language that's going to make sense for our state and for those people who are most marginalized. And the way that you do that - to save us some time and save us some money - is you talk to the people with that lived experience, 'cause those who are closest to the problems are the best ones with the solutions. [00:17:30] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely agree - and that feels relevant to some of the challenges that our legislature is having in terms of passing legislation, but sometimes not quite landing the implementation of that legislation in a way that can delay funds getting to the people who it was designed to help, the building of infrastructure to deliver that - where certainly good intentions were there and the policy itself may be sound, but the actual implementation - the how do we deliver this help to the people - has some missing elements that make some complications. How do you think your experience can help address that issue? [00:18:12] Emijah Smith: I'm a - not to be a pause - to me, the first step is always making space and allowing space for people to be at the table, co-designing with community. I do agree with implementation 'cause once the law is happened and it's going to be sent down to the next group to try to figure that out. We should be having conversation to whoever's going to be sent down to. I think about some of the housing projects that are in the 37th and when they started to change - think it was HOPE VI or HOPE IV - and that started to change. The things that weren't considered at the time is like credit history - when you push people out of where they're staying right now, where are they actually supposed to go? There was housing vouchers that were provided, but the new system of how the people will get the housing wasn't taken into account - first and last month deposit. If you have those type of conversations from start to finish, where can we - that's implementation - so what are some of the the barriers or some of the the snags that we can work out along the process? We would've saved ourselves some hardship, and I think that although with the best of intentions of creating and designing these spaces and building community, we also created a lot of unhoused people. We also pushed people into the carceral system because we weren't talking with each other. So the way that happens and another example, I believe, is the LFOs - these are called legal financial obligations. There was a lot of advocacy on the state level to ensure that those who were coming out - the big fines - to reduce some of the interest there. Because if someone still has interest and their legal financial obligations were not complete, they could still almost be put right back into jail - and not almost - some people can go back and be jailed for not making payment. Well, how can you make payment if you're just trying to enter? You already can't - might be limited on the job that you can receive, the housing you can receive, you can't even get stable because of that. The implementation once the law changed was that you have to understand how to ask for that when you were being sentenced. And a lot of people did not know - that's part of the implementation. It has to be addressed at sentencing, not after the fact. 'Cause if you try to appeal it, then you can be denied of those legal obligations being removed. Legal obligation interest has somewhat, has been changed - it's being improved as we're moving along, but what does that look like for the people on the ground - that's a whole 'nother story. So that's - those are the examples that I want to share around implementation. I also think about implementation for our education dollars. There might be some dollars that were sent out to some districts, but if that money is not specified to that department and really restricted to say - family engagement - then the district can use it any way it likes. So the language in the bill has to be very clear and legislators who are representing their communities have to really fight for that language versus families like me - in Seattle Public Schools, we were fighting for family engagement dollars, but the district had put it into other places where there was a priority and a need, but there was a miscommunication, clearly, or implementation issue because we're saying, You have this money you can invest here - where they're like, Well, actually it wasn't restricted - we were able to do what we wanted to do with it. [00:21:29] Crystal Fincher: That makes a lot of sense. And you also bring up a good point about the district and public schools, which certainly have their own issues, but the State - the Legislature - plays a big role in how education is ultimately delivered because they're funding it. And even though there are some issues with how that funding is allocated, part of the problem is that there is too little funding - and so choices are being forced in some situations that shouldn't be choices at all. And usually it's the kids with the least, the kids in areas where they don't have parents with a lot of generational wealth and excess income that are donating to their kids' schools, and education can look a lot different in different areas of the district and even things like turnover of teachers and administrators is unequal in different parts of the district. And especially in the 37th, those schools are paying for it. In your capacity as a legislator, if you're elected, what can you do to increase funding for schools? And where is that in terms of a priority for you? [00:22:43] Emijah Smith: Oh, it's a top priority. It's a top priority. It's top three, top four priority. Education has always been a huge issue - because when I was that teenager in school watching my community, the devastation from that failed War on Drugs - when I committed myself to advocacy, I committed myself to making sure that people had an opportunity in education because I believe that education is an opportunity to change your circumstances. But I also understood that education - the system that I saw - can also track you into the prison pipeline. So I did everything that I could to educate myself about the education system - so as an undergrad, as well as getting my master's in Public Administration. I studied Seattle Public Schools - how money funnels down, what those disparities look like for the new teachers versus senior teachers, what the budget looks like, how budgets are created. And really engaged myself in Seattle Public Schools, to be honest, as a parent, because it became really apparent once I had my own children what it looks like to navigate that and what money followed your child. If your child is special education, then there's certain dollars that come from the federal government that's supposed to provide you more resources, but actually it goes into a fuller budget of a school's budget, as well as a district's budget. So when I think about those things, I think about central offices that tend to carry a larger portion of the budget. How can we try to balance that out? How do we support our teachers to make sure that they're properly trained and well-equipped and want to be in "Title I" schools, which tend to be in the 37th, because those are schools that tend to have higher free reduced lunch. With the population changing, less schools are Title I, but nevertheless you still see this pattern of teachers coming in and leaving and then going back maybe to a North Seattle school, a school that seems to have less diversity, maybe learning styles, what have you. And that's an issue - and to me, I look back at the systems - that is a design system, and we have to work to see how we can make things more equitable. And the PTA right now are looking at how they can share funds, right? My PTA Mercer - I'm the president of the Mercer PTSA - and we're sitting there, we're talking about what schools - do we want to apply to join with these schools to put on certain events and then they split the money. So that those schools who have less revenue with regard to PTSA can have more of an opportunity to support the families that are there. So I first wanted to say that - from a parent perspective, I've been advocating on the special education taskforce at Seattle Public Schools, which helped bring the recommendations forward - what they're negotiating with the SEA in Seattle Public Schools. I've been on the OSPI, which is a state-level education department around bringing in ethnic studies for our students. I'm a strong proponent with regard to apprenticeship opportunities for those families who may not want to jump right into college, can't afford college but want to invest in having livable wage employment for their student. Education is a serious issue. In every way that I can be involved, I am. I also was a catalyst for the current strategic plan at Seattle Public Schools to really look at equity, ensuring that our students furthest from opportunity are being supported. Also with the McCleary Act - to make sure we're fully funding our education - we have a long ways to go and particularly the gap is with special education students and services. So I'm a strong proponent there. I think if we can properly fund our schools, we won't have the same disproportionality that's going on with retaining teachers and retaining good administrators and staff and making sure our children are doing well. A big issue that comes up on the state level, like you said, is the general fund. If you take money here, where you're going to get it from? 'Cause it might come away from our mental health services, it may come away from our health services, it may be something you want to look at for food - and hungry kids can't learn. If kids aren't getting the services, they can't learn. So we as leaders in the state capital - and I say we, because families are leaders and our voice is strong and because of our voice, we have made some meaningful changes. I particularly think about the pre-K and getting working more access to childcare - that has come from really fierce families that say, We need this, we have a ways to go, but we're making progress. Community has to continue to keep advocating for the needs and say, Don't take away our healthcare, don't take away our nurses in school, don't take away our counselors. COVID has allowed this to be a much bigger issue across racial backgrounds, I would say. Before someone might think of it, Oh, it's just more marginalized communities. No, it's all of us, it's all the families. And I love that my leadership and my advocacy has such a strong background of diverse bodies - from, I would say, from white families to Asian American families, Black families, you name it. What I love about my leadership though, is I'm going to make sure we're going to bring forward that Black and Indigenous nuance that oftentimes is ignored and neglected. But from immigrant, refugee, English language learners - I'm an advocate for all of us, not just for my job, but for all of our children, because it's our children who are our future now. 'Cause me - that high schooler whose passion and commitment has me here today. So there's a lot more stories, there's a lot more I can say - it is a complex issue, but at the end of the day, we must fund and invest strongly in our public education to ensure that our children have an opportunity and have a chance to thrive. [00:28:47] Crystal Fincher: I'm also looking at - we have the conversation about climate change. It really is a conversation about equity injustice, because no matter what element we're talking about, it is BIPOC communities, low-income communities, those who are most marginalized, who are experiencing most of the impacts right now and will continue to be without intervention. And this is - we're seeing this happen right now - it's not something to come. These are consequences that are happening right now, whether it's exposure to extreme heat or cold, whether it's exposure to pollution and particulates that contribute to asthma and heart disease and lung disease. We have life expectancies that are years shorter in some areas of the city - some of those in the 37th Legislative District - than there are in other areas of the city. So reducing pollution, greenhouse gas emissions are critical to everyone, but in particular BIPOC communities being able to thrive and live a healthy and productive life. How do you plan to address greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and pollution? [00:30:05] Emijah Smith: Definitely a supporter and value climate change and environmental justice. I truly understand that it's really steeped and centered around - it's a racial justice issue. It's been an issue and we've had guidance - I feel like, from forever - from our Indigenous brothers and sisters and community members around this issue telling us and warning us about the importance of what's going to happen in our lives if we do not take care of the land. So I just want to first give honor and recognition there. I, myself, and my children - I was diagnosed with asthma at the age of two months. I live - what I designate as South Seattle - if you're not, if you haven't been here a long time, it's really - it's not quite Rainier Beach, it's a little bit past Franklin High School. Just really aware of the air quality here. The soil quality is poor. Today the smoke is ridiculous - I just think something's burning wherever we are. I'm needing to have to stay inside and keep the door closed, and still the air quality is an issue. I'm a neighbor and a community member that's fighting to keep our trees - Beacon Hill - the more that we build, because density, keeping housing and keeping people in place is important. But if it's at a cost of tearing down the trees which are helping a habitat, which is helping clean our air - that's an issue. Senator Saldaña, who's a sole endorser for me, is leading on the HEAL Act. I would support that. There's legislators out there doing that, there's organizations - I've been endorsed by SAGE Leaders also, I take leadership from Got Green, South Seattle Climate Advocates - they have a network - really listening to those who've been really leading this charge. But I will say that I'm not one to get in the way. I do see that a lot of things that are coming up oftentimes are saying, Fine, fine, fine the big companies that are causing a lot of the pollution and the problems. But we have to be thoughtful about some of the other ways because the more that they make the money and pay the fine and keep doing the thing, it doesn't stop the harm that's being caused. Most of the issues are complex because we talk about 'em as issues and oftentimes we don't talk about 'em as a racial justice issue. We don't talk about it from a place of normalized anti-Blackness or the steeped racism of how this country was even started. We don't talk about that sometimes, we kind of leave it to the side - so we have to be willing to talk about the issue, be willing to fund the issue, be willing to bring in more green jobs because we're doing a lot of repair. So we need to do the repair of these issues, but at the same time, we need to be creating policies and implementation in a way that is equitable, that is going to change the dynamic that's happening in this country. So for me, this stuff is strongly intersected, but yeah, I'm not one that's going to be in the way. I'm here to support the crew for the cruise ships, the airplanes - there's a lot of issues that have been targeted in the 37th, and why? Because it's been historically a traditional place where people have been pushed to go there because they - we've been othered. 'Cause before it was Black folks, there was Jewish folks here. But people who were being pushed here were othered. And othered meant you had less value, so then you can come here too. Oh, you're an immigrant, you're a refugee - we're going to push you over here into these housing projects. Instead of looking at - this is a great place to be. I love the diversity, the power, the vibrancy of it all, but it comes with a lot of detriment that we have to constantly keep fighting. And for some reason they want to just keep neglecting and ignoring what the community is calling for. And really, we're calling for health. We're calling for - we want our communities healthy, we want our families healthy, we want to be safe. So I'm just sharing with you my values around it. I'm sharing with you that there's work. I'm in the community petitioning with my neighbors now to sign something to say, Let's not - if you're going to build this 5-story, market rate building over here in our community, why would you do it in the 37th anyways? Doesn't seem equitable. But if you're going to do it, don't cut down our trees. If you're going to do it, let's make sure we're implementing something here to make sure our streets are safe. Engage with us, understand that we're powerful, understand that we are deserving - and we don't have to beg you to be deserving, but we need to - but the way this is set up, you make us force and demand for you to pay attention. So I'm locking arms with Puget Sound Sage, I'm locking arms with the other environmental justice organizations that also center racial justice in these issues, and utilizing the power of my vote and the leadership representing the 37th District to move us forward. [00:34:52] Crystal Fincher: Now as we wrap up today, there are a lot of people who are struggling to make a decision in this race, who are looking at you and your opponent and saying, Okay, what are the differences? Why should I make the choice for one over the other? What is your message to those voters as they're trying to decide who they should vote for in who's going to represent them in the 37th? [00:35:21] Emijah Smith: I would say to the voters that there is a clear distinction. There's a distinction of a people's campaign versus a status quo campaign. I've been engaged, vetted, incredible in the 37th. I've been here my whole life and I'm currently demonstrating the work that it takes to do legislative advocacy - not only do I lock arms and go to Olympia with families and community members, I also provide the training to help families and community members understand the process there - how a bill becomes a law, how do you effectively talk with your legislators? Like I'm arming, we're gearing each other up. I'm also a parent and a grandparent who's lived the lives of our community, who understands sacrifices that are being made to make sure our community's thriving. To me, that's what's really clear - I'm here at a campaign to really transform status quo. The 37th, across all the backgrounds - our community has said we don't want status quo. So I'm here to represent not status quo. My campaign is based on people-powered policy. It's to have a bridge to make sure that those who feel voiceless have a voice, for those who want true representation of our lived experience understand that that is myself. So I can provide you with the education, the demonstrated experience - but I also have the relationship that's important across our bases. So that's what I would share. I would also want to share with y'all that I have sole endorsements from current 37th leaders - our Senator Rebecca Saldaña, King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay, our City Councilmember Tammy Morales. Kim-Khánh Van, who's a Renton City Councilmember, 'cause the 37th does have a sliver of Renton. I have sole endorsements - One America Votes, the Washington State Labor Council, Pro-Choice Washington. These are coming because of the work that has been demonstrated by me, because of the consistency, because of the commitment around us as community. And you can check out my website at ElectEmijah.com to see more of the leaders and endorsers that I have. I do want to also add the Honorable Larry Gossett - he's a sole endorser. And I have others - Dr. Ben Danielson. There are others, but I just wanted to share that people are putting their name behind me because they see the work that's done and they understand that status quo has to change in order for us to really advance to a place where we're really tapping in and seeing the humanity for each other and really caring about each other and caring about our community. It'll be an honor to have your vote - thank you. [00:38:17] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - we will include the link to your website for people who want to learn more information in the episode notes. And thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today. [00:38:28] Emijah Smith: Thank you - it was an honor, again, for the invitation. Thank you and have a wonderful day. [00:38:32] 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.
Cynthia Covey Haller is an author, teacher, speaker, and active community member. She has contributed to the writing of several books and articles, most recently she co-authored her late father, Stephen Covey's final book, “Live Life in Crescendo”. Cynthia has held leadership positions in women's organizations, served as a PTSA president, was an organizer for refugee aid and food pantry volunteer, and she is currently working as a service volunteer helping with employment needs. She graduated from BYU and lives with her family in Salt Lake City, Utah.Highlights:Live Life in CRESCENDOThis musical symbol builds with energy and passion and keeps getting louder and stronger. The physical symbol starts at a small point and spreads out. This idea represents The Crescendo Mentality, we should always be growing and striving to do more, as Cynthia quotes her late father, “Don't look in the rearview mirror at what you've accomplished, look ahead”. [11:38]The MidlifeAt this point in life are you where you want to be? The Midlife is defined in the book in two perspectives: Being successful in your most important roles beyond monetary gain and Using resourcefulness and initiative to take control of your life. These perspectives as a part of the crescendo mentality is to not accept your life for what it is, you have the power to change it and make it what you want. Marcel summarizes this point as “The Crescendo Mentality is really a mindset shift to see your life differently”. [20:59]The ParadigmAt every age and stage in your life, you handle what comes with a paradigm shift. Cynthia shares a story from the book about a horrible crime and false conviction, and the person convicted begins to live in diminuendo but breaks his three years in silence, to comfort a convict in the neighboring cell. And he shifted and chose to live in crescendo, with this power and beacon of life he was able to eventually prove his innocence and be released after 30 years in prison. Stephen Covey originally said, “If you wanna make small changes in your life, change your attitude. If you wanna make large and primary changes, work on your paradigm”. [23:00]The Pinnacle of SuccessYou think you've done it all, are you going to rest on your laurels and go enjoy the warm sunny retirement community in Florida? Most people that are successful, if they don't continue to serve people all along, they don't feel much meaning in their lives. At the pinnacle of success, there is so much to continue to contribute, even as a regular person without the resources of past presidents. Every person no matter the means has what it takes to meet someone's need, one kindness and act of service at a time. Cynthia explains, “My father taught that life is about contribution, not accumulation”. [32:42]The Ultimate HopeYour most important work and contributions can still be ahead of you. If you do decide to retire, continue to look forward and make contributions around you. Look down deep, what is your mission? Stephen Covey taught as relayed by his daughter Cynthia, “Life is a mission, not a career”. [39:10]Mentioned in this episode:Live Life in Crescendo: Your Most Important Work Is Always Ahead of You (The Covey Habits Series)Cynthia Covey Haller on LinkedInCynthia Covey Haller on Instagram
In this episode, Cynthia Covey Haller talks about her latest book, Live Life in Crescendo and why Days for Girls is mentioned as an example of what it means to live life in crescendo. Cowritten with his daughter, Cynthia Covey Haller, and published posthumously, Live Life in Crescendo is a life-changing and life-affirming book that befits the generosity and wisdom of the late Stephen R. Covey.Cynthia Covey Haller is an author, teacher, speaker, and active participant in her community. She is the author of She has contributed to the writing of several books and articles, notably, The 3rd Alternative by Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, and The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make, both by Sean Covey. Cynthia has held multiple leadership positions in women's organizations, served as a PTSA president, as an organizer for refugee aid and a food pantry volunteer, and she is currently working with her husband, Kameron, as a service volunteer for Bridle Up Hope, a non-profit. She graduated from Brigham Young University and lives with her family in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the mother of 6 children and has 21 grandchildren, giving her plenty of opportunity to "live in crescendo!" Support the show
On this bonus episode, we present our Hacks & Wonks Candidate Forum with Andrew Ashiofu, Nimco Bulale, Emijah Smith, and Chipalo Street - all running for State Representative Position 2 in Seattle's 37th Legislative District, which includes Beacon Hill, the Central District, Rainier Valley, Columbia City, Rainier Beach, and Skyway. This was originally live-streamed on Facebook and Twitter on July 11th, 2022. You can view the video and access the full text transcript of this forum on the 2022 Elections page at officialhacksandwonks.com. We hope you enjoy this forum, and please make sure to vote by Tuesday, August 2nd! As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Find the host, Crystal, on Twitter at @finchfrii. Resources Register to Vote, Update Your Registration, See What's on Your Ballot: MyVote.wa.gov 37th LD Primary Candidate Forum Video and Transcript: https://www.officialhacksandwonks.com/37th-ld-candidate-forum-2022 Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Hello everyone, this is Crystal Fincher, host of Hacks & Wonks. This is a bonus podcast release of our Hacks & Wonks Candidate Forum with candidates for State Representative Position 2 in Seattle's 37th Legislative district, which includes Beacon Hill, the Central District, Rainier Valley, Columbia City, Rainier Beach, and Skyway. This was originally live-streamed on Facebook and Twitter on July 11th, 2022. You can view the video and access the full text transcript of the forum on the 2022 Elections page at officialhacksandwonks.com. We hope you enjoy this forum, and please make sure to vote by Tuesday, August 2nd! All right. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the Hacks & Wonks 2022 Primary Candidate Forum for Legislative District 37, for State Representative Position 2. We're excited to be able to live stream this series on Facebook and Twitter. Additionally, we're recording this program, this forum, for rebroadcast and later viewing. We invite our audience to ask questions of our candidates. If you're watching a livestream 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 intermittently scroll at the bottom of the screen. All of the candidates running for 37th Legislative District State Representative Position 2 are with us tonight. In alphabetical order, we have Andrew Ashiofu, Nimco Bulale, Emijah Smith, and Chipalo Street. A few reminders before we jump into the forum: I want to remind you to vote. Ballots will be mailed to your mailbox starting on July 13th - that's this week, you will be receiving your ballots on Thursday or Friday of this week. You can register to vote, update your registration, and see what will be on your ballot at MyVote.Wa.gov. I want to mention that tonight's answers will be timed. Each candidate will have one minute to introduce themselves initially and 90 seconds to answer each subsequent question. Candidates may be engaged with rebuttal or follow up questions and will have 30 seconds to respond - I will indicate if that's so. Time will be indicated by the colored dot labeled "timer" on the screen. The dot will initially appear green, and then when there are 30 seconds left it will turn yellow, when time is up it'll turn red. I want to mention that I'm on the board for the Institute for a Democratic Future. Andrew and Chipalo are both IDF alums and Chipalo is also on the board. We've not discussed any of the details of this campaign or this forum and are expecting a lively discussion from everyone tonight. In addition to tonight's forum, Hacks & Wonks is also hosting a 36th Legislative District State Representative Position 1 candidate forum this Wednesday, July 13th at the same time - 6:30-8PM. Now we'll turn to the candidates who will each have one minute to introduce themselves, starting with Nimco, then Chipalo, next to Emijah, finally Andrew. Nimco. [00:03:19] Nimco Bulale: Hi, thank you. Good evening and thank you so much for the opportunity to speak to you all. My name is Nimco Bulale and I'm running for the open seat in the 37th Legislative District. I immigrated to Seattle from Somalia at the age of eight, a child of a single mother of nine. I know the importance of education, opportunity, and being supported by a strong, safe and nurturing community. I'm a lifelong community organizer, small business owner, university educator, and education policy expert working every day to help marginalized people in communities. As a woman of color, I'm acutely aware of the issues facing Black immigrant people of color communities and I'm excited to bring a systematically underrepresented perspective. I've spent my career working with marginalized communities and focused on creating a more inclusive, multicultural education system. I've largely worked in education policy, so this is where most of my experience on the issue lies. However, as a legislator, I will have the unique opportunity to look at this issue through a much broader lens. I am the co-founder and CEO of South Sound Strategies, a consulting firm focused on - [00:04:26] Crystal Fincher: That was time. Next we are headed to the next candidate - go ahead. [00:04:41] Chipalo Street: And I'm running here because I want the 37th to have the most effective representation possible. I've seen what education has done for my life and I want every kid to have the same opportunities my education has provided me. Police accountability is near and dear to my heart - during college, I was beaten by the police and so I want to make sure we have an accountable police force, while still working with them to make sure that we increase public safety. I've been a union member, so I would stand with our unions as they fight to make sure that working people can increase their compensation and benefits. In my professional life, I work for Microsoft for the Chief Technology Officer, where I advise our executive leadership on emerging technology. I think it's important we have legislators who understand technology, especially so given Roe, so that we can make sure that data isn't used unintended for people who are trying to get abortions. Serving in the legislature would allow me to magnify my efforts to improve our community. As a former union member, I understand the value of empowering the labor movement. As a BIPOC community member, I have experience with the important issues of our times like education, housing, technology, and interactions with the police. [00:05:50] Crystal Fincher: That is our time - next Emijah. Oh, you need to unmute, Emijah. [00:06:01] Emijah Smith: I was told that your staff would be muting us and unmuting us. So thank you. So my time starts now, or am I using my time? [00:06:12] Crystal Fincher: We'll start now and a reminder to everyone that if you mute yourself, we can't unmute you. If we do the unmuting, then we can unmute you. [00:06:20] Emijah Smith: Thank you. My name is Emijah Smith. I am a lifelong resident of the 37th Legislative District. I have the historical and current perspective of the 37th. I am a mother and I am a grandmother. I am focusing here on - ooh, this is good - I am focused on education policy ever since I was a senior in high school, surviving the War on Drugs - growing up in the Central District in South Seattle, I made a commitment to make sure that we get resources to our community to heal the harms. So I've been doing that - I'm the Mercer PTSA president, I'm the chief of staff of King County Equity Now, and I sit on the board of Tubman Health. So I've been doing the work currently in the Legislature for many years - going to Olympia with families, utilizing the power of our voice to bring meaningful change into our community. I walk with integrity - the integrity I walk in the community doing this work as a community leader - I will take that to Olympia. I have championed and been alongside the families that got us some current wins that is community reinvestment dollars for marijuana. Thank you. [00:07:28] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - and Andrew. [00:07:31] Andrew Ashiofu: Hi, my name is Andrew Ashiofu. I'm coming to you from a lived experience. I'm from - I was born in Houston, Texas and my family's Nigerian. When I came out, I lost my comfort zone. I got kicked out, lost my house due to depression, I couldn't keep up at work, and I was diagnosed with AIDS. And that was a - it was a tough process because I had to navigate ideologies and policies not created for people like me. I always say it was a good Samaritan that gave me accommodation. I have lived the experience currently in Seattle - I'm a coach of the Seattle LGBTQ commission. Here in the 37th district, I sit on the Harborview Medical Community Advisory Board, I am on the Seattle-King County HIV Planning Council. I have done immigration, LGBTQ rights advocacy on a local and global level with the Department of Homeland Security. For me, it's - we talk about healthcare, it's very important. I'm a renter also, so housing is important. But I have lived the experience, I have advocated in that experience and I'm here to serve you. Thank you. [00:08:37] Crystal Fincher: Thank you so much. And with those introductions, we will get to the questions. We're gonna start by talking about housing. Housing affordability is not very affordable these days. We are at a crisis level. Lots of people are losing their housing, people are facing this all over the place. So beyond extending - beyond ending exclusionary zoning and making further investments in the Housing Trust Fund, what else do we need to do to address housing affordability and to prevent displacement? And as a reminder, everyone has a response time of 90 seconds. And we will start with Chipalo. [00:09:19] Chipalo Street: So a bunch of things we can do - in the short term, we can add housing vouchers so that working people can live in existing market rate housing without spending their full paycheck on their shelter. We should have short-term rental assistance so that a temporary hardship doesn't end up in a situation that snowballs - like once you lose your house, it's harder to go to work, it's harder for your kids to go to school - that just gets worse. In addition to those, we need more renter protections. And so some tenant protections that I support are preventing landlords from using past criminal history to discriminate against prospective tenants, limiting the types of fees that can be charged by landlords. And David Hackney has a great bill that would provide recourse for tenants against a landlord who's looking to take some kind of action against them - you can already do that, but it takes a long time and so what's the point of taking action against the landlord if they've evicted you already. The harm has been done, we need to make sure that tenants can make sure that landlords are treating them well. Looks like I have more time, so those would be the main things. What would be some other things that we could do - I think you mentioned the exclusionary zoning - lifting the ban on rent control statewide would also be another option that would allow different municipalities and give them another tool in their tool belt for fighting housing costs. [00:10:44] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much. And next we're gonna head to Nimco. [00:10:47] Nimco Bulale: Thank you for that question. I believe housing is a human right. As somebody that had to - when we moved to the United States to Seattle specifically, that was pushed out of the 37th and more specifically the Seattle Central District - I'm keenly aware of the precarious of housing affordability, similar to many folks. The cost of housing is a major crisis facing working families in Washington State. Affordability is an issue, not only for persons facing or at risk for homelessness, but working families also struggle to ensure that they have secure housing as costs increase, especially around job centers. There are many actions that the state can take to address this. We've already mentioned the Housing Trust Fund, we've talked about land use regulations, encouraging low income and working workforce housing, as well as protections for tenants. But I also want to say that it's necessary to update, as mentioned, our land use laws to move past zoning that privileges single-family homes. Additionally, I think that we need wraparound services such as behavioral health, substance abuse services, as well as providing resources to local jurisdictions to bring their services to scale. I read recently that Black renters can't afford 93% of the zip codes in the top US cities and I think that that's a travesty. I think that those are just some of the ways that we can think about it. And also knowing that 16% of zip codes in the list, on the list had rents that were unaffordable to Latinx households - again, that is unacceptable. And when I do get to the Legislature, I believe that there's things that the state can do. [00:12:31] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much - next we're headed to Andrew. [00:12:35] Andrew Ashiofu: This is very personal to me. That's why my campaign - we signed on to the Initiative 135 - social housing is a key. One thing I've been privileged is to see social housing work in Europe and in Amsterdam, they have the 40-40-20, where 40% of the building is social housing, and another 40% is affordable mid-level housing, and 20% is commercial or community space. I'm big on community space because I play dodgeball every Tuesday in the community space. But it's also very important that we protect - in the 37th district - we protect our housing through preventing gentrification. Property tax for the elderly and people living with disabilities should be eliminated - that's where I'm coming from. But also we have a lot of land in Washington state in cities where the downtown is empty, with population of less than a hundred - we should, we can utilize that to create social wraparound services for teenagers and youth at-risk, for domestic violence victims, for people going through mental and drug addiction. We need to invest in those kind of services as well. Thank you. [00:13:49] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much - and Emijah. [00:13:52] Emijah Smith: Thank you. As we've heard that housing, healthcare, food are human basic rights. And so the way I would look at how we have to address housing, which is a very complicated issue, but when I think about being a survivor of the War on Drugs, the gentrification displacement that happened in the Central District and has been happening throughout the 37th currently, we have to look at the policies. The home I grew up in was taken from my grandfather due to some bad crime bill policies, but also we want to look at the Housing Finance Commission, most definitely, to make sure there is enough money in there that can come back into the community for housing development. And not just affordable housing, but stable, affordable housing. We have Africatown Plaza, Ethiopian Village, as well as Elizabeth Thomas Holmes - that came from community voice that I was part of to make sure that that money was sent down to the community. It wasn't gonna come to the community a couple years back without the power of our voice. In addition to that, we need to look at the barriers that are in the Department of Commerce, in terms of the application process, to even provide housing developments that could be stable for our community. There's so many loopholes that oftentimes it's the BIPOC and marginalized communities that don't get access to those resources. And although shelters and emergency housing is important to get someone off the streets immediately, it is important that we can provide some stable housing - if it's gonna be temporary, it needs to be temporary for at least a year. As a payee for my uncle who was dealing with addiction, it was because I was able to provide him stable housing for that year that helped him get stable. Thank you. [00:15:28] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much. Just a reminder to everyone that you do have 90 seconds to respond. It's up to you whether you choose to use that entire 90 seconds or not. If you want your answer to be shorter, feel free. We welcome that. The next question is we've seen - excuse me - significant increased investment in programs meant to reduce homelessness, but a lot of people are saying that they're not seeing the problem get any better despite the increase in funds. A lot of people attribute that to the continuing affordability crisis. Do you agree that this crisis is not improving? And if so, what needs to happen to get results? And we are starting with Emijah. [00:16:11] Emijah Smith: Thank you for that question. I think that's an ongoing issue and I think it's an ongoing issue that has to do with our regressive tax system, our property taxes - people who are being pushed out are low-income working class families that cannot afford the rent, right? So it's a cycle of an issue that is occurring. When that cycle occurs, it's like - the burden of property taxes going up fall onto the renter who is then also gonna continue to be pushed out. So how are we solving the problem if we're not addressing some of the root causes of the issues. The root causes of the issue is also about having fair wages and wages that - where people can actually live in the 37th and pay the mortgages, buy the homes. So also these temporary three-day opportunities just - they're not long enough. And we're pushing people more into being renters who are carrying the burden of even homeowners who want to rent rather than providing stable housing, like I said, for at least a year in some place - so that people can build themselves up, not just go for three three days and then you have to transfer and go to another place, and eventually you're gonna get pushed out of the 37th going south, which is actually having its issues as well as our homeless population. We have the resources, we have the money, the 37th and Washington State can correct this issue. We need to correct the issue and we need to address the root causes of homelessness, not just providing people a three-day motel stay here or there or putting people in tiny home villages. Thank you. [00:17:44] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Chipalo. [00:17:47] Chipalo Street: Yeah, I also agree that it's an issue. And it's great that we're increasing funding for it, but I don't think the funding is keeping up with the magnitude of the issue. There's many things that are contributing to this - like Emijah mentioned, home costs for someone who's trying to buy a house are skyrocketing. That's pushing up property values, which then increases someone's tax burden. So if you're a low-income person and your property taxes rise, you have less spending power. If you're a senior on a fixed income, you have less spending power and sometimes get forced into selling. We also have insufficient tenant protections. And so if you lose - if you're a renter and you lose your housing, then you end up on the street and that snowballs. You can't go to work, your kids can't go to school, and the issue gets worse. So not only do I support all of those, or means to fix all of those, I also would like to see better paying jobs. So for example, I think it's crazy that after K-12 school, we don't elevate the trades. The trades provide a great means of well-paying stable jobs for everyone. And traditionally we have denigrated the trades like - oh, you went to the trades 'cause you can't hack it. No, these are great jobs that people enjoy. Two of my best friends from junior high school went through four-year college, hated the jobs they got, came back, became electricians, and now love those jobs and get paid more than they did before. So I think this - we need to think of this comprehensively, not only in how do we fix the housing market, but how do we increase job stability and the paying of jobs? [00:19:16] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Nimco. [00:19:19] Nimco Bulale: Thank you for that question. Homelessness affects all of our communities in Seattle and King County and as mentioned before, it is a very complicated issue, but I think that we all have a role to play. Homelessness represents a multisector, multi-system failures and requires a whole of community solutions. Many of the strategies, connections, and services needed to support individuals experiencing homelessness are managed outside of the homeless service system or in geographically separated systems. So I think as a solution, we need to think about creating long-term institutional alignment across systems serving people experiencing homelessness. We must also ensure that community leaders in business, philanthropy, and those who have lived experience with homelessness and advocates can coordinate and align with regional and state level homelessness initiatives to cultivate share and promote solutions to homelessness. I think, while at times, efforts to support the unhoused in Seattle can appear scattered and disorganized - oftentimes initiatives and task force are renamed, replaced, discontinued. I think that every day we encounter people who are living on the street, often without a reliable place to store possessions, clean clothes, take a shower, and get a solid night of rest. Moving forward, I think that we must continue to invest in housing, supportive housing for people with serious mental illness, emergency housing, and affordable housing. The solution to ending homelessness is to provide more options for housing and that Seattle and King County will need private business to take an active role in housing the unhoused if efforts to end homelessness must be - [00:21:01] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - and next Andrew. [00:21:07] Andrew Ashiofu: Thank you for this question. As I said earlier in my introduction, I was able to come out of being homeless by someone giving me somewhere to stay. We've been approaching homelessness in - we'd say one-size-fits-all solution and that's wrong. Homeless has various degrees - from mental health to drugs, to PTSD with the vets, to domestic violence, to people like me that lost their jobs, to youths that are kicked out for coming out. We have a huge problem in the LGBTQ community. The first thing I think we should do is - I'm not a fan of shelters because it's just for overnight. Again, we need more. So we need things like investing in transition housing. We just had one open up right here on 12th. We need to, again, back to wraparound services, housing. We have the space, but we also - people talk about density. We have a lot of high-rises apartments coming. The problem why it's not affordable is one, it's not affordable. Also, it doesn't - it's all one bedroom studios and two bedroom. What about families? What about town homes? We don't have that kind of investment. So we need to create legislation that brings about things like right to return, but also invest in multi-family units, not just one bedroom or studios. We need more, more, more. Thank you. [00:22:37] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much. So families have been facing increased financial pressure. The cost of necessities like rent and childcare has been skyrocketing for years. More recently, gas, food and other prices have noticeably increased and people are having to make financial sacrifices. What can you do in your capacity as a state legislator to provide tangible relief to people who are struggling with bills? And we are starting with Andrew. [00:23:05] Andrew Ashiofu: The first thing is we need a tax relief for low-income families, working class families. Two, I think we need a gas tax break - for now - because of the high prices of gas. When it comes to childcare, we - I always say we need childcare vouchers, but also making it applicable whereby people can give what I call family, friends and neighbor - a part of childcare, but it's highly overlooked. So we need to create those vouchers as - oh, I can pay my family, I can pay a friend, I can pay a neighbor to help me take care of these kids. In campaigning, we see childcare as a huge need for people campaigning with children. We have that law that they cannot even use campaign phones for childcare. And a lot of people, especially women, have to drop out for running for office because of things like childcare. So we need that. And for - I think we need transportation, free public transit. I'm a transit - I use the transits occasionally. I've been endorsed by the Transit Riders Union, but we also need to invest in accessible transit and make it free for people to move around and reduce dependency on gas. Thank you so much. [00:24:25] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Emijah. [00:24:29] Emijah Smith: Thank you. I think on a state level, the state can provide some relief. They can give credits of some tax credit - we need to address our regressive tax code, period. That will give a lot of relief. Our state is receiving revenue of our marijuana tax dollars. We have the money to make some different choices and we really need to release the burden off of our low-income and working class families. So I definitely just think that there should be some type of package that is offered. But I do agree that I think that things are starting to be cut back because of COVID, coming out of COVID. So we should still be making sure that our students are receiving free breakfast, free lunch - that should not be something that's gonna be cut - the feds are cutting it, the state needs to pick up on that. The state is doing a great job by supporting covering some of the healthcare costs and help for the insurance, but that needs to be extended. It needs to be covered because just to try to buy some food, to go in there and just try to buy fruit and be healthy - the 37th has a lot of food deserts. It costs a lot of money to be healthy and to thrive in this community. So our basic necessities, I think that the state should utilize some of that revenue and give us all some level of a break based on our income. I am a single parent, I have raised my kids, I have found innovative ways to survive and get through that paying through childcare. Definitely advocating for childcare, increasing the income levels for families to be able to access that - this screen is killing me, but - the state can do it. We have the money, we need to take care of our basic needs we need to give food vouchers to our community members. Thank you. [00:26:13] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Chipalo. [00:26:15] Chipalo Street: Sure. So one of the places that childcare is provided is in the schools. We have a program for early childhood learning. I think it would be great to expand that, not only because that would provide some relief for childcare, but also the earlier we get a kid into education, the better the outcomes. I think there are some other good ideas thrown out there around like a gas tax holiday, but a gas tax holiday is really a short-term band-aid on the solution where we really need progressive tax reform. Washington State has the most regressive tax code in the country, which is crazy given how fortunate we are in this state to have very good-paying jobs and we need to make sure that everyone pays their fair share. So I would love to see income tax implemented. Unfortunately it seems like there's some issues with that in the constitution, so we need to fight to keep our capital gains tax. There's some corporate tax loopholes that we could close and in doing so, we could then reduce some of the sales tax, which contributes to our regressive tax code. So I think we should look at this a little more holistically in terms of progressive tax reform, because so much of it comes down to where we fund different programs in our state. [00:27:23] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Nimco. [00:27:26] Nimco Bulale: Thank you for that question. I believe that Washington's economic climate is one of the best in the nation. And this is because unlike other states, our minimum wage is more reflective of the current economy and workers are offered generous employment benefits. However, this is often negated by the fact that we do have the most regressive tax code in our country. Our economy only works for the top, our economy works the best for the top 1%. I believe that workers and small businesses are fundamental to the health of our economy. I think that as a small business owner, we need to create an economy that fosters the growth of these businesses. And we need to invest in apprenticeship programs and strong unions to grow our economy and safe, living-wage jobs. At the same time, we desperately need to reconsider, like I said, our regressive tax code, which exploits working people by lowering taxes on low-income earners. And by requiring the wealthiest in our state to pay their fair share, we can spur economic growth and relieve this population of its economic burden. As a woman of color, centering the voices of Black, Indigenous and people of color is of the utmost importance to me. I'm committed to explicitly centering the perspective and the needs of marginalized groups who are so often underserved by being left out in the policy I work to craft. In addition to this, I support policies that specifically or functionally address the racial wealth gap, including affordable housing that helps people of color generate generational wealth, as well as the universal basic income, which has been shown to reduce the racial wealth gap. I think in addition to cutting taxes, we also - in addition to creating more taxes, we need to also cut taxes for low-income workers. [00:29:05] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. We are sitting here after the Dobbs decision that struck down reproductive rights protections and the right to an abortion for women. According to Axios, 41% of hospital beds in Washington are located in religious hospitals. So although we are not one of the states that has an abortion ban immediately occurring because of the decision, we do have some issues with access. Would you vote to make the continuation of abortion services a requirement of mergers involving religious hospital networks? And we are starting with Nimco. [00:29:49] Nimco Bulale: Can you repeat the last part of the question? [00:29:52] Crystal Fincher: Would you vote to make the continuation of abortion services a requirement of hospital mergers, which we're having a lot of - involving secular or religious hospital networks. And what more can we do to protect abortion access? [00:30:08] Nimco Bulale: So I don't have a paddle, but I will say absolutely Yes, I would support that. I'm pissed - I think access to healthcare, reproductive, and gender-affirming care are at the forefront of my campaign as our nation continues to face an onslaught of threats to the rights of people of marginalized genders. And this is not okay. I think that we need to work harder to make this part of our constitution - the right to bodily autonomy is fundamental and I will always fight to protect these rights, especially in a state like Washington, which is soon to become a safe haven for birthing people in states looking to outlaw abortion entirely. As a longtime education policy activist, I understand the need for comprehensive sex education and I will continue to fight for that when I'm elected in office. I'm firmly committed to creating a world in which all people can decide when, if, and in what manner they decide to have children. Reproductive justice means we must also work to create a world in which those children are born into communities that are safe, healthy, and just. [00:31:09] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - and next we're going to Andrew. [00:31:15] Andrew Ashiofu: It's a Yes for me - we need to protect the right to choose. And we also need to call a special session to codify this in our constitution and create bills that would protect anyone that comes into our state to seek an abortion - currently there's been an increase. Now, when it comes to hospitals' merger, we need to protect the right to choose as part of this merger. And this is not just - this covers - because some of these hospitals also could choose not to treat me as a gay person because they believe - they might say - because of anti-LGBTQ rhetorics in some of these places. We need - healthcare is very important for everyone. We all deserve healthcare and there should be no barrier against healthcare. I have done a lot of advocacy, I have fought for my right to survive, and I know the red tape and the obstacles. We don't need that now. We need to create access. As a state, we need to call - I call on Governor Inslee to call a special session to codify abortion into our constitution here in Washington State. Thank you. [00:32:30] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Emijah. [00:32:33] Emijah Smith: Thank you for the question. And just going directly to it - healthcare is a right and I believe having access to abortion is part of our basic healthcare. And so I definitely believe that we would have to interrogate, and I think that with this merger, those type of access - abortion access - should be available to all - to birthing parents and birthing people who need that. I also am in agreement with our Washington State really looking at our constitution and making sure that if we say we're gonna support and having access to abortion and it is a right for people for that choice, then we need to lock that in now and not be worried about a session or two here and somebody trying to undo that. That's the world that I grew up in and I totally support that no matter what I would choose in terms of if I want to have a child or not. I also want to just say healthcare equities are real. And particularly for Black women, we have the highest risk of death at birth. So this is a real issue for us around trying to have choice and just getting care in general. COVID just lifted up the top of how these he health equities are a real problem in our healthcare system. And too often, some of our healthcare systems are just moving for profit. We need to be moving for health. It is a basic right for our community. Thank you. [00:34:00] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Chipalo. [00:34:03] Chipalo Street: Yes, I'm a hundred percent supportive of this. If we didn't have enough issues at the state level to deal with before, the Supreme Court has given us a whole host of new issues to deal with, abortion access being one of them. I would love for my first bill to be a bill to enshrine protections for the right to choose into our constitution. Above and beyond that, I think we also need people who understand technology in the Legislature. So I work for the Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft and I think having folks who understand technology is incredibly important, especially for things like Roe, where we don't - where we want to make sure that companies' data can't be inadvertently, or even maybe specifically, used to target people seeking abortions. And then I also agree with Nimco that we need to increase funding for our abortion centers, because we will have an influx of folks coming from our surrounding states where they do not have access to it anymore. So we have to make sure that our folks have it, we have to make sure that we are a beacon of light for other surrounding states so that we can make abortion a option that people have when they consider their overall healthcare. [00:35:09] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much. So this next question is a little bit of a question. So crime has been increasing across the state. People are concerned about their safety and whether we're doing the right things to address the current levels of property and violent crime. According to a recent Crosscut/Elway poll, Seattle voters were asked what they think are major factors in the crime rate. The top three answers were lack of mental health and addiction services - that was 85% of Seattle residents gave that answer. Second answer was homelessness at 67%. And the third answer was economic conditions at 63%. When asked specifically if they could direct where their tax dollars were spent, the top three responses were at 92% addiction and mental health services, at 81% training police officers to deescalate situations, and at 80% programs to address the root causes of crime. Those were Seattle residents' top answers. Given that the Legislature has already voted to increase public safety funding, largely devoted to policing and prisons, do you feel that we should increase funding for these things that Seattle voters have requested like behavioral health resources, non-police intervention services, and rehabilitation services before passing further increases for police spending? And we will start with Chipalo. [00:36:34] Chipalo Street: Yeah, public safety and police accountability is a issue that is near and dear to my heart. In college, I was beaten by the police for not showing my ID so bad that I had to be taken to the hospital before they took me to jail. It was so bad that a student who was watching it said that she was traumatized. And so I, 100%, believe that we need an accountable police force. That said, I think police are part of public safety. They should be partners that we can work with and should not be afraid to call to come to violent crimes, to solve robberies. They are part of public safety and I want to work with them to make sure that we have a - we have more public safety. I also encourage our society to think more holistically about public safety - we ask police to do too much and things they're not trained for. So we should have counselors in schools, not cops. We shouldn't be sending police to respond to nonviolent mental health crisis, we should be sending professionals who are trained to do that. And so I think that reflects a lot of what you're seeing Seattle voters say is - yes, we need more addiction counseling, we need more mental health funding - so that we first prevent these issues from starting. And then if they do happen, we want a person who is trained to deal with that issue responding to it. So I would 100% support more of these services to get at the root causes of some of these issues while making our police accountable, just like any other professional accountability. We have professional accountability for lawyers and doctors. We should have the same thing for police. [00:38:07] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Nimco. [00:38:10] Nimco Bulale: Thank you for that question. Regarding public safety and police, I absolutely believe that we need more law enforcement jobs that need to be reassigned to social workers and other service providers. I believe that the police are equipped with limited and largely punitive tools to handle many of the crises they're called to address. I support protecting our public safety by investing in broader emergency response teams trained to handle mental health, interpersonal, and addiction crises. Additionally, the police have jeopardized the public safety by systematically inflicting violence, surveillance, and fear on communities of color. I support deescalation, crisis intervention, and accountability in service of protecting public safety. I believe we need a justice system that makes our community safer and healthier. We need proactive policies that emphasize crime prevention and support for vulnerable communities instead of reactive policies that emphasize punishment. I also support setting up effective systems for crime prevention, including mental health and addiction resources, policies that tackle scarcity, and social work. Effective public safety comes from community and requires community healing when harm is done. [00:39:27] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Andrew. [00:39:30] Andrew Ashiofu: Thanks. I'm gonna talk from the other side - from someone that has walked through the shoes of the other side, where people think otherwise about you. I tell people I had a mental crisis in 2020, and 'til now I'm still on a wait list to talk to a mental specialist. And what does that tell me is - we don't have enough trained, diverse mental health specialists even in our clinics that are affordable and accessible to many people that really need them. Most of them work for very expensive hospitals or clinics or practices. We, as a state, we need to invest in that form of education. And also when it comes to drug addiction, I tell people I am for safe injection or safe sites. And people say why? I said, because one, it brings these people to a place where you could personally reach out to them. And it also reduces diseases and spread of blood-borne diseases. And our police force - I think we've invested enough. We need more civilian engagement, more social workers, more people that are not violent. We need the police to go back and address sexual assault victims. We need more civil engagement. That's what I think we need in Washington State. Thank you. [00:41:04] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Emijah. [00:41:07] Emijah Smith: Yes, thank you for the question. We definitely need - our state needs to invest, provide mental health investments. As a PTSA president at my son's middle school, every year we check in with the families and ask them - what type of resources, what do you need? And for the past few years, especially with COVID, everyone a hundred percent has prioritized social, emotional health and wanting some mental health support for our youth. So mental health supports go across the gamut - I know you were speaking to public safety, crime, and what the poll had indicated, but I want to say it's across the board. Recently had spoke with the leader of the If Project - a police officer who was also sharing - in the past that our police officers weren't even getting properly mental health care. And so how we're trying to look into how they are trying to look and making sure that police officers are getting behavioral health. So the behavioral health is across the board. We, as families have been impacted. And so our state should invest regardless - whether it's those who are having addiction issues, who are untreated or others. And if our youth are not being serviced well, then people are gonna go try to self-medicate and it's going to create a cycle. And we wanna interrupt that cycle of harm. We wanna interrupt that cycle of being untreated. I definitely believe that we need to make sure our resources are equitable, right? So the police force budget is way much larger than our education budget. And so we need to take a look at that. So I definitely believe in police accountability - all the things - deescalation, all the things, the training that's needed. [00:42:49] Crystal Fincher: Thank you very much. Next, we're going to go with a question from a viewer. I'll read it verbatim. We've just found out that Starbucks is closing our CD neighborhood location on 23rd and Jackson due to crime concerns. That's a quote from them. I would be interested to hear candidate thoughts on this decision and how this loss affects a community gathering space. And we will start with Emijah. [00:43:19] Emijah Smith: I appreciate that question - you probably see my eyes. I'll honestly say I'm a little bit heartbroken about what's happening in the Central District. I was just talking with the new development complex about looking at that parking lot just this morning, saying the result of the people who are in that parking lot is a result of the poor policies that have come when you displace and gentrified a whole community. This is a place where people find to be their community. This is sometimes a place where people who are unhoused feel most safe - in that space - because someone will come and smile at them. So crime and different things are happening across not only our City, across the 37th, but across our nation. So to remove something as a community space that we need - so people can come together, come problem solve, come be a support in some way or another - I think that that is not the best move. I think it's like you came and you put your footsteps there, but then you're gonna step away and leave the problem. You need to resource the issue, bring in investments. I would rather Starbucks do that, especially when you look at the racial justice context and how they maybe even came into the community. So I'm disheartened about it, but at the same time, we as community and advocates work in solidarity - are working to address that issue. But I will say I've talked to those people in that parking lot, I've seen people I've grew up with in that community, and I know even a unhoused, homeless woman sleeping in the bench there said that was the safest place for them because they're amongst at least their own community. Thank you. [00:44:53] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Chipalo. [00:44:55] Chipalo Street: Yeah - if they wanna leave, they can leave - and I don't understand why they would leave for safety concerns. What I hope is that we can have another community business come in and take that spot - let's have Boon Boona Coffee, who has a place down in Renton and a place down on 12th Ave, come in and take that shop because I believe you can do good business in that location without vilifying the people who are in the parking lot. There are definitely issues with unhoused populations choking out businesses. You can see that down on 12th and Jackson where they've moved in front of Lam's Seafood and there's EBT fraud going on there. I would not put 23rd and Jackson in that same bucket. I quite frankly, wouldn't be surprised if there's a little bit of bias or racism going on in that decision to shut down. And Starbucks has shown that they want to do some union busting in other places, so losing Starbucks - to me - isn't the end of the world. I'll bet you that a better business will come in and replace it really soon because that's a booming area - they just opened up a bunch of housing around there. Yeah, that's their decision, that's fine. We'll get a better business in there. [00:46:01] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Nimco. [00:46:04] Nimco Bulale: I'm disheartened by the closing, to be very honest - I remember as a young child growing up and meeting my grandfather at that Starbucks because he lived right at a senior center close by. And so I'm gutted to hear that that's happening. And it's unfortunate that - we know that oftentimes communities of color, the ones that are disproportionately impacted by these travesties and by gun violence and public safety - as a representative, I will lead with racial justice being central to the fight to end violence and specifically support policies that are common sense and that reduce police interactions and increase accountability for our communities. I think, as Chipalo mentioned, this could be an opportunity to have a community cafe there, an opportunity to really invest in the Central District and in that area. And I think it's a missed opportunity for Starbucks to leave in this condition and to say that it's because of safety concerns. I would've hoped that they would be a part of that solution in really being able to continue to invest and rehabilitate the community. Yeah, so it's unfortunate, but I think there's more opportunities to be - to really invest in that corner of our community. [00:47:22] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Andrew. [00:47:25] Andrew Ashiofu: I'm going to address this in various forms for - when they say public safety, I think I go again with what everyone said - is based on racial bias. I really hope Brian of Tougo Coffee down here at Yesler opens another branch there. But also - I, as a frontline worker that has been working hard to be unionized at my airline, I think this is also a form of union busting, as Chipalo said, because we've seen that nearly all the stores that unionize at Starbucks - they close it down. And there's a huge - this is the time, the moment for the unions to come together. And Starbucks is - Okay, we're going to punish you. But also, I think as a state representative, or as on the state level, this is why we should invest in small businesses and among minorities and Black communities, immigrant communities, because - I used to say those are our safe space, even the LGBT community, but reality - those are our brave spaces where we could be who we are. We could be - so we need to invest in small business there and take back what was ours. Thank you so much. [00:48:38] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. Next we are going to a question about the Dobbs decision that eliminated the right to abortion. But in Justice Thomas's concurring opinion, he went further and he identified decisions he felt should be reevaluated after their ruling in Dobbs - cases that established our right to same-sex marriage, rights to contraception, and rights to sexual privacy. What can our state legislature do to proactively protect these rights? Starting with Andrew. [00:49:13] Andrew Ashiofu: Ooh - as a gay person and someone involved in the LGBTQ+ community and advocacy, this is really hard. It brings back memories of when I was kicked out, it brings back memories of being bullied and being called a f*gg*t. As a state, we need to create constitution that protects all those things. Contraception is part of healthcare - it's important, it's not an option. You can't tell me that - as a states we need to provide - contraception should be free, condoms should be free, Plan B should be free, IUD should be free, menstrual pads and all those tampons should be free - should not be for profit. We need to protect and make it accessible, not affordable - accessible for free - because again it's criminalizing minorities. Then when it comes to privacy and this is the whole LGBTQ witch hunting all over again. In this day and age, we need to create that as a protective class in our constitution, in our schools, we need to protect them in our workplace. We need to protect them - I want to walk down the streets and not have someone call me a f*gg*t. So this is something very dear to me. And I would walk hard to codify all that into protection in Washington State. Thank you. [00:50:39] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Emijah. [00:50:41] Emijah Smith: Thank you. This is an opportunity for Washington State to really walk its talk. We talk about being progressive, we talk about all the things, and this is an opportunity for us to get in front of it. This is why I want to go ahead and be a state representative - because I do not wanna see us go back, turn the clock back. I'm there to push, hold the line, and take us forward - because this type of it's - I have no understanding for it. I'm triggered, right? We're here in the 37th and we talk about the progressiveness and I'm tired of talk and we need representation and leadership that will hold the line and also push the line forward. This is about safety in my opinion. This is a safety issue. If a person cannot show up who they are, then how can they be safe? They're going to be a target of violence. This to me is policy violence, and this is not acceptable. So this is who I am and how I wanna show up moving forward. We leave this place better than the way we found it. I do not need my children or my loved ones, or my neighbors, fearful of their own safety, because they cannot show up as who they need to be - because they don't have the proper resources or then we're gonna be stereotyped in some form or fashion, then more policies and that systemic racism will fall on those who are most marginalized. It's this type of rhetoric that has to come to an end. You have to be about action. Thank you. [00:52:21] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Chipalo. [00:52:24] Chipalo Street: Yeah, I can't agree more with what folks are saying. To me, what's interesting about this and ironic is that this is an example of extreme privilege. My understanding is that he left one issue out that is also built on Dobbs, which is interracial marriage, and he is married to a white lady. But yet he cited every other thing that he wants to take back. So why is it that this person in a position of power over so many people can just selectively exclude it? So I think it hits home for all of us in very many different ways. Personally, this hits home because I'm half Black, half white. And so even though he didn't include it in there, you know it's next - it just means that you can't trust what they say. And it means that you need to elect leaders to state representatives, to Supreme Court - I guess we can't elect people to Supreme Court, but Senators who confirm justices up and down the ballot - who support everyone's right, to see people as equal, who are with us on this march towards equality. [00:53:31] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Nimco. [00:53:32] Nimco Bulale: Thank you so much for that question. I don't wanna re - I agree with what everybody said. I think additionally, Washington State needs to be in the business of justice. And when I say justice, I really mean the complete physical, mental, spiritual, political, economic, and social wellbeing of all people. It can only - I think that this can only be achieved when everybody has that economic, social, and political power, as well as the resources to make healthy decisions about their bodies, about their sexuality, about their reproductive - reproduction - for themselves, their families, and their communities in all areas of their lives. I think that this is the kind of foresight that we need to have as a state and we really need to lead in these issues. If we say that we are beacon for supporting reproductive rights and other rights of all people, I think that we need to be leading in that. And we need to show the rest of the country that we are an example of folks that take that business of justice seriously. [00:54:36] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. And with that, we are actually gonna take a short two-minute break to give our candidates a chance to grab some water - it's a hot day. And grab their Yes and No paddles because we're going to be back with a lightning round. So two minutes is starting now and we will see you on the other side. All right. We are getting ready to begin our lightning round. So you all have paddles with - that are green on one side, red on the other. Green is what you show to face - that faces the camera - if your answer is Yes. The other side - red, if it's No. We will do these in rapid succession. And following the lightning round, following all of - the totality of the questions - everyone will have one minute to explain any of the answers that you want to. But we will go through this quickly, so I'll ask the question and then ask you to hold up for people to clearly see the Yes or No to the answers to these questions. So we're starting out - regarding housing and homelessness, are there any instances where you would support sweeps of homeless encampments? Yes or no? It looks like we have two either giving a No or a thumbs down for No. Looks like everybody is a No on that question. Next question. Will you vote to end single-family zoning in order to create more housing density and affordability? Yes or no? Everyone is a Yes. Next question. Would you vote to end the statewide ban on rent control and let localities decide whether they want to implement it? Yes or no. Everyone is a Yes on that question. Next, do you support Seattle's social housing initiative, I-135? Yes or no. Everybody is a Yes. Would you have voted for the legislature's police reform rollbacks in the last legislative session? Yes or no? A mixed answer. So keep your paddles held up for that. So Emijah is a Yes, everyone else is a No - that's Chipalo, Andrew, and Nimco. Next, should the legislature pass restrictions on what can be collectively bargained by police unions? Yes or no. Repeating the question - should the legislature pass restrictions on what can be collectively bargained by police unions? Everyone is a Yes in that question. Would you vote for any bill that increases highway expansion? Yes or no? Chipalo is a Yes. Emijah, Nimco, and Andrew are No. Do you support calling a special session this year to codify reproductive rights and access into law? Yes or no? Everybody's a Yes. Would you have voted this past session - for the session before last - for the Climate Commitment Act? Yes or no? Everybody's a Yes on that question. Do you think trans and non-binary students should be allowed to play on the sports teams that fit with their gender identities? Yes or no. Everybody is a Yes. Will you vote to enact a universal basic income in Washington? Yes or no. Everybody is a Yes on that question. Our state has one of the most regressive tax codes in the country, meaning lower-income people pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than the ultra-wealthy. In addition to the capital gains tax, do you support a wealth tax? Yes or no? Everybody with quick Yeses to that. Do you support implementing ranked-choice voting in Seattle? Yes or no. Everybody is a Yes to that. Do you support implementing approval voting in Seattle? Yes or no. These are slow answers. We've got some waffling. We've got a lot of waffling. The only clear answer was Andrew with a No. Do you support moving local elections from odd years to even years to significantly increase voter turnout? Yes or no? Quick yeses for that. Is your campaign unionized? Yes or no? Every - I can't see your answer there, Andrew. Everybody's a No. If your campaign staff wants to unionize, will you voluntarily recognize their effort? Yes or no. Everybody is a Yes. Would you vote to provide universal healthcare to every Washington resident? Yes or no? Everybody is a Yes. That concludes our lightning round. Now we will give each candidate one minute to explain anything they want to explain about their answers or their waffles. And we'll start with Nimco. [01:00:47] Nimco Bulale: About my waffles? [01:00:49] Crystal Fincher: About any of your answers or the answers that were a non-answer - is there anything that you'd want to explain? [01:00:56] Nimco Bulale: Yeah - maybe if I didn't vote on the question - it wasn't the ranked-choice question, it was the question after that. I wasn't familiar unfortunately with that idea. And so my only explanation is - is that I need to learn a little bit more about - can you explain, can Crystal, can you repeat what that question was? [01:01:15] Crystal Fincher: It was about an approval voting initiative that had been collecting ballot signatures, may appear on the ballot. However, we actually just got some breaking news today that there may be an effort from Councilmember Andrew Lewis to actually put ranked-choice voting on the ballot, which would supplant the approval voting process. So tune in there, but there is a possibility for approval voting, which is where you just vote for everyone that you like. And we've discussed it certainly, there's other people discussing it - lots of lively conversation about - the people and interests supporting and opposing it, and the differences between the two. But just an interesting question there. [01:02:02] Nimco Bulale: Yeah - I just will commit myself to learning more about that. Obviously I support ranked-choice voting and will get myself knowledgeable about approval voting. [01:02:13] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Andrew. [01:02:17] Andrew Ashiofu: Yeah. I am not in support of approval voting. I'm more in support of ranked-choice voting. Also this very initiative has had a bit of scandal while gathering the signatures and all that - I've heard from them, I've listened to their ideology, which I truly appreciate in creating more voices in - more voices of the people voting in the approval, but I think ranked-choice voting is the right way to go. [01:02:55] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Emijah. [01:02:59] Emijah Smith: Yeah. I wanted to share more information about my answer with regard to the rollbacks, when you spoke about the police legislation initiatives. I define rollbacks as taking us backwards, so I'm not sure how you were defining rollbacks, but when I think about the fact that there's Terry stops now - from the past legislative session, there are now Terry stops. Terry stop is where a person can just be pulled over, asked for their ID, they can be interrogated by the police - without probable cause. And I think that that's a huge problem. And so I'm not in support of things like that - the use of force - and how those things are defined. So I will - I push and want to champion police accountability that's going to make us more safety and bring more balance, not take us back to the 80s, 90s, and 2000s that I'm surviving from right now with overpolicing in our community. [01:03:58] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Chipalo. [01:04:00] Chipalo Street: Sure. So I think the one that I was different from folks was highway expansion. I think the key word to me in that question was "any" - there are times where I could believe you need to expand highways for freight mobility and those support our union jobs. So I would want to make sure that we could at least consider that. In general, I don't think we should be expanding highways. We should be investing in mass transit. But I do want to make sure that we can support our unions and freight transit, 'cause that is - that diversifies our economy and it's one of the strengths that Seattle has. Approval voting - yeah, similar to Nimco, I had no idea what that was. It'll be interesting to learn more about that. And then the police accountability stuff - I have a hard time believing I would've voted for it. The thing that I think that went really well is that Jesse Johnson did ride-alongs with the police - I think we have to be their partners, we have to understand the impacts of our legislation. And so I'd be open to partnering with them to understand how that impacts them and their ability to provide public safety. But given my experience, I have a hard time believing that I would've. But I do believe they're are partners and would like to partner with them to improve public safety. [01:05:05] Crystal Fincher: Thank you. We'll now move on to our regular type of questions. We're currently not on track to meet our 2030 climate goals, and I'm going to ask a question from someone who's watching because of that and because transportation is the biggest polluting sector. They're asking - how can we shift people out of cars while making sure we don't hurt those working class people whose commutes are too long for transit or bikes? And we will start with Chipalo. [01:05:38] Chipalo Street: And one more time for me, please. [01:05:41] Crystal Fincher: Sure. How can we shift people out of cars while making sure we don't hurt those working class people whose commutes are too long for transit or bikes? [01:05:52] Chipalo Street: For sure. So I think one of the things that we have to do, that we saw last cycle when we passed Move Ahead WA, was investing in transit and forms of non-single-occupancy vehicles into our suburbs and rural areas. Mass transit is great, but we can't just focus on our cities because there are people who have longer commutes that need to get to jobs. Often, these are working people who have been pushed and displaced out of cities and into suburban and rural areas. So I want to make sure that whatever we do for transit thinks about the state comprehensively in conjunction with cities and our exurbs. [01:06:36] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Nimco. [01:06:37] Nimco Bulale: Thank you for that question. I believe that to quickly reduce transportation carbon emissions, we need to fundamentally shift our planning, our policy development, and infrastructure investments to prioritize public transit, walking, and biking over personal vehicles. I think often communities of color and working class communities lack access to reliable forms of public transportation or live in areas where bus systems lack sufficient funding. As legislator, I will support any and all legislation that helps expand public transit to be more reliable, accessible, and affordable for Washingtonians, especially for those who currently live in areas with limited access to public transportation and are forced to be more reliant on cars. I think that this will not only reduce carbon emissions, but it'll also help mobilize our communities and promote fuel efficiency. I do support a just transportation package to ensure that when planning transportation systems, there is a focus on people disproportionately harmed by our current transportation choices. No one should be burdened by pollution from transportation or unable to access - unable to access groceries or school without a car. This package must be a catalyst towards protecting future generations from the climate crisis today. [01:07:59] Crystal Fincher: Thank you - Andrew. [01:08:03] Andrew Ashiofu: One, I think is - we need to invest in the expansion of public transportation. There's no rail from here to Tacoma, there's no rail from here to Olympia - that's a red flag right there. We also need to invest in hiring public transport workers, especially bus drivers, to help us with our interconnection with cities, with urban areas. We also need to create incentive for environmental friendly rideshare programs. I hav
This episode highlights a few back-to-school tips for high school counselors looking to ready their spaces and program. Your worth as a high school counselor isn't dependent on how much stuff you have in your office or how much financial support you get from your principal, district, or PTSA. But it sure doesn't hurt to dream about what would make your counselor life easier, does it? Let's talk about the non-negotiables and the “would be nice” things to have in your office. Rest assured anything in this episode is NOT NECESSARY… just adds to all of the wonderful things you're already doing as a high school counselor! Enter the Giveaway! Screenshot your favorite episode of "How to Kick-Start Your Year as a High School Counselor" -- a private podcast full of actionable, back-to-school tips Share it on your Instagram story Tag me, @counselorclique, on the story Tune in to see if you're the winner of a Counselor Clique® Rctic Mug on Tuesday, August 2! Resources Mentioned: Private Podcast: “How to Kick-Start Your Year as a High School Counselor” Resource: School Counselor Beginning of the Year Presentation Blog: 4 Helpful Categories of Back-to-School Essentials for High School Counselors Amazon Store Front All Counselor Clique Blog Pop Up Facebook Group: Kick-Start Your Year as a High School Counselor (opens August 8) Connect with Lauren: Unlock the Private Podcast: “How to Kick-Start Your Year as a High School Counselor” Visit my TpT store Send me a DM on Instagram: @counselorclique Follow me on Facebook Send me an email Get on the waitlist for the Clique Collaborative For a full list of show notes, visit: www.counselorclique.com/episode32
Hour 1 * Justin Bieber announced Friday he is suffering from a rare medical condition called Ramsay Hunt syndrome that has caused the partial paralysis of his face. * Possible link between Ramsay Hunt Syndrome and Covid-19 vaccine. * Justin Bieber tests positive for COVID-19, cancels Las Vegas show back in February. * Hailey Bieber hospitalized due to brain condition, possibly COVID related. * Hailey Bieber had heart surgery after ‘scary' blood clot caused mini stroke. * Bank of America Warns of Future Inflation Shocks, Declares ‘Technical Recession' – Michael Hartnett, the bank's chief investment strategist, “We're in technical recession but just don't realize it,”. * Unraveling the Riddle Of American Inflation. Hour 2 * Guest: Dr. Scott Bradley – To Preserve The Nation – FreedomsRisingSun.com * US has more transgender youth than ever, but in which states and why? ‘To flatly say there couldn't be any social influence in formation flies in the face of reality' – WND.com * Nearly half of the 1.6 million Americans who identify as transgender are teenagers or young adults, and some of the highest rates of youth transgenderism occur in blue states, according to a new study. * NYC Schools Spent over $200K on Drag Queen Shows. * Four elementary schools in Colorado teamed up to promote a Pride event that included “drag queen story time,” according to a Facebook post from an elementary school Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA). Meadowlark Elementary School's PTSA encouraged parents, teachers, and students to hand out rainbow flags at the entrance of the town's Pride Celebration, according to a Facebook post. * Drag Queens Perform At Iowa High School, Give Students Pointers. * Health-insurance giant Kaiser Permanente celebrates sexualized men in dresses reading to kids – ‘Too bad' if you don't like ‘Drag Queen Story Hour' – WND.com * Minister claims ‘Bible must give way' to same-sex ‘marriage' – He says people now ‘know more' about sexuality – Bob Unruh, WND.com * Story hour: How drag queen shows for minors have become increasingly common. * Drag Queen Story Hour is an organization that operates across the US, bringing drag queens to libraries, schools, and bookstores to read stories to children. * Drag Queen Story Hour Coming To A School Near You! * The Gay Agenda Blueprint: A Plan to Transform America! – “Talk about gays and gayness as loudly and as often as possible.” – “Portray gays as victims, not as aggressive challengers.” – “Give protectors a just cause.” – “Make gays look good.” – “Make the victimizers look bad.” – “Solicit funds: The buck stops here.” * Does God Have A Gender? --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/loving-liberty/support
* Guest: Dr. Scott Bradley – To Preserve The Nation – FreedomsRisingSun.com * US has more transgender youth than ever, but in which states and why? 'To flatly say there couldn't be any social influence in formation flies in the face of reality' - WND.com * Nearly half of the 1.6 million Americans who identify as transgender are teenagers or young adults, and some of the highest rates of youth transgenderism occur in blue states, according to a new study. * NYC Schools Spent over $200K on Drag Queen Shows. * Four elementary schools in Colorado teamed up to promote a Pride event that included "drag queen story time," according to a Facebook post from an elementary school Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA). Meadowlark Elementary School's PTSA encouraged parents, teachers, and students to hand out rainbow flags at the entrance of the town's Pride Celebration, according to a Facebook post. * Drag Queens Perform At Iowa High School, Give Students Pointers. * Health-insurance giant Kaiser Permanente celebrates sexualized men in dresses reading to kids - 'Too bad' if you don't like 'Drag Queen Story Hour' - WND.com * Minister claims 'Bible must give way' to same-sex 'marriage' - He says people now 'know more' about sexuality - Bob Unruh, WND.com * Story hour: How drag queen shows for minors have become increasingly common. * Drag Queen Story Hour is an organization that operates across the US, bringing drag queens to libraries, schools, and bookstores to read stories to children. * Drag Queen Story Hour Coming To A School Near You! * The Gay Agenda Blueprint: A Plan to Transform America! - “Talk about gays and gayness as loudly and as often as possible.” - “Portray gays as victims, not as aggressive challengers.” - “Give protectors a just cause.” - “Make gays look good.” - “Make the victimizers look bad.” - “Solicit funds: The buck stops here.” * Does God Have A Gender?
Paulette attended and received both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Redlands in Communicative Disorders as well as a California Lifetime Teaching Credential. She has worked in public schools as a teacher and later as a speech therapist.She is a huge believer that all children deserve a quality education. For years, she has been actively involved both professionally and as a volunteer in public education. Being a mother of two young men who attended public schools and she has been an active volunteer with the PTSA groups and in the classrooms. She was also awarded the Above & Beyond Award from the Fullerton School District for her work with children. Her involvement with Science Olympiad, All the Arts for All the Kids, First Five Orange County, and Legislative Advocacy Groups has given her insight into best practices for quality education. Sound fiscal management is a top priority for quality education. It is vital to ensure that all children benefit from an education system that puts the children's needs first. Children are our future and educating our children is of the utmost importance.
Five years ago, I recorded Episode 1 with my Bluetooth headset and sent it off for approval on Apple Podcasts. My primary goal when I made the first episode was to create something that industrial water treaters could listen to while they drove from account to account. I wanted to make something that would help water treaters expand their general water treatment knowledge. What I didn't expect when I launched Episode 1 was that this podcast would create a community of people with similar passions. Today, we are not only celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Scaling UP! H2O podcast, but also the fifth birthday of the Scaling UP Nation, our global community of water treaters. It is an honor to celebrate this milestone with you. That's why in this episode, I am going to take a page from Atlanta's Morning News' Scott Slade, and share with you some of my favorite Top 5 lists in three categories: Community Wins, Books written by podcast Guests, and Inspiring Quotes. There were so many amazing guests and inspiring quotes so narrowing it down was a challenge. If you were making a list of the top 5 things about the podcast, what would they be? Please share your lists on social media with the hashtag #ScalingUpH2O . The last five years are dear and near to my heart, and I'm looking forward to spending the next few years with the Scaling UP Nation by “Scaling up our knowledge, so we don't scale up our systems.” Bottom line: Happy 5th anniversary, Scaling UP Nation! Your roadside friend, as you travel from client to client. -Trace Timestamps: Happy 5th Anniversary, Scaling Up Nation! [00:50] Thinking On Water With James [03:32] 5 Years Ago: The Beginning of the Scaling Up H2O Podcast [04:31] Top 5 Community Wins: Creating communities of passionate water treaters [09:04] Top 5 Books Written by Podcast Guests: Some of my favorite Books [18:29] Top 5 Inspiring Quotes: Quotes to pick you up and remind you that better is possible [37:42] Thinking On Water With James: In this week's episode, we're thinking about whether you can rely upon the tracer to determine product concentrations in your water systems, or are there other ways to confirm? Should you be regularly testing beyond just tracers like PTSA? Can anything impact the tracer to make it an unreliable indicator of product levels and performance? How might time, biocides, etc. impact tracer levels? Even if the tracer levels are correct, what else may be happening in the water system to impact other product ingredients? Take this week to think more about the tracers you use and learn more about them. Quotes: “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” - James Keller “If you can dream it, you can do it.” - Walt Disney “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” - Jim Rohn “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou “There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.” - Henry David Thoreau “[When I first started the podcast], I created procedures. I will learn about a new topic as much as I can, and then I will write out procedures so I don't have to relearn it every time I go do it.” - Trace Blackmore “I learned that you don't need to be creative [when it comes to episode titles], you need to be simple, you need to find things that are repeatable, and people just understood what was going on.” - Trace Blackmore “Five years ago, Scaling UP H2O was born. [But] what was also born, was the Scaling UP Nation” - Trace Blackmore “I started the podcast because I wanted a community. I wanted people to come together in an industry that people don't normally come together in.” - Trace Blackmore “I am so amazed and humbled and honored that I get to be the tribe leader of the Scaling UP Nation.” - Trace Blackmore “Ask big, because you can get answered big.” - Trace Blackmore “I know what the intent is behind everything that I say, but the people that hear me say it, they have no idea what that intent is.” - Trace Blackmore “If you don't ask, you won't get. Never think that what you need is not important to someone else” - Trace Blackmore Connect with Scaling UP H2O: Email: corrine@blackmore-enterprises.com (podcast producer) Submit a show idea: Submit a Show Idea Scaling UP! H2O on LinkedIn: company/scalinguph2o linkedin.com/in/traceblackmore Scaling UP! H2O on Facebook: @H2OScalingUP Links Mentioned: Atlanta's Morning News – 95.5 WSB with Scott Slade 158 the One That's Virtually Live At 2020 AWT Conference 001 A New Podcast for Water Treaters Apple Podcasts for Creators 246 The One About How To Patent New Water Treatment Technologies 029 The One with the Submarine Captain 039 The One That Will Change Your Sales Department 117 The One With Temperament Expert, Kathleen Edelman 179 Another One that Teaches Us to Communicate Better with Others 148 The One About The Big Thirst 164 The One With Chris McChesney The Rising Tide Mastermind AWT (Association of Water Technologies) Books Mentioned: Turn the Ship Around by Captain. L. David Marquet The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey The Machine: A Radical Approach to the Design of the Sales Function by Justin Roff-Marsh I Said This, You Heard That Workbook by Kathleen Edelman The Big Thirst by Charles Fishman The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Sean Covey, Chris McChesney, & Jim Huling
LEGACY SH VAPA (323) 357-7531 2/13/22 Hello VAPA Community. This is Dr. Trimis. Hola, comunidad de VAPA. Este es el Dr. Trimis. Monday is a late-start day. El lunes es un día de inicio tardío. February is Black History Month. We will have our Black History Month Town Hall this Friday during Period 4. This week we will begin Mental Health Monthly Workshops on Zoom. Please join us on Zoom at 9 am Friday. The Zoom Meeting ID is 861 6418 8965. We have TUTORING for most subjects throughout the week at various times at VAPA. Check out the tutoring schedule online at our website and social media sites. Students have the opportunity to clear detentions every day at lunch and afterschool on select days. Please get more info at the VAPA office. This is Spirit Week. Monday is Wear Read and Spread Kindness Day, Tuesday is Wear All Black Solidarity Day, Wednesday is Cultural Awareness/Wear Something to Represent Your Culture Day, Thursday is Superhero Day, and Friday is be Your Own Rainbow/You be You Day. Thank you to the Legacy Wellness Team who organized the week in collaboration with our Leadership Classes. Congrats to our Winter Sports Teams who all completed their regular seasons last week. We now move in to the post-season or playoffs to the CIF Championships. Good luck in the post season and good luck to all the Spring Sports teams starting their regular seasons this week. Parent Conference Night is online and is February 24 from 5 to 7 pm. Please note, all students and staff who park in the Legacy Parking lot must have a parking permit visible on their windshield or rearview mirror. Permits applications are available in the VAPA office. We are enrolling any students at VAPA who play an instrument in our new afterschool music program run by the Harmony Project. The Harmony Project provides music instruction led by professional musicians or Teaching Artists. Please go to our website to see how to sign-up. You do not need to be currently enrolled in a music class at VAPA to participate. We are in the middle of a PTSA membership drive. Please go to https://bit.ly/vapaptsa to sign-up. For only $10, you can be a member of our PTSA. We also need volunteers to serve as officers. We continue to encourage all of our students to be vaccinated against COVID19 for their safety and the safety of their families, community, and our VAPA community. Vaccinations continue to be offered by LAUSD as well as required weekly testing at school for all students and staff. If you have any questions, please call us at VAPA. Please check our website (www.vapalegacy.net) and social media, and be on the look-out for messages , emails, and texts from us for important updates. You can always call us at 323-357-7531 or e-mail me at etrimis@lausd.net if you have any questions. Have a great week, and, I'll SEE YOU AT SCHOOL! https://youtu.be/5x7r2zxEuu8 Take Care, Dr. Edward Trimis, Principal
LEGACY SH VAPA (323) 357-7531 1/30/22 Hello VAPA Community. This is Dr. Trimis. Hola, comunidad de VAPA. Este es el Dr. Trimis. Monday is a late-start day. El lunes es un día de inicio tardío. February is Black History Month. We will have our Black History Month Town Hall on February 18. This is National school Counseling Week as we celebrate our wonderful academic counselors, attendance counselors, and PSWs! Friday is No one eats Alone Day which Teaches everyone how to make friends at lunch, often the most difficult part of the school day. Starting this week, all students and staff who park in the Legacy Parking lot will need a parking permit visible on their windshield or rearview mirror. Applications and are available in the office. Per the law, insurance for vehicles is required. Please note, we need all of our students to return textbooks and novels from their Fall classes. Any textbooks and novels not returned will stay on student records and eventually will result in a fee and could impact senior year privileges. Thank you. We are enrolling any students at VAPA who play an instrument in our new afterschool music program run by the Harmony Project. The Harmony Project provides music instruction led by professional musicians or Teaching Artists. Please go to our website to see how to sign-up. We are in the middle of a PTSA membership drive. Please go to https://bit.ly/vapaptsa to sign-up. For only $10, you can be a member of our PTSA. We also need volunteers to serve as officers. We continue to encourage all of our students to be vaccinated against COVID19 for their safety and the safety of their families, community, and our VAPA community. Vaccinations continue to be offered by LAUSD as well as required weekly testing at school for all students and staff. If you have any questions, please call us at VAPA. Please check our website (www.vapalegacy.net) and social media, and be on the look-out for messages , emails, and texts from us for important updates. You can always call us at 323-357-7531 or e-mail me at etrimis@lausd.net if you have any questions. Have a great week, and, I'll SEE YOU AT SCHOOL! Take Care, Dr. Edward Trimis, Principal Black History Month was created in 1926 as a month-long celebration to reflect on the history, teachings and achievements of African Americans. Board Rule 1102. www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov February 11* #NoOneEatsAloneDay Teaches everyone how to make friends at lunch, often the most difficult part of the school day. Created and organized by students. https://www.beyonddifferences.org/no-one-eats-alone Hola Comunidad VAPA. Esta es la Dra. Trimis. Hola, comunidad de VAPA. El lunes es un día de inicio tardío. A partir de esta semana, todos los estudiantes y el personal que se estacionen en el estacionamiento Legacy necesitarán un permiso de estacionamiento visible en su parabrisas o espejo retrovisor. Aplicaciones y están disponibles en la oficina. Por ley, se requiere seguro para los vehículos. ¡Esta es la Semana Nacional de los Consejeros mientras celebramos a nuestros maravillosos consejeros académicos, consejeros de asistencia y PSW! Tenga en cuenta que necesitamos que todos nuestros estudiantes devuelvan los libros de texto y las novelas de sus clases de otoño. Todos los libros de texto y novelas que no se devuelvan permanecerán en los registros de los estudiantes y eventualmente resultarán en una tarifa y podrían afectar los privilegios del último año. Gracias. Estamos inscribiendo a todos los estudiantes de VAPA que tocan un instrumento en nuestro nuevo programa de música después de la escuela dirigido por el Proyecto Armonía. El Proyecto Armonía proporciona instrucción musical dirigida por músicos profesionales o artistas docentes. Visite nuestro sitio web para ver cómo registrarse. Estamos en medio de una campaña de membresía de PTSA. Vaya a https://bit.ly/vapaptsa para registrarse. Por solo $ 10, puede ser miembro de nuestro PTSA. También necesitamos voluntarios para servir como oficiales. Continuamos alentando a todos nuestros estudiantes a que se vacunen contra COVID19 por su seguridad y la seguridad de sus familias, comunidad y nuestra comunidad VAPA. LAUSD continúa ofreciendo vacunas, así como pruebas semanales requeridas en la escuela para todos los estudiantes y el personal. Si tiene alguna pregunta, llámenos a VAPA. Consulte nuestro sitio web (www.vapalegacy.net) y las redes sociales, y esté atento a nuestros mensajes, correos electrónicos y mensajes de texto para obtener actualizaciones importantes. Siempre puede llamarnos al 323-357-7531 o enviarme un correo electrónico a etrimis@lausd.net si tiene alguna pregunta. Que tengan una excelente semana y ¡NOS VEMOS EN LA ESCUELA! Cuídate, Dr. Edward Trimis, Director
(323) 357-7531 1/30/22 Hello VAPA Community. This is Dr. Trimis. Hola, comunidad de VAPA. Este es el Dr. Trimis. Monday is a late-start day. El lunes es un día de inicio tardío. Please note, we need all of our students to return textbooks and novels from their Fall classes except for Spanish classes. The textbooks are needed for the new students. Any textbooks and novels not returned will stay on student records and eventually will result in a fee. Thank you. We are enrolling any students at VAPA who play an instrument in our new afterschool music program run by the Harmony Project. The Harmony Project provides music instruction led by professional musicians or Teaching Artists. Please go to our website and social media platforms, call us at school, or e-mail me for more information and how to enroll in this program. We are in the middle of a PTSA membership drive. Please go to https://bit.ly/vapaptsa to sign-up. For only $10, you can be a proud member of our PTSA. Please note that unless we have a viable PTSA, some events, like Grad Nite, will not be able to take place. We also need volunteers to serve as officers. We continue to encourage all of our students to be vaccinated against COVID19 for their safety and the safety of their families, community, and our VAPA community. Vaccinations continue to be offered by LAUSD as well as required weekly testing at school for all students and staff. Our next round of Mobile Vaccination Clinics at Legacy will be on February 4 and 25. Please note that close contacts who are fully vaccinated are exempted from quarantine. If you have any questions, please call us at VAPA or e-mail me. Please check our website (www.vapalegacy.net) and social media, and be on the look-out for messages , emails, and texts from us for important updates. You can always call us at 323-357-7531 or e-mail me at etrimis@lausd.net if you have any questions. Have a great week, and, I'll SEE YOU AT SCHOOL! Take Care, Dr. Edward Trimis, Principal
Nearly 20 years ago, colleges asked for standardized essay sections on admissions tests because applicants arrived on campus with deficient writing skills. Yet today, when very few schools want to see essay scores, do those test sections still have value? Amy and Mike invited educator Brian Eufinger to explore potential advantages and opportunities in the ACT Writing Test. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the framework of the ACT Writing Test? What is the current state and usage of the ACT essay? Why did the College Board eliminate their essay, but ACT kept theirs? What might the future hold for the ACT Writing Test? Can students benefit from strong ACT Writing scores? MEET OUR GUEST Brian Eufinger graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2004. While an undergrad, he enjoyed working as a teaching assistant for Political Science 101, a resident advisor (RA) and as a volunteer paramedic with WashU's Emergency Support Team. Brian is frequently invited to speak about test prep, college admissions, and scholarships at PTSA meetings at Atlanta-area high schools as well as Edison Prep's free parent meetings. Brian serves on the Board of the National Test Prep Association. He is an active member of Washington University's Young Alumni chapter in Atlanta, as well as the WashU Alumni Admissions Interviewer Program. Brian was our guest to discuss THE REALITY OF GRADE INFLATION (#28) and SELF-PREP FOR THE SAT & ACT (#131). He also facilitated our 2019-20 ACADEMIC YEAR IN REVIEW (#100). Find Brian at https://www.edisonprep.com/ LINKS Ebbing Interest in Test Essays Should I Take The ACT With Writing? ACT Profile Report - National Preparing For The ACT Writing RELATED EPISODES WHAT SAT & ACT DIAGNOSTIC TESTS CAN TELL YOU HOW COLLEGE BOARD AND ACT ARE CHANGING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SAT AND ACT GRAMMAR ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.
Jordyn Famimiko is a graduate of Raisbeck Aviation High School in Tukwila, WA. She strives to be a compassionate student-leader with a strong sense of civic responsibility. She inspires others to spread positivity and is looking to evoke change! Jordyn has been very active throughout her high school career. As a 2018 Teens in Public Service Intern, she assisted the Renton Skyway Boys and Girls Club with their FIRST Robotics program and mentored school-aged children. Jordyn has been a leader within the National Honor Society, Science Olympiad, Association of Student Body, and Link Crew, a freshmen onboarding program; however, much of her time at Raisbeck was dedicated to developing the school's culture. Ultimately, she hoped to effect lasting change so that future students may inherit a more equitable academic environment. Jordyn has been a member of the Black Student Union for four years and served as president. As president, she has been able to initiate vital conversations within the academic community, creating a space where students feel respected, heard, and safe. She has met monthly with Raisbeck Aviation principal, Mrs. Therese Tipton, and members of the PTSA to discuss inclusive policy and educational equity, establishing a lasting line of communication between students and staff as well as ensuring that race and equity are prioritized. Jordyn is also co-founder of the Highline Youth Race and Equity Coalition (HYREC), a group dedicated to acting on behalf of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) throughout the Highline Public School District. HYREC has collaborated with the district superintendent, leaders within the district's human resources department, and administration from each of the six high schools within the district. The coalition's primary goal is to implement students of color into the staff hiring process. In addition to advocating for student voices, the group has also advocated for a district-wide Technology Levy that would allow for new technology updates for all schools. This past May, HYREC launched a $1,000 scholarship in collaboration with the Burien Youth Council for underrepresented students within the district. Jordyn also enjoys public speaking. She has spoken on several occasions, her most recent engagement is a presentation on the importance of STEM education for young women of color at the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools 2020 professional conference. In her spare time, Jordyn enjoys crocheting and crafting. Jordyn will attend Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in the fall to study pharmacy. Her hope is that her pharmacy degree will not only allow her to serve her community but also make an impact on racial equity in medicine overall.
AmazonSmile is a great passive fundraiser for your PTA, PTO, PTSA or school group. But how much do you really make, how do you get started, and what are some tips for success? This episode will answer all those questions and more. This show is brought to you by K-12 Clothing. K-12 Clothing is a PTA-Dad created business focused on providing high-quality school apparel (spirit wear and uniforms) while increasing access to educational resources through fundraising in schools. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/k12clothing
Are you looking for creative ways to fundraise for your PTA, PTO, PTSA or other school group? Tired of catalogue sales or just asking for cash? This episode will talk about a fundraiser that doesn't require buying any trinkets, raises money for your school group and can be a lot of fun. Join us to hear about how to run a calendar fundraiser. This show is brought to you by K-12 Clothing. K-12 Clothing is a PTA-Dad created business focused on providing high-quality school apparel (spirit wear and uniforms) while increasing access to educational resources through fundraising in schools. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/k12clothing
To 501(3)(c) or not to 501(3)(c), that is the PTA and PTO question. We will discuss the pros and cons of incorporation and becoming a tax exempt organization as well as some considerations. We will also answer PTA, PTSA, and PTO frequently asked questions on this topic. This show is brought to you by K-12 Clothing. K-12 Clothing is a PTA-Dad created business focused on providing high-quality school apparel (spirit wear and uniforms) while increasing access to educational resources through fundraising in schools. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/k12clothing
Yerrrrrrrrr! What is going on everybody? On this episode Rob is joined by a very special friend and mentor. Craig King is the founder and CEO of The Craig King Group and the current Director of Teacher leadership with the Palmetto State Teacher Associasion. Listen in as Craig shares his experiences with being a cancer survivor, his transition from the classroom to the PTSA, and the development of The Craig King Group. Prepare to laugh and learn ladies and gentelmen. Follow Craig King Twitter: cqking celebrationoflifegala craigkinggroup craigandkobie Instagram: cqking thecolgala craigkinggroup craigandkobie Follow us: Insta The show: fme_podcast Rob: komplete_vision Clubhouse: komplete_vision Music: Romo: Support Romo' Music Baskaat Support Baaskat's Music Affiliate Links: Support The Show By Shopping With Our Affiliates Garners Garden: http://lddy.no/gm9o Affiliate code: Fmepodcast
Part two of our conversation with Current and incoming Casselberry Elementary School PTSA Presidents, Lindsay Feist and Jennifer Hughes. http://www.casselberry.scps.k12.fl.us/ https://www.facebook.com/CasselberryPtsa/ The Society for Historic Casselberry: www.facebook.com/HistoricCasselberry For more information on the Better Man event, please visit: https://bettermanevent.com Special Thanks to Drew Acosta for our new Intros! Please visit us at www.whatsupcasselberry.com Our Podcast partner: Willow Creek Church. "We exist to glorify God by declaring and demonstrating the power of the gospel, inviting people to discover and deepen their relationship with Jesus." For more information, please visit: www.willowcreekchurch.org The views and opinions expressed in this episode, are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of others involved in this episode.
Part one of our conversation with Current and incoming Casselberry Elementary School PTSA Presidents, Lindsay Feist and Jennifer Hughes. http://www.casselberry.scps.k12.fl.us/ https://www.facebook.com/CasselberryPtsa/ For more information on the Better Man event, please visit: https://bettermanevent.com Special Thanks to Drew Acosta for our new Intros! Please visit us at www.whatsupcasselberry.com Our Podcast partner: Ascension Lutheran Church is located in the heart of Casselberry. For over 60 years Ascension has been connecting disconnected people to the joyful community of the caring Christ. We have various bible studies and outreach events throughout the week and offer both traditional liturgical and contemporary styles of worship on Sunday mornings. For more information, please visit www.ascensionlcms.org The views and opinions expressed in this episode, are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of others involved in this episode.
Show notes:Links:Write for usMaybeJosh Pigford Flu dataFull transcript:Ben:And today we don't have Starr, because Starr is on vacation this week, fireside chat.Josh:I will be on vacation next week, and the week after.Ben:Nice.Josh:I don't know if you saw, I extended my vacation.Ben:I didn't see this.Josh:Yeah. So, surprise!Ben:Two weeks back to back. That's a record.Josh:Yeah. I decided I'm feeling it and I don't think a week is going to be enough. So just thought I'd go for it.Ben:Yeah, I get that. I get that. It's funny, I was looking... We started this vacation calendar, recently, since we are looking at transitioning away from Basecamp, where our vacation calendar was, we are now putting a vacation calendar in Google calendar, because we use G Suite for all of our stuff. And I set up this vacation calendar, and I noticed that Starr put one on there, and then Josh put on a vacation and then Kevin put on a vacation. And then, Ben Findley, just week after week after week, it's like everybody's taking a vacation. I was like, all right, so I put myself on vacation.Josh:Yeah, you got to put yourself in there. Yeah.Ben:I did. Yeah. I added myself yesterday, for the week after Ben Findley's vacation.Josh:I don't know if you went and... I went in and just put a bunch of vacations for the rest of the year for-Ben:I saw that.Josh:... myself. Yeah.Ben:That's awesome.Josh:I mean, they might change, but I figured, if I at least put them in there, that'll force me to think about it and decide. Because that's been an ongoing problem, I always wait too long and then, finally, take the vacation when I just desperately need it, and I want to avoid that cycle, like we're supposed to be. This is supposed to be sustainable.Ben:This is a calm company. It means, lots of vacations.Josh:Yeah. We should be calm if we're running a calm company.Ben:I like that idea of putting on these dates tentatively and just planning on it. I might try that.Josh:Yeah. You should just plan them out. Also, yeah, I put our traditionally long winter vacation on there too, which I think is currently the last two weeks of December and the first week of January, which we can always move that around or sometimes we do the Hack week or whatever.Ben:Yeah. I've come to cherish that tradition. I like having that-Josh:It's nice.Ben:Knowing that's going to be downtime. You know?Josh:Yeah.Ben:I mean-Josh:I like the first week of the year off is kind of... there's something about that, where you don't have to go back to work the day after New Year's or whatever. That feels really nice.Ben:I mean, in reality, we're still on call. So if something broke, were going to work, but, yeah, it is nice not having that expectation of showing up and doing actual productive stuff.Josh:Yeah. Yeah. It's the low bandwidth mode.Ben:Yeah. It's also this past winter when we did that, I used that to just experiment with some stuff, work-related stuff like Elasticsearch and whatever, so that's kind of fun. It's a tinkering... even if we don't do an official Hack Week, it's still a good time to do some tinkering and get some of those creative juices going.Josh:Read some books on computer science or something like that, get excited about it again.Ben:Well, going through the SOC 2 compliance thing, the type two for the first time audit, one of the things that I came across that was new was this continuing education tracking thing. So the auditor wants evidence that we're actually doing continuing education for our employees. We always do conferences and stuff, but 2020 was a bad year for conferences, and we've never really tracked continuing education. We just like, "Yeah, let's do this conference," or whatever, and it's kind of ad hoc. And now it's like, "Oh, we need to track this, it's a good idea to plan something." So yeah, digging out those old computer science books or taking a course or doing a conference. Got to do it.Josh:Which is, well, you got to do it, but it's also, to me, that's one of my favorite things to do. I really like learning, so even in my spare time, that's what I like to do.Ben:Same.Josh:So I realized even with, yeah, my perfect workweek is a couple of hours maximum a day of doing the day-to-day things that you have to do, and then spend the rest of the day reading or learning something or working on improving your skills.Ben:Yep. Yeah. I to-Josh:That's what makes me happy.Ben:I don't try to do that every day, I like the idea, but I try to do that on Fridays. Friday to me is like the decompression day, I'm cruising into the weekend now. And so I try to put aside all the normal stuff and just something kind of interesting. Before we got on this morning, I was playing with some Docker stuff, not that we use Docker, but maybe we will someday, and just fiddling with it. You know?Josh:Mm-hmm (affirmative).Ben:I think it's kind of fun.Josh:Yeah. Yeah. I like that.Ben:Until we get one of those customer requests that come in, I'm like, "Oh, I have to do some actual work now." And so, love our customers, but sometimes they can be kind of inconvenient, legitimate complaints about things need to be fixed.Josh:Or when there's an ops emergency, and so I drop everything and fix it. You had some of that going on this week. I know.Ben:But with both you and Starr got to experience those ops emergencies. It was actually a funny, so Starr, is on vacation, but the Starr was still on call for part of that time.Josh:The first night. Yeah. Because she had scheduled me to take over, was it yesterday? Whatever day it was-Ben:But in the morning.Josh:... but it was the night before. Yeah. It was like-Ben:Yeah, so I imagine in the future she might schedule you to swap a bit earlier, but-Josh:Yeah. I feel bad, because she said that, I guess, they had to get up early for a road trip and it's like 2:00 AM or something, or actually it was like 4:00 AM, I think, by the time the alerts died down.Ben:Yeah. The bad part was that there wasn't really anything to do. There was this spike in memory usage on our Redis Cluster, but it resolved itself, but only after sending some alerts saying, "Hey, somebody better pay attention to this," because that's a critical part of our infrastructure.Josh:Well, I mean, that's happened to me a few times. I mean, that's usually my on-call experience to be honest, and if it's worse than that, there's a good chance I'm waking you up anyways. But I mean, that's part of... You have a system well-architected, at least to the point, where if there is something, it does usually resolve itself, but still you need someone to sit up with it and babysit it until it does, just to make sure. And I mean, it would be totally unfair that you're the one who builds the system and also has to babysit it all the time, so our on call schedule is like a babysitter rotation.Ben:Yeah. Yeah. It's funny that you mentioned that, because I was looking at this vacation schedule, it's like, "Oh, when should I take vacation?" So I went and looked at the PagerDuty rotation to try and schedule my vacation away from my rotation on PagerDuty, so I didn't have to swap. And PagerDuty has changed their UI a little bit since the last time I looked at it, and I logged in and it's like, "When are you on call next?" And it says, "You're always on call." Because I'm the-Josh:Because you're level one.Ben:I'm the backup schedule. Yeah.Josh:I know, and that's a problem. I've been thinking about that, so you're not the only one worried about that, but, yeah.Ben:It was just kind of funny. I mean, it hasn't been a quality of life issue for a long time, because we've had so few problems, but still I am that backup. If it goes, what is it, more than half an hour or something, then I get woken up. But it was just kind of funny to see, you're always on call.Josh:Yeah, right. Yeah. Well, I mean, I'd say that's the major downside of our business is just the nature of that. And also just the nature of expertise. I feel like when I leave, it's much harder on the team, solving a lot of the customer support issues that come up related to our libraries and things. And I mean, that's part of the reason we've wanted to bring more people in the business, but then you end up with more people in the business, and then you're tied to a management role that you can't leave too. So there's trade-offs there.Ben:Yes. It's the struggle of all the bootstrap SaaS operators that are small like us, how do I get time away when I'm the solo founder? Or maybe it just two co-founders, how do we take a break? Justin has talked about this with their customer support for Transistor. They felt like they were always just having to stay on top of that, and they could never take a break. And so, they hired someone to help out with that. And having Kevin around has really helped spread the rotation out, and he's taken up a lot of the ops stuff and gotten familiar with it. So-Josh:Yeah. He's taken an interest in it, which is good.Ben:Yeah. It's been great for me.Josh:Yeah.Ben:Yeah. It's a hard problem to solve, because, I mean, yeah, you could add people, but then you got to pay those people, and so your profitability takes a hit, so it's a balance.Josh:Yeah. And I mean, I think, I don't know about you, I prefer to stay small. I don't think... I've moved past the idea of I want to have a company with tons of employees or whatever. I think that actually would make... I wouldn't be as happy with that situation, probably, as with our current situation, with a few employees and small team. We probably spend a lot more time trying to solve these problems than larger companies do, because they just throw people at it. But yeah, I feel like-Ben:That just introduces a different set of problems, right?Josh:It does.Ben:You really just have to pick which set of problems you want. Do you want to be tied to the business? Or do you want to deal with the layers of management and the people problems that come with not being tied, personally, to the business?Josh:Yeah. So, yeah-Ben:Yeah.Josh:I don't know, over time though, I think I tend towards wanting to spend less time on the business or at least, when I say, on the business, I mean, less time on those things that I just have to be doing and don't want to be doing. I want to try to always be doing the things I want to be doing. And yeah. I mean, I know just general management stuff does not fall into that bucket of what I want to be doing.Ben:It's not your dream in life to be a manager.Josh:Nope. It's not even my dream in life to be traveling the world 200 days a year or something, and preaching the gospel or something.Ben:Yeah. I've thought about that recently too. Looking at companies that get really big, whether they take a bunch of money or not regardless, but they turn into tens and then hundreds of employees. And I think about what would that be to be a CEO of that kind of company? And I'm just like, I just don't know that I would really enjoy that. There would be a certain set of excitement, yes, no doubt, about having that kind of business.Ben:I can think of right now about Tobi at Shopify, because I remember when Tobi started at Shopify, and watch that grow. And just thinking about, it's got to be pretty fun and in some ways to be Tobi, to be on top of this organization and doing these cool things and seeing the impact that you're making. And they've gone public, there's a whole lot of cool stuff there, but there's also a lot of annoying stuff there. That come along with those cool things. And it's like, ah, I think I'm happy where I am. I don't think I need to be the CEO of Shopify or something that size to have that fulfillment in my career right now.Josh:Yeah. I mean, I'm sure that you find new ways to guard your time and it just becomes even more, that's why no one can reach the CEO, usually. But, I mean, it's all... Yeah. It just puts you in an even more critical position. The pressure and responsibility must still be pretty, it just must be massive. But-Ben:It must be.Josh:Yeah. I guess, I don't really know, because I've never been in that position. I'm just guessing.Ben:Right, right. And life phases might change somethings and maybe when the kids are grown and gone, maybe you'll feel like, ah, I want a new challenge, something bigger. I think you see that a lot with founders, like us, who build something, sell it. And they're like, "Huh, let me try a bigger swing. Let me try..." Like Josh is doing right now, he did it did Baremetrics, he sold that, and now he's building out Maybe, and I think he's definitely thinking bigger scope kind of stuff.Josh:It looks like it. Yeah.Ben:Or you can just go buy a ranch somewhere and just chill, right?Josh:Right. Well, I think it's kind of... I mean, yeah, those aren't unsimilar to me. I mean, I think the big point is or the major thing is, if you're financially set and you can, again, do whatever you want to do, then, yeah, go do it. But again, even, say, if we sold the business and didn't have to work another day in our lives, we could just go buy that ranch and just kick back on it. If I decided to go and start another company, I wouldn't want to start a company that is going to demand my time and involvement, like most companies do.Josh:I'd probably try to go start another Honeybadger or something, maybe, you could go larger scale, but something that solves for those problems. Yeah, and I don't know what that looks like, but I feel like some companies of the future are kind of like... The ones that GitLab, that take a more open source approach. I don't know exactly what being in charge of GitLab is like, but I'm sure it's not a walk in the park either, but experimenting with new ways to spread responsibility around. Yeah.Ben:Yeah. And maybe the answer is, that's a scenario where you do have to take a bunch of money, so you can get those employees to make that lift, right?Josh:Yeah.Ben:Yeah. I think if we sold Honeybadger and we did something new, I think it has to be different in some dimension or otherwise, why did you sell?Josh:Yeah. It would have to be.Ben:And so maybe it's a different audience. Maybe it's a different size. Maybe it's venture backed versus doing it from scratch. I think it would have to be different in some significant way for it to be interesting enough to actually do versus just spending the rest of my retirement tinkering or whatever.Josh:Yeah. Yeah. I guess, getting to that critical point with employees is the thing that's hard, going from what we have, which is kind of like where we're so small that we have things we have to still be here for, but we can just disconnect whenever we want to, for the most part, like take a week off if we want to, and just do customer support or be on call. But jumping from that to the point where, say, you have 50 employees or something and you're the CEO, and you can just be like, "Okay, everyone, I'm going to be gone for a week, carry on." Which I think you can do when you have other people managing people.Josh:But in between that, there's a very... it's like if you're growing out your hair, there's that weird, you know, the annoying stage where your hair, just like you hate it. And it's like, it just doesn't work. And you're... Yeah, it just seems like that exists when you're trying to grow a business where it's hard with 10 people, all 10 of those people are looking to you for leadership on a regular basis. And you're still connected to the major centers of the business.Ben:Yeah. Yeah. That's interesting. I hadn't really thought of it that way, and that makes total sense to me. There's those growing pains that you would get going from one phase to another.Josh:And I guess, I'm not sure, having been doing what we're doing as long as we have, I'm not convinced that I want to go through that pain that I know is there to get to that stage where I know that we probably would be in another... we'd be back in the position where we could probably have more freedom, or hire a CEO then to just run the business, which people do.Ben:Well, I mean, I wonder, so two thoughts that I have. I wonder, if you're a venture back startup, if you start from scratch with a bunch of money in the war chest, do you avoid some of those growing pains? Because you can just, right out of the gate, hire a bunch of people, right?Josh:Mm-hmm (affirmative).Ben:So I wonder that, and then the follow on-Josh:Good thought.Ben:Yeah, I have no idea. And the follow on thought is, well, like in our situation, we've been around for a long time, we have profitable business, we're great, what if we take on an investment now, and then that gives us that money to hire a bunch of people? To help you accelerate through that growing pain phase, right?Josh:Mm-hmm (affirmative).Ben:If you had one or two people here and there that's painful, but if you add 10 or 20 people, I don't know, maybe that's a different kind of pain, but maybe it's a better kind of pain. Because it's like ripping the band-aid off, because you did all done at once.Josh:Yeah. No, that's a good point. Yeah. That's something that I hadn't factored in, in that line of thinking. So, yeah, I think he could be right, that that is a common use of funding and capital investment and all that.Ben:Yeah. I would be open to that idea, if we had figured out the sales machine. If we could say, "Oh, we can deploy X amount of people, and we know that X amount of revenue would come in, because we'd be doing these Y activities."Josh:Totally.Ben:But we haven't quite got there yet. We have a really strong inbound, but we don't really have an outbound or we don't have a process even for dealing with inbound sales, because everything right now is hands-off, right?Josh:It's not scalable. Yeah. Yeah. So, we're doing this to ourselves, to some extent, just in our own lack of knowledge or experience in those areas, but that's part of the learning process. So-Ben:Yeah, you're right.Josh:... we are... I think it's smart though, to be focusing on those areas now, to open up those possibilities in the future. So that if we change our minds and realize that we could scale the business to a point where we can, again, have the same thing that we have now only potentially better because we don't have those, even the small responsibilities, that drag us back in, on a regular basis.Ben:Yeah, yeah. We're still choosing to grow slow and to keep it pretty calm, keep that calm company.Josh:Yeah. That's the point of calm-Ben:Right. If we take it big chunk of money, we could hire the VP of Marketing, the VP of sales, the VP of engineering, right? And then we could-Josh:Mm-hmm (affirmative).Ben:... presumably step back once we got these people set on the, here's the goal, now get it, right?Josh:Yeah.Ben:But, yeah, that would be a less calm company, for sure.Josh:Yeah.Ben:At least for a while.Josh:Yep. And even if that's to the extent that that's possible, yeah, I don't know, I mean, you still have to build the idea of the calm company into that business. Otherwise, you'll just end up with 30 to 50 people that are chaotic and-Ben:Right. Yeah.Josh:... calling you all the time or emailing you. Yeah. So I guess I'll revise my statement, it's like, I'm not willing to grind it out to get to the next level. If that's what it comes down to, I'm happy, let's just stay where we are for... I'm fine, we run the business as an asset and try to build the lifestyle aspect of it more than anything else. But if we can find a way to scale the business and then maybe invest in it so that we can accelerate the jump, or a hair faster, so to speak.Ben:I like that.Josh:I'm terrible at metaphors. I feel like this one might actually be working, but Starr's the metaphor person. So I feel like I'm really on... I'm going to risky position right now.Ben:Better stop while you're ahead, right?Josh:Yeah.Josh:No more metaphors for the rest of the day.Ben:I think that the hair growth thing works, just have to take care of not to offend all of our bald listeners, you know?Josh:Right. Yeah. So I went to a Starbucks this week and did some work inside of it-Ben:Whoa.Josh:... without a mask.Ben:Wow. That's brave.Josh:I still did the distancing stuff just because it seems smart. I wasn't hugging everyone, but, yeah, they've got it all posted, it's like, if you're vaccinated, the mask is optional. Plus I was drinking a beverage, so... But yeah, I had a Zoom session at the Starbucks, and it was a novel experience.Ben:Very nice. Yeah. I went to a Target this week for the first time in a long time, and yeah, I just put my mask on out of habit. It's like, get out of the car, put the mask on, go in the store, right?Josh:Yeah.Ben:And I'm walking around and I don't know, maybe a quarter of the people there didn't have masks, it's like, oh yeah, it's not required anymore, really. I'm vaccinated. I'm like, huh, cool. And I'll just get a long my way, but it's like, I have to get used to this new reality of not having to wear a mask.Josh:That not everyone... Yeah. Although I still suspect that a large portion of the people that are going to take them off or aren't going to wear them are the people that were always not wearing them.Ben:Yeah. Although I will say, if I were still doing mass transit every day, like I used to do, I would definitely be still wearing a mask, if it was any time cold or flu season-Josh:Oh yeah.Ben:I'm not going back to that prehistoric animal way of not covering myself during germy season.Josh:Well, there's that flu statistics that I guess have been coming in from the CDC, since the season is coming to an end 2020, 2021 or whatever, and it seems the whole social distancing. Masking situation, hand-washing really drastically improved that situation. I don't know, I forget what the numbers were, but it was ridiculous.Ben:Yeah, it's dropped like 99% or something crazy.Josh:Yeah.Ben:Yeah.Josh:Something like that.Ben:It's nuts.Josh:Which is-Ben:It's awesome.Josh:... wild. Give it a little time for the data to get worked out, I guess, because just seems prudent. But I mean, either way, it seems like it's a massive thing.Ben:Yeah. I would definitely need to normalize mask wearing during germs, no doubt.Josh:Yeah. Yep. I'm cool with never getting sick again.Ben:Totally. Well, and on that note, this fall kids will actually be going to school, and it'll be an exciting adventure. All those, snot nosed punks running around getting each other sick again.Josh:Yeah. That'll be the real test. That's just going to knock us out. Yeah. Yeah. My daughter's, Tatum's starting kindergarten in the fall.Ben:Wow.Josh:And that'll be her... We did preschool at home. So yeah, that's going to be wild.Ben:First school experience, huh?Josh:Yes.Ben:Yeah, that's-Josh:I'm entering a new stage. I feel like, a new phase.Ben:Yeah. It's bittersweet. You're like, oh, that's so exciting. And it's like, oh.Josh:Yeah.Ben:Yeah, yeah. I remember those days with fondness.Josh:What's also going to be weird, because it's going to force me to start interacting with other parents in the community, which I think that's my biggest thing right now is like, oh, no, I-Ben:You better watch out, next thing you know, you'll be the president of the PTSA. You'll be organizing bake sales, and-Josh:Yeah, we're definitely going to be the... I think we'll be the weird parents, in our area, anyway.Ben:It's funny. I've noticed this, this arc, your first kid goes into kindergarten and you're so into PTA and PTSA. You're like, "I'm going to take care of all the things. I'm going to volunteer in the classroom." And you're really engaged and involved and it's so good. And then over time you start to back off a bit. It's like, "Oh, I don't really need to do all the things, there are other people that help," you know?Josh:Mm-hmm (affirmative).Ben:And then by the time they get to the tail end and they get close to graduation from high school, you're just like, "I don't even care what they're doing anymore. Educate yourself, kid. You figure it out."Josh:Right. Yeah, yeah. I mean I had to basically educate myself, so you can.Ben:Yeah, yeah. Totally. It's funny seeing the new wave of parents come in every year to the PTA, and then all of a sudden they go out, again, as the new wave comes in.Josh:And you having been there for a while, that sounds kind of like, oh no metaphors. Like if you go to a gym regularly and every New Year's, like the first two weeks of January, that's what it sounds to me.Ben:Yep. Yeah. Totally. Yeah.Josh:Because everyone comes in and is just super dedicated, and then over the next couple of weeks, it's just, they all filter out again and you're back to the same 10 people in the afternoon or whatever.Ben:Right. Yeah. And all the regulars get annoyed because of it. They're like, "Oh, all these people crammed in one place."Josh:Yeah. All this exuberance is just... Yeah.Ben:Yeah. So gym, that's a open question for me right now. So I still have a gym membership. I haven't canceled it, but I haven't been since the beginning of the pandemic. And even though I'm a 100% vaccinated, and I'm feeling invincible, still, the gym is one place I'm like, I don't know. I still feel kind of uncomfortable at that. Still trying to decide whether or not I'm going to keep that membership, because I really enjoy going, but I don't know, I don't really want to wear a mask while I'm exercising, that just sucks.Josh:Yeah, that was mine too, I just didn't... Yeah.Ben:Yeah. And wiping down everything, I'm not a super sweaty person, so I'm not the kind of person that really needs to wipe down the equipment as soon as I'm done with it, because it's like, I just touch it. I didn't have a bath on it. And so I'm just... I don't know. I don't even know if they have a kitchen cleaning procedure that you have to do now, because, again, I haven't been to the gym, but I don't know. It's tough.Josh:I haven't been to the gym, because I got my home gym in 2019, the end of 2019, and so it's been that long. But I do sweat and I was used to just wiping down the equipment in between, it's not that bad. Especially if you... you can even carry a towel with you if you want, but most gyms have the whatever clothes-Ben:Yeah. Wipes.Josh:... and spray bottles and stuff. It's not the end of the world, but the mask thing, yeah, the idea of working out in a mask does not appeal to me. Even though it could be a plus for some people, like the people that are training for high altitudes and stuff. Some people wear the mask on the treadmills and I'm sure those people are like, "Sweet, that's just extra challenge."Ben:Right, yeah.Josh:Yeah.Ben:So I'm still doing the home stuff and it's just not as-Josh:You should-Ben:... awesome.Josh:... give it a try.Ben:Yeah. I guess I should. I should call them and say, "Hey, what's the deal down there?"Josh:I mean, I figure from what has been reported, the vaccines are very effective.Ben:Yeah, totally.Josh:And I mean, I understand the hesitancy, give it some time, obviously, that's prudent, the wait and see approach is completely valid. But after that, I mean, if you're immune, you're immune. So at some point you have to start-Ben:Living again.Josh:Yeah. Getting back out there, putting yourself back out there. But I mean, it's not a bad thing to be cautious, so I understand.Ben:Yeah. Just get back in the habit, I guess.Josh:Yeah. And I mean, to be fair, I'm also not at the gym with a bunch of people spitting in my face. So just to be clear, I'm giving this advice from my bunker.Ben:Yeah. You've got the sweet home gym set up. I'm jealous.Josh:Yeah. Actually, I've reduced my routine a little bit lately, and I've actually been doing more yoga and flexibility things, because I always go really hard with the weightlifting, and I'm not getting any younger. And so injuries are more frequent, and so I've been doing two days, two days a week right now just to keep up the major lifts and stuff, but kind of taking a little bit of a break.Ben:Have you done any of the Apple Fitness stuff?Josh:Yeah, I did one of the yoga sessions on it, when I was just... because I did yoga last year, when I had some injury stuff, and it was good, and I should have just kept doing it. And so, that's why I tried when I first started getting back into it this year, and it was really good. It was a little intense though for a beginner like me. So I've been doing this more beginner training, learning the actual postures and stuff. But then my plan is just to use the Apple Fitness stuff after that, because they seem like they have a lot of good just general-Ben:Yeah. I really like the Apple Fitness stuff. I've done some of the yoga. I didn't do the 30 minute stuff. I did the 10 minutes stuff, because I'm a super beginner, and so I did the really easy yoga, which was great for me. And I've done their high intensity stuff, which was pretty good. I'm not really an aerobics kind of person. I run and I ride, I figure I get enough aerobics that way. But when it was raining and cold and stuff, I just did the high intensity stuff, and that was pretty cool. I really liked that. And I've done their cycling, which is okay, but it's geared, at least the ones that I did, were geared towards being on a indoor cycling machine where you can adjust the intensity easily and stuff.Ben:I'm not, I'm on my own bike on a trainer, where the wheel is propped up and it's on that little roller. And so a lot of the instructions in the thing were, "Okay, let's dial up the resistance." And it's like, "Well, okay, I don't have that good of a setup here. I can't just dial up the resistance." So I had to alter it a bit, but it was still nice.Josh:You got to get your weighted boots on.Ben:I mean, but they do have trainers like mine that actually do have remote control, and so you can do that, but I don't have one. But anyway, I really enjoyed them. The fitness things are cool, and they're set into 30, 20, 10 minute intervals. And so you can like, "Oh, what kind of workout do I want today?" Yeah, I really like it.Josh:Yeah. I like the high intensity stuff for cardio a lot. And otherwise , yeah, I don't know, I could get into running, I think, but I really like walking, so I'll go for super long walks. But again, time is sometimes a factor that... sometimes I'll even just go for the afternoon and just start walking and end up back home at dinner time or something like that. I like that, but I've never been like going out too much. I've gone through a few running phases, but it never really stuck. So I like the high intensity stuff, because as far as I understand, it gives you some of the same benefits without having to run for an hour or something.Ben:Yeah, yeah.Josh:Yeah.Ben:I too love long walks.Josh:Yep. I think that's a great way to spend some of your just general workweek. That's the good alternative to sitting and grinding away at the desk-Ben:No doubt.Josh:... for eight hours a day or whatever. This morning I was wrestling with my kids and stuff. And I was picking them up individually and lifting them up and then throwing them on the bed. And then I was like, "Okay, now I have to go, I have to go back to work." And they're like, "No, no. We just, we want one more." So I was like, "Okay, I've got one more." So I picked them both up, one in each arm. And I do, basically, a lateral raise with them. And as I do this, I don't know what they weigh, but Tatum's over 50 pounds, and of course they're unbalanced, but my entire upper body, just like... I hadn't done any stretching or anything, so my entire upper body just cracks all over, and Caitlin, she's like, "Are you okay?" Apparently it was like, she was concerned for me. So, yeah, I realize, man, it's not the good old days anymore.Ben:You're getting up there in years.Josh:Not that out there, but at the age where you start to notice these things, right?Ben:Yeah.Josh:But I'm not past the point of trying.Ben:So did you do anything this week? I didn't do a whole lot actually. Well, I mean, I did responding to those urgent issues-Josh:Like working, you mean?Ben:Yeah.Josh:I did not get a whole lot of work done this week no. Yeah, no, you're good. I figure, yeah, I mean, again, yeah, I'm ready for a break, so I've been trying my best, but-Ben:You're coasting into that vacation.Josh:Yeah, it's been a struggle.Ben:That's awesome.Josh:But I mean, I think, we need to learn not to feel bad about that. Having a "unproductive" week. And I mean, if I'm... Yeah, honestly, I did things this week, it just wasn't as much work things. Dealt with things at home, read some books, that sort of stuff, that's still being productive, right?Ben:Totally. Yeah.Josh:Yeah.Ben:Yeah.I thought a lot about our project that we mentioned last week on the podcast about working together with Kevin on, I had spent a fair amount of time thinking about that. And that's one of the things that you can do on those long walks, it can still be working.Josh:Thinking.Ben:Thinking.Josh:Yeah, thinking is totally work.Ben:Thinking is totally work, so I did a lot of thinking this week, and responding to urgent stuff, but also, nearly, nearly done on the compliance thing. I think I have 11 out of 150 evidence requests left to complete. So-Josh:Wow.Ben:... yeah, it's almost there. Next week, I'll be actually talking to the auditors and-Josh:Awesome.Ben:Yeah. It's almost done. That's nice.Josh:And you've got ideas for making it easier next year.Ben:Yep. Yeah.Josh:Yeah.Ben:So, yeah, just plugging away.Josh:So I guess we're cruising.Ben:Yeah, no worries. Well, I guess we can wrap it.Josh:Yeah, wrap it.Ben:They're getting a good one. This has been FounderQuest. We're still coming at you mostly every week, and we really enjoy it. And if you enjoy it, hope you give us a review at iTunes or wherever you can review podcasts, because I never do that, so I have no idea. But if you're into that, please do, and, yeah, check out Honeybadger, of course, because we love having more customers. And I guess we'll see y'all next time.Josh:Catch you later.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thecityvoice.org/2020/09/17/donate-to-the-city-ptsa-to-support-teachers-and-students/
Spring is PTA and PTO election time! Can't wait to be done with this crazy school year? We are with you. The more we can do to prepare at the end of the school year, the better we set everyone up for the fall. If you are a parent teacher organization leader who is thinking about how to transition, we have the top 5 areas to focus on this spring. This show is brought to you by K-12 Clothing. K-12 Clothing is a PTA-Dad created business focused on providing high-quality school apparel while increasing access to educational resources through fundraising in schools. Learn more at k12clothing.com This show is made possible by support from SquadLocker.
Does your school PTA, PTSA, or PTO need new ideas for fundraisers? Halfway through the school year, you may be struggling with new fundraising ideas. With free ideas, engaging remote ideas, and some big money makers, this episode is sure to fuel your creativity. If you're a PTA, PTO, or K-12 educator, tune in to hear our top 20 fundraising ideas of 2020. This show is brought to you by K-12 Clothing. K-12 Clothing is a PTA-Dad created business focused on providing high-quality school apparel while increasing access to educational resources through fundraising in schools. Learn more at k12clothing.com This show is made possible by support from SquadLocker.
The Seattle Special Education PTSA took a vote of no-confidence in Seattle Public Schools a day after a KUOW story revealed that a student with disabilities was repeatedly locked outdoors.
Contrary to the allegations of critics, you cannot buy great test scores. In fact, a surprising number of students earn elite--and sometimes perfect--scores on their own. Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Brian Eufinger to analyze self-prep for the SAT & ACT. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Is it possible to self-prep and excel on the SAT and ACT? What kind of students self-prep effectively? What resources are available for students who want to prep on their own? What if a student is not capable of effective self-study? Is preparation really that important for the SAT and ACT? MEET OUR GUEST Brian Eufinger graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2004. While an undergrad, he enjoyed working as a teaching assistant for Political Science 101, a resident advisor (RA) and as a volunteer paramedic with WashU’s Emergency Support Team. Brian is frequently invited to speak about test prep, college admissions, and scholarships at PTSA meetings at Atlanta-area high schools as well as Edison Prep’s free parent meetings. He is an active member of Washington University’s Young Alumni chapter in Atlanta, as well as the WashU Alumni Admissions Interviewer Program. Brian was our guest to discuss THE REALITY OF GRADE INFLATION (#28) and facilitated our 2019-20 ACADEMIC YEAR IN REVIEW (#100). Find Brian at https://www.edisonprep.com/ LINKS One Secret to Seriously Strong Test Scores Historical ACT Percentiles for 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015 RELATED EPISODES WHY THE SAT AND ACT ARE AWESOME EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS AND TEST PREP THE REALITY OF GRADE INFLATION ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.
Weekly Updates September 8, 2020 Hello VAPA Community! This is Dr. Edward Trimis, principal of Legacy Visual and Performing Arts High School with a few announcements. Hola comunidad VAPA! Este es el Dr. Edward Trimis, director de Legacy Visual y Performing Arts High School con algunos anuncios. This week we will have our Back to School Night Virtual Event on Thursday, September 10, at 5 pm. In addition to having the opportunity to see our teachers live in the Zoom Webinar, several teachers will post videos so you can see who they work with our students on a daily basis. In addition to our classroom visits, we will give a brief welcomes for myself and some of our students and staff, and you will have the opportunity to learn more about PTSA, School Site Council, and our Gifted and Talented program. The link for the Zoom webinar is http://bit.ly/vapath6 and the pass code is 814235. Please note that students who are interested in playing a sport, should get a physical and complete online sports packets. You may also contact coaches for updates. Their contact info may be found at www.legacytigers.com At this time, sports are scheduled to resume with practices on December 14, should we be allowed to return to school by then. Please call the Support Helpline at (213) 443-1300 or call us a VAPA at 323-357-7531 for assistance if students have issues getting into classes. You may also send a message to me at etrimis@lausd.net , call and leave a message or text at 323-596-7531, or leave a message at our parent request system at www.bit.ly/parentrequestenglish or www.bit.ly/parentrequestspanish . Please go to www.vapalegacy.net and www.bit.ly/vapaonline for information and updates. Have a great week and I'll see you at school, online! Take Care, Dr. Edward Trimis, Principal
The 2019-20 academic year will live on in infamy as one of the craziest years to rock secondary and higher education. Is it a coincidence that we started the Tests and the Rest podcast right when it began? Amy and Mike invited our friend Brian Eufinger to host our 2019-20 academic year in review. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What topics were expected to be a big deal during the 2019-20 academic year? What were the real stories? What did everyone learn over the course of the year? What does the future hold for higher education? What does the future hold for the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Brian Eufinger graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2004. While an undergrad, he enjoyed working as a teaching assistant for Political Science 101, a resident advisor (RA) and as a volunteer paramedic with WashU’s Emergency Support Team. He is an active member of Washington University’s Young Alumni chapter in Atlanta, as well as the WashU Alumni Admissions Interviewer Program. Brian is frequently invited to speak about test prep, college admissions, and scholarships at PTSA meetings at Atlanta-area high schools as well as Edison Prep’s free parent meetings. Find Brian at https://www.edisonprep.com/ LINKS Test Prep Tribe industry Facebook group Tests and the Rest Summer Summit 2020 Tests and the Rest Winter Test Prep Conference 2020 RELATED EPISODES THE REALITY OF GRADE INFLATION 2020 CHANGES IN ADMISSIONS RULES NEW OPTIONS FOR THE ACT ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.
Find our blog and more resources at http://heartsofgoldpodcast.com/ Makayla shares her experiences creating an underwear and sock drive for 8 schools in her area. More from Makayla: I have been a Girl Scout since 4th grade. I am now a Senior in high school and I just completed my Gold Award. I am from North Carolina and have lived here my whole life. Next year, I will be attending UNC-Chapel Hill as a Morehead-Cain Scholar and Jack Kent Cooke College Scholar. In school, I have been involved in Student Government, PTSA, the creation of the Gender and Sexualities club, College Ambassadors and more. My Gold Award website: https://makaylakey2020.wixsite.com/maksbarenecessities My Gold Award Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maksbarenecessities/ Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars https://www.facebook.com/JackKentCookeFoundation/ Morehead Cain Scholar IG moreheadcain https://www.facebook.com/MoreheadCain/ UNC Chapel Hill IG @uncchapelhill https://www.facebook.com/uncchapelhill/ Join our Facebook Community at Hearts of Gold Podcast https://www.facebook.com/groups/HeartsOfGoldPodcast/ Instagram @sherylmrobinson Please subscribe to Hearts of Gold on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/sherylmrobinson or on your favorite podcast app. Support future Hearts of Gold episodes at https://www.patreon.com/heartsofgold Editing by https://www.offthewalter.com/ Walter’s YouTube channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt0wFZRVaOpUd_nXc_8-4yQ
Senior Announcements (4/30/20) April 30, 2020 Dear VAPA Seniors and Parents or Guardians, We are now in the last month and a half of the school year and I have some updates for you. I'm sure you agree this has been an unprecedented time for all of us and I am sure not the way our seniors wanted to close their last year of high school. We are finding answers to questions as soon as possible and are working on plans to honor our seniors in a few different ways including signs and messages online. We have been featuring seniors on our social media sites and website. We are asking ALL seniors to send a photo and plans for college or whatever they will be doing after high school. We need these as soon as possible, ideally before Friday, May 1, so they may be featured in the slide show we are sending to LAUSD to be posted on the LAUSD website. Please send photos and information to Ms. Dadrass at pxd9265@lausd.net. We are planning virtual or online events for Cinco de Mayo, Senior Awards and Recital, and the National Honor Society Induction. Please look for updates and information on these and any other activities on our website at www.vapalegacy.com , the online website at www.bit.ly/vapaonline, and our social media sites. For planning purposes, these events will be celebrated on or near the traditional dates. We are looking at a few options for graduation and are awaiting for district approval to move forward including a virtual or online ceremony and some other innovative ideas. As soon as they are approved, we will survey our seniors and families to decide which way we will go. Please note the following regarding senior dues and refunds. Grad Nite which was a PTSA-sponsored event, was cancelled by Disneyland and refund checks have been mailed out to seniors. The Prom and Panorama Picture have been cancelled. Refund checks for these activities are being written, based on what students paid, and will be distributed as soon as possible, probably next week. T-Shirts and Sweatshirts have already been distributed and the Yearbook is still being produced, so there will not be refunds for these items. Yearbooks will not be done until the Fall and we will have a distribution and signing day when they are ready. We are so proud of our seniors and all their accomplishments. We hope you will do all you can to stay physically and emotionally fit over the rest of the year, through the summer, and into next year. As difficult as this is, especially for our seniors, this definitely will be a year to remember. Please also be sure to check our website regularly and utilize our social media platforms for updates (Website www.vapalegacy.com, ONLINE Website www.bit.ly/vapaonline, Facebook www.facebook.com/VAPAHS, Twitter https://twitter.com/vapa_at_legacy, and Instagram www.instagram.com/vapa_at_legacy). Please also call me at any time at 323-357-7531 (office) or 323-596-7531(hotline) or e-mail me at etrimis@lausd.net . You may also send questions to our Parent Request system online at www.bit.ly/vaparequestenglish or www.bit.ly/vaparequyestspanish. Thank you and be well. Sincerely, Edward Trimis, Principal
Last Call: Special Series Dedicated to the Covid-19 Crisis Jaeki and Jojo spoke with John C. Yang (President) and Marita Etcubañez (Director of Strategic Initiatives) of Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) about how Asian Americans can support each other during this time and how we can become more civically engaged. John C. Yang breaks down how AAJC operates behind the scenes to make sure Asian American's political voice are heard and challenges us to get involved in local PTSA groups and community boards to make a direct impact. Marita Etcubañez takes us through AAJC's hate crime reporting site and the Bystander Training program they created with Hollaback! to empower people to support victims of hate crimes in the moment. Tune in for this healthy discussion! Report a Hate Crime at: Stand Against Hate https://www.standagainsthatred.org/ Stop AAPI Hate https://www.asianpacificpolicyandplanningcouncil.org/stop-aapi-hate/ New Yorker can email civil.rights@ag.ny.gov or the calling the hotline 1-800-771-7755 You can contact Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law for assistance with legal and social services at (1-844-966-4283) Bystander Training in Collaboration between AAJC x Hollaback! Sign up for the next Bystander Training https://bit.ly/351kWO4 Read the HollaBack! guide https://www.ihollaback.org/app/uploads/2016/11/Show-Up_CUPxHollaback.pdf They are both part of Communities Against Hate https://communitiesagainsthate.org/ Learn more about Asian Americans Advancing Justice: Website - https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/ | Twitter @AAAJ_AAJC Learn more about Hollaback!: Website https://www.ihollaback.org/ | Instagram & Twitter @ihollagram FILL OUT CENSUS https://2020census.gov/en.html In the coming weeks, $6.99 Per Pound is going to provide you perspectives and personal stories on how Asians have been impacted by COVID-19. Make sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date with the latest drops from our special series! ________ Thank you to all the fans that continue to support! If you enjoyed this episode leave a review and tell us why you vibe with our pod. Follow the podcast @699PERPOUND on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter If you hear something righteous, tag us on your Instagram story and tell us why people need to listen to 6.99. You can now support us monetarily by buying Jaeki and Jojo a $3 coffee @ko-fi.com/699perpound or setting up small monthly donation @anchor.fm/699-per-pound/support Questions, Partnerships, Sponsorships: Contact us at info@699perpound.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/699-per-pound/message
This is a conversation you don't want to miss if you have kids or students! I speak with Kathleen Otal, high school counselor, Beth Werfel, high school psychologist, Paul Stansbery, high school Director of Student Services, and Sue Ellen Beggs, former PTSA president. We are all parents of adolescents and, in this interview, we discuss Julie Lythcott-Haims' seminal book How to Raise an Adult. We share stories and strategies about how to best prepare our kids and students for life beyond us. Stay tuned for a follow-up episode in a few weeks during which we speak with the author herself! Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes so you know when my next episode is released and leave a review because your feedback counts! Podcast website: http://invitationstolearn.com/ Twitter: @MrsLanghorne Email: invitationstolearn@gmail.com Follow Kathleen Otal on Twitter @KathleenOtal Show Notes: How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims: https://www.julielythcotthaims.com/how-to-raise-an-adult Challenge Success: https://www.challengesuccess.org/ Colleges that Change Lives: https://ctcl.org/ The Science of Well-Being: https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being?utm_source=gg&utm_medium=sem&utm_content=09-ScienceofWellBeing-US&campaignid=9728548210&adgroupid=99699672436&device=c&keyword=science%20of%20well%20being&matchtype=b&network=g&devicemodel=&adpostion=&creativeid=428321686708&hide_mobile_promo&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9q2Xg4Te6AIVxZ-zCh3tigEiEAAYASAAEgKrHPD_BwE
Parent volunteers are saints. In fact, we think there's a special place in heaven for every damn person who has ever served as President of the PTSA. And if you ask the most dedicated of these angels the secret to their success, they will all give you the same answer. Alcohol. All drinking—I mean joking—aside, parent volunteering is what makes the world go around. However, everyone has a limit. When you hit yours, we recommend you make like these two moms and parkour the hell out of that PTSA meeting! This week on I Shouldn't Have Had Kids, we'll break down the auctions; the selling of chocolate bars, poinsettias, coupon books, hanging baskets, wrapping paper, oranges, and grapefruits; the soccer coaching; the drama support; and a chaperone trip to Disneyland that ends up with the two of us spending the night babysitting a student in an L.A. hospital. LinksScary Mommy: The Funny Parents of Twitter Talk the Torture of the PTAEat your bugs, baby: Australia's Edible Bug ShopFollow us on social media!Instagram @ishouldnthavehadkidsFacebook ishouldnthavehadkidsTwitter @SHHKidsHave a funny story to share? Email us and we'll read it on the show!ishouldnthavehadkids@gmail.comFind all episodes of I Shouldn't Have Had Kids wherever you get your podcastsBuzzsproutApple PodcastsSpotify
Parents and the community are rallying together to provide support for Lucy Madison Middle School. This week, Robert Jeffrey, Will Sellari and Karen Jones are joined by Rev. Kevin McNeil, PTSA president for an enlightening and eye-opening conversation. Each Thursday, Robert Jeffrey, Jr is joined by Catherine Koebel, Will Sellari, Karen Frye Cobb, and Karen Jones to discuss their views on issues from arts and culture, social, political and economic that happen nationally, statewide and locally. Music: "This Is Old" by State Shirt (distributed under this license)
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Capitol Ideas: The Washington State House Democratic Caucus Podcast
Democratic state Rep. Mari Leavitt was a military kid who grew up to be a small-business owner, the deputy director of Pierce County Human Services, a PTSA leader and, with a doctorate in community college leadership, a college administrator for more than two decades. Today we talk about that journey and how she's putting her experience to good use representing her constituents in Washington's 28th legislative district in Pierce County.
Earning straight A’s once signified levels of academic excellence and diligence unattainable by most students. Do these grades still mean as much when 40% or more of the class carries the same perfect average? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Brian Eufinger to explore the reality of grade inflation. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does it mean when more than half of students at a school have A averages? How common are C-level grades at public and private schools? How can high school grade inflation harm a student’s college admissions process? What role do parents play in driving grade inflation? Why are standardized test scores essential in identifying grade inflation? MEET OUR GUEST Brian Eufinger graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2004. While an undergrad, he enjoyed working as a teaching assistant for Political Science 101, a resident advisor (RA) and as a volunteer paramedic with WashU's Emergency Support Team. He is an active member of Washington University's Young Alumni chapter in Atlanta, as well as the WashU Alumni Admissions Interviewer Program. Brian is frequently invited to speak about test prep, college admissions, and scholarships at PTSA meetings at Atlanta-area high schools as well as Edison Prep's free parent meetings. Find Brian at https://www.edisonprep.com/ LINKS When your GPA doesn't equal your GPA Does an “A” mean anything anymore? Investigating the School-Level Relationship Between ACT Scores and High School GPA Do No-Zero Policies Help or Hurt Students? Why we need norm-referenced tests ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.
091 The One That's All About Filming Amines (Closed Loops and Cooling Towers) Episode 91: Show Notes Wow! Three weeks of filming amines. What else is left to talk about? Closed Loops and Cooling Towers of course... Marodi Cribari and I are back to finish up this series on filming amine technologies. Adding from our previous two conversations, we talk about using filming amines in the application of cooling tower and closed loop systems. This episode lets you in on valuable tips and information you need to know if you plan on using filming amines in a system that is not a steam boiler. More about Marodi Cribari: Marodi Cribari is a biochemist from Denver, Colorado. She graduated in 2008 from Metropolitan State University of Denver with a degree in biology and chemistry. Early in her career she was a bench chemist developing fluid systems and colloidal particle dispersions. Now she works in water treatment focusing on technical education an product application. Fun Fact about Marodi: She is a professional ballroom dancer! DOWNLOADABLE MATERIALS Key Points From This Episode: Closed Loops Systems [0:01:39] Nitrate Programs [0:04:51] Metallurgy of systems [0:07:18] Metering [0:07:36] Dosages [0:13:08] Aluminum [0:16:07] Glycol [0:25:27] PTSA and Filming amine [0:28:25] PTSA Residual [0:34:53] Cooling towers [0:36:45] Oxidizers and Non-Oxidizers [0:40:55] Material compatibility [0:49:52] Cleaning Probes [0:52:43] Filming Technology [0:54:17] And a lot more! Tweetables: “Don’t pigeonhole yourself into one testing result.” @marodicribari @traceblackmore #scalinguph2o #scalingup #scalinguppodcast #scalingupnation #TheOneThatsAllAboutfilmingamines #FilmingAmines #MarodiCribari ‘Knowing what type of problem’s you are trying to solve is vital. And identifying what needs to be done in order to be successful.” @marodicribari @traceblackmore #scalinguph2o #scalingup #scalinguppodcast #scalingupnation #TheOneThatsAllAboutfilmingamines #FilmingAmines #MarodiCribari “The water treatment industry is the original green industry. We were saving water before other people knew how to save water.” @traceblackmore @marodicribari #scalinguph2o #scalingup #scalinguppodcast #scalingupnation #TheOneThatsAllAboutfilmingamines #FilmingAmines #MarodiCribari "Filming Technology is not only coming, but it has arrived. And it’s here in force!" @marodicribari @traceblackmore #scalinguph2o #scalingup #scalinguppodcast #scalingupnation #TheOneThatsAllAboutfilmingamines #FilmingAmines #MarodiCribari "Educate yourself, get familiar with it, be comfortable with it. So that if you're competing against it, you know how." @marodicribari @traceblackmore #scalinguph2o #scalingup #scalinguppodcast #scalingupnation #TheOneThatsAllAboutfilmingamines #FilmingAmines #MarodiCribari Links Mentioned on this episode: Audible Logan Manaranche on LinkedIn Xavier Labeille on LinkedIn Books Dr. Seuss ABC's Girl, Wash Your Face Birth in Four Cultures Downloadable Materials IAPWS Technical Guidance Document Long Chain Fatty Amines and Their Derivatives for Corrosion Protection in Water Treatment Applications Film-Forming Amines in Steam/Water Cycles
MLK day has come and gone. But what can we do to make it more than just a day out of the year? As we consider the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ed's (Not) Dead this week brings you our very first equity series... @petercrable @rwdodd @chsiddons From the Maryland PTSA Diversity Conference: we talk with @FFEngageFamily about how can schools engage more diverse viewpoints within one's PTSA organization? and with @marice_morales about addressing the needs of racially and linguistically diverse children.
Hypnotic Copywriting for Amazon Part 1 Any smart entrepreneur knows that copywriting can incredibly increase sales and conversions. On today’s part one of a three-part series, Steve introduces Diane Boerstler. She is a master certified NLP practitioner and trainer. Clients kindly refer to her as the hypnotic Amazon copywriter and the wolf of Amazon. Here are more gold nuggets on today’s episode: Diane’s inspiring origin story. How she juggled family life and business. Some of the brain hacking efficiency techniques she followed to launch a successful business and more! So put on your headphones and learn how you too can use hypnotic copywriting to increase your sales. 05:59 (Diane shares her inspiring origin story.) 12:31 (Diane talks about her first job in executive recruitment.) 18:28 (The other defining moments in Diance’s life.) Welcome to the awesomers.com podcast. If you love to learn and if you're motivated to expand your mind and heck if you desire to break through those traditional paradigms and find your own version of success, you are in the right place. Awesomers around the world are on a journey to improve their lives and the lives of those around them. We believe in paying it forward and we fundamentally try to live up to the great Zig Ziglar quote where he said, "You can have everything in your life you want if you help enough other people get what they want." It doesn't matter where you came from. It only matters where you're going. My name is Steve Simonson and I hope that you will join me on this Awesomer journey. SPONSOR ADVERTISEMENT If you're launching a new product manufactured in China, you will need professional high-resolution Amazon ready photographs. Because Symo Global has a team of professionals in China, you will oftentimes receive your listing photographs before your product even leaves the country. This streamlined process will save you the time money and energy needed to concentrate on marketing and other creative content strategies before your item is in stock and ready for sale. Visit SymoGlobal.com to learn more. Because a picture should be worth one thousand keywords. You're listening to the Awesomers podcast. 1:17 (Steve introduces today’s guest, Diane Boerstler also known as the Hypnotic Amazon Copywriter.) Steve: You are listening to awesomers.com episode number 79. All you have to do is pop on over to awesomers.com/79 to see all the relevant show notes and details about today's episode. Now, today is part one of a three-part series with our special guest, Diane Boerstler and she is an MNLP who clients kindly referred to as the hypnotic Amazon copywriter and the wolf of Amazon. And by the way, wolf of Amazon - pretty good copywriting right there because that reminds me of the Wolf of Wall Street. So already a really positive association. Diane is a top-ranked international business growth expert who's helped generate massive profits for small companies globally by leveraging the power of hypnotic NLP infused sales copy. And later I asked, “What does NLP means?” And she points out it means a neural linguistic processing or something like that I don't want to say it wrong but she clued me in and gets me educated. So not only does she work on that in NLP and few sales copy, she helps on the business mindset shifting strategies. When she's not cranking out high converting copy or implementing business growth strategies, you'll find her walking on the ocean with her husband and four kids running the community PTSA, supporting philanthropic events - as if I've never heard of that word - and guiding her School District and the Washington State Legislature on education policy as an elected Orcas Island School Board director. So this episode, we dive in with Diana. We just talked about a little bit of her origin story and I would get right to the heart of what makes you know her business and what makes her tick as well.
Show Notes: During Part 1 of the MD PTA Diversity Conference, we feature a number of amazing guests to discuss how to engage more diverse viewpoints and families within a school's Parent-Teacher Association. What is the vision for the MD PTA Diversity Conference? How do we address the issues of racially, linguistically diverse children and their needs - how do we talk about those issues and make it a part of what we do? How do we raise those parent voices up in the PTA? Frances Frost (@FFEngageFamily) - Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chairperson, Maryland PTA Marice Morales (@marice_morales) - Delegate for District 19 in Maryland Resources Mentioned/Referenced: Maryland PTSA Diversity Conference
Ed and Dan believe the American education system can recover from the destructive work of privatizers, profiteers, and those who claim they can force solutions without identifying the problems. There is no more potent group than the PTA (PTSA) as they know what is happening to our children and how to support our public schools. We are very fortunate to have Beth Simek, the State President of the Arizona PTA, and Nicky Indicavitch, Northern Arizona Region Director of the PTA, and the Parent Coordinator for Arizona Schools Now. The information they share is exactly what every parent and teacher must have if we are to counter those who plan to destroy public schools.
Ever Better Podcast | Inspiring Stories | Motivating | Transition with Grace | Fulfillment | Wisdom
Margaret Ruff is an educator at heart and lifelong learner who coaches executives and school administrators using the Immunity to Change model. During this podcast we talk about Margaret's career transitions, drawing on multiple intelligences, and how children and adults are similar. Margaret says: "I believe success is the ability to change when change is needed; to be flexible and adaptable through change; to be yourself when your ideas are questioned; to not create excuses that keep you in the same rut day after day; and to keep it fresh and fun by being in focus through the process on your way to your desired result." Show Notes: Margaret followed her passion for music before becoming a teacher (3:01) Deciding to be a teacher (4:13) Realizing finance wasn't the right career choice and making a change (6:50) The conflict and interactions between parents and teachers (9:00) Becoming assistant principal and the challenges of transitioning from teaching (11:15) Motherhood and the benefits of PTSA leadership (13:15) Going back to school for executive leadership (14:20) Becoming an executive coach (15:20) Coaching leaders (18:26) The power of internships (20:04) Looking at what people want to improve and becoming conscious of what is stopping them from change (21:25) The power of incremental change (24:48) Being comfortable with uncertainty (30:47) Why it's so difficult to change (31:26) Margaret's plans for 2018 using incremental development (35:50) Connect with Margaret http://www.margaretruff.com https://www.facebook.com/margaretruffcoach Recommended Books
Connecting Water Treaters Around The Globe and Why The Water Treatment Industry Should Continue To Learn, Share And Laugh With James McDonald. Episode 21: Show Notes. Our guest today is James McDonald. James has been in the water treatment industry since 1997 and is a Chemical Engineer by degree with a Master’s from the University of Louisville. After college, James worked for an environmental compliance company, doing environmental assessments for the likes of the FAA and various army bases. Later James went on to work for Crown Solutions and today is also a much loved committee chair at the Association of Water Technologies (AWT). Interestingly, after many years at Crown Solutions, his next job at Chem Aqua, was discovered via a LinkedIn advertisement pop-up seeking a Corporate Engineer. Most of you out there are on LinkedIn and LinkedIn is probably dominated in the water technology community by James McDonald. James spends a lot of time on social media, specifically his LinkedIn page. But when we have so much work to do already, is social media really worth it and what are the rewards? James loves the work he does and loves sharing it with other people, so today we hear James’ story, his role in the AWT, how LinkedIn has helped him connect hundreds of water treaters around the globe and why we should continue to keep learning a little bit every day and share our knowledge even more. Take a listen! [0:03:20.0] We also answer questions from listeners on Pinks and Blues. Key Points From This Episode: About James and his career and history in the water treatment industry. [0:03:46.0] How James became a well-rounded water treater with a rich knowledge bank. [0:05:51.0] Reaching a knowledge plateau in the water industry. [0:07:13.0] James’ book and philosophy of Learning Drop By Drop. [0:08:45.0] James’ thoughts on the use of PTSA in water treatment today. [0:11:20.0] What James loves and hates about the water industry. [0:14:10.0] How James maximizes his LinkedIn profile. [0:16:59.0] Learn more about James’ Industrial Water Treatment Group. [0:20:14.0] Meet Detective H2O. [0:20:55.0] Projects James is involved in within AWT. [0:24:03.0]. Advice to new people approaching the water treatment industry. [0:28:10] Current goals and objectives of the AWT committee. [0:29:10] The value of an AWT membership. [0:30:13.0] Key strategies James uses to look for or find new business. [0:33:26.0] Taking on new challenges to expand your knowledge and learn new skills. [0:35:22.0] Resources for young professionals coming into the industry. [0:37:18.0] Learn, share and laugh! [0:41:23.0] And much more! Today’s Questions: This person just switched hardness test manufacturers and the softener used to be soft all the time with the old manufacturer. Now it’s hard all the time. So is something wrong with the softener or with the test kit? [0:45:05.0] Here at Blackmore Enterprises, we had that exact same thing happen. We were using manufacturer A and the softener was soft all the time. Then we switched to manufacturer B and it was soft some of the time, but a lot of the times we were getting that red tinge to the hardness test, and as those of you know out there in the ScalingUP! Nation, a soft sample is nice and blue and if it has a red color to it, then that indicates hardness and then we add the EDTA to it as a titrant until it grabs all that hardness and then turns it blue. So in a softener situation, as soon as we put the buffer in there and the indicator in there, we want that sucker to be nice and blue. Well, we thought that the softener was malfunctioning, and it actually was. The only reason we found that out was because the test that we then started buying with manufacturer B actually was able to test to a smaller degree, less than a ppm. The other test was only testing down to 2 or 3 ppm and we actually worked with somebody and we sent those off and actually had an independent lab measure those using a different method and we actually found that out, that one of the test manufacturers was able to get that lower. So it might be your tests are working fine, but they’re only working in the limits that they are able to work in. What we did when we did that, we found out that we were actually putting hard water in when we thought we were putting soft water in with the other manufacturer, Manufacturer A, and that actually explained some of the readings that we were getting where we were losing alkalinity on occasion and things like that. The water was still clean, but everything didn’t add up and then we found that when we were testing with this lower range test kit that we were actually leaking over some hardness. So I say this because the boilers, in order to be soft, need to be less - actually I think it’s supposed to be less than half a ppm. So if your test kit’s only testing 2 or 3 when it says it’s soft, that’s several times higher than half a ppm. So make sure you know what your test kit is actually doing and even in the same manufacturers, they have different ranges. So if one drop equals 10 parts, that’s probably not good when you’re titrating. That’s probably not good enough for a softener. You probably want to figure out either how to change the sample size, or maybe change the test kit so you can get that to a really fine amount. But then also realize that your test that you’re using may not go as low as you think it goes. Trace, what do you do for fun? [0:49:05.0] I am a scuba dive instructor. That is my passion. I absolutely love being under water. It is the most therapeutic thing that l can think of. Underwater you can fly around like Superman. You want to go up, go up. You want to go down, go down. You can bank left, bank right, it’s totally awesome. I love it so much, and you out there in the ScalingUP! Nation know that one of my passions is teaching, so I actually teach scuba diving to other people and try to get them to enjoy it as much as I do. Teaching scuba diving has made me a better instructor when it comes to water treatment, because when you’re teaching somebody that they’re not going to die, you learn how to deal with people at a different level. Because everybody’s scared that there’s no air underneath that water, and you’ve got to convince them that if an emergency or if a situation happens under water, you can deal with it underwater and not panic and go up to the surface because once you have all that pressure under you under water and then you get up too quickly and that pressure is gone, you can actually hurt yourself. So, to answer your question, I don’t even have to think about it; what I do for fun is I scuba dive. I know Mark Lewis has been brought up on this show. Mark Lewis and I scuba dive together, so there you go. It’s fun for water treaters to get together. You know, we’re working in water and now we’re playing in water too. So we just have a whole life that talks about water, or deals with water. Which is better: LSI, RSI or PSI? [0:51:45.0] So for those of you out there in the ScalingUP! Nation that don’t know what those letters stand for, there’s the Langelier Stability Index, the Ryznar Stability Index, and the Practical or sometimes called Puckorius Scaling Index. So, better is not a work that I really like, but I understand why you ask it. Better is an opinion. All of them are the same thing. What they deal with is when calcium carbonate comes out of solution or goes into solution. We’re either precipitating or we are dissolving, if you will. Right in the middle where neither of those has happened, is called the saturation pH. That’s the equation that all of these different scales use and then they do something with it to make it unique, and then they can name it something else. LSI takes the saturation pH and what you do is you take the system pH and you subtract the situation pH from it to get LSI. The range from that is -3 to 3. Anything above 0 has a scaling tendency. Anything below 0 has a non-scaling tendency. We know water is the universal solvent, i.e. water is corrosive. Now some water might be more aggressive than others, depending on what’s dissolved in it, but that being said, all water is corrosive. The RSI take the saturation pH times 2, and then subtract the system pH. That is a range between 0-12 and anything above 6 has a non-scaling tendency and anything below 6 has a scaling tendency. The PSI takes the station pH and multiples by 2, but then subtracts the pH of equilibrium, then add 4.54. The scale is 0-12, above 6 is a non-scaling tendency and below 6 is a scaling tendency. Now, you get to choose which is best for you. We at Blackwater Enteprises use RSI, and the only reason we use it is because that’s what my father used and that’s what he taught me, and that’s what I’m used to. Tweetables: “As long as you keep learning more each day all the guys that started where you did will never catch up.” — @JamesMcDonald89 [0:07:30.0] “PTSA should be a guidance and should be checked on a regular basis.” —@JamesMcDonald89 [0:11:35.0] “The most important part of my job is telling bad, bad jokes.” — @JamesMcDonald89 [0:12:35.0] “You sell yourself by your qualities and the value you bring.” — @JamesMcDonald89 [0:16:34.0] “A water treater is a lonely job. Water treaters are often hungry to connect.” — @JamesMcDonald89 [0:20:14.0] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: ScalingUp! Podcast – http://scalinguph2o.com/ Association of Water Technologies (AWT) Website – https://www.awt.org/ Chem Aqua Website – http://chemaqua.com/ Chem Aqua on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/475270/ Industrial Water Treatment Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/IndustrialWaterTreatment/ AWT Young Professionals & SEED Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/1377068122547724/ Detective H2O – https://sites.google.com/site/industrialwaterscience/detective-h2o James McDonald on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-mcdonald-pe-cwt-%F0%9F%92%A7-9760328/ Industrial Water Treatment on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4155017/profile James McDonald on Twitter – https://twitter.com/JamesMcDonald89 Industrial Water Science – https://sites.google.com/site/industrialwaterscience/
On today’s episode we welcome Jim Lukanich, a former AWT board member, he is a Certified Water Technologist (CWT) and the director of applied technology with U.S. Water. Jim won the Ray Balm Memorial Water Treater of the Year award in 2008. Jim describes himself as a short guy, about 59 years old, he runs, bikes and swims and just happens to be a water treater. Jim has been in the water treatment industry since 1981, he comes with a great deal of experience over the years and he has a big interest in microbiology and chemistry. Jim and his wife, alongside their nine rescue cats and two rescue dogs live in Grapevine, Texas. Episode 10: Show Notes In this episode we’re going to talk a little bit about closed loop systems, what you need to know and how they are the step child of the water treatment community. Jim Lukanich also joins us to share some need-to-know things about water treatment. Closed Loop Systems The close loop is just as important as that cooling tower loop and you know what that tower looks like when you don’t feed a microbiocide, well it’s a lot easier to see, of course we’ve got a more dynamic system with the cooling tower and sunlight might be getting in but we have things that are growing in the close loop as well. Give the closed loop the respect that it deserves and give your profession the respect that it deserves. If you are going to take care of a customer’s systems, make sure that you’re completely taking care of all of the customer’s systems. Treat for all four areas of water treatment: scaling, corrosion, microbial fouling and taking the dirt and debris out of the system. Key Points From This Episode: Jim shares a bit more about himself. Hear how Jim ended up working in the water treatment industry. Learn what secrets Jim has learned through his many years of water treatment experience. Find out why Jim believes it’s important to admit when you’re wrong. Discover how if you understand microbiology, it’s easy to treat the cooling tower. Understand how Jim relates a cooling tower and it's ecosystem to teeth. Hear at what age Jim gained wisdom and noticed a difference in his reactions. Discover how the words potable and microbicide are two words often misused. - And how he called Trace out on it years ago. Find out how Trace and Jim challenge each other when they do presentations. Learn what things Jim did and still does to become a better speaker. Listen as Jim helps us understand what PTSA is. Hear some of Jim’s experiences about using PTSA. Learn about TTPC, the one particular microbicide that could interfere with PTSA. Discover some of Jim’s small wins throughout his career. Hear why Jim considers his biggest failure, failing to recognize his own failures. Find out what advice Jim has for people new to the water industry. And much more! Clarifying Points Jim mentioned the issues with PTSA and TTPC. To clarify PTSA stands for para toluenesulfonic acid and is used as a product tracing. TTPC stands for tributyl tetradecyl phosphonium chloride. The most well know TTPC is Bellacide 355. Tweetables: “Try to keep learning; never stop learning.” — @jlukanich [0:21:10.0] “I think the secret to becoming a world class water treater is to never stop learning.” — @jlukanich [0:22:37.0] “Microbiology plays a major role in all types of depositions. Most important.” — @jlukanich [0:29:53.0] “My biggest failure is my failure to recognize any of my failures.” — @jlukanich [0:55:25.0] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Jim Lukanich - http://www.uswaterservices.com/ Jim on Twitter - https://twitter.com/jlukanich US Steel - https://www.ussteel.com/ Nalco - http://www.nalco.com/ Buckman Laboratories - https://buckman.com/ Chem Cal - http://www.uswaterservices.com/chemcal-website-redirect Tom Peters - http://tompeters.com/ The Primal Scream - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Primal_Scream Tastes great, Less Filling - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=argdPEmD9bI AWT Training - https://www.awt.org/education_events/technical_training.cfm Pyxis - http://www.pyxis-lab.com/ H2tronics - http://www.h2tronics.com/
Are you looking for ways to connect with parents? I know dumb question right? Well, have I got an inexpensive way to start off the connectivity- get postcards. You can go buy some on-line, at the US Post Office or a local printer or you can make your own. Between you and me you don't have to use your money and supplies. First, hit up your principal or PTSA or a local business. What school or community leader could say no to a teacher who wants to connect with parents. By the way, they are cheap, too! The cool thing about the PostOffice cards is that you can buy them with postage already on the card. Listen to my interview with Brian Buffington for his thoughts about postcards. Now...now... just getting postcards isn't enough you have to write something nice and then send it to the parents or guardians. So here is a thought put some announcement on the card that all parents need to hear. You know...you can buy stickers that you print the message on and then stick them to the card. Think about it. Invite them to open house or tell them about your blog or class podcast... ...then near the sticker write a personal note...like ...Steve really participated well in class this week. Or Judy answered all of her legacy questions completely and correctly! Yea! or...come on think out loud. You could come up with something nice about every kid...really you can do it! But why would you want to?...easy... It helps you connect with parents and break the cycle of the only reason why the parent hears from the school is for trouble. And believe me, some kids get lots of negative contact from school. If you send one of these cards home with a personalized note...you know it's going on the refrigerator!!! 5 Steps for Using Postcards to Make Your School a More Positive Place 1. Get the cards. 2. Get your roster 3. Get stickers 4. Write something personal 5. Reap the benefits Here are some links to resources where you can get postcards: (Don't forget to check local printers, as well.) https://store.usps.com/store/ http://www.vistaprint.com/ http://www.clubflyers.com/ http://www.postcards.com/ By the way, I have no relationship to any of these companies. I will not get remuneration for you clicking on the links above. Have fun!!! Length: 16:28
Sharon Whitson, General Manager & Treasurer of Seattle Hempfest, joined the organization in 2004. She loves saying that a soccer PTSA mom runs Hempfest as family is a huge focus in her life. Sharon quickly found that her project & business management background could be leveraged to help Hempfest evolve. In 2012 she founded Hempfest Central, the organization’s first offices fronted by a hemp boutique/420 culture store. When she’s not at Hempfest Central leading the charge towards our 25th anniversary she’s loves camping, hiking, & spending time on the river with her family.
ome of you may or may not know but I do a lot of volunteering for the LAUSD school with PTSA. As a matter of fact I am a council president for Valley Gateway in San Fernando. This week's show will have one of my dearest acting coach, friend and fellow PTSA Officer Ada Luz Pla-Williams! She will be bring her delightful insight of arts in school and how we can with PTSA Reflections keep art alive in our schools. This show is broadcast live on K4HD - Hollywood Talk Radio (www.k4hd.com ) part of Talk 4 Radio (http://www.talk4radio.com/) on the Talk 4 Media Network (http://www.talk4media.com/)
At the beginning of each school year Mabry welcomes parents to an Open House meeting. The meeting begins with a general session to introduce the PTSA and in which Dr. Tyson speaks about Mabry's direction and mission. Parents then start with their child's homeroom and actually attend each of their student's classes, meeting the teachers and getting a sense for what a day in the life of their child at Mabry is like. This is a podcast of Dr. Tyson's Open House presentation--which he did on the interactive whiteboard. The presentation introduced the parents to how this technology can be used in the classroom with students and also provided Mabry with survey information to facilitate our future planning. Additionally he spoke of Mabry's mission statement and the role parents play in helping us continue our school's rich tradition of academic excellence.
At the beginning of each school year Mabry welcomes parents to an Open House meeting. The meeting begins with a general session to introduce the PTSA and in which Dr. Tyson speaks about Mabry's direction and mission. Parents then start with their child's homeroom and actually attend each of their student's classes, meeting the teachers and getting a sense for what a day in the life of their child at Mabry is like. In this podcast you will see the results from the ACTIVote survey from the Open House general meeting conducted by Dr. Tyson. Not only can teachers gain this type of insight from using this technology with their students in class, but, unlike the anonymous surveying done in our meeting, they can also gain immediate assessment data from each individual student in their classes. After the meeting, a parent asked if Mabry accepted donations or corporate sponsorships to increase the availability of this technology for our students. Yes, absolutely. We want this type of technology to be used pervasively by students and teachers. Our long term goal, which regrettably is probably several years out, is to substantially reduce the amount of time teachers spend with clerical tasks (grading papers) and give them that time to do more data analysis (analyzing daily assessment data for students). Simplistically put, we want this technology to allow the student to take a classroom assessment and have that data appear in virtually real time on iParent.
At the beginning of each school year Mabry welcomes parents to an Open House meeting. The meeting begins with a general session to introduce the PTSA and in which Dr. Tyson speaks about Mabry's direction and mission. Parents then start with their child's homeroom and actually attend each of their student's classes, meeting the teachers and getting a sense for what a day in the life of their child at Mabry is like. Before the Open House meeting began, this presentation, Did You Know, was showing. We have turned it into a podcast. The presentation provides an overview of our Mabry resources and juxtaposes those resources against a backdrop of the global challenges we face.
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