Candidate Profile: Amy Walen For District 48

SEATTLE — The 2020 election is heating up in Washington and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Eyes are primarily focused on the presidential election, but voters will also decide the occupants of several state representative and senate seats.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Amy Walen, a Kirkland resident is running for State Representative District 48 Position 2.

Age: 52
Party affiliation: Democratic Party
Family: I am married and I have 3 step-children and 2 nephews for whom I am guardian.
Occupation: I have been Chief Financial Officer for auto dealerships for over 20 years. I have a Law degree and a degree with a major in Political Science.
Previous elected experience: Kirkland City Council 2010-2018, serving four years as Mayor.
Family members in government: No.
Campaign website: www.amywalen.com

The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Our regressive tax system, where work rather than wealth is taxed. This makes small business and working families pay a disproportionate share of taxes to pay for services. Our economy in Washington in particular shows how our over-reliance on property, sales and Business & Occupations taxes leave many of us behind.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have a great deal of respect for every person who runs for elected office. My opponent and I come from different sides of the aisle and approach the role from our own life experiences. My own perspective is to focus on supporting working families, small businesses and seniors, and protecting the most vulnerable in our state. This means tax reform, a focus on affordable housing so seniors can age in their own home town and families can live in the communities where they work, and reducing preventable gun violence. It means making substance use disorder treatment available on demand and without barrier, it means ensuring families can access childcare and every member of our community can get the healthcare they need. Everything I do in the legislature, I do with these priorities in mind.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My work on the Kirkland City Council was collaborative with my community and my colleagues on the Council and staff. We targeted economic development in the Totem Lake Urban Center and developed the Cross Kirkland Corridor. We transformed Kirkland Urban and kept healthy reserves, so that Kirkland is one of the best prepared cities to weather the storm of the pandemic. We created an Emergency Operation Center that was tested by COVID and worked extremely well serving our community. We also proclaimed Kirkland a welcoming and inclusive city, and declared those principles as law. I served as President of Sound Cities Association and enjoy strong relationships with cities in King County and beyond. My experience navigating being a step-mother, of surviving cancer and thriving, and of operating a business that is a hub in its community, partnering with my team members there to build a "family" that works for all of us, make me feel that I am qualified to represent the values of the 48th district in Olympia.

What steps should state government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses?

We need economic development. Every corporation that headquarters here creates thousands of family wage jobs both within their business, and in the small business community that supports them. We need relief from the devastating effect of a 400% increase in unemployment taxes. We should tax wealth, not work. We need B&O tax reform and a predictable and stable form of taxation on businesses. We will be competing with other metropolitan areas around the country, and our quality of life, our talent and our stable and predictable tax system should be our economic development strategy.

How will you address the calls for racial justice and police reform?

It is past time that we address systematic racism. We need to educate our children about the accurate history of our country's actions here and around the world. We must rebuild any system - corporation, government, non-profit - to ensure that its leadership reflects the community. We must stamp out hate by having zero-tolerance for it. We must invest in healthcare and education in underserved communities, and those communities must direct that investment I spent almost 10 years working with the good people of the Kirkland Police department. I am opposed to "de-funding" the police. Rather, we need more resources to address all of the calls that we ask our police to answer. Behavioral health and substance use counselors, homeless and housing advocates, domestic violence counselors, must be at hand with our police on those kinds of incidents. I am against the use of force in minor property crime incidents. I am against the use of choke-holds. Violence by bad actors must be punished, as violence against any citizen would be. We need our police force to reflect the communities they serve, and to be our guardians, not warriors against us. The vast majority of our police are good actors, and they agree.

How do you think Washington should address the threat posed by climate change?

We must lead the country in our commitment to the production of clean energy and the thoughtful transition away from fossil fuels for transportation. We need to invest in a green economy, where jobs from fossil fuels become jobs that promote healthy forests, clean lakes and rivers, and clean air. We must reuse and recycle, and use our own waste as much as possible in our own communities (organic waste to compost). Styrofoam must be banned and we must return to, and expand our policy reducing the use of single use plastics.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

The COVID pandemic has forced us to pause and to rethink and reimagine how our society works. We need single pay health care (the Australian model), people can work from home using technology to improve their lives and our environment, and we can and should protect the most vulnerable among us. Homelessness can and should be prevented.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

It has been the privilege of my life representing you in elected office, and I would be honored by your vote.