Joe Pakootas is not making life easy for our little hometown misrep.
I've been on the sidelines for a few years here, but I could see the quality in this candidate when I read about him quite by accident.
He worked tirelessly on the last cycle's campaign and he's still on it. That's the only way you can pry Cathy McMorris Rodgers out of her very self-satisfied office.
Joseph Pakootas (puh-KOE-tuss) is honored to bring his decades of business, environmental, and political experience to the 2016 race for US Congress in Washington's 5th District.
He knows some obvious things that Ms Cathy seems oblivious to.
Facts:
- 1 in 5 citizens in the 5th Congressional District rely on food stamps
-30% higher unemployment than national average
-1 in 6 people in this District live below the Federal Poverty Level
Where does he stand on the issues? Some refreshing common sense. Here's a sampling:
Affordable medical care for everyone ensuring access to comprehensive affordable health services, including reproductive services. I will improve our health care system, not dismantle it. My opponent voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act 54 times because she doesn’t support access to health care. I do.
•Job creation initiatives that put our unemployed to work by incentivizing private sector hiring...
•Workers’ rights to collective bargaining is a human right...
•Immigration reform to allow a vote on a 2013 bipartisan vote the Senate passed SB 744. My opponent, as part of the House leadership, has refused to bring this bill to a vote because she does not support solving our immigration issues...
.•Smart gun policies. As a hunter and gun owner, I know our childrens’ safety must protected. We need to reduce massacres with criminal background checks for all gun sales...
•Protecting our environment. I care deeply for our environment. I sued a corporate polluter and won a landmark decision to stop corporate dumping of heavy metal contaminates into Lake Roosevelt...
(my bold)
I will avoid a laundry list here. No sacrificial lamb, Pakootas is a person with talent, drive and integrity that clearly cares about all the people here and wants to continue to do real public service. Not the self service of the (only) woman in leadership. He has passionate supporters all over the district. One way or another they will effect change here.
He is an outstanding candidate.