Evan Clifthorne joins an already-crowded pool of candidates by announcing his bid for the open seat in the State House that is being vacated by the longtime Democratic incumbent Mary Lou Dickerson.
"For the past two years I have lived in this district while working as a legislative aide in Olympia. I’ve seen firsthand the impact that lawmakers have on the everyday lives of Washingtonians, and understand the challenges we face as we work to build a stronger future for our state," said Clifthorne in his announcement.
Clifthorne is running on a platform of equity, education, and environment.
"Washington is at a crossroads. For years we have addressed our state’s ongoing financial crisis through service cuts and layoffs; through a narrow, one-sided approach to our budget," states Clifthorne. "This vision begins with equity: Washington State has the most regressive tax structure in the country. Minimum-wage workers in our state pay nearly 1 out of every 5 dollars they earn in state & local taxes. The top one percent pays only 1 out of every 33 dollars. This is wrong."
Clifthorne envisions a budget where revenue is used to create an educational system in which preschoolers advance to become debt-free graduates driving a competitive economy; and where those same graduates are the innovators of a green revolution that causes the state's carbon footprint to fall, the energy efficiency to skyrocket, and that protects the environment.
"If we want to compete in a global economy, we can only do so by investing in our children from their first day at school until the time they start life as productive drivers of our economy," Clifthorne said. "A vibrant education system can and will create a vibrant green-collar workforce, but we cannot afford to wait for the industries of the future to solve our problems. We must invest today in clean technology, energy efficiency, toxic-free communities, and especially in preserving the rich natural resources of the Pacific Northwest. I want to live in a world where we’ve learned to live in balance with our resources while continuing to grow economically."
Clifthorne believes he can serve the people of the 36th District by being the next State Representative who is experienced, outspoken and who will hit the ground running in Olympia.
Visit http://evanclifthorne.com/ to learn more.