I first met John Burbank at my door. Many of you may also have met him or seen his literature on your steps, since he is well on his way to visiting every home and apartment in the 101 precincts in the 36th District - not his staff, him,

The second thing that impressed me about John is that he's an avid biker. He's also endorsed by the 10,000-plus member organization, the Cascade Bicycle Club. It's always good to see a politician actually pedal while he speaks - he passes the test that he personally takes alternative energies to hydrocarbons seriously.

But when I dug a little deeper into John's political experience, I am even more impressed. He's the founder and executive director of the think tank, Economic Opportunity Institute for 10 years - he's a policy wonk extraordinaire. Plus he's been the project manager of the Sand Point Housing Association, political director of the Washington State Labor Council and the staff coordinator of the Washington State Senate. No wonder he's already been endorsed by 22 legislators in Olympia.

A lot of John's experience only comes out when you ask him to comment on some issues: like Paid Family Leave: John worked with the Wash. Family Leave Coalition to make us the second state in the union to have paid family leave for all new parents. Health Care: John and the Economic Opportunity Institute designed the I-773 Initiative, expanding Washington Basic Health Care Plan by an increase in the cigarette tax. Early Childhood Education: Burbank initiated the law that now links increasing teacher qualities by linking their experience, responsibility and education to wages. Minimum Wage: He wrote the legislation that was passed as an Initiative to the People in 1998, and Economic Opportunity Institute provide the analysis on the positive economic effects of minimum increases in this state.

I could go on and on about issues he's worked on: Social Security, worker education and advancement, working with Bill Gates Sr. on keeping the real estate tax for the wealthy in place in Washington. He's a guy who knows and does what many of us have taken for granted until the Bush Administration has come along and taken so much away.

I hope this letter helps moves you, the reader, to vote for John Burbank, for the Washington Senate, 36th District. We'll all be better for it when John hits the floor running in the State Legislature.

Tom Buchanan

Ballard