| Priorities
Working families in District 37 deserve better than what we have now.
We've spent billions of dollars expanding the Light Rail through our neighborhoods. Property values near those stations have doubled or tripled. But who got that money? Not the public that paid for it. Not the workers who built it. Rich landowners who did nothing got all the money, while working families who paid taxes for that transit can’t afford to live near it anymore.
This isn't an accident. It's a policy failure we can fix.
Challenges Facing District 37:
Property Crime and Economic Insecurity
In 2024, Seattle ranked as the 3rd highest city in the U.S. for property crime; 118% above the national average. Gun violence has also gone up in our city since 2019. But these numbers only tell part of the story.
Economic insecurity is the real reason for most property crime. Here in District 37, 80% of Rainier Beach High School students get free or reduced lunch. That shows how many families in our district are struggling. People steal when they're facing money problems. Domestic violence survivors stay in dangerous homes because they can't afford to leave. Young people from struggling families get pulled into crime.
Immigration Enforcement and Community Fear
Immigrant communities in Rainier Valley and South Seattle are living in fear. Organizations like Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS), which is right here in Rainier Valley, report more and more families creating safety plans. These families are asking, "If I'm not able to access my account, can you make sure my children get access to the funds?"
Immigrant families are afraid to drive, afraid to take their kids to school, and afraid to report crimes. The Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma holds over 1,400 people. When people fear their own government, we've failed at basic public safety.
Washington is the 3rd largest state for refugees in the country. Our immigrant and refugee neighbors are important members of our community—they are our neighbors, coworkers, and they keep our economy running. District 37 is home to immigrant communities from East Africa, Latin America, and Asia. They deserve to live without fear.
We face two kinds of problems: economic desperation and government power being used unfairly. The Fourth Way, which drives this campaign, fixes both.
The Fourth Way: Five Pillars for District 37
Imagine This: Two children are born on the same day in District 37. One child is born in the wealthier Madrona area. The other is born in Rainier Valley. Same potential, same dreams. But the Madrona child's school has STEM programs, strong art and music classes, counselors, and well-paid teachers who stay for their whole careers. The Rainier Valley child's school has crowded classrooms, old buildings falling apart, and burned-out teachers who leave after a few years.
Why? Because we fund schools unfairly through property taxes. Wealthy neighborhoods get wealthy schools. Poor neighborhoods get poorly funded schools. We've created a system where kids born into rich families stay rich, and kids born into poor families stay poor, but we call it fair. This is what I'm running to change.
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The Problem:
In 1930, Washington added one sentence to our state Constitution that made it illegal to fairly tax land speculation. This forces us to rely on property taxes that hurt working families, while rich landowners pay almost nothing on their increasing land values.
When Sound Transit built the Light Rail through District 37, property values went way up, but landowners who did nothing (no building updates, no renovations, no repairs) got 100% of that value increase, not the people living in these properties.
The Solution:
Change Washington's constitution to allow Land Value Tax (LVT), which taxes land speculation instead of taxing work.
A 3-5% annual LVT on Washington's $1.5-2 trillion in land value could raise $45-100 billion per year. This is enough to fund a program that gives everyone money every month, get rid of school property taxes, and invest in housing and transit.
What This Means for District 37:
Until we change the constitution, we'll use enhanced Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to capture 80% of property value increases near transit stations.
Vacant land taxes (1% → 2% → 4% each year) make holding empty land expensive. This pushes landowners to either build something or pay up.
Community land trusts get first choice when land near transit gets sold.
An estimated $50-100 million over 10 years in District 37 alone for affordable housing and community benefits.
Change Washington's constitution to tax land speculation instead of working families. Use the billions in value that public transit creates to fund education, housing, and monthly payments for everyone.
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The Problem:
The median house value in District 37 is $824,700. The median household income is $100,083 (CensusReporter.org); the math isn’t mathing.
Meanwhile, rich landowners who did nothing get all the value. We have empty lots and parking lots within walking distance of some of the most valuable transit in the state.
The Solution:
The Transit Community Housing Act combines three strategies:
Build lots of housing where we built transit through mandatory upzoning.
Capture community-created value through TIF and vacancy taxes.
Protect people who already live here with the strongest anti-displacement package in Washington.
What This Means for District 37:
Build 5,000-8,000 new homes near existing and future Light Rail stations.
25% of all units in buildings with over 20 units must be affordable on-site, with no option to pay money to avoid this rule.
Property tax relief for longtime homeowners so they don't get taxed out.
Expand community land trusts to keep ownership local and affordable forever.
Small business protection fund (30% of TIF revenue) to prevent displacement.
Support the Social Housing Development Authority to build Vienna-style mixed-income public housing.
Build a lot of housing where we built transit, make speculation unprofitable, protect people who already live here from displacement, and treat housing as the essential public infrastructure it is.
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The Problem:
Access to quality education is a basic human right. People in District 37 deserve fair and equal access to education at all levels. Right now, about 90% of District 37 residents have a high school diploma, and 53% have a Bachelor's degree (CensusReporter.org).
We can do better. We MUST do better.
The Solution:
The Fair Start Education Act breaks the property tax link completely by funding all schools from statewide money (land value tax, wealth taxes, and closed corporate loopholes). Every school gets a base amount per student, with extra funding based on need, so high-poverty schools actually get more money.
What This Means for District 37:
Public K-12 schools get $50-80 million more each year. Higher education gets $15-25 million more each year (mainly for state community colleges).
Class sizes reduced to 15-20 students.
Teacher salaries raised to $70-110K with housing help, especially help buying homes.
Expand Career & Technical Education partnerships so our students graduate with job certifications and job offers.
End the "college or bust" idea by respecting different pathways to success.
Administrative spending is capped at 8%, so money reaches classrooms.
Universal pre-K is funded statewide.
Fund every school fairly and fully from statewide money from rent capture and wealth taxes. Support job training and technical programs alongside college prep. Pay teachers what they're worth!
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The Problem:
Seattle ranked 3rd for the highest property crime in the United States. But most crime, especially property crime, happens because people are desperate for money—people stealing because they're broke, domestic violence happening because partners can't afford to leave, and youth crime because families are struggling. Meanwhile, immigrant communities live in fear of ICE enforcement, with about 100 people recently detained at weekend check-ins even though they had legal status.
The Solution:
True safety comes from preventing desperation and protecting people from government power being used unfairly. We need monthly payments for everyone funded by land value capture, violence prevention programs, mental health treatment available anytime, police accountability, and sanctuary protections for immigrants and refugees.
What This Means for District 37:
The Barry Bucks Universal Income Program: $1,000/month per household creates an economic floor. This helps prevent desperation crimes, lets people leave abusive situations, and reduces drug abuse.
Violence interruption programs with 10-15 community-based workers in high-crime areas.
24/7 crisis response teams with mental health professionals, not just police.
End cash bail and expand alternative programs for non-violent offenses.
Community Police Commission with real power to enforce (not just give advice).
End local cooperation with ICE—ban sharing license plate reader data, don't allow ICE detainer requests.
Free legal representation for everyone facing deportation.
Protect families from separation with state-provided guardianship support.
$5 million each year for sanctuary sites.
Prevent crime through economic security (Barry Bucks monthly payment program, housing, education). Invest in violence prevention and mental health services. Demand police accountability. Protect immigrant communities from government power being used unfairly.
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The Problem:
Since the Light Rail opened in Rainier Valley in 2009, we've watched property values go way up near stations.
Sound Transit admits the problem: "Expanding transit service into more and more neighborhoods brings countless benefits and opportunities, but we also know that light rail infrastructure can play a role in gentrification. New development and rising cost of living often displace the existing residents that transit was built to serve."
Who got the increased value when we built billions of dollars in public transit? Not the public that paid for it. Not the workers who built it. Rich landowners and developers who did nothing made massive profits, while working families are being pushed out.
The Solution:
Community-created value should be captured and controlled by the community, not just rich investors. We need mandatory Community Benefit Agreements, clear accounting of public investments, an end to corporate tax giveaways, and real democratic say in development decisions.
What This Means for District 37:
Mandatory Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) for all buildings with over 50 units or getting public money: 25% affordable housing on-site, 40% local hiring, living wage guarantees ($25/hour minimum), and small business protections.
2:1 community value return ratio—for every $1 of public investment, the community must get $2 in measurable benefits.
End Boeing tax breaks unless they guarantee job levels, living wages, and community benefits.
Elected Community Development Councils with real power to approve or reject projects.
Participatory budgeting, which gives residents the power to decide how TIF revenue is spent in their neighborhoods.
Ban campaign contributions from developers with pending projects.
Invest public dollars in transit and infrastructure so the community that paid for it can control how development happens and capture the benefits—not just the developers, landowners, or rich investors.
| How The Five Pillars Work Together
Pillar 1: Constitutional change for Land Value Tax (LVT) funds everything else—it's the foundation.
Pillar 2: Housing is made possible by Pillar 1's value capture through TIF and eventually full LVT.
Pillar 3: Education is funded by land value capture from Pillar 1, breaking the property tax trap.
Pillar 4: Economic security and safety is funded by monthly payments from land value capture, also connecting to housing stability and education opportunity.
Pillar 5: Community control makes democratic participation real in how captured value is used and how development happens.
This isn't five separate policies—it's one connected system that changes the rules of the economy to serve working families instead of rich landowners and investors.