VOTE WYKING. VOTE CHANGE.

A new voice. A new direction.
We need a strong voice in Olympia to articulate real solutions to real problems. The real problems of education, economic development and jobs, crime and government inefficiency plaguing our community. My experience as an entrepreneur, youth and community development specialist gives me the unique perspective to fight for real progress for the people of the 37th district. The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln and we must restore it to its pro-freedom, justice and equal opportunity roots. It is from this perspective that I am committed to being a voice for practical common-sense solutions and efficient government in these critical times.

Education & Youth Development
Education is the key to personal, community and societal development. The academic failure rate among our youth is undermining current and community development prospects and disproportionately burdening the criminal justice system that ultimately, costs taxpayers more money. We need to implement a culturally relevant, career-based curriculum that effectively engages students in the learning process and prepares them for upwardly mobile careers and/or business ownership. Until we can completely overhaul the structurally flawed failing public education system, we must supplement our youth with successful alternative education options. In the legislature I will continue to work to:

--Build the African Youth Enterprise Center to teach international business, import and export to African American youth.
--Establish Center for Hip-hop Culture, Business and Technology to harness the power of Hip-Hop as a means to promote technology literacy and entrepreneurship.
--Implementing culturally relevant career based curriculum
--Increase teacher’s salaries with accountability – merit based pay and incentives
--Increase recruitment and hiring of culturally competent staff that reflects the student body
--Increase funding for effective academic support and enrichment initiatives/models
--Make and keep college accessible at state community colleges and universities

Economic Development
Reparations, not gentrification is the proper foundation for redevelopment in Central and South Seattle. Gentrification must be recognized for what it is, a racist economic and political agenda that displaces, disenfranchises and disregards citizens. In essence, gentrification is 21st century American apartheid and ethnic cleansing - the deliberate and systematic destabilization of a particular group resulting in displacement of ownership and political power. We have gone from “Red-lining” to “White lining” in Central & South Seattle. We must have equitable distribution of re-development resources to repair the damages of years of discriminatory economic policies in our community. I will work for:

--Financial and economic development literacy education for youth
--Expanding micro lending and small business incubator programs for youth and disenfranchised
--Expanding opportunities for home ownership for low income populations
--Tax incentives for small business to create jobs
--Formally establish Central District as Africatown, the economic and cultural center of Seattle’s African-American community.
--African Americans to receive political and economic self-governing status like Native Americans

Public Safety & Criminal Justice
Reduce crime by involving youth in positive activities and community development. Build positive institutions such as the African American Heritage Museum & Cultural Center rather than expensive subsidized housing for criminals i.e. ineffective prisons. Mass incarceration is counterproductive and costs far too much of our tax dollars. Investment in prevention and intervention is the logical, moral and fiscally responsible alternative to the wholesale criminalization, imprisonment and disfranchisement of a large segment of our community.

Accountability
Taxpayers deserve a full investigation in to the City of Seattle sponsored corruption of African American Heritage Museum & Cultural Center from the State auditor’s office. The systematic sabotage and destruction of African-American institutions such as, S.O.I.C., Liberty Bank, Central Area Public Development Authority, Central Area Schools Council, Randolph Carter Center and the resulting marginalization of the African American community must be investigated and exposed. In order to build a thriving community we must learn from and avoid the mistakes of the past and present.