Let's Get Our House in Order

I am Kristine Lytton, Anacortes School Board president, former business executive and a hard-working mom. I offer what Olympia needs right now: negotiating skills, prioritization of education, and experience in keeping costs down. I drive a tough bargain.

I have a lifetime of community involvement and experience working with people to get the real work done.  I have strong Democratic values but don’t have the partisan baggage of insider politics.

My down to earth approach reflects the 40th district values of common sense and doing better with less. As a former business executive who knows the bottom line – I am skeptical of asking people for more taxes now when so many are losing jobs and not finding new ones.

This district is spread out and as diverse as any in the state. From Friday Harbor and the San Juans Islands, through Anacortes and the rich farmlands of Skagit Valley to South Whatcom and Bellingham, we have to represent a wide range of Washingtonians. We have more retirees, more farmers, more environmentalists, and, frankly, more independent spirit than most of the state.

Both our families and our small businesses are bearing the brunt of the recession, and our families are hurting.

The job of representing such diversity at a time of limited resources is a challenge to us all, but one where I bring the experience of a leader who has had to cut education costs in my own community. Like Dave Quall, whose seat I am seeking, I share a passion for making education one of the top prioirities of the state, but we all know that this is a time when voters aren’t likely to want to spend one more dime on government until it gets its house in order.

What I found by serving on the school board is that there was much we could do, even in tough times. What is missing in Olympia is any sense of boldness in tackling our financial house that is way out of order.

We need to get our House in Order: by focusing on priorities of the economy, transportation and the environment best, while listening to the taxpayers. And, we may need to look at cutting some services if it means we can do other services much better.

I will work day and night to get our house in order, so we can give the public more than just the bill for increased government services. We need a solution to government’s rapid expansion, we need to prioritize the voters’ needs and start making those tough decisions, and we need to get this economy back on track. In these tough times, we need now more than ever to get our house in order.

I’m for earning back the public’s respect, making government more accountable, and bringing the values of the 40th District to Olympia. With your help, we can get there.