Christopher Faison

2. A lack of affordable housing is a community concern throughout Klickitat County. What role do you believe the state is able to play in finding solutions, and what solutions do you support?

Rent growth has outpaced wage growth over the past decade and finding affordable housing is a chief concern for many working families. Part of this is a mismatch in supply and demand, particularly in the wake of the 2008 housing market crash; we need more housing stock. But there is also a role for state and local governments to play to make sure our communities are built out for working families and not just the well off, including incentives and public-private partnerships. I am in favor of any solutions that are cost effective and meet local needs.

3. Do you support the growth of the renewable energy industry in the 14th District? Why or why not?

Growing out renewable energy and the grid and storage to support it is perhaps the most important long-term project we have. It’s how we make sure we’re passing on a wonderful home to our kids and grandkids, rather than ever longer fire seasons and critical shortages of the water on which we depend. It’s how Washington continues to be a national energy leader and creates long term, well-paying jobs in both energy creation and grid and storage infrastructure.

But how we get there is important too. Through its public/private partnerships and clear, long-term guidelines, the state is able to provide some stability and funding needed to spur ongoing innovation and meaningful investment from the private sector. Locally, we need to involve all stakeholders and respond to concerns that range from environmental to cosmetic. It is important that folks feel seen and involved in the process.

 As a side note, when researching this question, I chuckled and admired the creativity of the projects involving the use of anaerobic bacteria generating fuel from dairy cow waste. If life gives you really stinky, methane-filled lemons…

4. What are the greatest challenges the state of Washington faces going forward?

Building a growing, resilient economy that works for all families sounds simple but is perhaps our most complex challenge.  It touches on worker education, a more balanced tax system, and keeping necessities–housing, nutrition, education–affordable.

Creating safe communities means doing the long-term work to decrease poverty, homelessness, and incarceration.  It means sustainable investments in mental healthcare and public safety.  And it means calm, nuanced conversations about how to reduce gun violence in our communities.

 To have the harder conversations, we need to sit at the table together and start figuring out a local political culture that is less combustible and more generous.  Part of the challenge is structural and can be helped by shortening the political season, getting money out of politics and creating balanced districts, so that folks feel like their voice matters and we aren’t encouraging a flight to the political extremes.  Personally and culturally, we have to be willing to let go of our identities and assumptions a bit and to really show up for each other as neighbors.  We can keep local politics local in the best of ways.