Values

Everyone should feel safe and be safe in their communities. Paul wants to bring law enforcement, community groups, and public health representatives together to reshape how we work together and build foundational trust through real community engagement. We must address the alarming increase in gun violence and domestic violence, change how we respond and take care of people who suffer from behavioral health issues, and better integrate services and calls for law enforcement response. We must invest in crime prevention strategies, work to ensure the safety of our public safety personnel and the communities they serve while prioritizing accountability, transparency and oversight. We will end the Woodward Administration’s attack on collective bargaining and we will fight for better working conditions for our firefighters.

With skyrocketing costs, stagnant wages and a local economy still recovering from the pandemic, it’s clear that our community needs a voice on Spokane City Council who will put people first, support working families and small businesses. We have to come together to lift each other up and strengthen Spokane for decades to come. Workers deserve the right to earn a living wage which is why Paul, with businesses, workers, and non-profits, worked together to raise the minimum wage in Washington State. No one should have to choose a paycheck over their own health or taking care of loved ones. Paul is proud to have advocated for the Paid and Family Medical Leave Act to ease the burden on working families. 

Health equity gives people what they need to have a fair chance at freedom, well-being and autonomy. That means your race, ethnicity, gender, income, sexual orientation, immigration status, ability or neighborhood does not disadvantage you from accessing health care and resources - including access to reproductive health and gender affirming care. 

Spokane is such a special place to live. But as temperatures become more extreme - with twenty deaths in the summer of 2021 due to heat related illnesses alone - to wildfire smoke to protecting the Spokane River - we need to expand environmental, sustainability, and pollution prevention measures to curb the local effects of climate change, protect our river and provide clean air and water so our children and generations to come can thrive. After recent oil and coal train derailments, we must also revisit local laws that would protect Spokane from this dangerous risk.

We need to plan for the future which means growing sustainably and making sure Spokane is a great place to live and age well.  I will advocate for expanded property tax relief for seniors and disabled residents. Spokane should be a place where everyone can live a productive life and feel connected to their neighbors, parks, libraries and have community pride.  We must also support our vibrant arts and music scene with events like Terrain Spokane, First Friday Arts Walk and Volume Music Festival. Our live venues and public art give our city meaning, celebrate creativity and enhance our quality of life.

We need to make sure we improve the quality and efficiency of our local and regional transportation system. Safe, affordable, smart transit development are vital to growing our communities while ensuring our access to work, greenspace, and to each other. We must continue to build upon Spokane’s Complete Streets ordinance, so streets are designed and operated to enable safe use and support mobility for all users. Those include people of all ages and abilities, regardless of whether they are travelling as drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, or public transportation riders. Paul will continue to fight for accessible transportation that makes sure that every person can get where they are wanting to go safely and efficiently.

Families should be able to afford to live where they work and play. We need to increase the housing supply and we need more accessible housing options. In addition, addressing homelessness and preventing homelessness has to be a top priority. Band-aid approaches are no longer sufficient. Recent counts reveal more than 1,757 are experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Spokane.  We can do better because housing is a human right. A regional approach can help people where they are and allow more options for services that will help people find permanent housing. We know that ordinances that criminalize homelessness are unconstitutional, inhumane, and do nothing to actually get people into housing. We must join partners from across the region and state to adequately fund transitional shelters, build new affordable housing units, and expand connections to behavioral health services.