If you can’t tell from my very Dutch last name…I am from Lynden. I grew up here, and am the fourth generation of my family to live in Whatcom County.
My dad was a milk truck driver for Milky Way and picked up milk at all the county dairies. My Dad would come home every day with stories about the local farmers. I know many of them by name, and now count them among my very good friends. I know how hard they work to provide for their families, and I value their contributions to our community.
Protecting farmland and the agricultural way of life is central to the identity of Whatcom County. Even if you do not make a living farming, we all know that farming is a core piece of who we are here in Whatcom County.
As I said, I grew up in Whatcom County. After college I returned home and married my husband, Larry…and we have four children and five grandchildren.
Larry and his father founded Ferndale Ready Mix and two of our grown children now work there as well.
Our family has lived the American dream right here in Whatcom County. I am proud of how my husband built his company into a thriving and successful business and proved that hard work pays off. However, through the years I have seen how the increasing burden of regulations have hurt our family business, and make it tougher to grow and expand and create jobs.
My husband will tell you that when he started in business, he dealt with a handful of agencies, all of whom were helpful and interested in our success. Today, that number has grown to countless agencies, and the relationships are sometimes hostile and strained.
It does not have to be that way…and this is one of the reasons I am running. Our leaders and public servants need to learn how to get along. We need to focus on the things we have in common, like a thriving quality of life in Whatcom County, and not focus on those things that divide us.
Getting along with each other does not mean we compromise our principles or not stand firm for what is right. I will always work to free up small businesses to grow and create jobs. I will work to limit taxes and spending in Olympia, especially these days when spending is out of control and Olympia’s priorities are out of touch with our priorities.