Background and Motivation
Marcia Kelbon is a dedicated advocate for the residents of Washington’s 24th District, combining a rich professional background with a deep personal commitment to the community. For 43 years, she has called the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas her home, raising a family and contributing to the region’s development. A chemical engineer and attorney, Marcia has served as general counsel and an executive at a startup biotech company, where she played a crucial role in creating over 250 jobs by navigating business, financial, and regulatory challenges. Her extensive community involvement includes serving as the Quilcene Fire Commissioner, a position she was appointed to in 2022 and subsequently elected to last year.
Marcia’s motivation to run for the Washington State Legislature stems from her desire to ensure that future generations can enjoy the same opportunities she had. She notes that the Olympic Peninsula is increasingly becoming a region for retirees and tourists, and while both groups are vital, she believes it’s essential to enable younger generations to thrive and raise families here. “Our social systems, from healthcare to law enforcement, depend on that to function properly,” she asserts.
Key Issues
- Cost of Living: Marcia identifies the cost of living as the most pressing issue in the 24th District, encompassing housing affordability, excessive taxes, and a lack of living wage jobs. She advocates for amending the Growth Management Act (GMA) to allow more small building lots and reduce regulatory costs associated with building. She also calls for repealing regressive taxes that disproportionately impact rural residents, such as the “cap and trade” gas tax, mandatory long-term care tax, and capital gains income tax.
- Economic Development: Marcia’s strategy to boost economic growth includes supporting the natural resource economy, particularly the timber industry, while fostering new industries like biochar and wood pellet production. She believes in balancing conservation with the need for working forests, which provide living wage jobs and essential revenue for local services. She also supports incentives for agricultural land preservation and the development of light manufacturing and technology sectors.
- Environmental Policy: Marcia emphasizes the importance of maintaining existing conservation areas while managing forests to reduce wildfire risks. She supports the manufacture of eco-friendly packaging materials and advocates for sustainable fisheries practices. Additionally, she encourages the development of alternative energy sources, such as hydrogen fuel cells and small modular reactors, to reduce reliance on an overburdened electrical grid.
Education
Marcia believes that a strong education system is crucial for the district’s future. She supports parental involvement in education and calls for a refocus on core subjects like English, math, science, and vocational-technical training. She advocates for rewarding high-performing teachers and administrators while demanding accountability. To address the skilled labor shortage, she proposes a state-funded education and training exchange, primarily funded by employers, to provide low- or no-interest loans for vocational training and higher education in high-demand fields.
Health Care
Marcia’s plan to improve healthcare accessibility includes fostering telehealth services for remote areas, ensuring zoning regulations do not hinder the establishment of satellite clinics, and supporting business growth to increase the percentage of privately insured patients. She also emphasizes the need for reliable transportation to access specialized care and increasing housing availability for healthcare workers.
Housing
To tackle the affordable housing crisis, Marcia advocates for amending the GMA to expand urban growth areas and other development zones. She supports tax and regulatory exemptions to encourage the development of lower-cost housing options and believes in revising state and local regulations to reduce construction costs. She also calls for legislation to avoid measures that limit rental housing stock, such as eviction moratoriums and rent control.
Homelessness
Marcia’s approach to homelessness focuses on addressing the mental health and addiction issues that often underpin the problem. She supports empowering law enforcement to offer treatment or incarceration options for drug users and advocates for effective mental health treatment centers. For those facing economic hardship, she believes in the importance of economic development and housing policies that provide support.
Legislative Priorities
Marcia’s first legislative action would focus on reducing the cost of living on the Peninsula. She supports initiatives to repeal the cap and trade gas tax, capital gains income tax, and mandatory long-term care tax. If these initiatives fail, she is committed to modifying the enabling legislation to mitigate their negative impacts.
Long-term Vision
Marcia envisions a 24th District that is more than just a haven for retirees and tourists. She aims to facilitate economic development that creates living wage jobs, reduce barriers to affordable housing, and roll back unnecessary taxes. Her goal is to create a thriving community where all generations can prosper.
Election Integrity
Marcia has faith in the integrity of local elections and supports audits of voter rolls to maintain accurate records. She believes in the importance of public and private support for the election system to ensure confidence and encourage voter turnout.
Crime Rates
To address rising crime rates, Marcia advocates fully funding, supporting, and enabling law enforcement and first responders to do their jobs while ensuring that those few that do do so in bad faith are held accountable. She advocates for empowering law enforcement to offer treatment or incarceration options for drug users and believes in the importance of effective mental health treatment centers to address the underlying issues of addiction and homelessness.
Marcia Kelbon is a candidate with a clear vision and a comprehensive plan to address the challenges facing the 24th District. Her extensive professional background, commitment to the community, and practical solutions make her a strong advocate for the residents of the district.
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