Auburn City Council #4 – Hanan Amer

Municipal/Other Questionnaire

Candidate Information

  • Candidate Name: Hanan Amer
  • Position Sought: Auburn City Council #4 (Non-incumbent)
  • Home Legislative District: 47th LD Democrats
  • Democrat: yes

Campaign Information

Part I – Candidate Background

1. Please briefly describe your qualifications, education, employment, community and civic activity, union affiliation, prior political activity, and other relevant experience.

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from Benghazi University in Libya. I currently work for a large aerospace company, and I am a member of the company’s white-collar union. A classmate introduced me to volunteering at a local food bank. I later volunteered at the White River Valley Museum and both the Auburn and Muckleshoot libraries. In 2010 I started to volunteer with Auburn police. In 2019 I completed 30 years of volunteering, and in 2018 I was awarded an appreciation pin for outstanding services to Girl Scouts of Western Washington. I have been volunteering with the United Way of King County as a tax preparer in South King County for about a decade. My volunteer experience makes me uniquely qualified to be a civil servant for the citizens of Auburn.

2. What prompted you to run for this office? What are your campaign’s most important themes, issues, or priorities (three to five)?

I want to unseat incumbent Yolanda Trout who voted against the hazard pay of ordinance. I want to create an environment in our city that is vibrant and inclusive. There are three things I feel are important to bring this about. I want to help individuals and families in our community in need of safe or permanent housing. I want to help those struggling with opioid addiction. Lastly, I want to support small businesses and work with local business leaders to help support the growth of the new and existing economy. My biggest goal is to listen and understand the needs of the community and advocate for them.

3. What steps are you taking to run a successful campaign?

I created a website and Facebook page. I have started to order campaign items (yard signs, stationery, etc.). I filed at the last minute, which means I am far behind the other candidates. Being new to politics means I have to work harder than others.

Part II – Local Issues

1. Would you support the establishment of a safe injection site in your district?

Yes

It’s a matter of public safety. It is better to give addicts a safe space with access to medical personnel should they need it. This also contains paraphernalia (mainly needles) so it can be disposed of responsibly. This keeps the needles away from places (parks, libraries, schools, etc.) where the general public congregates. My primary goal is to keep the public safe, especially kids.

2. Would you support the administration and police force in your jurisdiction adopting a sanctuary policy, forbidding the sharing of local resources and labor with ICE?

Yes

Definitely. I believe that people are people, regardless of their immigration status. I am often misidentified as a foreigner due to having brown skin, an accent, and wearing a hijab. I was born in America, therefore I am an American citizen. I never want any person, undocumented or not, to experience what I have been through.

3. Do you support raising revenue at the city level to expand transit service?

Yes

We need better transit in the Puget Sound. Climate change is taking off at an unusually high rate, so we need to combat that sooner rather than later.

4. Should transportation policy discourage the use of private automobiles and encourage the use of public-transit?

No

I believe public transportation is necessary, but it does not work for everyone’s needs. I believe we should encourage people to use public transportation as much as possible, including carpooling, but we have to accept that it will not work for all. As a volunteer, I frequently travel with limited amounts of time between stops, and public transportation does not work for my needs.

5. Do you support building a municipally owned and operated broadband system in your city or jurisdiction?

Yes

Comcast has a monopoly in the US. Many people have them as their sole provider. During the pandemic, Comcast increased their prices when people really could not afford it. I support the building of infrastructure so residents have more than one choice for an internet provider. Internet has become such a crucial part of all of our lives, and it’s really a daily necessity.

6. Do you support requiring police officers in your jurisdiction to wear body cameras?

Yes

Auburn police already have body cams. I support all jurisdictions following suit. It is all about accountability and having it on when police are interacting with the public.

7. Do you support repealing Tim Eyman’s I-747, which artificially limits property tax increases to 1% per year, regardless of population growth, inflation, and need?

No

Taxes are growing at an exponential rate in this state. Many people can no longer afford to keep their homes due to steady property tax increases. Many have been forced to move. I want to strike a balance between property tax collection and affordability.

8. Should government assist individuals, and families who are without sufficient food, shelter, or basic necessities through no fault of their own?

Yes

Morally, I believe this is the right thing to do. If we support our citizens, they will be productive contributors to the city and state. If we turn a blind eye, we pay more in terms of incarceration and rehabilitation.

9. Should the wages paid to workers in Washington State be raised incrementally towards the goal of living wages?

Yes

Washington has a high cost of living. We should make sure people are not priced out of living here. We also don’t want to support a society of working poor (e.g., working multiple jobs and still living at or below the poverty line).

10. Will you seek opportunities to mitigate the human activities that are contributing to disastrous climate change?

Yes

Absolutely. Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of the century. We have to start going green to decrease our carbon footprint.

Part III – Free Response

1. Why are you requesting Democratic endorsement? What aspects of the Democratic platform most resonate with you?

To be honest, I am new to politics, so I am requesting as many democratic endorsements as possible. I will never be a republican. I am all for climate change, social justice, inclusiveness, and equity. I support all pivotal issues of the democratic platform.

2. What important local issues have you worked on (or taken an interest in) that you feel aren’t getting enough attention from elected leaders and the media?

The opioid crisis has cost a lot of lives. I do not see it getting enough attention in the media, and COVID caused media coverage to decline as well. Domestic violence is another issue I am passionate about; it has spiked during the COVID crisis.

3. Please list up to three specific, concrete actions you would support to ease the homelessness crisis.

I support the creation of affordable housing; micro housing is a great start to get people off the street. Once we get them off the street, we need to provide mental health services to address the issues that caused homelessness in the first place. We then need to create a program to train and keep them employed.

4. What are the barriers to economic prosperity faced by residents in your jurisdiction, and how do you plan to address them?

The cost of living here is growing faster than wages. If people are working paycheck to paycheck, there is no such thing as economic prosperity. I support the creation of a livable wage. See answer to question 9.

5. What are the transportation/transit challenges which face this jurisdiction and how would you address them? What role does rail play in your proposed solutions?

This area is well-developed, so finding vacant land is an issue. People don’t like it when the state takes their property via eminent domain. I support the building of underground infrastructure. I am all for light rail, but I would prefer that the state consider putting more infrastructure below grade.

6. What are your jurisdiction’s environmental issues, which ones are urgent and what will you do to address them?

I do not believe Auburn’s environmental issues are unique to Auburn. They are applicable state-wide.

7. Does your district have a taxing authority or propose levies and what changes, if any, would you seek?

We do, but I am not at all familiar with it.

By typing my name below, I declare under penalty of perjury the foregoing is true and correct.

Printed Name: Hanan Amer

Date: 07/03/2021

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