Port of Tacoma Commissioner 5 – Vote Kristin Ang

Municipal/Other Questionnaire

Candidate Information

  • Candidate Name: Vote Kristin Ang
  • Position Sought: Port of Tacoma Commissioner 5 (Non-incumbent)
  • Home Legislative District: 26
  • Democrat: Y

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’m a business attorney and community advocate. I’m the Board President of City Club of Tacoma, a nonpartisan civic organization. I provide pro-bono legal services to our community such as representing those who have been detained at the Northwest Detention Center. I also help with community events. The last event addressed dismantling the school to prison pipeline. My educational background is business (University of Puget Sound) and law (Cornell Law School). I worked and studied international law, trade and business in Hong Kong and China, our largest trading partner. While studying abroad in China, I saw firsthand the heavy industrial pollution in China. I grew to appreciate the beauty, quality of life, and natural resources of our Pacific Northwest. I realized that environmental and economic wellbeing go hand in hand. That our
rich environment is worth preserving for our generation and the next.

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

I am runing to build a more competitive, collaborative, cleaner and innovative Port of Tacoma that works for all of us. This means modernizing port and transportation infrastructure to grow our economy and reduce traffic congestion. Second, providing strong environmental stewardship and innovation resulting in clean air, clean water, and family wage jobs. Third, healing and strengthening the Port’s community partnerships particularly with the Puyallup Tribe, labor and local governments. I’ll also connect the Port and related industries to our strong educational institutions. This will foster innovation, build the skilled workforce of tomorrow and expand community access to port-related jobs and opportunities.

I will help build the bridges necessary to create and implement a shared vision for the Port of Tacoma and county. Also, I will help restore public confidence and trust with a comprehensive public engagment plan that increases the Port’s transparency and accountability.

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

I have raised funds and received endorsements from the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, environmental groups, labor and elected officials. I have engaged the community through attending forums, festivals and meetings around the county.

Part II – Local Issues

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

No

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

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

Yes

State should primarily fund transit. Citiies should have the option, IF they choose to raise revenue for specific projects and purposes.

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

Yes

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

Yes

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

Yes

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?

Yes

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

Yes

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

Yes

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

Yes

Part III – Free Response

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

The environment, healthcare, education and civil rights aspects resonate with me.

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?

Lack of diversity and inlusion policy and programs at Port of Tacoma.
Addressing human trafficking.
Expanding community access to port related jobs and opportunities.
Connecting the Port and related-businesses to our strong educational institutions.
Creation of maritime high school and/or maritime regional training center.

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

Partnering with labor, educational instutions (as early as middle school and high school) and businesses to create jobs, internships and apprenticeships.
Expanding community access to jobs by working with the non-profits and community organizations.
Promoting port-related opportunities.

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

The barriers to economic prosperity are affordabile housing, healthcare and family wage jobs.
My plan includes job creation and apprenticeships, expanding community access to port-related jobs and opportunities, attracting businesses that will help the Port meet its energy, environmental, logistics and security objectives. The Port would also take a role in transporation projects. This will help ease the burden the affordable housing.

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?

Nearly half of Pierce County residents commute to jobs out of the county. I would address this by creating more jobs and attracting businesses to our area. We can take better advantage of on-dock rail to relieve traffic congestion.

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

Climate change, stormwater, air and orcas. 90% of goods are shipped. If shipping was a country, it would be the 6th biggest greenhouse gas emitter. Port should collaborate with our educational institutions and research labs to address this issue (ex. renewable fuel research). To clean up air, electrify equipment and increase shore power technology. To mitigate impact on orcas, update our stormwater practices and reduce impact of ship noise.

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

Yes. I oppose increasing port property taxes.

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

Printed Name: KRISTIN ANG

Date: 10/13/2019

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