Hank Sanders
Candidate for:
State Representative - HD 52
What drives me to seek an elected position
Kevin and Carol live in a small cabin in Parkdale. I knocked on their door and they told me about their lives. And as I listened, I realized that if they were born just a few years later, they would be dead.
If Kevin was not on Medicare when he was diagnosed with cancer, they would not have been able to afford the treatment. If Kevin was born a few years later, that strong union job he had at the high school would not exist because of budget cuts. They would not be able to afford a home on two education salaries and they would not be able to afford $34,000 a year for child care for two children.
I am running because today and into the future, thousands will die or live in poverty and the cause will be that the government failed to protect them. I want to help protect my generation and the next to ensure that there is a sound future ahead.
The first three priorities or issues I want to tackle
1. One of the “planks” under equity in the County platform is “We believe in the right to quality health care for every person.” HR1 will kick 200,000 Oregonians off of their healthcare due to the expectation that increased eligibility requirements will lead to churn. That is why we must create an agency of Medicaid Paperwork Support. This agency will help people complete their eligibility paperwork and stay insured. We need this to ensure that everyone has the ability to keep their healthcare.
2. The county platform is filled with language about how important it is to lower the cost of housing, increase affordability and protect our communities from fires. We can wrap that all into on piece of legislation: If you take fire prevention matters around your home (also known as Home Hardening), you should not see 30% or 40% increases to your home insurance.
3. Oddly, child care is not in the platform. But when I talk to voters, $17,000 a year for one child for child care either means: The family is unable to save for a home, the family is living paycheck to paycheck, or one member of the family is taken out of the workforce. This is terrible for our state and so we need to pass tax credits for rural child care workers.
The experiences and insights I will bring to the office
When I was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, I walked into the mayor’s office of a small suburban town and found myself interviewing a man who worked for a downtown construction firm. The man told me that 1) his company advised city council on which companies should win municipal construction contracts, and that 2) his company submitted bids for those contracts.
After a monthslong investigation, I uncovered this conflict of interest and many other conflicts within the city. The mayor eventually became so frustrated with me that he sent police citations to my door, charging me with tampering with government work.
The charges were obviously dropped and it became a national story. But being a reporter has instilled in me a few very crucial skills:
1. Listening more than we speak. Journalists are professional listeners.
2. Fighting for the little guy
3. Following FACTS not politics
What being a Democrat in Multnomah County means to me
To be clear, I am not a Multnomah County Democrat. I am a Secretary of the Hood River County Democrats. But being a Multnomah County Democrat seems to me to mean:
1. Protecting for your neighbor
2. Pushing to make a government that works for working families
3. Increasing the livability of our communities
Editor’s Note: HD 52 includes part of Multnomah County