First of all let me say that I have a long term interest in the health and wellness of all people .As a general statement I believe that the Port is charged with economic development. Economic development must be about every person having shelter, enough food, and access to medical. Further, I think that the Port needs to focus on long term sustainable jobs that pay a living wage rather than short term real estate returns. The Port can help reduce poverty in Whatcom County by seeking out businesses that pay a living wage and helping them to grow. The Port also has bonding capabilities which can be used to generate new jobs or expanding existing businesses. The Port can also play a vital role in protecting our farmland by working with the community to develop secondary agricultural or fishing based products.

Please see the answer to Question #6 for this response.

Public access to our waterfront areas is extremely important to people living in Whatcom County. Where Port land can be enhanced for increased access or environmental benefits we should do so at every opportunity. Partnering with other governments and private sector outreach providers will help Port leadership understand the community's needs and ensure open dialog so that opportunities won't be missed. There is a somewhat intangible but very well known link between health and non-urban landscapes that relates to happiness and a healthier workforce; it's likely that therein will be the most effective partnership opportunities. The Port can work on those publicly owned waterfront or upland areas that aren't suitable for development but can provide a link to more natural landscapes for human enjoyment and environmental services.

I will continue to promote and vote for Port initiatives and investments that will promote "living wage" jobs for our citizens, enhancing our asset and economic activity based taxes to adequately fund local government based services. I believe, in our society, prosperity yields charity and opportunity, benefitting the less fortunate.

I support the following passage from the Communities Connect website "It is the community based public/private partnership that is best positioned to address health care access issues at the local level." I would support any reasonable proposal to work with our private healthcare providers in establishing a "health home" for all Whatcom County residents that would improve health outcomes, provide preventive services, and reduce emergency room utilizations.

I will advocate and support at a minimum the following:

1. Continued support of the efforts of the Whatcom Alliance for Health Care Access. This will include ensuring that Whatcom County continues to lobby at both federal and state levels.
2. Support through the Small Business Development Center or a similar entity with expertise to support medical offices that take Medicaid patients.
3. Ensure Whatcom County supports Health Department staff, programs for obtaining grants, provides assistance to those who need help finding the appropriate programs for medical help, and retains the ability to accept and process pass-through grants and contracts.
4. Coordinate with local lower income providers of health services and wellness services on the most appropriate priorities for Whatcom County to support.

Candidate did not provide a response by the deadline.

I believe the County Health and Human Services programs have the right priorities. I would support their efforts along with the efforts of groups like the Whatcom Alliance for Healthcare Access and other non-partisan groups. I want to strengthen the educational outreach for health and wellness. The earlier we start informing people about the benefits and risks of nutrition, smoking, sleep, exercise, etc, the more impact we have. This is an effort that should begin during pregnancy through high school age. It will pay dividends in individual outcomes and in government budgets when we have a healthier population.

I am particularly impressed with the efforts of the Whatcom Alliance for Healthcare Access. The idea that healthcare inquiries can be triaged according to need is wonderful. I will work to continue support for this program as a means for the most vulnerable in our community to have a lifeline.

As stated in the question the real fix to health care availability is pretty much out of local government hands. There are some basic health services that the County provides that need to continue to ensure that locally controllable issues do not slip through the cracks and overwhelm the already shaky health care system. These program include basic vaccinations for children; communicable disease prevention, tracking and response; safe drinking water and restaurant programs; pregnancy and child care education; coordination of services for children with special needs; and significant programs to treat mental health & substance abuse issues before the courts become involved.

One of the areas where Whatcom County has excelled is through its financial and in-kind support of the Whatcom Alliance for Healthcare Access (WAHA). WAHA helps people who lack health insurance or have inadequate health insurance better understand the system and connects them to the services they need. They also serve a valuable role ensuring that local decision makers continue to hear about, and are engaged in, health care issues.

No single entity can solve these problems, so Whatcom County needs to do whatever possible to help support other agencies and health care providers. This can be as simple as technical assistance, coordination, and support for outside funding requests. I believe the County also needs to consider using its status as one of only 39 counties to better lobby the state legislature on these important issues.

I have both helped with and worked at Church On The Street, and I can see the obvious need. With unemployment at an all-time high, more people than ever are challenged with financial trouble. Regardless of the outcome of this election, I will continue to help out organizations such as the Opportunity Council and Church On The Street and others in any way I can. When it comes to local unemployment, I'm committed to find and encourage new businesses, as well as partner with existing ones, so there are local employment opportunities for all people.

While serving on the county council these past eight years, I've always been a tireless advocate for everyone to have access to healthcare, as a result of that passion (also shared by many others) I supported the creation and funding for the establishment of the Whatcom Alliance for Healthcare Access (WAHA). This organization was designed to work with individuals who are falling through the cracks, and providers who are willing to assist in serving them. So far, this worthy organization has been able to get children on some state insurance programs and steered adults to providers.

I also serve on the Board of the Opportunity Council, and I have always tried to find ways via this organization to meet the needs of those in need. As a representative for the county, I've been able to support the creation of the Homeless Service Center, which provides stable housing options for folks, county funds being directed to the Food Bank, and as an OC board member, I've steadily supported expanding the weatherization and Head Start programs. As a Board member of the Northwest Clean Air Agency, I've also been an advocate for clean air, and one way to aid in achieving this vital goal has been to support funding the wood stove retrofit program, which replaces outdated woodstoves with cleaner certified versions. Another way to address the health of our children via this organization was to lobby for and support the legislation that authorizes penalty and state funds to be used to retro-fit all of the diesel school buses across the state. I lobbied our local school districts to participate in this program so all of the kids in our county can breath cleaner air on their way to school.

It is my hope that congress and the president finally get this issue taken care of once and for all. There is no reason that the United States can't have quality and affordable health care for all. We have quality health care I know I have had 5 back surgeries and about 100 days in the hospital over the years. I am also proud as a council member the city of Bellingham provides our employees with great health care access. I feel we will get there but until we do we need to keep letting congress and the white house know it has to be done once and for all.

The City's Community Development department has a long history of providing assistance to those in need. Our goals for 2009 as described in our budget, are consistent with those of prior years. We provide low and very-low income citizens with services including (food, shelter, clothing, counseling, health care and domestic violence prevention). For budget 2009, some areas in these categories are lower because of our reduced revenues at all levels. Other budget areas have received dramatic increases in federal stimulus dollars for a variety of home weatherization and other projects that target low income populations.

Whatcom County has great medical care including private physicians as well as two Community Health Centers which provide health care, behavioral health and limited dental care. We also have two Community Mental Health Centers serving both adults and children. Yet there is still a gap in coverage for many local residents. If elected I would actively promote the health and wellness of all Whatcom county residents and in particular families and workers living in poverty. Some of my ideas include:

1. Enlarging the pool of participants in the city's insurance program by offering local business/employers to buy into the plan. This may lower the cost to the city and provide coverage to employers not currently able to purchase health insurance.
2. Community focus on dental care for adults. When surveyed at food banks in the early 1990's the highest need indicated was dental care. Untreated dental needs cause infection in the body, pain and teeth that end up being pulled out which in turn effect job possibilities. Let's consider requesting block grant recipients which provide transitional housing such as Lydia Place, NWYS, Opportunity Council, Womencare and YWCA as well as Bellingham childcare and Learning Center and Early Childhood Opportunities NW to set aside a small percentage of their funds for those families with special health care costs such as dental care which is unfunded.
3. Continuing to provide funding for our two community health centers that provide excellent care to the members of our community. This could be done through contributions of big box stores who don't provide health insurance for their employees.
4. Continue to focus of wellness through participation in programs such as the Washington Health Foundation's - Washington Healthiest State in the Nation's Program. Through a commitment by organizations funded by the city to participate in a city wide program. This could also include participation in the Washington State Health Bowl. Coordination for this could originate out of the wellness staff at the city.
5. Making sure that young adults (ages 20-30) who are often at higher rate for accidents and are unable to afford health and don't see the need have resources available for major medical in addition to primary health care.

As you know, health problems and the high cost of health care are some of the leading causes of other serious problems in peoples' lives, such as loss of employment and homelessness. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure in many ways.

Our county and city governments have different levels of ability to support their citizens, and much of our work follows rules and priorities established at state and federal levels. I believe this makes it important that we lobby to affect funding guidelines up front, such as increase funding for community health centers that fill an important need, including for people who may not be eligible for Medicaid. Along the same lines, I believe the city should continue its support of the Whatcom Alliance for Health Care Access, to broker for better access to the health care system more generally. I think it is important to realize that the City's resources are small compared to the size of the need, and this means we should work to see that every dollar counts. In the end, national health care reforms may completely change the local picture, and so we will need to remain open to changes going forward.

I would start by ensuring that all is being done to build solid relationships between City government and local organizations that work on these issues. I would actively seek to assist the Whatcom Alliance for Health Care Access that is doing much to help lower income families. I would learn how the City can partner with and assist the County in implementing, to the best extent possible, the County Health Department's comprehensive strategy for improving health in our community.

Health care is very important to me and I have served for many years on the St Joseph Hospital Community Council and recently I have been on the Interfaith Coalition of Whatcom County Board of Directors. I know first hand that the Hospital contributes many thousands of dollars to our community in the form of uncompensated care. Interfaith Coalition began Interfaith Health Center and continues to support this community asset. We are fortunate to live in such a caring community.

Washington State's insurance premiums have increased dramatically in the past few years. This has to do with the mandates that are required by the State legislature. These mandates increase insurance costs and drive competition from the State. The City Council could certainly use their influence to reverse some of the mandates which would reduce insurance cost, encourage more competition among carriers thus increasing accessibility.