3 Questions with Wil Fuentes- Guest Evan Jones

Brought to you by the 18th Legislative District Democrats with your host Wil Fuentes and our special guest Evan Jones, a Military Veteran, Current Port of Longview Commissioner and Candidate for the WA State 20th Legislative District where he talks about concerns and goals for his large district that includes Longview/Kelso and the need for new leadership.  

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Three Questions, sponsored by the 18th Legislative District, Washington State Democrats. I'm your host, Wolf Wentis. Folks, my guest today is Evan Jones. Now, Evan is a tradesman, he's a U.S. Army veteran, and elected Port Alongview Commissioner running for State Representative Position 2 in the 20th Legislative District. Evan, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_00 0:23

Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Absolutely. Now you made quite a drive. You live out in uh Catlitz County. How was it?

SPEAKER_00 0:29

How was the drive? Oh, it was wonderful. The uh the weather's nice, got to roll the windows down, listen to my music. Great. Awesome.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

What were you listening to?

SPEAKER_00 0:35

What was the last song you were listening to? I was listening to a little bit of death metal. Okay. Alright. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:43

Nice and loud, windows roll down.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Yeah, yeah, probably a little bit too loud. So apologize to your neighbors for it.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

Yeah, they'll be alright. But again, thanks for being on the show. Now, uh, I have some questions for you. Um, my first one um is tell me a little bit about the boundaries of the 20th legislative district. What what what does it cover?

SPEAKER_00 1:01

It covers a lot. Okay. It's uh it's almost all of Lewis County, a little bit of Thurston County, kind of up towards the Olympic area. Um, a good chunk of Cowlitz County east of I-5, and then kind of the northwest corner of Clark County, again, east of I-5.

SPEAKER_01 1:19

Okay. So it's a weirdly shaped uh uh district, uh, but an important district nonetheless.

SPEAKER_00 1:23

I think so, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Awesome. Now that wasn't one of the part uh wasn't the uh part of the three questions. So thank you, I appreciate it. So my first question, I want to talk a little bit about affordability because that's a topic uh that is on everybody's mind. No matter where you are in in this uh in this county, in this state, in this country, it is a topic of conversation. Now, part of addressing affordability is having meaningful jobs, jobs that pay well. What do you believe will help us accomplish that?

SPEAKER_00 1:52

Uh both at the 20th LD level, at the state level, how does that um at the 20th LD level specifically, we have had a lot of big industrial projects that would have made uh a whole bunch of family wage jobs uh that would have brought a whole lot of stability to a lot of lives get killed during the permitting process. And that's been a major source of frustration for us. Uh the permitting process was written by people that live in big cities, and um I'm sure it works very well in those cities, and I understand the rationale behind it, but down here it it has been causing more harm than good for us. Yeah, yeah. I'd like to I'd like to reform that permitting process a little bit and allow some more of these projects to go forward, under, of course, still review.

SPEAKER_01 2:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Um but we we need the jobs. There's a lot of people out of work in the 20th. It's it's not a great place to try and earn a living right now.

SPEAKER_01 2:42

Yeah, no, that's really, really tough. You know, and and permitting, whether it's uh for for commercial uh land or for housing land, uh there's always uh there's always a challenge, right? Uh but you know your approach is to look at the current codes uh and potentially look at some reform, right? To make it a lot easier uh for jobs to land in your district.

SPEAKER_00 3:03

It has to be a balance, of course. You know, you gotta because we have a lot of uh farm districts as well. Okay, we can't sacrifice that in order to make this other thing happen. But you know, I believe I believe the balance can be struck in that we're we're not striking it currently.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

Yeah, now your district, there's a lot of farming in your district, a lot of agriculture, right? What other industries are are are very common in your district?

SPEAKER_00 3:23

Um, as I'm sure you're all aware, we have a large amount of paper mills in the area in that recent tragedy. Yeah, um, my heart goes out to those families there. Absolutely union shop, and so it's it's like deaths in the family for us.

SPEAKER_01 3:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

Um, so we have the paper mill. I'm uh the commissioner out of the Port of Longview.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:42

So we have a very thriving community of longshoremen. Um and we um beyond that, we have a lot of wood mills as well. Um and we're hoping, you know, to have a fertilizer terminal being built here shortly at the uh Port of Longview, excuse me.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

Okay, and that'll bring in some jobs, I imagine.

SPEAKER_00 4:01

That will bring in quite a few jobs, yes.

SPEAKER_01 4:02

All right, no, great, great, great to be here. I do have another question for you. I'm gonna pivot a little bit. Yeah. So the question that I now have for you is I wanna I want you to share the the issues that are um impacting your legislative district, the 20th LD, uh, that could potentially be different than issues that impact more uh urban uh districts like the 49th, like the 17th, the districts out in Puget Sound. Um so share with us what what are some of the issues that impact your that you that are unique to your your district that are different from other districts here in the region?

SPEAKER_00 4:34

I mean, we have uh very different kind of industry outlook. We don't you're not gonna find a lot of software development companies in any of our urban areas, um, such as they are. They're not very big compared to some of the largest cities in the state. Um but we have a you know it's diverse. We have a lot of farmland, we have a lot of timber. We we have timber all the way through that supply chain from the logging to the transportation, processing, export. I mean, the whole supply chain is represented there. It's a it's a running joke that we have more trees than people. Um that's a good thing. Yes, which is how we like it. Um and beyond that, we have some heavy industry as well. Uh obviously the paper industry is well represented there. Um the wood processing industry is well represented there. And uh, and of course the farming aspect of it as well. One of uh a good friend of mine up in Lewis, Eric Klein, runs the oldest ranch in the state of Washington. Oh Colvin Ranch, yeah. Okay, what's it called? Colvin Ranch.

SPEAKER_01 5:30

Okay, all right. It was founded in 1854. Oh wow, okay. Was Oregon Oregon Washington State even a state by that time? I don't think so.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

I've found my history well.

SPEAKER_01 5:38

It was during the Oregon trail time, right? Yeah, people were rigging away.

SPEAKER_00 5:41

Back when uh your land was whatever you could stake out.

SPEAKER_01 5:43

Right, right, right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

Thousands of acres.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

You can't do that in Calwitz anymore. No, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_00 5:48

I tried. Okay. Um people with shotguns greeting me.

SPEAKER_01 5:51

Yeah. Um now these issues particularly with there's a there's a lot, we talked a little bit about this earlier. There's a lot of head industry, uh a lot of farming, right? What are some of the issues that the farming community in your uh district are struggling with?

SPEAKER_00 6:04

You know, it it's hard. Um the B and O tax is really tough for farmers since they run uh really, really tight margins. And obviously, we we need roads, we need all the things that taxes buy for us. Um but that that that particular issue hits farming communities really, really hard. Um and you know, again, uh the minimum wage laws, which are amazing and I fully support, but they are also tricky out there because the work can be very seasonal in nature.

SPEAKER_01 6:31

I see.

SPEAKER_00 6:32

And you know, you want to take care of your people, but sometimes it you can't run your business and actually make any money while doing that. So they've got to get creative out there, and I mean they're finding solutions and they're working through it. It's it's really honestly inspiring to see the the way they come up with solutions within the framework of our current laws to take care of their people and um get them what they need while abiding by the law, even if it is difficult for them.

SPEAKER_01 6:57

Yeah, absolutely. And we need uh local agriculture, right? Uh people need to get fed. Uh it's a lot cheaper uh if you move it from Cowlitz down to uh to Clark versus moving it across the uh the Great Plains, right? Um now the B you mentioned the B and O tax uh which funds some of the infrastructure, right? Uh what are you hearing from from constituents about you know these challenges?

SPEAKER_00 7:20

You know, uh the the tax burden is high, uh as I think we talked about already. Um one of the things that I want to do is I want to grow the tax base as opposed to trying to introduce new taxes. Okay. You know, I don't we we all love the goods and services that we get from from our taxes, but um but it is hard to pay them, especially when the cost of groceries, the cost of rent, the cost of health care, everything is going up except for our paychecks.

SPEAKER_01 7:48

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:48

Um so you know, I just want to bring in more paychecks, which of course we'll put more into taxes as you know, housing values are rising anyway. And if we have more businesses in the area, then we have more businesses paying into the tax base.

SPEAKER_01 8:03

And that's key, right? Uh increasing the tax base, yeah, right, because it prevents you from having any tax you know, folks at the current level. Uh infrastructure needs to be paid for one way or the other. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:14

I mean, we're right now we're we're at a place where we're adding new taxes and cutting services. It's just we have to do it, we have to balance the budget. Yeah. But if we can put more into our existing tax structure, more income, then I think we might save us some more misery and heartbreak down the road.

SPEAKER_01 8:31

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, no, thanks for sharing that. All right, I have another I have a last question for you. Why does the 20th legislative district here in our great state of Washington need new and improved representation?

SPEAKER_00 8:45

Um, as some might be aware, Ed Orca has been in office for I think it's going on 25 years. 25 years. So he's he's practically an institution at that point. Um and you know, I honestly I I got nothing against the guy personally. I don't agree with him politically, obviously. Um, and I know he he tries his best, but at the end of the day, I haven't been here for all 25 of those years, but things have not improved since I have been here. And, you know, I'm I'm sure that's despite my opponent's best efforts, but at the end of the day, I think I can get more done working from inside the machine, so to speak, and kind of steering things in a direction that's gonna serve us better. I'll be able to serve on committees that he's not allowed to be in since he's in the minority. Okay. Um, for example, I'd be able to sit on the operating budget committee, which uh Republican is not, based purely up on the fact that they're a Republican. Um so I can drive more funding towards this district that otherwise gets skipped. Yeah. Um and I think I can bring our perspective to more receptive ears by actually being in the room and and being able to talk about these things somewhere other than the floor. Having your your speeches and your your debates. Um if you're in the room and you can talk in an informal setting, I think you can get your point across to people far better than when it's become fully politicized.

SPEAKER_01 10:10

Yeah, yeah. Now it sounds like you're making a really, really, really good case, right? Uh by uh, you know, the sheer reason that you're able to sit on committees that'll help influence policies um, as you mentioned, in a legislative district that is uh often an afterthought, right? Yeah. Is incredibly important. And then coming in with maybe different and fresh perspectives.

SPEAKER_00 10:33

Right.

SPEAKER_01 10:33

Right. 25 years in the same position.

SPEAKER_00 10:35

Yeah, you it's it's hard not to make habits and you know create a rut and then stay in the rut. Yeah, yeah. Um I'm yeah, I'm hoping that fresh perspectives and you know, uh people always tell me that don't don't bother running in the 20th, it's a Republican district, you'll never get it, and and I don't buy it. Um you know, I feel like the we have some of the highest voter turnout in the state. Wow. Which I mean is I mean we're talking crazy levels, 80 to 90 percent sometimes. Um and and I think what you'll see when you really look at the the data is that this is a district that that cares deeply and actually does their research and doesn't necessarily just vote along party lines. Yeah. And we've seen that time and time again. So I'm hoping I can make a good case of the voters and that they'll see the benefit. Uh if nothing else, this is a pragmatic district. Yeah. And I think the pragmatic fact is I can get more done than he can just based on the letter behind my name.

SPEAKER_01 11:33

Yeah, yeah. And that's quite important, important, right? I mean, when we look at high gas prices, uh, which I know you you don't you don't get to influence directly, right? Uh, but when you look at a grocery, I mean everything else, uh, the price, the uh the the cost of living in general is just so out of reach for a lot of community members. You mentioned, you know, uh jobs, good paying jobs, uh, that are hard to come across uh in your district, and then the need of farmers, right? Infrastructure, right? Not having to pay more taxes, right, because it's already a burden as it is, is incredibly important. And you're the one that can do it. I think so.

SPEAKER_00 12:05

Yeah, I think we can we can bring more jobs to the county, so it makes our lives better in the 20th. Yeah, and then those extra jobs and those extra businesses can create a larger tax base, so we don't need to keep raising our gang taxes.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

Yeah, absolutely. Evan, thank you for sharing how you can improve the lives of people in your district. Is there anything else that you want viewers to know about you?

SPEAKER_00 12:30

Um I know I'm already in politics to this extent that Port Commissioner that said I don't necessarily consider myself a traditional politician. Okay. Um you know, I I I try to keep my thoughts concise. I don't really love the sound of my own voice. Um I hate really honestly hate being the center of attention. For me, this is service. It's uh it's no different than when I enlisted in the army. Um and you know, I volunteered for probably way too many things in the military. I got the scars to prove it. Um but you know, I I care deeply about this community, and and I think I can help. And that's the only reason I'm doing this. I this is not fun for me. Yeah. So, you know, I'm I'm here because I think I can make a difference, and um I want to just show up in every way that I can for this community. I'm very proud to be a part of it, and uh, I'll be proud to represent us in one of you.

SPEAKER_01 13:23

That's really good to hear. And thank you for uh you know for your service. Uh, you are a veteran, uh, so we appreciate that. Evan, thank you so much for being on the show. Thank you for making the drive uh all the way down here to uh to Vancouver. Uh and we wish you the best of luck. Thank you. Absolutely. Folks, that is our show for today. Don't forget to hit like, subscribe, leave a comment, and hit the notification bell. We will see you next time.