At our next two meetings, we will have candidates for Congress attending! February’s guest will be Elizabeth Uelmen (see below). March 5th, 6:30 pm at the Goldendale Library we will have Jon Haugen (more info on Jon will highlight that meeting announcement).  Don’t miss the opportunity to see the candidates face to face, and ask questions to help you decide who will best represent your interests.

February 6th, 6:30 pm at Solstice in Bingen: Elizabeth Uelmen

Local educator Elizabeth Uelmen, an Associate Principal at Frontier Middle School in Vancouver, today (Jan 12) announced that she is running for Congress in the Third District.

To Uelmen, this election is about deciding the future of the middle class, in Southwest Washington and everywhere else in America.

“When the average middle class person does everything they were told to do and your home isn’t worth anything and your kids can’t find a job, you realize that all the things that you thought were going to work aren’t working anymore,” Uelmen says.

Restoring the American Dream

When she was growing up , Elizabeth Uelmen’s parents and grandparents instilled in her the Amercian Dream: That hard work, education, and playing by the rules will result in a good standard of living. Today, that dream is in jeopardy. Like a lot of parents, Elizabeth Uelmen is worried that there’s a very real possibility that the next generation-through no fault of their own- will do worse than their parents.

“There are still a lot fo good people working to better their lives and the lives of their communities. Problem is, too many in Congress are engaged in a toxic blend of extremism and partisanship that’s making it impossible for our country to move forward,” says Uelmen. “I’ve spent a career teaching children the importance of setting priorities and making good decisions. It’s time to teach Congress those same lessons.”

Focusing on Middle Class Priorities

Uelmen laid out the priorities that will guide her campaign:

Create Jobs. “Four years into an economic disaster, Congress has still done far too little to help businesses create jobs. Changing that is my top priority. Better jobs skills training and education, affordable higher education, and investments in infrastructure are just a few simple ways to create jobs. So why doesn’t Congress just get the job done?”

Support – don’t attack – seniors. “When Congress is voting to turn Medicare into a voucher program, something has gone really wrong. I’ll oppose any effort to weaken Medicare and Social Security and I’ll fight to keep the promises we’ve made to seniors.”

Strengthen — don’t weaken — education. “Education at all levels has been compromised by political games, resulting in a serious threat to the middle class. Higher education is so costly that many young adults are crushed by monumental debt before they even have an opportunity to find jobs. We must do a much better job of making a quality, affordable education available to everyone.”

Uelmen, who’s never held public office, has been working in Vancouver and Camas schools since 1993. During that time, she’s been an Associate Principal; taught science, math and special education, and coached track and cross country.

Uelmen has four grown children and earned an Associate’s Degree from Clark College, a BS from the University of Portland, and an MS from City University in Vancouver. She lives with her husband, firefighter Mark Johnston, in Camas.

You can find out more about Uelmen’s campaign at her web site. You can also email or call her at (360) 931-1358.