County Council, District 1: Nate had his shot; vote for Nicole

I usually agree with The Herald’s endorsements, but the endorsement of Nate Nehring for the county council’s 1st District is one I cannot agree with. I voted for Nehring last time and expected to again until taking a close look at misleading campaign claims and endorsements from far-right Republicans.

Nate claimed 10,000 jobs are coming to North County on his primary web page. But a Herald report put that number at 1,000 Amazon jobs with 5,000 others. Following the article, his claim disappeared. He claims to support “living wage” jobs. But Amazon jobs are not living wage. He supports “carrot and stick” approach to dealing with the homeless. But these embedded social worker/police officer programs are in Marysville and Arlington, not county programs. And he will not consider the state-approved funding for the county which supports the “carrot” resources our homeless need.

Is Nehring bipartisan? The county council has three Democrats and two Republicans. Nehring has never voted with Democrats in a 4-1 vote. Further, he has not distanced himself from the false claims being propagated by Republicans and even some who endorse him.

So, I called Democratic opponent Nicole Ng-A-Qui, met with her several times and hosted a meet and greet. She is soft-spoken but passionate, intelligent but humble, and puts people and small-businesses first!

Please look at her web page: nicoleforsnoco.com. There are no sweeping claims, only heartfelt passion for our way of life. Everywhere she goes she connects with people. If you voted for Rick Larsen or Emily Wicks, Nicole is your candidate. She is an excellent choice for our county council. Please “Vote Nicole.”

Ron Friesen

Marysville