WHY RUN?
BRIAN SEGUIN
A DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE PUTTING
INTERESTS? RUNNING...AND RACES...AND MAKING NEW FRIENDS...AND LAUGHING...AND PEOPLE OVER POLITICS.
MUHAMMAD ALI
In life, I've learned that true happiness is derived from doing good for others. I had little interest in engaging in politics but felt a calling to do so after witnessing, first-hand, the senseless destruction of our local community college, purposeful attacks on innocent public workers, and the consolidation of power within the state. I will work to address issues that improve quality of life for ALL IDAHOANS. Young, old, present, and future.
PUTTING IDAHO FIRST
Putting Idaho First, means investing in our present AND future. The median age of a Kootenai County resident is expected to rise as more retirees relocate to our state. As housing and cost-of-living costs continue to rise for single residents and young families how will demand impact labor and business? Will generational Idahoans be able to remain in the state they have called home? Below is a framework for addressing pressing issues in our region with an emphasis on prioritizing the people of Idaho over partisanship.
WHO AGAIN?
I am a husband and father of two daughters in the Coeur d'Alene Public School District. I was raised in Bonner County and have been a resident of Idaho for over three decades. As a librarian and public servant with over twenty-years of professional service and leadership, I possess deep experience with fiscal decision making and policy development that provide with the ability to decision make based on multiple outcomes. My passion for learning, collaboration, and community building - where representation comes from PEOPLE and not PACs or third-party entities - is the anecdote to the divisiveness and inequality of representation in our current climate.
CALL TO SERVICE
"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth."
EDUCATION
INVESTING IN FUTURE LEADERS WITH IDAHO VALUES
My quality of life, in every sense, has been enriched through education and the encouragement of life-long learning. Is public education the model for every child or adult? No, but an informed citizenry is a crucial to a healthy democracy and republic. Its time to stop scapegoating educators for political clout and start assessing, supporting, and investing wisely in public education. Strong support for education means strong families and communities for the present and future of Idaho.
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COST OF LIVING
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DEVELOPING AND RETAINING A WORKFORCE THAT CAN THRIVE
The tremendously high cost of living with little affordable housing is crushing hard working Idahoans. This negatively impacts our local economy, workforce, businesses, and families. I have seen and experienced the negative effects of this first hand while working and living in overly progressive run cities. Our City Council has done good work to address the rapid growth in the region - with some local legislators having finally started to address these issues, too - but the current pace requires coordinated efforts on the local and state level. I will work to develop and strategize mitigation plans to develop more entry level opportunities for first-time home owners, lower the burden on the working class, while also keeping rural areas rural.
Improving job skills and work opportunities through job training benefits like IDAHO Launch has benefited workers and businesses in the state. Forecasting and investing in the industries of tomorrow while protecting worker's safety and rights is what will help diversify the local economy and leave it less vulnerable to massive national and global economical swings.
FREEDOM
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FREEDOM MEANS FREEDOM
I support Second Amendment rights and will work hard to protect them while also looking to develop common sense legislation. But freedom doesn't stop with 2A. Freedom means freedom in all areas of life, regardless of ideological party platforms. Many Kootenai County legislators won't engage in bipartisan legislation. They say compromise is failure. The John Birch Society subset of Republicans have been in power for over four years and what have they accomplished aside from shrinking your freedoms, decreasing Idaho's state revenue, wasting taxpayer money on lawfare, and gaining majority seats to appoint friends all on our dime? Keeping government small and away from libraries, churches, businesses, and women's health is what has made Idaho, IDAHO.
"The John Birch Society subset of ID Republicans have been in power for over four years and what have they accomplished aside from recklessly spending taxpayer money, shrinking freedoms, and dividing communities?"
PUBLIC LANDS
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KEEPING PUBLIC LANDS IN THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE
The abundance of natural resources in North Idaho is a common factor when comparing the shared motivations for choosing the amazingly beautiful SHARED PLACE we call home. Currently, there are legislators who have eyes on the undeveloped lands of THE PEOPLE. Retaining these lands for hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, camping, and recreational vehicle use and supporting the state entities who help steward them is a core component of our shared values.
HEALTHCARE
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KEEPING OUR COMMUNITIES HEALTHY AND STRONG
When Idahoans advocate for each other through grassroots ballot initiatives, the response from legislators has been to call in out-of-state big money to help void and undermine the will of the people. Case in point, Medicare expansion. Expansion of these services has helped the most vulnerable of residents stay well and improved the quality of life of seniors or those with pre-existing conditions. When Idahoans can no longer trust legislators to respect the WILL OF THE PEOPLE, what are we to do? It begins with electing legislators who understand Idaho Values. Caring for the well being of your neighbors and the larger community is the responsibility we all share. If elected to office I will work hard to restore and live these values while representing ALL IDAHOANS.