Mark on the Issues

Economic Development and Jobs

Arcata and the 3rd District are a magnet for innovative, locally-grown businesses that provide good-paying jobs while bringing money into the area.  As your Supervisor I will work to encourage entrepreneurship and support our growing industries by making sure they have ready-to-build industrial sites, start-up capital, and access to our talented workforce.

Click here to read Mark's recently released Econ/Jobs Plan


Smart Growth

As we grow and change, many residents worry that we may lose those qualities that make Humboldt County special.  As your Supervisor, I will seek to preserve our community character and our unique quality of life.  I will work to protect our working forests and farmlands by making our communities into vibrant, attractive and healthy places for people to live and work.
 

Community Safety

I will work to ensure that first responders like the Sheriff's Department and our fire districts have the stable funding and resources they need to keep our neighborhoods and homes safe.
 

Water Rights and Dams

The dams on the Klamath and Eel rivers need to come down, for the sake of the fish, the fishermen and the downstream communities.  I will work closely with fishermen, local business-people, environmental advocates, and Indian tribes to forge a fair and equitable solution that brings down the dams and provides assurances for both the fish and the farmers.
 

Affordable Housing

We must assist the market to provide working families with housing that is safe, healthy and attractive. We can make home ownership more accessible by providing incentives to build affordable housing, and by providing innovative and effective tools such as inclusionary zoning. and a housing trust fund.
 

Infrastructure and Reliable Internet

As a remote, rural county, we are increasingly dependent upon the internet for our connection to the outside world.  Our local businesses, our hospitals and our children's schools all depend on internet access to do their vital work.  I will make reliable and seamless internet infrastructure a top priority for our county.
 

Trails and Recreation

A regional trail system will improve public health and safety, and enhance the quality of life that makes Humboldt County a great place to live.  The public overwhelmingly supports this project, but there is still a lot of work ahead to make this dream a reality.   As your Supervisor I will see this project through.
 

Renewable Energy

As your supervisor, one of my top priorities will be to make Humboldt County a leader in sustainable and renewable energy research and technology, to spur innovative new industries and to move us towards a locally-sustainable energy future.