Meet Joyce McDonald, Candidate for Pierce County Council, District 2

This is part of a series of candidate profiles Patch will be bringing you for the 2012 elections. Incumbent Joyce McDonald is running against Jeffrey Hogan for the District 2 Pierce County Council seat.

NAME: Joyce McDonald        

OFFICE SOUGHT: Pierce County Council, District 2

PARTY AFFILIATION: Republican

TOWN OF RESIDENCE: Puyallup

CURRENT OCCUPATION: County Council Chair

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: Current Chair, Pierce County Council;  Five terms, Washington State House of Representatives; Small business owner; Board member, Crystal Judson Family Justice Center; Board member, Law Enforcement Support Agency: Board member, South Sound 911; Board member, Pierce County Economic Development Corporation; Member; Pierce County Regional Council; Chamber of Commerce

WEBSITE:  www.JoyceMcDonald.com

WHAT IS THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE FACING VOTERS IN YOUR DISTRICT:  The economic well being of the citizens of Pierce County is the most pressing issue. We must do all we can to provide a healthy business climate. Pierce County should be a place for good companies to locate so that we will have good, family wage jobs close to home.  Just like our citizens, Pierce County government must live within our means, just like our families do every day. Fortunately, we saw hard times coming and acted quickly to ensure that County government was sound.   

IF ELECTED, WHAT WILL YOU DO IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS IN OFFICE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? I will make the tough decisions to ensure that our budget is balanced without increasing the tax burden on our county’s hard working families. I will encourage less regulation of businesses and ensure a stable, predictable system relating to land use decisions. We have worked to streamline the permitting process, but continued code consolidation and systematic improvements in county government still need more work to encourage opportunities for job creation and affordable housing options.  Customer service should be the priority of County government.

DO YOU SUPPORT/OPPOSE REFERENDUM 74, SHOULD GAY MARRIAGE BE LEGAL IN WASHINGTON? BRIEFLY, WHY? I support traditional marriage where children are nurtured and protected and allowed to grow to become productive citizens.

DO YOU SUPPORT/OPPOSE, INITIATIVE 502 TO MAKE SMALL AMOUNTS OF MARIJUANA LEGAL TO PEOPLE 21 AND OLDER? BRIEFLY, WHY? I do not support making marijuana a legal drug. According to www.Whitehouse.gov  “Marijuana is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). As a Schedule I drug, marijuana is classified under the following criteria:

A. The drug has a high potential for abuse.
B. The drug has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States
C. There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision.