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-Hi.

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My name is
Maritza Rivera.

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I'll never forget waiting

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and worrying outside
Ingraham High School

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as my teenage girls
were in lockdown

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during the recent
shooting there.

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It brought home
that things are off track.

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I grew up in a tough
neighborhood in the Bronx,

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on the top floor
of a five-story walk up.

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My dad was a welder,
and proud union member.

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My mom worked in
a factory.

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They moved from Puerto Rico
seeking a better life.

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I found that life
here in Seattle.

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Unfortunately,
due to poor decisions

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and performative posturing
by the Seattle council,

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including pledging
to defund the police,

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our quality of life
has eroded.

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Our neighborhood,
small businesses are closing,

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and our streets
are less safe.

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I'll make public safety
my top priority.

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Five-minute response times
for priority 911 calls,

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get guns off our streets
and out of our schools,

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shut down open-air
drug markets,

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address addiction
and the mental health crisis.

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It's also unacceptable
that three years

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after the murder
of George Floyd,

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Seattle still has
no alternative

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to non-armed response
to 911 calls.

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Not all situations require
uniformed police officers,

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but some do.

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I'll prioritize.

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I will
bring people together

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to build more
affordable housing

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and address
the homelessness crisis.

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I currently serve as
a deputy director

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of the Office of Arts
and Culture at the city.

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I worked in
the Clinton White House

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as the Hispanic liaison,
for the ACLU post-9/11,

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to protect Muslim communities
from xenophobia,

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and for former councilmember
Tom Rasmussen.

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With better governance,

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Seattle can be progressive,
safe, and vibrant.

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I would be honored
to earn your support.