Scott Dalesandro said he is tired of the acrimony between politicians and is hoping he can unseat Rep. Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver, and bring a spirit of cooperation to Olympia.
Dalesandro, who considers himself an Independent, said there’s a “meanness” in local politics.
“The right and left are extreme, and nobody seems to be representing the people in the middle,” he said.
When he looks at his two young granddaughters, he said, he worries about the future.
“I don’t like what I’m seeing. Our government seems to waste money left and right, and there’s no accountability,” he said.
If elected to the 49th Legislative District, he said, he would work to lower college tuition rates and return to the days where working a summer job could help students graduate from college nearly debt-free. Everyone should be able to afford college, he said. He also said he would like to see the creation of more trade schools so students are graduating with a specific skill set, such as in welding or forklift driving.
“Languages are nice, but we need to teach people how to do things,” he said.
Regarding the proposed oil-by-rail terminal in Vancouver, he is hoping more people continue to get involve and some of the questions raised are answered.
“I’m not convinced this is the way we should be doing things,” he said.
In November, voters will likely be asked to weigh in on whether to expand background checks on gun purchasers who buy through the Internet and other private sales. Although Dalesandro said he hasn’t read the language of the measure, expanding background checks is an idea he favors.
One stark difference between him and the incumbent, Dalesandro said, is he’s not part of the “current regime.”
“I’m not tied to a party, a union, or any company. I don’t want their money. Everyone is to blame for where we are today … We need people from the outside to come in, who have run businesses and managed things. I’m not a politician. Sharon is,” he said.
Dalesandro is a general manager with Columbia River Logistics, a Vancouver company that provides transportation and warehousing services for the pulp and paper industry. He attended Robert Morris University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting. The 62-year-old is married, with one son and two grandchildren.
Wylie is seeking re-election and also has a Republican challenger, Anson Service.
“There is no room in the middle. The Tea Party has taken over the Republican Party and they are so right, it’s sad — and the left is so far to the left, they have forgotten the working man,” Dalesandro said.
