christinagagnier.com

Dear Neighbor,

I have been asking a question to every voter that I meet: How can I help?

While we may hear this often in the retail world, when’s the last time we heard it from a candidate or elected official? We have to get back to citizen-centered politics, which is what my campaign is all about.

I want to make sure that citizens move the agenda for our district, not special interests. I will go to Congress and put the needs of local families first, rather than engaging in partisan fights that lead to gridlock. I will bring common sense solutions found around our kitchen tables to Congress so that our country can move forward again. I have a solid grasp of the issues in the district, and will focus my efforts on reducing unemployment, bettering access to job training, improving our education system, protecting benefits for seniors, caring for our veterans and safeguarding our civil liberties.

My experience as the CEO of JobScout, a company that created a solution to fill the job skills gap to get people back to work throughout California and the United States, has given me a number of ideas on how to improve our job training policies. For example, children should have the access to math, science and engineering courses to prepare them for careers. Career technical education should be provided to make sure children who would like to pursue careers in the trades can do so. At a minimum, all children should know the basics about using computers and the Internet, searching for a job, filling out an application, creating a resume and applying skills to the work environment. Unemployment is a pervasive problem, and whether you are 16 years old or 60 years old, you should be able to access the training you need to get a job. As a lawyer, I have dedicated my career to protecting consumer rights and advising companies and individuals so that consumers, most importantly, our children, are protected online. Congress needs strong consumer advocates who understand the latest technological advancements and who can design policies that are good for consumers while also advancing economic growth. We desperately need leadership who want to make the Inland Empire an attractive place for growth in the “new economy” sectors and who have ideas on where we can start to move the district forward. I am running because I know voters value practical experience and a fresh perspective. We need representatives with experience in both the public and private sectors and with substantive knowledge on emerging issues. I believe I have expertise on the issues that impact our community the most. I am pragmatic about how our system works in Washington, D.C., but dogged about fighting for the district. I promise to be a Representative that will work everyday towards a balance in Washington, D.C. I will be accessible, a good listener and responsive to the needs of my constituents. I hope to get your vote on Tuesday, November 4.