William A. Rasmussen
Democratic/ Independent Candidate for
Washington Senate
District 2
William Rasmussen
William (Bill) Rasmussen has a life- time of service to his community and his country. He is a Navy Veteran of 16 years Active and Reserve, and another 11 years with the Army National Guard and Army Reserves, where he did multiple deployments including Iraq and Afghanistan.
He was a Board Certified Respiratory Therapist with 20 plus years experience in everything from home care, Trauma ICU, Cardiac Units, and Neo-natal Units.
He has been an Emergency Medical Technician with experience on the street of Kansas, Colorado, and California to the flight deck of an Amphibious Assault Ship and with an Army Combat Engineering Company in Afghanistan.
He has worked in public lands as a National Park Service and a National Forest Ranger as well as working for the Bureau Land Management
Bill has literally traveled around the world with the military, and has seen some of the best and worst of places. He has an understanding of what happens when plans and ideas fail. Especially when it comes to working with other cultures. Seeing the wasted money and lives that we put into places like Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan because we didn’t understand the culture nor the problems, and most of all, we didn’t ask for their input or ideas.
The Evergreen State College, in Final terms for my Grad school , Public Administration
Bill firmly believes in education for himself and others. He has an Associates degree in Biology/ Medical Science. A Bachelors Degree from Colorado State University in Eco-system Science and Sustainability, and currently a student at The Evergreen State College, Masters of Public Administration
Bill is a Jack of All Trades, and literally been there done that, even has a few T-shirts to go with it.
Bill has been a Science Teacher for 6th grade and up and been in the classroom for 5 years full time and several more part time as a substitute teacher
He has taught everything from 6th grade Earth Science to Advanced Cardiac Life Support at Georgetown Medical School-Wash. DC.
He has a background with designing medical products for use by the military.
Bill was part of an International Design Group designing a ventilator for use and manufacture in third world countries during covid. Also has submitted a design for protective clothing for those working with Ebola Virus.
Bill has a passion for solving problems, whether its working at Walter Reed Medical Center helping Soldiers to take care of their families. To helping his home care Patients with their CPAP or Ventilator.
He has a passion to work as part of a team to solve those big problems we have now and looking forward to serving the great state of Washington with the same passion he has always shown, and do so with empathy, respect, and integrity.
Bill has served in almost every branch of service in one capacity or another. He was in the Navy as a Corpsman, with the Marines as an FMF Corpsman. In the Army Reserve and Guard. With the Air Force as a member of Civil Air Patrol. And now serves with the US Coast Guard thru the Auxiliary
Formed in 1917, the division deployed to France as a part of the American Expeditionary Force during World War I. It was called up for service again during World War II. The division's 116th Regiment, attached to the First Infantry Division, was the first wave of troops ashore during Operation Overlord, the landings in Normandy, France. It supported a special Ranger unit tasked with clearing strong points at Omaha Beach. The rest of the 29th ID came ashore later, then advanced to Saint-Lô, and eventually through France and into Germany.
One of the few pictures I have of my time overseas, this was 3rd Platoon, 1041st Engineering Company, Wyoming National Guard at COB Speicher in Iraq
This is the 29th Infantry Patch from Washington DC and Maryland National Guard. It is the Ying /Yang Patch, a legacy of service during a divided country from the Civil War
This was at Dinosaur National Monument as a Ranger,
I have been a National Park Ranger There and at Rocky Mountain NP.
A Ranger for the US Forest Service
And a Technician for the Bureau Land Management
Navy Corpsman -especially those assigned to the Fleet Marine Forces-US Marines are referred to by Marines as Doc, a title we all embrace, we have earned that legacy of honor and dedication to service
Service to others is who I am now and always
US Marines, assignments at, Camp Pendleton, Cherry Point, USS Tarawa, USS Iwo Jima, 14th Marines-HHS, 214 Marines
USS Tarawa-LHA 1 multiple West Pac deployments with Surgical Team as part of Marine Expeditionary Unit
Service to Work as a Team to Solve the Problems and Accomplish the Mission
Service with Purpose
Service to go into Harms Way
USS Iwo Jima LPH2-Surgical Team-Desert Storm
Service with Honor
Service with Discipline and Courage
I have been a regular classroom teacher for 5 years teaching science
Teachers are not baby sitters, Students that want to be disruptive need to be in a secure classroom at the District Level, students that want to sleep all day, go home. Students that will not try-they sit in class and play video games on their computer, need to have computer access removed, and start from there
I am currently working to support local districts as a substitute teacher at the Jr and Sr High School level
We need to fix the School Funding Mess and make it more equitable and fair
I am seeing the struggles teachers are having every day
All School Staff should be able to live in the community they work in, that includes housing without having to take on a second job, teaching is hard, they deserve to be able to come home and relax after having 150 students
Education
I see where the system has failed when students can’t do the math, can’t read, and writing so poor they have to use a keyboard to write. Students are missing the Basic and Fundamental skills, because its much easier to just ignore the problem
Get back to “OLD SCHOOL” learning of paper and pencil, reading a book, and solving problems
To improve Math skills, in Middle School, Math content of some sort, every class, every day
Create a pathway to include more volunteers into the school. I propose that every state employee be able and has a responsibility to do at least 1 hour of volunteer work every 2 weeks, whether a PhD or a Janitor, That includes a Governor and a Senator
Its Called “ ALL HANDS”
and that what it means
Computers are a great tool, but tools are for learning while in school, not for video games
Reading is so important to all students, but we have parents that have forgotten they have a responsibility to work with their student. I propose legislation to codify that a student gets 20 minutes of reading out loud to an adult 3 times a week at a minimum
We must address the issue of school building status and needs of Infrastructure
Teachers need the Support from Para- Professionals to fill the needs of students that need and want that extra help, Teachers and Paras are THE EDUCATION TEAM for all students
I challenge the students to try and push to learn more, I challenge them to try doing higher math, and getting interested in the sciences, At the Jr High-I do Dinosaur talks, at the High School-Cardiology
I even push them to try math they won’t see til college, but certainly are able to do
I see the struggles that teachers have with difficult students, and especially with students with cell phones, Plan to First-law that restricts access to social media and communication systems used on phones or computers during school hours by minors. Second, put legal consequences to possession of a phone or device while in school a criminal offense, Phones off would now have teeth
Why are there so many pictures of me in a classroom ?
Its my opinion that you can’t Complain or make suggestions if you never been there.
Ive Been There
Just to make sure that People do not think I am some Democrat”
This is my patch of my campaign. Wild Weasel missions are extremely dangerous and absolutely necessary.
Theses are the guys that go in as pairs, they tickle the radar of an adversary, and put a missile right at the radar. Its about technology, tactics, tools, courage, and mission.
Who ever my opponent would be, is looking at the same tactics to deal with them. I will overwhelm them with my messaging, and remind people that they supported the current administration in DC as being enablers. They have the same old strategy for the past 40 years. They claim to know you, but the truth is they don’t give a shit about you. They figure they can just claim to be some party affiliate and you will vote for them, just out of habit. I am out here to earn your vote, and who is going to work harder ? The guy that wraps himself in a flag and pretending to care about you ? Or the Guy that has actually been there taking care of everyone out there his entire working life, served this country in uniform for 27 years, and spent a lifetime learning and actually serving others as a teacher, as a provider, as a advocate for public lands ?
I am a better Republican then anyone of them could ever be, and a better Democrat then anyone, with only a few exceptions.
I bring the same strengths to my campaign and what I will do to serve the people of Washington. It takes a whole lot of skills to run for office, and I am not using some political operative machine to get you to elect me. This is me, This is me doing the work, knocking on the doors, all by myself. No Money, all on my own.
Who do you see as a strong leader, the one that sucks the boot of a wanna be dictator, or the guy that worked hard to meet you and earn your trust.
My Name is Bill Rasmussen, and I am here to serve the people of Washington with what the politicians had lost. Honor, Integrity, and Compassion with Strength