Amanda Siebe

Here is a brief interview with a “budding” politician, Amanda Siebe.  She is running for the Democratic nomination for Congressperson in Oregon’s District 1, a large district west of Portland.  Amanda’s stance on cannabis legalization is consistent with all her other positions on the issues.

Honestly Refreshing

Amanda is a home grower (a relative newbie, like many of us) and a medical marijuana user.  Amanda would be the first wheelchair-using Congressperson and the first Congressperson who is honest about growing and using weed.  Read about her campaign and donate at her website, siebe2020.com.  She has a comprehensive vision for America, including Medicare For All, unlike many current Congresspeople, who clearly are too comfortable in Washington.  And best of all, she is not afraid to speak her mind.

The Primary is May 19

Interview.

MaryJane Farmer: Okay, this is Amanda Siebe. She’s proudly running for the House of Representatives in District 1 in Oregon, and Amanda, being a good Oregonian, also is a, has a green thumb. Her green thumb is just the kind of stuff that people like to grow in Oregon. It’s the kind of stuff we talk about growing all the time.

MaryJane Farmer: Amanda, show us your, the girl that you brought over with you.

Amanda Siebe: Well, this is one of my nine little seedlings I have going. She is a, hopefully she, is a Cherry Lime-aid Indica. That one …

MaryJane Farmer: Have you been growing for a while?

Amanda Siebe: This is my second year growing, myself personally. I’ve been helping friends for a couple years, but this is my second big batch of plants.

MaryJane Farmer: Are you growing indoors? It looks like you’re growing outdoors possibly.

Amanda Siebe: Yeah, out on my back patio. I move them in and out throughout the day, depending on what’s going on.

MaryJane Farmer: Have you gotten a lot of kick back from people in Oregon about being the, out in the open candidate for the House of Representatives that is not afraid to say what you really like to do?

Amanda Siebe: They seem to really respect it and enjoy it. I am a medical patient, which I think changes things a little bit in some people’s mind, but not in mine. For me marijuana is marijuana. I understand that some people use it for some reasons, and some people use it for other, and to each their own. It’s not for us to really decide or judge, but I have found that people here have been really, really accepting, and they really appreciate one, the honesty and two, that I’m willing to go out and talk about it, and be fully transparent.

MaryJane Farmer: All right, now before I go any further, I want to ask you if you can tell my readers where they would find information about you and maybe if they wanted to donate they could do that too.

Amanda Siebe: Yeah, the website is www.siebe2020.com. Www.S-I-E-B-E, 2020.com.

MaryJane Farmer: Okay, and you’re currently in the middle of the primary campaign, is that right?

Amanda Siebe: That’s right, our election is May 19th, so coming up.

MaryJane Farmer: Wow, pretty soon, just one month after the eponymous date for weed, 4/20, which just past.

Amanda Siebe: Right. Oh I celebrated.

MaryJane Farmer: A lot of people did, but not very many people celebrated with other people. There were a lot of online celebrations though, I think.

Amanda Siebe: Right.

MaryJane Farmer: Yeah, how long have you been politicking? Is this your first go round?

Amanda Siebe: This is my first run for an office. I grew up in a family that really believed that the closest a woman should come to politics was as a politician’s wife, so it really took me a while to one, convince myself that I had a shot at running, and then two, that I could do it without the name recognition and funding of Hillary Clinton, so when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, when they got in, that really opened the door and showed me that my wheelchair isn’t really a liability. It’s more of an asset. It shows people that I am one of them, that I understand the same problems.

MaryJane Farmer: Yeah, and I think people respond to someone who’s not afraid to be genuine. I hope that’s true anyway. I’m sure you’re probably not the darling of the Democratic Party, particularly since I see a Bernie sign behind you, and Alexandria Cortez behind you also, so I’m sure you’re not the darling of the Democratic Party at this point, but do you feel confident about your election prospects? Are you happy that you did this?

Amanda Siebe: Oh man, I am thrilled that I did this. Win, lose, draw, I have come farther than I ever thought that 10 year old me would ever come, so this is a huge win in my book no matter what, but I really think that we have a shot. People are hungry for change. In 2016, our state and our district went Bernie, and so I’m really hoping that we can carry that momentum and keep the revolution going.

MaryJane Farmer: Well I hope you’re right. I campaigned for Bernie in 2016, and again recently. I’m devastated that he is not the candidate because I don’t think that Joe Biden has a chance in hell. I just think he’s too much of a wimp.

Amanda Siebe: I hear you. I mean if Hillary Clinton couldn’t beat him, there’s no way that Joe Biden will because it’s the exact same thing, just a different name.

MaryJane Farmer: Right, it’s the exact, same old politics, same old tired stuff. Okay, all the rich guys are going to give me money then I’m sure I can win. I mean … Never mind, I’m not going to rant anymore. You’ve heard that rant. I’m sure you’ve made the rant yourself.

Amanda Siebe: Oh yeah. I mean I’m up against Suzanne Bonimicci, who’s worth over six million dollars.

MaryJane Farmer: Wow.

Amanda Siebe: Had a million dollars in a re-election fund until this last quarter, when she dropped half of it in one quarter, because she started to get a little scared.

MaryJane Farmer: Well good for you. I’m glad you made her scared. Good for you, and tell me something, are you, when you get into the House of Representatives, they say that women should be in the House and the Senate, right? That’s what I’ve heard. When you get into the House of Representatives, are you going to be, you’ll probably be part of the Alexandria Casio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley squad, I guess.

Amanda Siebe: That’s my goal. I will be the only disable woman in the United States House of Representatives. I’ll be the second one in history of our Congress.

MaryJane Farmer: Really?

Amanda Siebe: Yeah, I mean it’s a first. I’ll be the first disable woman that’s not a disabled Vet.

MaryJane Farmer: Wow.

Amanda Siebe: It’s a big thing, yeah. I really would be honored to join them. Those women, they are amazing, and they are versed and they are warriors in their own right. It would be an honor.

MaryJane Farmer: It would be. Even if you don’t get in the House, I hope you get to go see them and talk to them, no matter what, because you can certainly be an inspiration for people in the Democratic Party, who are sick and tired of the same old crap that we’ve been handed for several decades now.

Amanda Siebe: Oh yeah, I mean the Democrat Party doesn’t even have disability rights on their platform. They include it under basic rights, and ensure basic rights for all.

MaryJane Farmer: Yeah.

Amanda Siebe: That’s just not good enough.

MaryJane Farmer: No, that’s not good enough. It’s not good enough to have candidates who simply just don’t have any clue about what people really need.

Amanda Siebe: Right.

MaryJane Farmer: Just no clue. Well Amanda, I’m hopeful that some of the people that see this are going to be able to contribute to your campaign. What city are you in, in Oregon?

Amanda Siebe: I am located in Hillsboro, Oregon, so Oregon District 1. It goes all the way out to Astoria, over to the west side of Portland, and down to McMinnville, so it’s a really big district.

MaryJane Farmer: Have you been doing a lot of traveling in the district to talk to people?

Amanda Siebe: I am car free. Well it’s really hard living on $750.00 a month, when your rent is $1,235.00, to try to own a car. It’s incredibly hard.

MaryJane Farmer: No kidding.

Amanda Siebe: I take TriMet everywhere, and I turn our bus system and our Mac system into big town halls on the go. It’s awesome. We get everybody on the train involved, and try to go and get people where they are, and talk to as many as I can.

MaryJane Farmer: Wow, good for you Amanda. That’s inspiring. You know, if you are in Congress, I hope that we see a lot of you, and if you’re not in Congress, I hope we hear more from you too.

Amanda Siebe: Oh you will.

MaryJane Farmer: Do it again next time too.

Amanda Siebe: Either way, I’m not going away, so Bonimicci’s got a thorn in her show and she doesn’t even know it yet.

MaryJane Farmer: Good for you Amanda. Thank you very much for talking to me. I’ll send you a note when this is posted. It should be in a day or so, okay?

Amanda Siebe: Thank you so much. Thank you, I really appreciate this.

MaryJane Farmer: I appreciate a chance to talk to you. Good luck on May 19th, and I hope my people are going to send you some money. Okay.

Amanda Siebe: Thank you.

MaryJane Farmer: Thank you Amanda.

Amanda Siebe: All right.

MaryJane Farmer: Bye-bye.

Amanda Siebe: Bye.