Our election coverage continues as Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4, is rapidly approaching. This week we are featuring a question and answer forum with the candidates running for Washington State Representative for the 39th District. Incumbent Elizabeth Scott, a Republican who lives in Monroe, is being challenged by a newcomer to the political arena, Charles Jensen, a Democrat from Skagit County.
Scott was elected in 2012 on a platform of smaller, smarter government. During a presentation in July, Scott shared that, during her time in the legislature, she has zeroed in on fiscal responsibility, jobs and schools. In response to these priorities she serves on three committees; the Higher Education Committee, the House Early Learning and Human Services Committee and the Capital Budget Committee.
Scott comes from an education background, and holds a Master's degree in teaching English as a Second Language, as well as a Bachelor's degree in Linguistics. She taught ESL courses for 10 years both in the United States and overseas, spending two years in China and three years at a women's campus in the United Arab Emirates.
It was Washington State's high rate of high school dropouts that motivated her to seek political office.
During her first term as a legislator, Scott was the primary sponsor on two bills which passed unanimously in both the House and the Senate, and then signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee. Her childcare facility bill, House Bill 2191, protects the owners of small daycare facilities from increased regulations and inconsistent enforcement procedures; an issue that Scott became aware of while doorbelling. Her second piece of legislation, House Bill 1180, helps the families of volunteer firefighters who are killed in the line of duty, ensuring that they receive the same amount of benefits as the families of career firefighters.
Jensen is a United States Veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force for two years as a personnel specialist. After his service in the Air Force, he served for nearly 10 years in the Washington Air National Guard as a heavy equipment operator. He holds a Bachelor's of Education degree from Western Washington University, as well as a Master's of Education from City University.
Jensen, who has been in education nearly 20 years, started teaching in 1996 for the Concrete School District in Concrete, a town approximately 20 miles east of Sedro Woolley on S.R. 20. He transitioned to the Sedro Woolley School District in 1999 where he taught English, speech and history at Sedro Woolley High School. Still with the Sedro Woolley School District, he is currently teaching high school classes to students at the Cascade Job Corps campus.
Having lived in the 39th District for 18 years, Jensen became interested in seeking political office out of a desire to seek change in the Washington state government's current political atmosphere. Frustrated by the idea that legislation is being stymied by partisan quarrelling, Jensen states on his website, "We have a lot of work to do that's not getting done. Our state government has been broken by partisan bickering and extreme agendas.GÇ¥
Jensen has been endorsed by U.S. Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, Snohomish County Executive John Lovick, Snohomish County Sheriff Ty Trenary and others.
The 39th District includes most of Skagit and Snohomish Counties, as well as northeast King County, which includes the town of Skykomish. -á-á-á-á
Talk a little bit about the McCleary Decision, and the Washington State Supreme Court's unprecedented decision to hold the entire Washington State Legislature in contempt of court. What can be done in the Washington state House of Representatives to help achieve compliance with the court's order to fully fund public education by 2018?
Scott: The Supreme Court actually held the entire "state of Washington' in contempt, which is interesting. The Court has overstepped their state constitutional boundaries, by attempting not only to write laws, but also to decide how much funding should be allocated. The court did point out that it is the legislature who defines "basic education.' That definition has been expanded several times over the last decade, and efforts were made this year to expand it further to include preschool for all. With what money? Therein lies the rub. This political theatre isn't really about education; it's about prepping the minds of the public for increased taxes. That being said, the legislature allocated $1 billion in additional funding to education last year and is on track to meet McCleary by 2018 if we do not expand the definition of "basic education' yet again. State spending has doubled since 2000 to over $80 billion for the two-year budget, but now our K-12 system has more non-teachers than teachers. We also now reinvent testing every few years, instead of using the ITBS, which took less time and money. This is fixable.
Jensen: Education funding is expected to take up most of the session, and with good reason. According to McCleary, the state of Washington has not been properly funding K-12 education as required by the state constitution. I favor closing tax loopholes on big business, carefully studying the budget to see where additional funds can be cut (I favor art projects, for instance, but would prioritize education over art funding at least until our revenue crisis is solved), and evaluating all our state revenue streams. I will work with my colleagues across the aisle to solve this crisis.
Let's talk about the Second Amendment. With two opposing gun initiatives on the ballot this year, I594 and I591, what are your thoughts on balancing the rights of gun owners and the safety of the community from gun violence?
Scott: Instead of making things more difficult for law-abiding citizens, let's crack down on criminals. Let's also improve mental healthcare, and restore funding to mental hospitals instead of sending patients to jail or the street; public safety is a core priority of government. Violent crime has been decreasing for decades, and our most dangerous cities have the strictest gun laws. Criminals won't go to a gun store or sheriff's office, pay a fee, do a background check, and wait ten days or longer; the term "universal background check' is misleading. I-594 should be called "universal transfer tax and de facto gun registration' because the forms are filled out in triplicate and kept. Gun registration always eventually leads to confiscation, as in California, New Jersey, Canada, U.K. and Australia as well as places with more dire consequences. Our Washington State Constitution (Article 1, Section 24) goes further than the U.S. Constitution and says for your liberty and for your own protection, your right to keep and bear arms "shall not be impaired.' I-594 impairs your rights. NRA (rated A+), GOAL (Gun Owners Action League/WAC), and Hunters Heritage Council (Legislator of the Year) endorsed me for my strong defense of our rights.
Jensen: I own firearms and am a Veteran of the United States Air Force. I believe in and support the 2nd Amendment. I will not be voting for either initiative. Nor will I try to sway voters one way or another on this legislation. Initiatives to the people are just that, and this is a choice voters must make. My personal concern with I-594 has to do with cloudy language regarding what constitutes a "transfer,' something that could cost precious tax dollars as it winds its way through courts. I-591 would, in my opinion, greatly reduce our efforts to encourage responsible gun ownership.
While the media has recently been highlighting low levels of unemployment, what they don't discuss are the levels of "underemploymentGÇ¥ caused by the recession. While we know that more jobs are slowly becoming available; we also know that these jobs often do not provide the same salary and benefit opportunities that they did eight years ago. What can be done to alleviate this?
Scott: We must create a job-friendly climate to let businesses flourish. America is suffering the lowest rate of participation in the workforce since 1978. Unemployment and underemployment in Washington State were at 12.8% as of the end of June (most recent data available on bls.gov). King County"s stronger job growth offsets that number, so we'll assume that about one out of six working-age people in Snohomish and Skagit Counties are out of work or looking for more. Meanwhile, inflation is driving costs higher, but state government took a bigger slice of your wallet, increasing spending by over $2 billion in the last two years. Small businesses provide 96% of the jobs in our state; they cite high taxes, burdensome regulations, and unpredictability as the main reasons for not hiring. I cosponsored several bills to decrease taxes, simplify regulation, provide health care choice, and put a moratorium on rulemaking by agencies. These bills did not move forward because the majority party in the house would rather increase taxes and regulation further. I will keep trying. In 2013 the House Democrats passed a bill to increase small business taxes by over $800 million, and they tried to increase taxes by over $3 billion.
Jensen: There is no question that we are better off now than we were at the height of the great recession. Unemployment has stabilized, and the means of measuring current unemployment has not changed since 1950. Only those who do not have a job and are actively looking for work are counted in the numbers. It is true that wages and benefits have stagnated even as productivity has increased. Essentially that means we're working harder for the same or less pay. I support working people. That's why I support raising the minimum wage and holding companies responsible when they don't deliver on promises made in exchange for tax breaks. It's about jobs, fairness, and what's best for families.
How can Washington state better support small businesses?
Scott: Small business owners in Sky Valley have told me they'd expand but regulations make it too costly, healthcare paperwork changes are burdensome, and our B&O tax is nonsensical, taxing gross receipts instead of net. Our environmental regulations are heavier than the EPA's. I've already agreed to cosponsor legislation again to address these barriers (see #3). I'll again support a 90-day-or-less permitting process, as well as increased lane miles for our roads. Unpredictable travel times add to the cost of doing business. Governor Inslee's proposed carbon fuel tax of an estimated $1.13 extra per gallon would hurt small businesses and force many to close, killing more jobs; furthermore, the carbon fuel tax probably wouldn't be used by DOT for increased lane miles, because the State Department of Transportation changed their goal from "congestion relief' to "increased mobility,' allowing gas tax to be spent on pedestrian paths, bike paths, light rail, and underpasses for deer. That's a misplaced priority, especially when we're losing loved ones on Highway 2, 522, 9, etc. My common-sense solutions earned me the endorsement of small-business advocates NFIB, WA Retail Association, WA Restaurant Association, and WA State Farm Bureau.
Jensen: Simple answer here: Reform the Business and Occupation tax. This tax, solely on businesses, is a gross receipts tax. No expenses are allowed to be deducted for B&O purposes. If your small business takes in $100 but then spends $200 on supplies and other expenses, you'll still pay full B&O tax on the $100 in sales income. That's wrong. It unfairly penalizes small businesses, while large corporations often negotiate huge breaks in the B&O tax. I will work hard to reform the B&O tax.
What are your top three priorities for the 39th District going into next year's session? Please elaborate.
Scott: Jobs, schools, fiscal responsibility.
JOBS: When we decrease taxes and regulations (see cosponsored bills above), small businesses will expand and hire. My work to help daycares (HB 2191, unanimous, now law) is an example of a common-sense solution brought to me by a small business owner.
SCHOOLS: Having spent a decade teaching at colleges and universities, I work toward a stronger curriculum for a higher high school graduation rate (currently 76% http://www.k12.wa.us/DataAdmin/pubdocs/GradDropout/12-13/2012-13GraduationAndDropoutStatisticsAnnualReport.pdf), as many choices as possible for students (public, private, homeschooling, online, etc.), and stronger privacy protections. I'll reintroduce my Student Data Privacy Bill with three Democrat and nine Republican cosponsors for answers to important questions: What data is being collected? With whom is it being shared? How can students correct false data? Shouldn't parents be able to block the sharing of personally-identifiable information? This bill was heard in committee but then blocked; grassroots pressure could break the logjam in January. Call your legislators at 1-800-562-6000.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: I'll continue to fight for a balanced budget, living within our means, and smaller, smarter government. In a nutshell: Lower taxes, and don't touch our guns.
Jensen:
EDUCATION: It's simple GÇô we have to properly fund K-12 education. Higher education is important too, but without a solid K-12 foundation students won't be able to handle the academic demands of higher education. We have to start with the basics.
JOBS: Promoting diverse commerce in the 39th District is important for everyone who lives here. Sustainable living-wage jobs are the best anti-poverty program there is, and we need to ensure people have work available. I will work with local and community leaders to attract businesses to our area, while at the same time protecting the unique rural nature of the 39th District.
TRANSPORTATION: U.S. 2 is a critical corridor and needs real solutions. Simply putting up a sign reminding drivers to be careful and noting how many days have passed since the last serious accident is no substitute for real investment. I will work with other members of the legislature as well as our federal delegation to finally make real headway in upgrading and improving U.S. 2. Highway 9 needs attention as well, though some piecemeal improvements are underway on portions of Highway 9. I also believe we need to evaluate public transportation options to ensure service levels meet usage demands. I see transportation as a core function of state government.
For more information about Charles Jensen, please visit his Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Charles-Jensen-for-State-Representative-39th-LD-Position-2/483781858414783 or his website at: http://electcharlesjensen.com/.
For more information about Elizabeth Scott, please visit her campaign page at: http://www.elizabeth4state.com/home.html. To learn more about her sponsored and cosponsored legislation, please visit: http://houserepublicans.wa.gov/elizabeth-scott/.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment