Everett, Wash.
Published: Monday, October 13, 2008

Ferries at center of Haugen-Haddon race for 10th District

By Jerry Cornfield
Herald Writer

 Democratic state Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, a fixture in Olympia for a quarter century, is accustomed to tough campaigns against Republican candidates strongly backed by their political party.

Four years ago, the Camano Island resident defeated the relatively unknown April Axthelm by just under 2,000 votes.

In 2000, she beat Norma Smith, who is now a state lawmaker, by about 3,000 votes. She did not break 51 percent in either election.

This time Haugen is facing the challenge of Linda Haddon, an Oak Harbor Republican who is raising more money and receiving a bigger boost from her party than either of her predecessors.

Haddon wants to keep Haugen from another four years of representing the 10th District, which includes all of Island County and parts of Snohomish and Skagit counties.

She is trying to link the incumbent with two issues on the minds of voters -- a troubled ferry system and a looming state budget deficit.

Haddon said she also wants to let voters know Haugen has served the district for 26 years -- and that's long enough.

"That's a lifetime," Haddon said. "I call her a career politician."

Haugen jabbed back: "I don't consider it a career. It's public service. A career is something that you get into to make money at. I'm not making money at this."

Haugen, 67, won a seat in the House of Representatives in 1982 and a decade later was elected to the Senate. She is seeking a fifth term.

She is a senior member of the Senate and one of its most influential. She is chairwoman of the Transportation Committee, giving her great authority in setting policy and deciding how to spend billions of dollars on roads, bridges, buses and ferries.

Haddon, 60, is a certified life celebrant who conducts memorials and weddings. She is a former Island County planning commissioner and served on the community task force that helped prevent closure of Whidbey Naval Air Station in the early 1990s.

Haugen said her seniority will be valuable as lawmakers steer the state through next year's tough budget process.

"I have the institutional memory. I've been through this before," she said.

She said she's most proud this past term of seeing Cama Beach State Park opened, farmland preservation policies passed and a carpool lane constructed on I-5 through Everett earlier than originally planned.

Transportation, and particularly ferries, is a core element of the campaign.

Haddon is hoping to win votes of those frustrated with a ferry system providing less service between Whidbey Island and Port Townsend since the Steel Electric-class boats were pulled off the route in November 2007.

The state has allocated money to build four large and two small ferries, the latter pair specifically to run between Port Townsend and Keystone on Whidbey Island. No construction is under way on any; bids for the two small boats are due Nov. 6.

"The ferry system is a problem, I recognize that. I've worked hard to turn that operation around," Haugen said. "If I'm gone, who's going to fight for the ferries then?"

In July, she said, "I assure you by the time of the election there will be a signed boat construction contract."

But boat builders requested and received extra time to submit bids. Haugen said she opposed it.

"If you take two weeks longer for the bidding, it will be two weeks longer to finish building," she said last month. "The riders don't want to wait another two weeks."

Haddon said the delay in getting a contract is another example of Haugen's failed leadership in transportation.

"How come Minnesota can get a bridge built in a year and we can't get a bid package done?" she asked.

Haddon also said she's not been able to pin down Haugen on where the state is keeping the money allocated in 2003 and 2008 to build ferries.

"She doesn't seem to give a real definitive answer," Haddon said. "It's puzzling. We either know where the money is or we don't."

Regarding the budget, Haddon said the state faces a potential deficit because of overspending by Haugen and the Democratic majority running the Legislature.

The two candidates do agree cuts will need to be made, though neither cited any specific programs to trim or ax.

Haugen said she'd first look at programs approved by lawmakers but not yet up and running. Vital services must not be crippled and local governments must not be saddled with new costs because of any cuts, she said.

Both candidates said they won't vote to raise existing taxes.

Haddon said she'd look at lowering the business and occupation (B&O) tax and eliminating the estate tax.

Haugen, who voted for higher taxes on cigarettes and liquor in 2005, said she has "never voted for a general tax increase. I won't ever vote to increase the B&O tax."

Next year's Legislature will consider proposed contracts with unionized state workers. These contracts, negotiated between unions and the governor's representatives, do contain small pay increases.

Haugen predicted a lot of debate on altering the contracts and Haddon hinted she'd be willing to discuss them.

"If this economy gets worse, everybody is going to have to tighten their belts," she said. "Do you give people raises then lay people off?"

Both support bringing a four-year University of Washington branch campus into the three-county area. Haugen has been a central figure in the effort that's been stalled on choosing a location for the college.



Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.













Mary Margaret Haugen

Residence: Camano Island

Age: 67

Party: Democratic

Experience: State Senate, 1993-present; chairwoman, Senate Transportation Committee; House of Representatives, 1983-93; Stanwood school board; former owner-operator of a beauty salon; vocational training

Web site: www.marymargarethaugen.com



Linda Haddon

Residence: Oak Harbor

Age: 60

Party: Republican

Experience: Life celebrant; Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce; Island County Planning Commission, 1993-95; member, task force to protect Whidbey Naval Air Station from closure.

Web site: www.lindahaddon.com
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA