Name: Tom Bronkema
Did not respond to The Herald. His statement in the state Voter’s Guide says in part: “Democratic and Republican politicians are more beholden to special interests than to you. They’ll posture as if they differ on the issues, but when push comes to shove, they vote against your interest, in favor of special interests … One Libertarian in Olympia can make the difference.”
Name: Nancy Conard
Age: 52
Hometown: Coupeville
Party: Democrat
Experience: Coupeville mayor, 50-year resident of the 10th District. Has technical experience (budget, finance, education, business, land use, health care) and knows people and district.
Top 3 issues: 1. Health care: Rather than a citizens initiative, the Legislature should reform the high costs of medical lawsuits by consulting with doctors and lawyers. 2. Education: More funding should go to teachers and classrooms, and less to administration. 3. Quality of life: Supports the Growth Management Act, but once plans are established, property rights that follow the rules should be respected.
Fun fact: “I still have the Christmas card I received from President Kennedy when I was 12 years old.”
Name: Chris Strow
Age: 35
Hometown: Clinton
Party: Republican
Experience: Committee staff clerk, state Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee; legislative aide, Sens. Neil Amondson and Jack Metcalf; deputy chief of staff and chief of staff, Metcalf; deputy chief of staff and communications director, Rep. Denny Rehberg; legislative political director, Republican National Committee; communications consultant.
Top 3 issues: 1. Improving state’s business climate by capping liability lawsuit settlements and shifting business and occupation tax from gross to net sales. 2. Education: favors WASL or higher standards, favors merit pay for teachers and charter schools. 3. Transportation: wants outside performance audits of state Department of Transportation. Don’t force mass transit where people don’t want it; let markets decide.
Fun fact: Son of Island County District Court Judge Peter Strow, a former Navy captain.
Name: Barbara Bailey
Age: 60
Hometown: Oak Harbor
Party: Republican
Experience: State representative for two years; ranking Republican chairwoman of the House Health Care Committee for one year; small-business owner, 1986 to present; president, Oak Harbor Area Council Navy League, three years; executive committee, Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce, four years; Comprehensive Planning Task Force, Oak Harbor, six years; Island County 2 percent Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, four years; National director U.S. Navy League, three years; Legislative Affairs Committee, U.S. Navy League, three years.
Top 3 issues: 1. Economy: Stimulating the economy will help many other issues. Supports tax credits for small businesses rather than adjusting the business and occupation tax. 2. Health care: More jobs should mean more health care coverage, but malpractice lawsuits need to be limited to bring down costs. 3. Education: supports Washington Assessment of Student Learning tests, which need minor tweaks.
Fun fact: “I collect frogs.”
Name: Mark Norton
Age: 30
Hometown: Camano Island
Party: Democrat
Experience: For years was a skilled negotiator in private business. Was inspector general for the Civil Air Patrol in Washington state, operated nonprofit organizations as volunteer, wand was field manager-contract negotiator for Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Top 3 issues: 1. Health care and access: Small employers should form pools to negotiate with insurers, while larger employers should provide health insurance. 2. Education: favors the 1-cent sales tax initiative and would push for a new two-year college in the 10th District and a new four-year university in north Puget Sound. 3. Quality of life: Mostly supports Growth the Management Act but thinks 5-acre minimum lots in rural areas should be more flexible.
Fun fact: “I’m a private pilot on a quest for the perfect airport hamburger!”
Name: Lew Randall
Age: 62
Hometown: Freeland
Party: Libertarian
Experience: Spent 22 years on the board of directors of a tiny company that grew until this year it joined the S&P 500. So I know more about economic growth, budgets, audits and financial planning than either of my opponents.
Top 3 issues: 1. Budgeting process seriously broken. 2. Taxes too high. 3. Unfriendly business climate needs to be fixed by repealing laws and regulations that drive businesses out of state.
Fun fact: “Everywhere else in the world, Libertarians are called liberals.”
reader questions
reader questions
Q Regarding growth, respond to this scenario: A developer wants to build 10 new homes on two acres, while neighbors prefer three homes.
Randall: Whose two acres is it? How was the land acquired, and what is the history of the area? In general, the institution of private property does a good job of managing growth. And alternative methods (like central planning in the Soviet Union) tend to mess things up. The Growth Management Act is unconstitutional and has done a terrible job of managing growth.
Norton: I support property rights, but I also support the neighborhood wanting to maintain a quality of life that doesn’t include developing every square inch of land. I would propose a compromise of perhaps five or six homes on 1.5 acres, with the remaining half-acre devoted to an open-space park or playground.
Bailey: Situations such as this can be avoided with good growth management planning that takes into consideration property rights and the needs of growth.
Conard: I would support the density approved by the comprehensive plan for the city and bring the developer and neighbors together to try to make the best of the proposal under the regulations of the municipality. I would help educate the neighbors about their options to change the land use in their city.
Strow: By creating political accountability for the Growth Management Hearings Board, we can ensure community standards are upheld in the implementation of the Growth Management Act.
Q How do you propose to fund traffic improvements?
Randall: I don’t think we’re short of funding; I think we’re doing the wrong things with the funds we have. Several roads have been built because Island County would “lose the money” if we didn’t build the road. So we need to fix that system of budget mandates and state vs. local budgeting and revenue sharing.
Norton: Continue funding levels for the Department of Transportation, ensure gas tax revenue is directed properly and proportionately to the most in-need projects. Keeping Sen. (Mary Margaret) Haugen will continue to benefit the 10th District tremendously. Also, I’m willing to pay a couple of bucks more if the resulting funding would help mitigate our traffic problems.
Bailey: We need to continue to hold the state Department of Transportation accountable and look for more efficiencies in the department. When the largest percentage cost of a project is in the permitting process, streamlining that process could save money. The Transportation Partnership Program is an area we need to better utilize.
Conard: Traffic impacts caused by developers need to be funded by developers. I would support an increase in the gas tax, reluctantly, to use for infrastructure at state and city and county levels. I prefer to increase the availability of public transportation and reduce cars on the road.
Strow: 1. Conduct performance audits of the Department of Transportation to ensure taxes are properly invested to meet transportation needs. 2. Implement Priorities of Government principals to decide which projects receive priority. 3. Establish a realistic, long-term plan that prioritizes needs so that transportation improvements can be identified and funded.
Q What plans do you have to help the economy in this district?
Randall: The best thing that governments can do is get out of the way. Most efforts to “help” end up politicizing decisions that should be made by the business owners in question. We do need to liberalize our regulations, and lower taxes, to make it easier for small businesses to survive.
Norton: Job creation is a must. There is no question that businesses need B&O tax relief. The insurance burden businesses face also needs to be addressed. A better business climate equals more jobs. It’s also critical that we continue to make our roads better to keep this an attractive place for people to live and businesses to locate.
Bailey: I will continue to focus on growing the economy by retaining and bringing more jobs to the state. I will work to make Washington a better place to locate a business, buy a home and raise a family. Ensuring quality of life, accessible and affordable health care, lower taxes, less regulation and good schools are important to all citizens.
Conard: Reduce the cost of health insurance. It affects individuals, families and businesses. Support farmers with environmental issues affecting their land and help them market their goods. Support small business concerns with workers’ compensation costs.
Strow: Reduce the state’s B&O tax to help stimulate job creation, as well as establish a department of regulatory reform to review and eliminate conflicting and counterproductive regulations that hinder business development. Also, implement tort reform that eliminates frivolous lawsuits and improves access to health care.
Q What concrete steps, if any, would you take to keep local military bases open?
Randall: It’s my understanding that economic logic is on their side, and all we need to do is make sure that someone else’s political lobbying doesn’t blind-side us. In other words, this shouldn’t take up too much of our time in the House of Representatives.
Norton: We need to make certain our federal congressional delegation keeps this top-of-mind. We also need to keep the Puget Sound region such a great place for soldiers, sailors and airmen to live. That means good services, keeping traffic moving, good schools and a welcome job environment for dependents.
Bailey: Keeping military bases here is a high priority. My appointment to the Joint Select Committee for Veterans and Military Affairs has enhanced my ability to influence legislation that would support military bases. I was also successful in securing funds that are helping communities prepare for the Base Realignment and Closure Commission process.
Conard: Prevent encroachment on and toward existing military bases that would cause the government to believe the impacts of continuous use of a base are too onerous.
Strow: As the lead staffer for Congressman Metcalf during the last BRAC process, I know the strengths of our military facilities at Everett and Oak Harbor. As a state legislator, I will lobby the commission on behalf of both facilities and their surrounding communities based on the merits of the respective facilities.
Q What would you do in the Legislature to support or not support a new NASCAR track in north Marysville?
Randall: I would be neutral. That’s a business decision, and politics should be kept out of it as much as possible. Picking winners and losers for our economy is better done by entrepreneurs risking investors’ money than by legislators risking taxpayers’ money.
Norton: Based on what people in the affected area are telling me, I can’t support it. It would affect too many people (thousands!) negatively. Plus, the state is being asked to cough up $200 million to build it for a private enterprise. I love the idea, but let’s look at another location where people want it.
Bailey: I just received a copy of the proposal and am still studying this issue.
Conard: I first want to see the environmental impact statement. I have serious concerns about traffic congestion and residential impact. With a projected budget shortfall, it would be difficult to spend tight resources to support this type of project in this location.
Strow: With a projected $1 billion deficit next year, new jobs are vital to our region. While I am committed to increasing jobs, I support NASCAR only if it does not saddle taxpayers with more debt and higher taxes. Also, I want to ensure the proposed site is the best location.
Q What is the most important educational issue in your district, and what would you do to solve the problem?
Randall: Parental choice, and the freedom of teachers to teach. Too many state mandates, red tape and not enough local control. Perhaps this is what happens when we all send our money to Olympia for a haircut, and then get back what’s left with a zillion strings tied to it.
Norton: The lack of higher education. People more or less have to leave the 10th District to go to college. We need a new community college within the district and a new four-year university for north Puget Sound. Businesses are telling us we need to compete more globally, and the path to effective competition is education.
Bailey: The No. 1 issue for most school districts is funding, unfunded mandates and the Washington Assessment of Student Learning. I am committed to lowering administrative costs and mandates in order to push more dollars into the classroom. Also, we need focus on attracting and retaining good teachers.
Conard: Resources! I would use my experience in school finance to rework the funding formulas to eliminate some administrative requirements and free up more money for teachers and students in the classroom.
Strow: We must recognize and reward outstanding teachers and encourage others to follow their lead. By requiring and rewarding excellence, we give our children a better education. We must set tough WASL standards to ensure our children can compete in the new global marketplace.
Q Island County’s split geography brings up the idea of passenger or car ferries between Whidbey and Camano islands. What is your stance on such efforts?
Randall: Personally, I wonder if there is adequate demand for island-to-island transport to make such a ferry worthwhile. Has any private company shown an interest? That might be a clue.
Norton: As a resident of Camano Island, I’d love to see something that would cut our commute of 90 minutes to Coupeville. I’d like to see a private operator give it a go. If it’s passenger-only service, Island Transit could support it with runs between the dock on Whidbey and Coupeville, Whidbey Naval Air Station, etc.
Bailey: For safety, convenience and traffic congestion, we must continue to explore the possibilities of car and passenger ferries and bridges between Whidbey, Camano and the mainland. However, serious consideration of the traffic impact on Camano Island would need to be addressed.
Conard: I support passenger-only ferries between our islands and other water-oriented communities. Connecting ferries, buses and light rail could eliminate many cars on the road and reduce the need for more highways.
Strow: We need to look at developing a way to move people more efficiently between Whidbey and Camano Islands. Certainly, a mosquito fleet is an attractive option to open up both communities to each other without fundamentally altering the quality of life we all enjoy.
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