First
Congressional District,
Democrats
Jay Inslee
Age: 51
Occupation: Member, U.S. House of Representatives, First Congressional District, 1999 – present.
Education: Willamette University School of Law, JD; University of Washington, B.A. in Economics
What would you do as a Congressional representative to address the region’s transportation issues?
Congress must continue to fund transportation projects agreed upon locally. Members of Congress from Washington state must work together to maximize regional transportation projects through the reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act, and work with the state to increase regulatory flexibility to help increase traffic flow without decreasing safety.
What would you do in Congress to help foster economic recovery in Washington state?
We will push through the 767 procurement program which will mean thousands of jobs for Boeing workers. We will fight efforts to break up Microsoft. We will rebuild investor confidence in our American corporations; corporate thieves should do hard time. We must require stock analyst independence and require payback to investors and pensioners of ill-gotten profits by corporate insiders. This White House must aggressively implement the corporate reforms passed by Congress, replace the ineffectual Harvey Pitt from the Chair Securities and Exchange Commission, and establish true auditor independence.
In which areas, if any, would you propose budget reductions, and in which areas, if any, do you believe spending should be increased?
There are some agricultural subsidies that should be reduced. If the deficit continues to grow, the projected rate tax cuts for the top 1 percent of income earners should be deferred. We should increase spending on national defense, a prescription drug benefit through Medicare, and on education.
Mike the Mover
Age: 49
Occupation: Household goods moving
Education: Five years college (no degree), two years paralegal.
What would you do as a Congressional representative to address the region’s transportation issues?
Interesting question. Considering Interstate 405 has been an evolving unfinished quagmire of change for the past 25 years, does anyone really believe there is a satisfactory answer to this dilemma? The current proposals for light rail remind me of a black hole that this region’s so called “experts” expect you to pour money into. Lots of money.
What would you do in Congress to help foster economic recovery in Washington state?
For ascetic’s sake, I personally like the new monorail plan for the greater Seattle area. It looks futuristic and reasonably affordable. For the rest of the regional plan, I like Tim Eyman’s and associates.
It’s really a loaded question. We once enjoyed some of the cheapest generated energy rates in the world, both for business and for leisure use. Those energy rates gave us an unparalleled advantage in economic growth. As a result, the size of government grew at an even faster rate. Those times, however, have come and gone in only the past two vears.
The state Legislature, on the other hand, has found it difficult to encourage new businesses to relocate here, or has been unable to keep formable entities such as Boeing from leaving. What more can Congress do?
In which areas, if any, would you propose budget reductions, and in which areas, if any, do you believe spending should be increased?
The government’s war on drugs has certainly been a waste of money. In fact there are thousands of pork-barrel projects that have been targeted by Congress itself for elimination. Economic foreign aide and bailouts also deserve a scrutinizing review.
On the flip side, consideration for a Domestic Enemy Bill, an Alternative Fuel Bill., and a Federal Elections Bill top my list of priorities. Namely, crime, energy, and election fraud.
Presently, the Congress is moving in the right direction by cleaning their own house. It is up to the voters now to make sure it stays that way.
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