The Bellevue Reporter today presents the six candidates for Congress in the Eighth District. The top two finishers in the Aug. 19 primary will move on to the general election. The information and answers below were provided by the candidates.
Keith Arnold
• Party preference: Democratic.
• Age: 46.
• Marital status: Single.
• Children: None.
• Education: Bachelor’s of Science in Accountancy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
• Occupation: Licensing Services Representative with Washington State Department of Licensing
• Campaign Web site: www.voteKeithArnold.com
• Campaign e-mail: karnold@voteKeithArnold.com
Key endorsements: None listed.
Q: What are the two biggest issues you want to address and how do you plan to address them if elected?
A: The biggest issue which leads to all other issues is Enforcement of democracy, constitution and law.
Democracy based on majority rule is the goal of our country. To reach that goal we established a Constitution that creates a Legislative form of government. The Legislature (which is Congress) then has the responsibility to write laws that maintain our physical and economic national security. Then Congress has the responsibility to make sure our laws are enforced when they are violated. Enforcment is necessary to keep our physical and economic national security at the highest levels.
The judiciary is an extreme violator of our Democracy and laws. The judiciary is a JUDICIAL DICTATORSHIP. It applies its own biases to cases and ignores the law and the facts of the cases. The Supreme Court is the worst of the judicial violators. The Supreme Court is, also, useless because it is just another appellate court. Since there is a full appellate level below it, the Supreme Court is redundant and should be eliminated.
In 1993 I proposed a Judiciary Act of 1993 to Congress to neutralize the Supreme Court until it could be eliminated by a Constitutional amendment. Congress failed to pass my Act. If Congress had passed my act, the Supreme Court wouldn’t have been around to steal the 2000 Presidential Election from the voters and make Bush the “commander”-in-thief.
I will fight for Democracy, to eliminate the supreme court, fire arrogant judges, and punish violators.
Darcy Burner
• Party preference: Democratic.
• Age: 37.
• Marital status: Married.
• Children: Henry, 5.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree, Computer Science and Economics, Harvard University.
• Occupation: Former Microsoft Manager.
Campaign Web site: www.DarcyBurner.com
Campaign e-mail: campaign@darcyburner.com
Key endorsements: Washington State Labor Council, Washington State Democratic Party and Senator Patty Murray.
Q: What are the two biggest issues you want to address and how do you plan to address them if elected?
A: The most important things we can do in the next year are: Rebuild the American middle class and responsibly end the war in Iraq.
In the last several years, the American middle-class has struggled under the weight of subsidizing nearly everyone else — even while prices of gas and food have gone up, healthcare has become more expensive, and wages have been stuck or even fallen. We need to refocus our economy on building the middle class and making it stronger.
We must help middle class families by fixing our tax system and investing in economic growth. We need to lower taxes on the middle class, and we need to return to fiscal responsibility and pay-as-you-go budget discipline in government spending. At the same time, we should grow the economy to create new jobs by making investments in technologies that will foster new industries– especially green energy industries and jobs here in Washington.
Of course, it is difficult to fix the economy without stopping the gush of taxpayer money being spent on the war in Iraq. We must responsibly end that war. To move us in that direction, I worked with military generals (including one of our former commanding generals in Iraq, retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton) and national security experts to develop the widely-praised Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq. We need to bring our troops and our money home, and do so in a safe, responsible way.
Boleslaw (John) Orlinski
• Party preference: None.
• Age: 53.
• Marital status: Married.
• Children: Tommy, 27; Scott, 22.
• Education: Master’s in International Studies from University of Washington; Master’s in Economics/Business Management from the University of Szczecin in Poland.
• Occupation: Social worker.
• Campaign Web site: www.johnorlinski.com
• Campaign e-mail: orlinski@comcast.net
• Key endorsements: The Party of Commons.
Q: What are the two biggest issues you want to address and how do you plan to address them if elected?
A: Illegal immigration will be one of the biggest challenges that we are going to face in the next few years. Both major parties like the current status quo. They, and surprisingly, the trade unions, are united in keeping the current system in place because they are profiting from it. I would propose a program allowing eligible undocumented workers, who could pass criminal background checks and health screenings, to work in our country for 11 months of the year and then they would have to return to their own countries for a month. After the one-month separation, they could come back and work for another 11 months. I am also in support of finishing building the border fence, and I am against the current interpretation of the 14th Amendment.
The state of our economy is not good right now. With highest in five years, unemployment rate of 5.7 percent and growing, with record budget deficit of over $500 billion, with the record level of national debt of $9.5 trillion, with upcoming insolvency in social security, with huge foreign trade deficits and a very weak dollar, with credit and real estate crises, our country is also facing recession.
We need to attack our budge deficit on both fronts, by increasing revenues and trimming spending. We need to revisit trade agreements and impose custom fees on imports. We need to open public works programs and cut defense spending.
Richard Todd
• Marital status: Married.
• Children: Four adult children
• Education: Greduate of University of Colorado in Engineering with degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• Occupation: Engineer, freelance journalist and author
• Campaign Web site: toddforcongress.org
• Campaign e-mail: toddmarine@hotmail.com
• Key endorsements: None.
Q: What are the two biggest issues you want to address and how do you plan to address them if elected?
A: Our military leadership has stated, unequivocally, that there is no military solution for Iraq. The difficulties in that nation and indeed that entire region must be resolved politically. My campaign, in this regard, calls on the formation of an advisory council composed of prominent Americans (and others) to work with the Iraqi leadership in a Constitutional Convention to amend the existing document and produce a new Iraqi Constitution.
On the issue of the nation’s economy, my candidacy is focused on providing the American electorate an opportunity to clearly register their disapproval of the partisan maneuvering by the two major political factions in our national legislature.
The burning issue for the American economy is not to prop up the Stock Market with government (taxpayer) funds but to enable the Small Business community to create “good” jobs. It is that community which employs sixty-seven percent of American workers. As far as governmental help is concerned, tax credits for capital investment in new plants and equipment by Small Business is a constructive first step.
The titanic battles of the two major political factions have deprived the American electorate of honest debate and have lost sight of their main reason to exist, namely, to serve the people. It is important, especially now, that the American electorate limit the dominance of the two major factions by sending Independent Representatives to Congress who are, first and foremost, dedicated to serving the needs of their constituents rather than the interests of a political faction (party).
James E. Vaughn
• Age: 54
• Marital status: Single, engaged.
• Children: Eric, 30; Julie, 27.
• Education: Bachelor’s of arts from California State University-Fresno. Piscopal Seminary (one-year theological studies); Armor Officer Basic and Advance Course; Combined Arms Staff College (Senior Staff Officer Training); US Army Operations Research and Systems Analysis (graduate level program).
• Occupation: Principal, Quality Staffing Inc.
• Campaign Web site: www.jimvaughnforcongress.com
• Campaign e-mail: friendsofjimvaughnforcongress@comcast.net
• Key endorsements: Advocate for election reform. Not seeking funding from Democratic Party or Political Action Committee
Q: What are the two biggest issues you want to address and how do you plan to address them if elected?
A: The economy is my biggest concern and too complex to address in a few paragraphs. Please visit my Web site to view my positions on all the major issues. My Affordable Healthcare Plan has been sent to every U.S. Senator and Representative. If elected I will submit legislation to enact this Affordable Healthcare Plan.
Why are we paying for three types of healthcare in medicare, worker’s compensation and private medical insurance?
Fifty-three percent of our citizens are employed, 47 percent are under 18, over 65 or unemployed. Therefore, every working person needs to cover the medical costs for themselves and one unemployed individual.
1. The average American spends $702 on Medicare each year.
2. 2,080 work hours in a year x $1 per hour paid to L&I = $2,080
3. Combined $2,782 is paid into these two programs.
4. American Health Insurance Center for Policy and Research states that the average cost for an individual plan in 2006 was $2,015 per year.
5. Insurance companies make 40 percent + in commissions and profits. The amount that goes to medical coverage is $1,209. The cost of medical coverage for two people is $2,418. This is $360 less than the $2,782 we pay into Medicare and L&I.
By combining Medicare, L&I, eliminating the insurance industry and insuring ourselves affordable healthcare is possible. People continue to choose their physicians as they always have. The only difference is the billing process. By insuring one’s self, eliminated are the profits to the insurance companies that look for ways to deny claims.
Dave Reichert
Age: 57.
Marital status: Married.
Children: Angela, Tabitha and Daniel.
Education: Associated Arts degree in social work from Concordia Lutheran College.
Occupation: Congressman
Campaign Web site: www.davereichertforcongress.com
Campaign e-mail: dave@davereichertforcongress.com
Key endorsements: Washington Education Association, National Federation of Independent Business, Seattle Fire Fighters
Q: What are the two biggest issues you want to address and how do you plan to address them if elected?
A: Economy: The American Dream is tied to the success of our economy. Rising gas price, the housing crisis, healthcare costs, and the failure to pass free trade agreements have all affected our economy. We need to get back on track. This begins with tax relief, free trade, affordable homes, education, and healthcare for every American. To address these challenges we must: make the tax cuts permanent, including the child tax credit, the marriage tax credit, and the Washington State sales tax deduction; implement free trade agreements to create and protect American jobs and keep America the leader in the global economy; tackle the rising cost of healthcare; make quality education available to all; and pass a comprehensive energy policy that will usher in a new era of energy independence.
Energy: What we need is a comprehensive energy policy. Oil is not our future – we cannot drill our way out of this problem. We must encourage ideas and innovation that incorporate the best of sustainable, renewable, clean resources; conservation and efficiency measures that will meet our needs in a way that won’t adversely affect our economy, national security or environment. We must create incentives so the market can invest in wind, solar, hydrogen, biotechnologies, biofuels and nuclear power; while encouraging technology such as plug-in hybrid vehicles. As a bridge to the future, we must lower gas prices now. That’s why I support cracking down on price gouging, increasing refinery capacity, and increasing domestic drilling in an environmentally safe and responsible way.
Keith Arnold
Age: 46.
Marital status: Single.
Children: None.
Education: Bachelor’s of Science in Accountancy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Occupation: Licensing Services Representative with Washington State Department of Licensing
Campaign Web site: www.voteKeithArnold.com
Campaign e-mail: karnold@voteKeithArnold.com
Key endorsements:
Q: What are the two biggest issues you want to address and how do you plan to address them if elected?
A: The biggest issue which leads to all other issues is Enforcement of DEMOCRACY, CONSTITUTION, and LAW.
Democracy based on Majority Rule is the goal of our country. To reach that goal we established a Constitution that creates a Legislative form of government. The Legislature (which is Congress) then has the responibility to write laws that maintain our physical and economic national security. Then Congress has the responsibility to make sure our laws are enforced when they are violated. Enforcment is necessary to keep our physical and economic national security at the highest levels.
The judiciary is an extreme violator of our Democracy and laws. The judiciary is a JUDICIAL DICTATORSHIP. It applies its own biases to cases and ignores the law and the facts of the cases. The supreme court is the worst of the judicial violators. The supreme court is, also, useless because it is just another appellate court. Since there is a full appellate level below it, the supreme court is redundant and should be eliminated.
In 1993 I proposed a Judiciary Act of 1993 to Congress to neutralize the supreme court until it could be eliminated by a Constitutional amendment. Congress failed to pass my Act. If Congress had passed my Act, the supreme court wouldn’t have been around to STEAL the 2000 Presidential Election from the Voters and make Bush the “commander”-in-THIEF.
I will fight for Democracy, to eliminate the supreme court, fire arrogant judges, and to punish violators.
Darcy Burner
Age: 37.
Marital status: Married.
Children: Henry, 5.
Education: Bachelor’s degree, Computer Science and Economics, Harvard University.
Occupation: Former Microsoft Manager.
Campaign Web site: www.DarcyBurner.com
Campaign e-mail: campaign@darcyburner.com
Key endorsements: Washington State Labor Council, Washington State Democratic Party, Senator Patty Murray
Q: What are the two biggest issues you want to address and how do you plan to address them if elected?
A: The most important things we can do in the next year are: Rebuilding the American middle class and responsibly ending the war in Iraq.
In the last several years, the American middle-class has struggled under the weight of subsidizing nearly everyone else – even while prices of gas and food have gone up, healthcare has become more expensive, and wages have been stuck or even fallen. We need to refocus our economy on building the middle class and making it stronger.
We must help middle class families by fixing our tax system and investing in economic growth. We need to lower taxes on the middle class, and we need to return to fiscal responsibility and pay-as-you-go budget discipline in government spending. At the same time, we should grow the economy to create new jobs by making investments in technologies that will foster new industries– especially green energy industries and jobs here in Washington.
Of course, it is difficult to fix the economy without stopping the gush of taxpayer money being spent on the war in Iraq. We must responsibly end that war. To move us in that direction, I worked with military generals (including one of our former commanding generals in Iraq, retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton) and national security experts to develop the widely-praised Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq. We need to bring our troops and our money home, and do so in a safe, responsible way.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT NO. 45
POSITION 1
Roger Goodman
Age: 47.
Marital status: Married.
Children: Vivian, 5; Felix, 18 months.
Education: A.B., Senior Fellow, Dartmouth College; J.D., George Washington University; M.P.A., Harvard University
Occupation: State Representative, 45th District; Attorney and policy analyst, King County Bar Association.
Campaign Web site: www.RogerGoodman.org
Campaign e-mail: Roger@RogerGoodman.org
Key endorsements: League of Education Voters, Law Enforcement Executives of Washington (Sheriffs and Police Chiefs) and Washington Conservation Voters.
Q: What are the two biggest issues you want to address and how do you plan to address them if elected?
A: EDUCATION: As a father, I know a good education is the most important investment in our economic future. I’ve worked in the Legislature to begin reducing class sizes, to retain good teachers and to ensure high academic standards in math and science. We still have a way to go, however, to reinvest in education to compensate for a generation of neglect. Next session I will work further to boost resources for teacher quality and smaller class sizes, and to adjust funding formulas for more local control. I will continue to focus on expanding early childhood education to build on my Head Start legislation (HB 3168) so more students are ready to learn when they get to kindergarten.
In higher education, I will continue working to expand slots at the four-year institutions and to strengthen our technical and community colleges, as I did last session by creating a new, four-year program in applied science at Lake Washington Technical College (HB 1885). Our local, talented students should have more opportunities to compete for the high-wage, high-tech jobs in our region.
TRANSPORTATION: We face an urgent need for transportation improvements, as it seems we’re always stuck in traffic. In the Legislature last session I worked hard on the difficult negotiation for the new 520 Bridge, to be completed three years ahead of schedule (by 2014) and $600 million under budget – a huge win for all of us. Next session I’ll work on congestion relief on our major roads and greatly expanding bus service.
Toby Nixon
Age: 49.
Marital status: Married.
Children: Mary, 23; Sarah, 22; Robert, 20; Julia, 17; Tom, 16.
Education: Attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Occupation: Senior Standards Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation.
Campaign Web site: www.tobynixon.com.
Campaign e-mail: toby@tobynixon.com.
Top three endorsements: National Federation of Independent Business, Affordable Housing Council, Seattle-King County Association of Realtors
Q: What are the two biggest issues you want to address and how do you plan to address them if elected?
A: Families throughout Washington state are struggling to make ends meet due to increasing costs of food, fuel, and housing – including the rapidly-increasing tax burden. We must reverse the growing shift of the property tax burden from business to residential property. We should exempt the first $100,000 of value of every parcel from property taxes. We need performance audits of tax credits and exemptions to ensure they are meeting their goals. I strongly oppose a state income tax. States with graduated income taxes are less globally competitive and thus have had slower economic growth than those states, like Washington, that do not have them; not having an income tax attracts investment and highly-qualified people to our state and helps create and retain family-wage jobs.
One problem that confronts each of us every day is traffic congestion. We must improve and expand our highways and arterials so that parents have more time at home with their children, to reduce pollution of our air by getting traffic moving at efficient speeds, to protect Puget Sound and improve water quality by fixing the antiquated storm water management systems that dump road runoff directly into streams and lakes, and to provide the predictable travel times that businesses require if they’re going to choose to locate here or expand their facilities and provide more family-wage jobs. For those who choose transit rather than driving themselves, we should provide improved bus service including on-demand service, more and larger Park and Ride lots, and additional private-sector transit alternatives.
POSITION 2
Larry Springer
Age: 61
Marital status: Married.
Children: None.
Education: Bachelor’s in Education, Western WashinGton; Master of Science in Family Counseling, University of Oregon.
Occupation: Owner of The Grape Choice retail wine store in Kirkland.
Campaign Web site: www.larryspringer.org
Campaign e-mail: info@larryspringer.org
Key endorsements: Washington Council of Chiefs of Police and Sheriffs, Washington Conversation Voters, Washington Women’s Political Caucus
Q: What are the two biggest issues you want to address and how do you plan to address them if elected?
A: Priority No. 1: Adequate funding for K-12 education continues to be my highest priority. It is imperative Washington regain the funding that put us in the top five states in the nation when I taught school 30 years ago. We must continue to lower class sizes and pay teachers a salary that allows them to live in the communities they serve. It is our responsibility to provide our children the education they need to succeed in a global economy. I will work to allocate a greater portion of our general fund revenue for K-12 education and for increased workforce training at our community and technical colleges.
Priority No. 2: Helping Washington weather the current economic downturn is critical to the future prosperity of the state. We need to help small businesses survive by enacting B&O tax reform and investing in transportation projects that improve mobility. My top transportation priority is the replacement of the 520 bridge. I helped negotiate a landmark agreement last session on the configuration of a new six-lane bridge. Now we must find an effective and fair funding formula to pay for a bridge that will be completed 4-6 years ahead of schedule. As a member of the House Transportation Committee, I will continue to hold the Department of Transportation accountable for adopting the efficiencies identified in recent performance audits.
In order for me do represent my constituents I need to hear from you. Please let me know what’s on your mind. Thank you.
Kevin Haistings
Age: 47.
Marital status: Married.
Children: Kevin, 18; Tanner, 16.
Education: Some college.
Occupation: Law enforcement.
Campaign Web site: Kevinhaistings.com
Campaign e-mail: kevin@kevinhaistings.com
Key endorsements: Seattle police officers guild; Attorney General Rob McKenna; State Congressman Dave Riechert
Q: What are the two biggest issues you want to address and how do you plan to address them if elected?
A: There are several priorities that I think need to be addressed in the next few years. However, for those of us living and working in the 45th district, the top two issues having significant negative impact on our quality of life are fiscal irresponsibility and failure to find realistic, cost efficient solutions to the region’s traffic gridlock.
State spending needs to be brought back under control. We need to begin prioritizing what we spend money on through the “Priorities of Government” budgeting process. We need to get off the rollercoaster that our state budget has become and start coming up with responsible plans for the limited resources taxpayers entrust our state government with. Raising our taxes is not an option!
Fixing the problem of traffic gridlock will not be easy. We need to increase lane capacity in the Puget Sound region and expand local and regional bus systems to improve accessibility for residents in underserved areas. Microsoft implemented a successful transit program for its employees that recognized and addressed the changing commuting patterns of our area. Meanwhile, current leadership in Olympia wastes billions of dollars on inflexible and over-budget train systems. Now they want us to pay a toll to build a new 520 bridge that will not increase capacity?
My opponent sits on the transportation committee that is responsible for the current gridlock. We, the citizens deserve real solutions to these and other growing problems, and this can only be achieved by putting new leadership in Olympia.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 48
POSITION 1
Ross Hunter
Age: 46.
Marital status: Married.
Children: Jack, 17; Emily, 14.
Education: Bachelor’s in computer science from Yale University.
Occupation: Former Microsoft general manager.
Campaign Web site: www.rosshunter.net.
Campaign e-mail: ross@rosshunter.net.
Key endorsements: Redmond mayor John Marchione, Washington Conservation Voters, League of Education Voters
Q: What are the two biggest issues you want to address and how do you plan to address them if elected?
A: I ran for office six years ago to improve the funding and management of our public education system and to improve the transportation infrastructure here in Washington, doing both in a financially responsible way. If you look at the cones out this summer you can see that we’ve made some progress on the transportation front – major improvements in progress on I-405, fixes to 202 in Redmond, and the upcoming replacement of the 520 bridge with a new six-lane span with the capability of being expanded in the future.
On the education front, we’ve funded class size decreases, teacher cost of living increases and made other improvements to the funding system, but have a lot of work to do to finish. We have turned around a decades’ long decline in the percentage of the budget going to education, and I plan to continue this change in the future. This year the basic education funding task force will produce a bi-partisan plan to fund an education system for the 21st century, not the 19th. We are upping the rigor of the system, including increases in math and science requirements. I drove a significant increase in the rigor of mathematics standards last year.
All of this only works with a stable budget for Washington. As chairman of the Finance committee and past chair of the Legislature’s performance audit committee I have a strong commitment to responsible management. I was the prime sponsor of the “Rainy Day Fund” constitutional amendment in the House.
Charles Lapp
Age: 59.
Marital status: Single.
Children: Emily, 23; Katie, 21
Education: Bachelor’s of science in engineering; Master’s in business management; Master’s in business management; Additional graduate study in finance at the University of Washington.
Occupation: Retired: operated Eastside property management and real estate business for 30 years. Also served as a US Air Force pilot.
Campaign Web site: www.charlielapp.com
Campaign e-mail: vote@charlielapp.com
Key endorsements: Attorney General Rob McKenna, KVI Radio Host Kirby Wilbur and Redmond City Councilman David Carson
Q: What are the two biggest issues you want to address and how do you plan to address them if elected?
A: As a 30 year resident of the 48th District I realize voters work hard for the money they earn and the taxes they pay. They deserve a representative who will help keep taxes as reasonable as possible and make sure their money is spent efficiently and effectively.
Responsible spending produces results, not political pay backs. Two of our most pressing needs are education and transportation. Our schools must have adequate financing, and the flexibility to spend money and demand accountability so that the interests of our children always come first. Similarly, adjusting priorities and implementing better budget and project management will reduce traffic congestion and improve public transportation.
I favor higher pay for effective teachers and administrators, rather than increases based on seniority alone. We need more emphasis on math and science, and we also need more flexible rules which allow interested and talented professionals to teach part-time in our schools. We should devote more resources to the classroom, rather than a vague or unnecessary bureaucracy. While standardized testing is valuable, the WASL requires reform. Also, we need to offer meaningful alternative educational opportunities for non-college bound students.
Let’s build a new, wider 520 bridge now, rather than just talk about it for another four years. Let’s use transportation related taxes for transportation related projects, rather than simply add tolls to roads we’ve already paid for. Let’s reduce congestion on 405 by adding lanes between Bellevue and Renton. Let’s get Washington moving again!
POSITION 2
Ronald Fuller
Age: 40
Marital status: Married
Children: Alice, 7; William, 3; Spencer, 2; Lillian, 2 months.
Education: Bachelor’s of Arts in Asian Studies from Brigham Young University.
Occupation: Software consultant
Campaign Web site: www.rgfuller.org
Campaign e-mail: rgfuller@rgfuller.org
Key endorsements: King County Councilwoman Jane Hague, Redmond City Councilman David Carson, Community leader Diane Tebelius
Q: What are the two biggest issues you want to address and how do you plan to address them if elected?
A: Education: Taking care of our children is my highest priority. More education dollars need to make it into the classrooms. Rather than being absorbed by administration overhead.
Traffic: Olympia makes more money on every gallon of gas pumped than big oil. Why can’t Olympia use that revenue to relieve congestion as it’s supposed to? The state auditor has found that reducing traffic congestion is not a priority. We need traffic solutions that work, spend tax money wisely, and reduce congestion sooner, rather than later.
Deb Eddy
Age: 58.
Marital status: Married
Children: Amy Bartlett, 38; Hart Eddy, 30; Emily Eddy, 26.
Education: Juris doctorate of law, University of North Carolina
Occupation: Public Affairs Counsel, PRR Inc., in Seattle.
Campaign Web site: debeddy.net
Campaign e-mail: deb@debeddy.net
Key endorsements: Washington State Labor Council, Washington State Troopers, Seattle-King County Association of Realtors
Q: What are the two biggest issues you want to address and how do you plan to address them if elected?
A: My top priority is to work toward carbon emissions reduction and alternative fuels development, which will both protect the environment and reduce our reliance on foreign fuel sources. As vice-chair of the Technology, Energy and Communications committee, I’ll focus attention on energy and environmental actions where we can measure results and where benefits outweigh costs.
As one example, the state invested in a flex-fuel fleet some years ago but neglected to provide sufficient alternative fueling stations! We need to ensure alternative fuel availability.
Secondly, I’ll continue to work for an intelligent transportation system, including the 520 bridge replacement project with transit that works for more of us. As long as we operate our transportation system in this disjointed and marginally coordinated way, denying the political logjam of competing modes and agencies, we will not get good results.
While many good things have come out of the legislature in the past few years, I’m disappointed that we’ve not made better progress on education funding and reform. We need to make sure the public has an opportunity to indicate its willingness to support a world-class education system.
