District 30 candidates didn’t deviate much from the script as they addressed top issues facing the state this next legislative issue.
Fully funding education (also known as the McCleary decision) dominated the political rhetoric with a transportation package and providing well-paying jobs as other top concerns.
The packed banquet room at Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club listened to the six candidates’ opening remarks before they answered how they would find the funds for education and what their top three priorities were.
A lightning round of five questions as well as some from the audience marked the end of the forum before each gave closing remarks at the Greater Federal Way Chamber of Commerce candidate forum luncheon on Wednesday.
While all acknowledged the court mandate to fund education needed to be accomplished, several had different ideas on how that should be done.
“We’ve been mandated that McCleary has to be budgeted, it has a big number — $4-6 billion,” said Jack Dovey, a Republican running for Position 2. “It’s anywhere from 7-8 percent of our budget. The Legislature must fund it first before anything else because anything else you will be on sand, it won’t have a strong foundation if you fund it second or third or fourth. And that’s what I would do.”
Dovey said he would vote for ways the Legislature could take funds out of the current budget and the levies transfer fund.
Incumbent and opponent Roger Freeman, a Democrat, said last session the Legislature looked at ineffective tax breaks and inefficiencies that he believes should be put back into the budget.
“We may have to cut some services that are offered by our agencies,” Freeman said. “Then I have a bill proposed that would use revenue from marijuana sales to go back to education. We have to get new revenues …”
Greg Baruso, a Democrat running for Position 1, said he agreed that tax loop holes should be closed and reforms should be discussed but that ultimately the government should “audit, audit, audit.”
Shari Song, a Democrat who is running for the Senate seat, agreed with Freeman in that the Legislature needs to find a new way to collect more funds.
“It’s not just tax loopholes, it’s not just working with the money we have, there’s just not enough,” she said. “Yes, we do have to make those tough choices but we also have to find new revenue sources — leave no rock unturned. And we will be looking at taxes, we will be looking at creative ways to get new revenue sources and we will be making the hard choices.”
But Mark Miloscia, a Republican running for the same Senate seat, said he believes taxes are not the answer and compared the budget issue to running a business.
“Expenses are growing at 7 percent, revenue is growing at 4.5 percent,” Miloscia said. “You’ll never balance that budget by raising taxes. You’ll have to be committed on a path of raising taxes every single year. Does that seem like a winning strategy? Or you’re on a path to cut programs every single year. The thing is, we have to get our cost under control.”
Incumbent Linda Kochmar, a Republican running for Position 1, said compromise is the key to funding an amount that nobody quite knows, adding that it’s estimated the Legislature will need to fund between $3-7 billion in the next four years.
“One of the things we need to realize is that we do have new revenues coming in,” she said. “When we say close the corporate tax loophole, it’s only $300 million for all of the corporate tax loopholes. That’s nowhere near how much we need.”
Kochmar said the Legislature needs to encourage business but keep business and homeowners from getting taxed.
“So what we’re going to be asking for is some of us are going to be asking for reform,” she said. “We’re going to be asking for some compromising and, yes, we’re going to fully fund education.”
Every single candidate listed funding education, improving transportation and creating more jobs/improving the economy as their top three priorities, although some weren’t necessarily in that order. Baruso only stated two as his priorities — transportation and education, which “go hand in hand,” and Freeman specifically noted that it was important to invest in the city of Federal Way to make sure it is the economic center that drives the 30th District.
All candidates in the lightning round answered that they would vote to support a transportation plan, even if it meant more taxes. They also all agreed that they would support additional funding for the state’s two to four year colleges. But not everyone agreed when it came to the gun initiatives that will be on the November election ballot.
Dovey voted “no” on whether he would vote for Initiative 594, while Freeman, Baruso, Kochmar and Song voted “yes.” Miloscia did not vote and told the Mirror he would not be taking an official stance on either gun control initiative.
Initiative 594 seeks a background check for firearm sales and transfers, including those at gun shows and online.
But when asked if they would support the near opposite initiative, Initiative 591, Dovey and Kochmar voted “yes,” while Freeman hesitantly voted no with Baruso and Song to follow.
If passed, I-591 ensures it would be unlawful for any government agency to confiscate guns or firearms from citizens without due process and it would make it illegal for government agencies to require background checks on firearm recipients unless a uniform national standard is required.
For more information about the District 30 candidates, attend the next candidate forum hosted by the Federal Way Mirror at 6 p.m. on Oct. 22 at the Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club.
