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The Olympian endorsements for 2009

THE OLYMPIAN | • Published October 31, 2009

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Today, The Olympian's editorial board provides a summary of endorsements for Tuesday's general election. During the last month, The Olympian has offered recommendations on two statewide ballot propositions and contested port, county, city and school board races.

The five-member board interviewed the candidates, along with ballot measure proponents and opponents, and offered our collective opinion. Letter writers have taken exception to some endorsements, and applauded others.

It’s been a spirited campaign season.

Thurston County election workers say they expect voter turnout to be at least 60 percent, the highest for an odd-year election since 1999. But that would pale in comparison to last year’s 86 percent local turnout for the presidential election.

It’s unfortunate that so many registered voters will sit out Tuesday’s election. While the election lacks the glitz and luster of a national campaign, the decisions Tuesday are nonetheless important. These are the races and issues that affect our lives on a daily basis. School board directors set the curriculum and graduation requirements. City Council members decide how many law enforcement officers patrol the streets, while fire district commissioners determine the number of firefighters that respond to calls for assistance. Port commissioners have created a vision for development of the Budd Inlet peninsula and county commissioners are wrestling with a tight budget and development pressure.

These decisions matter because they mold our community.

Readers should weigh The Olympian’s opinions against their own research on candidates and issues then cast informed votes. The final decision is where it belongs: in the hands of voters. Whether you agree with these endorsements or not, the important thing is to vote.

Our endorsement recap:

INITIATIVE 1033 REVENUE CAP

Yes

No

Tim Eyman is back with another tax-cutting initiative — a measure that goes too far in limiting the amount of revenue government jurisdictions can collect in property taxes. This is a close call. If Eyman had limited I-1033 to state government, The Olympian’s editorial board could have been persuaded to support it. But by extending the tax limitation measure to local government — cities and counties — Eyman goes too far. His initiative would hamstring local officials and lock them into already seriously reduced budget levels. Local decision makers should not be punished for the lack of fiscal discipline that plagues the Legislature. Initiative 1033 has a lot of popular appeal. The truth is I-1033 would result in additional budget cuts to education, transportation and human services across the state and cripple local governments. For that reason, we encourage a “No” vote on Initiative 1033 on Tuesday.

REFERENDUM 71 RIGHTS FOR DOMESTIC PARTNERS

Approved

Rejected

Referendum 71 upholds a state law concerning the rights and responsibilities of state-registered domestic partners and unmarried heterosexual couples where at least one of the partners is age 62 or older. By approving Referendum 71, voters will give those partners the same rights, responsibilities and obligations afforded married couples. Voters must not succumb to fear tactics. This is not a vote to legalize same-sex marriages. This is not about changing school curriculum to promote a gay lifestyle or about special rights for gays and lesbians. Simply put, Referendum 71 is not what opponents say it is. Referendum 71 is about supporting equality. It’s about protecting families and creating a set of legal protections for same-sex couples and unmarried heterosexual couples. It’s about ensuring that the 12,000 registered domestic partners in committed relationships in Washington state enjoy the same pension, sick and family leave, business succession, unemployment, insurance and child custody rights as married couples. Voters who are committed to equal rights for all will vote to approve Referendum 71 on Tuesday.

THURSTON COUNTY COMMISSION

Karen Valenzuela, D

Patrick Beehler, R

Democrat Karen Valenzuela, who was appointed to a vacant seat on the Thurston County Commission in February, is running for the remaining year in the term. Valenzuela, 60, should be elected on Tuesday. Republican challenger Pat Beehler, 64, is a qualified and well-reasoned candidate but simply offers no compelling reason why Valenzuela should be removed from office. The Olympian’s editorial board believes that Valenzuela has a superior grasp of the state’s Growth Management Act and understands the need to preserve agricultural and forest land in rural portions of the county. She has tackled some tough issues in her first few months in office — a budget millions of dollars out of balance for starters. Valenzuela has demonstrated her leadership abilities through a tough period in county government. Her idea to foster stronger relationships with other elected officials in the courthouse is long overdue. Voters should give her that opportunity by electing Karen Valenzuela to finish out the remaining year of the county commission term.

PORT OF OLYMPIA

Jeff Davis

Dave Peeler

Two well-qualified and articulate candidates are running for a vacant seat on the three-member Port of Olympia commission. Jeff Davis, 41, is a longshoreman and Dave Peeler, 58, is a retired state employee and environmental advocate for People for Puget Sound. The Olympian’s editorial board encourages voters to support Davis. Peeler brings strong environmental credentials to his run for public office, having served as the manager of the Department of Ecology’s statewide water-quality program. He has, however, sent mixed signals on the future of the marine terminal on the port’s peninsula property. Where Davis tops Peeler, in our estimation, is his optimistic vision for the Port of Olympia. As Davis said: “Everyone benefits from an active marine terminal.” Davis brings a confident, can-do attitude to this campaign. Mixed with his solid experience in port operations and his deep knowledge of port business practices, Jeff Davis is the clear choice for voters on Tuesday.

LACEY CITY COUNCIL POSITION 4

Cynthia Pratt

Ann Burgman

It’s time for a change. Ann Burgman, 66, a funeral director, has been on the council for 16 years, yet cannot point to a single issue where she provided key leadership. While Burgman has been a contributing council member and reliable listener, she has not been a leader. Voters deserve better. Challenger Cynthia Pratt, 66, retired as an environmental planner with the state of Washington. She has a solid background in state environmental policy and land use laws. Given Lacey’s anticipated growth, Pratt has the ability to be a tremendous source of information and provide leadership on growth management issues that come before the council. We found Pratt to be analytical and articulate. She has a vision for a united community guided by reasoned growth balanced with environmental protections. Voters should support Cynthia Pratt.

LACEY CITY COUNCIL POSITION 5

John Darby

Andy Ryder

John Darby, 34, chief executive of a company that specializes in technology solutions for the health care industry, has proved himself to be a capable leader on the Lacey City Council. He deserves a third term. Darby’s challenger is 35-year-old Lacey native Andy Ryder, a smart local businessman who shows great promise for future public service. We encourage him to volunteer for the planning commission or other city advisory groups to learn the internal operations of City Hall. We found Ryder to be fragmented in his thoughts and lacking a clear vision for where he wants to lead the city. Darby has demonstrated his leadership abilities on issues ranging from a new paramedic unit in the Lacey area to one-bin recycling. In a council with several former public employees, John Darby brings a valued connection to the business sector and merits re-election.

LACEY CITY COUNCIL POSITION 6

Graeme Sackrison

Ron Lawson

Ron Lawson, an extremely likeable, grandfatherly man, clearly has the best interests of Lacey at heart. While we appreciate his exuberance and his passion for city issues, Lawson, 71, simply lacks the leadership experience necessary to direct the council and empower the community at this pivotal time. Lawson’s theft of his opponent’s yard signs shows his political immaturity and lack of judgment. Graeme Sackrison, 66, the incumbent, retired as legislative liaison for the state Employment Security Department. He has been an excellent representative of Lacey, having served several terms as the council-appointed mayor. Sackrison’s goal is to stay on the City Council long enough to see the Gateway Project to fruition. That’s Lacey’s hard-fought vision to bring jobs, housing, entertainment, retail development — and yes, tax revenue — to the Hawks Prairie area, creating, in essence, Lacey’s downtown. Gateway is a terrific vision for Lacey and Graeme Sackrison deserves another term to turn that vision into reality.

OLYMPIA CITY COUNCIL POSITION 4

Karen Veldheer

Karen Rogers

This is a pivotal election for the Olympia City Council because a majority of the positions are up for election. The decision of voters on Nov. 3 will go a long way toward shaping the future of the capital city. After years of inaction by council members more interested in national and international issues than policing and potholes, the 2007 election brought refreshing change. Finally, Olympia had a decisive City Council that studied issues, made the tough decisions and got the city moving again. Vying for an open seat on the council are Karen Rogers, 36, a policy analyst for the Liquor Control Board and Karen Veldheer, 37, a neighborhood activist. Rogers has spent much of her campaign running against the current council. Hers is a campaign of “no” — “no” on the isthmus mixed use development project, “no” on the parking garage, “no” on the City Hall. Given her temperament, we have serious concerns about her ability to work with council colleagues and the city staff. Veldheer has gained a reputation for her grassroots activism, helping her Cooper Crest neighbors resolve issues of substandard development that resulted in flooded crawl spaces under their homes. She is focused, determined to improve communication between the council and city residents and supportive of the need to balance economic development with environmental protections. Veldheer is much more even-tempered and willing to learn than her opponent and should be elected to Position 4 on the council.

OLYMPIA CITY COUNCIL POSITION 5

Jeff Kingsbury

Stephen Buxbaum

As a leader on the council, Jeff Kingsbury was instrumental in drafting the pedestrian interference ordinance, which has helped ease a thorny panhandling problem downtown. Kingsbury, 49, artistic director at Capital Playhouse, also played a pivotal role in drafting the Camp Quixote ordinance that has worked so well to house the homeless in Thurston County. His solid leadership skills have been a terrific benefit to Olympia and its residents. His opponent, Stephen Buxbaum, 54, a management consultant, is a disappointment. Ask Kingsbury whether he supports the lake or estuary option and he answers clearly and concisely — “lake.” Ask Buxbaum the same question and you get a rambling answer about setting principles for negotiations and how, “we need to bring people together around a shared vision.” Shared vision? Make a decision! Show some leadership. Based on his demonstrated ability to resolve tough issues, we encourage voters to re-elect Jeff Kingsbury to a second term on the Olympia City Council.

OLYMPIA CITY COUNCIL POSITION 6

Joan Machlis

Jeannine Roe

This is an easy call. Joan Machlis, 60, retired owner of the Wind Up Here toy store, is head and shoulders above her challenger, Jeannine Roe, 52, a senior legislative assistant with the state Senate. Roe is a one-issue candidate. She opposes the council decision to rezone the isthmus, and that appears to be the sum and substance of her knowledge about city governance. We found her lack of knowledge about the city budget and spending priorities shocking. She’s totally ill-prepared to serve on the Olympia City Council. Machlis, by contrast, has been an excellent council member. She is quiet in demeanor, but has earned a reputation as someone who studies issues in depth, asks the hard questions, comes to a decision and sticks with it. As a former downtown business owner she understands the importance of creating a thriving downtown that has a mix of housing, retail, restaurant and shopping experiences. She’s an advocate for economic development, but not at the expense of the environment. She understands the importance of an efficient transportation plan and how that’s an integral part of the city’s comprehensive plan — the guiding document for development of the community. Elect Joan Machlis to a full, four-year term on Tuesday.

OLYMPIA CITY COUNCIL POSITION 7

Tony Sermonti

Joe Hyer

Councilman Joe Hyer, 36, co-owner of the Alpine Experience, is extremely bright. No one knows the city budget better than Hyer. And no one can question Hyer’s council work ethic. But he can be extremely indecisive. His flip-flopping on issues drives even his friends and supporters crazy. He’s for a lake. No, he’s for an estuary. No, dual basin is the best answer. That’s not leadership. That’s flip-flopping. We like the direct, decisive approach of Tony Sermonti, 29, who until recently was a communications specialist with the state Senate. Look for Sermonti to tackle the structural problems in the city budget. He’ll also look for ways to build partnerships and treat people with the respect they deserve. Voters looking for a fresh, new voice on the council will support Tony Sermonti.

TUMWATER MAYOR

Pete Kmet

Neil McClanahan

Residents of Tumwater are fortunate to have two highly qualified, motivated and intelligent City Council members competing for the honor to follow Ralph Osgood as mayor. In a close call, The Olympian’s editorial board supports Pete Kmet, 55, over Neil McClanahan, 58. Tumwater has a strong-mayor form of government. The mayor presides over council meetings, but only votes in the event of a tie. In this form of government, the mayor has much more responsibility in the day-to-day operation of city government. It’s the judgment of the editorial board that Kmet is better suited for that responsibility. A majority of the new council members support Kmet’s election over McClanahan. Kmet’s biggest challenge will be convincing the retail community that he is sincere in his quest to attract new, small business to Tumwater. His plan to convert the old brewery property into mixed-use development is a good start. Voters should elect Pete Kmet as Tumwater mayor on Tuesday.

TUMWATER SCHOOL BOARD

Rita Luce

Bill Proffitt

Voters in the Tumwater School District should return Rita Luce to office for a second, four-year term. Luce is being challenged by Bill Proffitt, 55, of Littlerock. Proffitt deserves credit for taking a chance and giving school district voters a choice of candidates. Proffitt simply cannot match the experience and depth of knowledge Luce offers voters. She volunteered in the schools for 25 years before her election and continues to spend time in school classrooms as a board member. Luce, 61, a beauty shop owner, is most proud of her work to expand the number of gifted student programs in the Tumwater School District and her efforts to expand vocational education to the middle schools. Through her volunteer experience and leadership on the board, Rita Luce has earned a second term on the Tumwater School Board.