LIVE from Renton: King County executive candidate forum continued...
Update from the King County executive candidate forum at 9:00PM:
Question: What will you do to support Sound Transit?
Constantine: The people of this region have spoken loudly and clearly that they want light rail. The mobility that it provides will drive the economy of the region and thus the state.
Jarrett: He worked in the Legislature for light rail funding. The real problem is that people want to funnel money away from Sound Transit to build roads.
Phillips: He ran for county council in order to bring light rail to the county.
Hunter: We get more support for transit locally, so keep the Legislature out of the picture.
Question: What would you do to ensure that our schools are the best they can be?
All of the candidates realize that the county isn't directly involved in school function, but each digs up a few ways that the county can make a difference to students.
Jarrett: He put together the recent education reform bill in the legislature. We need a good economy in order to have good schools. A good economy will allow the county to deliver services to students.
Phillips: His answer addresses the very near term - federal stimulus money that the county attracts will boost the economy.
Constantine: The county plays a secondary role in supporting schools. They are providing school transportation more and more often these days, plus they provide social services that help troubled youth, saving the public money in the long run and keeping kids from being a "guest in the public jail" down the road.
Hunter: The county actually can't do much. He suggest two small ways it can cost school districts less money.
There is applause as the candidates begin their closing statements.
Phillips: He has lead on many tough issues. We have an obligation to hire the best people to make good decisions and lead us forward. He has the experience that the county needs. It's about engaging your ideas and energy to make the best of King County.
Hunter: Jokingly, "Are you clapping for us or just because we are almost done?" We aren't just a bunch of middle-aged white guys. He offers practical solutions. He is proud of the landmark education reform bill that passed the Legislature this year and his gun safety bill. The job is not about just vision, but is about developing a concrete plan for the future.
Constantine: This race is not about who has been in office the longest, but about "who will throw open the doors of government to innovation and new ideas." We must get serious: about using proven programs that work and about having a government that can deliver. He will fight the tough fight.
Jarrett: King County doesn't have its fiscal house in order. Think Brightwater, think elections. We need to draw private sector jobs. He wants Metro to work and to be able to maintain our clean environment in spite of a growing population.
It's obvious who has been actively campaigning and who hasn't. Constantine and Phillips are already fine tuning their stump speeches. Jarrett is fairly conversant on the issues, while Hunter is still coming up to speed.
While the others' performances were about what we expected, Jarrett's was surprisingly strong. He demonstrated a very practical approach to governing and we look forward to hearing more from him, and from the other candidates for that matter, in the future.
In conclusion, the evening was a great way for the candidates to mingle with their party's leaders, toot their own horns and be compared against their competition. They must have been gratified by the amount of interest in the race displayed by the standing-room only, very festive crowd. It seems that Democrats are energized by the ascendancy of Obama, have recovered from his hard-fought campaign and are ready to get involved in the next big thing - the race for King County executive.
Question: What will you do to support Sound Transit?
Constantine: The people of this region have spoken loudly and clearly that they want light rail. The mobility that it provides will drive the economy of the region and thus the state.
Jarrett: He worked in the Legislature for light rail funding. The real problem is that people want to funnel money away from Sound Transit to build roads.
Phillips: He ran for county council in order to bring light rail to the county.
Hunter: We get more support for transit locally, so keep the Legislature out of the picture.
Question: What would you do to ensure that our schools are the best they can be?
All of the candidates realize that the county isn't directly involved in school function, but each digs up a few ways that the county can make a difference to students.
Jarrett: He put together the recent education reform bill in the legislature. We need a good economy in order to have good schools. A good economy will allow the county to deliver services to students.
Phillips: His answer addresses the very near term - federal stimulus money that the county attracts will boost the economy.
Constantine: The county plays a secondary role in supporting schools. They are providing school transportation more and more often these days, plus they provide social services that help troubled youth, saving the public money in the long run and keeping kids from being a "guest in the public jail" down the road.
Hunter: The county actually can't do much. He suggest two small ways it can cost school districts less money.
There is applause as the candidates begin their closing statements.
Phillips: He has lead on many tough issues. We have an obligation to hire the best people to make good decisions and lead us forward. He has the experience that the county needs. It's about engaging your ideas and energy to make the best of King County.
Hunter: Jokingly, "Are you clapping for us or just because we are almost done?" We aren't just a bunch of middle-aged white guys. He offers practical solutions. He is proud of the landmark education reform bill that passed the Legislature this year and his gun safety bill. The job is not about just vision, but is about developing a concrete plan for the future.
Constantine: This race is not about who has been in office the longest, but about "who will throw open the doors of government to innovation and new ideas." We must get serious: about using proven programs that work and about having a government that can deliver. He will fight the tough fight.
Jarrett: King County doesn't have its fiscal house in order. Think Brightwater, think elections. We need to draw private sector jobs. He wants Metro to work and to be able to maintain our clean environment in spite of a growing population.
It's obvious who has been actively campaigning and who hasn't. Constantine and Phillips are already fine tuning their stump speeches. Jarrett is fairly conversant on the issues, while Hunter is still coming up to speed.
While the others' performances were about what we expected, Jarrett's was surprisingly strong. He demonstrated a very practical approach to governing and we look forward to hearing more from him, and from the other candidates for that matter, in the future.
In conclusion, the evening was a great way for the candidates to mingle with their party's leaders, toot their own horns and be compared against their competition. They must have been gratified by the amount of interest in the race displayed by the standing-room only, very festive crowd. It seems that Democrats are energized by the ascendancy of Obama, have recovered from his hard-fought campaign and are ready to get involved in the next big thing - the race for King County executive.
# Posted by Kathleen : 8:53 PM
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