Thurston County Democrats

I really appreciate your efforts on this forum and with the blog in general. Hope our commissioners (and candidates) can see how this kind of technology might help break down that barrier between the people and their government.

Vision is the ability to anticipate a future that exceeds conventional expectations. I don't believe any of the candidates excel at this, but Walt does seem to think further outside the box than most.

I particularly like his honesty, especially his recognition of the need for and the sources of supplemental tax revenue. Discussions of increasing taxes is not a comfortable subject and is one that most candidates studiously avoid. I'm glad to see that he put impact fees on the table. I believe that increases in revenue are inevitable if essential county services are to survive, however I would like to see more discussion of equity and the actual anticipated impacts.

Walt's environmental stance demonstrates a commitment to a positive future and I believe this goes hand in hand with vision. Discussion of optimal density and zero growth should not be outside of a county commissioner’s purview. I would like to see a discussion of a sustainable future that generates as much enthusiasm as did the prospect of endless wealth during the stock market bubble, abet predicated more on rationality than greed. This will require attention to the needs of human beings, immersed in their environment.

Our criminal justice system as it is presently constituted is a bottomless pit, both socially and economically. We need a strong leader to lead us away from this precipice and at least Walt has taken a strong stance on this.

I believe that too much is being made of electability in the 2009 election cycle. None of us can predict who will ultimately be a strong candidate for this race. Times are changing far too fast, and it will be the person who adapts to these changes that will likely be the stronger candidate.

Also, the current commissioners should be willing to accept the will of the PCOs, who arguably are closer to their constituents and thus to the electorate.

Steve, from a standpoint of policy and the area of policy that is most important to me, I agree with your comments. If we had an open seat and several candidates were filed for the primary my choice might be different in terms of who I activly worked to elect. This last time, for instance, I worked for Sandra Romero. The problem is that we are not making the choice of who will fill the seat. That choice will be made by Cathy and Sandra. In this environment, do you really think that an applicant with environmental views as strongly held as you or I hold them can get the support of both commissioners? Diane was not on board and Bob bless his heart was not engaged. Now with Sandra already elected, a third commissioner who is moderate enough to get both Cathy and Sandra's support and then work on these issues may be what we should aim for. The last thing we should want is a deadlock in terms of who they select, or a candidate who does not run well in each of the next two years.

Agreed, while I can accept that the choice for some to put themselves out there may in some part as a result of being inspired by a great leader, a few went much farther than that. As for phone calls, or lack of same, the county party could have done more to instruct applicants on the process and acceptable tools at their disposal. Self motivating creativity may be a good test but should not be THE test in determining who we and then the two commissioners select. IMO.

Karen, for the reasons I stated my opinion is that you would be a good choice. Ed may be a little bit stronger in terms of criminal justice, though I think you both would campaign hard and effectivly for reelection. Oh, and sorry I butchered your name.

Thanks for letting people know more about you and giving them the opportunity to interact with you online.

Thanks for adding your comments Steven. I'm glad they got your account approved.

You said:

Secondly, I am looking for another advocate for preservation of our environment and quality of life who is interested in aggressively looking at how new development might better pay its own way as we move forward.

I believe I heard Walt Jorgensen say he supports impact fees at the candidate forum yesterday. And that support sounded pretty strong to me.

And if you're looking for someone who understands law enforcement issues and the costs that go into those programs, Ed Crawford definitely has the experience as a state trooper and then as the city of Kent's Police Chief.

Hey Steven, good to see you there. I like Ed Crawford too, but I think he's more of a long-term guy in Thurston County. He has great administrative experience as Kent Police chief, but I think his county level bonafides are lacking, especially when it comes to growth management.

Thanks for dropping by Emmett. I agree with you that for me, elected experience is my number one qualification. Given the situation with the county's budget, we need a seasoned leader.

Also, since there is a Democratic majority on the Board of County Commissioners, we can expect the Republicans to invest heavily into this race. We need a strong candidate, with a record to run on, and the ability to raise money and hit the ground running on the campaign trail as soon as he/she is appointed.

Ken Camp
Tumwater 28

I thought the forum last night was an extremely good experience. I was excited to see so many people come out on a Saturday afternoon in order to participate. I was so impressed by the other candidates and what I heard and read from them, so I anticipate being very pleased and satisfied with whatever outcome emerges. I was glad I got the chance to bring attention to some of the issues that I feel are very important, such as the necessity for updating the critical areas ordinances (CAO’s) here in Thurston County. We are so far out of date with our current regs, and we NEED those CAO’s in order to protect our water quality, wildlife habitat, wetlands, the waters and shorelines of the Puget Sound, and the public health and safety. I remember going to a public meeting on the CAO draft on August 17, 2005, there in the county courthouse, and being so excited that we were finally going to get some updated CAO’s…that was almost three and a half YEARS ago. And our CAO’s were about a decade old even before that! Where are our CAO’s? We need them, now. And then once we get them, we need real monitoring and actual enforcement of these regulations, which is something that Thurston County has demonstrated little will and effort for thus far. Another thing we need is a ‘Working Lands and Forests Preservation Plan.’ As a member of the Agricultural Advisory Board we have been working on this for over a year now. We need more resources and assistance in creating a good plan, and Thurston County needs this plan quickly. It’s true the breakneck pace of development has slowed recently, thanks to the housing/credit bubble bust and the economic recession, but that won’t last for forever. I don’t want to see Thurston County paved over, jammed with poorly planned subdivisions, turned into a McBland McPlace. We need to take actual, concrete action to save our farms, forests, and preserve our quality of life. We have great people here in Thurston, educated, passionate, committed people, and I hope that we all use that passion and commitment to require that our county commissioners do whatever is necessary to preserve and protect the wonderful and unique place that is our home. Gayle Broadbent