SEQUIM — Rep. Kevin Van De Wege at a candidate forum Saturday defended the state Legislature’s decision to raise taxes this year as his two Republican challengers took shots at the state’s “out of control” budget.
Van De Wege, D-Sequim, said at the forum held by the League of Women Voters of Clallam County at the Sequim Senior Center that the Legislature needed to raise taxes this year on “discretionary items” — such as cigarettes, bottled water, soda, candy and mass-produced beer — in order to prevent social services from being completely gutted.
But his challengers, Dan Gase of Port Angeles and Craig Durgan of Port Ludlow, said the Legislature should have done more to cut “waste” from the budget to prevent new taxes and preserve the tax-limiting initiative, I-960.
“The Legislature, including Mr. Van De Wege, raised our taxes,” said Durgan, owner of Evergreen Storage and a retired marine engineer. “He has defied the will of the people.”
“This isn’t the kind of Legislature I want to have in Olympia,” said Gase, a real estate broker.
Van De Wege represents the 24th District, which includes the North Olympic Peninsula and a portion of Grays Harbor County.
He is seeking a third term in the Position 1 seat.
Ballots for the Aug. 17 primary election will be mailed Wednesday. The two candidates who receive the most votes in the primary will, regardless of party affiliation, go on to the Nov. 2 general election.
The taxes raised by the Legislature this year will add about $800 million in revenue for the state’s biennial budget, which lasts from July 2009 to July 2011.
An additional $750 million in cuts were made. The year before, $4 billion in cuts were made to balance the budget.
Will of the voters
In response to his challengers’ statements that the suspension of Initiative 960 violated the will of the voters, Van De Wege said that the Legislature has to be willing to suspend initiatives at times.
He said that includes the suspension of I-732 this session that would have required pay raises for teachers.
That suspension saved the state money, Van De Wege said, adding, “My opponents, if they don’t want to thwart the will of the people, would support not suspending it.”
Van De Wege said the Legislature has made the state more efficient and referred to one of his bills that combined growth hearing boards.
Gase said the Legislature needs to take a “different perspective” to budgeting.
Gase: Eliminate waste
If elected, he said he would try to eliminate waste and take a look at the “lack of accountability in various state departments.”
But Gase added that he wouldn’t be opposed to new programs, as long as they come with a “sustainable funding source” and don’t involve raising taxes.
Van De Wege responded that funding and taxes are one and the same.
“Funding is another word for taxes,” he said. “You can’t have it both ways.”
Durgan said that the administration takes up too much of the funding for education.
“We must cut this crazy and out-of-control budget,” he said.
Durgan: Special interests
Durgan also said that special interest groups have too much influence in Olympia. He said they make it difficult to balance the budget.
That’s why Durgan said he is not accepting any campaign contributions or endorsements.
His friend, Larry Carter, who is vying for the 24th District seat that will be vacated by House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler at the end of the year, is taking the same approach.
“I’m not beholden to any special interest groups,” Durgan said. “Only you, the voter.”
When speaking in favor of the state removing regulations that hinder job growth, he said, “We just need jobs. Even someone who is quadriplegic can work if they want to.”
After the forum, Durgan said he didn’t mean to suggest disabled people try to avoid work. He said he was trying to point out that almost everyone is capable of working if jobs are available.
When criticizing the state for spending too much attention on salmon restoration, he said:
“If salmon are so endangered, then why are we still eating them?”
“They care more about fish than people.
“I didn’t eat eagles, and they came back.”
Growth Management Act
Gase and Durgan also criticized the state’s Growth Management Act.
They both agreed that it limits growth in rural areas.
Van De Wege said he believes the Olympic Peninsula would preserve farmland without the act but stopped short of saying it has caused any problems.
He said he would continue to support the creation of jobs and look for ways to make government more efficient if re-elected.
________
Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
