PORT ANGELES — About 60 people gathered Thursday evening for a forum that addressed the pros and cons of four statewide measures on the Nov. 2 ballot.
Representatives from organizations supporting and opposing the measures presented their views and were met with brief rebuttals to opposing statements.
Speakers answered questions audience members’ written questions in the forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Clallam County at Port Angeles City Hall.
The four ballot issues discussed during the forum were:
* Initiative 872: This proposal would reverse the separate party primaries of Sept. 14 and change the primary system to an open “top two” election system, allowing voting across party lines.
David John Anderson, campaign coordinator for I-872, which is sponsored by the Washington State Grange, spoke in favor of the measure.
Anderson encouraged people to keep the “independent spirit” of voting alive in Washington state.
“Keep the right to vote for whoever you want in the primary,” he said.
Becky Cox, chair of the No on I-872 Committee, argued against the “top two.”
Cox said I-872 would not bring back the old style of open primaries that voters were used to and said all parties — major or minor — deserve a place on the ballot.
“The top two vote-getters will be the only candidates. We do not feel this is representative of our state,” she said when asked how the initiative would affect voters.
* Initiative 884: If approved, this measure would raise the state’s sales tax by 1 percent to fund preschool programs for 16,000 low-income children, reduce class sizes and provide teacher incentives for career development.
The 1 percent increase would take sales tax rates to 9.3 percent in Clallam County and 9.2 percent in Jefferson County.
Mark Usdane, executive director of the League of Education Voters, spoke in favor of I-884, and Andy Nisbet of the League of Freedom Voters spoke against it.
Usdane said only two of every 10 kindergartners who started school this month will graduate from higher learning institutes.
He said it is time for children to be able to access a good education and said I-884 promises a quality education for all children.
Nisbet disagreed and said while he supports funding education, the initiative will not work because it lacks accountability.
“I am opposed to spending money that doesn’t have a set purpose,” Nisbet said.
He said money cannot simply be thrown at a problem to fix it.
“We will hold it to the strictest accountability standards,” Usdane said.
* Referendum 55: If approved, this measure would enact House Bill 2295, signed into law earlier this year, which creates a charter schools program in the state.
The law, currently on hold, would allow 45 charter schools to operate under contracts that free them from many of the rules required of other public schools.
State Rep. Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, one of the three state lawmakers in the Olympia Legislature representing the North Olympic Peninsula, argued for R-55.
“This is about children,” Kessler said. “I am not afraid to try a new thing. Let’s see what they can do without all of the red tape.”
Kessler said charter schools will help disadvantaged, failing children.
Tedd Davis from the Protect Our Public Schools Coalition spoke against the initiative.
“We don’t need another parallel system to compete for dollars,” he said. “We don’t have enough dollars now.”
Davis said the schools would take too much money away from public schools. Kessler argued the money follows the children and said private funding will also be available for charter schools.
Davis has taught middle and high school science in the Port Townsend School District for 25 years.
He said schools have quality alternative programs to help failing students.
Davis said some of the requirements imposed on school districts and teachers could be lifted. He said rather than start another alternative program the state should fully fund public schools.
Davis also criticized how charter schools would be operated — by a board mostly appointed by the state’s governor.
Audience members questioned why the state should support charter schools when the programs were failing in states such as California.
Kessler said there are some very successful charter schools, and the schools could be closed if they were failing — unlike public schools.
Davis argued that fully funding public schools which have alternative programs is the answer to helping failing students.
* Initiative 297: This measure would stop the federal government from depositing more nuclear waste at the Hanford Reservation outside the Tri-Cities until certain cleanup standards have been met.
Because no representatives were available to discuss the issue, only the pros and cons were read and no questions were accepted.
The forum, moderated by Sue Erzen, president of the League of Women Voters of Clallam County, was co-sponsored by the League, the Clallam chapter of the American Association of University Women, and Peninsula Daily News.
A fifth measure on the Nov. 2 ballot, Initiative 892, will be the subject of League forums Oct. 14 at 2 p.m. at Carrie Blake Park in Sequim and Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. in the City Council chambers at Port Angeles City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St.
I-892 would allow non-tribal businesses with gambling licenses — such as bowling alleys, bars, taverns and mini-casinos — to operate electronic slot machines. It would earmark tax proceeds to lower the state property tax.
In addition, incumbent state Rep. Jim Buck, R-Joyce, and his Democratic opponent, Kevin Van De Wege of Sequim, plus Sheriff Joe Martin and challenger Soeren Poulsen will debate at the forums.
