The Economy

I recently read all this bad news on the same day: federal budget deficits spiral out of control– banks post record losses from mortgage and banking crisis– record foreclosures on home mortgages– collapse in home values worst since the Great Depression– value of dollar plummeting– recession looms– oil companies post record profits– top 1% wealthiest households granted over $1 trillion in tax cuts– cost estimated at $4.3 trillion over next 10 years– to be paid for with cuts to programs for workers, seniors, veterans, the unemployed, and people with disabilities.

Conservative economic policies have wreaked havoc throughout the economy, and the outlook is getting worse every day. As an economist, I believe it's crucial that we focus our efforts on building a sustainable local economy and preventing fiscal mismanagement from further damaging the outlook here in Washington.

The best way to ensure economic growth and prosperity in the future is through public investment today- in quality education, transportation and infrastructure, affordable housing and health care, and energy independence. Investing locally in the community provides long-term financial stability and adds to the tax base. We get a return on this investment in the form of increased employment and economic activity.

We can and should do much more to support small businesses and start-ups, promote energy efficiency and sustainability, and help people acquire the skills and education needed to get decent jobs that pay living wages. That in turn will generate growth and attract decent employers.

Fiscal Responsibility

When politicians promise to cut taxes, ask them: what government services are they willing to live without? Do they want to shut down schools? Lay off teachers, police officers, and firefighters? Stop paving our roads and maintaining infrastructure? Cut their own salaries? How do they plan to make up the lost revenue?  

Taxes represent an investment in our future. They are the dues that we pay for vital public services and infrastructure. If we cut them, we risk undermining our childrens' future. Tax cuts won't improve our schools or reward our teachers. They won’t help working families who can’t afford a home or health insurance. They won’t help anyone go to school or get training for a better job.

Don’t be fooled by promises of tax cuts. They don't solve economic problems, they create them. Government budget deficits increase borrowing costs and mortgage our childrens' future. It’s irresponsible to cut taxes if we’re unwilling to live without essential government services.

Tax Fairness

We need to stabilize state revenues to ensure funding for important priorities like education, public safety, and infrastructure. But current sales and property taxes in Washington are unfair to people with low or fixed incomes, who pay a disproportionate share of taxes. This is especially difficult for seniors and retirees. 

The solution is to adjust sales and property taxes for people with low or fixed incomes in a way that is revenue- neutral to the state treasury. I support balancing the state budget by closing tax loopholes and saving surpluses in a “rainy day fund". We should be proud that our state earned the highest possible ranking for management of state resources during Governor Gregoire's term of office.

Education

Did you know that Washington's teachers are paid $3,000 less than the national average and $12,000 less than the average west coast teacher? Or that the Evergreen School District is facing a budget shortfall of $3.2 million next year, while one-third of our students are in portable classrooms? Our state ranks 45th in the nation in per student expenditures, and 46th in the nation for average class size. We would like our students to get a top quality education, but it's getting more difficult each year to recruit and retain the best teachers under these conditions.

We must find ways to stabilize funding for education so that we can get our students out of portable classrooms, pay our teachers competitive salaries, and reduce class sizes. I will work to prioritize basic education expenditures within the state appropriations process and establish a strategic direction for higher education that will account for changes in demographics and workforce requirements.

Transportation and Infrastructure

Our infrastructure is crumbling and choking off future economic growth. On average, 47,000 jobs are created for every $1 billion invested in infrastucture. We need to expand the Public Works Trust Fund to finance projects that will attract new businesses and support existing ones. We also need to be able move more people and goods along the I-5 corridor. I support the recommendations of the Columbia River Crossing Task Force for the I-5 replacement bridge. Recent polls show that a majority of Vancouver residents want to replace the bridge and include public transit. Most residents understand that sound public investments will create jobs, expand our economy, and pay off for generations to come.

Health Care

Too many hard working people go without health insurance because neither they nor their employers can afford to pay for it. To make matters worse, Clark County’s public health department announced recently that it will have to cover a $4.8 million budget shortfall by cutting staff and services. The high cost of health care makes it difficult for employers to compete. I support the Health Insurance Partnership, which would provide low-cost health care options to all Washington residents.

Affordable Housing

The Housing Trust Fund and the Washington Families Fund are examples of public-private partnerships that have helped many low income families find affordable housing. I work with the Southwest Washington Community Land Trust and the Northwest Cooperative Development Center, which use these funds to build homes that will be permanently affordable for future generations.

Public Safety

The City of Vancouver is facing a structural deficit of over $6 million due to recent tax cuts. Our police and fire divisions are already inadequately staffed to meet current service demands, and unless steps are taken to remedy the budget shortfall, the Vancouver Police Department will have to reduce its operating budget by $2.3 million and lay off several police officers. We have an obligation to insure that basic fire and police services are adequately staffed to provide quality services. We need to find ways to stabilize funding for public safety to meet the needs of a growing population.

Energy Independence

Washington residents export millions of hard-earned dollars to oil companies and oil-rich nations. We should instead invest those dollars locally, and produce biofuels and gas from wood and agricultural waste, straw, trash, and manure. Washington's huge wind and solar resources should be tapped to meet future demand for electricity. Wind power is already one of the fastest growing industries in the state, and it's creating great new jobs. We can do a lot more to boost the local economy if we develop new local, renewable energy resources rather than coal to power the next generation of automobiles and public transit.

Climate Change

Climate change is real, and it's one of the planet's greatest environmental threats. I worked in West Africa 25 years ago with people who were already suffering the consequences of climate change. They could no longer grow traditional food crops and their wells were dry. They became "environmental refugees" and had to move away from a place that had been their home for hundreds of years. What if that happened here?

After that experience, I can't help but think about the global consequences of our actions. Our own forests are stressed and glaciers are disappearing. We need to do more to promote energy independence and sustainability. Some people think it's got to be jobs or the environment. Our state has proven that we can have both. The Climate Action and Green Jobs bill that just passed the legislature is a big step in the right direction.

Community Development

When the economy is weak and the cost of living keeps rising, life can be especially difficult for people on fixed incomes and the working poor, who already struggle to make ends meet. The solution is to empower people with modest incomes to help themselves. I support the Community Services Division program that helps low income families build financial security and independence.

Predatory Lending

The growth of subprime mortgages and predatory lending in recent years has hurt military families and the working poor hardest. Interest rates on payday loans can be several hundred percent, but Washington currently has no consumer protections in place to control predatory lending. Oregon has an interest rate cap of 36% and it’s time we did the same here. I support the Subprime Lending Reform bill and the recommendations of the Governor's Task Force for Homeowner Security, which will curb predatory lending practices and mortgage scams.

Election Reform

With the "top two primary" in our state, voters end up with candidates from the two main political parties. We need more choices. With "instant runoff elections" or "ranked voting" in the primary, voters select their top three candidates instead of just one. If their first choice does not make the top two, their vote would count toward their second choice, and so on. So if you vote for a third party candidate and they don't make it to the top two, your vote still counts. For details visit www.fairvote.org/ 

Fee free to post your comments regarding these issues on the "Vancouver Voters" blog: www.davidcarrier.org/blog

Climate change matters.

I am an avid whitewater kayaker and climber, and spend most of my free time hiking and climbing in the Cascades and the Columbia Gorge. Like all of us, I love Washington for its natural beauty and quality of life, and will do all I can to preserve it. Climate change is real, and it threatens that natural beauty. There are immediate steps we can all take to reduce our carbon footprint. I started by driving less, commuting by bicycle, insulating my attic, and installing solar heat and hot water in my home. These small changes have cut my energy consumption in half.