My Mission
I am running for the office of Washington state legislator for the 18th District as an Independent. My most recent activities have been working to stop the Bonneville Power Administration from using eminent domain to condemn or devalue people's property in southwest Washington. However, I have a lot of other concerns and real world solutions. For example:
1. Why is the Governor and Legislature considering raising your taxes in order to pay for their inability to produce a balanced budget? I have a family budget. I don't have the option of telling people to give me their money if I can't pay my bills!
2. Why is the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) not supporting electric transmission corridors over state lands instead of letting BPA condemn people's property? Selling timber on DNR land generates revenue that goes into the state coffers. BPA is going to do an environmental impact statement on the proposed corridors. The basic question is whether people's homes are as important as state timber?
The county assessor's office already is notifying property owners in the corridor that their land values have dropped from between 20-25%. Who is going to pay us for that loss if we have to sell our home? Worse the Clark County commissioners are proposing to increase the taxes on your property to make up for the loss so they can fund their programs. Is that why we elect these local and state representatives?
3. Why does southwest Washington have the highest unemployment rate in the state? It is because we are a bedroom community to the Portland metropolitan area. We need to work to become an economically independent community.
4. Will eliminating the state sales tax exemption in Clark County create more jobs? No! It will mean that Washington business will lose more sales and be forced to layoff more people.
5. I worked for a state economic development department under two Governors during the last recession. We created more jobs! I know how to make Washington economic solid again!
6. Why are some elected officials supporting tolls on the proposed new I-5 bridge? Is the bridge not part of the federal highway system that connects commerce on the entire West Coast from San Diego to Seattle (as well as Mexico to Canada). Why should anyone in southwest Washington pay a toll to cross the bridge?
Why am I considering running as an Independent? I am like you. I am getting fed up with the political party system and how elected officials cast their votes based on who pays them the most and not on what the citizens who voted for them want. No one owns my vote.
Depending on the issue I can be a fiscal conservative or a social liberal. But I make my decisions based on (a) if there is money to fund a program, (b) if it is a cost-efficient program, and (c) if I believe there is value-added to the community and a real return-on-investment to the citizens. I also believe that American citizens have some basic Constitutional rights. Property rights is one of them and condemning (or devaluing) people's property is wrong.
If I missed something that you are interested in, then send me an email at richcarson@Q.com.
Independent, Integrity, Experience, Issue Driven
