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Taxes 2002
Wednesday, March 6, 2002
Proposals fly at party caucuses Turnout light at some sites PATRICK CONDON, BRAD SHANNON , AND RUTH LONGORIA, THE OLYMPIAN Originally published Wednesday, March 6, 2002
Local Democrats who gathered Tuesday night at Lacey's Mountain View Elementary School for precinct caucuses decided it's time for Washington to think the unthinkable: A state income tax.
"It seems to me the state should have an income tax and lower the regressive sales tax," said Will Mitchell, who was elected to be a delegate at the Thurston County Democratic convention April 20. "Stop this silliness."
Of course, it's a long way from a discussion around the table in the elementary school library to such a drastic change in state law. But the neighborhood Democratic activists were starting the process of forming the eventual Democratic Party platform for the 2002 general election, making motions on a number of hot state issues.
"This is a radical group," joked Jon Halvorson, the former Lacey mayor who was the coordinator at the Mountain View precinct site. "This is sure to get some discussion going at the county convention."
The income tax also came up for eight Republicans at a GOP caucus at Olympia High School.
The idea sounded attractive to Alex Hays, a party activist who also works as a political consultant. But Hays was quick to see a down side also.
"I think an income tax would be better if we could trust the government not to creep the sales tax back," Hays said.
"You can't," replied retiree Hazel Bullpitt.
That pretty well killed off the discussion of an income tax.
The Republicans' turnout was no better than the Democrats' on Tuesday.
In fact, most Republicans who showed up at Olympia High earned the right to become a delegate at the county convention, scheduled for April 20 at Black Hills High School in Tumwater.
Some blamed the lack of a presidential election or hot local issues that will land on the November ballot. "Unless you listen to talk radio, you don't have people talking about issues," Bullpitt said.
Bullpitt added that she believes a lot is at stake, including control of the Legislature and Congress. "I think the whole thing is up for grabs, the House, the Senate, everything," she said.
Hundreds of residents attended caucuses across Thurston and Mason counties to pick the delegates who will attend upcoming political conventions.
The Democratic caucus attendees in Lacey unanimously approved motions saying the state should require only a simple majority of voters to approve school bond levies, instead of the current 60 percent requirement; that the Legislature should not be allowed to shift tobacco settlement dollars into the general fund, as was proposed Monday by Senate Democrats; and that the cities of Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater should consider merging their park districts into one joint venture.
Low attendance
Of the 25 precincts that could have been represented at the Mountain View site, only four were represented, by a total of six people who showed up.
"It's a disappointment," Halvorson said. All six people present were elected as delegates to the county convention.
Bemoaning the low attendance, the group discussed how it is important to get more people involved in the political process, especially young people.
"I'm afraid people think there's other, better things to do, that this is not worth their time," said Steve Blumer, himself one of the younger faces at the caucus.
The group was excited, though, when two Yelm High School students who live in rural Lacey, Jennifer Wood and Krystel Viehmann, showed up for the caucus. The two even made the motion to restrict the Legislature from using the tobacco money for general fund purposes.
"I just think they should use that for tobacco education and for health, like they said they would," Viehmann said.
Republican platform
The Republicans in Olympia, who went over their proposed platform line by line, had a lively debate about the ideas they believe in.
Newcomer Dan Auderer, a state employee who likes what he considers the core principles of Republican philosophy including limited intrusion into private activities, sparked most of the debate.
After looking at the proposed platform, which had proposals to limit flag burning, ban "government funding of welfare abortions," and improving schools through discipline and local control -- Auderer said, "This right here isn't going to win any elections in Thurston County. ... If we're going to win anything, which is pretty rare, it has to have a positive spin."
Auderer got quick agreement from Bullpitt and other GOP precinct committee officers, at least in the abstract.
But his approach didn't go over so well when he suggested that the platform didn't need to call for a constitutional amendment banning flag burning, since that conflicted with the principle of free speech.
Spirited debate
Others voted him down.
"You're doing good. We appreciate you," precinct committee officer Ted Janviers said to Auderer.
The group did agree to soften language about welfare recipients and at one point considered whether it should propose language to the county convention that would allow civil unions by gays.
They also had conflicts over immigration policy, whether to endorse free trade or tariffs to protect basic industries, and how to word their concerns about HIV.
Rusty Howell, a write-in candidate for Olympia School Board last fall, said he believes the federal government would quarantine those infected with HIV if AIDS were spread in a different manner.
"We got some good debate going," Bullpitt said.
Mason County Republicans and Democrats also put on their party hats.
At a caucus at Shelton Middle School, Republicans from a dozen precincts sat around a table selecting primary concerns from a list of predetermined issues and principles.
Generally accepted issues on the Republican front included winning the war on terror, cutting taxes, abolishing late-term abortion, alleviating traffic congestion and creating a business-friendly environment.
"I think making Washington state business-friendly should be a top priority," said Elaine Ebinger, a Shelton precinct committee officer and interim assistant principal at Shelton High School.
"People can't stay here if they don't have jobs," Ebinger said.
Grass-roots participation
Participating in caucuses has been a priority for Ebinger for the past four years, she said.
"This is how the state candidates come up with their platforms, by listening to their local people. It's important to put your 2 cents in," Ebinger said.
Across town, at Evergreen Elementary School, a crowd of about 30 Democrats sat in an auditorium, debated issues and passed resolutions.
Whether the state should or will be allowed to continue with its blanket primary was the topic of heated debate.
Blanket primary
"People should have to make a choice and say where they stand on issues before they vote in the primary," said Doug Sayan, 73, of Agate.
Sayan is concerned that Republican voters will be involved in the process of deciding candidates for the Democratic ticket.
"It's so easy to manipulate that," he said.
Among a half-dozen other resolutions passed, caucus participants agreed on a resolution supporting the right of political parties to select their own candidates.
They also agreed that tax cuts should result in reducing only those programs that were previously funded by those taxes.
"We had a good turnout for an off-year election," said Neal Nogler, Mason County's Democratic party chairman.
"I'd like to have had more folks, but this was OK, and we had some really good discussions."
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