Q & A: Democrat Darcy Burner, 8th District

It's one of the most contested races in the country. The 8th Congressional District — east King and Pierce counties — has never put a Democrat in Congress, but Democrats this year are outspending the GOP on advertising.

Democratic candidate Darcy Burner answered your questions. Thanks to all who participated!

(Read the Oct. 16 live Q&A with Republican Dave Reichert.)

Darcy, how do you think we can best protect Social Security and help bring back an economically-viable middle class? What policies need to change?
— Geni Hawkins, Auburn

D.B.: Social Security is a promise made to hard-working Americans that they will have some basic level of support in their retirement. We need to keep that promise. I will push for the modest reforms that will ensure the continued solvency of Social Security for decades to come, and I will fight against President Bush's efforts to destroy it. (The Republicans have made it clear that Social Security privatization is their number one priority if they retain control of the Congress in 2007.)

My opponent has been unprincipled on this issue, saying to the Seattle Times that "he would support letting people put some of their Social Security taxes into investment accounts. This amounts to privatizing a portion of the system." Last night, he flip-flopped on this issue. But we need a member of Congress who will take a principled stand to protect the retirement security -- as I will.

We're out of time -- thank you all for coming by!

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What do you think of your opponent's qualifications to be Representative for the 8th District?
— Morgan, Newcastle

D.B.: The most important qualification is how well a representative is serving their constituents and standing up for their priorities. Congressman Reichert has shown himself to be a representative who's better at representing the interests of George Bush and the Republican leadership than the interests of the voters of the 8th District.

He's voted with the Bush party nearly 90 percent of the time and has been unprincipled on important issues such as funding for stem cell research, billion-dollar give-aways to Big Oil, drilling in ANWR and more.

That's why I'm running for Congress -- because the voters deserve to know where their representative stands on the issues and can be trusted to vote the right way every time.

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How do you plan on working with local officials regarding the traffic problems in the Puget Sound area?
— Char Jantzen, Monroe

D.B.: We clearly need to invest in transportation in the Puget Sound. Our quality of life, and our area's continued economic vitality, depend on it. I spend time in traffic, as does my family, as do all of you -- and we need to step up and address the problem.

Much of the funding for critical transportation projects comes from the federal government. I would partner with Senator Patty Murray and work with local officials in the 8th District to help secure funding for our tranportation needs, so that we can spend more time with our families and less stuck in our cars.

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How do you feel about the Bush tax cuts; should they remain in place?
— John, Fall City

D.B.: We need a tax structure that rewards hard work rather than just accumulated wealth. That means we should fight to preserve and extend the tax cuts which benefit the hard-working people of this country %u2013 including the sales tax deduction this Congress just allowed to expire. Workers and families need and deserve tax relief, and at the same time we should ensure that the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share.

The portions of the Bush tax cuts which benefit the very wealthy and corporations are adding trillions of dollars to the national debt %u2013 a mortgage on our future and the future of our children and grandchildren. Every man, woman and child in this country now owes more than $28,000 as their share of the national debt, an amount that has doubled under George Bush and his tax cuts. He is literally taking money from our children to pay for the tax cuts for the very wealthy and corporations.

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Ms. Burner, what is your position on NAFTA and WTO agreements in light of the severe loss of manufacturing jobs in our district, state and country?
— M.R., Woodinville

D.B.: As technology and globalization transform our economy, it is critical for leaders to fight for a level playing field for American workers and businesses. The United States must use its market power to raise the bar on labor, environmental, and intellectual property standards worldwide, rather than accept the lowest common denominator. We have fought for decades for fair standards that advance the well-being of all people, and we are at a moment of opportunity to see those standards adopted worldwide. I will fight to advance the middle class all over the world.

We live in a very trade-dependent state, and the Washington state economy depends on trade and open markets to survive. We just need to be sure that we are creating a level playing field and passing trade agreements that are fair to American workers and businesses -- as, unfortunately, many recent trade agreements have not been.

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What is your opinion of the Patriot Act?
— Matt, Renton

D.B.: We must work aggressively to make Americans safer. The ways we do so must be consistent with this country's core values. We decided long ago that a free society requires limits on government's intrusion into the lives of its citizens and strong safeguards to protect them from arbitrary abuse of governmental power.

There are parts of the Patriot Act that are important for our ability to protect ourselves and in line with our constitutional values. I fully support those provisions. But we need Congress to step up and ensure that everything in the Patriot Act is in line with our constitutional values.

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What, in your opinion, is the single most important issue facing the people of your district and how do you plan to address it once you're in D.C.?
— David Bennett, Bellevue

D.B.: This is a tough question because voters talk to me about everything from health care to college tuition to the war in Iraq. There are so many urgent issues that this Congress have failed to address, but there are a number of issues I plan to work on starting Day One.

These include: supporting a bill for full implementation of the 9/11 Commission recommendations to ensure we're doing all we can to keep our country safe; fighting to protect Social Security against George Bush's plan to privatize it -- a plan he and other Republican leaders have said is a top priority in 2007; restoring tax cuts for working families such as the sales tax deduction for Washington taxpayers, deductions for college tuition and more; and shifting the $14 billion Congress gave to Big Oil away from them and toward investment in the development of clean, renewable energy technology.

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What will you do to stop the flood of illegals from Mexico?
— J. Johnson, Des Moines

D.B.: We must secure our borders, both for the sake of immigration policy and our national security. We can, and must, make U.S. borders more secure through a combination of increased manpower and state-of-the-art surveillance technology, including cameras, sensors, radar, satellites, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Boeing recently won a contract for a pilot project to build a "virtual fence" along 28 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. I am hoping it will be successful and be expanded.

In addition, we need comprehensive immigration reform, and address immigration in a way that is fair, practical, safe, and grounded in the rule of law.

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How familiar are you with the tribal entities in your district?
— Jade, Seattle

D.B.: I have reached out to all of the tribal entities in and around my district, and spoken to representatives from several of them. I am certainly concerned about the issues our Native American communities are dealing with -- particularly sovereignty and investment in community services.

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Darcy, do you support universal health care? Forty-plus million uninsured Americans is unconscionable in my view. How would you support health care for all Americans?
— Laura Camp, Seattle

D.B.: Every American should have access to quality, affordable health care. American doctors are the best in the world, but they are hindered by a system that wastes money and drives up costs. This must change. We can cut costs dramatically while improving quality by emphasizing preventative and routine care, ensuring providers can prescribe the most effective treatments, and allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies.

This is a problem not only for the people of this country but also for its businesses, who are struggling to compete globally while absorbing the highest health care costs in the world. They, too, have a vested interest in actually solving this problem.

Many states are already experimenting with these ideas and others to make coverage more affordable. The federal government should do all it can to assist them, and make Americans healthier and American businesses more competitive.

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As a Latino immigrant and now a U.S. citizen, I am concerned about the anti-immigrant sentiment in the country. What is your position on immigration reform, in particular the education of children of undocumented immigrants? Gracias.
— Luis Navarro, Bothell

D.B.: There is no question that our immigration system is broken and that we need comprehensive immigration reform. We must address immigration in a way that is fair, practical, safe and grounded in the rule of law. It is essential for the United States to secure its borders, particularly for national security reasons, and that this can be done through a combination of technology and increased manpower.

We must also enforce existing immigration law, including cracking down on employers who hire undocumented workers. Finally, we should encourage undocumented workers to come out of the shadows by creating a path to legal residency. Eventual citizenship for those currently living and working inside the U.S. must depend on their willingness to work hard, pay taxes, obey the law, and go to the back of the line behind those who have been waiting for legal immigration.

In regards to the question of children, our Constitution states clearly that any child born in the United States is a citizen of the United States and is entitled to the benefits that come with American citizenship.

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Do you support fully funding Head Start?
— Jim Smith, Bellevue

D.B.: Yes. Education is the road to opportunity and prosperity. And a high-quality early education for every child, like Head Start, is one of the best investments America can make. The studies show that the return on investment for early childhood education is tremendous: every dollar invested returns about $17 in benefits to society in the form of higher taxes paid by more productive citizens, lower crime rates, and lower incarceration rates. As a businesswoman, I view that as a tremendous return on investment.

Unfortunately, this Congress and my opponent voted to slash Head Start funding, even though only about 11 percent of the eligible children locally can find a spot in one of the programs.

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Global warning.... Mr. Reichert doesn't seem to be convinced it's "real." What's your position?
— Tom Marcucci, Allyn

D.B.: Global warming is real, it is a clear threat to us, and we must take steps to aggressively combat it.

I grew up hiking at Mount Rainier; I want the glaciers to be there for my son when he's an adult. I am also concerned about the effect of potential sea level rises, changes in rain patterns, and the potential impact of millions of displaced people who will no longer be able to live where their ancestors did.

I was disappointed in Congressman Reichert for being so unprincipled on this issue. When every peer-reviewed scientific study agrees on the problem and its underlying causes, it is irresponsible for a sitting member of Congress to set aside that knowledge and fail to act in the interest of the people he should be representing.

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I attended the debate last night and was surprised to hear your main motivation is to create a better world for your son. Are you aware that your life, as you now know it, will change dramatically if you win this race. How does your family feel about having you never available for them and living in a glass house?
— Michele Brennan, Auburn

D.B.: My family is incredibly supportive of my efforts in this campaign. I sat down with my husband before I began and discussed with him how we would make it work for my family. Both of us are completely committed to our son. We are not unlike many families in this district, with both parents working outside the home and doing what we need to do to be sure we're taking good care of our family. My husband, Mike, reduced his work schedule to part-time in order to be certain that Henry was getting plenty of parental attention. And I am looking forward to being a role model to my son in showing him how one person can make a big difference with hard work and integrity.

Many of our Congresspeople in this state have young families, including Rick Larsen, Adam Smith, and Brian Baird. They have provided me with great models for how you can balance service with family.

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Darcy, is it true that you only voted in 6 of 15 elections that King County records show you were eligible to vote in from 1999 to 2003? If so, why is your personal voting record so spotty? If this is not true, can you tell me how many elections you were eligible for within that period per your records and how many of those you voted in?
— Bob Nix, Kent

D.B.: First, the voting record that matters is Dave Reichert's: he has missed 30 votes as a Congressman in the past two years, including skipping an important vote on the Iraq war when he chose to be here raising money with George Bush.

As to the Republican smear, King County elections does not identify which elections a voter is eligible to vote in, only which ones they have voted in. My attackers are wrong: They identify elections I could not legally vote in, since I do not live in Redmond's city limits.

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Ms. Burner, if elected, will you support impeachment hearings against the President and Vice President?
— Jon Fasthorse, North Bend

D.B.: I will spend my time focusing on the priorities and needs of the American people. With the war in Iraq, the nuclear threat from North Korea, a health-care system in crisis, an educational system that is not doing enough for our children, and a staggering national debt, Congress has a lot on their plate and I plan to focus my time on taking care of those urgent priorities.

I do believe that Congress has an obligation to perform their oversight duties and act as a check and balance on the Administration, and would support learning everything we can about what has gone wrong and how we can avoid such mistakes in the future.

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How do you run for this office in good conscience when you have zero political experience and no apparent plan other than to spend two years griping about the President?
— Scott Santos, Snoqualmie

D.B.: I have more than a dozen years of experience in the business world where I managed multi-million dollar budgets and was responsible for delivering global projects on time and under budget. Our Congress would benefit from having more people who understand fiscal discipline and accountability -- something sorely lacking right now.

Our Congress would also benefit from someone whose isn't a career politician, but whose experiences are those of her constituents -- the daughter of a military veteran and school teacher who worked her way through college, the sister of a soldier who was part of the initial invading force in Iraq, the mother of a son who will inherit a legacy of budget deficits and economic insecurity if we don't change course.

I'm running for Congress precisely because griping isn't enough. When in Congress, I'll be working very hard -- working to change course in Iraq, working to ensure the solvency of Social Security for decades to come, working to keep the promises we have made to our military and veterans, and ensuring we have a fair tax system that helps working families in our district send their kids to college, purchase a home, and have a chance to do well.

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Runaway "pork" projects, especially midnight earmarks in recent budgets, have made up an often disgusting contribution to the deficit. What steps/legislation would you support/advocate to reduce/control this abuse?
— David Olson, North Bend

D.B.: America must get its fiscal house in order. As a mother and a businesswoman, I have successfully managed both my household and business finances. I know that balanced budgets are critical to financial health -- and we need to bring that principle back to the federal government. I am appalled that the incompetent management of President Bush and this Congress have led to the largest deficits in U.S. history. This mortgages the future of our children and grandchildren. And it's wrong.

I would support returning Congress to a pay-as-you-go rule which would demand real fiscal discipline. We also need to take a hard look at eliminating the abuses and pork this Congress has been guilty of; Alaska does not need a bridge to nowhere at our expense.

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Darcy, in light of recent developments in North Korea and their development of long-range missiles, would you vote to defend the strategic missile initiative?
— Ingrid Fuhriman, Bellevue

D.B.: I support ensuring that our military has the tools it needs to keep the American people safe. That includes support for a national missile defense system that has been tested and actually works. President Bush's foreign policy failures have made us less safe, allowing Iran to make progress toward nuclear capabilities and North Korea to actually test nuclear weapons. It is time for a new direction.

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Darcy, I work in manufacturing. We are facing competition from other countries that pay very low wages. This is tough enough, but our government seems to help them out by making it cheap to import goods into the U.S. Will you support U.S. workers, and in my case manufacturing, instead of helping the competition?
— Alton Folks, Kent

D.B.: We need to ensure that every American who works hard can earn a decent living. That is becoming increasingly difficult as the wages of hard-working people stagnate, costs go up, and good jobs get sent to other countries. I will do everything in my power to ensure that we create good American jobs for our hard-working people.

The key issues are:
-- Policies that give companies taxpayer subsidies when they send jobs overseas
-- Trade agreements that don't give American businesses and workers a level playing field for competition
-- Lack of adequate investment in next-generation industries such as alternative energy.

I would work to make sure your tax dollars don't go toward subsidizing sending jobs overseas, to fight trade agreements that don't provide a level playing field for American businesses and workers, and to build the next generation industries which will create good jobs right here at home.

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Could you give an example of an issue or two where you disagree -- or take issue -- with the national Democratic Party? I ask because some have suggested that you rely on the DNC talking-points and have yet to put forth your own positions. Thank you.
— Bill M., Redmond

D.B.: My background as a businesswoman makes me much more sensitive to the need to ensure that our businesses can create good jobs and deliver goods and services. I am, in general, more pro-business than many Democrats. (It also helps that we live in an area with businesses that demonstrate every day that they can be good employers, good members of the community, and profitable at the same time -- companies like Starbucks, Costco, and Microsoft.)

One example of the way this affects my thinking is around health care; I do not fault businesses with respect to health care, but instead understand that it is an issue they are struggling with as well, and which they have a vested interest in solving. Any solutions we create to the current health care crisis should do so in a way that helps businesses, rather than hurts them.

As to my own positions, you can see them on my website at www.darcyburner.com.

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President Bush says U.S. forces will not leave Iraq until victory is achieved. In specific terms what are the endpoints to define victory in Iraq?
— Jim, Kirkland

D.B.: Victory comes when the Iraqi government and Iraqi forces are able to govern and protect their people and American troops come home with honor. Unfortunately, President Bush's plan in Iraq has failed, and this Congress has failed to ask the tough questions of the Administration that would ensure that there is a plan to achieve victory.

But we have a choice: we can continue with Bush's failed policies and indefinite occupation of Iraq, or we can elect new leaders who will change course and work toward bringing our troops home with honor.

Congress should start by demanding answers to the Powell Doctrine questions, proposed by Colin Powell in 1992:

-- Is a vital national security interest threatened?
-- Do we have a clear attainable objective?
-- Have the risks and costs been fully and frankly analyzed?
-- Have all other non-violent policy means been fully exhausted?
-- Is there a plausible exit strategy to avoid endless entanglement?
-- Have the consequences of our action been fully considered?
-- Is the action supported by the American people?
-- Do we have genuine broad international support?

The answers to these questions provide us with critical information on the specifics of the right path to move forward.

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If any of the Democratic House leadership were aware of Foley e-mails prior to the public, should they resign?
— Stephen Plancich, Lake Forest Park

Darcy Burner: As a mother, the safety of our children is of utmost importance to me -- and Mark Foley's actions are a black mark on the halls of the Congress. Congressional leadership who did not place the safety of our children over politics failed one of the most basic tests of integrity, and should be held accountable. Any leader of the House who knew of Congressman Foley's inappropriate behavior but did not act to protect the pages should resign.

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