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| Meta Heller, Democrat |
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| Candidate: Governor |
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| Meta Heller |
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| Age: 74 |
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| Residence: Olympia |
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| Occupation: |
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Retired technical writer/editor |
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| Education: |
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M.S. in chemistry, Purdue University |
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| Political history: |
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Candidate for Kitsap County auditor, 1978; for state Senate, 1994 |
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| Endorsements: No response |
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| Campaign Web site: None |
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| Campaign theme: |
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Tax reform: ecologically/economically sustainable taxes. |
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| 1. |
What is your position on the initiatives proposed on this year's November ballot? |
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I-713 - Animal trapping |
no |
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I-722 - Property taxes |
no |
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I-728 - School district financing |
no |
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I-729 - Charter schools |
no |
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I-732 - Teacher raises |
yes |
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I-745 - Transportation funding |
no |
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| 2. |
Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has declared blanket primary elections like Washington's violate political parties' constitutional rights, what form of new primary election system would you propose adopting? |
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I like the open primary. I believe in proportional representation and would like to see many more parties. People must be able to find themselves in the political spectrum from RIGHT to LEFT. Two parties will not do in this Information Age. I'd like, say, 10 parties! |
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| 3. |
A judge struck down Initiative 695's provision that would have required a public vote for all tax and fee increases. Would you support a Constitutional amendment that would require the public vote? Why or why not? |
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Absolutely not! |
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| 4. |
Do you support allowing state services to be contracted out to private firms? Why or why not? |
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I don't like that idea, especially if it pertains to prisons. I am impressed by James M. Buchanan's book "The Demand & Supply of Public Goods." He received a Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work in 1986. He teaches at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., and is considered a conservative. But, wow, what a book. Every elected official should read it. I am eternally grateful. |
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| 5. |
A commission studying transportation funding says a new financing mechanism is needed to keep Washington transportation projects on track. How would you propose financing future transportation projects? |
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I propose funding transportation (roads, bicycles, HOV lanes, bicycle lanes, ferries, transit, etc.) by a miles-driven vehicle-weight tax. I have talked to (state Transportation Secretary) Sid Morrison about this. He said the Department of Transportation commissioned a Detroit think tank to study the feasibility and give results to the Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation. Their report is due in December. |
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| 6. |
With some states reconsidering the death penalty, what is your position and what changes, if any, do you think are needed in Washington's law? Under what circumstances would you support a moratorium? |
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I am a member of the Washington Coalition Against the Death Penalty. My church, Olympia Universalist Congregation, has donated money to this coalition. |
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| 7. |
Do you think any innocent person has been executed in Washington? |
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I don't know if any innocent person has been executed, but I would suspect one or more have. According to the American Bar Association, states should pay lawyers defending the rights of people on death row $200 an hour. Our state pays $90 an hour. |
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| 8. |
What would you do to improve the economy in rural Washington? |
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Tax reform (my kind) would help a great deal. |
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