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| Steve LePage, Libertarian |
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| Candidate: Governor |
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| Steve LePage |
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| Age: 45 |
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| Residence: West Richland |
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| Occupation: |
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Developer |
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| Education: |
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B.A. in economics, Washington State University |
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| Political history: |
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Benton County Planning Commission, state Boundary Review Board for Benton County |
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| Endorsements: |
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Washington Liberty Project, State and Benton-Franklin Counties Libertarian Party |
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| Campaign Web site: |
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http://members.aol.com/lepageforgov |
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| Campaign theme: Choose freedom! Small government, privatized services, low 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 |
yes |
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I-722 - Property taxes |
yes |
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I-728 - School district financing |
no |
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I-729 - Charter schools |
yes |
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I-732 - Teacher raises |
no |
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I-745 - Transportation funding |
yes |
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| 2. |
Do you favor changing any existing gun laws? If so, explain. |
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I would give citizens who have passed the test and bought concealed-weapon permits reciprocity to carry their concealed weapons into neighboring states. |
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| 3. |
What would you do to preserve Washington's endangered salmon species? |
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In arid areas I would require dam operators to plant shade trees along the riverbanks, and when they drop the pool levels to do it slowly so they don't strand many fingerlings. I would let the salmon evolve to the new conditions instead of clubbing the survivors, and I would reduce the level of bird and sea-lion predation. |
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| 4. |
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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Candidates should pay their filing fee and run on any ticket they want. The voter should declare his/her party for the primary and help pick that party's candidate. |
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| 5. |
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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Yes, the voters overwhelmingly wanted this right. |
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| 6. |
Do you support allowing state services to be contracted out to private firms? Why or why not? |
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Yes. For example, states that have privatized highway maintenance have saved about 30 percent! |
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| 7. |
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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Much of the present gas-tax revenue is wasted on studies, bureaucracy, empty full-size buses, etc. I can rationalize the system, re-legalize independent taxi vans and get the traffic flowing without more taxes. |
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| 8. |
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 think that the present system is about right. If I got documentation that at least five people were wrongly executed in the last 20 years, I would support a moratorium. |
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| 9. |
Do you think any innocent person has been executed in Washington? |
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Possibly. |
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| 10. |
What would you do to improve the economy in rural Washington? |
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Give rural cities enough water to grow, lower total property taxes 20 percent, eliminate the Growth Management Act, and re-legalize Internet purchases of cars and trucks. |
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