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| Ruth Kagi, Democrat (Incumbent) |
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| Candidate: State Representative, |
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| Ruth Kagi |
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District 32, Position 2 |
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| Age: 55 |
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| Residence: Lake Forest Park |
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| Occupation: |
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State representative |
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| Education: |
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B.A., University of Washington; M.P.A., Syracuse University |
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| Political history: |
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Vice president, League of Women Voters of Washington |
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| Endorsements: |
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Children's Campaign Fund, Washington Conservation Voters, Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO |
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| Campaign Web site: http://www.ruthkagi.org |
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| Campaign theme: Effective leadership. |
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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 |
no |
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I-728 - School district financing |
yes |
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I-729 - Charter schools |
no |
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I-732 - Teacher raises |
no |
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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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Because the Supreme Court has ruled that our blanket primary is unconstitutional, the Legislature must find an alternative that assures all voters a voice in primary elections. I will support alternatives that allow voters to maintain as much independence as possible in making their candidate choices. |
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| 3. |
Would you continue the trend of recent years and support tax cuts for businesses? Which ones specifically? If not, why? |
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I support targeted tax cuts that yield clear public benefits. For example, I supported the unemployment insurance bill which reduced taxes on employers by $580 million and funded worker retraining. Tax breaks that are tied to job creation and economic development in depressed areas should be encouraged, but businesses must be held accountable. |
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| 4. |
Would you support a Constitutional amendment that would allow tax breaks for homeowners but not for business or commercial property? Why or why not? |
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We should not allow rising property taxes to push seniors and individuals with fixed incomes out of their homes, but this does not require a constitutional amendment. I support targeted tax relief. Also, increasing state funding for school construction as we did last session will lessen the demands of local school districts on property taxes. |
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| 5. |
What privacy legislation would you support? Would you exempt financial institutions? Why or why not? |
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Information about your health should be private. I support strong restrictions on sharing health information. Regarding financial privacy, critical identifying information should be private. It should be unlawful for any organization to distribute information about your buying habits without your knowledge, or your ability to stop it. |
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| 6. |
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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The funding mechanisms for transportation are convoluted and restrictive. We need a simpler system for funding transportation projects, assuring accountability and maximizing our tax dollars. Current revenues are insufficient to meet our existing transportation needs. I am committed to finding long-term solutions to our critical transportation problems. |
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| 7. |
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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There is no evidence that the death penalty deters crime. There is a real danger that individuals sentenced to death may not be guilty. The death penalty costs more to society than life imprisonment. I think we ought to abolish the death penalty. |
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| 8. |
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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We live in a representative democracy. Elected officials are given the responsibility to balance the demands of the people against available revenues. In an economic downturn, the Legislature must be able to adjust both revenues and expenditures in order to balance the budget and fund necessary services. |
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