AWB Statewide Candidate Video Series
This year, AWB is proud to launch our statewide candidate video series as part of our Elections 08 Web Site.
In this series, we will ask candidates for statewide office three questions related to the position and how their approach to each question might impact Washington's economy and business climate. You can read the questions, watch the videos and then evaluate how the candidates responded. Here are the questions we posed to the candidates for governor:
- A combination of market forces and public policies have driven prices up in recent years, eroding what had historically been a competitive advantage for energy-intensive industries in our state, including our major manufacturers. Climate change proposals aimed at curbing greenhouse gases will likely further increase energy costs, particularly as Initiative 937 does not count our clean, abundant hydro power as renewable for the purpose of meeting the initiative's limits. Additionally, limits on vehicle miles traveled will be particularly burdensome for commuting employees and employers with significant travel commitments.
How will you work to achieve established climate change objectives without jeopardizing the competitive position of Washington industry? - Spurred in part by the Boeing 787 competition, the 2003 Legislature recognized that high unemployment insurance costs threatened many businesses here. A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers came together to pass comprehensive unemployment insurance (UI) reform that addressed the issues of tax equity, misconduct and voluntary quits. The federal government subsequently ruled that the system does not conform to federal guidelines. Further, the state Supreme Court recently nullified the voluntary quits language.
How will you, as governor, work with business to reinstate these essential reforms in a way that brings us into federal conformance without increasing UI costs for employers? - A strong housing market coupled with peak construction spending fueled extraordinary state revenue growth over the past four years, during which time state spending rose significantly. Now, revenue growth has slowed and the nonpartisan Senate Ways and Means Committee projects that maintenance-level spending commitments will exceed available revenues by some $2.7 billion. Although the numbers will vary, it’s very likely that the next governor will face serious budget challenges.
How will you, as governor, address the shortfall? Specifically, do you believe the budget can be balanced without tax increases?
The first candidate video is from Gov. Chris Gregoire. Next Thursday, we'll hear from gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi.
