Congressional candidates state their cases

The run for the 3rd Congressional seat got attention last Thursday when candidates gathered at the Lower Columbia College’s Wollenberg Auditorium for a “Meet the Candidates” forum.

The open discussion drew over 150 visitors. The candidates’opening statements offered the crowd insight into their views and thoughts on the state of Federal government.

State Senator Craig Pridemore (D) of Vancouver said everyone needs to realize Congress is out of touch.

“I don’t think they represent the interests of working people and I’d like the opportunity to go back there and help fix the problem,” he said.

State Representative Jamie Herrera (R) of Camas said “We need to focus on job creation and stop letting government spend our money.”

David Hedrick(R) of Camas said “Government is destroying small business. I want to create opportunities for small businesses to grow.”

Chris Boyd from Vancouver(R) said “I’m just a neighbor that fought for freedom in Afghanistan and now I feel our Constitution is being stepped on.”

David Castillo (R) from Olympia argued, “I decided to run because my son’s future and this nation’s children’s futures are being stolen by a cabal of big government leftists, more interested in power than governing.”

Also from Olympia, Denny Heck (D) said, “I feel the single most important challenge of our time is to put people back to work at good paying jobs. The fact is the middle class has lost income when adjusted for inflation and for the first time in 70 years America has failed to have a net increase in jobs. That’s why I’m running for Congress."

The candidates were asked about the national debt and government taxation.

Rep. Herrera told voters government spending is out of control and is the number one hurdle to America’s economic recovery, “The government is not only endangering our children’s futures, but also our children’s children’s futures – talk about taxation without representation. We need jobs,”she said.

Hedrick said current government is violating the Constitution on a day-to-day basis, “We gotta go back and see where the Constitution is being violated, that’s the key issue. From there we look at spending and decide which government programs should be funded.”

Boyd said, “I believe government spending should be controlled. I don’t know where the philosophy came from that says government can spend itself out of debt.”

Candidate Cheryl Crist of Olympia showed the audience a pie chart and told them a tax on stocks would help eliminate the national debt in just a few years. “If we just stopped the war and taxed the purchase and sales of stocks, bonds, futures, and derivative investments, you would be amazed at the trillions of dollars we could collect there,” she said.

Castillo said, “We have a spending problem, not a revenue problem. We have plenty of money coming into the government; we just need them to stop spending. I support a balanced budget amendment and zero-based budgeting. I’m in favor of fundamental tax reform, a flat tax and the eventual elimination of the IRS."

Heck said, “I think we all agree the country’s budget deficits are unsustainable and soak up capital. We’re not printing money, we’re borrowing money from our competitor, China.” War, the economy and health care inflation are the real dangers to the county’s future, he said.

Pridemore said the country needs a discussion about what it expects from government, “In reality, citizens want services but also low taxes. Now what we have is a two-part system where the Democrats offer services and Republicans promise low taxes but neither party makes the necessary changes to programs. For that reason I think we need a Constitutional amendment to balance the budget."

The second question was on economic recovery and sustainable jobs creation.

Hedrick said, “Government restricts business. Just leave small business alone and it will drive the economy. I have more faith in small business than the federal government.”

Boyd said, “Southwest Washington ports are the key to our economic recovery and growth. With a little help from the federal government, the Port of Vancouver could create 3,000 new jobs which would then ripple out into the community, getting people to spend money.”

Crist said, “Cutting taxes does not create jobs but spending stimulus dollars does create jobs. I’m also not in favor of a balanced budget. Here in SW Washington, I want to develop tourism because it would create clean, green jobs. I was also in Japan and they have Maglev trains that travel above the rails; why can’t we have those in Washington?”

Castillo said the economy is recovering in spite of the debt government has created, “What I’d like to do is go back and review the regulations that make it difficult to grow jobs in the 3rd Congressional District. I’m also in favor of a payroll tax holiday and a cut in the corporate income tax.”

Heck said he didn’t think economic stimulation or job growth was a government priority. “Investments in job training, apprenticeship programs and secondary education will be my first priority. Secondly, infrastructure is fundamental (also) tax incentives. I want to eliminate corporate taxes on small businesses that create new jobs and create tax incentives for business that support clean energy and green jobs.”

Pridemore said the only thing government can do to create jobs is create a safe environment, but that requires regulation of the free market. “I think thoughtful, targeted taxes can play a role in economic development," he said.

Herrera said, “An effective jobs program is not going to come from Washington DC. This country has two hundred years of history to prove the free market system works, but that concept is being lost, swallowed by the too big to fail mentality in Washington. I believe in American innovation and I’m a fan of creating incentives, not setting up a system where the government picks winners and losers.”

The candidate’s third question was on the environment and energy policy.

Boyd said, “I’m in favor of green-energy jobs but at the same time we need to focus on the natural resources and drill for oil."

Crist said, “We must trust scientists who study the environment and act on what they tell us to do. In Congress my staff will study the environmental issues and tell me their findings, and then I will tell the truth.”

Castillo said, “If you grew up in SW Washington you’re a born conservationist by default. And now: Don’t come out of your chairs but I’m in favor of building new nuclear power plants.”

Heck said, “We have to take climate change seriously. People’s health is at risk and society and its economic systems are at risk. I think we need to embrace the incredible opportunity of moving in the direction of clean energy and green jobs."

Pridemore said, “We talk about the cost of environmental regulations but we never talk about the cost of doing nothing. I’m also in favor of Cap and Trade and conservation. If we just eliminated all the little lights found on the front of DVD players, stereos and TV’s in the nation, we’d save enough to power the state of Nevada.”

Hererra said, “I believe my first priority will be to get people back to work in SW Washington. We can’t do that; however, if we add new Cap and Trade taxes to the new health care mandate, and all the new state taxes and the cost of gas, it's all unsustainable."

Hedrick said, “Cap and Trade is designed to cap jobs in the United States and trade them to the Chinese. Cap and Trade restricts U.S. production; that means clean products produced in America, will be produced in China and India, countries that have no environmental standards. Now I ask you, how does that save the environment?”

The candidates answered audience questions for two and a half hours before the meeting wrapped up. Candidates also encouraged the audience to go to their websites for more information.