A Community Conversation with SPSCC President Timothy Stokes

 

Above: South Puget Sound Community College President Timothy Stokes

By Janine Unsoeld
www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

“It’s an exciting time to be a community college president,” laughed South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) President Timothy Stokes.

Meeting with a handful of community members at a Lacey area coffee shop two weeks ago, Stokes revealed several new announcements and how the innovation and inclusiveness of a community college can change individual lives and the face of a whole community.

In the candid, wide ranging conversation, former Lacey mayor Graeme Sackrison told Stokes that he was a mediocre student in high school and his father wasn’t sure if he was a good investment.

“So, he said, ‘If you can make it through the first two years of college, then we’ll help you with the remainder.’”

So, Sackrison went to Centralia Community College for two years, worked at Miller’s Department in downtown Olympia store fulltime, then transferred to Western Washington University and graduated in 1966.

“…But it was clear to me that, without the community college and low tuition, it wouldn’t have been possible, so I’m a big fan of the community college system,” said Sackrison.

“That’s our story, right there,” responded Stokes.

Stokes was versed in all aspects of the college’s history, and seems well prepared to be part of its future.

On the job for just two years and one full week, Stokes came to Thurston County after serving in the community college system in Tacoma for 10 years, and in several other states.

“It was harder in Pierce County where there are five community colleges – it’s easy here in Thurston County.…It’s a pretty good gig,” he laughed. The position pays $161,875, according to an Office of Financial Management 2013 Report.

Above: SPSCC’s newest building on campus is Gold LEED certified. The 90,000 square foot, $43 million center for student services is a far cry from the surplus portables provided to SPSCC from Joint Base Lewis McChord. “We’re down to two portables and we hope they will be gone next month - it’s time for them to go!” says SPSCC President Timothy Stokes.

SPSCC Beginnings

The college on Mottman Road has come a long way since its humble beginnings.

In September 1962, the Olympia School District founded the current college as Olympia Vocational Technical Institute (OVTI) in the Montgomery Ward Building in downtown Olympia. OVTI was the formalization of the adult education offerings the school district began offering in 1957 out of Olympia High School. Anticipating growth, the school district had the foresight to move OVTI out to the sticks in 1971.

The college now offers several associate degrees and certificates. Enrollment statistics as of Fall quarter lists 5,842 students total (4,129 full time); 758 Running Start students, and 151 international students.

The campus sits on 102 acres, has 19 buildings, three of which are Gold LEED certified. The Hawks Prairie Center, opened in 1995, will be closed and students will be relocated to the new Lacey campus in the Woodland District. Occupancy in the new digs is scheduled for the Fall of 2015.

Stokes ticked off the college’s successes and looks forward to its role in creating a smarter workforce to compete in today’s job market. The community college is now a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship, serving as a point of entry for a diverse population and a catalyst for business development needs.

And they were doing all this before President Obama announced his new initiative, “America’s College Promise” in early January to provide "free" community college tuition for eligible students, up to $3,800 per year.

SPSCC's in-state tuition is $4,470 and $9,861 for out-of-state students. Estimated book expenses, supplies and other needs total about $4,000.

“A lot of people ask, ‘Are community college presidents for free tuition?’ And the answer is yes, we are, absolutely we are. We’re all in…we think that it will be a great investment in the future and keeping us competitive in the global marketplace. It’s a struggle for our students to pay for tuition. Our tuition has gone up…so, (according to Obama’s plan) after the first $3,800 is paid, there’s $600 left to pay for a year, so that’s $200 a quarter.”

Diverse Student Population

SPSCC caters to a diverse population, mostly transfer and workforce students. Military and those who need basic skills make up the rest. Former service members and transition enrollment has doubled due to Joint Base Lewis McChord in the last two years. Previously, they went north to Pierce College.

SPSCC’s ethnic make-up also adds to the college’s diversity: 23.18 percent are International, African American, Asian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Multi-racial, Native American or Alaskan Native.  The Caucasian population is 61.5 percent, and the rest is unknown.

“Our placement rate and transfers to a four year college or a job is at 96 percent, the rest are just coming to enhance their skills – 65 percent graduate with a credential – very high for a two year college. On average it’s 46 percent.” The time it takes is about 2.2 to 3 years.

As for meeting the basic literacy needs of some students, Stokes says the fastest growing population we have is low literacy adults, “because there is no employment for adults with low literacy….Having worked in Tacoma for 10 years, I’d say our students are coming out of high school in Thurston County well qualified and college ready.”

“Half of our students are planning to transfer to a four year institution…40 percent are workforce students – those are students getting a two year degree with an Associate in Arts for a marketable, high wage job.”

Stokes listed several educational degree and credential options include nursing, medical assisting, automotive service engineering, welding, computer aided design, dentistry and much more.

Legislative Issues and Budgetary Concerns

Asked what role he is playing during the state Legislative session, Stokes said he has 117 bills on his watch list. He’s introduced several new legislators to the community college system.

Stokes says his message is: "Even though you have a big issue in front of you, (the McCleary decision) those students have to go somewhere when they graduate. You can’t continue to cut higher ed, increase tuition, and expect to continue to have the graduation rates that we have."

There are several reasons for tuition increases, said Stokes.  SPSCC’s budget has been cut over 29 percent in the last three years and 46 percent in the last five years. The state used to fund 85 percent of their budget and tuition made up the rest.  Now the state provides 50 percent of the budget. The cost of health care benefits and retirement system costs are also factors.

“We try to be fair and equitable and our adjunct faculty receive health care benefits - one of the only states in the nation that pays health care for adjunct faculty. They also invest in our retirement system costs,” says Stokes.

Regarding the budget, Stokes said, “We like the governor’s (Jay Inslee's) budget in that it doesn’t propose cuts to the community college system, but there’s a little piece we’re having conversations about. His budget proposes a three percent salary increase to all our employees, which we certainly support - we haven’t had one for six years – but it directs that it would come out of tuition and the tuition has already increased to backfill from the cuts they’ve already made.”

Stokes’ goal is to not raise tuition for the next five years.

Challenges 

Asked what his immediate challenges are, Stokes said the college needs to unload their 53 acre property in Hawks Prairie before it can complete the Lacey campus in five years. The property was bought in anticipation of  becoming an SPSCC satellite branch. They had intentions to share intercollegiate athletic facilities John Paul II High School.

Another challenge is that despite the increased need for health care programs, mental health, and chemical dependency counseling/training, Stokes says they were graduating students in those low paying fields with substantial debt. It was this ethical dilemma on how much debt can you burden a student with that led to the closure of SPSCC’s horticultural program.

“Looking at higher wages, we can do some partnership programs where there will be an extension program in health care in the next few years, and in occupational therapy and physical therapy assistance.”

The New and Improved Nursing Program

Asked about the loss of accreditation for the nursing program, which occurred just as Stokes took over the college presidency, Stokes said there hasn’t been a big impact. He said that out of 23 community college nursing programs in the state, nine are no longer accredited.

“It was a very dated nursing education program… and the program had been on probation for six years,” says Stokes.

“National accreditation is not required to be a licensed nursing program in Washington but we felt it was important to stop the program and re-design it. We will be applying for the new accreditation - we have to have two years of graduates – and we did increase our student’s pass rate for the state certification test from a 76 percent pass rate to 100 percent. We hired a new director from Oregon – a top notch educator – and we’re rebuilding the program.”

Stokes knows that the prerequisites to get into SPSCC’s nursing program are higher than at other community colleges and was pleased to announce yet another recent success:

“We will be the first college to implement the “three plus one” program to get a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. We just signed a state agreement and got approval and of all 34 colleges eligible to participate, we’re the first to produce the program. So even though it was hard, it was necessary to increase the quality of our graduates and it was the right time because we’ll be the first to produce this three plus one program. It will put more Bachelor of Science Nurses out there (in the job market) and that’s becoming the standard for entry into the practice. They will leave SPSCC with three years education and finish up with one year at St. Martin’s University.”

SPSCC’s New Lacey Woodland District Campus

Stokes is perhaps most excited about a new partnership between SPSCC and the Thurston Economic Development Council and the creation of a new 125,000 square foot campus in what is becoming downtown Lacey in the Woodland District near College and Sixth Avenue.

The area across the street from the Lacey Intercity Transit station, Fred Meyer, Dancing Goats Coffee and many other businesses near South Center Mall is set to be a hub of student activity.

“The city is very happy about us being their first $20 million investor in their revitalization plan…the project is going really well. We’re rehabbing a former state office building of the state Department of Information Systems. We had an option of tearing everything down and building new but we decided to rehab the buildings because we just think it’s better for the environment.

“A developer has bought three vacant state office buildings in Woodland – his plan is to put retail on the first floor and create student housing for St. Martin’s College. The area will be a place to live, learn, work, and play - 750 students and 10,000 state employees will be coming through that facility for training - very exciting.”

A new advanced manufacturing program started in January on the new Lacey campus.

“As we look at the Boeing expansion – Fredrickson is going to make the winglet – the turn up on the wings and they are going to have to produce thousands of those -  we’re concerned because it will pull the skilled workforce out of Thurston County so we opened that program to help replace some of that advanced manufacturing labor in the community. They are great jobs – on average if you have a three dimensional certificate, you can earn $75,000 – $80,000 a year,” says Stokes.

Also new is the adding of an entrepreneurship program to all occupational courses. The college is also forging partnerships with manufacturing companies such as H20 Jet and Diamond Technologies, and received a one million dollar National Science Foundation grant to buy equipment for a lab in the lower level of building three.

“It’s a stunningly beautiful lab,” gushed Stokes.

Community Collaboration

Also in the Woodland District, the Thurston County Economic Development Center’s South Thurston Economic Development Initiative and SPSCC will collaborate to create a small development center. To help small businesses grow, senior executives will go out to the community and help people start businesses or more importantly, counsel them to “gazelle” their businesses.

“….So if a business is making $75,000 - $125,000, they will help them “gazelle” their business to $500,000 and develop a business plan to get them there. Our training center will have 18 conference rooms where you can start your business and be there for nine to 12 months,” says Stokes.

The most exciting part of the center will be the angel investment network and micro-lending program.

“We want to train people how to put together their business plans and develop a micro-lending angel investment network. There is none in Thurston County. We have a lot of people starting their businesses in their garages, a lot of software and app development, craft brewing and distilling. We want to help people grow those businesses. We’ll rival the one in Pierce/King County.” Stokes admitted there are a lot of cannabis businesses starting in their garages too, but didn’t want to go there.

“I rent a place on the west side of Olympia, but I can’t decide if I want to live in Woodland or downtown Olympia! I’m an urban kind of guy - I want to be in the heart of it. I want to be where it is,” laughed Stokes.

No doubt, Stokes is, well, stoked about the success and impact the college is having in Thurston County.

For more information about South Puget Sound Community College, go to www.spscc.ctc.edu or call (360) 754-7711 or go to 2011 Mottman Road SW, Olympia.

The community meeting with Dr. Timothy Stokes was coordinated by Thurston County Commissioner Sandra Romero, who hosts monthly chats on topical issues with various speakers. For more information, contact Commissioner Romero at www.co.thurston.wa.us/bocc or (360) 786-5440.

Above: Juan Carlos Ruiz Duran, 28, is currently a student at SPSCC and will transfer to The Evergreen State College next Fall. He is getting his Associate of Arts in education and teaching.

“This is the third college I’ve tried. SPSCC is different – it’s more inclusive. I have connections and relationships that have made my journey here easier.”

Born in Mexico, Ruiz Duran came to the United States in 1995 and to Washington State the following year. He went to Olympia High School and graduated from Avanti in 2008.

Ruiz Duran started SPSCC’s first Latino identity student group, Latino Student Union, and collaborates with St. Martin University’s Latino Student Alliance and Evergreen’s MeChA.

One Year In: Is Congressman Heck Giving 'Em Heck?

Above: U.S. Representative Denny Heck (D-WA10) listens to remarks at a swearing-in ceremony for Thurston County officials on December 28, 2013.

 

By Janine Unsoeld
www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

United States Representative Denny Heck (D-WA10) went back to the other Washington earlier this week, but during his two week Christmas break, he was home in Olympia.

Congressman Heck visited Quixote Village, Thurston County’s new permanent community for the homeless, made several speaking engagements, toured local businesses and non-profits, and relaxed with someone he calls his best friend, his wife, Paula.

The timing seemed to be right to check in with Heck after the completion of his first session of the 113^th Congress as a freshman from the newly created 10^th district. Little Hollywood requested an interview and appreciated Congressman Heck making time for this opportunity. 
 
The 10^th district, created after the 2010 census, encompasses parts or all of Thurston, Pierce and Mason Counties, with Joint Base Lewis-McChord thrown into the middle.

According to the website OpenCongress, Heck voted with fellow Democrats  93.1 percent of the time.

Accommodating a range of political and philosophical viewpoints, Heck ranked among the highest 15 percent among all representatives in joining bipartisan bills, and of the 115 bills that Heck cosponsored, 39 percent were introduced by someone other than a Democrat, according to the website GovTrack.us.

As Heck stated at a recent swearing-in ceremony of local officials in Thurston County, “Never stop looking for common ground and always be civil – you have so little control over all the rest.”

This interview was conducted on January 4 at Batdorf and Bronson coffee shop on Capitol Way in downtown Olympia, the day after Boeing machinists approved a ten year contract.

Since the interview, some of the issues we discussed have already transpired, such as the Senate’s confirmation on Monday of Janet Yellen as chair of the Federal Reserve, and yesterday’s movement by the Senate to extend federal unemployment compensation benefits.

Jumping right in, we stuck to my organized list of about 20 topics: questions about Boeing, the government shutdown, the federal minimum wage indexing bill, Syria, China’s ban on geoducks and the privatization of our shorelines for a growing shellfish industry, coal export terminals, Puget Sound cleanup efforts, his role on the House Finance Committee, and more.

I also prepared for our interview by looking over Heck’s re-election financial reports submitted so far, and, as a result, asked him about his thoughts about the movement to amend the U.S. Constitution to keep big money out of politics.

Is Heck really giving ‘em heck, as his campaign slogan promised?

Northwest Issues and 2014 Priorities

Not surprisingly, Heck was positive on the approval of the Boeing machinist’s new ten year contract.

“In the 10^th district in Fredrickson, Boeing builds composite wings, and will be one of the competitors as the 777X project develops….We now have an opportunity to create up to 4000 well-paying jobs in Fredrickson…the kind of jobs you can buy a home and take a vacation and send your kids to college, so we now have an opportunity for significant middle class jobs wage jobs to be expanded, and that’s a good thing….”  (The Boeing PAC has already given Heck $10,000 in 2013).

Asked what his priorities will be going into the 2014 Session, Heck said, without hesitation, first, to extend the unemployment compensation benefits to 1.3 million families, which were discontinued December 28, 2013, and affects 3,472 job seekers in the South Sound.  

“Letting that go was not the best thing to do economically or morally – we could be doing better by them…No single dollar that the government spends is circulated more times than unemployment benefits….”

To check in with constituents, Heck said he has held about six to eight town hall meetings and several telephone town hall meetings so far, the latter of which he prefers because thousands of people are able to call in and be part of the conversation, rather than 50 – 100 who can attend meetings in person. Heck says he’s able to answer questions over the telephone just as ably as in person. Still, he appreciates and welcomes all forums.

“(Regarding extending the unemployment benefits) I do hear several people say it’s the right thing to do, and I agree. Despite some of the flaws, the House passage of the Murray-Ryan deal mitigated sequestration….The austerity approach won’t work…”

“I’m also focused on the farm bill – that’s a great battle with serious consequences. We seem to have relative agreement on reforming the farm subsidy program – we’re essentially going to provide fewer subsidies to large corporations that are otherwise pretty profitable…but the problem is that the House Republican majority wants to devastate the program….It’s now in conference committee to work out the differences. I am cautiously optimistic that we’ll be able to work it out…. If we don’t fix the farm bill, come March, April, May, anybody who is the parent of a child 12 years or younger is going to feel it big time because milk prices are going to double….”

He said he also heard from his constituents regarding to topic of Syria, because he specifically solicited their opinion when it was looking like diplomatic solutions may not work:

“….I cannot imagine any more sobering responsibility by a member of Congress than to decide whether or not to engage in an act of war which will take lives, and my family has been personally affected in this way….”

Heck, who said he lost his brother to cancer as a result of exposure to Agent Orange while serving as a Marine in Vietnam, said he reached out to constituents about Syria, and was enriched by those conversations.

In the end, he said he felt that the President has not made the case for a military intervention in Syria.

Economic and Financial Issues

Last January, Heck gave up the chance to be appointed to other committees such as the Budget and Judiciary Committees. Instead Heck jumped at a last minute opening on the House Finance Committee and feels it’s his niche.

Most notably, Heck saw his bill, HR 2167, the Reverse Mortgage Stabilization Act of 2013, pass in June - no small feat for a freshman congressman.

Regarding the Federal Reserve, Heck said he thinks the Federal Reserve is a functional institution. "I’m an unabashed fan of Chair Bernanke and I think I will be of Janet Yellin as well. Both are smart, balanced people…tasked with keeping inflation and unemployment down, and this year Chair Bernanke was clearly concerned about employment levels….”

In early December, Heck signed onto the federal minimum wage indexing bill H.R. 1010 to raise the minimum wage to $10.10.

“It won’t kick start the middle class by itself…but 1 percent of our nation’s population has 20 percent of its income and the top 1 percent has 40 percent of its net worth…and two-thirds of our economy is built on consumption…. that’s a recipe for economic disaster….”

This comment provided a perfect segue to ask his opinion about the movement to amend the U.S. Constitution. Heck said he could support it depending on what it said, adding that Citizen’s United was just “plain wrong and is bad for the country” but seemed to feel the movement was an uphill battle.

“Let’s change it as we can.”

Minty Fresh, Green Businesses

Asked what local businesses provide him with a sense of where we should be heading with a clean, green local economy, Heck said he appreciated businesses like I.P. Callison & Sons in Lacey, which provides mint related products throughout the world, Ice Chips Candy in Yelm, which was spotlighted on the television show “Shark Tank,” and Allafia, also headquartered in Lacey, whose fair trade health and beauty product production is the second largest employer in the African country of Togo.

“Allafia told me the other day that they gave 6,000 bikes to high school girls to commute to and from the village and raised high school graduation rates from nine percent to 95 percent - now that’s changing the world!”

Speaking of green businesses, I asked about the state legalization of pot. Heck says he is devoting his energy toward removing the federal barriers for marijuana related businesses so they can access the use of depository institutions.

“That’s where I’ve concentrated my efforts…I will also say that we seem to be decades beyond the point that marijuana should be a Class 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act. I don’t think that’s supported by the science.”

Local Environmental Issues

Heck was asked a variety of environmental questions that he seemed to answer in terms of being an opportunity to discuss the issues.

Asked about China’s recent ban on geoducks, Heck responded, “I spoke with Ambassador (Gary) Locke a couple times…and our repeated tests were showing something different…Given the data I’ve been presented with, I’d be comfortable consuming that product….”

About the increased privatization of South Sound shores to the shellfish aquaculture industry, Heck said he prefers to think of it in terms of what the industry is doing to help global warming and ocean acidification.

“I tend to have a different view of shellfish farming - there is no stronger proponent of doing something about global warming than shellfish farmers and the reason for that is ocean acidification and what it does to the shellfish. In fact, I think shellfish is the water quality 'canary in the mineshaft.'  But if you believe, as I do, that global warming is one of the greatest threats to civilization, then that helps us spread the word….”

When pressed that what activists are talking about is the intensity and method that the shellfish aquaculture industry uses to scour the shoreline of native species, Heck said he knows people have strong feelings on both sides of the issue.

Asked for his opinion on the coal export terminals being proposed in Washington State, Heck said, “We are proceeding exactly as we should be, with the state Department of Ecology and the Corps of Engineering determining the outcome. I always use the question about coal as an opportunity to talk about global warming. Whether or not hauling that much coal traffic through our communities is environmentally damaging will hopefully be indicated by the results to these efforts that are currently underway."

Little Hollywood: “It doesn’t sound like you’re coming out against them…”

Heck: “What should be inarguable to everybody is that global warming is real and coal is a significant contributor and if we do not recognize that, we will pay a price beyond our imagination….”

LH: “But we’re aiding and abetting China to continue what they’re doing and it’s going to come back to us in the form of ocean acidification.” 

Heck did not respond.

Bringing more global issues local, I asked Heck how we can move to a healthier economy if our own Port of Olympia stays complicit in the degradation of our environment by accepting contracts to move raw logs to China and accept ceramic proppants from China, destined to be used in fracking. Heck was unfamiliar with this issue and/or the port’s role, so I provided him with several past issues of the South Sound Green Pages.

A little frustrated, perhaps, Heck added, “I don’t want to substitute my judgment all the time, ahead of time, for people whose job it is to evaluate this stuff – I mean, before their work product comes out, the state Department of Ecology and the Corps – yea or nay….”

Lastly, Heck was questioned about the slow cleanup efforts of Puget Sound, the Puget Sound Partnership, and his role with Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA06) as co-founders in June 2013 of the Congressional Puget Sound Recovery Caucus.

Heck said, “Not too much is happening yet, and that’s fair…In part, we see ourselves as defenders and advocates of appropriations designed to help with habitat restoration and the like, but we can also play a soft power role of being the ones who can prod improved coordination between these agencies….”

Heck described a Tacoma town hall meeting devoted to the topic of Puget Sound clean-up efforts, and a Washington D.C. based meeting between the state Partnership and the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 10, at which many of the parties had not met before.

“In terms of how I spend my time, it was a whole lot more than approving a press release – we are actually poking and prodding, trying to figure out how it is we can make a difference.”

Looking Toward Re-Election

Heck is running for re-election, and no Republican has stepped forth to challenge him. The primary is August 5. His last election against Republican Richard Muri cost a little over $2 million.

Freedom Foundation executive director Tom McCabe said last week in a meeting of Republicans at Panorama that they do not yet have anyone to run against Heck, but hoped someone would step forward. He acknowledged that the 10th district would be difficult for Republicans to win.

Toward his re-election campaign, Heck has already raised $603,335, according to a federal financial report filed October 14, 2013. Over half, $332,110, is from political action committees (PACs), and $271,225 is from individuals. Heck has $494,429.16 in cash on hand. His next financial report is due January 31.

I pointed out that in this last report alone, he has received thousands of dollars from the PACs of the very banks and financial institutions, such as Bank of America, Capital One, Citigroup, American Express, Ernst and Young, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs, that he is empowered to oversee and investigate as a member of the House Finance Committee.

Other corporations reporting contributions this quarter include Verizon, Walmart, General Electric, and $10,000 each from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. 

I asked him if there is anyone he would not accept campaign monies from.

“I don’t know, really…I’d probably have a hard time if cigarette companies come knocking, and I’ve never gotten any money from Big Oil, but my record ringing the bell on global warming is well established, and my advocacy for closing some of the tax preferences Big Oil has is pretty well known, so maybe they’ll never come, I don’t know….”

Asked about his opinion on public financing, Heck said he’s conceptually supportive but if one’s position is that this is a good thing because it will impact policy in a good way, then all one has to do is look at Arizona. “They had a form of that for a while…and Maine…I’m not entirely convinced….”

When asked if accepting money from the aforementioned financial institutions doesn’t suggest a conflict of interest or leave him open to corruption, Heck said, “I am more than content to leave this up to the voters…I give thanks for being a member of Congress. I am not somebody who is going to retire post Congressional term to be a lobbyist…this is my home….I sleep pretty well at night.”

The House 113^th Congress, Second Session is in session for only 11 days in January, and 112 days total this year, for which Heck is paid $174,000.

On Wednesday, January 15, the Finance Committee will hold a hearing to examine the impact and potential unintended consequences of the recently finalized Volcker Rule.

On Tuesday, January 28, the committee will hold a hearing to receive the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau semi-annual report.

While many of the issues we discussed are far away from the minds of many South Sounders, Heck will be there, and giving ‘em heck, or at least, some pokin' and proddin'.

For more information about U.S. Congressman Denny Heck, go to his website at www.dennyheck.house.gov.

His congressional Thurston and Mason County office is located at Lacey City Hall, 420 College Street SE, Suite 3000, Lacey, Washington 98503, (360) 459-8514; Pierce County office is located at Lakewood City Hall, 6000 Main Street SW, Suite 3B, Lakewood, WA 98499, (253) 208-6172; Washington D.C. office, 425 Cannon House Office Building, Washington D.C. 20215, (202) 225-9740.

Full disclosure: Janine Unsoeld is a board member of the South Puget Environmental Education Clearinghouse (SPEECH) that publishes the South Sound Green Pages, a quarterly environmental magazine. For more information, go to: www.oly-wa.us/greenpages.

Senator Cantwell Visits Olympia On Jobs for Washington Tour

 

Above: Senator Maria Cantwell listens to Brad Shell, general manager of Fish Brewing Company, address a crowd gathered tonight at Rambling Jack's in downtown Olympia.

 

Senator Cantwell Visits Olympia on Jobs for Washington Tour

 

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

In a whirlwind, state-wide, multi-city Jobs For Washington tour, United States Senator Maria Cantwell stopped in Olympia tonight to get out the vote and rally for candidates and positions near and dear to the Democratic Party.

Cantwell, who is running for re-election, has a Republican challenger, Washington State Senator Michael Baumgartner, but he was not mentioned nor did Cantwell seem worried about her re-election, instead focusing on the issues.

The back room at Rambling Jack's restaurant in downtown Olympia was packed with supporters, local elected officials including State Senator Karen Fraser and several members of the Olympia City Council, congressional candidate Denny Heck, secretary of state candidate Kathleen Drew, and local business and Democratic party leaders.

Brad Shell, general manager of the Olympia-based Fish Brewing Company, addressed the crowd, thanking Cantwell for supporting the federal loan assistance program and recovery act that allowed him and his company to receive a $1 million Small Business Association loan in January of 2010. With those funds, Shell said, Fish Brewing was able expand and create 38 new jobs, and open a new pub in Everett.  Cantwell returned the compliment, saying her favorite drink is Fish Tale’s hard pear cider.

Denny Heck, who is running for Washington’s newly created 10^th district, also addressed the crowd. Cantwell called Heck tenacious, talented, and smart, saying, “I can’t wait to see him tangle with Paul Ryan!” to loud cheers and applause.

Cantwell emphasized the continued need to build a strong, skilled work force, saying Boeing will need 20,000 new aerospace workers in the next 10 years to meet demand and stay competitive. She called for continued investment in job creation, the prioritization of education and increased access to capital funding to support local economies. She also said she would work to change current filibuster rules in Congress.

She told a personal story - her father never let her go to school on election day. Instead, her job that day was to get out the vote: knock on neighbors' doors, ask them if they have voted, and go back home to report her progress to her father. 

One day, she knocked on her teacher’s door, who was home sick.  Her teacher told her she was not going to vote. Cantwell said she ran home, literally crying to her father that her teacher said she wasn’t going to vote.  “Isn’t she going to be arrested?” she asked her father. Cantwell said that her father had so ingrained in her that an American’s civic duty is to vote, that she thought one would be arrested for not voting.

She quoted Harry S. Truman, who said, “America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” Then, addressing Social Security, Cantwell said, “I am going to fight to preserve Social Security for future generations, so it’s not about fear, it’s about strategy.”  

Cantwell is one of 28 senators who opposed cuts to Social Security in a letter organized by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) last month as Congress considers deficit-reducing packages.

Gar Lipow, an Olympia community member, issued a press release earlier today asking Cantwell to take what he called the “No Cat Food Pledge.” Outside the restaurant, dressed in a cat mask, Lipow handed out flyers and cat masks, inviting anyone to wear one. Lipgow said he is glad many Democrats won’t support cuts to Social Security and Medicare as part of a deficit deal but also asks that they not support such cuts as a means of "saving" these programs. On this Halloween night, he said he didn’t want seniors to live on cat food, or make choices between food and medications.

His mother, Ruth Lipow, 98, had a chance to speak with Cantwell after the rally. Lipow told this reporter that she volunteered for Frankin D. Roosevelt, walking precincts, when he was running for president in the 1930’s.

“He was so popular, back then, I didn’t know there were Republicans!” Lipow said her first job was working with machines for the National Youth Administration for $20 a month. “They trained me! That’s what we need now – we need another WPA (Works Progress Administration)!”

After the rally, Cantwell was asked by this reporter if she would raise the Social Security retirement age, one of the concerns raised by Gar Lipow. She said no, saying she would protect Social Security. 

A recent press release issued by Cantwell’s office says she has worked to protect Social Security from privatization schemes that would have resulted in deep cuts to the program and has helped block attempts that would have chipped away at Social Security to pay for new spending or tax cuts at the expense of seniors, retirees, and disabled workers.

Cantwell’s tour today included Aberdeen, Shelton and Olympia. Tomorrow, Cantwell’s Jobs for Washington tour bus goes to Bellingham, Mt. Vernon and Everett. Working through the weekend at other stops, she’ll wrap up with fellow Senator Patty Murray on Sunday in Seattle and Spokane.

 

Senior Citizens Conference Raises Health Care, Taxes and I-1033 Debates - Senator Rodney Tom Says He Would Vote For a Tax Increase

Above: Governor Christine Gregoire addresses the day-long Senior Citizens Foundation Conference in Seattle on Friday.

by Janine Gates

Passions and tensions ran higher and higher as the day worn on at the Senior Citizens Foundation 2009 Annual Fall Conference held in Seattle on Friday.

Health care dominated the discussions as the interconnectedness of senior issues, the national health care bills, the potential impact of Tim Eyman’s I-1033 on Washington State, the pending state revenue forecast and talk of various revenue raising options hit home.

The Washington State 2010 Legislative Session will be grim as the state faces a $2 billion shortfall, and there is a temptation to eliminate state-only funded services such as the Senior Citizen’s Services Act and the Family Caregiver Support Program. Debate ensued on all aspects of revenue and expenditures and there was even mention of a possible state income tax.

Governor Christine Gregoire welcomed 400 health care and senior advocates and agency staff to the conference and when the topic soon turned to health care, reminded the audience that even she, as a recent breast cancer survivor, could be excluded from future health care coverage because of her now “pre-existing condition” even though, she says, “she’s as healthy as a horse.”


Above: The Washington State Council on Aging named Margaret Casey, lobbyist for the Seattle-King County Aging and Disability Services, as a recipient of the 2009Excellence in Action Award for her work and service to senior citizens. Governor Gregoire presented her with her award on Firday.

Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler also addressed the group saying, “It is critical that we see Congress act on health care before they recess. If we fail, we’re putting it off for another decade.” This prediction was agreed upon by many health care area experts, legislators, and advocates in the room throughout the day.

One in five Washingtonians do not have health care insurance, equaling one million residents, “but that number doesn’t tell the whole story,” said Kreidler. One out of four don’t have enough money for full coverage and choose between paying their mortgage or coverage. The number one reason people go into personal bankruptcy, Kriedler said, is because of health care costs.

“The ones who are most impacted are those 19 to 64 (years of age). They are working, they are contributing, but they’re the one’s getting shafted the worst. They are supporting us - the rest of the population….We’re in a position right now to bridge the generations….We need change - we need universal coverage. The system is failing and the opportunity is now. There’s a lot of agreement out there that doesn’t make the news…I believe we’re going to have transformational health care reform,” said Kreidler.

Kreidler said he is putting together a commission called, “Let’s Make It Real,” a coalition of 15-20 doctors, advocates, local elected officials and administrators to present recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature about how the state can best implement health care reform. “It won’t be a ceiling, it will be a floor…” said Kreidler.

“When I go to bed at night, I think about what if we (as a country) don’t take this step toward health care reform - we’ll spend $33 trillion dollars in the next decade and look like a Third World country. We’ll be outspending our competitors two to one - that’s a recipe for disaster for the U.S. economy.” said Kreidler.


Above: Washington State Commissioner Mike Kreidler.

Denny Heck moderated two health care discussion panels, saying he too, is not immune to the health care crisis. As a former legislator and chief of staff to Governor Booth Gardner, Heck, 57, says he retired six years ago and has a well-known health care coverage carrier, but has seen his rates go up from $700 a month to $1500 a month for his family of three. “And it’s not a high end plan. Now you know why I’m looking forward to Medicare,” Heck joked.

National HealthCare Debate

There was considerable discussion about the two bills now facing the U.S. Congress in the House and Senate. The House released its consolidated bill today and could be voted on next week. The Senate version is expected to be released soon. And when could a final bill be forwarded to the White House? “If we’re lucky, it will be a Christmas present,” said panelist Lee Goldberg, Policy Director for the Long Term Care Division at Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

“Is this really going to happen?” asked Heck.

“If I had a farm, I’d bet the farm that this is going to happen,” said Goldberg.

“With all due respect to Kreidler and the Governor, they are way too optimistic but we’re on the right path…this is the first of a series of efforts and luckily our commander in chief is still a community organizer,” said panelist Aaron Katz, University of Washington lecturer, Department of Health Service.

Ingrid McDonald, Advocacy Director for the AARP Washington, said that there was a delay in the progress of the conversation because "here has been a tremendous amount of fear-mongering to scare seniors - there is nothing in these bills that will cut Medicare benefits,” McDonald assured.

“Anytime you hear ‘The Medicare sky is falling,’ consider the source,” agreed Goldberg. “No matter what, states are going to be the big winners in this health care reform because it will pump money into state programs.”

Representative Sherri Appleton, D-23 District, said she is a big supporter of universal health care and detailed amendments Senator Maria Cantwell dropped into the Senate bill.

Aaron Katz lamented that there is nothing in these bills that will actually reduce health care costs. Ingrid McDonald said cost reduction would require more federal involvement than we would want, saying “unfortunately, there is a financial incentive to over-serve.”

So what can we do? Get in touch with your representatives on a national and local level, write letters to the editor, and emphasize, if you are, a senior citizen and that you support health care reform, panelists suggested.

On the House side, Representatives Rick Larson, Brian Baird and Adam Smith are still hold-outs. “If you live in their district, you need to break their arms,” said Appleton.

“I’m sure you mean that figuratively,” clarified Heck.

“Just don’t break the arm they vote with,” joked Goldberg.

“The only way we’re going to get health care reform is if the people demand it, so get out there,” said Katz.

Washington’s I-1033, Taxes, and the 2010 Legislative Session

The conference's afternoon session got even testier as State Senator Rodney Tom, D-48th District and Vice Chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee expressed frustration with I-1033, asking the audience, “If I-1033 passes, do you want me to break the state’s obligation to K-12 or do you want me to break the initative?”

Nora Gibson, Executive Director of Elder Health NW was blunt, saying “People will die if this goes forward - if you whittle down their level of support, bad things will happen.”

“We are a humanitarian society…we need real, non-hysterical, non-finger pointing conversations with the public that says we have to have revenue. What are you willing to pay for? Do you want our most fragile population out in the ice? We have to tell it like it is,” said Senator Rosa Franklin, D-29th District.

“If I-1033 passes, “it will force a tax increase this session,” said Senator Tom.

Tom says he would vote for a tax increase. “We need to get real. We have a lot of corporate loopholes to look at.” Tom suggested that he would close the car trade-in allowance, saying “it’s a $200 million giveaway. That’s real money. The problem with that is there are car dealers in all 49 districts who will say ‘that will put us out of business’ but I don’t think it will make a difference - people will either buy a car or not.”

“If I-1033 is defeated, we are not going to fill the (state budget) hole with taxes. “There will have to be a mixture of loophole closures and sin taxes,” suggested Tom. Tom pointed out that churches and synagogues do not pay property taxes. “We need to look at these loopholes…we are making cuts we’ve never dreamed of.”

Franklin added, “These cuts (we made to the budget) were not easy…there were tears.”

“I’ve committed myself to not be part of an all-cuts budget. We’ve done all the harm we can do. We need to be compassionate. Maybe we can’t have a balanced budget. Maybe we should bond that debt,” said Representative Appleton from the back of the packed room, which caused a major stir of conversation.

“I’m brave but not stupid,” responded Tom. “We have a lot of bonds out there. We have one of the best bond ratings out there and if we change that, they will downgrade…We need to be straight with the public: this is how much government costs, and here’s the revenue…Mathematically, we have to take everything off to get to $2 billion. You are going to see some new revenue.”

“People have to take leadership, overcome fear, say the “T” word (taxes) and have a state we can be proud to live in,” Nora Gibson agreed.

When asked what will happen during session, Franklin said that the Governor will eventually say, “Bring me a bill…." Franklin added, "We have no where to go. We have no money (and) we can not have an all-cuts budget. The Governor has a heart and she will do the right thing.”

“We can’t continue to do what we’ve been doing - we have to bite the bullet and have a real conversation about our state tax situation without the rhetoric and talk show hosts,” Franklin said. This was greeted by applause from the audience. “We have to engage the community: What do you want? What are you willing to pay for, and what are you willing to delay? We have an unsustainable tax structure that does not support the services you expect,” said Franklin.

Asked by Heck to make a prediction on I-1033, Senator Tom replied, “I predict on Tuesday we’ll reject I-1033.”

“We can’t let people like Tim who feed on fear to control what happens,” concluded Nora Gibson.

A State Income Tax?

An audience member asked about a state income tax, to which Tom replied, “We are going to be forced into that conversation. The B&O tax, which is unique to Washington, is 19% of our revenue. Do we lower a business's rate or do they leave the state? They have a gun to our head every time….Microsoft came to us last year asking for a tax rebate in Quincy and we said no and they went to Texas! We’re seeing that more and more - that's what’s going to force this change.”

Another asked about the Boeing decision to take its business to South Carolina. Senator Tom quickly retorted, “I do not believe Boeing left because of the B&O…Boeing is a military contractor. That’s what this is about - this gave South Carolina taxpayers $175 million and Boeing gained two new senators in this deal - it was not about our tax structure.”

South Sound Activists

Ruth Shearer of Lacey, came to the conference as a member of the Senior Citizen’s Lobby to help with registration. “Health care - it’s so important to understand what’s going on. Shearer said one of her grandsons was born with tumors that, at age three, turned cancerous. A treatment was successful and her grandson, now 26, is healthy, but “has a pre-existing condition that will affect him forever.” Her grandson’s health affected his parent’s job choices his whole life because they needed a large enough company that has a group plan, at a high cost for very little coverage, that would cover the whole family and his pre-existing condition.

Former Senator Don Carlson lives in Olympia and is now a lobbyist for the Washington State School Retirees Association. “I have kids and grandkids. Health care is not just an old person’s problem - it’s the young person’s, too. (They) need to protect their children."

Carlson said he is helping to coordinate a health care forum series in Olympia that will be sponsored by all Olympia faith congregations. It will start January 12, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at First Christian Church, and run for eight sessions over a period of two months. “The House and Senate leadership, professionals and advocates will participate, encourage civil dialogue and answer people’s questions about health care,” said Carlson.

Gene Forrester, 81, of Olympia is the immediate past president of the Washington State School Retirees Association. Forrester also served on the AARP National Policy Council for eight years and says he’s most concerned about cost reduction of the health care system.

“I’m a rarity that I don’t have to take any prescription drugs but it’s currently illegal for Medicare to negotiate with drug companies for reduced prices, and that’s something I’d like to see changed in the final bill,” said Forrester.


Above: Olympian Gene Forrester is quite a guy. Besides volunteering with the Kiwanis Club's Food Bank, he just returned last week from Phoenix where he played seven games in the World Softball Tournament. His team, the Northwest 80's" came in third place.

For more information, contact the Washington State Senior Citizens Lobby at www.waseniorlobby.org, or (360) 754-0207.


Above: Senator Rosa Franklin chats with a participant of the Senior Citizens Foundation conference on Friday.