Small Farms Try Again For Tax Program Changes

 

Above: A close-up of the 1956 tile mural by Jean Beal in the lobby of the General Administration building on the Capitol Campus.

Farms Look To Update Property Tax Program with New Bill

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Editor’s Note: As with any legislative story, proposed legislation and information can change fast. A loose coalition of farm advocates is working to create a statewide farmland current use bill that can pass in this 60 day session. Draft legislation wording has changed dramatically this week and today. It is current as of this writing.

While sitting at the Olympia Food Co-op on the eastside early this morning, Leslie Cushman, a volunteer small farm advocate, transferred the latest version of a proposed piece of farmland preservation legislation to me via her Smartphone. Talk about hot off the press.

It was an appropriate place to meet, and several Co-op volunteers were being trained at a nearby cash register.

By correcting inequalities in the open space and agriculture laws, farmers hope to ensure the future between local food availability and farm sustainability. 

Enjoying bi-partisan, statewide support, tax relief comes to the Washington State Legislature as House Bill 1437, a bill which would amend the home site exemption in the Open Space law. 

The proposed legislation is sponsored by Representatives Chris Reykdal (D-22), Brian Blake (D-19), Kathy Haigh (D-35), Ed Orcutt (R-20), Kristine Lytton (D-40), Kevin Van De Wege (D-24), and Hans Zeiger (R-25). On the first day of this session, the bill was taken out of Rules and referred to the House Finance Committee.

The Senate companion bill is SB 5327, sponsored by Senators Karen Fraser (D-22), Steve Hobbs, (D-44), and Randi Becker (R-2). It was reintroduced and retained in its present status.

It’s a bill that has seen a lot of history.

In a new proposed substitute bill, supporters are emphasizing that farmland preservation is an important tax policy.

Currently, for farms less than 20 acres, the one acre under a farm house is assessed at the 'highest and best use'. This subjects smaller farms to a higher tax rate and works against efforts to preserve working lands. 

Farmers say that taxing one acre of a small farm at fair market value hurts small farms, and ask that all farms in the current use program be assessed the same.

The bill would abolish the "farm house acre" practice employed by assessors. Farm land that is enrolled in the Open Space program is currently assessed based on current use rather than fair market value. This reduces pressure to convert farmland to other uses.

Supporters are now calling on House Finance Chair Carlyle Reuven (D-36) and Ranking Minority Member Representative Terry Nealey (R-16), to hold a hearing on the new bill, which ended last session as E2SHB 1437.

The Open Space Act

The details of the Open Space Act, under RCW 84.34.010,  is technical. At the time of its enactment in 1970, it was probably revolutionary, but over time, it appears that it has not stayed in step with the diversity and changing nature of today’s farms.

Three categories under the Open Space Taxation Act allow for current use valuation, and are based on the size of the agricultural parcel.

Parcels 20 acres and larger must be devoted primarily to agricultural production. Parcels between five and 20 acres must generate gross income from the sale of farm products of $200 or more per acre in three of each five-year period. 

Parcels that are five acres and under must generate gross income from the sale of farm products of at least $1,500 per year in three of each five-year period.

For parcels of 20 acres and larger, the principal residence of the farm operator or owner is considered an integral part of the farm, and the land under the house is valued at its current use value.

For parcels less than 20 acres, the land that the house is situated is valued at fair market value while the remainder of the parcel is valued at current use value.

Bill Died in Senate Last Year Last April, E2SHB 1437 passed out of the House of Representatives with a vote of 92-1. 

The Senate entertained a hearing last year on the companion to the bill, but it did not get out of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Economic Development committee by cutoff.

Prime sponsor Senator Karen Fraser (D-22) spoke to her bill last year, SB 5814, saying, “It’s a tricky matter to draft a bill for small agriculture. I want to protect the tax base and don’t want to draft a bill that is a wide open loophole for hobby farms….  

“I want to help our farmers to stay in business...farmers that sell to farmer’s markets or sell food on a subscription basis….these are highly appreciated land uses in our state. These farmers provide fresh food into our local communities.”

Representatives of the Washington State Grange supported the bill, saying “This is a great step forward to keep farmers farming.”

Lone opposition last year was voiced by the Association of County Officials due to a tax shift of an undetermined amount. The assessors association estimated a nearly $700,000 loss in revenue per year, although it was unclear where this number came from since a local governmental fiscal note was not produced. Bill supporters dispute this figure.

Supporters say the bill, which would have been a pilot project for Thurston County as proposed last year, would have had a very modest fiscal impact. Why Thurston County? 

“The Thurston County Commissioners supported the legislation and testified in front of the legislative committees. The county assessor was willing to work on resolving differences.  For a program with local impacts, the support of local government officials made a big difference.  And the residents of Thurston County are involved in a local food movement, emphasizing sustainability and community,” said Cushman.

After some discussion and generally positive remarks expressed by fellow committee members, Committee chair Brian Hatfield (D-19) said he was torn on the bill, expressing concern about a possible loss of tax revenue to local governments. 

“I grew up in county government and tend to bounce things off local government. Let’s balance this thing out…maybe there’s a compromise, maybe not. I’m glad we’re starting this conversation,” said Hatfield last year.

Small Farms Speak Up

Common Ground Farm in west Olympia works in community sustainable agriculture (CSA). Some of its CSA customers who receive a weekly box of fresh vegetables and herbs from mid-May to mid-November, have been buying Common Ground’s produce for over 20 years.

A farmer for 31 years, Nancy Laich of Common Ground testified last year to the Senate committee. Laich served on the Thurston County Agricultural advisory committee, and helped Senator Fraser craft last year’s legislation. She has long worked for farmland preservation, and served on the board of the South of the Sound Community Farmland Trust.

To explain the reason for the bill, Laich explained that the land under her house on her 15 acre farm receives continual increases in the assessed value because she is close to an urbanized area.

“It’s compared with nonconforming one acre lots hooked up to city services. I cannot subdivide one acre or sell one acre or hook up to city services on my street, but I am taxed at an assessed value that's the same as these one acre lots,” said Laich in a telephone interview today.

Laich, like many farmers, uses her house as an integral part of her farm.

“Essentially, farms are small, medium and large, and we're going for the equal treatment of farms of all sizes,” she said. 

Julie Puhich, also of Common Ground Farm, has been farming for 33 years.

“Our farm provide jobs, educational opportunities, research, and acts as a business incubator. If we had not been enrolled with the Open Space Agricultural Program from the beginning, we would have long been paved over,” said Putich.

Above: Otis Bell, left, chats with Senator Karen Fraser about her small farm last year. Bell, a local farmer for eight years, leased a one acre piece of land in Northeast Olympia to grow vegetables, medicinal herbs, bees, and chickens. Testifying to the committee in support of the bill last year, Bell said some farmers cannot afford large pieces of land but make a viable living on small plots. 

New Statewide Small Farm Study

A new farm survey, “Profile of Small Farms in Washington State Agriculture,” by Washington State University (WSU) Extension, says that based on U.S. Department of Agriculture criteria, 90 percent or 35,269 of Washington’s farms are considered small.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Commission on Small Farms defines small farms as “farms with less than $250,000 gross receipts annually on which day-to-day labor and management are provided by the farmer and/or the farm family that owns the production or owns, or leases, the productive assets.”

The WSU study states that, “Classifying farms by acreage can be misleading in a state like Washington, where productivity per acre can differ vastly depending on water availability, type of crop, and the farming strategies employed.”

Indeed, many farms now include many value-added products, such as artesian cheese, bees, and mushrooms to the list of products it produces and sells.

The study goes on to say that, “If current trends hold, we will see continued erosion of commercially viable small and moderate sized farms and their associated farmland.”

Strange Bedfellows Collaborate

Small farmers enjoy a wide range of bi-partisan legislative support, and have also brought together groups that might not ordinarily work together.

Those who testified last year in support of the bill include Common Ground Farm, Thurston County Commissioner Sandra Romero, the State Grange, the Thurston County Farm Bureau, the South of the Sound Farmland Trust, the Thurston County Agricultural Advisory Board, shellfish growers, farming professors, and others. 

Signing in as supporting past legislation were the League of Women Voters, the State Conservation Commission, Calliope Farms, Lisa Smith of Enterprise for Equity, and the Washington State Realtors. 

A group of interested parties met during the legislative interim to craft a new bill to introduce this session.

Good ideas floated in previous bill versions as recently as yesterday addressed the inconsistent tax treatment between counties, and recognized the value of food production to the food bank and other charitable feeding programs. Part of the draft proposed bill would have allowed all farms to count food bank donations as commercial activities and income. For Eastern Washington farmers, it addressed imperfections of an old survey system.

Other ideas directed the State Conservation Commission and the Office of Farmland Preservation to study the trends in farming, the economic contribution of farms, and the fiscal impact of the current use program on property taxes and taxpayers. This would have included a comprehensive study of the food economy and the impact and role of the current use program.

There’s a lot that can be thrown into a bill, but when that happens, things get complicated. In many cases, simple is best. And for a short session in particular, there just isn’t time to properly educate legislators on the issues.

One of the interested parties that has helped craft the new legislation regarding current use is the Thurston County Farm Bureau. The Bureau has found itself on the other side of a few conversations with the current county commissioners.

Jim Goche is a managing partner of Friendly Grove Farm in Olympia and a board member of the Thurston County Farm Bureau. For about four years, Goche and his family has allowed Kiwanis volunteers to till a portion of their land, plant crops, harvest what comes up, and take it down to the Thurston County food bank.

Representing himself, Goche has communicated with the state Department of Revenue regarding the Open Space Act to clarify the agency's role, and the county assessors’ house site designation practices. He helped draft the current legislation.

“I believe that the Department of Revenue should check its assumptions, look more closely at the county assessors’ actions, and ask itself whether the current administration of the Open Space Act is meeting its stated goals….The Open Space Act is 44 years old this year…Some of its provisions don’t support farmland preservation and food production and several are being administered by Washington’s counties in a manner which works against the intent of the law…One area of the Act which needs immediate attention involves the distinction made between large and small farms.”

Goche says the world has changed and agriculture has evolved. “Farms are smaller and now so numerous that they represent well over half of the farms in Washington State. While these small farms may be highly productive in growing the fresh produce that farmer’s markets, food banks, and school nutrition programs rely on, the farm income for many is marginal….”

“Considering the importance of Washington agriculture and the enormous contribution that small farms make to it, the ‘house site’ issue and all of the problems that go with it should be addressed by the 2014 Legislature....I support attempts to fix for 'house site' part of the law, but believe that a better solution is to repeal the 'house site' language entirely....This will benefit farms both large and small and help keep working lands working. It will also help preserve farmland and maintain the open spaces and habitat that farms provide for the public.

“We’re losing farms at an alarming rate. Every time the state adds a regulation on one’s property, it diminishes the value and shifts the burden to the taxpayer,” said Goche.

Thurston County Farmlands at Risk

The Washington Conservation Commission’s Office of Farm Preservation published a report last year, Thurston County Farmlands at Risk.

A Thurston County farmland inventory, completed in 2009 by South of the Sound Community Farmland Trust, concludes several startling facts:

-Thurston County has lost over 90,000 acres of farmland since the 1950s;

-Seventy-five percent of the farmland is within three miles of an urban growth boundary;

-Only about 51 percent of the farmland is in the Open Space Tax program;

-The majority of farmland is not within Long Term Agriculture zoning;

-The average age of principal farm operators is 57 years old;

-The majority of the total land in farms is on rented land.

For more information about the bill and the history of Washington State legislation, go to: www.leg.wa.gov

For more information on the Profile of Small Farms in Washington State Agriculture, go to: www.cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/FS072E/FS072E.pdf

For more information about the farmland inventory, go to: http://www.communityfarmlandtrust.org

Also: The League of Women Voters of Thurston County will be holding an Agriculture Preservation forum on Thursday, January 23, 7:00 pm, United Churches of Olympia, 110 11th Ave. SE.

The forum will feature a panel with various perspectives on agriculture economics and ways to preserve local farms.

Speakers and topics include: Erik Hagen, WSU Extension, an overview of farmland in Thurston County; Steven Drew, County Assessor, economic aspects of farming in Thurston County; Chris Wilcox, owner of Wilcox Farms, a large farmer’s perspective; Lisa Smith, executive director of Enterprise for Equity, efforts to increase the number of small farms; Loretta Seppanen, citizen board member, South of the Sound Community Farmland Trust, efforts to purchase and preserve farmland.

For more information, go to: www.lwvtc.org  or call (360) 754-4305.

Above: LadyBerry Farms' Brussels sprouts are great sautéed with butter and a little bit of salt. I hated them too when I was kid, but now? Ymmm, they're good. And good for you! 

 

Making Legislative Priorities Heard in Olympia

Above: Marchers with Washington CAN! and POWER! walked to the Capitol Building, then spoke with their legislators about their concerns today.

 

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

“An individual has not started living fully until they can rise above the narrow confines of individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of humanity.”

 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Marching from downtown Olympia to the Washington State Capitol building, activists with Washington CAN! (Community Action Network), and POWER! (Parents Organizing for Welfare and Economic Rights), converged today as a collective force to express their priorities to their legislators.

Today is also Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Washington CAN! is a grassroots community organization with over 44,000 dues paying members from every legislative district in the state. Emphasizing racial, social and economic justice, about 140 members of that organization came to Olympia today to meet with their legislators on four main priorities:

-Realize the promise of health reform and save Basic Health (SB 6231);

-Urge the Washington State Senate to pass the DREAM Act (HB 1817);

-Increase access to dental care for consumers (HB 2321); and

-Give workers access to paid sick days (HB 1313).

Organizing all morning at the Capitol Theater in downtown Olympia, activists were briefed on state legislation regarding Basic Health, the Dream Act, paid sick days, and dental access, then broke into small role-playing groups to rehearse brief, personal statements about their own experiences on these issues.

Mariah McKay, a lead WA-CAN! organizer, said the group at today’s effort included about 50 people from Eastern Washington, 30 from Seattle, 30 from the Greater Seattle area, 10 from Olympia, 10 from Tacoma, and 10 from rural communities throughout the state.

Shancie Wagner, a dentist from Spokane, came to Olympia to testify this afternoon to the House Health Care & Wellness Committee in support of HB 2321 to expand access to dental care. Wagner is the first private dentist in the state to express her support of dental access for all.

HB 2321 would create a new mid-level dental provider – a dental therapist – as an effective way to create much needed jobs and meet the growing demand, particularly among low-income people, communities of color and Native communities.  According to Washington-CAN!, thirty out of 39 counties in Washington face a shortage of dental care professionals. 

Wagner said she helped pass a bill in Minnesota similar to Washington’s HB 2321, and that the dental therapist model that exists in Minnesota and Alaska works well.  

“A dental therapist is like a hygienist and a dentist – the person would do extractions and fillings. I trained with the very first dental therapist in Minnesota and saw first-hand that these people are competent because they are trained in limited procedures. They were, in fact, better at it than dental students. Dentists can hire them to do the simple stuff, and then we (dentists) can do the more complicated stuff.

“We should also restore Medicaid service payments to providers...I accept Medicaid, but I can only accept a certain percentage - the reimbursement rates are so low, I lose money.” Asked how much, Wagner says she loses about $200 an hour.

“I’ve only been a dentist for two years, and I have a $5,000 a month student loan to pay.”

Asked why she became a dentist, Wagner said, “I was always terrified of the dentist, so I developed a passion of how it should be done – and I wanted to serve the community,” she smiled.

Nearby, Rayan Orbom, 21, a student of Eastern Washington University in Spokane, said she works in the dental field, and was also in Olympia in support of affordable dental care.

Several members of the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane were sporting their new League T-shirts and said they will be speaking with their 4^th Legislative District representatives about their concerns.

Jennifer Calvert, a retired teacher from Spokane, said she is concerned about restoring cost-of-living adjustments, increasing teacher’s salaries, and decreasing class sizes.

A young man, Marcelas Owens, 14, of Seattle, knocked everyone out with his on-stage, pre-march rendition of the Black National Anthem.

Later, walking up to the Capitol, Owens said he’s been working on social justice issues since he was seven years old.

“I started on health care, but now I’m mostly interested in youth involvement.”

For more information about Washington CAN!, go to www.washingtoncan.org, or 220 South River Street #11, Seattle, Washington 98108, (206) 389-0050.

To follow Washington State Legislation, go to www.leg.wa.gov or call the hotline at 1-800-562-6000.

For more about POWER!, go to www.mamapower.org, (360) 352-9716 or toll-free, 1-866-343-9716.

 

New Puget Sound Partnership Director Introduced

Above: Sheida Sahandy, the new executive director of the Puget Sound Partnership, and Governor Jay Inslee address the Partnership today in Olympia.

 

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee introduced Sheida Sahandy, the new executive director of the Puget Sound Partnership, to the Partnership's Leadership Council today in Olympia.

The meeting was held in the General Administration Building on the Capitol Campus.

“We now have a leader…who has an incredible diversity of background,” Inslee said.

On January 7, Governor Jay Inslee announced his appointment of Sahandy as the new executive director for the Puget Sound Partnership, the agency formed by the state Legislature to lead the recovery of the Puget Sound. She starts with the Partnership on February 4.

According to a press release, Sahandy has worked for the City of Bellevue since 2006, where she has served as the assistant to the city manager and was responsible for creating Bellevue’s first city-wide environmental stewardship initiative.

Sahandy earned her Master of Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government where she concentrated her studies on climate, energy and environment. She earned a Juris Doctorate from Columbia University’s School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Berkeley, where she studied environmental design and the biological sciences.

Calling Sahandy the “perfect person for the job,” the Governor addressed the Council and laid out three main priorities for her and the Partnership:

“One, focus the organization on projects that will deliver…I think at times we’ve had a little too much butter spread around and not really focused on one particular part of the Sound...so we actually get a functioning habitat....I think this is worthy of consideration moving forward. Two, continue efforts to align our agencies…and three, obviously, continue public engagement….”

Sahandy said she was looking forward to the challenges ahead.

Having a conversation with Partnership Council members, Inslee admitted some of the challenges that have faced the Partnership.

“As we know, the Supreme Court decision says we need to put millions of dollars into the K – 12 system and I’m supportive of that effort but it’s really important…to say that we’re not going to finance the education of our children to learn about the biology of aquatic systems and then reduce the budget of this agency....It’s important for us to realize the connection....If we’re going to teach children about how sea stars and limpets work, we have to have an agency that makes sure there are sea stars and limpets in Puget Sound for students to enjoy….”

Inslee credited the state departments of Transportation, Commerce, and Agriculture for their carbon reduction programs and efforts.

“…Commerce is recruiting low carbon businesses…and Ag understands irrigation needs….China wants to buy our wine like crazy, but if we don’t have water from the snow pack (if it’s reduced, associated with carbon pollution) we’re not going to be able to sell wine because we won’t be able to grow grapes!”

After Council member Diana Gale mentioned the Partnership’s success of working with the Tribes, Inslee acknowledged that success, but continued to press his concerns.

“…My concern though… is every 20 yards of Puget Sound is precious, (but) we have a situation where we’ve been planting eelgrass, (then) hardening (the shore) 40 miles up the beach, then doing nutrient loading reduction 30 miles up the beach from there…we haven’t really put those pieces all together in one spot where we can actually get the whole habitat working….I think it’s a challenge for the Partnership to respond to that but I will back you if you decide to concentrate some resources to get one functioning habitat even if it means…we might not get something back right away.”

Partnership chair Martha Kongsgaard agreed, saying that backing will be very important. She acknowledged the challenges, saying they need to do a better job describing the Puget Sound's story.

Billy Frank, Jr. said that the Tribes stand with Inslee, ready to move.

“We have a lot of problems…the salmon can’t get through the Narrows Bridge before they die…same with Squaxin Island coho...there are no flounders anymore, the little critters are all gone….”

Inslee also praised the efforts of U.S. Senator Patty Murray, acknowledging her for preserving funds for Puget Sound.

Murray, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced in August that she included almost $30 million for Puget Sound cleanup and recovery efforts in the Fiscal Year 2014 Senate Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.

Kongsgaard said Senator Murray told her personally that she has the Partnership’s back.

After Inslee’s remarks, the Council continued with its agenda for the day. They reviewed their 2013 ‘report cards’ on shellfish, stormwater, habitat nearshore and water resources issues, and heard recommendations on future approaches to these issues from staff with the state Departments of Health and Natural Resources, and Washington Sea Grant. The Council also heard board updates from the Partnership’s Science Panel and the Ecosystem Coordination Board.

The Leadership Council will meet again tomorrow to receive a 2014 State Legislative update and hear a panel discussion on vessel traffic safety, coal trains, and oil by rail transport.

Meanwhile, the Partnership has plenty of critics.

The Freedom Foundation, a conservative think-tank based in Olympia, issued a report last month calling for the abolishment of the Puget Sound Partnership. The Foundation says the Partnership is politically corrupt, squanders millions of dollars, and has failed to fulfill its responsibilities as a state agency. 

"Instead of spending money on environmental restoration, the Partnership has squandered millions on 'marketing' and 'branding' campaigns that do nothing to benefit the health of Puget Sound...and it's long past time the state's taxpayers pulled the plug."

About the Partnership

The Puget Sound Partnership, created in 2007, is a state agency focused on the recovery of Puget Sound. It is the latest incarnation of previous Puget Sound clean up efforts coordinated by the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority, later called the Puget Sound Action Team.

The Partnership coordinates the efforts of citizens, governments, tribes, scientists, businesses and nonprofits to set priorities, implement a regional recovery plan and ensure accountability for results.

The Leadership Council is currently composed of Steve Sakuma, Billy Frank, Jr., Ron Sims, Martha Kongsgaard, David Dicks, Diana Gale, and Dan O’Neal.

Marc Daily served as the Partnership’s interim executive director after the resignation of retired Col. Anthony Wright in early 2013.

For more information, go to www.psp.wa.gov.

For previous stories at Little Hollywood about the Puget Sound Partnership, go to www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and type key words into the search button.

 

Above: Governor Jay Inslee and incoming Partnership executive director Sheida Sahandy meet with the Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council today.

Olympia Farmer's Market: Open On Saturdays

 

Above: Fran Adams of Sound Fresh Clams and a customer happily exchange a few clams at the Olympia Farmer's Market early Saturday afternoon. Adams said the morning had gone well for her.

by Janine Unsoeld
www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The Olympia Farmer's Market is open on Saturdays, from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., through March 29. 

A few vendors providing produce, seafood, crafts, cheese and bakery items were available to help customers yesterday, but it felt just a wee bit quiet, perhaps, due to the Seahawks game in the NFC divisional playoffs.

Above: One woman shopper stopped short in front of Johnson's Smokehouse and Sausage Kitchen, and expressed disappointment to discover that it was not open for business. She said it was why she came downtown.

 

For more information abut the market, go to Little Hollywood's November 7, 2013 story, "Olympia Farmer's Market: Open for Winter Season," at www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com.

 

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.