At the Referendum 52 debate: Dunshee vs. Alexander on the issues

I’m at the Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce meeting, listening to Reps. Hans Dunshee and Gary Alexander debate Referendum 52, which would weatherize schools and use a bottled water tax to service the bond debt.

Rep. Larry Seaquist is in the audience, and asked why the referendum is important — and worth a tax increase.

“Dan Evans went out to the people in ’72 with what would be the equivalent of $2 billion today to stimulate jobs,” he said. “I think that every kid in the school, in the state, ought to have a healthy building …. I think that’s our paramount duty,” he said. “There’s nothing in this room that if we increased (the cost) by 1.5 percent, you would be able to tell the difference.”

Rep. Alexander: “In the same four years, the previous four years, the capitol budget grew by almost 43 percent,” he said. “Now, all the sudden, when we hit the debt service limit we have to look at other types of debt service” opportunities. Alexander said he’s against R52 not because he doesn’t want healthy schools, but because he does want fiscal responsibility.

Another guest asked why not take a bit of lottery money to pay for the improvements. Alexander said the lottery brings in about $150 million a year, and some of that easily could have been diverted. Dunshee said that’s a policy call, “you can stop construction to do this,” he said, which would pit maintenance against construction.

Another asked how the increased debt would affect the state’s bond rating. Dunshee said that the state treasurer said this debt would not affect the bond rating, and that Washington is already in a better position than many states. “This recession is the biggest thing that any of us have ever seen in our lives,” he said. “We are cutting,” he said, but this is a good investment.

Alexander, however, said the state treasurer also has told the Legislature that they may not have enough in the bank to pay bills. “I am concerned about the bond rating.” “We are at our constitutional debt limit,” he said — 9 percent. “Our debt service costs are somewhere in the top third” of other states, he said.

Now, time for closing statements.

Alexander said it’s been a good debate. “I just want to sum up by saying it’s always enjoyable to discuss issues with my comrade over here,” he said, referring to Rep. Dunshee. “I just believe that at this point in time, Ref 52 is not in taxpayers’ best interests,” he said. He also said there are many important issues on the ballot this year and encouraged voters to learn about them all.

Dunshee: “We may disagree, but it’s how you disagree that matters in Democracy,” he said, of the debate. He said this referendum would save money, “I would offer to you to go to the web site — healthyschoolsforwa.org — you can see examples, you can see testimonials, you can see financing,” he said.

Tags: Referendum 52, taxes