Adele Ferguson

I HOPE the next debate engaged in by our two major candidates for governor has more I’s in it and less you’s and he’s.

That is, I want to hear each, Democrat Jay Inslee and Republican Rob McKenna, say “this is what I am going to do about job creation or education” or whatever rather than a lot of “You’re making promises you can’t fulfill,” Inslee to McKenna, or “He opposes tax reductions for any purpose,” McKenna about Inslee.

Here’s some more out of their first debate in Spokane:

Inslee, “I am concerned he will reduce environmental protection.”

McKenna, “He never met a regulation he didn’t like.”

Inslee, “You’ve been in political office 16 years and only worked on a.budget once, as a King County councilman..Your colleagues deposed you.”

McKenna, “When you were in Congress, you voted for a series of bills that contributed to the housing crisis. If you were in Congress today, would you vote that people with poor credit could buy houses?”

Inslee, “He blames people (for the housing crisis). I blame Wall Street. Were there some involved in over their heads? Yes. The economy collapsed due to Wall Street irresponsibility.”

McKENNA, “Public-private partnership can be an effective tool but the people running Olympia are too ready to raise taxes. The voters felt taxes were too high already.” Inslee.”You supported multiple tax increases when you were on the city council. He is my way or the highway. We need to bring people together.”

Now what did you learn from all that? What kind of governor the man would be or mostly the reasons why you shouldn’t vote for the other guy?

The Seattle Times is nudging them editorially to fine tune their fiscal positions but few of us could spell out what we think they are from what they have offered or not offered.

Education? Each talks about adding $1 billion to public schools but differ on where the money is coming from.

Inslee wants to excuse high tech new companies from paying business and occupation taxes for three years from startup. Some companies would get a tax credit. He wants to pay businesses $4,000 out of the general fund for each new job they establish, which he claims would put the 280,000 jobless Washingtonians to work, generating more money for schools.

McKENNA would find his billion by cutting government where he could. .He would repeal the doctrine of joint and several liability. He should explain that. He would not fill state employee vacancies created by attrition. He would have a better handle on state employee contracts unlike Gary Locke and Christine Gregoire who toadied to the unions.

He would move Medicaid from fee for service to managed care. He needs to explain that.

Inslee would raise what state employees pay for health insurance from 15 to 25 percent. On health care, Inslee voted for Obamacare, McKenna is one of the AGs suing to declare it unconstitutional. On taxes, McKenna is for requiring a two-thirds vote of the Legislature or public approval to increase taxes, Inslee is not.

The biggest difference between them as far as I’m concerned. though, is that Inslee is a greenie all the way and McKenna is not.

Inslee is a tool of the environmental lobby and a believer in global warming. I am not. If you look forward to electric cars and wind power and similar fantasies, Inslee is the man for you, but not for me.

(Adele Ferguson can be reached at P.O. Box 69, Hansville, Wa., 98340.)