Writer's notes:
The candidates for State Representative in the 40th District Position 2 are: Rep. Jeff Morris (incumbent, prefers Democratic Party,) Howard Pellett (prefers Green Party,) and John Swapp (prefers Republican Party.)
What follows are the two responses to questions I submitted to Jeff last Mon, Aug 2.
Why should I vote for you?
"It has been my privilege serving the citizens of the 40th District. I have brought local concerns to the attention of the legislature and challenged Olympia to think outside the box, particularly on job creation, ferry funding, and clean energy. If you examine my voting record, you will see that I do not vote 100% with any special interest group, but am recognized as an independent problem-solver. This approach is particularly important given our current economic climate. Just this year, the Washington state business community named me ‘Job Maker of the Year.’ I am the only Democrat in Olympia given that recognition, and it is one that I am proud of and intend to maintain. My single greatest priority is representing the opinions of the 40th District and if re-elected, I will continue to voice those concerns, and work towards improvement down in Olympia."
What is important to you?
"In my work in the private sector I have focused on energy issues, co-founding and serving on the board of NW Energy Angels, which has invested over $3 million in energy startup companies. During my time in Olympia I have personally sponsored a number of laws that have allowed the students of Western Washington University to become a leader in purchasing green and clean energy, and given local non-profits greater access to energy efficiency, helping the community as a whole become more energy independent.
During this past session, I worked with other legislators to come up with creative and effective approaches to cut resolve the state budget issues. I believe that we need to return to the Price of Government budgeting we did under Governor Locke, asking every agency to prioritize its services. If the top ten fit into the money allocated them, they would keep those services and drop the rest. As a state, we performed better under this system. I have also advocated for functional delivery of IT and other universal need services because it would save the state at least $.25 billion.
It is important that we continue creating jobs, ensuring energy efficiency, and creating a sustainable budget."
