election guide 2012
DESCRIPTION
Your guide to local candidates seeking office in the Nov. 6, 2012, general election.TRANSCRIPT
A Voter’s Guide to
Okanogan and
Ferry Counties.
A Supplement to
The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle
October 17, 2012
Albert Roberts
Age: 56Town of residence: OmakCurrent occupation: Co-
owner of Pine Stump Farms LLCExperience/education: Born
and raised on North Dakota wheat,beef and dairy farm; 1988-2000Track Repair, Omak, owner-operator, welding/fabrication,heavy equipment repair;1986-1988Arrow Lakes Logging; OkanoganCounty Planning Commission,Okanogan Conservation District;Washington Association ofConservation Districts, WashingtonState Democrat Ag and RuralCaucus, Okanogan CountyEconomic Development Council,U.S. Forest Service ProvincialAdvisory Committee, U.S. Navy,Slow Food Okanogan, OkanoganCounty Cattlemen’s Association,Okanogan Grange, Washington
Tilth Producers;Washington StateUniversity,bachelor ofscience in naturalresourcemanagement –forestry andrange; WenatcheeValley College,associate of artsand sciences;
Washington Ag Forestry LeadershipFoundation; Clark College, weldingand diesel technician
Family: Partner Carey Hunter;four grown children, sevengrandchildren
Political party: Democrat
Q. What can the county doto minimize conflicts betweenwolves, and county residentsand their animals?
A. The commissioners need to
take the lead in building thecoalition of stakeholders in thestate to effectively change the statelaw to delist the wolf formanagement, including to providetrue value funding for predationcompensation and non-lethalintervention.
Q. What are yourbudget/spending priorities?
A. Balancing the need forrequired services, wants of countyresidents, and unforeseen expenseswith the revenues brought in,without raising current orimplementing new taxes.
Q. What’s your position onconstruction near airports inthe county?
A. There needs to be restrictionon residential construction withinthe direct approach and turn radiuszones as set forth by the Federal
Aviation Administration.If new residential construction
is conducted within the outsideturn radius approach zone(approximately one-quarter to one-
half mile) there needs to be a noticeon the deed that this property iswithin an airport zone andlandowner accepts theresponsibility of living in that zone.
Page 2 2012 Okanogan and Ferry County Voters’ Guide
2012 Okanogan and Ferry County
Voters’ Guide©2012 The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle
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www.omakchronicle.com
Cover design: Katie Montanez
The general election is Nov. 6. To help voters make their selections, The Chronicle asked
candidates for local offices several questions. Their unedited answers follow.
Okanogan County commissioner, District No. 1Sheilah Kennedy
Age: 51Town of residence:
Okanogan Current occupation: Self-
employed-owner/operator, S-KEnvironmental
Experience/education:Graduated from Oak Harbor HighSchool 1979, cosmetology college1979; Okanogan County NoxiousWeed Control manager, 15 years;legislative assistant for Rep. JoelKretz; past president and boardmember of National WeedOrganization; industryrepresentative for Montana StateUniversity invasive plantsprogram.
Family:Shared the last10 years with JeffDelfeld; twodaughters; onegrandson, onegranddaughter
Politicalparty:Republican
Q. What canthe county do to minimizeconflicts between wolves, andcounty residents and theiranimals?
A. Give the responsibility backto the people to manage. We needto make this a top priority beforemore loss occurs and before
someone or a child gets killed. Weneed to take control back of ourcounty and lead instead offollowing decisions being madethat have such a negative impact onus and our livelihood.
The county needs to be workingat the Olympia level to requirechange of the state’s plan for wolfrecovery policy.
The wolves will kill, they haveno boundaries; it is up to us to setthose boundaries through actionsand policy. Perhaps we need tointroduce a pair in the Olympia orSeattle area?
Q. What are yourbudget/spending priorities?
A. None. My priorities will be to
cut unnecessary spending, run thecounty budgets as conservative aswe do our own checkbooks.
Q. What’s your position onconstruction near airports inthe county?
A. We were directly impacted bythe commissioners’ decision tohave a blanket airport moratorium.It was a great example of lack ofleadership when the county can seta moratorium that stopsconstruction of a building inprogress and any future building.In this situation there were lessthan 10 landowners.
Why couldn’t a letter be sent tothe adjacent landowners withinformation of the issues and seek
comments instead of moratoriumthat shuts everything down? Weneed to promote communicationbetween the county and thelandowners not take their voiceaway.
We need to make sure our pilotsand passengers are safe, andaddress safety issues as they dowith the large airports that fly overmetropolitan areas all over theUnited States.
Large cities seem to have a planin place for growth around airportsthat doesn’t limit building. Theymay have height limitations, yetthey don’t seem to shut buildingdown all together.
I’m sure in rural areas we can dothe same.
Kennedy
Roberts
Ad paid for by the Committee to Elect Steve Houston103 Barnholt Loop, Okanogan
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Don R. “Bud” Hover
Age: 57Town of residence: WinthropCurrent occupation: Farmer, county
commissionerExperience/education: Eight years as
county commissioner; bachelor of science inag education/forestry and rangemanagement, Washington State University;master of public administration, Universityof Washington
Family: Wife Tonya, sons Andy andWes, three grandchildren
Political party: Republican
Q. What can the county do tominimize conflicts between wolves,and county residents and theiranimals?
A. The best thing Okanogan County cando is to continue to press the state to delistthe wolf. Wolves are not in danger ofbecoming extinct and giving them anartificial protection ties the hands of WDFWto manage the wolves in balance with othergame species and the cattle industry.
Q. What are your budget/spendingpriorities?
A. Commissioners are tasked withprotecting the “health, welfare and safety” of
the county residents, assuch making sure that wehave adequate resourcesfor our sheriff’sdepartment, juvenile, jailand courts is essential.Making sure there areadequate resources for ourroads is a priority.Insuring funding for otherdepartments so they mayprovide an adequate levelof service to the people of
the county will be achieved.
Q. What’s your position onconstruction near airports in thecounty?
A. Our municipal airports are a criticalpiece of infrastructure for our cities and thecounty. We don not want to do anything tocompromise their ability to functionproperly, and we don not want to doanything that might lead to the loss of one ofthese facilities.
At this time we have a group ofindividuals on the Airport AdvisoryCommittee that are studying this andbringing recommendations to the countycommissioners. Commissioner Jim DeTro, apilot himself for many years, serves on thiscommittee.
2012 Okanogan and Ferry County Voters’ Guide Page 3
RE-ELECTRobert (Bob) L.
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Okanogan County commissioner, District No. 2Ray Campbell
Age: 61 Town of residence: CarltonCurrent occupation: Cattle rancher,
owner and broker of North Cross StateRealty Inc. II, Twisp
Experience/education: I have livedmy entire life in Okanogan County. I wasborn here in the Brewster hospital, raised ona cattle ranch in the lower Methow Valley atGold Creek and graduated from Pateros HighSchool.
I went to work at the sawmill in Twispwhen I turned 18. When I was 19, I moved toBrewster, bought my first home and went towork in construction at Grand Coulee Dam.After the end of construction at GrandCoulee Dam, I moved back to my old familyranch at Gold Creek, where I raised myfamily.
I continued to work construction alongwith operating my own carpentry businessuntil the early ’90s, when I then purchasedNorth Cross State Realty in the upperMethow Valley, which I still own. I also ownand manage my family Ranch at Gold Creek,raising cattle and horses.
My lifetime of agriculture relatedbusiness, cattle and horse ranch togetherwith many associated activities, gives me theknowledge and understanding of the ins andouts of the ranching business.
My business experience gives me the
knowledge andunderstanding of theimportance of the laws andrights of ownership andcontrol of both real andpersonal property.
I have dealt withbudgets and accounting asa business owner overmany years, and know howimportant it is to workhard and make tough
choices.It is not unreasonable to expect that the
county must be accountable and live withinits means just as families and businesses do.
Family: Son and daughter; foster sonand daughter; four grandchildren
Political party: Republican
Q. What can the county do tominimize conflicts between wolves,and county residents and theiranimals?
A. I take a strong stand in opposition tothe introduction of the wolves in OkanoganCounty, and demand the delisting of thesewolves on both the state and federal levels. Iwill coordinate with other elected officials tomake that happen.
But taking a stand is not enough with thethreats that face our county; it also requiresstrong action.
As commissioner, I would call for full
coordination with the county by theagencies as they are required to do, whichwould bring an open forum andaccountability directly to the people of thiscounty on the many questions that have notbeen answered, such as safety andeconomic impacts.
As the rapid migration of wolves bringsthreats and losses to us we need a workablewithin-county reporting system for peoplewho are impacted.
We cannot rely on a sole-purpose agencyto report the truth and without truth wecannot have change.
Q. What are your budget/spendingpriorities?
A. The county is required by law tobalance its budget. The commissioners willhave to first of all find out what our projectedrevenue is going to be for this next year, andthen coordinate with all of the countyagencies to get a projection of their wants,and actual needs.
Then sit down with the heads of thesedepartments and prioritize the actual needswith the dollar resources that are available.The commissioners’ first and main priority isfor the health, safety and welfare of thecitizens.
Because our commissioners have notstopped the continuing sale of the privatelands to the state agencies within our county,the tax base of this county is continuing to
decrease, leaving the tax burden on theshrinking private ownership within ourcounty.
This has to stop. No more “I won’t get inthe way of a willing buyer and a willingseller” excuse.
Q. What’s your position onconstruction near airports in thecounty?
A. It is my position that all facts must becarefully reviewed before any action is takenthat impacts private landowners and that inorder to regulate, government must identifythe harm they are trying to prevent; the harmmust be real, not perceived; and theregulation must be proportional to the harmyou are trying to prevent.
I believe the six-month buildingmoratorium passed by my opponent was arush to judgment without consideration ofall the facts.
It took two meetings and four publichearings before he realized that the countydid not have sufficient grounds to impose themoratorium.
That is the wrong approach.Building around airports is an important
issue that we must deal with after thecomprehensive plan is completed to directthe zoning public process.
We need input from the people of thiscounty as we review the facts—not myopponent’s top-down approach.
Campbell
Hover
Voter registration deadlines:
Nov. 6 — last day to mail in voter registrationNov. 8 — last day for online voter registration, www.sos.wa.gov
For more information: Okanogan and Ferry counties’ auditors
Chris Culp
Superior CourtPosition 2
Age: 57Location:
OkanoganFamily: Husband
Mitch, children Trevorand Brianna
Family: Wife PegCallaway, two children
Education: University ofWashington, Gonzaga University
Linda EvansParlette (R)
12th DistrictSenator
Age: 67Location:
WenatcheeFamily:
Husband Bob, fivechildren.
Education:Washington State University
Shelly Short(R)
7th DistrictPosition 1Age: 50Location: AddyFamily:
Husband Mitch, twochildren.
Education:Spokane CommunityCollege and Eastern WashingtonUniversity
Page 4 2012 Okanogan and Ferry County Voters’ Guide
Okanogan County Public Utility Districtcommissioner, District No. 2
Trish Butler
Age: 59Town of residence:
OkanoganExperience/education: My
career was in municipalgovernment for 30 years, the last 15of which were with the city ofOmak as finance director at whichtime I retired upon being elected asPUD commissioner in 2006.
I received severalcommendations through theWashington State Finance OfficersAssociation. and WashingtonMunicipal Clerks Association forbudget and finance reporting.
I presently serve as PUD BoardPresident as well as Boardrepresentative to the WashingtonPublic Utility Association and alsoserve as vice president on thePublic Utility Risk Management, aself-insurance pool.
I am well respected by publicpower constituents as
knowledgeableabout publicpower issues andconcerns.
Family: Myhusband BobButler is realestate salesmanfor RemaxWelcome Home.We enjoy ourseven
grandchildren and their parentsJason and Signe Butler and Brentand Jennifer Heindselman.
Political party: Non-partisanposition
Should the PUD continue topursue relicensing of EnloeDam? Why?
The Enloe Project will generatean average of 45 Gwh annually andthe value of the power is estimatedat 2.6 million annually. Thegeneration will be a source of clean,renewable and sustainable
hydropower for Okanoganresidents.
The final permit necessary toobtain FERC licensing for theEnloe Dam project is the 401 WaterQuality permit from theDepartment of Ecology.
The permit has been approved,however, it has been appealed byan environmental coalition and ahearing has been set for early in2013 before the water pollutionboard.
Assuming the PUD and theDept. of Ecology will prevail beforethe hearings board we can finalizethe costs on the PM & E’s(protection, mitigation, andenhancement measures) as well asany other conditions that may berequired by the underlying ownerthe Bureau of Land Management.At that time the Board ofCommissioners will be in a positionto go forward with a decision abouthow to proceed with the EnloeDam project.
What can be done tostabilize rates?
Okanogan PUD ratepayersenjoy stable rates right now.Okanogan PUD ratepayers hadtheir first rate increase in nearly 8years and currently have the 4thlowest rates in the State ofWashington.
Should those utilities thatgenerate their own power be takenout of the mix Okanogan PUD hasthe lowest rates in the State ofWashington. I believe that thedecisions of the Board ofCommissioners need to be madenot only for today but also for thefuture based on sound businessand operating principles and takeadvantage of any and all operatingefficiency opportunities.
Should the PUD continuepursuing the Pateros to Twisptransmission line along itscurrent proposed route orlook at another route? Should
the Loup Loup line bereplaced instead?
Absolutely the Pateros Twispshould be constructed and I willcite the most recent threat to theexisting Loup Loup transmissionline was the Oden fire.
If the fire had taken out theLoup Loup line constructed in1948, residents in the Methow areawould have been without power forseveral months. The issue of wherethe route for the PT line wasextensively vetted through a publicand environmental process and theroute chosen prior to my electionas Commissioner in 2006.
In summary, an additional linewas chosen to be constructed forthe sake of redundant service andthe benefit of additional line ofservice to the Methow area insteadof one single transmission line.
I believe that in the next yearright of way easements will beobtained and construction canbegin.
Butler
Steve Houston
Age: 53Town of residence:
OkanoganCurrent occupation:
EngineerExperience/education: Over
the last 29 years, I has worked asan engineer and entrepreneur inthe controlled atmosphereindustry, cryogenic air separation,and oil and gas.
Houston has done projectmanagement, operations, andfinancial oversight for companiesin the Pacific Northwest, Texas,Canada, Australia, New Zealand,South Korea, Thailand, HongKong, China, Honduras, andTurkey.
“I’ve spent mycareer workingin energyintensiveindustries, onlarge projects, Ifeel I’ve reacheda level where myexperience couldbe useful to thePUD” and “It isimportant that
the commissioners have the depthof experience required of theemployees they oversee”
Family: Did not providePolitical party: Non-partisan
position
Should the PUD continue to
pursue relicensing of EnloeDam? Why?
Current economic conditionsmake the Enloe Dam projectuneconomical. Surplus powersales from Wells Dam are notmeeting projections. It is unlikelythis situation will change in theshort term. I favor scaling back ourrelicensing efforts, but stillmaintain our rights to develop theproject. This will allow us todevelop the project when theeconomy recovers but lowering ourcurrent rate of borrowing.
What can be done tostabilize rates?
Stop using our “ratestabilization fund” to subsidize the
purchase of wind power.Reduce spending and lower
operating costs with a cooperativeeffort from all employees (union &non-union). If a positive workenvironment is restored, theemployees will lead the effort tostreamline the PUD operations. Ifcurrent management practicesprevail, overhead will continue toswell, moral will continue todecline, and rates will continue torise.
Should the PUD continuepursuing the Pateros to Twisptransmission line along itscurrent proposed route orlook at another route? Shouldthe Loup Loup line be
replaced instead?The Pateros to Twisp
transmission line has beenproposed and studied numeroustimes and every time is shown to bethe superior option. Recent fireson the Loup and the lower MethowValley demonstrate the need for alooped system which can supplypower during an outage in eitherbranch. Repairing the Loup Loupline alone does not offer thisbenefit. Completing the Pateros toTwisp line would allow us to de-energize the Loup Loup line whilerepairing it. It is the responsibilityof the PUD to provide safe, reliable,low cost power. This is a perfectexample of government sticking toits core values.
Houston
Some positions draw a single candidateThe Chronicle
Three candidates rununopposed on this year’selection ballot.
They are District 7 Rep.Shelly Short, District 12 Sen.Linda Evans Parlette, andSuperior Court Position No. 2Chris Culp.
Short, a republican, isfinishing her second termrepresenting the 7th District,which includes Ferry, Lincoln,Pend Oreille and Stevens
counties and parts of Okanoganand Spokane Counties.
Parlette, a republican, hasrepresented District 12 since2001, and has been theminority caucus chair since2006.
Culp is seeking election for afull term after being appointedand assuming the duties of thesecond position as OkanoganCounty Superior Court Judgein 2011. He has served as adistrict court judge since 1987.
Short Parlette Culp
2012 Okanogan and Ferry County Voters’ Guide Page 5
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Ferry County commissioner, District No. 1Johnna Exner
Age: 59Town of residence: Curlew Current occupation: Co-
owner of Morning Star RanchExperience/education: My
husband and I have been ranchingin Ferry County since 1976; wehave also operated businesses inconstruction, logging and firesuppression; liberal arts degreewith further education fromColorado State University
In working with people inStevens and Okanogan counties onGMA and property rights I havehelped established for FerryCounty:
• The Code of the West, aresolution that explains what toexpect when you live in a ruralcounty
• Updated our “Right to Farm”ordinance to the “Right to Farm,Ranch and Practice Forestry”
ordinanceI am a
member ofWashingtonState FarmBureau andendorsed byFarm BureauPAC, FerryCounty PlanningCommission,Eagle Cliff
Grange, Ferry County AccessibleVoting Advisory Committee
Family: Husband Lou; threechildren; one granddaughter
Political party: Republican
Q. With Kinross’ projectedclosing in 2015, what shouldthe county be doing to attractnew businesses and futurejobs?
A. The fiber optics build that isgoing in now will be an attractionfor new businesses as well as home
based jobs. In the past we have hadsmall businesses — such as a callcenter that would have brought in30 to 40 jobs — interested inlocating in the area, but theyneeded high speed internet. Ruralbusiness tax initiatives would alsoattract new business andencourage existing businessexpansion.
By fostering a favorableenvironment for new and existingbusiness we can expandopportunities here.
First and foremost Ferry Countyneeds to support the mine inacquiring the permits it needs tocontinue to do business in thecounty.
We need to rebuild our forestindustry as well. Timber sales needto be opened up for the health ofthe forest as well as our localeconomy.
Q. What should the county
do to offset expected revenuereductions from the federaland state governments?
A. With government cut backsour revenues have been reduced.Serious consideration will have tobe taken into the county as well asdepartmental budgets.
In the past our forests weremanaged for their health andprovided an economic asset for thecounty.
Protecting and promoting ouragricultural, mining and timberindustries will be a step towardsbeing more self sufficient.Development of ideas to attractand promote our tourism industrywill also help to increase countyrevenue.
Q. How can the countybetter coordinate with theU.S. Forest Service inmanaging public land?
A. The county invoked
coordination with the U.S. Forestyears ago.
This June 2 groups from Ferrycounty and 3 from Steven’s countyretained a coordination attorney to“bring the Forest Service to thetable” and actually begin thecoordination process. As amember of one of the ferry countyinvesting groups I sat in at the 3meetings.
In each of these meetings werequested information to validatethe process being used for the newforest plan as well as road closuresand limited access by the public topublic land.
At this point I believe that weneed to take the next legal step inthe coordination process with theintent to sue in order for localgovernment and ordinances to bepart of the initial process beforeplans are developed and to retainthe rights of the public to theirpublic lands.
Exner
Brad Miller
Age: 59Town of residence: CurlewCurrent occupation: County
CommissionerExperience/education:
Graduate of Curlew High School;College/Associate of Arts Degree;Graduate of Washington StatePatrol Academy; worked in timberindustry/ Worked in miningindustry/ Raised on a cattle ranch/28 years as a Washington StateTrooper.
Family: Married with 5children and 5 grandchildren
Political party: Republican
Q. WithKinross’projectedclosing in2015, whatshould thecounty bedoing toattract newbusinessesand futurejobs?
A. I have been working to gethigh speed fiber optics into FerryCounty for some time. I am happyto report (and most of you know)the construction crews are
currently in Republic. It isscheduled to be completed thiswinter. This will allow us to recruitpeople that can work over theInternet. We have not been able todo that before. This opens up awhole new world in the jobsmarket.
We must continue to work onthe permitting for the mine. Thereis more potential for mining if wecan get through all the regulations.
Q. What should the countydo to offset expected revenuereductions from the federaland state governments?
A. I am currently working with
The National Association ofCounties to get our Federal fundingrestored. We were successful lastyear in getting the fundingextended one more year. I willcontinue to build on that successwith the goal of securing a multi-year extension. I have also beenworking with the Washington StateAssociation of Counties to have thestate funding restored.
In the meantime I have ensuredthat the County’s spending stayswell within our budget and we havea rainy day fund to fall back on.
Q. How can the countybetter coordinate with the
U.S. Forest Service inmanaging public land?
There is a federal law thatrequires the federal government toco-ordinate their plans with theCounty’s plans. We have beenworking to tailor the County’splans in such a way that we canhave a meaningful dialog with theforest service.
I have been actively workingwith the forest service on theCounty fire plan. This has resultedin several projects that havesupplied timber to the local mills. Ihave also been working with theforest service on coordinatingseveral road projects.
Miller
Cary Rosenbaum/The Chronicle
Campaign signs tout various candidates at the corner of Oak and Van Duyn streets inOkanogan near the Washington State Patrol office.
Ballot drop off locations:
Okanogan County Auditor’s Office, 149 N. Third Ave., Okanogan; Ferry County Auditor’s Office,
350 E. Delaware Ave., Republic; 8 N. Ash St., Omak; 180 Pateros Mall, Pateros; 209 S. Whitcomb Ave., Tonasket
Page 6 2012 Okanogan and Ferry County Voters’ Guide
Albert Roberts
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Ferry County commissioner, District No. 3Mike Blankenship
Age: 63Town of residence: BoydsCurrent occupation: Retired
business ownerExperience/education: 12-
year graduate, eight years U.S.Army, seven years school board,eight years Ferry Countycommissioner, 30 years businessowner
Family: Wife Yvonne; sixchildren; eight grandchildren
Political party: Republican
Q. With Kinross’ projectedclosing in 2015, what shouldthe county be doing to attractnew businesses and futurejobs?
A. I would advocate for the
utilization of thepublic lands fornatural resourceextraction,grazing andrecreation. Forexistingbusinesses andnew businessrecruitment Iwould work forconstruction of
redundant communication andelectrical power lines required bynearly all business ventures. Thereliability of these resources iscritical before proprietors willinvest in our area. Recreationneeds to have a county wide planfor a balanced non conflictingmulti use. There needs to be a longrange sustainable plan to
encourage investment inrecreational facilities both publicand private. I would support theenhancement of the fair grounds,county parks and trails.
Q. What should the countydo to offset expected revenuereductions from the federaland state governments?
A. Increasing current tax rates oradding new taxes and fees is not theanswer! Solution to the problem iscareful budgeting and working toincrease the tax base throughbusiness enhancement andrecruitment. Many of the budget’sshort falls are unfunded mandatesby the State. These need to beidentified and legislative fixes found.I would work to continue the processthat the State Legislature started for
small tax base county funding.During 2004 to 2008 the StateLegislature recognized thedifficulties of small tax base countieswith budget short falls. I was part ofthe legislative study group workingon this issue and would push to beinvolved again. Ferry County needsto broaden it’s the businessopportunities. There is a need toreduce regulation of land andbusinesses in an effort to increasebusiness ventures.
Q. How can the countybetter coordinate with theU.S. Forest Service inmanaging public land?
A. Ferry County started thecoordination process with theFederal Agencies in 1995. RecentlyFerry County and Stevens County
have strengthened the push forCoordination with the ColvilleNational Forest. The federalagencies are required by law tocoordinate their planning with theCounties and have failed to meetthat requirement. This processneeds to continue, there are manyshort comings in the managementof the Colville National Forest. Thefollowing is a quote from TeddyRoosevelt, taken from a speech at aSociety of American Forestersmeeting in 1903; “And now, firstand foremost, you can never affordto forget for a moment, what is theobject of our forest policy ... is themaking of prosperous homes. It ispart of the traditional policy ofhome making in our country ... asmeans of preserving and increasingthe prosperity of the nation.”
Blankenship
Robert L. ‘Bob’ Heath
Age: 67Town of residence:
IncheliumEducation/experience:
Bachelor of arts in education fromEastern Washington University in1971; retired school teacher;currently county commissioner,four years
Family: WifeRosalie; twochildren; fivegrandchildren
Politicalparty: Democrat
Q. WithKinross’projectedclosing in 2015,
what should the county bedoing enough to attract newbusinesses and future jobs?
A. If Kinross closes in 2015, itwill be a major blow to the county.Attracting retirees to the area tolive would help bring new money tothe county. The broadband thatwill soon reach the northern part ofthe county will hopefully givebusinesses access to new markets
worldwide. But, most of all weneed to help our present industries,such as agriculture, timber, andhuman services, continue to beable to survive.
Q. What should the countydo to offset expected revenuereductions from the federaland state governments?
A. There is really only one thing
we can do to offset expectedrevenue reductions, and that is toreduce services provided by thoseagencies. Cooperating and workingjointly with the tribe has resulted inoffsetting some of these reductions.
Q. How can the countybetter coordinate with the
See Heath 7Heath
Daniel L. Fagerlie
Age: 56Town of residence: RepublicCurrent occupation: Retired as WSU
Ferry County-Colville Reservation Extensiondirector, now working at logging, forestthinning, farming and part time with WSU.
Experience/education: My experiencespans construction, farming, logging and 32years in extension adult/4-H education.Experience working with local, state and federalagencies, elected officials, and the Colville tribalgovernment, will translate into benefits forratepayers. I’ve served as a volunteer firemanand treasurer for over 31 years, on the FairBoard, Weed Board and 4-H Leaders Council,and a Grange and cattlemen’s member. I’veworked to implement changes positivelyimpacting people’s lives, our economy, and theenvironment. One example is the Heat EnergyAssessment Team (HEAT) project that reducedenergy costs for hundreds of area householdsand businesses and made our PUD power moredependable through greater use of thermalimaging cameras to pinpoint problemtransformers, bad connections, etc before anoutage. I have a master’s degree in ageconomics/business management minor. Thecombination of “on the ground” experience andeducation allows creative ideas to save dollarsthrough innovative strategies and costefficiencies.
Family: Wife Ann Fagerlie; one daughter,one son; three step-children
Political party: Non-partisan position
Q. What are some of the goals youwould like to see the Ferry CountyPublic Utility District accomplish?
A. Recover from the windstorm with theleast cost to ratepayers while maintainingexcellent service.
Establish an emergency fueling station forPUD and other emergency equipment.
Explore and secure an alternative for asecondary “redundant” power source. This
would entail analyzing anddeveloping the mosteconomic alternative.
Work to stabilize BPAbilling rates/kwh, which isnow variable monthly withno predictability. This hurtsratepayers and makesbudget planning difficult.
Assist in the deploymentof high speed Internet to asmany as possible for
improving business, communication, retainingour talented young people, and assuringmodern medical services. It is no longer aluxury but it is a necessity as it is becoming theonly way to access government forms, businesstaxes, pay bills, conduct electronic commerce,and much more of our everyday lives. It willhelp grow home based and small businessesthat can stabilize our economy.
Q. What three things can you do tohelp the utility meet budget whilekeeping power rates affordable forcustomers?
A. Whether as Firemen’s treasurer orDirector of a county budget and 34 projectbudgets, I am well known for having a “sharppencil”: stretching dollars and cutting costs toaccomplish more. My education andexperience in partial budgeting and breakevenanalysis as well as business management willallow me to represent the ratepayers inkeeping rates as low as possible.
I look “outside the box” for new solutionsand strategies. This would mean looking at ourwhole system to see where cost savings mightoccur, or, if there are new opportunities andpartnerships that could bring greater serviceand less cost.
My special project writing experience hasmade Ferry County a leader in the Bioagent forNoxious weeds, 4-H Youth Development,HEAT and other areas. This experience inemployee and funds management willtranslate into rate savings for ratepayers
through leveraging funds where possible.
Q. Explain your views on why theutility district should or should notpurchase power from alternative-energy sources such as wind farms?
I do not believe we should be forced to buywind power at higher rates while BPA shipspower at discounted prices to other states. Ibelieve hydro is a renewable alternative energysource. I support research and developmentinto solar, wind, biomass generating, bio-fuel,and small scale hydro and have seen themoperating in Germany, Costa Rica and the
Philippines, but it has to pencil out to bebeneficial to ratepayers. We do not want tospend millions on projects that will notrecover costs. Education can help peopleconserve power as shown with our HEATproject. When people are given goodinformation and understand the benefits theyconserve energy. This and conservationincentives work as they are more economicalthan generating new power. I do not believe inforcing conservation or supporting alternativepower through raising rates. This hurts ourbusinesses and hits pocketbooks of individualsand families.
2012 Okanogan and Ferry County Voters’ Guide Page 7
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U.S. Forest Service in managing publicland?
I’m not sure who it is that believes wehaven’t been working effectively with the
forest service to improve the management ofour federal forest. As a member of theResource Advisory Committee, a committeeformed by the forest service to give countiesand citizens input into projects on or near theColville National Forest, I feel we have beenworking well with our local rangers.
Nathan Davis
Age: 39Town of residence: RepublicCurrent occupation: PUD
commissioner; heating-cooling businessExperience/education: Computer
degree, five and a half years as PUDcommissioner
Family: Wife Shilo Davis; one daughter,one son
Political party: Non-partisan position
Q. What are some of the goals youwould like to see the Ferry CountyPublic Utility District accomplish?
A. Finish recovering from wind storm,infrastructure and financially; build hydro
generation on Granite Creek Dam;communicate complex topics to the generalpublic; help find ways to keep our industryelectrical loads here in Ferry County; keeppressure on BPA to keep our rates from goingup
Q. What three things can you do tohelp the utility meet budget whilekeeping power rates affordable forcustomers?
A. Work with FEMA and the state to getthe most help in paying off the $3 millionloan; keep track with our new month-by-month budget tracking, which has workedwell the last few years to balance our budgetand pay off debt; work with monitoring ourline voltages to save line loss which leads to
higher bills from BPA.
Q. Explain your views on why theutility district should or should notpurchase power from alternative-energy sources such as wind farms?
A. The real cost of wind is usually notcommunicated well when the topic isbrought up. The consumers cost can be threetimes as much as hydro and is subsidized byfederal and state taxes that they also pay.
The false notion that wind can replace theexisting power infrastructure seams to play alot in the media. BPA has over 4,000 MW ofwind power on their transmission systemand there are times when it produces lessthan 100 MW.
All the other power producers’ hydro,
nuclear, natural gas, bio fuel, and coal haveto make up the difference. Wind does notreplace the power; it can only helpsupplement it. In the spring, BPA has beenspilling water over the dams to allow thehigh-priced wind to keep on producing whilecurtailing hydro. This makes no sense.
The only reason there is so much windbeing built in Washington State is becausethe wind lobbyist forced through I-937,which forces utilities with more than 25,000residents to buy renewables on a timelinebased on a booming economy. Why shouldwe be forced to buy renewables when we arethe third cleanest state in the union beforethe wind was built? All of our power rates aregoing up due to many factors, but wind is abig one.
Heath from 6
Ferry County Public Utility District, District No. 2
Fagerlie
Page 8 2012 Okanogan and Ferry County Voters’ Guide
Okanogan County District Court judgePosition No. 1
Heidi E. Smith
Age: 37Town of residence:
OkanoganCurrent occupation: District
Court judgeExperience/education: Juris
doctor degree, cum laude, GonzagaUniversity School of Law, Spokane;bachelor of arts degree, cum laude,English literature, CaliforniaPolytechnic State University, SanLuis Obispo; Washington StateJudicial College; DUI courtenhancement, National JudicialCollege; traffic issues for judges,National Judicial College; witnessintimidation training, DistrictCourt and Municipal JudgesAssociation; courthouse securitytraining; neurobiology andepidemiology of iatrogenic opioidaddiction training; search andseizure training, Washington StateJudicial College; spring judicialtraining conference, District Courtand Municipal Judges Association,Spokane; admitted to the
WashingtonState SupremeCourt, Easternand WesternWashingtonDistrict (federal)Courts, andCourt of FederalClaims,WashingtonD.C.; member,District Courtand Municipal
Judges Association and technologycommittee, American JudgesAssociation; partner, Smith andDerting PLLC; chief civilprosecutor, Okanogan County;associate, Winston and Cashatt,Spokane; pro bono legal services,Okanogan County CattleWomen,Little Star Montessori School, Willsfor Heroes, Washington EducationFoundation mentor at TonasketHigh School, mock trial teacher,National Association of Women inConstruction
Family: Husband Eli Smith;three children.
Political party: Non-partisanposition
Q. How much leeway does ajudge have in meting outpunishment to a defendantfound guilty?
A. A District Court judge has agreat deal of discretion to sentenceup to the maximum penalties,which are 90 days in jail formisdemeanors and one year forgross misdemeanors, and also toorder alternatives to jail, such aselectronic home monitoring orcommunity service. In reality, thevast majority of criminal cases areresolved by plea agreement and thestate and defense usually presentan agreed recommended sentenceto the court. Unless the judgedisagrees, the recommendedsentence is typically adopted.
Q. Do you have aphilosophy for approachingtrials?
A. The goal of all trials, whethercriminal or civil, is to provide the
litigants with a full and fair hearingbefore an impartial fact-finder (juryor judge, depending on the case),and to avoid error. In order toaccomplish these goals, the courtholds a readiness hearing the weekbefore every criminal trial to ensurethat the parties are ready toproceed to trial and to make surewritten motions, anticipatedevidentiary issues and juryinstructions are provided in atimely fashion so the court has timeto prepare. We make every effort tocomplete District Court trials in oneday, with judge, attorneys and staffstaying late into the evening as longas the jury is willing to press on.
Q. What can be done tomake sure defendants payrestitution and other court-ordered financial obligations?
A. District Court takes asystematic approach to collectinglegal financial obligations,including issuing warrants forarrest of defendants delinquent onbalances over $1,000, and
assigning delinquent balancesunder $1,000 to private collectionagencies. Defendants that need tomake alternate arrangements dueto illness or other hardships canmake a written request for thecourt’s consideration. We try tostress to defendants thatcommunication is key, and thatfailure to pay or communicate willresult in a warrant.
Q. If elected, what are yourgoals?
A. The most pressing issue I seein District Court is the lack ofsecurity. For the safety of jurors,litigants and staff, I would like tohave an armed officer at everycourt docket, which is the norm inmany counties. I plan to continuelooking for ways to use technologyto make our court more accessibleto the public and attorneys, and toreduce our overhead. If elected, Iwill also continue District Court’seffort to implement a DUI court,which would deal with chronic DUIoffenders.
Smith
Scot D. Stuart
Age: 59Town of residence: OmakCurrent occupation: LawyerExperience/education: BBA,
University of Michigan BusinessSchool; JD, University of PugetSound Law School. Admitted topractice in 1980 and worked asassociate public defender inOkanogan for four years. In 1985,opened the Law Offices of Scot D.Stuart and for 20 years providedpublic defense services forOkanogan County. Worked asStevens County lead District Courtdeputy prosecutor and chiefcriminal deputy prosecutor. Formore than 30 years, the main focusof his legal work has been in thecriminal justice system as both adefense lawyer and a deputyprosecutor. Has handled thousandsof criminal cases, and has tried everytype of case from traffic infractionsto aggravated murder. Has appearedin every level of court in the state,from the District and SuperiorCourts to the Court of Appeals andSupreme Court.
Family: Wife Vanessa
Holloman; threedaughters
Politicalparty: Non-partisan position
Q. Howmuch leewaydoes a judgehave in metingoutpunishment to
a defendant found guilty?A. A District Court Judge has
the leeway or “discretion” tosentence any convicted defendantup to the maximum term, which is364 days in jail for each grossmisdemeanor and 90 days for eachmisdemeanor. The judge also hasthe discretion to make sentencesfor multiple convictions eitherconcurrent or consecutive.Concurrent sentences run at thesame time and consecutivesentences run one after the other.The judge must use this significantdiscretion wisely in order to dojustice. Wisdom allows a judge tobe consistent in sentencingsimilarly situated defendants in asimilar manner. Wisdom allows a
judge to distinguish between thehardened criminal and the naivefollower, between the feigned andsincere repentant and between theless culpable and the moreculpable. Wisdom allows a judge todo justice with his sentencingdiscretion. Wisdom is born fromexperience and I have thatexperience.
Q. Do you have aphilosophy for approachingtrials?
A. Having been a trial lawyer forover 30 years, and having trieddozens of cases in District Court, Ibelieve the courtroom belongs tothe litigants and the judge is thereto serve the parties. The judge ismerely a steward of the courtroom,which belongs to the citizens heserves. The judge should only applythe law, and his ego and personalbeliefs should not enter thecourtroom. The judge should benearly invisible during a trial. Inorder to stay out of the way of theparties during a trial, the judgemust remain a step ahead of them.This is accomplished byanticipating likely trial issues and
being prepared to address them ina manner which does not make thejudge the focus of the trial. There isno substitute for trial experiencewhen it comes to understandinghow a trial is best conducted.
Q. What can be done tomake sure defendants payrestitution and other court-ordered financial obligations?
A. During my career as a deputyprosecutor and a defense lawyer, Ihave learned the revocation ofsuspended jail time is an effectivetool for getting defendants to paytheir restitution and court orderedfinancial obligations. The court isthe only creditor who can put aperson in jail for not paying theirdebt. Defendants need to bereminded of this important fact on aregular basis or else they tend toforget. I believe the court needs to beaggressive in reminding defendantsby holding regular review hearingsto monitor the financial progress ofdefendants. When faced with goingto court and the possibility ofserving more jail time, defendantsbecome amazingly resourceful inorder to present the court with that
payment receipt. Usually it onlytakes sending the defendant to jailfor a brief stay to remind them thecourt and victim is their No. 1creditor.
Q. If elected, what are yourgoals?
A. Over the past 30-plus years, Ihave practiced in every level ofcourt in Washington state, fromthe municipal and District Courtsto the Superior Courts to the Courtof Appeals and Supreme Court. Ihave appeared in front of dozens ofjudges, some of them better thanothers. I have seen good qualitiesin every judge and I learnedsomething from each one of them. Ihave seen what works and whatdoes not seem to work. My goal asa judge is to model the goodqualities of every judge I haveappeared in front of during mycareer. If I am able to do that, I willhave served the people ofOkanogan County to the best of myability because I will have become apatient, open-minded,compassionate, tactful, fair, firmand humble judge who held peopleaccountable for their actions.
Stuart
Voter residency requirements
To register to vote in Washington, you must be a resident of the state. You must establish your voting residency address at least 30 days before election day, but there is no minimum time requirement for registering to vote.
You may specify a mailing address that is different from your residential address.
Cary Condotta
Age: 55Town of residence: East WenatcheeCurrent occupation: State legislatorExperience/education: B.S. in
Business and B.A. in economics from CentralWashington University; Association ofWashington Business Sen. Jim MatsonAward winner in 2012.
Family: Wife RebeccaPolitical party: Republican
Q. Area residents have called onstate agencies to stop buying land andwater rights in Okanogan County.Explain your position on continuedacquisitions.
A. We have always questioned furtheracquisitions of land in Okanogan County
because of the fact thatthey haven’t been able totake very good care of whatthey have.
There are areas thatneed maintenance. Withthe budget as tight as it is Ibelieve it’s not the highestpriority item.
Q. North-CentralWashington is landrich but economically
poor. As a lawmaker, what would do toencourage economic prosperity inNorth-Central Washington?
A. Well I think we need to go back andlook at our natural resource base again. Ithink that particular area has been neglectedas witnessed by the forest fires.
We certainly could manage our resourcesbetter and utilize that for economicdevelopment, and continued expansion of
agriculture which has been quite good. Whatwe need to do is to continue to develop ourtourism areas.
2012 Okanogan and Ferry County Voters’ Guide Page 9
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State House, District No. 7, Position No. 2
State House, District No. 12, Position No. 1
Joel Kretz
Age: 55Town of residence: WaucondaOccupation: RancherExperience/education:
Served four terms in State House ofRepresentatives
Family: Wife Sara, one sonPolitical party: Republican
Q. Area residents have calledon state agencies to stop buyingland and water rights in OkanoganCounty. Explain your position oncontinued acquisitions.
A. I have introduced several pieces oflegislation to curb land acquisitions.
Some argue that we can’t get in between“willing buyer, willing seller.” Of course wecan’t! But the true issue is this; is it good statepolicy to continue to buy up private land in acounty with high public ownership and a smalltax base with very little local input?
It will take an effective coalition oflegislators, county officials and local schools
and taxing districts working togetherin Olympia to rein in land purchases.
Q. North-CentralWashington is land rich buteconomically poor. As alawmaker, what would do toencourage economic prosperityin North-Central Washington?
A. As small business owners know,the business and regulatory climate inthis state are among the worst in thenation. The best example is right here
in Okanogan County, 20 years in thepermitting process to open Buckhorn. Toattract and encourage investment, permittingneeds to be streamlined, simplified, and —most of all — predictable. Regulations need beevaluated, are they needed, are they doing whatthey were intended to do, is there any benefit tothe public? Improving the business climate andcreating jobs is my top priority in Olympia, andthose efforts have been recognized (twice) asLegislator of the Year by both the WashingtonFarm Bureau and the National Federation ofIndependent Business.
Kretz
Robert ‘Bob’ Wilson
Age: 51Town of residence: Ione Current occupation: Retired Border
Patrol Agent, columnist, novelistExperience/education: Washington
State University, B.S. in 1983; more than 25years in the U.S. Border Patrol; emergencymanagement technician for six years; NorthPend Oreille Chamber of Commerce for twoyears; Benton County Diversion Board forsix years
Family: Three childrenPolitical party: Republican
Q. Area residents have called onstate agencies to stop buying land andwater rights in Okanogan County.Explain your position on continuedacquisitions.
A. I agree that public agencies shouldnot be buying up any more land or waterrights anywhere in District 7.
But I also believe that we shouldn’t gothe other way and sell public land to
private individuals aspublic land brings moreopportunities to hike,photograph, hunt and fishand generally moretourism.
Q. North-CentralWashington is landrich but economicallypoor. As a lawmaker,what would do toencourage economic
prosperity in North-CentralWashington?
A. Pend Oreille, Ferry and OkanoganCounties are in similar situations in thisrespect; all with beautiful and scenicnatural settings but with little economicgrowth.
I believe that poorer counties within theState of Washington should be allowedexemptions from many of the permitprocesses and tax waivers should begranted for upstart businesses to operatewithin these economically challengedcounties.
Wilson
Condotta
Stan Morse
Age: 58Town of residence: ChelanCurrent occupation: LawyerExperience/education: BA from
Central Washington University; JD fromSouthern Illinois University; Admitted toWashington Bar in 1979 and have practicedlaw the past 33 years; Four years (2007-2011) as Chelan City Council Member
Family: SinglePolitical party: Republican
Q. Area residents have called onstate agencies to stop buying land andwater rights in Okanogan County.Explain your position on continuedacquisitions.
A. I’m not sure why the state would bebuying water as they have control over all
waters in the state, unlessit is to stop development —which is sad if that is whatis happening.
Q. North-CentralWashington is landrich but economicallypoor.
As a lawmaker, whatwould do to encourageeconomic prosperity inNorth-Central
Washington? A. Reduce needless regulations,
particularly in the agricultural area. Withlow power rates and clean water I thinkthere is opportunity for more light tomedium industry, but our rail could beimproved to address the shipping costissue.
Morse
Brad Hawkins
Age: 36Town of residence: East WenatcheeCurrent occupation: Policy AnalystExperience/education: Master’s
degree, George Washington UniversitySchool of Public Policy and Administration;Bachelor’s Degree; Central WashingtonUniversity; Wenatchee High School;Washington State House of RepresentativesCommittee Staff (1996); Washington StateSenate Intern (1997); Douglas County PUD(2001 — present); Eastmont School Board(2004 — 2011), Board LegislativeRepresentative — Board Vice President,Board President (two terms); YMCA Boardof Directors (2004 – 2007);North CentralEducation Service District Board of Directors(2002 – 2004); East Wenatchee RotaryClub; Alcoa Community Advisory Board;Washington State School DirectorsAssociation; Washington PUD Association;Northwest Public Power Association.
Family: Proudhusband and father. Bradand Shawna celebratedtheir 10th anniversary thispast September and havetwo young children, Lukeand Tyler.
Political party:Republican
Q. Area residentshave called on state
agencies to stop buying land and waterrights in Okanogan County. Explainyour position on continuedacquisitions.
A. I agree with local residents on thisissue. Governmental entities (state andfederal) own a significant amount of lands inthe 12th legislative district, not justOkanogan County. Continued purchasing ofprivate lands by state government willfurther erode the tax-base in OkanoganCounty and what remains of private sector
development. Less private sectordevelopment will lead to further economicchallenges and more difficulties for countygovernment to deliver essential services tolocal residents. One concept I would suggestis if a state agency desires to purchase landand the county agrees it is necessary, then anequal or greater amount of state lands in thearea be surpluses back to private sectorownership. This would result in no netincrease in state-owned lands.
Q. North-Central Washington island rich but economically poor. As alawmaker, what would do toencourage economic prosperity inNorth-Central Washington?
I believe strongly that state governmentshould reset its priorities and focus on itscore areas. I consider these areas — for state
government — to be education,transportation, and public safety.
My thought and vision is for stategovernment to do these things well and, if so,we will all be better off economically in theyears ahead. Providing good education forchildren will prepare them to create jobs andprovide us with creative services when we areolder. Properly maintained roads andbridges will help local growers get theirgoods to market, which is critical for ourexport economy. Keeping the public safe willencourage businesses and families to stay inour district or recruit new businesses andfamilies to our district. This focus on getting“back to the basics” for state government willlimit the focus on unnecessary regulationsand encourage economic prosperity inNorth-Central Washington and our entirestate.
Page 10 2012 Okanogan and Ferry County Voters’ Guide
State House, District 12, Position No. 2Mike Armstrong
Age: 55Town of residence: WenatcheeCurrent occupation: 12th District
State Legislator and External Affairs Directorfor Port of Chelan County
Experience/education: 12 years in theWashington State House of Representatives;21 years with Washington State Departmentof Transportation, five years with ChelanCounty Public Utilities District; four years
with the Port of ChelanCounty; owned andoperated a contractingbusiness in the WenatcheeValley
Family: Married towife, Mary, for 33 yearsand we have three grownchildren and onegrandchild. My wife and Iare both fourth generationresidents of Wenatchee.
Political Party: Republican
Q. Area residents have called onstate agencies to stop buying land andwater rights in Okanogan County.Explain your position on continuedacquisitions.
I have been working with Sen. BobMorton to stop the flow of water rights out ofthe Okanogan area. Once the water leavesthe area it will never return and that worriesme.
Q. North-Central Washington island rich but economically poor. As alawmaker, what would do toencourage economic prosperity inNorth-Central Washington?
Regulatory reform is needed to assistbusinesses and agriculture in North-CentralWashington.
We also need to invest in the necessarypublic infrastructure that will allow this areato prosper.Armstrong
Hawkins
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