48th District Senate Race: Michelle Darnell Vs. Patty Kuderer

BELLEVUE, WA - In late September, Patch sent each local candidate a questionnaire to help voters understand where they stand on important (and some not-so-important) issues. We did not edit the answers and allowed candidates to write as much or as little as they wanted. Here are the answers from incumbent Democrat Patty Kuderer and Libertarian challenger Michelle Darnell (Kuderer was a state representative before 2017, but the King County Council picked her in January to fill the seat left vacant by Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib).

Michelle Darnell

Why did you decide to run for this seat? For incumbent candidates, what made you decide to run for reelection?

I decided to run for this seat because I believe it is time our district has true representation. I am running to be a voice for the people in my district and state who are fatigued by the tax and spend policies of our legislature and the fiscal irresponsibility. I am running to champion transparency, integrity and action in response to the issues that face our district and state.

This is my third run for office: as a third-party Libertarian candidate lacking the party apparatus of special interest money, I cannot expect to dethrone an incumbent in a single run. I first ran in 2014 to be a voice for the hundreds of thousands of families who have been victims of bank malfeasance.

As a foreclosure defense paralegal and consumer advocate, I am acutely aware of the situation that has resulted in over 600,000 families losing their homes and is now a contributing factor of our housing crisis. When people lose their homes, they move to rent. This puts upward pressure on rents as inventory declines. As rents increase and people cannot keep up, we end up with tent popping up like mushrooms all over the state. People who have lost everything and have been abused this way, by a system void of justice, sometimes to turn to unhealthy behaviors to cope, give up, or develop mental health issues is they have a predisposition.

I am also aware of the effect of the rapid increase in the cost of living in our district. This is due impart to rapid growth but it is also a consequence of bad policy, over regulation and tax increases. We have experienced increases in property taxes, gas tax, and car registration fees. We implemented tolls which have increased the cost of getting back and forth to work and have not decreased congestion at all, but have instead increased accidents, and our carbon foot print as people are spending more times in their cars.
None of the elected representatives in our district have addressed these concerns in any tangible way. I believe most of Olympia is out of touch and so married to their political party platform they speak in talking points and toss “red meat” to the voters to get elected and then do little to actually address these issues.
I am running to address these concerns with compassion, common sense and tenacity. I would hope to rise above the rhetoric and get the job done. If I win this seat, I will be able to leverage those sorts of conversations.

If you could snap your fingers and have it done, what’s one law you’d like to see passed during the next Legislative session?

We are facing so many difficult challenges that this is a difficult answer after years of neglect. I would answer in two parts. First, I would sponsor a bill to amend the Deed of Trust Act and would call it the Homeowner bill of rights, to restore some integrity and justice to the non-judicial foreclosure process, in advance of another crisis and to provide relief to some of the people who are fighting to save their homes right now. By restoring some integrity to the process, banks would be leveraged to negotiate more fairly and less apt to offer predatory loans in our state in the first place.

The second law I would sponsor would be that we have a moratorium on tax increases until there is an audit of every government department or agency to make sure they are incompliance with their mission and are handling taxpayer funds in a responsible manner. I will work to end “tax n spend.” Government must be made to live within its means just as families must do.

A group of media outlets led by the Associated Press is suing the Legislature to get better access to state records like text messages, emails, and calendars of lawmakers. Do you think that the Legislature should start releasing more records (such as emails and texts) to the public?

Yes, I support transparency.

Since you live in Western Washington, can you name one thing that you really like about parts of the state east of the Cascades?

I am a fan of Chelan. I enjoy Lake Chelan and have taken my family their multiple times. There is also a great Resort there called Darnells

For Democrats, why do you think it’s important for the Democrats to take control of the Senate? For Republicans, why do you think it’s important to retain control of the Senate?

I am neither Democrat or Republican. I believe one of the greatest impediments to addressing the problems I mentioned above is the polarizing political rhetoric that is in conflict with real resolution to these matters. Both parties are to blame. The Republicans needs to be more compassionate toward the people in this state who are still struggling to regain footing post-recession and work to end the drug war in our state.
Democrats needs to work with Republicans and stop with the tax and spend agenda. Democrats seems to blame the gridlock on Republicans but they contribute to the gridlock as they refuse to cooperate with Republicans unless Republicans agree to increase taxes or acquiesce to their agenda. We saw this last session as negotiations regarding the Hurst decision broke down and left thousands of families with no resolution because the Democrats refused to even debate the issue.

Democrats and Republicans must be held accountable for the polarization of Olympia and the irresponsible spending that is victimizing every tax payer in this state. As a third party candidate with nuanced positions and one who is willing to listen to all stakeholders, I think I am uniquely capable of building the bridge toward a better Washington for all and not just those who can afford to fund campaigns.

What’s your favorite place to eat in Olympia?

Subway by the Capital building. Usually I have little time to spare and there is parking there!

What’s the important piece of business the Legislature accomplished over the 2017 session(s)?

Increasing funding for education and passing a budget. I am not pleased that this resulted in an increase in property taxes for my district on top of the increase we will experience as a consequent of passing the ST3 initiative but I am hoping we can move on to a conversation about how we can best use these funds, increase choice for all families and empower teachers. While many people are fearful of this conversation, I believe it is one we need to have. Our education system is broken and funding is only half of the equation. The money is not making it to the class room and teachers lack the freedom and power they need to meet the unique needs of individual students and families in this state.

There is very little incentive in our current top-heavy system to drive funds to the classroom, where they belong and improve outcomes. The money circles the top and leaves teachers unsupported and children under-served. We need to break up the education monopoly.

Patty Kuderer

Why did you decide to run for this seat? For incumbent candidates, what made you decide to run for reelection?

I’m running this year to retain my Senate seat for the same reason I got involved in electoral politics back in September of 2015 - education. I’m extremely motivated to ensure that all of our kids here in Washington are given the highest quality of public education. Education is the great equalizer, and is the path to opportunity. I opposed the most recent budget, which included the largest property tax increase in state history, because it did not fix the education funding problem and also simultaneously cut taxes to the tune of $371 million dollars per year for some of the state’s largest corporations. We have to fix that next session.

If you could snap your fingers and have it done, what’s one law you’d like to see passed during the next Legislative session?

As I outlined above, we have to reform the property tax measure because it does not adequately fund public education and it disproportionately affects a few districts, like the 48th LD. But I’d also like to shore up our state’s fiscal health, and create a state infrastructure bank. The idea behind an infrastructure bank would be to keep our tax dollars here in Washington, working for us, instead of sending them to Wall Street. The vast majority of our infrastructure projects in this state use debt capitalization and so the state currently owes $3.2 billion dollars to the big banks. If we had our own bank, we could loan ourselves the money for infrastructure projects at a much lower rate and actually lower taxes. A state infrastructure bank could have so many applications all around the state, whether it be earthquake-proofing schools, laying broadband in rural areas, or providing funds for road maintenance. This is going to be a game-changer for our state and several of us are working extremely hard on making this happen.

A group of media outlets led by the Associated Press is suing the Legislature to get better access to state records like text messages, emails, and calendars of lawmakers. Do you think that the Legislature should start releasing more records (such as emails and texts) to the public?

As an attorney, I’ve dealt with public records cases many times and feel very strongly about transparency and accountability. We here in Washington are fortunate to have the most expansive Public Records Acts in the nation which was passed by referendum after Watergate. We were able to pass an omnibus bill this past session to make some much needed updates to the Public Records Act but further changes may still be needed as technology continues to play an increased role in governmental duties. Some legislative records are already public, and I am definitely open to expanding the categories that are considered public.

Since you live in Western Washington, can you name one thing that you really like about parts of the state east of the Cascades?

I recently visited Spokane to talk with local bankers, business leaders, community members, and elected officials about the state infrastructure bank, and I was reminded just how beautiful Eastern Washington is. Beyond the scenery though, I was struck by the warm reception of the people, and of course, their wine is some of the best in the world.

For Democrats, why do you think it’s important for the Democrats to take control of the Senate? For Republicans, why do you think it’s important to retain control of the Senate?

I believe it’s important for Democrats to take control of the State Senate primarily because leadership matters. I disagreed with the way the Senate Republican leadership ran things this past session. We all knew our biggest job this session was to address McCleary, and instead of sitting down and finding a compromise, they refused to even negotiate until we were at the end of three special sessions and on the edge of government shutdown. It was irresponsible, and I know for a fact that when Democrats are in charge, we won’t conduct business in that manner.

What’s your favorite place to eat in Olympia?

Swing on Columbia St. is a favorite of mine.

What’s the important piece of business the Legislature accomplished over the 2017 session(s)?

I was thrilled when the Legislature passed the landmark paid family leave bill this past session. It’s a bipartisan agreement that will do so much good for working families here in our state and a testimony to what happens when both sides are able to roll up their sleeves and get to work.

Image via Patch.com