BLOGSUNNYSIDE VOTERS’ GUIDE: 15th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT CANDIDATES

15th District State Senator

• √ Jim Honeyford (Prefers Republican Party)

Jim Honeyford is a former member of the Sunnyside City Council.  He has been in the Washington State Senate since 1999.  Honeyford is also running unopposed this year.  He has held the line and voted against increased spending, regulations, and taxes during the recession.  As a former teacher, librarian, and farmer, he has the breadth of experience needed to make sure Washington offers a favorable climate for businesses to thrive, while also providing for the basic education our children need to succeed later in life.

State Representative Position 1

• √ Bruce Chandler (Prefers Republican Party)
• Paul Spencer (Prefers Democratic Party)

Bruce Chandler has been a state representative since 1999.  He has owned and operated a family farm for 25 years.  As a member of the State House of Representatives, Chandler has represented our district well.  He supported important gang legislation that was blocked from passage in the State Senate by liberal Democrats.  He voted to protect citizens from tax increases, and voted against repealing the 2/3 requirement needed to raise taxes in our state.  Chandler understands that the state government needs to learn to live within its means, just like regular families have had to do during the recession.  He deserves another term.

Paul Spencer is a first-time political candidate.  His major issues of concern are forest management, renewable energy, and placing a state income tax on our earnings.  This is the first candidate I can think of that has actually run on a platform of increasing income taxes since Walter Mondale in 1984.  The problem with our state budget is not revenue, but spending that is exceeding tax collections.  Mr. Spencer should consider ways to make state government leaner and more efficient if he wants to attract a higher percentage of voters than his apparent idol: Mondale.

State Representative Position 2

• √ David Taylor (Prefers Republican Party)
• Thomas (Tom) T. Silva (Prefers Democratic Party)

David Taylor was first appointed as State Representative in 2009 by the bi-partisan group of county commissioners comprising the 15th Legislative District.  As a small business owner and rancher, he understands the needs of entrepreneurs and farmers in our district.  In addition, his experience in land use consulting and planning makes him very knowledgeable when navigating the bureaucratic maze in Olympia.  Taylor favors more local control (as opposed to state and federal control) over land use.  He supports creating spending priorities in the state budget (something the Democratic majority has refused to do).  Taylor also supported the gang legislation that the liberal Democrats in the State Senate squashed.  He believes in the rights of individuals, and will continue to vote to protect us from tax increases and more regulations.

Tom Silva unsuccessfully ran for Yakima County Commissioner about 10 years ago.  He retired from a 31 year career as a government bureaucrat.  He is pledging to ask for resources to retrain educators.  Silva also talks of restoring confidence in government integrity.  He is not very specific about what he would do, but instead talks in vague terms about job creation, and economic stability.