Kayser, Blake take opposing economic stances
Friday, October 3, 2003 8:25 AM PDT
By M. L. Madison
Printable version
E-mail this articleIn less than a year in office, state Rep. Brian Blake has earned labor's highest scorecard among legislators in Southwest Washington.
The 19th District Democrat estimates that half of his $54,000 in campaign funds have come from labor organizations. He was the sole legislator to vote against an unemployment reform bill tailor-made to entice Boeing Co. to build the 7E7 jetliner in Washington.
"If you rely on labor in the King County or Longview area, it represents a significant and important player in the election," said David Olson, a political science professor at the University of Washington. "It sounds to me like Blake has seen that base and is acting accordingly."
Blake's opponent, Castle Rock chicken farmer Mike Kayser, says the strategy is good politics but bad economic policy in a district dying for new jobs.
Kayser said he thinks Washington should become a right-to-work state, adopting laws that make it harder for unions to organize.
He said he wants to scrap Washington's ergonomics rules, which are designed to protect workers from on-the-job injuries but which some businesses say are too costly. Kayser wants to freeze the minimum wage until the state's unemployment rate drops below the national average.
"You're going to have to support right-to-work, otherwise the jobs are going to leave," said Kayser, 47, who lost by a large margin to Rep. Brian Hatfield, D-Raymond, last year. "The reason we need to worry about business instead of labor is that business provides jobs. Business must come first."
Blake, 43, of Aberdeen, has been a logger and a small business owner. He was appointed to the seat in November and represents Pacific and Wahkiakum counties and parts of Cowlitz and Grays Harbor counties.
He blames criminal activity in the energy markets for much of the state's economic woes, saying higher power costs shut down manufacturing plants. He also stands by his vote against the so-called "Boeing bill," which reduced benefits for unemployed persons.
"People in this district are losing jobs, and there are so many foreclosures, there was no way I could kick them while they were down," he said in a recent interview.
He said he doesn't want to create jobs and balance the state's budget on the backs of working people.
Blake has raised more than three times as much money as Kayser, who estimates that he has raised $15,000. Kayser said he is running a "grassroots" campaign "because I have to," calling labor "a funding source" for Blake.
"If you were a PAC or a lobbyist, why would you come down to the 19th District and give to a Republican candidate?" he asks. "It really is hard."
While Blake has emphasized his support from organized labor, Kayser touts the fact that he is the only candidate running for statewide office this fall that was endorsed by the Association of Washington Business.
"We felt his (Kayser's) positions were in alignment with ours," said AWB's president, Don Brunell.
The group supported the unemployment reform bill that Blake voted against, and is backing a statewide ballot initiative this fall that seeks to eliminate ergonomics regulations.
Blake said he will vote no on the ergonomics measure, Initiative 841, while Kayser supports it.
Blake declined to be interviewed by the AWB, although his 57 percent approval rating from the group was higher than most house Democrats received.
"If he had that kind of voting record, he should have showed up, responded," Brunell said.
Blake said he didn't agree to be interviewed because the group's issues questionnaire was "very divisive."
"It took two extreme positions, and said, 'Which are you closer to?'" he said. "I'm a moderate Democrat, and I don't vote like that."
Much of the time, he has voted "the right way" for labor, according to David Groves, a spokesman for the Washington State Labor Council.
Blake has 70 percent approval on his voting record with the Council. That's not the highest score -- several legislators received 100 percent ratings -- but it's higher than labor gave any other Southwest Washington legislator.
Sen. Mark Doumit, D-Cathlamet, and Raymond's Hatfield, have 67 percent and 60 percent ratings from the Labor Council. Each of the 18th District legislators that represent Cowlitz County -- Sen. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Carrolls, and Rep. Tom Mielke, R-Battle Ground -- received 0 percent.
"My take on this is that business, labor, education groups and various interest groups are going to play roles in state elections," said UW's Olson. "The candidates make these kind of judgments about what their base is, and they take their votes accordingly."
Past Month's Most Commented Stories