Keep Takko on 19th District team
Saturday, October 15, 2005 9:59 PM PDT
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E-mail this articleVoters in Southwest Washington's 19th District will decide this year's lone legislative race. Dean Takko, tapped late last year to fill the seat vacated by Raymond Democrat Brian Hatfield, must survive this special, off-year election in order to serve out the remainder of the two-year term Hatfield won just prior to stepping down to take a job in the lieutenant governor's office.
The Longview Democrat shares the ballot with Castle Rock Republican Dawn Courtney and Libertarian Judi Roberts Fiest, also of Castle Rock. Fiest told Daily News reporter Don Jenkins that she was recruited by her party to give it legal standing to join the Republican and Democratic parties in the lawsuit that tossed out the voter-approved Top 2 primary.
Courtney, however, has mounted a determined effort to take the 19th District House seat. And the Castle Rock Republican has developed into a hard-charging, well-schooled candidate since her unsuccessful bid in last year's GOP primary to face Democratic Congressman Brian Baird in the 2004 general election.
But experience on the campaign trail does not equal experience with the day-to-day requirements of attending to the public's business. Takko has an abundance of the latter --- more three decades in public service.
Before accepting appointment to the 19th Legislative District just prior to the start of the 2005 session, Takko had a long and distinguished career as Cowlitz County Assessor. In that office, he gained a thorough knowledge of the needs and concerns of local government.
This background is proving especially valuable in Olympia, where Takko is using his position on the Local Government Committee to do battle against unfunded mandates that often are passed from state to county governments. Takko also serves on the Transportation Committee and the Technology, Telecommunications and Energy Committee.
Takko may have been more prepared than most when he first set foot in the Capitol, but he has admitted that he found legislative work "pretty frustrating at first." He noted that, "It's a steep learning curve."
It is, of course. Only the uninitiated believe they can hit the ground running or move their agenda through the Legislature through sheer force of will. Legislating requires patience and team work.
Takko is learning to work as part of an effective, 19th District team that includes Sen. Mark Doumit, D-Cathlament, and Rep. Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen. We urge voters keep that team intact by returning Takko to Olympia for the remainder of this term.
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