Story Photos
 State Sen. Joe Zarelli, left, and challenger Jon Haugen listen to a question during their portion of the debates at the Cowlitz PUD Auditorium between candidates for the 18th District legislative seats. Bill Wagner / The Daily News
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Gloves come off early in 18th Legislative District debates
Thursday, October 9, 2008 12:08 AM PDT
By Barbara LaBoe
blaboe@tdn.com
Printable version
E-mail this articleThe first of three 18th Legislative District debates got off to a rancorous start in Longview Wednesday night with the Senate candidates trading barbs and personal accusations.
The exchange started with Democratic challenger Jon Haugen saying in his opening statement that he was running because he was "embarrassed" by Republican incumbent Sen. Joe Zarelli. Haugen said Zarelli's past cocaine possession should disqualify him for office. Haugen also later characterized Zarelli as unchristian and a spoiled child.
In 1983, when he was 21, Zarelli was arrested by Edmonds police for driving with a suspended license and two municipal court warrants. A small but usable amount of cocaine was found in his possession when he was booked into jail, according to Daily News archives. No drug charges were filed.
"I've never been arrested before, and I've not been arrested with cocaine," Haugen said. "And I've not declared bankruptcy like Joe. If he can't handle his own money, why on earth would you want him controlling it in Olympia?"
Zarelli filed for bankruptcy in 1987 to avoid repaying an overpayment of military living allowances. He told The Daily News in 1996 that his first wife had divorced him without his knowledge, leading to the military overpayments.
Asked if he ever used illegal drugs, Haugen said no.
Zarelli said his 13 years representing the district speaks for itself, and he took a few shots at Haugen for comments he said Haugen recently made in Vancouver. There, Zarelli said, Haugen referred to 18th District voters as "cabbages" willing to vote for anything with an R beside its name on the ballot.
"(The comment) is a pretty good indication of what he thinks of you," Zarelli said.
Haugen said he was quoting a comment someone made to him, but Zarelli replied that Haugen "is responsible for his words."
Zarelli said it puzzled him that things that happened when he was in his early 20s are a campaign issue when they're not in the presidential race.
"I have a proven track record in this district," Zarelli said. "I've come a long way and maybe it took me, as it does some people, a little longer to grow up. But I believe I've been a good husband and a good father and a good representative of the people of this district."
When the two talked about issues, Haugen spoke of his willingness to look to other states for proven solutions to the problems facing Washington, including getting rid of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning exams. Zarelli touted his work to reign in state spending and said he's worked hard to understand the needs of his district.
18th House race, position 1
Incumbent Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera said Wednesday that she hit the ground running after being appointed to the position last year. Democratic challenger Vanessa Duplessie said she's running to
improve education and attract new jobs to the area — and she said she has the small-business background to do so.
Herrera said she supports funding education but said not all improvements require more money. She said she wants to be sure taxpayers are getting a good "return on their investment" with current state funding. She said she also thinks the state needs to do a better job making sure classroom needs are met.
Duplessie said the state also needs to better define basic education and improve funding for school buildings. While the state is supposed to match up to 50 percent of the costs for districts, often it's just 25 percent, she said. That leaves districts unable to pass bonds or building new schools that are overcrowded on the day they open.
As for the state's projected $3.2 billion shortfall for the 2009-11 biennium, Herrera said it's a spending problem, not a revenue problem and that tough decisions will need to be made in Olympia. Duplessie said she believes previous investment in programs such as transportation means the state can scale back some programs now. Both women said they didn't favor increasing taxes to address the deficit.
18th House Race, position 2
Both incumbent Rep. Ed Orcutt and his Democratic challenger Jonathan Fant said they oppose the proposed Cowlitz Tribal casino in La Center and indicated tentative support of Oregon's proposed liquefied natural gas terminal, which would include a pipeline through parts of Cowlitz County.
Orcutt said the Cowlitz tribe hasn't suffered like the reservation tribes that casinos were designed to help. And he questions the different set of rules the tribe would operate under compared to private casinos. Fant said he told the tribe he wishes they'd proposed anything but a casino.
Orcutt said he was concerned about possible shipping disruptions the LNG plant might cause, but so far he hasn't heard huge shipping concerns from 18th District residents. He added he's also working with small timber owners to ensure landowners are paid fairly if the pipeline crosses their property.
Fant said he supports the new jobs the proposed LNG terminal would create, but he worries about the pipeline crossing the Columbia River.
Neither candidate supported the National Parks Service taking over the Mount St. Helens monument. They also both oppose proposed tolls to pay for an upgrade of the Interstate 5 bridge from Vancouver to Portland and said the proposed five lanes in each direction is too many.
gimpy wrote on Oct 9, 2008 7:08 AM:
LJD wrote on Oct 9, 2008 7:21 AM:
bmoc wrote on Oct 9, 2008 11:18 AM:
Rural Citizen wrote on Oct 9, 2008 12:10 PM:
Kind of like the Taliban dynamiting the ancient artifacts in the cliffs of their nation.
Zarelli has had his time. The republicans have GOT to go because they vote like soldiers. All for one and one for all. And the "all" is NOT THE PEOPLE... IT'S THE PARTY.
If you're NOT in the party you get screwed. Kind of like the SOVIET UNION. "
Rural Citizen wrote on Oct 9, 2008 12:23 PM:
www.growwa.com/php.asp?g=washington&page=Candidate_Guide&legdistrictid=6766
This first one is a grass roots website dedicated to growing jobs for workers in Washington. It compares the background of BOTH candidates with no comments.
Here in Jon Haugen's website to learn all about him:
http://haugensenate.com/
Here's Joe Zarelli's website to learn all about him:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joe-Zarelli/16104297211
I can't help noticing that Jon Haugen has spent a LOT more time answering questions about himself than Joe Zarelli has.
I have learned from my data search that Joe Zarelli is simply another one of those Republicans swept into office during the Gingrich Revolution... and that he is definitely responsible for the financial debacle of our nation's economy.
I don't want any more republicans making decisions about my financial or national future anymore. "
grams wrote on Oct 9, 2008 1:19 PM:
El Gabilon wrote on Oct 9, 2008 4:21 PM:
onmymind wrote on Oct 9, 2008 9:38 PM:
Kelso Parent wrote on Oct 10, 2008 12:02 PM:
Anyone who discredits Zarelli about these things in his past must to do the same for Obama. Haugen? Haugen? We are waiting...... "
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