KPLU Local News
(2009-09-22)
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Susan Hutchison and Dow Contstantine (far right) at the King County Bar Assn.'s debate on Tues, Sept. 22nd in Seattle. Ron Andrus with KCBA was moderator.
Gary Davis photo.
Hutchison says she'd have been 'ringing the bell' about potential problems with the dam earlier. "The situation is so concerning that I have been the one voice at every opportunity to say, we have to move heaven and earth - mostly earth at this point - and build up those levees," she says.
Dow Constantine, who chairs the county council, bristled. "It's nice to talk about bell ringing and heaven and earth, but we've been doing real work."
Constantine says the county's taken the threat seriously. But he also said temporary improvements by the Army Corps of Engineers though good aren't enough. "We're moving forward full speed with the improvements that need to be made and they will be made by the time the rainy season comes," he adds. The debate eventually turned to the county's looming budget deficit, which now tops 56 million dollars and is likely growing. Constantine says he would consider eliminating under-performing functions. He gave an example of animal services.
"If we're failing the animals and failing the citizens, we ought to turn to someone in the community who has a proven record of being able to provide those services, and focus our efforts on the animal cruelty investigations, on the prosecutions, the government can be best at," Constantine says. He also says he'd extend the county's furlough policy to hold back costs, and says he's already made cuts to council staff.
Hutchison said she'd take on bloated council and executive office budgets, as well as excess in other agencies.
"I plan to clean house and find ways that we can cut in that mid section of government which is the management layers of bureaucracy that we all know cost a great deal and don't deliver a lot when it comes to product," the former KIRO-TV anchor says.
Hutchison touted her years as a broadcaster, and as chair of the Seattle Symphony. She says they have left a record of competence in complex situations. Constantine cited his ability to work with leaders from different perspectives to craft solutions. He noted he's been endorsed by the three major opponents he and Hutchison faced in the primary. Gary Davis, KPLU News, Seattle.
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