Monday, July 20, 2009

Washington State Politics: Candidate Susan Hutchinson for the King County Executive Position

As I promised my readers a month ago, I will be bringing you my humble assessment of candidates for the King County Executive Position vacated by Rom Sims. If political polls are anything to base one’s judgment, then it seems that the likely successor to the Former King County Executive will be Susan Hutchinson. Or, maybe not! Well, King 5 News upfront Survey USA reported her as leading in the polls for the position at 39%. Others are Constantine (12%); Phillip (8%); Jarret (7%); Hunter (6%); Lobdell (2%); Goodspaceguy (2%); Lippmann (1%); and 22%, remain undecided. For many of us who appreciate what a month or week can do in the life of a politician, that is obviously a rather slim lead. However, you never call tell.

So who is Susan Hutchinson? According to reports from her campaign, she was formerly a KIRO Television News anchor woman with a BS from University of Florida. She has some great fortunes working for her, the first being that she is the only woman in the pack of eight candidates attempting to fill two non partisan spot that will enter the August 18th voting. She denies being a conservative Republican, recognizes that Transit spending may be justified but does not place any emphasis on commitment to further spending on the newly expanding transit network around the Puget Sound. She is committed to fighting divisiveness in the King County Politics and does not offer her firm affiliation with any of the two major parties in the state. There ends her fortune!

Ms. Hutchinson has not defined her party affiliation. She informs us that she takes a little bit of the Republican Party and a little bit of the Democratic Party. Are we talking about an bat here? This makes her look more of a flip-flopper. If she believes this is an unkind assessment, she must declare a party affiliation and let the citizens of King County assess her in completeness. She believes that the budget issue, the county’s 50 million dollars in the hole can be refilled through taxation. To that many under performing companies and unemployed King County residents say: No thanks, No, once again. You will need to be convincing and provide a much reliable and thought provoking decision that ensures that in reality, you can make an impact in refilling the gap in King County’s budget. When King 5 News Upfront plowed her further, she says she wants to cut spending and streamline the King County budget as an alternative to taxation. She wants the King County voters to decide if the ‘human stuff’ services that are hampered due to dwindling revenue to the county purse are worth raising taxes for. There she goes again: Avoiding confronting a huge budget problem and deferring the decision to those who actually are looking for someone to repose confidence in, someone who can take or make crucial decision when one is absolutely needed.

Maybe the greatest impending explosive in making is the unsealed record of a suit she brought against her former employer, the Cox Communications. No one knows what is in that unsealed record for now except those who were parties to the agreement. She indicated she will stop any effort to unseal the records of the case. This makes Voters wonder if it is a case of what you don’t know, won’t hurt you. Or, is the candidate for the highest office in King County administration attempting to hide something? This raises all flags and makes us reflect on the experience of Watergate or Clinton’s Ross Law debacle from Arkansas. Ms. Hutchinson, voters are tired of surprises. We live in a transparent world now. Like what President Nixon will rightly inform you, it not the crime that gets you, it is the cover-ups!

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