(WSB photo)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Your decisions to make on the general-election ballot include two contested local races. In the past few weeks, WSB team members sat down with all four of those candidates individually for wide-ranging interviews/conversations for those still making up their mind. We recorded the interviews on video and are publishing them this week for “One More Look” – with 82 percent of voters in our area yet to turn in their ballots – starting tonight with Mary Anito, who’s seeking the 34th District State House Position 2 seat, held since 2011 by Joe Fitzgibbon.
Anito is a first-time candidate, business owner, and parent. (Here’s the bio on her campaign website.) The state Public Disclosure Commission website says she’s raised just under $11,000 – five percent of Fitzgibbon’s $212,000. She lives in West Seattle
After the unedited video of our interview is a summary of the Q&A comprising our conversation; interviewers were WSB’s Tracy Record and Torin Record-Sand. Both questions and answers are paraphrased, except for what you see something in quote marks.
WSB: Why vote for you?
ANITO: Been in the area 10 years, mom, youth-soccer coach, small-businessperson, engineer, diverse background, thinks she can deliver more results by applying what she’s learned in her career.
WSB: What are your hottest issues and your proposals for dealing with them.
ANITO: Education, housing, health care. Fully fund education but figure out how to make that work in the budget; housing, build DADUs to make more homes available; health care … (Going into funding in general) the “millionaires’ tax” will help but we need to examine some spending, like consultants. Also look at tort reform. We have to protect people but also reel in some of that exposure.
WSB: Tell us more about that.
ANITO: Talks about DYCF for starters – is the problem caseloads, processes …
WSB: Going back to education funding, how do we fix that?
ANITO: “Prototypical’s gotta go” – need to look more closely at individual schools. But if with the help of a “generous electorate” we’re going to throw more money at it, we need better results. Track “key performance indicators.” Make sure we have a good pipeline of people for the roles that are needed.
WSB: What else about education, besides funding?
ANITO: Retraining. Apprenticeship model so that people come out of college more ready for jobs. Adaptability.
WSB: Where are the state policies failing us here in the 34th District?
ANITO: Too few support staff at school (cites. half-time positions for schools the size of the new Alki Elementary). “That head count adds up to …productive lives” (when the kids grow up).
WSB: Issues for Vashon schools, which have a somewhat better reputation than Seattle?
ANITO: Levies play into the 34th’s three districts (Vashon, Seattle, Highline) differently. Vashon residents seem divided on whether off-island students are a good thing or not.
WSB: What state funding could be diverted to education?
ANITO: Need to narrow our focus to a few things we can fix, rather than simultaneously taking on so much. (Not just education) Maybe say, here are the things we will fix in the next five years, instead of “trying to do a little of everything. … We have to be strategic and not try to be everything to everyone because we’re just going to bankrupt our state.” Leaders need to be mindful of the employment constrictions too. Says her opponent has “had 16 years to fix (things) and I don’t think he’s done a really good job doing that.”
WSB: Back to the question – is there something else you think we’re spending too much on, that we should be spending on education instead?
ANITO: It wouldn’t close the gap but – “we are spending so much money on health care … universal health care” would actually save money. “We could do this cost-neutral, we could get universal health care for everyone. … It’ll require not taking money from the large insurance companies and maybe upsetting them …” Says those companies are making so many campaign contributions, “humans aren’t participating in democracy.” … “I think we should just be more transparent with people and tell them, we need a state income tax. … But to get that level of buy-in, we have to show we can use the money responsibly.”
WSB: When you said “universal health care,” did you mean nationwide or statewide?
ANITO: Nationwide would be great but … statewide for starters.
WSB: Should our state be distancing even more from federal overreach?
ANITO: Yes but “I wonder if modern-day Washington is a little conflicted” (cites anti-trans I-638 as an example without naming it)
WSB: But that’s a citizen initiative (not a government proposal). What we’re wondering is if you agree the state should continue down the road of distancing itself from the feds – state Attorney General Nick Brown filing dozens of lawsuits, for example?
ANITO: Yes. In younger years, took for granted what statehood was really about, now seeing it in action. Glad we’re still getting, for example, federal disaster funds, though it “sucks” that we even have to worry we might not.
WSB: Tell us more about what you want to do re: housing.
ANITO: Streamline permitting. Incentivize housing. Don’t keep adding more fees. Find a way for more funding access – public banking? Help people more easily get DADUs built in their backyard … But we have to fix health care, important to get them housed and healthy.
WSB: You’re new at running for office. Why did you start by seeking a seat in the State Legislature, anyone that inspired you?
ANITO: Talked about advocating for STEM funding while in New York and visiting then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Legislature has a lot to do with funding, policymaking. Needs more people with technical background.
WSB: How would you do the job, since it’s technically part time?
ANITO: Find balance – for example, (State House 34th District Position 1) Rep. Brianna Thomas “says ‘you know I do my city job 4 days a week’ and” (then this). … “I work for myself so I can kind of flex around that.” Not losing track of the community. Participating in community meetings (she mentioned recent public-safety meetings in High Point and Westwood). Enjoys doorbelling. “I’m pretty accessible ….I’m from New York.”
(We joke that she doesn’t have a New York accent.)
WSB: You’ve mentioned the huge issues. What else are you hearing about from people while you’re out campaigning?
ANITO: Public safety has been mentioned with increasing frequency. Was out in The Arroyos – “a pretty nice water-view neighborhood … and they were like, ‘We had three cars stolen this week, Mary’.” Says she’s had three break-ins, and while she’s not going to run away from the city as a result, it would be nice to feel safer. … Also hears about environmental concerns, health concerns, wants to make sure all voices are heard, even smaller communities.
WSB: On policy, how would you and your opponent differ?
ANITO: Not much different on beliefs etc. Both passionate about the environment. But she’sn not happy he “took so much money from the Climate Commitment Act … This year we took $540 million, $550 million from it to close the budgetary gap. … Gotta have the hard conversations and say “we’re mpt going to fully fund” something. … Concerned about votes “being kept quiet” in Olympia. … Expresses concern about sales/use taxes changed last year that affected “live presentations” in schools. Suggests it got passed without anybody really paying attention who should have known the effect it would have. Same with the co-op preschool funding crisis. We talked to (all three 34th District legislators about it), Brianna got involved, Emily got involved, “Joe just shrugged his shoulders.” She’s surprised that “as the dad of two little kids” he didn’t see the importance of that.
WSB: You talked about special-education funding; do you feel like that’s also something he hasn’t prioritized?
ANITO: I don’t know his track record on that …
WSB: What are your priorities regarding unincorporated areas [White Center, Vashon]?
ANITO: Housing starts … roads … people in White Center upset they don’t get to vote for Seattle mayor but complain that they feel the effects… they feel like they have no representation and something has to be done about that.
WSB: If you’re elected, what will you. take on first?
ANITO: See if we can move away from the prototypical model of school funding. Also, health care.
WSB: And since you mentioned public safety as a hot issue for so many you talk with, what would you pursue there, especially in policies, such as juvenile justice?
ANITO: Talks about not being able to require mental-health help for students after a certain age, and feeling that does a disservice to students as well as their parents, especially between ages 13 and 18, and she feels that factors into juvenile justice too. … When they’re making dangerous choices, we have to get them set up right.
WSB: Are you for the state initiative that’s summarized as “parental rights”?
ANITO: No, “I think that’s overreach.”
WSB: Anything we didn’t ask about?
ANITO: No … “I just want our community to be thriving.” … Says that while her opponent has done some good things, especially on the environment, he’s been in the Legislature since age 22, while her “lived experience” – owning a business, etc. – can make a difference.
NEXT UP: Our interview with Anito’s opponent, incumbent Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, will be published tomorrow (Tuesday) night.