2004 Candidate Questionnaire

 

SECTION I               

 

BASIC CANDIDATE INFORMATION

 

1.      Name as it will appear on the ballot

 

First Name

Middle Initial or Nick Name

Last Name

Jim

     

Horn

 

2.   Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):

 

State Senator, 41st District

 

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  Yes              No

 

 

4.   How long have you resided in this district/city?

 

36 years

 

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

 

39 years

 

6.   Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan?         Partisan      Nonpartisan         

                                                                                                                       

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:  Republican

 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

 

 

Campaign Name:

 

Citizens for Jim Horn

 

Address:

 

PO Box 649

 

City/State/Zip:

 

Mercer Island, WA 98040

 

Campaign Phone:

 

206-232-2347

 

 

Campaign Fax:

 

206-232-4676

 

 

Campaign E-mail:

 

JimHorn@jimhorn.org

 

 

Campaign Website:

 

http://www.jimhorn.org/

 

 

POLITICAL BACKGROUND

 

1.   Beginning with the most recent position, please list public offices which you have held.  Include positions on appointive Boards or Commissions.

 

Public Office

Elective or Appointive?

Dates Held

Leadership Role (if any)

WA State Senate

 

elective

 

1996 - 2004

 

Chairman of Highways and Transportation

 

WA State Representative

 

elective

 

1988 - 1996

 

Speaker Pro Tempore

 

Mercer Island City Council

 

PCO

 

elective

 

elective

 

1976 - 1991

 

1976 - 2004

 

Mayor

 

Regional Chairman

 

 

2.   If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:

 

Office Title

Year of Run

I have always won my elections

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 


 


SECTION III

 

In this section, we are seeking responses that reflect the four ratings criteria: involvement, effectiveness, character, and knowledge.  These are defined as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.      In a page or less, why are you running for this office?  (Note: the interview committee will be given a copy of this statement before your interview; at the beginning of your interview you will have the opportunity to expand on this statement in any way you wish.)

 

I have always tried to serve or give back to my community through involvement in civic or political activities.  Perhaps it was my upbringing on a small midwest farm that gave me these values.  I believe my resume indicates my long term involvement.

 

Now, after eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate, I believe that I have a unique opportunity to further serve my district.  The intersection of I-90 and I-405 is near the center of my district so we experience some of the worst traffic congestion in the state.  As Chairman of the Senate Highways and Transportation Commission, I have been able to bring about significant changes in transportation for the state of Washington.  I want to continue that trend.

 

I also serve on the Higher Ed committee that has brought about expansion of our Higher Ed system to try to meet the growing needs for our young people.  We still have more to do.  The Bellievue Community College lies within my district and the Renton Technical College is immediately adjacent to my district.  In addition we are served by the University of Washington main and Bothell campuses as well as Lake Washington Technical College.  I have worked and want to continue to work with all of them to meet the challenges of the future.  Because of our growth I believe the crescent area around Seattle is the most underserved community in the state.

 

We are coming out of a recession.  We have worked hard to try to make our state a friendlier place to do business.  We need the economic prosperity to produce the revenue our state needs and the good jobs it provides for our citizens.  We were able to provide a package to keep our Boeing 7E7 assembly in our state.  I want to continue to work on implementing the recommendations of the Governor's Economic Council as well as otheri measures needed to maintain our economic viability and quality of life in our great state.

 

I am in good health and have the family support of my wife, my daughter and my granddaughters.  I believe that I am the most qualified candidate for the job and in the best position to benefit my district.  I look forward to the challenges of the next four years.   

 

 


 

2.      Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.

 

I like to deal with complex problems and find real solutions, not platitudes.  I have a technical background and have the ability to assimilate a lot of data.  I am willing to think out of the box and not be constrained by imaginery barriers. 

 

I work well with people and do not get angry.  I work on solutions across the aisle, not just in my caucus.  I can work with people on the solutions to one problem or issue while having differnces with them on others.  I am never vindictive.

 

I like to meet and talk to people and find out about their lives and problems.  I don't look at calls from my constituents, even if they are at night, as intrusions into my personal life but rather as an apportunity to learn something from them.

 

I have a lot of energy and can focus on an issue.  I like the task force approach rather than doing repetitive tasks. I work very hard to serve my constituents.

 

I am persistent and not easily dismayed.  I will continue to try to find a common path or a solution even when the going gets tough.  I am patient and a good negotiator.

 

I like the job or I wouldn't still be doing it.

 

 

3.      Please describe in sufficient detail, one to three accomplishments or contributions of which you are most proud.  These examples should illustrate effective skills and capabilities you think apply to the office you are seeking.  These accomplishments may have occurred at any time in your personal, professional, or public life. 

 

As Chairman of the Highways and Transportation Committee, I was able to pass a $4.1 billion 10 year transportation package (the Nickel Fund) for new transportation infrastructure, the first one passed in 13 years.  This was particularly difficult since it followed the failure of Referendum 51 on the ballot.  The Governor had said that if Referundum 51 failed, no legislature would touch this issue for the next 10 years.

 

After touring the state I learned of early efforts by some counties to tax intangible property.  It did not seem right to me that the assessed valuation of a home should have a separate tax for view when view was a factor in determing its market value.  The next year, 1997, I wrote and was able to get passed and signed into law ESSB5286 which prevented the state and counties from taxing intangible property.  The Governor after much lobbying finally signed the bill into law at 10pm on the last day of the time period that he had to act.

 

As minority leader of the House Environtmenal Affairs Committee in 1991, I was able to get over 100 amenmentds into the Air Quality Bill which modified a very controversial bill into a form that had broad support by both industry and environmentalists.  It implemented a program that brought our state into confornment with federal air quality standards over a five year period.  We are still a conforming state today.


 

4.      Please list or describe your current and past activities in the community in which you have acquired skills that relate to the office you seek.  Include your role in the activity and the year(s) in which you were involved.  Involvement consists of many areas such as family, neighborhood, community, employment, or public life.

 

MI City Council - Councilman and Mayor  76-91

Children Response Center Board of Adivsors  91-04

MI Lions Club member, past board of advisors, education awards program 81-04

Probus member 96-04

VFW life member & past Board of Trustees 79-04

Bellevue Chamber of Commerce 92-94

Co Chair of Mercer Island Drainage Evaulation Committee 75-76

PTA in TX, CA, and WA when my kids were in school.

Coached Little League 63-65

Organized fireworks sales for ball field & gym equipment for Normandy Park School 63-65

Past Chairman of Civic Affairs Committee for Kent Boeing Management Association in 63-65

Loaned Executive to United Way for 2 years in the early 80's

     

 

 

  1. Please describe the duties of the office you seek.  Which are the most important duties and why?

 

1) Uphold the laws as defined in the oath of office.

2) Represent your district in changing state policy and law and negotiating biennial budgests.

3) Represent your state on federal issues.

4) Communicate to your constituents about things important to them

5) Work constituent problems that may arise.

6) Serve as the bully-pulpit for new ideas and issues

7) Attend and participate in functions to represent your district and state

8) Be a contributing member of your caucus, the Senate, and the Legislature.

9) Serve in leadership positions as they become available

10) Serve on special committees and task forces important to your disstrict or state

 

All the duties are important and come into various degrees of importance as the legistlative cycle progresses or issues change.  When a consitutent brings you a problem, the most important issue to them is for you to work their problem.  When you are Chairman of the Highways and Transportation Committee and near the end of the legislative cycle, the most important duty is negotiating a transportation budget.  Next August the most important duty will be my role as Co-President of the National Conference of Sate Legislators (NCSL) Host Committee to assure a successful convention for 8 - 10 thousand Lesgislators and their families visiting the State of Wawshington.  Balancing your time among the many duties and responsibilities is always a challenge.


EDUCATION BACKGROUND SUMMARY

FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT

 

The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report is distributed to voters in print and/or on our website.  It includes a summary of the candidate’s education.  Please summarize your education in 120 characters (letters, punctuation, and space all combined).  The League will delete material that exceeds the space limit by beginning with the last entry.  Suggested order is (degree) (subject) (school) (year, if desired). 

 

Note: If this question is left blank the League will not include education information in your candidate profile.

 

BSME U of Illinois, 52; graduate studies in IE at SMU, 58-61; Distinguished Alumnus Award, U of I College of Engr, 03

 

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT SUMMARY

FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT

 

The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report also includes a summary of each candidate’s civic involvement.  Please summarize your civic involvement in the space below.  We will make every attempt to include the information in the Candidate Evaluation Report as submitted.  Due to space restrictions in the Report, your response is limited to 500 characters (letters, punctuation, and spaces all combined).  It is important that you list your involvement beginning with the most important and ending with the least important.  If you exceed the length of response permitted, or if the League should find it necessary to shorten responses for publication purposes, deletions will be made beginning with the last item listed. 

 

Note: This information will appear verbatim on the League’s Candidate Evaluation Report.  If this question is left blank, the Municipal League will not include information on your civic involvement in the Report.

 

  Check here if you would like the Municipal League to copy the first 500 characters from Question 4 to paste into this section.

 

     

 

Finished!

If at all possible, send your response to the Municipal League electronically as an attachment, or insert it into an e-mail message (rebecca@munileague.org).  Mail and fax numbers are listed below.  If the League has not contacted you to schedule an interview, please call the League office at your earliest convenience.

 

Don’t forget to send the following to the Municipal League:  a resume, a photo, campaign literature, and, if you are an incumbent, constituent newsletters and other materials.  Please use the check-off list on the cover sheet of this packet to indicate which items you have sent.

 

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND GOOD LUCK IN YOUR CAMPAIGN!

 

THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE OF KING COUNTY

 

Candidate Evaluation Coordinator:  Rebecca Cooper

 

810 Third Avenue, Suite 224                  Phone: 206-622-8333                Email: rebecca@munileague.org

Seattle, WA 98104-1614                        Fax: 425-671-0506                        Website: www.munileague.org