2006 Candidate Questionnaire
SECTION I
BASIC CANDIDATE INFORMATION
1. Name as it will appear on the ballot
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First Name |
Middle Initial or Nick Name |
Last Name |
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Rodney |
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Tom |
2. Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):
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State Senate, 48th LD |
3. Are you the incumbent? Yes No
4. How long have you resided in this district/city?
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15 years |
5. How long have you resided in King County?
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41 years |
6. Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan? Partisan Nonpartisan
7. If partisan, please indicate party: Democratic
CAMPAIGN CONTACTS
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Campaign Name: |
Rodney Tom for State Senate |
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Address: |
P.O. Box 594 |
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City/State/Zip: |
Medina, WA 98039 |
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Campaign Phone: |
425-577-2875 |
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Campaign Fax: |
425-462-5394 (call first) |
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Campaign E-mail: |
rodney@rodneytom.org |
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Campaign Website: |
www.rodneytom.org |
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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) |
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State Representative
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Elected
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Jan ’03-present
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2. If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:
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Office Title |
Year of Run |
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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:
- Involvement: What has the candidate done previously in family, neighborhood, community, volunteer work, employment or public life to suggest readiness to accomplish challenging objectives? How do these activities demonstrate readiness for the challenges unique to the office sought?
- Effectiveness: Has the candidate demonstrated promise of being productive in the office sought? Has the candidate shown the ability to work with other people?
- Character: Do the candidate's personal traits show the ability to take on the responsibilities of campaigning for and holding the public office she or he is seeking? Is the candidate a leader, participant or observer? Is the candidate trustworthy, reliable and candid?
- Knowledge: Has the candidate demonstrated the willingness and ability to learn and adapt? Does the candidate understand the duties and challenges of the office sought? Does the candidate have a firm grasp of the issues important to his or her constituency and their potential effects?
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.)
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I am running for election to the State Senate to continue bringing a balanced, common sense, solutions-oriented approach to Olympia. We need to put aside partisan politics and work to solve our state’s problems in education, the economy, health care and transportation. I believe we have passed too many important pieces of legislation out of the State House, only to see them die in the Senate. I plan to change that. As a life-long resident, I believe we are so fortunate to live in a region immensely blessed with an abundance of natural beauty. In addition to our pristine natural environment, we’re lucky to have an employment base with world-class companies like Microsoft, Boeing, Immunex, Costco, Nordstrom, Amazon.com and Starbucks. That’s why I have such great hope for our state. We have the potential to be a state unparalleled in the greatest country in the world. But unless we start showing the leadership, focus and direction so lacking in Olympia, it will be nothing but wasted potential. We’ll still be mired in a 2nd rate education system, traffic congestion, and soaring health care costs. Instead of being the envy of the country, we’re bickering over political ideologies instead of actually solving our problems in education, economic viability, health care and transportation. I think it’s important when addressing these issues, that we ask 3 fundamental questions: 1) What is the most balanced approach, 2) What is the practical thing to do, and 3) What makes the most common sense? Then and only then can we work together toward practical, achievable solutions that we can implement NOW. I believe education is the most urgent and fundamental problem we face. Too often we sloganize our state’s constitutional adage that “education is the paramount duty of the State.” This is not a trite little jingle, but it should be our main guiding principle. I believe we’re not investing enough time, energy, and effort on public education. Today as parents, we have a lot of good educational alternatives available to us. Yet, we must never turn our backs on public education. I believe so adamantly in the vital role public education makes. I went to public schools. I send my children to public schools. Public schools are the backbone of our society. Public education is the engine that creates opportunity and hope for our next generation. I also believe public education can be made better. I want to continue my focus on education in Olympia and work hard to make sure our schools today, meet the needs of our children tomorrow. Through world-class public education, we can short-circuit many of the social problems we’re experiencing with drug addiction, teen-age pregnancy, and crime. We have a perfect storm brewing with the combination of an aging population (lower worker to retiree ratio), global competition, and an ever increasing high-tech economy. Educational excellence is the only way we are going to be able as American’s to continue to enjoy our high standard of living. In a high-tech world, creativity and innovation are going to be the keys to being able to compete successfully at the global level. The lifecycle of a product keeps getting shorter and shorter. Once a product becomes a commodity, it’s manufacturing goes to the lowest cost producer. America can not compete with our current wage structure in low-skilled areas. We must dominate the high-tech arena and the only way we are going to be able to do that is through a world-class education system, from pre-school all the way through our colleges and research universities. My second priority and focus is the economy and jobs. In the end, it all boils down to the economy and jobs, and creating a framework that helps, not hinders our businesses, both large and small. We need to make Washington a more business friendly environment. We’re blessed with some of the most spectacular natural settings in the world. Our job in Olympia is to make sure our business environment fosters growth and opportunity, coupled with an educational climate that provides the skilled workforce that has the knowledge and creative capacity to thrive in a dynamic, global economy. Speaking of the environment, too often we pit protecting the environment against economic development and jobs. I strongly believe that the two work in conjunction with each other, not in opposition to one another. It’s through a strong and vibrant economy that we can protect the environment in a science based manner. Thirdly, with regards to health care. The reason why I’m so focused on health care is I believe unless we can figure a way to keep our health care costs from spirally out of control, more and more of our educational dollars will be gobbled up by health care expenses. Currently right now health care inflation is around 12-15%, 5 times that of the general inflation. I want to make sure we continue to invest in cutting edge research. Research that can help us solve Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and so many other debilitating diseases that we are at the frontier of finding a cure for. The only way we are going to get a handle on the health care cost curve is we must address 3 issues: prevention, smoking, and obesity. We don’t have a health care system in this state or country, what we have a sick care system, and until we put our focus and concentration on prevention, we are going to continue to see health care become less and less affordable. Smoking is a $140B drain on our economy. Obesity is a $130B drain on our health care dollar. I ask you, is this really where we want to be spending our precious, limited resources? I want to focus our spending on education, and creating the infrastructure that will allow us to compete in a global, knowledge based economy. Finally with regards to transportation, we must focus our attention on traffic congestion. By solving our transportation mess, we can not only reduce traffic congestion, but it will have a substantial long-term impact economically on our ability to move freight and retain companies like Boeing in the area. Solving our transportation problem is going to take flexibility and working together. We can not afford a stalemate between the downtown core and the suburbs. We must also not short sight ourselves with minimalist solutions that are going to require additional construction as soon as we’re finished. In addition, our transportation system needs to be considered together with our housing policy. We need a lot more high density housing near our work centers, so that we can partially mitigate the need for more rush hour capacity in our transportation infrastructure. Working together, we can restore balance and common sense back into our state government. We can bring thinking to Olympia that is fresh, original, and unexpected and solve our state’s most pressing needs in education, the economy, health care, and transportation. That’s exactly what I have done the past four years in the State House and what I plan to continue on doing in the State Senate, and that’s why I’m asking for your support. |
2. Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.
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After having served 4 years as a State Representative in Olympia, I believe I pocess several characteristics that have enabled me to be effective leader in Olympia. First, and foremost is my ability to work well with others, especially my friends from across the aisle. Too often in politics we concentrate on our differences, but it’s in our similarities where we find workable solutions. Having sold real estate for 17 years, where one minute you’re competing against another agent and the next day you might be working with them on a different transaction, I’ve learned how to work with all different types of people and how not to personalize our differences, but to look for the good in everyone. The second trait I believe helps me succeed is in taking a balanced, moderate approach on most issues. Far too many politicians are polarized in their positions, not even having the capacity to work congenially with the oppositiion, let alone finding a solution that everyone can agree upon. The third trait I believe is important is that I’m able to process large amounts of information, and see how they all fit together. Over the past 4 years, I’ve voted on thousands pieces of legislation. I’m an admitted information junkie, and love to read, think, and contemplate on the complex issues that face us. Most of the easy problems get resolved long before they require legislative attention. It’s these complex and seemingly impossible issues that I find my real joy in helping craft a solution. |
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.
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Obviously, winning my first election and serving in the Legislature has been one of my most fulfilling accomplishments. More importantly though, I can honestly say that I stayed true to my core values, not succumbing to the pressure of the moment. I didn’t run for the Legislature to simply say I got elected, but I ran to help make a difference, especially in the areas of education, health care and transportation. I’m proud to say that as have been able to make an impact on important legislation, from education measures to the latest transportation packages. Another major legislative accomplishment was the passing of the condomium liability reform legislation. For over 5 years, this effort had been stimied even as there was immense pressure to find a solution. I helped bring both sides together by 1) having the ability to work with both sides and having them trust me, and 2) by having a real world understanding of the issue. Instead of concentrating on legislation to even out the battle between the developer and the homeowner, I worked with both sides to see how we might stay out of litigation all together.
On a personal note, another very satisfying accomplishment is that I’ve had the pleasure of climbing all 5 of Washington’s volcanoes: Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker, Mt. St. Helen, Mt. Adams, and Glacier Peak . Climbing has taught me a lot about personal discipline, focus, perseverance, and the importance of getting out and enjoying nature. First, in order to climb any mountain, you need to be in great shape physically. It’s not fun waking up early in the morning and running in the rain when the wind is blowing and it’s cold outside. But I had the personal discipline to see past those circumstances and keep my attention on the goal at hand. The second thing climbing these mountains have taught me is to stay focused on the present. Mountain climbing can be very dangerous. One slip and you can get yourself in real trouble. Keeping your focus on the task at hand is essential. So is planning for those risks, and taking every precaution to make sure they don’t become a reality. Third, mountain climbing is all about perseverance and taking one step at a time until you’ve reached your goal. When climbing, you often reach what is called a false summit. You think you’re almost at the top, only to find when you get there that you still have a long ways to go. Politics is a lot like that also. There’s so much to do, and when we’ve done it, there’s still going to be more challenges waiting for us. Yet, much like mountain climbing, in the end when you’ve given it your all, the feeling of accomplishment is well worth the struggle during the journey.
Another accomplishment I’m very proud of was receiving my MBA from the University of Southern California. In getting my MBA, besides the educational aspect, it taught me a lot about making a plan and executing it, the importance of education, and how diversity makes us all better individuals. After I worked my way through and graduated from the University of Washington, I knew I wanted to get a MBA. I only had one problem, I didn’t have any money. At the time, I was working for Boeing as a cost analyst. My plan was simple, but living on a tight budget was going to be the key. I figured I needed $7,000 and then the rest of the money I could get through scholarships and student loans. I saved $600 a month (almost half of my take home salary) for 12 months. I had done it; I had saved the $7,000 I needed to get my foot in the door. I believe education is the great equalizer. It gives us the foundation and opportunity to succeed. The other real valuable learning experience I received from my MBA was the importance of diversity. I lived in a university owned off-campus apartment with 3 other individuals; a political science major from Mali, Africa; an electrical engineering student from Taiwan, and a surfer-type from Southern California. The four of us were from very different cultures, but learned to get along with each other's peculiarities. I learned so much about different cultures, and how we all become better when we can learn to take the best of each culture and incorporate it into our lives. |
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.
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For the past 17 years, I have been successfully selling residential real estate on the Eastside. Real estate has taught me a lot about the importance of listening, and how real life issue like transportation and education affect individuals and families on a daily basis. During this time, I also had the fun experience of starting my own business, and finding out firsthand how government regulations and procedures affect small businesses. The most important thing about selling real estate is finding the right solution to your clients housing needs. The only way to do this is through asking lots of questions, listening intensively, knowing the market, and then applying that knowledge to help bring about one of the biggest dreams most of us have; owning our own home. It’s about putting the customer’s needs first, and then giving them my honest opinion and professional advice. Honesty is always an interesting business topic, but I have learned through countless experiences its also smart business. The lasting client relationships far exceed any quick money I could have made from being a little less than completely truthful. For 3 years now, I’ve served on the Board of the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes is working to prevent birth defects, focusing its concentration on pre-maturity and proper pre-natal care. This experience has solidified my determination for the importance in upfront investments by government entities. These dollars are 1) fiscally responsible by reducing long-term expenses, but more importantly 2) are the right thing to do from a humanitarian standpoint.
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- Please describe the duties of the office you seek. Which are the most important duties and why?
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The duty of a State Senator is to help pass laws that enhance our lives, while maintaining the freedoms we’ve been so richly blessed with in this great country. It’s a balancing act between providing essential government services in the most economical manner, while finding the fairest means of paying for them. For me, the hardest part of being a State Senator is sitting in the countless committee meetings. I’m a doer, I don’t like to waste time in endless procedural formalities. I like to figure out where there’s a problem, why it’s occurring and how best to fix it, and then go fix it. Too often in government we’re forever in the studying phase. The best part of being a State Representative, or Senator, is getting out and meeting with people. I love to interact with individuals from all walks of life and hear their stories, and the problems they’re facing. I really cherish my time one-on-one with people and making a difference in their lives. I believe the most important duty of any public official is the ability to listen to the public, and then incorporate all the divergent viewpoints into an executable policy that will solve the problem at hand. It’s bringing an open mind, and then finding practical, common sense solutions that work in both the short and long term. |
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.
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MBA, Finance, Univ of Southern California, 1988 BA, Bus Admin, Univ of Washington, 1985 Newport High School, 1981
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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.
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State Representative, 48th district Ex-member of Washington Learns K-12 Subcommittee Board Member, Washington State Arts Commission Board Member, March of Dimes Volunteer Work: Safe Rides – Providing teenagers an alternative way home, instead of them getting into an unsafe car that too often results in a tragic ending. Bellevue Rotary – Community support and outreach. Park trail cleanups. Windermere Foundation – Community service day. Building park and playground equipment in Kirkland. |
Finished!
If at all possible, send your response to the Municipal League electronically as an attachment, or insert it into an e-mail message (cec@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 newsletter 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: Jennifer DiGiacomo
Seattle, WA 98104-1614 Fax: 425-671-0506 Website: www.munileague.org