U.S. House of Representatives, WA-10 – Mary Bacon

Legislative Questionnaire

Candidate Information

  • Candidate Name: Mary Bacon
  • Position Sought: U.S. House of Representatives, WA-10 (Non-incumbent)
  • Home Legislative District: 27th LD
  • Democrat: Yes

Campaign Information

Part I – Candidate Background

1. Please briefly describe your qualifications, education, employment, community and civic activity, union affiliation, prior political activity, and other relevant experience.

My qualifications are not the result of partisan politics, but rather over two decades of relevant, professional experiences.

While the President of a federal labor union, I advocated for legislation to protect workers benefits and rights. Through that process, I used my interest and passion to represent people that I care about and presented and discussed issues that affect us all.

Being a former shipyard worker, I experienced the agony of a paralyzed Congress and will support fiscal responsibility and constructive debate while working toward resolution

As a scientist, my decision making is methodical and rational, using logic-based reasoning and empirical evidence to make informed decisions. I have performed scientific work in and around the waters of the Puget Sound and recognize the richness and diversity of our unique ecosystem.

My veteran experience includes myself being a 3rd generation U.S. Army soldier. I have an intimate understanding of what our soldiers and veterans experience and I will advocate for those who have defended our nation and those who currently defend it.

I received a B.S. in Environmental Science from UW, Tacoma and worked for seven years as an Environmental Toxicologist for a private consulting firm in Port Gamble, WA and five years as a civilian health physicist for the U.S. Navy in Bremerton, WA.

My husband and I invest in the U.S. National Park Service and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and State Parks. We also donate annually to the Hospitality Kitchen in Tacoma. Prior to running for office, I was a dues paying member of International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 12.

2. What prompted you to run for this office? What are your campaign’s most important themes, issues, or priorities (three to five)?

I have a vested interest in District 10, not only as a homeowner, but also as a neighbor, family member, and resident. This office will allow me to help promote equity, growth, and prosperity for my district and to represent the interests of my neighbors and fellow residents by ensuring a logical, articulate voice is accurately communicating their concerns and needs.

My four most pressing priorities are employment, housing, the environment, and our Armed Services. During these unsettled periods and beyond, I will support legislation to make sure our workers and families are taken care of first, not last. In order to decrease income inequality, I will continue to be an advocate for organized labor and collective bargaining. I support raising the federal minimum wage, which has been stagnant for the past decade, to a wage that is reflective of inflation and the current costs of living. Public housing has been strangled by the Faircloth Amendment for over two decades and until that Act is amended, I would propose federal tax incentives for housing developers, with a stipulation of a minimum number of affordable units. I have an intimate understanding of our interactions with our environment, to include identifying environmental site issues and potential unintended consequences. I would create partnerships with the various local entities, i.e. tribes, local communities, city/town executives, local Department of Defense leadership, etc., and invite potentially impacted constituents to offer their feedback on environmental matters that pertain to them. In District 10, we have two large Army and Air Force installations and are proximal to the only public naval shipyard on the West Coast; if the approved military budget is raided to fund anything else except for what the funds were appropriated for, those funds are lost to our armed services and the defense of the Nation.

In recognizing these priorities, the commonality is collaboration. Our representatives must be able to collaborate and to address these issues, they must be willing to seek open and clear communications that are critical to the success of recognizing and understanding concerns, addressing them, and reaching mutual agreement between differing parties.

3. What steps are you taking to run a successful campaign?

I am interacting with as many partisan groups as I can meet and my campaign strategy is a grassroots effort with a focus on social media and “word of mouth.” I began my campaign on 14 May 2020 (due to the Hatch Act,) and I have been campaigning for over five weeks now. By capitalizing on my relationships with my neighbors, friends, and peers, I am utilizing personal connections to share my campaign and intent.

Part II – Local and State Issues

1. Do you support Initiative Measure No. 940 (“De-escalate Washington,” requiring, among other things, that law enforcement officers be required to obtain violence de-escalation and mental health training, so that officers will have greater skills to resolve conflicts without the use of physical or deadly force)?

Yes

I would propose standards similar to any other public servant responsible for the health of society at large: continuing education, annual scholastic qualifications, and investigations by external agencies. I also endorse funding for the specialists and health care professionals that the police are currently acting as proxy.

2. Do you support the right of public workers, excluding military, to bargain and strike?

Yes

I will always be an advocate for organized labor and collective bargaining.

3. Would you support a statewide “Ban the Box” law, prohibiting employers from asking about job applicants’ criminal history until after an initial screening or interview?

Yes

Initial applicant qualifications should be determined without biases associated with punitive actions.

4. Do you support legislation that reimburses the cost of reproductive health care services, such as SB 6105, the Reproductive Health Access for All Act?

Yes

Healthcare is a staple of a functioning society, regardless of immigrant status.

5. Would you support an automatic voter registration act such as HB 2595 (Automatic Voter Registration Act of 2018), streamlining procedures in order to automatically register citizens to vote?

Yes

6. Would you support a bill that would enable the state of WA to create a single health financing entity to provide health care financing for all Washington residents, independent from employment, such as the WA Apple Care Trust?

Yes

A “single-payer” system where doctors and patients make decisions together, without influence from corporate interests or insurance company interference is a health plan I support.

Part III – Free Response

1. Why are you running as a Democrat? What aspects of the Democratic platform most resonate with you?

I am a registered Democrat and I embody many of the democratic values eschewed by the Party, to include objectivity, inclusion, fairness, and equity. I believe in respecting the rights and freedoms of all, everyone should have an equal opportunity to succeed, and an open and transparent government. I most strongly believe in being truly representative and recognize that diversity and inclusivity are strengths that cultivate talent and innovation. I feel being truly representative subsequently allows for individual rights, civil liberties, environmental protection, and justice for all to manifest organically, inviting more participation and the reemergence of a government truly for the people, by the people.

2. In the past, many Democrat-sponsored bills have died in the Republican-controlled Senate. Please list three failed bills from the past legislative session that you will champion when elected.

I will champion H.R. 2474 to ensure that organized labor and the right to bargain are protected, H.R. 5 to continue to prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, and H.R. 2722 to address election security and voting systems, to include paper ballot voting.

3. What important state and local issues have you worked on (or taken an interest in) that you feel aren’t getting enough attention from elected leaders and the media?

As we recover from this initial onset of COVID-19, are we prepared for another instance of a similar novel coronavirus? From the health aspect, I would support legislation to separate the Center for Disease Control (CDC) from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from Homeland Security. I would endorse funding legislation concurrently for the reestablished CDC and FEMA agencies. Once these agencies are independently funded, the Nation will have the distinct ability to scientifically determine health threats by research and evidence that is presented by subject matter experts. We must also firmly endorse scientific evidence and testimony as standards for appropriate opinion(s) and treatment.

4. Do you think Washington public schools are adequately funded? If not, what minimum requirements should be met in an adequately funded public school system? What specific forms of taxation would you support to attain that funding?

Prior to COVID-19, I would have accepted that Washington public schools were adequately funded. However, our schools will be impacted by the loss of tax revenues from this pandemic since the state provides approximately 70% of local school district funding and we are entering an economic recession. Anticipating the need for additional federal support, I would endorse a reevaluation of corporate tax deductions to offset this education budget shortfall.

5. What are some obstacles inherent in proposed legislative solutions to climate change? How would you approach those obstacles in order to best overcome or minimize any negative effects?

Obstacles to proposing legislation addressing climate change include a seeming hesitance to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, resistance to adapting current technologies to produce less pollution, and a reluctance to embrace innovation. In our reduction of fossil fuel usage, we must also evaluate the costs versus the benefits of alternative fuel sources, to include feasibility and sustainability.

I would create partnerships with the various local entities, i.e. tribes, local communities, city/town executives, local Department of Defense leadership, etc., and invite potentially impacted constituents to offer their feedback on environmental matters that pertain to them. Collaboration with open and clear communication is critical to the success of recognizing and understanding concerns, addressing them, and reaching mutual agreement between differing parties.

6. What are some obstacles inherent in proposed approaches to tax reform in Washington State? How would you approach those obstacles in order to best overcome or minimize any negative effects?

Currently, Washington State has no personal or corporate income tax. To change these laws suddenly would only create consternation and discontent, especially if the use for the collected taxes is not clearly identified. However, if there was a modification to the corporate income tax that was based on a lower threshold of combined gross receipts and a reevaluation of the tax rate of major B&O classifications, this would be an incremental step to corporate tax reform. Also, the collected taxes should be dedicated to our public schools, state infrastructure, and public health services.

7. Do you support the voter-approved call for a Constitutional Amendment to overturn the Citizens United Supreme Court decision (I-735), and if so, how do you propose to work toward that goal?

As the Congresswoman for District 10, I support overturning Citizens United and I will encourage senatorial support for H.R. 1, For the People Act of 2019. If H.R. 1 “dies” in the Senate, as Congresswoman, I would redraft legislation in the House and resubmit.

Thank you for your consideration!

By typing my name below, I declare under penalty of perjury the foregoing is true and correct.

Printed Name: Mary Bacon

Date: 06/23/2020

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