Anonymous asked: What is your solution to the high dropout rate in Spokane High Schools?
Baumgartner: The first thing that needs to be done about the high dropout rate is have people measure it and know what it is. I hear figures anywhere from 35% - then I talk to Superintendents who say, no, that figure is wrong because we’re not tracking when they move to other school districts and they say it’s more like 10%. The citizens of Spokane have to demand that we know what the dropout rate is to begin with, so let’s get that fixed.
Baumgartner: The first thing that needs to be done about the high dropout rate is have people measure it and know what it is. I hear figures anywhere from 35% - then I talk to Superintendents who say, no, that figure is wrong because we’re not tracking when they move to other school districts and they say it’s more like 10%. The citizens of Spokane have to demand that we know what the dropout rate is to begin with, so let’s get that fixed.
The other issues, we just need to improve our education system overall here in Spokane. I think we need fundamental reform in education. More of our education dollars have to go into the classroom. I think now we spend $11,000 per student on education. So you think at 25 students in the classroom as a base line, that’s $250,000. That should be enough to get a great teacher with a great salary, get books for the kids and extracurricular activities. But right now less than 50% of that is going to the classroom so I’d like to see that focus. We need to let principles have more control over their budget and more parental decision making, less decision making in Olympia and Washington DC. What that would do is allow more tailored specific solutions in the classroom for those kids that most need it. I also think we should try some innovation in education here that we’ve seen happen in other states. I think we should try Charter schools. It would be really neat if parents were trying to see what kind of student they have and where they want to go, if somebody wanted to open a school that taught in French or a school that went from 8-5 with longer periods for music. I think with the competition, vision and choice you’re going to get more tailored solutions. The dropout rate …I went to Gonzaga Prep for my first two years and to Pullman for my last two years. We had a real neat vocational ed program there, a really good metal shop class. There were a lot of kids who might have been dropouts or gone to an alternative school but with some of that vocational ed teaching, kept them engaged. It was really teacher dependent. They had a really neat teacher who did vocational ed. It wasn’t just a teacher but a mentor to a lot of kids and gave them a skill in the welding and metal shop. So it’s something we certainly need to address.
Bob asked: How would you change the state tax structure? Would you be in favor of state income tax?
Baumgartner: I am opposed to a state income tax. This is why: I think it would cost jobs and hurt our economy because there are a lot of folks in this state that already have a high tax burden or have companies that are formed as S Corps. , folks that say no on income tax or we’re out of here. So it’s not good for any of us in that respect. Secondly I think it is fundamentally unfair for a majority to impose a tax on a minority. I don’t think that’s how America should do its politics. And thirdly I think it would be the nose out of the camel’s tent. Every other state where this has been introduced that we are just going to tax the top 1% eventually it comes down and the legislature spends more money in good times and they don’t want to make cuts in bad times so they increase taxes. I think that’s what we’ll get here.
The way that tax is being portrayed, I don’t think it’s being portrayed in an honest way. Bill Gates, Senior gets on TV and says it’s going to cut 20% of people’s property tax. Well, it’s going to cut 20% of the state portion of their property tax which is about 4% overall. It does have a provision for being a tax reform. I do think that needs to be looked at and also, as I said, I do think we need to reform our B&O system.
One of the arguments of people in favor of the income tax is, one, that people think it makes income more predictable for the state. I think the evidence doesn’t say that. The other is it is unfair to the poor to have such a high sales tax in this state. I think there is some merit to that because the consumption tax like our state sales tax does hit a higher percentage of income. I think we do need some tax reform but we need to start on the spending side so we get spending in check and have a reasonable amount of money and look at some of those things.
Debbie asked: Should the State get out of the liquor business?
Baumgartner: Yes, I do think they should. It is one of those areas that the state doesn’t need to be in. It is an archaic system based from the post prohibition era. Now it is a source of state funding and a place for state employees to work. That’s the reason why folks are fighting it. I think if we privatize we’ll save money now. The Office of Financial Management study that came out, that my opponent Chris Marr sites, only talks about the loss in revenues. It doesn’t talk about the savings in costs. I think if we privatize liquor it will allow liquor enforcement board to focus on enforcements and safety issues instead of running a government monopoly. It was interesting after yesterday’s debate a guy came up and said he works in a liquor store. He said “I only have to work 8 hours a week to get my full benefit package.” I think and he was saying this, that is an abuse of the taxpayer and the public trust. That’s the kind of thing I want to get fixed. I don’t want to cut the government out of the essential things government needs to be doing, helping the needy, helping schools and that kind of stuff.
Baumgartner: Yes, I do think they should. It is one of those areas that the state doesn’t need to be in. It is an archaic system based from the post prohibition era. Now it is a source of state funding and a place for state employees to work. That’s the reason why folks are fighting it. I think if we privatize we’ll save money now. The Office of Financial Management study that came out, that my opponent Chris Marr sites, only talks about the loss in revenues. It doesn’t talk about the savings in costs. I think if we privatize liquor it will allow liquor enforcement board to focus on enforcements and safety issues instead of running a government monopoly. It was interesting after yesterday’s debate a guy came up and said he works in a liquor store. He said “I only have to work 8 hours a week to get my full benefit package.” I think and he was saying this, that is an abuse of the taxpayer and the public trust. That’s the kind of thing I want to get fixed. I don’t want to cut the government out of the essential things government needs to be doing, helping the needy, helping schools and that kind of stuff.
Debbie: Anything you want the voters to know that you haven't been asked yet?
Baumgartner: I think the thing that I would like them to know is that I know not all the voters are going to agree with me. This will be a close election. Two things, one, I really come at this with a sense of public service. This has been a ten month job interview for me, taking away from things I could have been doing. And quite a process for a job that, although $42,000 isn’t insignificant, it is less than I could be making doing other things. I feel the same way I felt when I left college and had some good opportunities but decided to go to Africa and work as a volunteer for free and when I left my private sector career in 2007 to go to Iraq, in the sense that there are things out there that are bigger than I am, there are problems I see and want to help.
Baumgartner: I think the thing that I would like them to know is that I know not all the voters are going to agree with me. This will be a close election. Two things, one, I really come at this with a sense of public service. This has been a ten month job interview for me, taking away from things I could have been doing. And quite a process for a job that, although $42,000 isn’t insignificant, it is less than I could be making doing other things. I feel the same way I felt when I left college and had some good opportunities but decided to go to Africa and work as a volunteer for free and when I left my private sector career in 2007 to go to Iraq, in the sense that there are things out there that are bigger than I am, there are problems I see and want to help.
Then what I want the voters to know is that even if they don’t vote for me I need their help if I do win. I do want to hear their ideas. This has been a contentious election and it’s a bigger government vs smaller government view. So I hope the people who don’t vote for me reach out with their ideas because the state is going to be facing a $4billion shortfall, we have a lot of challenges and it’s going to take all of us get it improved.
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