Question 1:What motivated you to run for mayor?
Buxbaum: Well, I care deeply about Olympia. I lived here for about thirty-five years. My own background professionally is community development and I think of it actually more a vocation at this point in my life than just simply a profession so it’s an opportunity to put my skills, background, and experience to work for my own community.
Question 2: Why do you believe you’re the best candidate to be Olympia’s next mayor?
Buxbaum: Well certainly because of my experience. I’ve helped communities throughout Washington state finance affordable housing, finance public facilities projects, and help small business create jobs in their own community. I’ve done that both statewide, and actually I started my career here in Olympia thirty plus years ago. One of my first projects was helping to promote and develop sustainable agriculture and in that capacity I helped organize and bring the Olympia Farmers’ Market to downtown. That’s one local example of the kind of things I believe are of value for a city to invest in. Given my background and experience in the area of community development I think I’m by far and away the most experienced candidate.
Question 3: As mayor what would be your top priorities and how would you accomplish change in these areas?
Buxbaum: Okay. Well, we have to pay attention to keeping our local businesses strong, so promoting commerce both in downtown Olympia and throughout the city is a top priority for me. Helping small local businesses and helping promote direct purchase from small businesses is going to help our economy become much more sustainable. I also think of Olympia as a city made up of neighborhoods. We have many diverse neighborhoods. I want to protect the character and quality of all our neighborhoods. And housing is also a top priority for me. One of our challenges, I think in the future, is promoting affordable housing and creating opportunities for transit-oriented housing. So expanding our transit system and placement of housing sort of work hand in hand.
Question 4: What are you going to do to address the economic crisis?
This question got missed during the interview, but we are working on contacting Buxbaum for his answer.
Question 5: What are your views on how individuals should be taxed, and the allocation of tax revenues?
Buxbaum: Well, at a city level, we have very limited control over how our tax system works. I think that our state has a very regressive tax system because its so heavily dependent on sales tax. One of the things I do hope to work on personally is moving us to a more progressive tax system. I personally favored and supported having an income tax for our wealthiest citizens. I think that was a modest first-step initiative that failed last year. [It] would have been a modest first step towards making our state system more progressive and less regressive.
Dick Pust
Question 1: What motivated you to run for mayor?
Pust: What motivated me to run for mayor is because I wanted to[unintelligible, machine error] in all my life, as a radio broadcaster. When that career ended there was an opportunity to run for mayor, and I knew I was qualified, and I’d like to serve Olympia in that manner.
Question 2: Why do you believe you are the best candidate to be Olympia’s next mayor?
Pust: Well, because I think I know Olympia better than anybody else. I was born here, raised here, spent my whole life involved in different public service activities and I know just about every single aspect there is to know about Olympia.
Question 3: As mayor what would be your top priorities and how would you accomplish change in these areas?
Pust: Well, my priority is economy. It’s a worldwide problem, and Olympia alone can’t swallow the problem, but Olympia can have a heart and make sure its number one priority involves attracting family-wage jobs for its citizens
Question 4: What are you going to do to address the economic crisis?
Pust: Well a good example would be having a friendly Olympia city staff. Recently just before the arts walk there was a business trying to open up downtown and was having a little trouble getting all its permits in order they wanted to be open in time for arts walk, and city staff helped them speed up the process and helped them open in time for arts walk, and I think that kind of cooperation needs to be expanded on and thats the kind of thing that helps local business downtown know they're wanted and supported by the city.
Question 5: What are your views on how individuals should be taxed, and the allocation of tax revenues?
Pust: As far as taxes go, this might not be a good time to raise taxes right now, sepecially utility taxes which hit the poor people the most. I know a lot of unemployed people, people just barely making it where even a ten dollar increase in their utility tax would be a hardship on them. I think taxes should be fairly distributed amongst all people, and those who can afford the most should pay their fair share.