Seven candidates for the 17th, 18th and 49th district seats debated the government’s role in turning around the economy during “A Get to Know the Candidates,” forum hosted by the Christian Chamber of Commerce of the Northwest this morning.
About 40 people were in attendance as Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, Dennis Kampe, Bill Cismar, Ann Rivers, Brian Peck and Paul Harris introduced themsleves and laid out policy positions on job growth, education and taxes.
The two-hour forum at Vancouver Christian High School cost $5. Moeller, an incumbent democrat, spent the morning defending the budget democrats passed that included about $800 million in taxes to help fill a $2.8 billion shortfall for the current biennium.
Three republicans vying for seats pledged to do things differently, promising to rein in spending rather than increase taxes.
