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December 4, 2011 in City
Teachers union backs Inslee for governor
SEATTLE – The state’s largest teachers union endorsed U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee for governor after Attorney General Rob McKenna backed out of plans to speak to the organization’s leadership on Saturday.
Washington Education Association President Mary Lindquist said the union, which was expected to endorse the Democratic legislator, decided to formally recommend him to its members after hearing his concerns about state budget cuts and their impact on education.
“He cares deeply about the children of our state. We’re very happy with what he heard from him today,” Lindquist said. “We believe he’s the kind of governor the state needs.”
At a meeting at the union’s headquarters in Federal Way, Inslee spoke of schools he had visited, teachers and students he had met and demonstrated his knowledge of education issues, she said.
WEA members were disappointed McKenna decided not to share his opinions on education with the group, Lindquist said.
“The teachers here wondered why he wasn’t here. They were speculating that he was afraid to meet with us,” or that education was not one of his priorities, Lindquist said.
McKenna’s campaign manager, Randy Pepple, said the attorney general decided not to attend the WEA endorsement interview because he didn’t expect to have a fair hearing with people who were interested in hearing his point of view.
“It became very apparent yesterday that the WEA was turning today into ‘Celebrating the Endorsement of Congressman Inslee Day,’ ” Pepple said Saturday.
Lindquist said the WEA changed the date of its candidate interviews after McKenna said he had a conflict with the original Nov. 12 date. His campaign called the union on Friday afternoon to cancel his interview with the WEA-PAC Board. The union said he also refused to answer written questions about public education.
About 60 educators from around the state traveled to Federal Way for the interviews.
McKenna’s website outlines his education plan, which calls for more dollars for schools, and a focus on improving the high school graduation rate, and eliminating the achievement gap among children from different ethnic groups. He called for more focus on early learning and extra help for struggling students.
Most, but not all, of McKenna’s education platform mirrors the union’s point of view, but Pepple said McKenna is much more interested in education reform than Inslee.
Inslee also lists education as a priority on his campaign website. He has said he would oppose any further cuts in dollars going to the classroom, wants to focus on early learning and science and math education, would like to see more innovative schools and wants to work on dropout prevention.
© Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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terryalan on December 04 at 7:33 a.m.
With the attempts nation wide by Republican Governors to union-bust, why WOULD the teacher’s union trust and endorse McKenna?
So, has McKenna signed Grover Nordquist’s “Pledge” to destroy America?
I cannot for the life of me fathom why Republicans would allow one lobbyist to control their entire party??? No wonder we have congressional gridlock. WHO is backing this guy financially?
Scary S#it…..
Dazzeetrader11 on December 04 at 8:00 p.m.
Sorry but a vote for Inslee is a vote for Gregoire with short hair. It’s impossible to rid the sate of debt if the teachers unions…and most public unions continue to rape the state in the name of “just business”.
This is exactly why the unions support Dems…bribery. And the citizens pay the frieght. Just bribery. A full generation of losers. A generation of losers to keep the Dem libs in business…both partys know it.
The Pubs have very little to do with this. The Debt in Wa St has been generated in 25 years of Democrat rule…a generation. ANd the debt will increase unless the Dems are sent to California…….which is where they’d meet another bankrupt Democratic St.
Vote for McKenna or the state is lost for another generation….if it’s still here.
DickAdams on December 04 at 11:10 p.m.
Inslee has the same reckless spending habits as Gregoire, and would bankrupt the state. nuf said.
gotcha on December 05 at 8:46 a.m.
I can remember when teachers were the rock of our community. Highly thought of and respected. I now look around and see anger and very little support for teachers by the public. What has changed? In my opinion the Unions have managed to take a rock solid pillar of our community and furnished them with a badge of entitlement that has tarnised their immage. More money, more benifits, less work, better working conditions constantly, all the while buying politicans like its a blue light special at Kmart. It is time we strike these Unions with a severe blow. Our society is becoming a community of Greed, entitlement, and corruption.
Dazzeetrader11 on December 05 at 10:35 a.m.
nice post Gotcha…very nice summation of what’s happened over the years.
WillyPeter on December 06 at 6:42 a.m.
So funny…the WEA would never support a Republican in our state. And we all know it. Why in the world would anyone be surprised that a Republican candidate would choose not to speak to what we all know would be a ‘hostile’ audience?
If Dennis Kucinich was now running against Dan Evans or Slade Gorton…, the WEA would endorse Kucinich. And, again, we all know it. Amazin’ that we continue to demagogue well known stuff like this.
Do Washingtonians really think that we now need the King County candidate who would be the most liberal/progressive governor to ever occupy Olympia’s top-dog dais??? ‘Specially when considering what has happened to our state during the Dem’s rule the last eight years.
When knowing that our choice can be to elect a popular, highly respected, moderately conservative AG?