Valley Activist Joins County Race
Spokane Valley political activist Kate McCaslin declared in 1992 that she had no interest in public office.
Then, she said, came four more years of County Commissioner Steve Hasson.
McCaslin, 38, the ex-wife of state Sen. Bob McCaslin, announced her candidacy for Hasson’s seat Tuesday during a news conference at the county fairgrounds.
She will face the controversial Hasson and sheriff’s Capt. Don Manning in the Republican primary. Former County Engineer Ron Hormann is the lone Democrat to announce for the District 2 seat.
“What I think is not nearly as important as what I hear others saying in the community,” McCaslin said. “Steve, like all of us, has his good points and his bad points.
“But he’s lost the respect from most of his constituents because of the way he conducts himself.”
Hasson is seeking his third term. McCaslin pointed to a number of Hassonisms that she said have detracted from his office.
After narrowly winning re-election in 1992, Hasson jumped out of his ground-floor courthouse window and ran from reporters.
Since then, he has testified in court on behalf of a crack house because he said it sold the city’s best cornbread after midnight and told a magazine that Spokane is a cultural wasteland.
Hasson also berated a Boy Scout for painting aquifer-protection labels on storm drains as part of an Eagle Scout project. Hasson protested that county rights of way were not billboards. He later apologized to the boy.
“If he (Hasson) was getting better, I wouldn’t be running,” said McCaslin, who owns DMC, a small firm that specializes in government affairs and political consulting.
McCaslin was born in Wyoming but has spent nearly 30 years in the Spokane Valley. She is a graduate of Washington State University.
“I like Kate,” Hasson said. “I think she’s going to be a worthy opponent and I wish her well.”
Hasson said his campaign strategy will be “just work hard and don’t look back and may the best person win.”
McCaslin said taxpayers need a commissioner with a business background and the know-how to balance a budget, especially when the budget is closing in on $200 million.
Her priority will be to cut spending and taxes.
McCaslin said the county budget has increased 91 percent since 1989 and is ripe for a good trimming.
“That’s a huge increase in seven years. Inflation didn’t go up 91 percent. We need to see how every tax dollar is spent.”
McCaslin said if elected she also will work to ensure growth-management laws are not onerous on private property owners.
“It’s a basic constitutional right, like freedom of speech,” the self-described conservative said. “As such, we need to protect it carefully.”
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo