Christine Gregoire

From dKosopedia

Category: Washington Democrats

Governor of Washington as of January 12, 2005. Gregoire was the Attorney General from 1992 to 2004. As AG, she served as the lead negotiator for the multi-state tobacco settlement.

• Gregoire for Governor - main campaign site
• GregoireWatch - monitoring Gregoire's progress in the 2004 election vote tally

Prior to being Attorney General, served as director of the Washington Department of Ecology from 1988-92.

Endorsements for the 2004 election: EMILY’s List; Washington State National Organization for Women; Women’s Political Caucus; Washington Educators Association; Public School Employees of Washington; Service Employees International Union; International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 751; Washington Federation of State Employees; Washington Public Employees Association; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 77 and 191; Washington State Council of Firefighters; Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs; Fraternal Order of Police, Local 876; International Association of Firefighters; Spokane Valley Firefighters; Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union; International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302 and the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 8; Washington State Young Democrats; The King County Young Democrats; Washington Conservation Voters (dual primary endorsement); Washington NARAL (dual primary endorsement); Washington State Patrol Troupers Association; King County Democrats (dual primary endorsement).

Gregoire's proposals to jump-start Washington's economy seem more numerous, specific and creative than those of Rossi, generally. For instance, according to her website, she proposes a creating a billion dollar Life Sciences Discovery Fund, funded with bonus tobacco settlement and matching grants, that will "back research, seed new business, create jobs and create partnerships between the state, local economic development councils, ports, higher education, business and labor." She also proposes encouraging small business start-ups and expansion by raising the B&O threshold for any taxes due and offer pooled purchasing of health care insurance for employees.

She cites 430 current Washington state tax exemptions totaling more than $45 billion per biennium, which she would review in a "hard-nosed" way. However, many items of Gregoire's proposed program seem to be common-sense and somewhat general; for instance "identify regional economic engines and jump-start them to foster growth;" "stem the outsourcing of state jobs overseas to promote job creation at home;" "nurture small businesses;" "promote Washington agriculture;" and "sell Washington tourism."

Gregoire's endorsements as listed on the Seattle PI/League of Women Voters profile outnumbers Rossi's, though there is only one endorsement from an environmental organization (Washington Conservation Voters).

Neither Gregoire or Rossi support a state income tax. Both favor tort/medical malpractice reform, though there websites are notably short of hard details. There is a clear difference between the two regarding abortion: Gregoire is pro-choice; Rossi is not.

Gregoire received the endoresement of SEIU local 775 long-term health care union and their website states that Gregoire "spearheaded the campaign to hold the tobacco industry accountable and reduce public health costs. Millions of dollars from the tobacco settlement have gone to Washington’s Basic Health Plan and the Children's Health Insurance Program."

(Information courtesy Bleeding Hearts of Mercer Island)