Candidate Profile: John Stafford For State Rep. District 37

WASHINGTON — The 2020 election is heating up in Washington and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Eyes are primarily focused on the presidential election, but voters will also decide the outcome of state representative and senate seats.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

John Stafford, a Seattle resident is running for State Representative District 37 Position 1.

Age: 58
Party affiliation: Democratic Party
Family:I am single, and do not have children.
Occupation:High School History Teacher (20 Years Experience as Teacher).
Previous elected experience:None.
Family members in government:My oldest sister worked for the U.S. Army (and still does some contract work).
Campaign website: https://staffordforstaterepres...

The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Tax reform (discussed here) and climate change (discussed below). Washington State has the most regressive tax system in the entire country. Our lowest income 20% of residents pay 17.8% of their income in state and local taxes; our highest income 1% of residents pay 3% of their income in state and local taxes. This is exactly backwards. We desperately need new, progressive taxation in Washington State. I support the introduction of a capital gains tax.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I will cite four differences between me and the incumbent. First, climate change is one of four top priorities of my campaign. I seek to be a climate champion in the Washington State Legislature. My opponent rarely sponsors climate change legislation or speaks on the importance of addressing this crisis. Second, Washington State needs a new source of progressive taxation now. My opponent has been in office for 22 years, and has not made this happen (despite being a part of a majority caucus in almost every year). Third, my opponent has sponsored legislation (which did not pass) to relax the restrictions on payday lenders in Washington State, enabling them to earn up to 225% in returns (in interest and fees) on loans to low-income individuals. I consider this to be entirely inappropriate, and especially so in the 37th Legislative District, which has a high percentage lower-income residents.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I am highly involved in my community, where I am a 20-year resident. I am on the Executive-Board of the 37th District Democrats (and have been for five years). I serve as a PCO. I am involved with three climate change advocacy organizations: I am on the Steering Committee for the South Seattle Climate Action Network (SSCAN); I am the Treasurer for the Environment and Climate Caucus of the Washington State Democratic Party; I am a member of the 37th Legislative District Environment and Climate Caucus. I have written over 40 articles on public policy for the South Seattle Emerald. I have also had two careers -- as a management consultant in business strategy for over a decade, and as an educator for 20 years (I worked as a substitute teacher for Seattle Public Schools, during which time I worked in nearly every school in the district, and I now teach history at Mercer Island High School). I have a B.A. in history and two master's degrees -- one in teaching and one in history. I believe the breadth of my background will enable me to effectively handle the challenges and responsibilities of this position.

What steps should state government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses?

Washington State operates the "Shared Work" program. This program provides funding to companies in financial stress in order to enable them to retain their employees on their payroll rather than laying them off (the state pays part of the employee's compensation and the company pay's the remainder). This program is essential to helping businesses survive during the pandemic. I also favor rent relief and eviction protection for small businesses (in addition to residents) in financial distress. Finally, the state must continue to offer extended unemployment benefits and work training programs for individuals that do lose their jobs, to assist them in their efforts to obtain new employment.

How will you address the calls for racial justice and police reform?

I support a restructuring of police departments, but this process should be driven by an analytic process rather than the establishment of arbitrary targets (e.g., reducing the police by 50%). The most promising technique to accomplish this is the analysis of 911 calls, to determine which calls require a police response, and which calls can be handled by mental health workers and/or social workers and/or paramedics. This will lead to the possibility of reducing the size of the police force, and using the released funds to support community service organizations. I also support a number of police reforms, including: banning certain procedures (such as choke-holds and the use of tear gas against peaceful protesters); banning the transfer of military technology from the federal government to local police departments; removing stationed police officer in public schools; increased anti-bias, de-escalation and crisis intervention training, etc.). In addition, I support a number of reforms to the criminal justice system, including the increased use of diversion courts (to enable individuals to receive counselling for low-level crimes and thereby avoid incarceration), an increased emphasis on rehabilitation, re-entry and work-release programs, the restoration of voting rights for ex-felons, etc.). Finally, it is imperative for society to address the underlying inequities that give rise to many of our problems of racial injustice. In Seattle Public Schools, for example, 83% of Black students are on free-and-reduced lunch programs, whereas the figure for white students is 9%. These types of disparities must be addressed. I support "Community Investment Schools", which requires higher per pupil funding levels for schools with a high level of students on free and reduced lunch programs.

How do you think Washington should address the threat posed by Climate Change?

Climate change is an imminent and existential threat that must be addressed immediately. In the upcoming session, I support high impact, low-cost solutions. These include the following: (1) Declaration of a climate emergency in Washington State; (2) Pass the Clean Fuels Act (calling for transportation fuels to have a lower carbon content); (3) Pass the Healthy Environment for All Act (calling for a "Just Transition" that recognizes that climate change disproportionately impacts lower-income communities and people of color); (4) Ban the sale of new internal combustion vehicles in Washington State starting in 2030; (5) Institute mandatory climate change curriculum in the state's K-12 schools statewide (patterned off of the recently passed legislation in New Jersey); (6) Implement a carbon tax in Washington State.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

I have four campaign priorities. One of these is to avoid austerity in the upcoming budget negotiations in Olympia. We confront a $4.2 billion revenue shortfall in Olympia. It is imperative to address this via tapping into the rainy day fund, instituting new progressive taxation and a hiring freeze. We must avoid painful cuts to social programs (which was the approach used in the aftermath of the Great Recession, to disastrous effect). My other three priorities are to address the imminent threat of climate change, to institute a new source of progressive taxation in Washington State (I support a capital gains tax), and to meaningfully deal with the demands for racial justice. I have addressed each of these latter three priorities elsewhere.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Our era is confronted by multiple crises. These crises demand a structural response. My campaign slogan is, "Bold Structural Change; Not Just Incremental Reforms." I am a highly-informed, substantive and progressive candidate. I encourage readers to visit my campaign website (staffordforstaterepresentative.org) for more information.