In a letter sent today, the political directors of two local unions accuse 34th District candidate Mike Heavey of issuing "conflicting" statements about the economy in four different candidate evaluation forms he's filled out over the course of his campaign for the state house.
"Voters are tired of politicians who will say anything to get elected and we believe they deserve straight answers on these issues," write Karen Deal, of UFCW 21, and Larry Brown, of Machinists Lodge 751. "Simply pandering to organizations to secure their endorsement is not leadership—it’s playing politics with our future. We demand clear answers about where you stand on these issues."
What exactly are they demanding clear answers about? According to their letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Stranger, this is what they're demanding clear answers about:
Unemployment• Do you support “Expanding unemployment insurance” for working families, as you state on your website and told the Washington State Labor Council?
• Or do you “definitely oppose” expansion of unemployment benefits, as you told Enterprise Washington?
Creating Jobs• Do you believe that “keep[ing] taxes low” is the best way to create jobs, because the private sector “is where the jobs come from”, as you told the Association of Washington Business?
• Or do you support investments in infrastructure, education, and energy retrofits because “It is the responsibility of the state to create jobs”, as you told the AIA?
Heavey has not yet responded to a request for comment on the letter, but I'll update this post if and when he does respond. Meantime, Collin Jergens of the group FUSE Washington takes an additional swing, saying Heavey "isn't being straight with the voters of the 34th district about where he stands on important issues this election."
UPDATE: Heavey's police "fuck you" of a response.
