2006 Candidate Questionnaire

 

SECTION I               

 

BASIC CANDIDATE INFORMATION

 

1.      Name as it will appear on the ballot

 

First Name

Middle Initial or Nick Name

Last Name

Karen

L.

Keiser

 

2.   Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):

 

     State Senate, 33rd Legislative District

 

3.   Are you the incumbent?               Xx  Yes             No

 

 

4.   How long have you resided in this district/city?

 

25 years

 

 

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

 

26 years

 

6.   Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan?        x  Partisan         Nonpartisan         

                                                                                                                       

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:  Dem.

 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

 

 

Campaign Name:

 

Friends of Karen Keiser

 

Address:

 

25657 Marine View Dr. S.

 

City/State/Zip:

 

Des Moines, Wa.  98198

 

Campaign Phone:

 

253-941-3658

 

 

Campaign Fax:

 

n/a

 

 

Campaign E-mail:

 

karenkeiser@comcast.net

 

 

Campaign Website:

 

www.karenkeiser.com

 

 

POLITICAL BACKGROUND

 

1.   Beginning with the most recent position, please list public offices which you have held.  Include positions on appointive Boards or Commissions.

 

Public Office

Elective or Appointive?

Dates Held

Leadership Role (if any)

State Senator

 

Elective

 

2002-2006

 

Chair, Caucus Policy Committee, Chair Health Care Committee, Chair Caucus Campaign Committee

 

State Representative

 

Elective

 

1995-2002

 

Leadership team message development committee

 

Trustee, Highline Community College Board of Trustees

 

Appointive

 

1990-1996

 

Chair, rotating

 

 

2.   If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:

 

Office Title

Year of Run

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

 1,        In a page or less, why are you running for this office?  (Note the interview committee will be given a copy of this statement before your interview, at the beginning of your interview you will have the opportunity to expand on this statement in any way you wish.)

 

I am running for re-election to the office of state senator from the 33rd district because my experience and record shows that I am an effective lawmaker for my district, and because I have many more goals to achieve to make our state a better place for our citizens.

 

I want to return to Olympia to make real progress in health care reform.  As chair of the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee, I have helped pass into law several important health care bills, including the new Small Business  Health Care Partnership, the bill directing our public health departments to prepare for a potential pandemic flu outbreak, a breast and cervical cancer screening program for low-income women  and a bill to require schools to allow students to carry their asthma inhalers in class.     

 

Now we need to step forward and ensure that all children receive decent health care services, and we need to reform our current health care system to make affordable health care insurance available to everyone.  This will be a titanic legislative battle, and we will need to have experienced effective lawmakers in office to accomplish real change in our health care system.  We must change, because the current system is no longer sustainable.

 

As a member of the Goveror’s Long Term Care Task Force, I am also interested in creating a secure and affordable system of care for seniors and the disabled who need it.  We have made good progress in providing home health care services, and family home services for seniors and the disabled, but we can achieve even better outcomes for maintaining the quality of life for seniors.  We must also develop an efficient, responsible way to finance these services.  As the chair of the Task Force’s financing subcommittee, I am working with stakeholders from all levels of long term care and from throughout the state to provide options for the future financing of this system of long term care.

 

Finally, I have made it a personal goal to achieve policies in our state that help working families achieve a better balance between the demands of the workplace and the needs of their families.  I was the prime sponsor of the Family Care Act that allows employees to use their own earned sick leave to care for ill family members.  I was also the prime sponsor of the state’s Family and Medical Leave Act that ensures that federal efforts to weaken this job protection will not hurt Washington’s working families. 

 

These are just some of the reasons why I want to return to Olympia and continue to represent the wonderful citizens of the 33rd District.  My district is made up of hard-working families, some who are very comfortable and many who are struggling to make ends meet.  We have a large population of retired seniors living in retirement communities and in their homes, and we also have a large population of newly arrived immigrants working hard to achieve a toehold in our economy.   I work hard to understand the needs and goals of my communities, and believe that I do a good job of representing them in the state legislature. 

 

 

  1. Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.

 

I am a curious person, and have always asked “why not?”  Being curious means that you have an inquiring mind, and are open to new information even if it doesn’t fit your preconceived world view.  That is why my education and first career was as a journalist.  One of my other fundamental characteristics is persistence.  I do not give up easily, and work on problems to solve them.  In the slow, difficult legislative process, persistence pays off over time with real achievements. 

Finally, I am able to relate to people from all backgrounds and perspectives, and find their opinions worth considering.  I’ve learned that I don’t have all the answers, and that I can learn a lot from people with different political persuasions.  We achieve real long term progress when we are able to find ways to negotiate agreements that will stand the test of time.

 

 

  1. Please describe in sufficient detail, one to three accomplishments or contributions of which you are most proud.  These examples should illustrate effective skills and capabilities you think apply to the office you are seeking.  These accomplishments may have occurred at any time in your personal, professional or public life.

 

Being a parent of three children has given me tremendous life skills that are incredibly useful in the state legislature.  My three children are also my proudest accomplishment, and I am terribly proud of them.  They are kind, considerate, generous and smart.  They have made mistakes and learned from them, and I enjoy them beyond compare.  Being the single parent of three teenagers was a big challenge for me personally and I believe that working through those difficult times with my children has made us all stronger and better people.

 

I am also very proud of my legislative record and believe that my work in Olympia has made a difference in the lives of many people in our state.  From family leave to education initiatives such as the math helping corps and financial literacy to predatory lending legislation that protects consumers, my accomplishments in the legislature have been substantial and the policies I’ve put in place have helped people in large and small ways. 

 

I am also proud of my 20-plus year career in journalism and communications.  I worked hard to “tell the story” so that people would be able to understand not only what was happening but also understand the “why.”  When I studied for my Master’s Degree in journalism, we were taught not only the 5 “w’s”—who, what, where, when and why, but also how to look into where the real power was in a conflict, by “following the money.”  Those professional skills have also been invaluable as a lawmaker.

 

  1. Please list or describe your current and past activities in the community in which you have acquired skills that relate to the office you seek.  Include your role in the activity and the year(s)in which you were involved.  Involvement consists of many areas such as family, neighborhood, community, employment or public life.

 

When my children were in elementary school, I joined the PTA, and became active as a supporter of the school and of public education.  I served as Legislative Chair and that was a good way to connect my personal commitment to a larger public purpose. 

 

In my work as communications director for the Washington State Labor Council, I was involved in just about every major labor issue in the state, from on-the-job accidents, major layoffs and plant closures, strikes and disputes to contract issues such as health care and retirement pensions.  All of these events and issues are in some way played out in the legislature through public policies on workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, and health care and pension policy.  Working with both the private sector and public sector unions helped me better understand the different impacts policies have on different groups.

 

I was appointed Trustee for Highline Community College and served two terms on the Board of HCC.  My work included presiding as president and as a board member.  I found this public service to be the most gratifying because the community college serves an extremely diverse student body that includes many immigrants and dislocated workers who are older students, as well as the recent high school graduate.  The campus was a place where a real sense of opportunity and optimism abounded, and it was wonderful to be able to share that positive energy with the students.    

 

I currently serve on the Board of Judson Park Retirement Community in Des Moines.  Serving on the board of a non-profit nursing home and continuing care retirement center gives me a better understanding of how our state’s policies on long term care are actually implemented and understood.  I also find meeting and talking with the residents a good “reality check” on my understanding of how people’s lives are affected by what we do in Olympia. 

 

 

5.         Please describe the duties of the office you seek. Which are the most important duties and why?

           

The most important duty of a state senator is to be responsive to your constituents.  Your service is to represent them, not only in public policy debates, but also as an advocate with state and federal agencies.   You should be available to hear from constituents and you have a duty to respect their concerns and priorities. 

 

You also have a duty to the entire state, to determine to the best of your ability, what would be the best policy for the most people of the state.   Sometimes you must weigh the consequences and balance competing interests between the district and the state. 

 

As a committee chair, you also have a duty to preside in a fair and balanced manner over public hearings and make every effort to keep the debates civil and productive.  Open public meetings and full disclosure of information are also important duties of legislative work.

 

Finally, as an elected official, you have a duty to be available and involved in your community.  You must take the time to visit your local schools, hospitals, nursing homes adult family homes and group homes.  It’s also an important duty to stay in touch with your local business community and labor community and be alert to your local economy and job market.  By being responsive to and involved in your district you are better able to represent the needs and goals of your constituents.   That is the fundamental duty of every state lawmaker. 

 

 

Education Background Summary:    

 

University of California, M.A. in Journalism, B.A. in Political Science

Member of Phi Beta Kappa

Harvard University, JFK School of Government Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government

Center for Women Policy Studies Foreign Policy Institute for State Legislators

Flemming Fellow, Center for Policy Alternatives

 

 

Civic Involvement Summary:

 

Member of the Board, Judson Park Retirement Commuity in Des Moines. 

Member of the Economic Opportunity Institute Board of Directors

Member of Grace Lutheran Church and Grace Choir

Member of American Federation of Television and Radio Artists