Rossi makes North Olympic Peninsula campaign appearance
By Tom Callis, Peninsula Daily News
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"We need to create an environment where small business owners have a shot at success," he said at the reception hosted by the North Peninsula Building Association at the Port Angeles Yacht Club.
Rossi said he came to Port Angeles to spread that message and encourage his supporters to vote in both the Aug. 19 primary election and the Nov. 4 general election.
"I made this decision to finish what we started," Rossi said to applause.
"I'm the poster boy for every vote counts."
Rossi expects a rematch against Gov. Chris Gregoire, who make appearances in Port Townsend, Port Angeles and Sequim earlier this week.
In 2004, Rossi led the race against Gregoire in the first two counts of votes for governor, but additional ballots were found, and Rossi lost by 129 votes in the third count.
"Everyone in this room knows 129 people," he said Thursday.
Rossi said 66 percent of his contributors are new to the campaign.
"They are kicking themselves" for not voting in the last election," he said.
Rossi's campaign has raised $6.2 million — which is more than it raised in 2004 — with an average contribution of $58.
Earlier in the day, Rossi met with Forks Mayor Nedra Reed, and toured the Forks Community Hospital and the Forks Timber Museum.
Reed said she talked to Rossi about health care problems, poverty and other issues often faced by residents of rural communities.
"It's important for this community to have someone come and listen to us, regardless of their political affiliation . . . and for people to have their voices heard no matter how small we are" Reed said.
"I left with the distinct impression that he would be back."
Cut benefits
Rossi said that to help towns like Forks and Port Angeles improve their economies, the state can do two things: reduce the payments of workers' compensation and unemployment benefits.
The state's benefits are some of the highest in the country, he said.
Cuts would allow businesses to hire more people and more new businesses to open.
"We don't need to make them the lowest in the country, but we can bring it to mid-level so we have a shot," he said.
He wants to see state taxes on businesses lowered.
That was a message that sat well with Morris James, owner of Hadlock Building Supply in Port Hadlock, who came to Port Angeles to show his support for Rossi.
"We are overtaxed, over regulated," James said.
"We are looking for a little relief."
Kevin Russell, building association president, said members of the group support Rossi because they believe that business owners are too heavily taxed for workers' compensation.
Russell said the state should provide tax relief for businesses that have a safe working environment, which he said Rossi supports.
Rossi also made promises to balance the budget.
"The big issue is lack of fiscal sanity," he said.
Rossi served as a state senator from 1997 to 2003 and is a former Senate budget chairman.
During his time in the senate, Rossi said he was the "architect of the most fiscally conservative budget" the state has seen in a long time.
"If I haven't done it before, I'd be terrified," he said, poking fun at the current state budget.
The Seattle Times recently reported that Gregoire's office had increased state spending by $8 billion during her term.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or by e-mail at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews. com.
Last modified: July 24. 2008 9:00PM