Darcy Burner excites me.
In our state where we get the kind of legislators we pay for, she is a real bargain.
Darcy is running in District 5 as a rational, realistic candidate against a scion of the GOP establishment, Paul Graves. Mr. Graves seems like a reasonable guy except that, like most Republicans, he is afflicted by a party whose core is now so corrupt that even good people can not get things done. As a law partner in one of the states large law firms, Perkins Coie LLP, I have no doubt he is qualified. However, as a Republican he has no choice but to vote in block with the Trump wing of his party. Beyond that, I am concerned about a conflict of interest. As a corporate attorney, Mr. Graves advises our state’s most established businesses. At $42,000 his state salary will be a small part of his pay. How can he vote on issues like taxes or environment that effect the corporations?
I do worry that our fictitious “part time” legislature attracts people who depend on their employers for a real income. Frankly, as a highly educated scientist, I am often frustrated by the low level of education exhibited by many of our legislators. While I imagine that Paul Graves is talented attorney, my world is bigger than the law .. I live in the amazing word of 21st century science that drives so much of the issues facing our legislature .. from the environment to how to keep a university that can attract great faculty to our state. Getting things done requires more than being part of any establishment. It means having the intelligence, education and leadership talents that are rarely seen in politicians who do not have corporate sponsors but are willing to work for $42,000/year.
Darcy Burner , with her high level of education, experience at Microsoft, work as a small business woman, and involvement in local politics has skills that are almost unimaginable at this price. At $42.00o s a bargain.
Darcy Burner represents someone very different than the traditional rough edged labor leader or ward healer on the past or even the great heroes of the civil rights era. She represents the new force in our society, the knowledge worker and, in her case, someone willing to put those abilities to our service for a meager salary.
Coming out of the tech and business worlds, she combines the high sense of realism needed to make a company like Microsoft work with the social sense that underlies our shared need to prosper. I want to be clear that I have at times disagreed with Darcy on issues, I have no doubt we will disagree in the future but I know that I will be able to respect and learn from her well thought out ideas.