Statesman Journal mini-questionnaire for 2012 General Election Thank you for responding to this questionnaire, which is for

use by Statesman Journal Editorial Board members in evaluating candidates for potential endorsements in the Nov. 6 General Election. Your answers also will be shared with reporters and may be published in the print newspaper and on StatesmanJournal.com. If you completed our questionnaire for the primary season, youll notice that some requested information is similar. We ask you to provide it again in case any of your previous data or answers have changed. (If you cant find a copy of your previous answers, let us know and well gladly send one.) Please answer each question and return this questionnaire to the Editorial Board via email as an attached Word document. The boards email address: Salemed@StatesmanJournal.com Deadline for submitting your questionnaire: 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, or earlier.
Questions? Contact Editorial Page Editor Dick Hughes, 503-399-6727, dhughes@StatesmanJournal.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your name:

Kim Thatcher

Age: 47 (birthday Oct 30th)

(If your age will change before the Nov. 6 election, please indicate your birthday. We want to make sure we use accurate ages in editorials and news coverage. )

Political party (if this is a partisan office): Republican Position you are seeking (name of position, district number): Oregon House of Representatives
District 25

I plan to attend the editorial board meeting scheduled for: Wednesday Sept 26th 4 pm Number of years living in the area you seek to represent: 25 Do you affirm that you are a full-time resident of that area? Yes City/town of residence: Keizer Family (name of spouse/partner, number and ages of children if at home, number of grown children):
Karl Thatcher (husband), 4 children: Maret 26, Kelsey 23, Kristen 21, KJ 11, still at home.

Education: Oregon City High School Graduate, Portland State University, Brigham Young
University various academic course work, Instrument-rated pilot

Current occupation and employer: Owner of two small businesses; KT Contracting, a highway
contracting company, the other is Highway Specialties, an equipment rentals/sales business

Military service: none (but many family members with military background) Employment history: Business Owner, Entrepreneur, Construction Laborer, Equipment
Operator, Construction Projects Manager, Sales, Accounting, Computer Lab Technician, Software Developer, Construction Projects Manager, Equipment Operator, Bank Teller, Retail Sales, Homemaker.

Community involvement/volunteer history: Founder, Oregon Contractors Association; Volunteer

Test Proctor, Oregon Concrete & Aggregate Producers Assoc.; National Federation of Independent Businesses, Keizer Chamber of Commerce, Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Womens Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Women in Construction Salem Chapter, SMART Start Making a Reader Today volunteer, Barbara Roberts High School Mentor Program, Habitat for Humanity, March of Dimes, Haven House for Battered Women, Arthritis Foundation, John Wayne Cancer Society, Keizer Young Life, Cub/Boy Scouts of America, Soroptimist Club of Keizer, Church volunteer positions: Pianist; Family & Adoption Services; Primary Teacher; Sunday School Teacher; Nursery Teacher, Assistant Librarian; Cabin Mom for Girls Camp.

Please list all public offices to which youve been elected, and when: State Representative 2004 Please list any unsuccessful candidacies for public office, and when: none Other prior political and government experience: none How much your general election campaign will cost: $15-20,000 estimated Key endorsements you have received: National Federation of Independent Business/Oregon,
Associated Oregon Industries, Stand for Children Oregon, Taxpayer Association of Oregon, Oregon Farm Bureau Federation, Oregonians for Food & Shelter, Oregon Cattle PAC, Oregon Anti-Crime Alliance PAC, Oregon Chiefs of Police Association, Sheriffs of Oregon, Oregon Firearms Federation, National Rifle Association-Political Victory Fund, Oregon Right to Life PAC

How the public can reach your campaign (remember that this information may be published): Mail address: P.O. Box 9111, Salem, OR 97305 E-mail address: kim@kimthatcher.com Web site URL: www.kimthatcher.com

Phone: 503.932.1291 Fax: Please limit your response to each of the following questions to about 75 words but be specific. 1. Have you ever been convicted of a crime, been disciplined by a professional licensing board/organization or had an ethics violation filed against you? If so, please give the details.
No

2. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy, been delinquent on your taxes or other major accounts, or been sued personally or professionally? If so, please give the details.
A labor union sued KT Contracting in 2006 after their audit indicated incorrect calculation of benefits. KT bought another company, K-M Traffic Services three years earlier and later discovered the benefits had been miscalculated prior to KTs ownership and after we took control. Even though we were not at fault for the problems before we purchased K-M we agreed to cover the all the costs involved in an out-of-court settlement.

3. Why should people vote for you? What separates you from your opponent(s)?
Ive tried to build a reputation as a watchdog for taxpayers and an advocate for small businesses. Ive pushed several government accountability measures, from additional auditing to the Oregon Transparency website, so we spend scare state resources as wisely as possible. As a small business owner I know how unnecessary government regulations and taxation can hurt job growth in the private sector and Ive worked on changes at the Capitol to improve our business climate.

4. What are the three most important issues you would address if elected? How? (75 words for each
issue)

A. Making Oregon a friendlier place to do business by putting out a four-sided "welcome mat" of sane regulations, expanded economic freedom, reasonable taxation, and prioritized, controlled government spending. I have sponsored many bills related to this including a law which requires state agencies to consider private sector costs of administrative rules. Im also proposing a business ombudsman to help companies navigate problems with state programs and agencies. B. Making better use of the limited funds in state government by ensuring we are prioritizing spending, doing so with transparency and in the most efficient way possible. As CoChair of the Audits and I.T. Committee an in my role on the legislatures budget committee I have pushed for more accountability with better auditing laws, legislation to prioritize the state budget, and enhancing the Oregon Transparency Website which I also spearheaded.

C. Enhancing the integrity of Oregons elections process. Ive been working hard to make a simple change in state law to require anyone registering to vote for the first time in Oregon to meet the same identification requirements as in federal law. There is no requirement for ID in current Oregon law for a person to register to vote in local or state elections. We can copy federal ID rules and make state law consistent.

5. What do you see as other important issues?

In general, the rising cost of PERS, reducing the cost of state subsidized health care, changes to help all student succeed in school, maintaining tough penalties for violent offenders and funding for our public safety system. My other priorities include sensible immigration reform, supporting gun rights, more transparency in government services and accountability for economic development tax incentives.

6. How would you describe your political style or for judicial candidates, your judicial temperament?
Trying to take a common sense approach to issues. Looking at how a change in state policy impacts the average family or business. I try to learn how differing sides see an issue, the pros and cons, before making a decision. I have worked with several members from the other party on important issues and dont always vote the same way as others Republicans at the Capitol.

7. If you are an incumbent, what have you achieved during your current term? If you are not an incumbent, how have you prepared yourself for this position?
During this last two years I have drafted and gotten passed significant legislation to protect the privacy of Concealed Handgun License Holders, increase penalties for first time drunk driving offenders, enhance audits of school district spending (WESD), require better transparency for economic development tax breaks and public meeting notices, initiate a business ombudsman program, and worked on several other key issues.

8. What is the largest budget you have handled, and in what capacity?
$59 billion all funds 2011-13 biennial budget for the State of Oregon as a member of the Joint Ways and Means Committee

9. What is the largest number of employees youve supervised, and in what capacity?
150 as the owner or KT Contracting and Highway Specialties

10. Who is your role model for this office the person/people you would most like to emulate?
I dont really have one role model. Im sure there are many people over the years I look to as providing guidance. I really admired the leadership provided by Lynn Snodgrass

when she was House Speaker during difficult economic times as well as the leadership we now have with Co-Speaker Bruce Hanna.

11. Any skeletons in your closet or other potentially embarrassing information that you want to disclose before it comes up in the campaign?
Only if a lawsuit one of my businesses filed against the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is a skeleton. The company sued ODOT for, in simple terms, tortuous acts and non-payment. In the end David gave up to Goliath and the case was dropped. There was never a hint that I was involved in anything mischievous. However, these are my companies and the buck stops here.

12. As a public official, your views on public issues are relevant to voters and potential constituents. Please indicate whether you support or oppose each of these statewide measures on the Nov. 6 ballot. (This question does not apply to judicial candidates.) Measure 77, catastrophic disaster Measure 78, separation of powers Measure 79, real estate transfer taxes Measure 80, marijuana legalization Measure 81, gillnetting ban Measure 82, allows private casinos Measure 83, authorizes Wood Village casino Measure 84, eliminates inheritance tax Measure 85 shifts corporate kicker to K-12 schools Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No

Thank you. Again, please submit your questionnaire as an attached Word document to Salemed@StatesmanJournal.com no later than 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2012.