PowerPlayers

So what do you get when you send a Chinese lawyer and a black preacher to Washington, D.C.?

It’s too soon to tell. But Washington state has high hopes that the answer involves dollar signs and lots and lots of zeroes. This year, for the first time in decades, we find ourselves with some major influence in that Other Washington; card-carrying Northwesterners have been appointed to key jobs in the Obama administration.

The headliner is former Gov. Gary Locke, who has taken over as secretary of Commerce, a position in which he will hold sway over federal business including ocean sciences, commercial fisheries, international trade and next year’s national census.

Former King County Executive Ron Sims was tapped for deputy secretary at Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where he will run the department and have considerable say in issues such as mortgage foreclosures, low-income housing and energy conservation.

The list goes on. Former Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske is the president’s new drug czar, heading up the Office of National Drug Control Policy. He promptly suggested tossing the term “war on drugs” and focusing more on treatment and prevention than incarceration. Richard Stearns, former president of Federal Way-based World Vision, heads the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. And former University of Washington Professor Paul Miller has been advising the president on appointments and discrimination law.

It’s been a generation since the region has enjoyed such influence. In the 1960s and ’70s, Democratic Sens. Warren Magnuson and Henry Jackson were among the nation’s most powerful legislators, seeding the federal bureaucracy with former staffers, helping to steer untold billions of dollars to Washington’s cities, universities, hospitals and corporations. 

That ended when Ronald Reagan swept the 1980 election and Magnuson was voted out of office, followed in 1983 by Jackson’s death. Remaining Democrats lost much of their influence as Republicans cut dollars from the budget, and Demos from the deliberations.

Now Washington state is back, with key congressional figures and federal appointees. Suddenly finding itself with considerable clout is our Congressional delegation, which includes Sen. Patty Murray, chair of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development subcommittee on Appropriations; Sen. Maria Cantwell, chair of the Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee; and Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Bremerton), third in seniority on the House Appropriations Committee and chair of the subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.

Sims and Locke both attribute their appointments to a regional reputation for efficient and innovative government. And both are career public servants who have run big, complicated governments.

But Washington’s comeback has more to do with a couple of other factors—partisanship and biography.

Back in the ’60s and ’70s, Washington was a two-party state with Republicans and Democrats in statewide offices. These days, the state has become a Democratic bastion where, with a few exceptions, Republicans need not apply.

But the Obama appointments bring something more important to his administration. In Locke and Sims, Obama has picked two ethnic minorities with contemporary American life stories much like his own. Locke is a third generation Chinese-American. Raised in low-income housing at Seattle’s Yesler Terrace, Locke worked in his father’s grocery store, graduated from Franklin High School and went on to excel at Yale and Boston University School of Law.

In 25 years of public service, he served as a King County deputy prosecutor, state legislator from southeast Seattle, King County executive and two-term governor.  His reputation is that of a straight-arrow moderate who was frequently at odds with both parties: Republicans thought he spent too much money and Democrats grumbled that he didn’t spend enough. But he won high marks from voters, who elected him twice by wide margins.

Locke also is often portrayed as a hard-working, principled—but somewhat colorless—politician of color. Not so among economic leaders in China, where his high status no doubt had something to do with his commerce appointment.

Sims, on the other hand, is known as a warm and charismatic figure, an ordained Baptist minister who helped to transform King County into one of the nation’s largest regional governments. He was raised in Spokane by parents who were civil-rights activists and made their mark on an overwhelmingly white Western town. He was the student body president at Central Washington University, launching a public-service career that took him to the state Senate staff, the King County Council, and finally to the executive’s office for the past 12 years.

While Sims has never held statewide office, he’s a familiar political face, due in large part to his unsuccessful campaigns for governor and the U.S. Senate. When he’s in the mood, he can deliver a political speech with all the podium-pounding fervor of a Southern preacher. But he’s best known for his extraordinary personal skills and social commitment. He has remained a faithful volunteer, whether it’s walking the streets at night to serve homeless people, tutoring inner-city kids, or coaching youth sports at Rainier Playfield.

These qualities must have played a role when President Obama filled his Cabinet posts, seeking not just political skills, but personalities and life stories that reinforce his concept of an inclusive American Dream.

Recently, as they made the transition to their new jobs, Locke and Sims spoke with L&P.

Gary Locke hopes to grow gardenias—and trade—in D.C.

How did your appointment take place? Was commerce your choice?
It was my first choice. When I met with President-elect Obama in November, we talked about a variety of positions. I mentioned commerce, but he pushed back and wanted to talk about other positions. Later in the conversation, I brought commerce back up, and Obama said I was a persistent salesman. That’s the way we left it. Later, when [Republican Sen.] Judd Gregg withdrew from the process, I got a call within a few hours, asking if I was still interested in commerce. And I was.

So are you living in D.C.?
For now, I’m living in a furnished apartment in Northwest D.C. The family will move out later this summer.

Have your kids met President Obama’s?
Yes, they’re fairly close in age. Emily just turned 12, and is in the sixth grade at Washington Middle School. Dylan is in the fourth grade. At the announcement of my appointment, Mona [Locke’s wife] and I were talking with Joe Biden about the kids, and it turns out that our kids and the president’s and Biden’s grandkids are all about the same age, so we’re looking forward to some playdates at the White House.  

Are you learning your way around D.C?
Not really. I rarely leave the office before 8 at night. It’s one meeting after another. But I’m looking forward to when Mona and the kids are here, and I’ll make time to spend with the family. I grow orchids in Seattle, and I hope I can get them blooming here. And I want to try gardenias.

How is it that Obama appointed all these people from Seattle?
We should be very flattered and proud to have such high-quality people in public service. And I think we’ll see more Seattle people being tapped. We think of ourselves as living in the far corner of the nation, doing our own thing; but, quite frankly, the way we do things in the Pacific Northwest tends to be innovative and effective. And that is getting lots of attention.

What special qualities do you bring to the administration?  
Well, I’ve done a lot of work advocating for Washington state companies. My job has been to help them overcome barriers, to get government approvals. I think the Department of Commerce is a natural extension of that advocacy. And I’m a manager. When I was governor, Washington consistently rated among the top three to five states for effectiveness and efficiency. And we were proclaimed the most digital government in America. People know me as one who focuses on efficiency and effectiveness, and that’s what the president wanted. And, as noted by the Republican members of the Commerce Committee during my confirmation hearing, I have a reputation for working across party lines to get things done.

Some Democrats criticize you for being too pro-business?
Yes. In times like these, more than ever, we need to find ways to help businesses grow and create jobs. If business is strong, we get good family-wage jobs, more people paying taxes, better schools, better law enforcement, and fire protection and parks. We get strong communities.

Your experience with the Chinese must have weighed heavily in your appointment?
Right from the start, the president said he wanted me to be part of the team that interacts with China. They want me to work closely with the State and Treasury Departments on diplomatic and economic issues as well as trade issues.

And what about all that money we owe the Chinese?
Obviously, the deficit is a problem for all of us. We just can’t keep mortgaging our future. Already the interest payments on that debt are gobbling up dollars that should be going to education and to research and development. One way to address that is to help companies be strong, and try to export as much as we can. With respect to China, American companies excel in areas such as, for example, climate change. We have companies in the forefront of energy efficiency and alternative energy sources that could help China deal with its environmental problems. These are great win-win situations.

How is running a federal department different from being governor?
The scope is so much larger. I’m dealing with companies and employees from all around. But having been governor is good preparation. I’ve had to deal with legislators and advocacy groups before. I think people who come straight from the private sector take much longer to get up to speed, to where they can deal with that tug-of-war. … We have all these career people, and my challenge is to get them to understand that they need to be flexible, to adapt to what is essentially an economic Katrina.

You had been out of public life for four years. Were you aching to get back?
I always enjoyed public policy and administration. Working at Davis Wright Tremaine was a great experience, but it involved a lot of travel. Last year alone, I was in Asia five times. [But] the pace of private life also allowed me to focus on my family, to take the kids up for their ski lessons, that kind of thing. Family time is going to be very important here. I’ll have to set some limits. This job is a great honor, but family still comes first.

What can you tell us about President Obama?
My first meeting with him, I was waiting for him, expecting somebody to come out and escort me into his office. Then he strolled out—no jacket, shirtsleeves rolled up, smiling. He sat down and introduced himself and we chatted about family and kids and about his priorities. He’s incredibly personable and down-to-earth. And he is very smart, very focused, with good, solid personal values. But I worry, because the challenges facing us are so enormous. I just hope people can be patient with us.

Ron Sims: looking forward to 80-hour workweeks

How did you link up with President Obama? Did you pull strings?
I didn’t reach out at all. In fact, I was pretty convinced that I wouldn’t get a call and that I would run for another term. And then I got a call here at the office, saying I was on everybody’s list for a variety of positions. Would I consider working for the president? I said, “So who are you?” I thought it might be somebody pulling my leg. And he said, “Call me back.” So I did, and we discussed a number of things.

I got another call in a couple of days, and I flew rather quietly to Chicago and met with the president-elect for about 40 minutes. We had a great conversation, and he asked me would I take a number one or number two position? We had talked during the campaign, and he said he found me quick and thorough with a lot of breadth, a policy wonk. And he wanted people like me in the administration. We talked about land use and transportation and human services and performance. And he said, “Wow, I’d like you in the administration.”
So I called my wife, and she said, “Whatever he offers you, you say yes!” He asked if I would work for him, and I said, “Mr. President-elect, I cannot imagine anybody telling you no.”

What did you think of Obama?
He’s charismatic even when he sits still. I told him, “Mr. President-elect, you make me very nervous.” And he laughed and said, “I’ve had that effect on people lately.” He’s very informal, comfortable with himself. And he’s clearly in charge.

So do you really want to live in Washington, D.C.?
I love Washington, D.C., because it’s never dull. It’s truly the center of the universe, communications central. I’m going to go out there to enjoy the intellectual feast. I really want to experience that part of D.C. I’ve never been to a concert at the Kennedy Center. And I want to get back to Camden Yards, the shrine to baseball. They can lose every game, but that ball park is the most fabulous park in the world.

But I won’t be moving the family. Cayan [Sim’s wife]’s mother lives with us, and we’re not going to move her again. Our home is her home and the garden is her garden. So I’ll take an apartment in D.C. We’re committed to that. Cayan’s sisters will come in and help, and I’ll come back once a month. We’ll probably see more of each other than we do now.

So what’s your job?
I was told they’re trying to reshape the deputy secretary’s job. In the past, the deputy secretary was responsible for day-to-day operations, and much of that role will remain. But they’re adding some significant policy elements, sustainability being one of them. And probably some civil-rights issues, and relationships with other Cabinet positions. So it’s an experiment, whether you can have one person deal with policy issues and also be responsible for day-to-day operations.

That’s why they’re intrigued with having somebody who comes from a large government. Most people like me want to move into a number one position. The number ones are all pretty much alike—bright and very policy-oriented, willing to work across department lines, and usually very well-educated. The number twos tend to be people who have been in advocacy positions or administrative positions. Secretary [Shaun] Donovan [Obama’s appointee as HUD secretary] has three doctoral degrees and has been in a number of administrative positions, including director of the New York City Housing Authority. We both love dealing with policy. And we both believe that HUD can be changed very quickly so that it is an exciting place to work.

So aren’t you becoming a big-time federal government landlord?
[Laughs] I hope not. HUD has significant roles we’re not aware of—in civil rights, for example. The sustainability office has to pay attention to global warming. We have to work with cities and states and counties, planning how we’re going to adapt to global warming. King County is unique in the U.S., and in the world, in our adaptation strategies. And Obama wanted me to bring that to HUD.

And there are the equity issues. Poor people and people of color have lost ground. And we can predict these outcomes by place. Zip codes matter. Where you live is an issue of significant consequence.  If you live in a city that loses, you lose too. We have to integrate all these issues and all these people to make it work. The Office of Sustainability will do that.

Aren’t you a little intimidated by these issues?
You gotta be relaxed about it. HUD has an amazing array of talent, but there’s the challenge of getting people to work collaboratively. To get people excited. To focus on performance and partnership rather than regulation.

You’ve spent your life in the Pacific Northwest. Isn’t this a big move?
I’ve spent a lot of time in D.C., but I’ve always been able to go back home. Now I’m going to live there. But it’s a good job. And I couldn’t have found a better match than Secretary Donovan, because he’s a brilliant visionary, comfortable with himself, a young guy, no pretense. His parents were freedom riders. It’s going to be a partnership, even though the buck stops at his desk.

What is your legacy in King County?
My dad always said, “I want to be remembered as a good man.” And he was a good man. So I hope when I leave, people will say, “Sims was a good man.”

You never get credit for all the things you think you’ve done. When I first arrived here, King County was a sleepy government run by John Spellman. And Spellman had done well. Then, when I took over as executive in 1996, we were two organizations, Metro and King County, which had just merged. People used to talk about King County derisively, and Metro was the hot ticket. We turned the merger into one of the highest-performing government organizations in the country. You name a national award and we’ve won it. And often repeatedly, so they don’t want to give it to us anymore.

When the time comes to name something after Ron Sims, what should it be?
[Long silence] Well, I hope it’s not a sewage treatment plant. [Laughs.] Cayan once told me, “Maybe someday they’ll name Rainier Playfield for you. Ron Sims Playfield.” ‘Cause I’ve worked down there for so long. But I said, “That has to be Lee Goodwin Playfield, because Lee is the person who saved the football and baseball programs down there.” I’d rather defer to the Lee Goodwins of the world. Just tell them, “Ron was a good man.” And let me go. Nobody’s going to remember Ron Sims. And that’s OK.

Don’t you ever feel a need to take a break? A sabbatical?
Whether it’s four or eight years, this will be the last step. Cayan would rather it be when I retire at 65. But 68 or 69 wouldn’t hurt me. Because this is going to be a new experience. I’ll never have to get on the phone and raise money for the next campaign. I won’t have to watch TV and get upset about people who are attacking me. I’ve had a good career as an elected official. But HUD will be kind of liberating ... and then there will be a time when I’ll come to the end of the line, and I can come home to my beautiful, patient wife, and she’ll say, “Where do we go now?” And I’ll say, “How ’bout that way?” And we’ll set off to see the world, whether it’s working for a volunteer agency in the jungle, or on a mountain. I’ll be the laborer and she’ll be the supervisor. I suspect that’s what we’ll be doing.

I don’t know if I can put my foot on the brake. I’ve been doing this too long. You get used to these long hours. I told the secretary, “I’ll give you 12 to 14 hours, six days a week. That’s how I work.”  L&P