Editor,
Several letters supporting Angie Homola’s candidacy for the 10th Legislative District Senate seat, currently held by Sen. Barbara Bailey, relied on misinformation, cherry-picking facts or outright lies, including:
Voting against children: No, Sen. Bailey was a major part of the reason our Legislature was able to make headway in complying with the McCleary decision by 2018, budgeting that Gov. Inslee fought against. Smaller class sizes, K-12 teacher pay increases, increasing education funding to 47 percent of our state budget?
Not Inslee. Barbara Bailey has been working for all that. Those historic college tuition reductions?
Not Inslee. Sen. Barbara Bailey, Chair of the Higher Education Committee. Inslee fought every step of the way and now he’s claiming credit, and Angie Homola is riding his coattails.
Voting against transgenders: No, Sen. Bailey voted to force the Legislature to do its job. The bill requires the unelected Human Rights Commission to obtain approval from the peoples’ elected representatives before implementing rules such as one mandating that schools allow a biological male to shower with female students. Abdication of oversight by the Legislature happened during the 30-plus years of one-party rule.
Tax loopholes: No, tax incentives allow businesses to exist in spite of strangling taxes and regulations, keeping the jobs they provide here in Washington. Corporate donors?
Yep, business people who want a better business climate here in this state, so they can stay, grow, provide jobs. Angie has union donors, people who demand from others what they can’t themselves provide their members.
Angie also gets money from the Kennedy Fund and Win With Women, both of which have gotten their money from California billionaire Tom Steyer.
“Sweeping” funds from seniors, housing and other accounts: No. Do Angie and her acolytes really believe that you can have six different No. 1 priorities? To comply with McCleary — to fulfill our constitutionally mandated No. 1 priority — required reprioritizing other programs. No funds were “swept,” though some surpluses were temporarily rerouted. No housing loans suffered, no children went hungry, no seniors were put out on the street, and the funds are being restored thanks to a growing economy and, in large part to Sen. Bailey.
Again, 30-plus years of “progressive” policies got us here and now we have to clean up the mess.
Here’s my personal favorite, boogeyman — ALEC! The American Legislative Exchange Council is a conservative think tank which offers research and testimony to legislators on issues. Dues are paid by the state and membership includes all members of the House and Senate. Likewise, the National Conference of State Legislatures is a progressive think tank, dues to which are paid by the state for all members of the Legislature.
Somehow the Legislature thinks that, if members get input from more than one perspective on the issues, they’ll be able to make better decisions. Imagine that.
So, if elected, is Angie saying she won’t look at all sides of an issue before she makes a decision?
Barbara Bailey has done a good job as our senator; she has the background, the experience and the will to make Washington, once again, a good place to live and raise our families. Send her back to Olympia.
Terresa Hobbs
Oak Harbor
