Editor,

I am surprised to see the many large expensive reelection signs for state Sen. Barbara Bailey all over Oak Harbor.

Surprised to see, that is, that Barbara Bailey is still with us here in the 10th District. Her absence at local events keeping in touch with her constituents has been noticeable, so much so that my longtime Republican family members have serious doubts about the quality and usefulness of Barbara Bailey as our state senator.

Just what does Ms. Bailey do? She does keep in touch with a national organization called ALEC, an ultra-conservative corporate legislative group that peddles its radical rightwing agenda to state legislators to enact into law in exchange for ALEC’s channeling of corporate donations into their re-election coffers. Check it out on Wikipedia.

The question arises, “Does Barbara Bailey support us or outside corporate interests?” In addition, Barbara Bailey has served three years in the state Senate that has been afraid to make the necessary hard political choices to implement the needed financial reform of our statewide education system as ordered by our State Supreme Court — costing us, the taxpayers, $100,000 a day in fines. We need new blood in the State Senate with the courage to move this reform forward through the legislature.

This is why I am voting for Angie Homola for state Senate for the 10th Legislative District.

We need Angie’s experienced, high energy approach to facing the tough decisions needed in Olympia. Barbara Bailey’s ALEC connections to outside national corporations do not serve us.

James Sherman

Coupeville