Brush Prairie resident Bill Eling explains why he is voting for Joe Kent in the Nov. 8 general election

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

While I am not big on slogans like “America First,” I don’t reject them outright. I think there is a moral justification for taking care of your countrymen before you take care of someone else’s countrymen. Personally, my priority is my spouse, my family and my grandchildren. I take care of them first. Who thinks there is anything wrong with that? On a national level, it’s the same. The priority should be our American family. I support Joe Kent based on this fundamental principle.

The real unanswered question is this: why does it seem that Congress puts American families last? Why does Marie Gluesenkamp Perez’ party imply that putting America first is extreme and, somehow, morally questionable?

No one is saying don’t be charitable. But who takes out a home mortgage to write a check to a charity? I don’t. Probably because it’s idiotic. But Congress has no hesitation in mortgaging your home and your future. Congress uses gimmicks like continuing budget resolutions to avoid making hard financial decisions and to keep money flowing to the same programs that are not remotely in the interest of a majority of Americans. Kent opposes these gimmicks.

I agree with most of Marie Gluesenkamp Perez’ economic and manufacturing platform. Unfortunately, a majority of her own party either vilifies her position as extreme or supports it only in words, not action. I have little confidence that by herself she can change her party’s America Last tendencies.

While her take on American manufacturing sounds good, I cannot reconcile her position on American manufacturing with her position on climate change. She places her hope on renewables. Renewables can’t sustain our non-interruptible power needs. If we keep eliminating the cheapest power sources, there is no point in bringing manufacturing home to America. You need reliable energy for manufacturing. Hard to make a widget during a rolling blackout. Hard to adjust your work schedule to just when the wind blows.

Then there is reproductive freedom. Whatever your position on abortion, the District 3 election has little to do with it. Due to false media reports and Oregon political ads, many people wrongly believe that the recent US Supreme Court decision outlaws abortion. Under Washington state law, you can get as many abortions as you want. Voting for Joe Kent for a federal office won’t change state law.

While I give credit to Perez for recognizing some of our problems, she misses the source of the problems. It is not that our “[r]epresentatives are completely out of touch” but that a majority of our federal representatives seem to be completely out of their minds [or refuse to stand up to the ones who are].

Knowing the source of a problem is a prerequisite to solving a problem. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez knows the problem but cannot admit that her party’s policies are not solving the problems and are making the problems worse. Joe Kent knows both the problem and the source. Of the two candidates, I believe Kent will fight to stop the bipartisan malfeasance in Washington DC. That’s why I am voting for Joe Kent.

Bill Eling
Brush Prairie

---

Also read:

• 
  Opinion: Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund dodged a Boeing-size bullet
  Elizabeth New (Hovde) discusses the implications of the Boeing strike and the push for unemployment insurance for striking workers in Washington stat
• 
  Opinion: Riding bikes in the dark
  Doug Dahl addresses bike safety laws and the importance of visibility for cyclists riding at night.
• 
  Letter: ‘The current bridge plan hurts economic development on BOTH sides of the river’
  Sam Churchill from Hayden Island shares his concerns over the economic impact of the current I-5 Bridge replacement proposal on both sides of the river.
• 
  Letter: ‘We students are counting on voters to show up to the polls again’
  Vancouver’s Tammy Pham urges voters to reject I-2109, safeguarding essential education funding and youth opportunities.
• 
  POLL: Should Clark County increase surveillance or add security at all ballot drop box locations?
  Clark County Today’s weekly poll asks if increased security measures at ballot drop boxes are necessary to boost voter confidence or if the cost is too high.