Camas resident Marie Treadway shares why she has moved away from the Republican party
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
As a former Republican, I miss the days when Republicans stood for lower taxes, smaller government, and individual freedom. I moved away from the party as it became clear it had been taken over both by religious zealots intolerant of other religions or opinions as well as corporations preying upon the ingrained fears of rural voters to drum up support for a candidate bought by their own lobbyists.
Never has this been more obvious than in recent years with a tax cut that permanently capped corporate tax rates below that of many working families in our area while offering scraps to the rest of us that expire in a few short years. Many households even saw their taxes rise as the financial cost of teens over 16 and dependent adults are no longer acknowledged by the IRS and middle-income single parents were bumped into a higher tax bracket.
I don’t always agree with the Democratic platform, but we don’t all need to agree on everything. We need representatives who are honest, real, and who truly care about what happens to us. In addition to voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris this election, I’m voting a solid Democrat ticket down ballot this year to send a message to the Republican party that they need to reassess what they stand for. Working parents like me are trying to pay our bills, save for college for our children, pay our taxes, and do everything right, sometimes on little sleep, sometimes with the weight of the world keeping us awake at night. We deserve better than this government that does not care if we sink or swim.
If you are a Republican: you deserve better than what your party has given you. If you are a Democrat: you deserve better than this as well. We have local candidates in this area ready to stop our freefall, and one of these is the most genuine person I have ever met. Donna Sinclair, a brilliant woman dedicated to fighting for our region, is running for the State House in the 18th Legislative District.
Local campaigns are often overlooked, but it is the grass roots movement of these elections that shape our national elections in the years ahead. Even more important, local elections result in candidates who make decisions affecting our day-to-day lives, like how much we pay in property taxes and how much of it goes to our own school districts.
Electing Donna would finally give the 18th a voice in the Democrat-controlled State House after years of Republicans failing to make headway on our behalf. We need a representative who can influence where our taxes go, who isn’t out of touch with our dynamic community that values nature, the constitution, family, and our local economy all at once.
Donna Sinclair will truly represent every last one of us and will stand up for us and the needs of Southwest Washington. This election year, let’s send a message. Vote Democrat down ticket and vote for an end to the corruption that is destroying the GOP.
Marie Treadway
Camas
