Letter: Leadership vs. more of the same

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

The 17th Legislative District does not need another vote for Olympia’s tax-and-spend majority. It needs a leader who already showed up and said NO.

Rep. David Stuebe is a retired Marine colonel, Washougal mayor, and our state representative. In his first term he voted against Senate Bill 6346, the first statewide income tax in modern Washington history. He voted against higher gas taxes and against new state property-tax and business-tax increases. His campaign message is simple and true: Olympia keeps digging into family paychecks. Leadership is knowing when to put the shovel down.

His opponent, Vancouver City Councilmember Diana Perez, is running to flip the seat for the same majority that just passed that income tax and grew the operating budget. On the Vancouver council she has been part of budgets that stacked new taxes and fees including property-tax increases, utility-rate hikes, a retail B&O tax for a homeless shelter, cable and parking taxes, and a voter-approved public-safety levy. That is Vancouver’s problem set. We should not export it to Olympia.

We need fighters who solve problems, not more of the chaos that makes groceries and gas harder to afford. Vote to keep Dave Stuebe in the 17th.

Gary Perman
Camas