Letters to the Editor for Oct. 28

Kingsbury cares about the community

I urge Olympia voters to join me in support of Jeff Kingsbury for Olympia City Council.

I am supporting Jeff Kingsbury, even though as a conservative I probably disagree with him on more issues than not.

I’m supporting Kingsbury because I believe he has the best interests of Olympia at heart, because he has demonstrated integrity, and because of his record of working to improve the community.

How ironic that Kingsbury, an outspoken supporter of gay rights, would be the victim of physical attacks on his business and cyber attacks on his integrity by those on the left because they oppose his efforts to make our city streets safer.

Maybe the cowardly vandals who threw paint on his business thought they could intimidate him; they obviously didn’t know the man.

Opponents will undoubtedly hurl more attacks, if not paint-balls, as the election nears.

Please ignore them and join me in supporting Jeff Kingsbury for Olympia City Council.

We need people on the council who will stand firm in the face of intimidation and do the right thing for our city.

JOHN STEIGER, Olympia

Beware of one-issue candidates

Voters beware: Think twice before casting your ballot for any single-issue candidate – whether it’s the fire department issue in Lacey, Capitol Lake or the isthmus issue in Olympia or something else.

After the issue is settled, what do you have?

Does your candidate have good judgment and good people skills, which enable him/her to work with others to find solutions?

Can your candidate claim meaningful accomplishments beyond campaign rhetoric and has your candidate demonstrated real leadership?

Every elected official deals with a broad range of issues that don’t make headlines.

Most of the real work is done outside formal meetings with staff and/or stakeholders.

You probably won’t agree with any candidate all the time.

After your hot-button issue is decided, will your candidate be able to get things done?

If you think an incumbent meets those criteria, vote for him/her.

If the incumbent doesn’t measure up, learn as much as you can about the challenger and then decide.

Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. Look at the big picture, without basing your vote on just one issue.

ALAN M. CORWIN, Lacey

New council could work with state

Under the leadership of Council member Joan Machlis and Jeff Kingsbury, the City of Olympia spent the last 18 months demonstrating that it doesn’t care about state’s concerns over rezoning the isthmus to build high-rise condos in the Capitol’s view.

The city disregarded the state Department of Ecology’s repeated recommendations against revising the Shoreline Master Program for the isthmus through a limited amendment and declined the department’s offer to present its concerns to our Planning Commission. (Now Ecology’s notified the city of their pending refusal to review the proposal because it fails to meet the requirements for a limited amendment.)

The city (and Councilmember Machlis personally) testified in the House and the Senate against our legislators’ bills to preserve the view.

The state should heed our concerns about proposals for their part of the lake – we want them to preserve it, or do more research into a lake/estuary option, or at least help us cope with an estuary’s problems.

Machlis and Kingsbury are in a poor position to argue now that the city’s concerns should be a big factor in the state’s decisions about managing its lake.

We need new council members who can collaborate effectively with state government. Jeannine Roe has worked with our representatives and the legislative leadership for years; she and Karen Veldheer have each been endorsed by Sen. Karen Fraser, D-Thurston County, and one of our representatives. I’m voting for them, partly because they offer a fresh start working respectfully and effectively with the state.

THAD CURTZ, Olympia

Student needs should be first priority

It’s time for a change in the Tumwater School District.

Why would I vote for a school board member (Rita Luce) that allowed the school board to take school bond monies for classrooms and use it to build a new administration center in the tune of $7.6 million?

Don’t you think that those monies should have gone to updating and expanding Peter G. Schmidt Elementary School and removing the portable classrooms there?

Come on people, it is time for a change on the school board to those that can be trusted to do the right thing for the students of Tumwater School District.

SCOTT BLOMBERG, Tumwater

Obama deserved better coverage

Olympia is our proud capital city, and we represent the state of Washington in the United States of America, right?

Our president was just awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and an employee at a local supermarket was just awarded second place in a bagging contest.

While this is not meant to detract from her accomplishment or your lengthy albeit charming coverage, which of these two achievements merit The Olympian’s leading front page story?

As an American, I am insulted you exhibited so little respect for our country.

VALERIE REINARDY, Olympia