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Adam Wilson expounds on Washington state government, workers and politics. Wilson began covering those issues for the Olympian in 2004. He can be reached at: awilson@theolympian.com.
Rep. Alexander rips Dem claims to flood relief
Rep. Gary Alexander was livid today in a meeting with The Olympian’s editorial board. Far from his usual chuckle-prone self, he railed against today’s editorial, which included this:
(Rep. Sam) Hunt gets credit for helping to secure the flooding money and is quick to note that although his Republican colleagues in the 20th District of Thurston County — Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester, and Reps. Gary Alexander, R-Olympia, and Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis — want to take credit for the flooding dollars, all three voted against the budget that contained the money.
“To really minimize the 20th District because of the operating budget is totally false,” Alexander said. “First of all because only one of the 22nd District members ever came down, came to any of the meetings in the flood area, and that was Karen (Fraser). We never saw Sam or Brendan (Williams) at all. Nobody got their hands dirty down there form the 22nd District. Nobody helped move hay. Nobody came to look at the devastation. Nobody came to meet with the community when they were so upset and wanted to have a voice in the process other than Dan and Richard and myself.”
Alexander did vote against the supplemental operating budget, which included $10 million in housing funding for his district, and $11.6 million to match FEMA money.
But he also prime-sponsored HB 3375 which offers $50 million for flood control projects and the creation of the Chehalis Basin Flood Control Authority. Hunt is also a sponsor of the bill.
“The primary dollars are in the capital budget, which we all supported, and the separate house bill,” Alexander said.
UPDATE: There's a response from Rep. Williams in the comments.
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