I met Teri Hickel and she seem to be very nice and she even says that she is pro-choice but her policies are not pro-education and pro-children.

The Oct. 23 issue of the Mirror says it all. On the topic of money for schools, Hickel said, “e pay too much.” Too much money for our kids?

On the issue of money, Hickel is confused. She says the gas tax to fund transportation is a “user fee.” An example of a user fee is paying a highway toll to drive on the turnpike instead of the regular highway or the entrance fee to a national park.

Rep. Carol Gregory’s statement that she would consider a variety of sources to fund education has been misstated in the literature of those who back Hickel. When asked about funding, Gregory said that she would consider a variety of sources — no mention of an income tax.

Among the things that she did say we ought to take a look at is the capital gains tax. Washington state is only one of nine that does not have such a tax. The tax would raise around $800 million in revenue and affect around 1 percent of our residents and there would be exemptions for retirement accounts, homes, farms and forestry.

In the short time that she has been in Olympia, Gregory has impressed with the fact that she has effected several pieces of legislation that benefit our area.

But when it comes to education, she is the person who has done the most to benefit our community that I am aware of in the over 40 years that I have lived in Federal Way. She sacrificed income to become a teacher at a time when teachers were poorly paid, she served in a number of offices that assisted the educational process and served as school board president during a period of turmoil within our school district.

We owe her more than we can repay but let’s start by sending her back to Olympia and thank her for caring about our kids.

Jim Grayson, Federal Way