Smoke, mirrors and WA state Legislature | Federal Way letters

Published 8:07 pm Monday, March 15, 2010

I would like to give a big thanks for the column by Angie Vogt (“Taxpayers face domestic abuse,” March 13). It seems strange that we don’t get this kind of information from other news sources.

In this column, Vogt points out how our state Legislature and our governor overrode the will of the people by eliminating I-960. By the use of smoke and mirrors, our leaders in Olympia told us how desparate our state is for more money and that it was very much necessary to raise taxes. We were told how all the possible cuts in spending have been made. We were threatened by cuts in school funding, law enforcement and (the favorite) criminals would be released from jails.

Here is the smoke and mirrors. Spending is not being cut. In fact, the current state budget is being increased by $1.3 billion. Education spending is being increased and state employees are being given huge salary increases.

How do you like that for smoke and mirrors? Do you feel like you are being taken for a ride?

I want to urge everyone to read the column by Angie Vogt. And if you have already read it, go back and read it again. And, finally, remember how our politicians have treated us as stupid fools. Remember this at the next election.

Leo J. Thoennes, Federal Way