Island legislators unfairly criticized | Letters, Dec. 6
December 9, 2008 · 4:27 PM
A recent letter to the Review unfairly scolded Rep. Christine Rolfes and Sen. Phil Rockefeller for their evaluation of the likelihood that the Washington State Legislature will pass emergency legislation to allow islanders to vote on the manager-council ballot issue in May.
The writer assures us that such emergency designations are commonplace and argues that these legislators are thus insufficiently focused on Bainbridge Island needs.
In fact, Gov. Gregoire vetoed 10 bills last year because she felt they inappropriately contained such clauses.
In response, the Legislature has become much more reluctant to use this approach. Rep. Rolfes and Sen. Rockefeller will strive to secure the necessary legislation (with emergency designation).
In this context, why wouldn’t we want them to scope our present situation in Olympia and counsel the city on the extent to which a May vote is possible?
The language they used in the Review article had the pleasant aura of adults telling other adults something we need to know. We should encourage this candor.
I travel to Olympia frequently in my role as chair of the Washington Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, and have had the pleasure of viewing these two legislators in action.
We are continually blessed with their tenacity on island matters.
David S. Harrison
Arrow Point
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