Letter writer suffers from ‘liberal dyslexia’ | LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Published 9:00 am Sunday, December 9, 2012

To the editor:

Mr. Honick (Review letter to editor: Both sides in dispute bear responsibility, Nov. 26), retired business consultant, once again attempts to channel my letter to editor (Candidate offers ‘Ground Zero’ view, Nov. 19).

While I grant Mr. Honick his sense of disappointment, he however, is not entitled to the facts in my letter. I stand by my assertions: Olympia faces $39 billion in unfunded/underfunded public-sector union liabilities, 17,000 developmentally disabled citizens waiting list for care, $1 billion to $2 billion K-12 education shortfall (McCreary v. State of Washington), and a $1 billion-plus general budget shortfall, to name but a few of our challenges.

Furthermore, my statement about the campaign-donation “corruption cycle” is evident from a review of the recent Public Disclosure Commission campaign records.

As a matter of fact, the victor in the 23rd Legislative District, Position 2, race shows the vast majority of his $217,000 (approximately) war chest was from out-of-state special-interests and union donors.

The bottom-line to my letter stands: Voters have scant understanding of the immense hurdles facing Olympia legislators or of the corrosive dangers of special-interest influence to our democracy.

Mr. Honick concludes his letter: “Have I missed something?” Yes, sir, you have. Perhaps that is due your apparent liberal dyslexia.

JAMES M. OLSEN

Fort Ward