There were 12 referendums and initiatives on the ballot Nov. 5, because the state Legislature voted them in without a vote of the people.
The two representatives for this district, Mike Chapman and Steve Tharinger, voted for all 12.
The senator, Kevin Van De Wege, voted for 11 of the 12.
Voters voted to repeal all but three.
However, since the 12, AV20 through AV31, were “advisory,” time will tell what these arrogant legislators think of public opinion.
The 10-year cost of these 12 laws, as per the official Voters Pamphlet, is a staggering $9,788,700,327 over 10 years, just shy of a $10 billion tax burden.
That represents only issues on that ballot.
Legislators should publicly and regularly be asked what the regulatory and financial costs to taxpayers are of bills they vote for.
Shame on current and former legislators for many decades of not doing their state constitution-mandated paramount task of adequately funding K-12 education; and for the past years they were held in contempt of the state Supreme Court for not doing so, very embarrassing to this state,
Everyone knows Washingtonians are heavily taxed.
It is folly to think that the voting behavior of these three local rascals will change.
As a taxpayer and voter, with matters being what they are, if you are fed up with ever-increasing taxes, common sense dictates sending Van de Wege, Tharinger and Chapman packing in the next election.
Richard Lohrman,
Sequim