Letters to the Editor

8TH DISTRICT ENDORSEMENT

The congressman is already extinct

Friday's endorsement of U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert could have ruined my day if it had not been so laughable. You say Reichert has "grown," he's "an endangered species worth preserving." Are you kidding? This man is anti-choice, doesn't favor funding for sex education and has an effectiveness rating that puts him at the bottom of the congressional heap.

He's a dinosaur -- already extinct. You supported Darcy Burner in 2006; you should continue to endorse her.

S.G. Phinney

Seattle

Reichert naysayers don't know their civics

Following the P-I's endorsement of Dave Reichert's re-election bid, the foam-at-the-mouth crowd came full-bore out from under their rocks to fulminate against the endorsement and the candidate.

And they were in good form in Sunday's letters. Calling Reichert a "dumb person" and a "loyal foot soldier" for a party that's then accused of a multitude of sins, two letter writers proceed to gush over his "intelligent" and "brilliant" opponent.

The problem is that letter writer Walter Andrews betrays his own ignorance, thus validating Forrest Gump's classic adage, "Stupid is as stupid does."

Andrews claims a vote for Reichert is, "A vote for the despicably cynical 'Gingrich' ploy of filibuster without negotiation" that stymies majority will, thus rendering the House of Representatives ineffectual.

Borrowing further from Forrest Gump, Andrews picked a bad piece from his confused box of political chocolates since filibusters don't happen in the House -- they're in the Senate -- and haven't since 1842, a fact taught in civics class to schoolchildren.

The Democratic majority in the House is ineffectual because of Democratic leadership.

Since we're judged by the company we keep, what does Andrews' support of Reichert's opponent make her?

Scott St. Clair

Kirkland

Don't pass up a 'smart' and 'progressive' candidate

I found the P-I endorsement of Dave Reichert for re-election to Congress perplexing.

Why should the citizens of the 8th Congressional District pass up the opportunity to vote for a "smart, well-informed and progressive candidate" like Darcy Burner in order to provide Reichert with another term? You say it is to provide balance in Congress because there are too few moderate Republicans there. But we in the 8th District are hungry for a representative willing to think analytically and independently about the crucial issues facing the country.

Reichert is not that representative.

As your editorial pointed out, "Reichert was absent without leave" during the worst periods of the Iraq war. Reichert has seemed more than happy to go along with "the Bush Doctrine" and not make waves, hoping to retain his seat by choosing relatively easy issues to run on that most people in the district can agree upon, such as the environment or education. He has also been a proponent of the Bush economic policies that favor corporations over the middle class. These have been disastrous.

His opponent, Darcy Burner, has done her homework and taken the initiative on the Iraq dilemma, writing with Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton and other retired generals and foreign policy experts a comprehensive plan to bring the war to an end using military, economic and military options. A former group program manager for Microsoft, Burner has long advocated for fiscal responsibility and tax relief for the middle class. She is a creative thinker and proactive problem solver who would go to work for us and that, I argue, is what our district, and Congress, needs most.

Janet Kranz

Mercer Island

JOBS

Small-business owners want no government help

Regarding Monday's editorial, "Jobs, jobs, jobs,"do you want to know the best direct goal government can play in job creation? Ask any small-business owner in this region and you'll get the same answer: Stay out of our way.

Most of us aren't sitting around watching our employees work while the money pours in, or off playing in the tropics. Instead we're consumed with daily issues of product quality, customer service, paying rent, sick employees, making payroll, cost controls and inventory, to name just a few.

What makes matters worse are self-proclaimed proactive regional governments -- specifically Seattle's. With the exception of a few I could count on one hand, I think many of our leaders and committee members are caught up in a form of personal "chest-thumping," somehow thinking that the wisdom of their actions will result in an attractive place to do business. Nothing is further from the truth.

At local and state levels, we are inundated with needless paperwork, excessive B&O; taxes, labor and industry fees, filing deadlines with threats of fines, weekend paperwork, unwarranted and unchecked tax policies, their innovative recycling requirements. They even tell us what kind of fat we can eat, plus how to package and sell it.

A truly strategic view to lure prospective business into the region is simple: Stop creating barriers to their growth. Individuals in government holding leadership positions should ask themselves daily, "What roadblocks can I break down for the little guy out there, the mom-and-pop small businesses that create our area's vitality and appeal?"

Terry Hofman

Seattle

Mandated increase in minimum wage hurts

The P-I is prescient with Monday's editorial. The only thing that will bring our country out of the present financial meltdown is jobs, jobs, jobs. And, yes, governments can help or hinder. A start might be suspending for a year or two the increase in the minimum wage, if legally possible. There is significant evidence that mandated increases in minimum wage decreases jobs and, even worse, limits opportunity for lower-income workers, especially teenagers.

Since government control pretty much got us into this, its search for a silver bullet to get us out will in all likelihood fail. So, jobs, jobs, jobs right here in Washington is the answer.

Theodore M. Wight

Seattle

POLICE AND MENTALLY ILL

Skagit County killings put matter into perspective

In Monday's article "Seattle police unit reaches out to mentally ill, " I find it completely unbelievable that someone can be denied the mental help that he desperately needs on one end and yet almost in the next breath, have the court determine that he is not competent enough to stand trial for his crimes and is then set free.

This is appalling, especially in light of the recent tragedy in Skagit County.

I realize our judicial system is flawed but this is a fatal flaw that cost six innocent people their lives.

I have a friend who works in a local hospital and he sees this all the time where people who have tried to kill themselves or made threats to others are brought in only to have mental health tell them they either don't qualify for help or there is no room for them and ultimately they are just released and sent home.

My question is: What are gubernatorial candidates Chris Gregoire or Dino Rossi planning to do about this? No more innocent lives need to be lost.

Kyle Tarte

Oak Harbor

ELECTION DAY

Palin's staff chooses to keep her out of interviews

With only 21 days until Election Day, the John McCain/Sarah Palin Campaign is clearly scared that Palin's lack of qualifications will be further exposed if she faces any more unscripted questions from experienced political reporters. Since her own campaign leadership is showing no confidence in her abilities, why should American voters have any confidence in her?

After all, Palin's campaign staff knows her much better than we do.

Stan Scarvie

Des Moines

THE ECONOMY

Reagan would now call it 'Mourning in America'

"It's morning in America." With that campaign slogan, Ronald Reagan ushered in the new economic era. Thus began massive deregulation and the dismantling of many of the protections put in place as a result of the Great Depression to safeguard our society and the free enterprise system from the excesses of greed.

It seems to have been a false dawn. After 30 years of huge bailouts, mergers, hostile takeovers, downsizing, outsourcing, corporate scandals, burst speculative bubbles, hedge funds and multitrillion-dollar deficits, America is entering a twilight zone of sorts. We are living beyond our means, terribly over-extended and still under the delusion that limits do not apply to us.

The radical ideology of laissez faire, trickle-down economics has failed as it did leading up to the 1929 crash. As Reagan said: "There you go again!"

Michael Godfried

Seattle