Letters | North Bend man writing in vs. congressman

I am a Marine Corps combat veteran who was wounded in action during the Vietnam War. I am also a disabled veteran who filed a new claim with the Veterans Administration more than 300 days ago and sadly, I’m still waiting for a final determination from the VA.

This is one of the primary reasons I am running for office as an independent write-in candidate, along with the fact I don’t believe Dave Reichert has been a strong enough advocate for other veterans as well as our Gold Star families.

I certainly wouldn’t turn my back on extending existing legislation designed to assist our nation’s Gold Star families like Dave Reichert did last year.

For the past 20 years I have been a strong advocate for our nation’s youth, especially when it comes to education, fitness and safety training, which Dave Reichert has failed to support in a meaningful way.

Prior to leaving his position as King County Sheriff, he ignored a request by then Representative Jennifer Dunn to help me implement abduction prevention training in all King County public school districts.

Based on the same, as well as my degree in education along with my many years teaching children and teenagers, I’m certain I would be a much stronger voice than Reichert for all of our nation’s youth.

The fact that I’m an independent is a real positive, since I couldn’t and wouldn’t be forced to follow either party lines like Reichert and so many of his peers do these days.

Jim Curtis

North Bend

• Campaign staff for Dave Reichert defended the congressman’s record, saying that his 2011 vote on the Emergency Homeowner Relief Program Termination Act helped preserve funding for a successful Veterans Affairs relief program by eliminating a redundant program. Reichert’s former assistant at KCSO recalled no request to the sheriff’s office from Dunn on training or school safety issues.

 

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