The fifth district of the Washington State Legislature needs help. That is our district and we need our legislators to hear our message as well as prioritize our needs. So, here are a couple of things we need to encourage them to do.
We have three legislators, Rep. Jay Rodne, Rep. Glenn Anderson and Sen. Cheryl Pflug. The most obvious message that they need to hear from us is water for North Bend. I have said time and time again that without water, at some point, North Bend will have to close the doors. Our legislators need to help. They need to pressure the Department of Ecology to assist North Bend in finding a solution to this problem.
This can’t be a case of sending numerous solutions to DOE only to have them shoot each one down. It needs to be a collaborative effort between the city and all parties interested, including tribes, clean-water folks and the DOE. It will require constant pressure on our legislators’ part. After all, North Bend is a critical element in their remaining in office. Without the support of the residents of North Bend, it is likely the Republican party would lose the district.
You, as residents, need to let our legislators know how important this is to us. If we don’t get water, the city will no longer be able to afford basic services such as fire and police protection. We will be forced to deal with county services, which are typically understaffed and over-utilized.
In addition to water, we need our legislators to help drive our economic turnabout. We need to fund projects that support economic development in Snoqualmie Valley. One example is the Northwest Railway Museum’s Conservation and Restoration Center, now being constructed on the Stone Quarry Road. The Northwest Railway Museum can be the catalyst to increase tourist traffic in Snoqualmie Valley. Residents of the city of Snoqualmie have long complained about the rusting railroad artifacts along state Route 202, and now we have a chance to begin the restoration process. The center is under construction but still needs funds to limit any future mortgage that may need to be funded.
Another investment needed is help attracting new businesses to Upper Valley cities. Something both cities are wrestling with is the value of having someone market our community to prospective businesses. Liveable-wage jobs mean less people commuting. It also helps slow down the amount of retail leakage to Issaquah and other Eastside shopping areas. Maybe one possibility is some sort of joint funding for a marketing person for both Snoqualmie and North Bend.
The point is, we need help and we need to focus on our own community. We need all residents to urge our legislators to prioritize projects here at home.
