Mark Bower’s support of Glenn Anderson for reelection to the state House (Letters, Oct. 8) is a vacuous reiteration of claims customarily made by supporters of candidates for public office. Not a word of specific evidence of accomplishments by Anderson during his eight years in office. No mention of what Anderson thinks are the present problems in our district and state subject to legislative action; and, if reelected, the stands he would take to solve them. I’m not surprised.
I have gone to Olympia while the Legislature was in session for the past four years to lobby in support of conservation, environmental and health safety initiatives. I’ve always left Glenn’s office feeling the effort had been largely a waste of time, because he often seemed to have little knowledge of the legislation we were talking about nor interest in learning more about it. No wonder his name is found down line on the advocacy/voting record score cards issued by the organizations advocating for these laws.
Anderson has also claimed he has never supported a raise in taxes as claimed by his opponent, David Spring. The devil is in the details. The issue relates to Anderson’s sponsorship of House Bill 1612 in 2007 to revise property tax law for school funding by raising the school district tax levy lid from 24 percent to 30 percent, in those school districts opting for the increase. If Anderson’s bill had passed, property taxes could have been expected to go up in school districts where an affluent majority would have voted for it to help fund improvements in their schools.
David Spring is a political novice, educator and former small business owner who was initially energized to enter the race because, with a daughter in third grade, he had become upset with the overcrowded situation in Sno-Valley schools. He checked Anderson’s record and decided he could do a better job representing our interests in other areas as well, including economic development, energy, environment, transportation and health insurance reform. I’m sure he can and will. Let’s elect him!
Dave Olson
North Bend
