State House 15th District: John Gotts

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• Support jobs bill

  Support jobs bill

  Nearly every proposal in the president's jobs act has been supported by Republicans before. The only reason U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings will oppose it is politics, and his voters deserve to know if he is putting politics before new jobs for Americans. Let's make sure Rep. Hastings votes for us and jobs in the Tri-Cities.

  President Obama has put forth a serious jobs plan and Republicans should not stand in the way. With 25 million Americans lacking adequate work, our country and our state needs jobs now.

  Nearly all of the proposals in the American Jobs Act have been approved by Republicans in the past, so there's no reason for them not to pass the president's bill, except to play politics with American jobs.

• Job growth, reform key to state budget

  Job growth, reform key to state budget

  In less than two weeks, legislators will be back in Olympia, once again trying to address the state’s budget crisis — a gap between revenue and planned spending that already is in the neighborhood of $2 billion.

  Undoubtedly, some of my colleagues will want this discussion to revolve solely around spending cuts, while others will be obsessed with the question of whether to send a tax measure to voters. I reject both these approaches. The key to solving our state’s fiscal woes is not new job-crushing taxes or draconian cuts to public safety and support for our most vulnerable citizens; it’s a combination of job growth, spending prioritization and reforms that will increase state government efficiency.

  We need to talk about reforms before we talk about revenue, and there are several “sacred cows” which have yet to be considered for real reform. Here are some examples:

• Basic education extends beyond high school

  Basic education extends beyond high school

  According to the recent state Supreme Court ruling on McCleary v. Washington, the state is not complying with Article IX, Section 1 of our state’s Constitution, which requires the Legislature to “make ample provision for the education of all children in Washington.”

  The Court noted that a full definition of “basic education” includes “the basic knowledge and skills needed to compete in today’s economy and meaningfully participate in this state’s democracy.”

  While recognizing K-12’s priority in the decision, the long-range impact could be a game-changer for higher education as well, because the court acknowledged that a “basic education” must include meaningful employment skills and knowledge. Increasingly, higher education provides that training.

• Student loans

  Student loans

  I am one of the "consumers buried in student debt" mentioned in Michelle Singletary's article on Dec. 1. I am a recent graduate from Washington State University Tri-Cities. I loved attending the local branch campus, where I earned my bachelor's degree in business administration. The problem I faced after graduation was finding a job that would provide me with enough income to support my family and to start paying off my student loans.

  When I wasn't able to find a job that offered me this, I chose to continue my education and pursue my master's in business administration. This allows me to further my education and defers my student loan payments until six months after I earn my MBA. But in the process, I am accruing interest on these loans and creating new loans.

  I would appreciate it if our elected representatives in Washington, D.C., could balance our national budget, then focus on creating higher paying jobs for those of us who chose to educate ourselves and need employment to fulfill our obligations

• Governor: McKenna

  Governor: McKenna

  Gov. Chris Gregoire wants to raise taxes for transportation maintenance and upgrades. Last month, she threatened to hold our education system hostage for more sales taxes. Enough is enough. Her pitch for more transportation taxes comes on the heels of an "improve transportation" message from Sen. Maria Cantwell. Coincidence?

  The governor says we need more money to maintain our roads, bridges and ferries. Where are the ferry tolls, the new Evergreen Bridge tolls, license fees and gas taxes (among the highest in the nation) going now? Note: I concede our auto license renewal is way too low. But the citizens of our state passed the Tim Eyman initiative to lower renewal fees, thus stating lower fees were preferred to better roads.

  Gregiore should listen to Cantwell's message, "Use existing funds to their best advantage." Improving roads for more trade transportation is good, but what the governor should really be pushing are more manufacturing-friendly conditions in our state (e.g. eliminate environmental