Letter: GOP playing politics with state budget

I served as a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy and deployed multiple times to the Persian Gulf. I am proud of the work that I did on behalf of my country, and I was always honored by the support that our elected officials showed to me and my brothers and sisters in uniform.

Today, I serve as an officer in the state Department of Corrections in Prosser. Unfortunately, I no longer feel the same kind of support from my elected officials.

Specifically, state Senate Republicans are playing politics with our state budget. By refusing to even negotiate with House Democratic colleagues, they are putting at risk the jobs of so-called “non-critical” employees across the state who will get pink slips when the government shuts down at the end of June. I can assure you that there are no truly “non-critical” employees when it comes to public safety.

Voters should contact their Republican state legislators and tell them to start negotiating with the Democrats to put the safety of the community ahead of their political games. Elected officials are supposed to be public servants — they should act like it.

This story was originally published June 14, 2017 at 12:15 PM with the headline "Letter: GOP playing politics with state budget."