Letters: Elections, Franklin County commissioner, 16th District and more | July 30

He wants Eyman to be governor

My choice for the Republican candidate for governor is Tim Eyman. Eyman is probably the most well-known of the Republican candidates and has taken a very aggressive stance towards Gov. Jay Inslee.

For 22 years, Eyman has sponsored many initiatives, primarily to reduce or limit taxes. This is how we know he can be trusted when he says he will veto any tax increase if elected governor. In Inslee’s case, however, he promised to veto any tax increase when running for governor in 2012, but has broken that promise many times since becoming governor.

Last year, Inslee talked about a possible pay-per-mile tax in the future, so it’s clear that he will continue to increase taxes or create new ones. Inslee has also devastated numerous small businesses throughout the state by imposing an economic shutdown due to the Coronavirus. At the beginning of this shutdown, Inslee declared gun stores to be nonessential, which was a violation of the 2nd Amendment.

So, I encourage you to vote for Eyman, a man who will protect our freedoms, veto tax increases and support small businesses if elected governor. We cannot allow another four years of Inslee to ruin our great state.

.......

Lehrman is right for commission

Vote for Kim Lehrman, Franklin County commissioner, District 1. A vote for Kim is a vote for a commissioner who listens, weighs all sides of an issue and makes informed decisions based on science, knowledge and principle — not party. A commissioner who will provide the leadership our county needs to flatten the COVID curve and move us beyond Phase 1.5. A commissioner who will represent all members of our community regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.

Kim is an educator, having taught in the Pasco public schools, and understands the needs of students and teachers — critical as we develop plans to reopen our schools. A parent of four children, she understands the needs of families. Having grown up on a farm, she understands the needs of farmers and the agricultural community. Her diverse endorsements, including UA Local Union 598 Plumbers & Steamfitters, Teamsters WA Joint Council, Teamsters Local Union No. 839, and National Women's Political Caucus of Washington, reflect her ability to represent all. Her cooperative spirit, intelligence and experience will provide the change Franklin County needs to move forward. Add your name to her list of endorsements. Vote for Kim Lehrman!

.......

Dozier possesses right experience

During this time in our community, an election has never been more important, and that is why Perry Dozier has my vote for state Senate District 16. He is a lifelong resident of our area and a small business owner. Translation: He knows what our businesses are going through right now and how to best serve them and their employees.

During my 13 years as executive director of the Moms’ Network of Walla Walla, Perry was a consistent supporter concerned about our local families and the ability they had to access local resources. Translation: He has deep knowledge about our local nonprofit and government resources but unless they are easily available, they cannot accomplish the mission of supporting families.

Most importantly, he is the only candidate running for state Senate with experience balancing a budget and saving our essential services during a recession. Translation: He knows the importance of funding public health, education and transportation during difficult economic challenges without taxing residents and businesses.

Perry has served Eastern Washington for 20 years. I am supporting and voting for Perry because he is a leader that will unite us in Olympia and represent our needs in Eastern Washington.

.......

Jenkin is choice of commissioner

I am writing this letter of endorsement for Rep. Bill Jenkin's run for state senator in the 16th District.

As a representative in the Legislature, Bill has been one of the most successful at getting legislation passed. This is the kind of legislator our district needs representing us in the state Senate.

Bill Jenkin is a small businessman who believes in protecting individual rights and private property, and would not let the power of government be abused for private gain or personal profit. Bill would work to prevent large outside interests from using the legislative process to force through laws limiting local control over local resources or create unfair advantage for themselves in the marketplace.

In these uncertain times, Bill Jenkin is a proud American and a true patriot we can count on and who deserves our support. Please join me in voting for him for state senator in the 16th District.

.......

Vote Lehrman for county commission

I heartily endorse and strongly recommend Kim Lehrman as a commissioner for Franklin County District 1. I have known Kim for over 35 years. (She was in K-12 grades with my daughter.) She has matured into an intelligent, thoughtful, hard-working and compassionate woman. These attributes and her agricultural background will make her an outstanding commissioner. Her decisions are well reasoned, common-sense-based considerations. Additionally, many recent studies have shown that leadership boards which include women make higher quality decisions and are more effective.

Kim has long served the Franklin County community. She taught school for many years. She was also instrumental in leading the successful effort to get the 2016 school levy passed. She accomplished this by listening to diverse facts and perspectives, fairly considering the various options and reaching a solution acceptable to all parties involved.

In my seven decades on earth (half spent in technical and managerial positions in the nuclear power industry), I have observed the behaviors of many managers and leaders. Ms. Lehrman evinces the qualities of the best of them – active listening, open-minded, nonpartisan discussion and sound, effective conclusions.

Vote Kim Lehrman for Franklin County commissioner, District 1.

.......

Garbe Reser right for 16th District

We are fortunate in the 16th Legislative District to have a superb candidate for the State Senate: Danielle Garbe Reser, a Democrat.

In addition to her ability to communicate with people, Danielle beats all competition based on her knowledge and experience.

Danielle, a native of Eastern Washington, knows this district. She graduated from Whitman College in the 1990s. After a brilliant career in diplomatic service, she returned to Walla Walla to manage the Sherwood Trust, a major philanthropic organization. Her excellent service at the Sherwood Trust was recognized nationally. In that job she learned firsthand how to do the hard part of a political representative’s job: cultivating scarce resources and allocating them among more worthy recipients than can be satisfied. More than any other candidate, Danielle knows how to do the crucial work of a state senator.

Danielle’s experience shows that she will make her knowledge work well for us. In the variety of jobs in the federal government Danielle held before returning to Walla Walla, Danielle developed her capacity to work productively with competing, even antagonistic, interests to solve tricky policy problems.

Danielle is the clear choice to serve us in the state Senate.

.......

Vote Petersen for Superior Court

Benton and Franklin County Superior Court needs a judge who will uphold the principles of our U.S. and state Constitutions. Dave Petersen is the conservative candidate who will do just that! Dave believes the constitutions are the law of the land, and he is mindful that any decision he makes from the bench begins with those principles.

Additionally, Dave’s qualifications and experience for this position far exceed his opponents. Not only has he served 6+ years as judge for the City of Pasco, he has been regularly called as a judge pro tem in our local courts for 20+ years. His legal experience is also broader than that of his opponents. He is well regarded in the legal community to be fair and open minded with all who come before him.

Join me in voting Dave Petersen for Superior Court judge on Aug. 4.

.......

Dozier best pick for 16th Senate

It has been my pleasure of knowing Perry Dozier, his wife and their families for 55 plus years. While Perry was in high school, he excelled in academics, athletics and Associated Student Body offices. After graduating from Prescott High School, he attended Whitman College and graduated with a degree in economics.

Perry eventually returned to operate the family wheat farm. He was a very active member in the Northwest Grain Growers, and he was president of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers. He also served as a Walla Walla County commissioner for seven years (2009 to 2016.) He and the other two county commissioners were a compatible team. One of the main challenges they had was balancing the annual budget. The budget was passed with a sufficient cash reserve and a reasonable disaster fund without raising taxes. Mr. Dozier is not afraid to take a strong position, especially when it is in the best interest of the budget and the constituents with whom he is serving.

He is the best and most qualified candidate for the position of senator of Washington state for the 16th District. Please vote for Perry Dozier!

.......

Garbe Reser a proven builder

I first met Danielle Garbe Reser in 2017 at the Commitment to Community potluck, held at the Edith-Carey Community Center. Through her work with Sherwood Trust, she helped coordinate this potluck, aimed at bringing women of all cultures together to build relationships and a sense of community. For me, it was the most uplifting moment of 2017. Danielle greeted me when I walked into the Center, immediately making me feel welcome and valued. She has a calmness about her that draws you in, and when I started talking with her, I quickly realized how bright, intelligent and passionate she is. At the end of the evening, I remember thinking how lucky the Walla Walla community was to have her working for them.

I was so excited when I learned that Danielle was running for State Senate. With her Eastern Washington roots, her 14 years as a public servant (serving honorably under both Republican and Democratic administrations), and her devotion to building a strong community, Danielle Garbe Reser is the person I want fighting for us on those committees and in the hallways in Olympia.

.......

‘Attack ads’ come from outside 16th

The attack ads by Washington Realtors against Bill Jenkin illustrate what happens if an elected representative fails to vote the way a powerful, well-funded special interest group would like. For anyone interested in the facts, no doubt Bill would be happy to tell you why he refused to bow down to this special interest group.

Until then, check out the source of the ads and you’ll find them under scrutiny for violation of Public Disclosure rules. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll discover other interesting fact—like none of the sponsors are in the 16th Legislative District! You’ll also find they have deep pocket — so far raising close to $120,000 to try to defeat a candidate who did not vote as they wanted.

The attack ads are an example of folks who did not get their way, so they are willing to spend a great deal of money in an attempt to get someone elected who will be more pliable. That should tell you a great deal about those paying for those mass mailings and TV and radio attack ads.

.......

Vote for Peralta for commissioner

I am endorsing Ana Ruiz Peralta for Franklin County commissioner. Ana has demonstrated her support for building our community through positive action. Ana saw a need to improve Pasco’s image and increase local business by being a creator of the Pasco Taco Crawl and in imagining and achieving the Colima-Pasco Friendship Agreement. Both of these successful initiatives, originated by Ana, demonstrate her skills in bringing diverse sets of views together for the good of all.

As chairman of the board for Tri Cities Community Health, she demonstrated experience in budgeting, problem-solving and operation of a multifaceted organization. She was able to accomplish these feats through her ability to collaborate and build relationships across ideological and political divides, something that is vital today to build economic development and move Franklin County into an improved future.

Ana has built relationships with state-level leaders in Washington state and in Colima. She is smart, creative and courageous and is able to bring people together to benefit our entire community. We deserve her thoughtful, positive and accomplished leadership on the Franklin County Commission. Please vote for Ana Ruiz Peralta. It’s the moment.

This story was originally published July 30, 2020 at 1:01 AM with the headline "Letters: Elections, Franklin County commissioner, 16th District and more | July 30."