Editor’s note: the following letter is addressed to state Rep. Chris Hurst.

I am compelled to respond to your end-of-session report.

Your party is the party that spent way more money than you should have. The party that “doesn’t solve problems” told you not to spend so much money. Your governor said during the election that there was

not a deficit in Washington state.” We have a $9 billion one. This is not the Republicans’ fault. The Democrats are fully to blame for this and not one of you will admit it.

You say you consider yourself one of the least partisan people in the Legislature yet you are degrading all on the other side throughout your “report.”

Those savvy enough politically (about 15 percent of the public) know what went on in Olympia and you sound foolish to those 15 percent because your “report” is a partisan report.

Those 15 percent know your party did not want nor did they listen to any Republican ideas or suggestions during the session because you know you have all the pawer and don’t give a hoot what they think.

Your party talks about funding priorities all the time but when it came down to putting rhetoric away and doing what you say, it all came out rhetoric.

Your party cut education funding but funded massive environmental garbage. Your party said children would die unless we fully funded child healthcare yet you funneled millions of dollars into art and other nonessential garbage.

You said you opposed all general tax increases but you allowed counties and cities to raise taxes massively. You folks are so smart. “Look at me. I didn’t raise your taxes, the other guys did.” You did steal money from many other sources that are legally bound to a specific purpose. Boating, NOVA money, etc.

The fact that your party cannot and will not find wasteful spending is the dirt on your hands. Your side is so dirty, you cut the state auditor’s budget to the point of uselessness. Congratulations. You win, the citizens lose.

Deloris Timmons

Bonney Lake

City will not prosper without development

I am responding to Jean Hoiland’s letter (Courier-Herald, June 10) about keeping the Thomas Dairy a farm forever and ever. As long as the Thomas family wants to farm, they should be able to farm. I believe in private property rights. However, if they want to sell to developers, and the city wants to assist them in unleashing the restrictions King County has put in place, then I say, “fight on, city of Enumclaw.”

Ms. Hoiland wants you to believe that leaving the Thomas Dairy a farm, will bring in untold taxes and jobs. She is only fooling herself. She cannot convince me that a dairy farm will bring in more tax dollars and jobs to the city than an industrial park. Light industry and business is the biggest source of jobs and tax dollars. Look at Mutual of Enumclaw and Helac. Can you imagine having a half-dozen more businesses like Mutual and Helac in this city? The city lagged far behind other municipalities in growth during the last 15 years of the greatest economic growth spurt of this country’s history. The reason they lagged behind is the same mentality that Ms. Hoiland has – let’s keep big business and corporations (and people from California) out of Enumclaw in order to protect the downtown businesses.

What has been the end result of this anti-business type of mentality? Downtown businesses are going out of business because no one comes to Enumclaw to shop. If Enumclaw had big business and major retailers like Walmart or Fred Meyer, people would be coming to Enumclaw to work and shop. I guarantee that these potential shoppers would take notice of the unique, quaint shops downtown. Enumclaw has some neat downtown shops that we need to share with people from outside Enumclaw. Downtown businesses would thrive with more people coming into Enumclaw. And, maybe we would actually get a 24-hour restaurant that is profitable. We don’t need collectivists and socialists volunteering their “vision” of Enumclaw. We have had that and it doesn’t work.

I don’t want Enumclaw to become another Bonney Lake, but I want Enumclaw to have enough businesses that are diverse so this city doesn’t suffer during tough economic times. Wishing everyone live in huts, till the land and going to the local feed market isn’t going to bring that economic freedom.

J. Buss

Enumclaw