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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024

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In Our View: Do Better, Lawmakers

Southwest Washington delegation should work on finding common ground

The Columbian
Published:

Politicians, by their nature, tend to be headstrong. The acts of running for office, convincing people to vote for you, and working on behalf of constituents require an uncommon level of egotism and hardnosed determination. Those are some of the traits that make politicians who they are; those are some of the traits that define leadership.

Therefore, it is no surprise that Clark County’s legislative delegation is marked by bullheaded individualism. As a recent article from Columbian reporter Lauren Dake detailed, lawmakers in recent years have been unable to find common ground, present a united front, or pull in the same direction for the issues on which they agree. “There are personality conflicts that come and go, and I can never keep track of who’s talking to whom,” Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver, said. The reason? “Politics being put before relationships,” Cleveland said.

Because of that, the delegation has poorly served constituents. Local lawmakers were blindsided near the end of this year’s session when the final budget removed money from Clark County mental health services. They also under-delivered in 2015, when a $16 billion statewide transportation package provided scant funding for projects in this region. In addition, the festering boil that is the Interstate 5 Bridge has continued to serve as an example of the ineffectiveness of the Southwest Washington delegation.

Clark County encompasses three legislative districts — the 17th, 18th, and 49th, accounting for three state senators and six state representatives. Currently, the 49th is represented by Democrats, while the other two districts are represented by Republicans. But partisan divides are a poor excuse for an inability to fight for issues on which agreement can be found. Former Democratic lawmaker Craig Pridemore said that a decade ago, “when it came to protecting the district, the county, the community, we didn’t care what party it was. . . . And it was typical across the state. The strong delegations do that.”

According to The Columbian’s report, current lawmakers cannot remember the last time they were in the same room of their own accord. This is contrasted with the Pierce County delegation, which frequently gathers over lunch during the legislative session to identify their region’s top priorities.

Such communication should be a given for Southwest Washington lawmakers, providing regular opportunities to delineate topics on which they can agree and best serve their constituents. Take the I-5 Bridge, for example. While there is a vast divide among lawmakers — and among constituents — regarding the best approach for replacing the bridge, a lack of communication has led to gridlock and frustration. The only guarantee is that failing to come up with a strategy and failing to present a united front will ensure that the needs of Clark County are ignored by lawmakers from elsewhere in the state.

In many regards, the situation confronting Clark County is endemic in modern politics. In an era marked by intransigence and obstructionism, ideological purity often is worn as a badge of honor rather than the failure it represents.

The hope is that a revamped Southwest Washington delegation can find some common ground in next year’s legislative session. Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, is not seeking re-election; Rep. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, is running for his seat; and Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, is running for lieutenant governor. Regardless of the legislative makeup, headstrong individualism should give way to shared goals.

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