Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, is speciously using inexorable market forces to thoughtlessly shill for an outdated philosophy. This makes her out of touch with the people of Clark County as evidenced by her editorial, “State’s burdensome business climate drove G-P to flee” (Dec. 7, The Columbian), falsely linking Georgia Pacific’s Camas mill workforce reduction to the state’s business climate. (Check online for business climate rankings: Washington is well above average in nearly all metrics.)
I submit that we want paid sick leave, within reason. We want to err on the side of caution and not add to global climate change by shipping our oil and coal overseas. We want clean air and water via reasonable regulations. We want thoughtful development so as to maintain certain bucolic aspects of Clark County and the state. And we want business to pay its fair share of taxes.
It’s on taxes where Pike does us the most disservice. Taxes are our price for a civil society. Quit sawing that dumb, old tax-drubbing log, please. Look out for us, not for the profits of an out-of-state Koch brothers company. The 18th needs someone with a modern philosophy in the statehouse. It most certainly is not Pike.
