I attended Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler’s, R-Camas, town hall meeting. I’m tired of hearing her use the budget as an excuse to gut programs for the poor and middle class, whom she claims to be protecting, while preserving tax breaks for the wealthy. While reasonable people on both sides of the aisle will certainly agree that our budget is a disaster, it is disingenuous to suggest, as she did all during the meeting, that our choices are to either do nothing and watch the system collapse, or to vote as she has done with the Republican leadership.
Herrera Beutler stated that she would not support any tax increases on the middle class. However, cutting funding for programs that help the poor and middle class is tantamount to raising taxes on those who use, and need, those programs. I agree that we must cut budgets, but we cannot cut our way to prosperity. Tax rates are the lowest they have been in decades, and in a time of war. For the Republican Party to consistently shoot down tax increases as part of the solution to our budget problems is irresponsible. Her voting record to this point doesn’t adequately represent the views of the majority of the people of Southwest Washington.
Kristen Wallway
Vancouver
