Letter: Legislators take tough votes

On the ballot last November, there were several advisory votes on which voters gave their opinion on taxes.

The majority of the 30 percent turnout voted “no” on all tax issues.

In an article following the election, Editorial Page Editor Greg Jayne suggested that the legislators should have been more “engaged” with the voters beforehand.

While I agree, however, I emphatically would disagree if there is an implication that the legislators would have voted differently.

With a need to balance the budget, the majority of legislators chose taxes over cutting vital services to thousands of Washington’s citizens; including children, seniors, veterans, etc.

Most legislators don’t like voting taxes anymore than citizens like to pay them.

In the late 1970s, the Democrats lost the House and Senate majorities to the Republicans for voting taxes.

In the early 1980s, Republican Gov. John Spellman courageously required his new House and Senate majorities to put the sales tax back on food to balance the budget.

In the next election, the Republicans lost the House and Senate majorities to the Democrats. Two years later, Spellman lost his bid for a second term.

Statesmen vote taxes when they are clearly indispensable to the goals and objections of a harmonious society.

Thank God for representative democracy!