August 22, 2011
Dear Neighbor,
As we head into the final weeks of summer, I wanted to give you an update on the work I’ve been doing as your state representative during the legislative break, as well as other important legislative information.
Housing Tour Highlights the Need for New Low-Income and Transitional Housing Approaches
As vice-chair of the Community Development and Housing Committee, I have participated in several planning committee meetings. I also visited emergency, transitional and low-income housing facilities throughout Mason, Thurston, and Lewis counties in July. These facilities, which are run by nonprofit organizations and built with the help of state and federal funds, serve a variety of populations in our communities, from at-risk teens to single adults to families.
On July 1, I visited two living facilities operated by Community Youth Services, and spoke to the Executive Director and staff about how the Legislature can best promote their activities with at-risk youth. Both facilities, which serve teens in crisis as well as single mothers, are funded by federal grants administered through the state Department of Commerce.
The following week, I visited the Mason County Shelter, which houses single adults as well as families. The building is over 100 years old and prone to flooding from nearby Shelton Creek, but the staff is doing the best it can to make it work.
I also visited Drexel House and Evergreen Vista in the Olympia area, two newer facilities which offer low-income housing units as well as emergency shelter. It was especially insightful to meet Michael, a resident of Drexel House who welcomed me into his studio apartment. Without a place like Drexel House, Michael would be homeless. A chronic disability combined with the tough economy makes it nearly impossible for him to find employment. Michael has seen his monthly stipend from the state’s Disability Lifeline program shrink further and further due to state budget cuts, and knows that beginning this October it will go away entirely.
Fortunately, Michael has been able to secure Social Security disability benefits that will allow him to continue to afford the rent on his subsidized apartment. But he can’t afford market-rate housing, and that is a problem many in our community are facing right now.
As our state, and the nation as a whole, struggle to climb out of the recession, there simply isn’t enough public funding to fully cover programs that in the past have kept people like Michael out of homelessness. At the same time, the more I understand this important area, the less I am convinced that our existing approaches result in optimal bang for the taxpayers’ buck. We often renovate, or build, expensive new facilities which help a lucky few, without making a substantial dent in the homeless population. How to improve these policies is a challenge that state legislators face as we move forward into 2012, and one that my committee continues to work on between now and then.
I also took action to support the Kitsap Continuum of Care Coalition’s request for a levy that would benefit veterans and their families, as well as other homeless individuals. I am hoping to visit Grays Harbor County on this and other issues next month.
Public-Private Partnerships in Transportation
Earlier this month, I attended a workshop of the state Joint Transportation Committee, which focused on public-private partnerships. We discussed various models for such partnerships, including the pros and cons of each, and the criteria for deciding what makes a project suitable for public-private partnership, among other topics.
Funding transportation needs will be one of the biggest issues facing the legislature as revenues from the state gas tax continue to drop. They are estimated to drop over $100 million in the near future. Transportation funding is critically important to our district as it impacts issues from ferries to the Belfair bypass, and interchanges at Gorst, Johns Prairie Route 3 and 101 and Lynch Road, as well as projects along Highway 12 in Grays Harbor. Future funding options were the main topic of discussion at a Pacific North West Regional Economic(PNWER) meeting I attended in Portland.
Impact of Cuts on Education
Although we were able to preserve levy equalization funding and monies for early childhood education, the legislature also made cuts to public education, particularly higher education, in order to balance the state budget.
I have visited a number of schools in the area to try to determine how they are doing in this challenging environment. The long term impact of the cuts the legislature made cannot yet be determined. Many do not take effect for some time. We are also looking closely at the extent to which the significant layoffs in some districts are primarily the result of the reduction in student census or management issues. I hope to continue to re-examine these issues while I am in the legislature.
Next State Revenue Forecast Coming Sept. 15
When legislators wrapped up the session last spring, our state budget was balanced and we left over $700 million in reserves – a responsible cushion to protect us if revenues declined further.
Unfortunately, revenues have continued to be down, a result of decreased consumer spending as Washingtonians ride out the recession. We’ve had to dip into those reserves, and just last week the governor directed all state agencies to prepare for cuts of up to 10 percent. We’ll know more when the official revenue forecast comes out September 15, but this is extremely tough news coming on the heels of the $4.5 billion in cuts that were just made in order to balance the current budget. As I am out in the community meeting with constituents, I am seeing firsthand the effects that state budget cuts have on people, and I am concerned about what further cuts may mean.
Monitoring Safety of Our Correction Officers
This past session the legislature passed a number of bills directed at preserving and enhancing safety of our correctional officers. One measure (Senate Bill 5907) ensures corrections officers will have personal body alarms, assigns proximity cards to make sure the correct people are in the different parts of the prison, and establishes a number of workgroups to correct deficiencies or create better working policies to reduce workplace dangers for prison staff. Another measure gives off-duty correctional officers who complete an approved training course the same rights as off-duty law enforcement officers when it comes to carrying firearms for protection.
These issues are vital to the hundreds of 35th residents who work in corrections. We will be monitoring the impact of these bills on the climate of our correctional facilities and the safety of our officers. Additional legislation may be necessary in this area.
Work Source Office Has Moved
Belfair-area residents will soon have a new WorkSource office to visit. I know the moving process has left these residents without service, which is particularly difficult at a time when more people than ever need it. The WorkSource employment center in Belfair is relocating to a larger space and will reopen mid-September in the North Mason County Resource Center. The new location, at 23554 N.E. State Route 3, also houses the Department of Social and Health Services, the Mason County Health Department and other community agencies. The employment center will still be staffed every Monday when it reopens. Until then, assistance is available at the WorkSource Mason County facility in Shelton, online at www.go2worksource.com or by calling 360-427-2241. Thank you for your patience during this transition.
My Final Term
Being a state legislator is an honor and privilege, and I am very grateful that the people of the 35th District have twice put their trust in me. I have worked hard during my term to merit that trust. I served on multiple committees and did not miss a single vote, declined most of my per diem and all mileage reimbursement, and considerably increased my personal charitable giving to projects within the District.
I recently announced publicly that this will be my last term. It was a difficult decision, because the Legislature’s work is never done, and I enjoy working with people on both sides of the aisle to improve our communities. I will be 67 at the end of my term and the demands of family and private business preclude further public service at this time.
But even though I am not running for a third term, I will still be working hard for you between now and the end of 2012. Many challenges still face our state and only by putting our differences aside and coming together will we be able to overcome them. We all ultimately want the same things – strong schools, economic opportunity, affordable housing options, clean water, abundant natural resources, and the promise of a better future. I am pleased that in debating how to achieve these goals we have so far avoided most of the grid lock of many other states and the Federal government.
I look forward to continuing to serve you in the coming year, and welcome your calls and emails with questions, concerns, and other feedback.