Editor:
As we head into the Independence Day celebration this weekend, I have in the past, typically had a positive outlook on the future. That does not mean that I had no concerns in previous years, but this year feels quite different. This year I find my thoughts regularly occupied with the cost of living, feeling less safe, the homelessness and drug addiction crisis and the lack of progress being made to address these serious issues. I lay this at the feet of elected officials who are in the position to drive the solutions that are desperately needed. While primary elections are typically a snooze-fest and have low turn turnout, engaging in this process is crucial. I write this letter to the editor in support of Janelle Cass for Senate in the 21st Legislative District.
The incumbent, Marko Liias, is simply not delivering, in my opinion. He has failed on the most important issues that we face in our daily lives. If you feel that everything is peachy and going according to plan you can stop reading. But if you worry about the safety of your family, homelessness, or that government is exerting more and more control over our lives, please consider:
Crime: Liias has let us down. He supports weak legislative language related to Law Enforcement which has led to higher crime rates. Janelle Cass is committed to lowering crime and making our neighborhoods safer and is endorsed by the Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs. She will push for legislation that helps Law Enforcement to do their job.
Qualifications: incumbent Liias has been in Olympia since 2008 (14 years!!) and has very little real-world experience and was recently selected to be the chair of the Transportation Committee, overseeing an astronomical amount of tax dollars being spent. Janelle Cass has the real-world experience that is desperately needed. She is a small business owner and has a degree in civil/environmental engineering, having graduated from the Air Force Academy.
Overreach: The incumbent supports the concept of the state taking over the power to re-zone single-family residential lots to accommodate the development of missing middle housing. In a 2021 Senate hearing, Sen. Liias said, “If it were left up to me, we would mandate missing middle housing in every jurisdiction across our state, but the legislature has not reached a consensus on that.” Janelle Cass will fight to keep the decisions about single-family zoning local, where they belong. She is committed to listening to her constituents and prioritizing their concerns, will bring an open mind, her vast experience, an analytical approach to Olympia and focus on the root causes to bring real solutions.
Please vote by Aug 2!
Beth Fleming
Edmonds
Janelle had my vote when she was running for City Council…and she has it now!
She would have been an excellent Council member…I have every confidence she will be an refreshing, effective member of the Senate.
Three local (city) politicians who are deeply associated with the Dem. Party have taught me a big lesson. I’m done voting for people just because they have a D. next to their name on the ballot. (Or worse yet don’t have a D. next to their name because it isn’t allowed for the position they are after. I’m totally done with flying under the radar types). If that makes me a DINO, fine. I will still vote for plenty of Democrats but, in this case, I think Janelle has the edge for me. Democrats need to take a lesson from James Carville and wise up. “It’s the economy, stupid.” And now “fair and sane public safety laws and not giving away the farm” (my take). I’m going to start looking a lot more at what people do, rather than what they say. Janelle’s town hall at Yost Park, when running for City Council, was a game changer for me.
What is Janelle Cass’s position on the most important facing the next session of the legislature? Will she support all legislative measures needed to maintain and fully protect women’s reproductive rights in the state?
Really? Most would think that the most important issues we are facing are economic issues and taxation, crime, land use, education and transportation. Are you sure you live in Washington State?
The fact that that I still don’t have an answer to the simple, straight forward question I asked is concerning. (I honestly don’t know what Janelle Cass’s position is). Economic issue, taxation, crime and all the other issues mentioned are certainly very important. But really, more important than the reality that the women of our state face the real possibility that they could lose the critical constitutional and privacy right to control their own bodies, if legislative candidates that don’t share that view, gain majority control of the legislature in the fall elections?
Dennis, kindly show us where in the constitution is abortion a right. I can’t find it. And why do you say women in our state face the real possibility of losing their privacy and right to control their own bodies? I am not aware that there is any new movement or proposed legislation in this regard. I would love to know where to find more information on these.
Like Ms. Fleming, I also fear the future, however my fear comes from what people Ms. Fleming represent and what a politician like Jannelle Cass would do once in power. We have more than enough evidence from across the country of what Republican priorities are when they have power at the state level: Abortion bans, curbing voting rights, using tax dollars to investigate fake election fraud, going after gay and trans children, loosening gun laws thus causing crime to get worse, and will work to overturn free and fair elections if given the chance. This is scary stuff!
Crime? Cost of living? Homelessness? Yes, these are all issues, however I don’t see any specific plans that Cass has to solve them. Her website is full of vague statements and contradictions such as she wants to “build condos” to help solve the housing crisis and yet at the same time she wants to keep single-family zoning. We will not solve cost of living and the housing crisis without building more housing of all types. Oh, and by the way, I was just in Idaho and Montana, and I hate to break it to you, but Republican states are also talking about local crime, cost of living, and homelessness. Could it be that these issues are more complex than simply which political party is currently in power?
The only government overreach that I’m currently seeing is Republicans giving up on democracy and trying to destroy it. Also, a conversative court making decisions based on their political beliefs and not sound legal judgement. Otherwise, bring on the government please! Amazon, Walmart, and Elon Musk are not going to solve our problems. The only thing that will are laws, regulations and programs from a strong, accountable, compassionate, and democratically elected government.