Voter’s pamphlet missing a section

If you received your Thurston County Local Voter’s Pamphlet in the mail recently you may have noticed that there was something missing.

There were six school bond or levy issues on the ballot.   Each contained a statement in favor of the bond or levy passage.   But – – there was no statement against any of the six issues on the Thurston County ballot.

State law requires that both sides of an issue be represented in the voter’s pamphlet and yet there wasn’t a  single statement opposed to increased taxes.   Yet – almost every bond or levy issue has 40 to 45 percent of the voter’s casting a No vote.

Each statement in the pamphlet for the bond or levy issue carried a line that read “No statement against was submitted.”

It’s the responsibility of the taxing agency to find someone to write a statement against the issue.  New Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall said the school districts sent out news releases asking for someone to write the statement against and had no takers.

Hall said her department also sent out news releases seeking someone to write the statement against.

No one called, emailed, or asked me., even though I had asked the auditor’s office to do so.

If we’re going to use taxpayer money to promote tax increases, then there has to be a better way of getting the opinion of those against new taxes.

Hall said she is in the process of developing a list of those who might be interested in writing voter pamphlet statements.   If you would like to be on the list – – contact the auditors office.

In the meantime, throw away your voter’s pamphlet.  It’s nothing but a taxpayer funded political piece.