My choices for county commissioner

For 30 years, Thurston County government has been controlled by liberal Democrats, most of whom lived in the City of Olympia.   The views and the needs of the rural areas of the county took second place to the “progressive”  values of those elected county commissioners.

Voters have a chance to make significant changes this year and wrest control of county government away from those with no idea or concern for the problems facing rural residents.

Lets take a moment to ascertain what has happened to Thurston County government in the last 20 years.   Property rights of individual land-holders have been shunted aside.  The county lost a major lawsuit over challenges to commissioner actions which everyone knew were suspect, costing taxpayers millions of dollars.   Law and justice supporters cried for more money to put more deputies on the road, while commissioners wasted money in purchasing buildings no one would use.

There’s a clear choice for voters.   Elect Jim Cooper and Kelsey Hulse and continue the same policies of the outgoing commission.  Or vote for Gary Edwards and John (Hutch) Hutchings, and bring some “sanity” back to county government.

Some urban residents might be asking themselves why a county government election matters since they live within the urban city limits.   The answer is simple.   The Thurston County Commissioners operate as the board of health, and as such have significant impact on what happens in the urban areas.  More taxes on the table for those on sewer systems and significantly more money for those on septic systems is in the works.   That’s one of the things that the board of health has sway over.

The races for Thurston County Commission are the most important votes we will make this year.  Whoever is elected will set the county on the future for the next decade.    I think Edwards and Hutchings can position the county for a more stable future.