A Balance of Ideas is Vital in Olympia

Commentary by Jaime Herrera
For The Longview Daily News
May 24, 2009

As one of the newest state lawmakers from Southwest Washington, I'm an outsider to "politics as usual" in Olympia. I don't see that as a negative though. On the contrary, my fresh perspective and desire to collaborate with anyone on solutions is a benefit for the people I represent. I worked with my Southwest Washington colleagues on ideas that would bring efficiency and effectiveness to state government this year and, despite some progress, there is still a lot to do.

I have learned that "change" is the most overused word on the campaign trail and, ironically, the most feared word in Olympia. At a time when our state desperately needed change, majority leadership opted for the status quo. Rather than say "yes" to new solutions, they sent Washington residents a resounding "no" message.
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