Messages sent by voters on election day aren’t always easy to decipher. This time around, though, some were loud and clear:
Given a chance to officially express their frustration over the 49-day teacher strike, voters swept out the school board incumbents who were up for re-election and handed a 3-2 majority to candidates supported by the teachers union.
Now the district and all of its stakeholders have an opportunity to start picking up the pieces of broken relationships and begin a healing process. It won’t be easy. In fact, the new board faces even tougher challenges, like the loss of nearly $2 million in state money this school year because of an enrollment decline. Add to that the pressure of having to come to contract agreements with teachers and other employees, keeping a credible reserve fund and figuring out how (or whether) to work with the current superintendent, and it will take considerable effort from everyone to move the district toward a successful path.
The new members of the school board must now take the lead. They’ll need plenty of support and patience to get the job done. And the No. 1 job remains the same: educating children amid rising expectations.
A levy to expand Valley General Hospital, a public facility in fast-growing East Snohomish County, was defeated soundly. In Mukilteo, an emergency services levy lost for a second time. Possibly bucking the trend, a Sno-Isle Library levy that would add $12 a year in taxes for a $300,000 home is ahead, pending a count of final absentee ballots.
In Edmonds, the incumbent mayor and three of four incumbent city council members were re-elected — a clear vote of confidence in the current government. Yet the proposal to lift the levy lid to avoid cuts in public safety was rejected. Voters don’t necessarily disagree with the ideas behind levy proposals, but seem to be saying they can’t afford them at this point in time. Most tax issues probably stand little chance until the economy improves.
Gov. Gary Locke, who opposed the repeal, illustrated in a written statement Wednesday just how such issues ought to be handled:
"Though the voters have repealed this rule, we plan to step up our education efforts with employers, informing them of no- and low-cost best practices that can help reduce these workplace injuries," Locke said. "Many businesses that already have ergonomics safety programs in place know that protecting workers is good for business, good for workers and good for Washington state. We will continue to work hard to make our state a safe place to work."
Education and voluntary compliance based on common sense. Those are concepts worth supporting.
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