It’s time to end the Legislative gridlock in Olympia and Snohomish County is the part of the state with the power to do just that. The question is — to which side should the political pendulum swing?
It’s a tough call given the four strong candidates in the two competitive races. Convincing arguments could be and have been made for both sides. But we’re going with the Republican combination of Joe Marine and Erv Hoglund in legislative districts 21 and 38, respectively.
Given last year’s legislative paralysis, it was tempting to toss out both incumbents — both of whom were appointed to replace candidates who had solidly won their seats for the 2001 session. But we can’t overlook Marine’s hard work and the independent voice he displayed his freshman session. Marine didn’t follow the party-line on opposing a gas-tax increase to pay for transportation projects and he understands the pitfalls of Initiative 747, which has been heartily endorsed by his party. Yet, he still has the support of fellow Republicans. His learning curve was shorter than might be expected and his success suggests he might be able to buck some party stances without losing its support.
His opponent, Brian Sullivan, is also a worthy candidate with extensive experience as the former mayor of Mukilteo and a small business owner. He has a deep understanding of the area, it’s people and its needs.
In the 38th District we’re willing to give Erv Hoglund a chance to prove he can play a role in alleviating traffic congestion and gaining taxpayers’ trust. Hoglund doesn’t have the typical politician’s resume, but he doesn’t appear to want to be a career politician either. It’s clear he has studied the issues and has realistic ideas for solving problems. Like Marine, Hoglund understands the need for government to earn back the trust of voters who are justly frustrated with increasing taxes and few results. Hoglund supports performance audits and believes the state needs to focus on I-5 and the 405 corridors to start addressing transportation problems. He also knows it will take more money to accomplish such goals and says it’s up to Olympia to regain voter confidence.
His opponent is incumbent Jean Berkey who has extensive experience in the political arena as a campaign manager for key local politicians . Berkey’s political connectedness and historical understanding of the district are undeniable and in her favor. But she was part of a Legislature that mired itself in deadlock for three sessions. Unlike Marine, she didn’t take bold steps on her own — a move we would have expected from someone with her political experience.
If elected, Hoglund won’t have the luxury of leaning on the "freshman learning curve" as a crutch. He’ll be expected to jump right in and work effectively and respectfully with fellow legislators as well as Snohomish County and city of Everett officials.
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