Move on to Pakootas

As a former educator who has authored grant proposals seeking funding for after-school programs, an important component has been statewide comparison of county unemployment rates. Having tracked those statistics for Washington since 2004, when Cathy McMorris Rodgers was first elected to office, the numbers speak for themselves.

Ferry, Pend Oreille and (her home) Stevens counties had the state’s three highest February 2016 county unemployment rates, following a general trend throughout the last decade. And although Spokane County’s rate was close to the statewide rate for several years, it has increased to at least one point greater in the last few years (including early 2016) during which time it also ballooned to more than 2.5 points above the King County rate.

We must retire McMorris Rodgers, who increasingly focuses on national Republican Party recognition, in favor of Democrat Joe Pakootas, who will remember whom he represents. Joe experienced poverty firsthand during his childhood, but rose from union laborer to MBA recipient from University of Washington Business School and became CEO of his tribe. As such, he shepherded a $10 million dollar turnaround for the Colville Confederated Tribes.

Clearly, turnaround of our area’s economy will require turnaround of our U.S. representative.

Norm Luther

Spokane