'One Washington'? Only if you live in King County, says Kretz

Kretz thinks bills to authorize 'government welfare' label, Y2Y territory are harebrained

Washington State House of Representatives

Shaking his head in exasperation, Rep. Joel Kretz today said he's never seen such harebrained legislation in all his years.

Senate Bill 6291 would put a "government welfare" label on projects in Eastern Washington, Senate Bill 5318 would create the Yukon to Yellowstone wildlife corridor (Y2Y) and, Senate Bill 6923 would levy a tax based on the size and fuel efficiency of a person's car. The measures were the subjects of debate in the Senate recently.

Kretz said he's heard it all now. The "government welfare" label bill, Senate Bill 6291, is the last straw when it comes to the arrogance of one county in the state, he said.

Senate Bill 6291 would withhold utility-project funds from rural communities unless local voters acknowledge the money for the projects is "government welfare." Another Democrat Senator from King County said the same label should be placed on transportation projects, stating those rural counties that receive transportation dollars should "be required to vote on whether to accept this largesse."

"If they want to talk about welfare, I think we should have the discussion," said Kretz. "What if Eastern Washington decided not to grow crops, generate electricity and house the wind farms King County relies on to feed their families and make their frilly coffee drinks? Last I looked, there isn't a wind farm or a Columbia River in downtown Seattle. Folks in King County enjoy the food we grow, the wine we make and the biodiesel that allows them to sit in traffic for hours each day. Maybe their produce and energy supply should come with a 'government welfare' label, too?"

Meanwhile, said Kretz, families in his district can't afford heating oil and the high cost of cranking up the heaters. They cut wood to heat their homes, which saves on the use of energy created in the northeast region of the state.

"It takes a lot of gall to bite the hand that feeds you," said Kretz. "It's insulting. What do these lawmakers think we trade to other countries and generate to sell to California? It sure isn't a double-tall latte. These products generate a lot of state revenue."

Kretz said Senate Bill 5318, which would require American fish and wildlife officials to work with their Canadian counterparts to protect a massive wildlife corridor known as the Yukon to Yellowstone Eco-Region, has raised ire in his district. The 2,000-mile-long swath includes the entire northeast corner of Washington, most of Idaho and much of Montana.

"The plan to auction off the Seventh District to be part of the Yukon to Yellowstone wildlife corridor is pure idiocy!" exclaimed Kretz. "What would the reaction be if the Legislature created an urban Washington wildlife corridor to make sure that grizzlies and other dangerous wildlife could roam free from British Columbia to Olympia."

Kretz added that maybe then, they would leave the little coyote in Seattle and the opossums on the governor's lawn alone.

Kretz said he's convinced the governor's and Democrat's "One Washington" plan is solely about King County. He said the Y2Y bill, sponsored by a King County Democrat, is a prime example. The entire 7th District is included in the Y2Y plan, with Spokane being the "capital" of the region, he said.

The Nature Conservancy, working with several other environmental groups, was in Olympia this year asking for $5.5 million to purchase land in the Okanogan-Similkameen area of Okanogan County, which is one of two parts in the effort to turn the 7th District into one big wildlife corridor.

The funding, according to information presented to lawmakers, would "begin the work to secure an ecologically viable wildlife corridor, linking the North Cascades with the Okanogan Highlands and the Selkirk Mountains through conservation easements and acquisition. The letter continues, "the project will help secure 10,000 acres of this 80,000 [acre] corridor and provide long-term protection for threatened and endangered species - including wide ranging carnivores and 24 other species..."

If the wildlife corridor bill were to pass, Kretz said it would devastate his district.

"Property values would plummet and dangerous wildlife would be free to attack children, pets and livestock," explained Kretz. "Folks that own their land would basically be renting it from an out-of-town environmental group."

Senate Bill 6923, also sponsored by a King County Democrat, would authorize a new tax based on the weight and fuel economy of a person's car. This is another example of a King County idea that doesn't make sense in the 7th District, Kretz said.

"All I ask is that urban lawmakers put their thinking caps on," said Kretz. "We're naturally going to have larger vehicles in my part of the state. We have more rugged roads and more intense weather conditions. Many families haul wood, cattle, hay and other large cargo around the region as part of their livelihood."

Kretz noted that a Prius can't tow his stock trailer.

"These proposals would take our land, tax us on the cars we drive and insult Eastern Washington's large contribution to the state's economy and the health and well-being of children," Kretz said.

Kretz concluded that letters and e-mails are flying in from his district on the Y2Y and the "government welfare" proposals. Seventh District families, he said, are not pleased with the "One Washington" approach of Democrats in Olympia.

"Folks from my district will push back on these proposals, so I hope the governor is prepared to face them," Kretz said. "Eastern Washington families have a lot of kitchen-table issues to grapple with, such as paying their growing property tax bills and putting food on the table. Introducing bills that insult their hard work is not constructive. My constituents want to know we're working to ensure their safety and security, not berating them and calling them 'welfare recipients.'"

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