OPINION
Online poll: Do the presidential debates affect your vote? • 61.11% said no. • 38.89% said yes.
Mercer Island rEporter | www.mi-reporter.com
Elect Maxwell R
ep. Marcie Maxwell of Renton is our choice for a third-term representing the 41st District. In her first two terms in the state House of Representatives, Maxwell, a Democrat, has proven herself a valuable and influential leader and thinker on issues important to the Eastside. In particular, she has shown leadership in education and the needs of small business. Her opponent, Republican Tim Eaves of Issaquah, is running in part because he saw that no one was stepping up to challenge Democrat Maxwell in her re-election bid. Eaves is new to the 41st District — before redistricting, he was in the 48th Legislative District in northeast King County. He told the Municipal League he’s running because Rob McKenna will need a like-minded House and Senate to advance his agenda if he’s elected governor. That seems pretty lame to us. We want our lawmakers to advance the agenda of their constituents and not merely serve as a vote in the Legislature. Also troubling is his view on early childhood education in particular — he wants proof that it’s necessary. Anyone who pays attention to education issues knows that a key to a child’s success in school is getting them ready to learn. Eaves is an experienced and successful engineer and business owner. But he does not seem tuned in to the scope of economic disparity across the district. Maxwell, on the other hand, has invested a great deal to know the people and their issues in all her district’s cities. She is often on the Island — from Chamber luncheons to Summer Celebration to Rotary functions and more. She understands that some families need help. She understands that education, starting in early childhood, is a key to success in the future. She is serving on committees that will ensure that basic education is fully funded. She and Eaves also diverge on Initiative 1240, which if approved would allow for charter schools, something Washington’s voters have already rejected three times. Eaves supports the initiative; Maxwell wants our tax dollars spent to ensure that all students succeed, not just a select few. Maxwell is leader on a number of broad issues, including quality of life, that are important to her entire district — and the state. We need her compassion and leadership in Olympia.
ISLAND
TALK
Vote in the latest poll online at www.mi-reporter.com Wednesday, October 17, 2012 | PAGE 5
To the editor Ref. 74 expands civil definition of marriage I support Referendum 74’s expansion of the civil definition of marriage to include same gender couples. Marriage is a social good. It promotes stable and durable family relationships. Married couples have increased happiness, life expectancy and economic security. Children also benefit from living in households with secure and stable relationships. Two-thirds of children are now born to unmarried households. We need more marriage, not less. But there is a more fundamental reason to support this referendum. Martin Luther King Jr. once observed that “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Gays and lesbians have suffered from explicit discrimination for too long. As a Christian, I believe that all that the Divine creates is good, and that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. Now is a time that we, as a society, can put an end to one aspect of oppression, and promote justice and positive social relationships. Bennet McConaughy
Laws not deviancy dictate marriage definition In his Oct. 10 letter to the editor, Carl Dodrill warns that by passing R-74 — and thereby allowing same-sex couples to wed — voters will open the door to incestuous and polygamous unions. The truth is, marriage among close family members or multiple people won’t happen any time soon because both violate Washington state law. Marrying someone of the same sex does, too. But here’s the deal: a law gets changed when there’s enough
public support for it. Civil marriage between two loving same-sex adults has that support. That’s why our legislature passed it, the governor signed it, and a host of businesses, including Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks and Nordstrom, back it. So do many churches, synagogues, labor unions and socialservice agencies. Now it’s up to us, the voters, to do the right thing and make it a reality. Mr. Dodrill, do you favor polygamy or allowing close relatives to marry each other? If so, can you generate enough support to get those ideas through our legislature? Can anyone? Probably not, and that’s why they’re non-starters and your fears are baseless. As a volunteer for Washington United for Marriage, I’ve seen the support for equality up close. I’ve seen it from same-sex couples who have been together for decades and wish to be married like everyone else. I’ve seen it from parents saddened that their gay or lesbian children have had to remain single. I’ve seen it from straight adults who say it’s a matter of
fairness. A “yes” vote on R-74 reaffirms the importance of marriage rather than threatening it. It guarantees churches the right to decide which couples they’ll marry. So isn’t it about time to abandon false fears and support the equal right of all loving adults to wed? Elizabeth Rhodes
The leaves are coming News has it that attack is imminent. We have maybe 24 hours before we are faced with aliens from the sky, that mad mixture of two gases that results in the clear liquid that batters my increasingly unprotected noggin. It may not be War of the Worlds, but it certainly is war of the seasons. But it’s leaves, not rain, that is on my mind. This year we’ve been blessed, a word I don’t usually invoke, with sunny shine and warmth. And the second blessing: the summer god has enjoyed an extra latte while the storm gods have been held at bay, so
Letters | Page 7
What do you think of the presidential debates? Online poll
“Like always … they can be misleading.” Anil Bagai Realtor Mercer Island
“I’m certainly watching them and voting for Obama.” Alana Morris Community volunteer Mercer Island
“I think they are very informative.” Gwen Kuhn Retired Mercer Island
“I wish they were limited to one week.” Robert Williams Retired Mercer Island
“I think they are enlightening.” Nancy Dings Retired nurse Mercer Island
Mercer Island residents will receive their general election ballots in the mail this week. We want to know what you think. Do you vote right away? Vote now online at www.mi-reporter.com and look for the results in next week’s paper.