Time For Change In The Evergreen State

For over twenty years now Democrats have resided in the Washington State governor's mansion. Both houses of our state legislature are currently controlled by Democrats. We haven't awarded our eleven electoral votes to a Republican presidential nominee since President Reagan in '84.

And does anyone really wonder why Washington has one of the most sluggish economies in the nation?

Thanks to over taxation and over regulation businesses have been on a mass exodus from our state for quite a long time. Now, our representatives in government think it is their right to infringe on our personal property. Just recently a bill was proposed by a Democratic legislator that if passed would prohibit property owners from collecting rain water on their own property without a permit. This isn't the end of it however, for the King County City Council recently passed an ordinance that restricts property owners' activities on their own piece of land. As one affected property owner, and a Democrat until the new ordinance passed explained, her property is now "worthless". Her dog can only run free on two of the five acres she owns, and she needs an $800 dollar permit to simply pick raspberries on her own property.

"How can government overstep so much?'' she rightly asked County Executive Ron Sims at a town meeting. She isn't alone in her indignation either, for there were thousands of affected landowners protesting the ordinance at the meeting as well.

I join their indignation, for even though I do not live in King County, and even though I do not own property, I strongly believe that this type of government action hurts us all. It is laid out in the Declaration of Independence that each individual is entitled to "the pursuit of happiness". This means being able to own property and being able to enjoy that property. By the message our local and state government has been sending us in the Evergreen State, we no longer have that right.

State Democrats can only get away with this for so long, for sooner or later Washingtonians are going to grow tired of this state's larger than life government. When that time comes, and I hope it's soon, they are going to become more and more receptive to what we Republicans have been saying all along: government is beholden to the people, not the other way around, and it's time Democrats get that message loud and clear.

Hat Tip: Sound Politics