I read with interest Sharra Finley’s letter praising Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler’s achievements recently (July 12, “Herrera Beutler Deserves Our Thanks”).
In the letter Finley specifically cites Herrera Beutler’s efforts on sea lion removal, allowing tribes to operate distilleries, and tax cuts for craft breweries and brewpubs.
What she fails to mention are Herrera Beutler’s myriad votes to remove health care coverage from a huge swath of the population via her votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act, doing away with its protections, including bans on lifetime coverage caps and its protections for those with pre-existing conditions.
Finley also has forgotten the tax cut she so enjoys is temporary for her and her husband, expiring in just a few years, while continuing on into eternity for corporations and adding trillions to the national debt every year.
I fail to understand why it’s so desirable for Herrera Beutler to promote distilleries, craft brewers and brewpubs given the huge damage alcohol abuse wreaks on individuals and families; perhaps Jaime could work on protecting clean water and air instead?
Herrera-Beutler voted against saving net neutrality, apparently uninterested that those of us in rural communities are being left further behind the “digital divide.” Jaime cut office hours in Chehalis to 90 minutes a week, apparently because her staff couldn’t make the three-hour round trip drive and work more than 90 minutes in an eight-hour workday.
And let’s not forget, Herrera Beutler hasn’t faced her constituents in person in a local town hall in, I don’t know how many years. Yes, let’s applaud Jaime’s work for fish and booze and billionaires. I prefer a representative who will look me in the eye in person, and one who cares about health care for all.
Amy White
Centralia
