In response to Sen. John Braun’s commentary published by The Chronicle on Oct. 28: He states that the state is taking money from the Andy Hill CARE Fund and putting it in the general fund.
That’s essentially taking money away from cancer research and putting it in the state’s general fund.
This is a pattern that this state has been practicing for decades. Remember, back in the 80s, when our state wanted to bring in the lottery? The big promise to voters was all lottery proceeds would go to the schools and we would never have to vote for another levy, ever.
Where did that money end up? The general fund. Well here we are having to vote on another levy in a local school district and our governor is giving away unclaimed lottery winnings to privately owned businesses. He’s giving away $700,000 to three different privately owned businesses.
Every cent of that money should go to schools, as promised by our state, to keep us taxpayer citizens from having levies every few years. I think the schools should sue the state demanding all the lottery proceeds be returned to them.
Below is a copied and pasted excerpt of the very long email I got from the state of Washington Commerce Department:
“The Yakima County Development Association received $250,000 to improve site readiness at a new Manzana Products Co. apple products processing plant in Sunnyside. The Clallam County Economic Development Council will use $200,000 to make infrastructure improvements at the Forks Industrial Park. Riverside Forest Products USA is developing a sawmilling facility at the site. And Greater Spokane Inc. received $250,000 to help expand a manufacturing facility in Spokane Valley, where Mercer Mass Timber LLC is building an additional assembly space for secondary manufacturing. Revenue for the SRF comes from unclaimed lottery prize money.”
Tony Christen
Chehalis
