I have been in Olympia a few times this Session to meet with Legislators on various issues.  Most recently these visits have been to support funding for transportation issues.  Items high on the list for South King County have been a Corridor Study for Highway 516 (Kent Kangley Road) from Maple Valley to Highway 167, an Amtrak stop at Auburn and the Highway 509 Extension from Burien to I-5.  These three projects affect commuters and freight traffic and, ultimately, economic growth and jobs.

Last Friday Morning, I had the opportunity to take my Granddaughter with me.  Lexi is 11 and ASB President of her Elementary School in Auburn.  While everyone should take the opportunity to visit Olympia when it is in Session, it is a great opportunity for future leaders like Lexi.  To understand how our governmental system works is a necessary part of responsible citizenship.  The next generation is going to inherit a whole bunch of problems from this generation.  We don’t have enough regard for the serious issues we are leaving for our children and grandchildren to fix, the huge national debt being one of the most serious.

We were able to meet with our own 47th District Rep. Pat Sullivan, who graciously gave Lexi a brief tour of the House Floor.  He took the time to explain how votes were taken and tallied and gave her his full attention.  He suggested that when she was 14, she should consider being a Page in the Legislature.  This is pretty special for an eleven year old!  Pat is very kind and is one of the most respected Legislators in Olympia.  We are fortunate to have him as one of our Representatives.

While waiting for Pat, we also ran into Rep. Roger Goodman, who is from the 45th District in Seattle.  Roger is another great Legislator who has taken on Domestic Violence as a key project.  I noted in an earlier Blog that I had served with him last fall on a Domestic Violence Work Group trying to create some improvements to the legal framework that would help victims (as a side note, most of these will pass this Session).  Roger was on his way to another meeting, but stopped what he was doing and spent about 10 minutes talking with Lexi about the DV project and actually engaged her in a discussion about it.  This is pretty important to an eleven year old!

These Legislators, along with many others, know the importance of engaging these young, future leaders.  While it is politically correct to berate our Legislators about every issue under the sun, it would be nice if everyone would remember that they are, at the end of the day, your neighbor down the street who is simply trying to make the world a better place.  Some seem to think that they are “on commission” and earn a percentage of the tax dollars they raise.  The truth is that they are not paid very much for a thankless job.  I can’t afford to do it and most of you could or would not either. 

Your Legislators do want to hear from you.  However, you must engage, rather than shout at, your leaders to be effective.  Treating others as we would like to be treated is a pretty good standard.  While you may think you are only one person, all legislation starts with someone.  Take the time to visit your Legislators and make it even more special by taking a child or grandchild with you.  Their future may depend on it!