POULSBO — State Rep. Sherry Appleton is again asking for voters to send her back to Olympia. With a platform of putting Kitsap constituents first, Appleton says there’s still some fight left in her.
A well-seasoned politician, Appleton previously served for two terms on the Poulsbo City Council and was first elected as a state representative in 2004.
“Since I was elected, and even before, I’ve always put Kitsap first,” she said.
Though several of her detractors have written letters denouncing her commitment to Kitsap and saying she doesn’t listen to her constituents, Appleton said that’s simply not true, as constituents have a direct line to her and she’s always available for appointments.
In the last legislative session, her focus turned to putting people in Kitsap back to work, she said. Through funding projects like Kingston’s Carpenter Creek restoration and Kitsap Mental Health’s Keller House, 162 jobs were created in Kitsap. If she’s reelected, she hopes to get Kingston’s Village Green funded.
Kitsap’s economy has fared better than most in the current recession, as Kitsap’s unemployment rate is currently at 7.4, while the state’s current unemployment rate is 8.9 percent. For that, Appleton credits the military influence and said there is more work to be done.
Also topping her priority list are transportation and education issues, she said.
Calling Bremerton the “stepchild” of the Washington State Ferries, Appleton said she’d like to see the state purchase two 144-car ferries, one to serve as a backup and one to service Bremerton.
By the same token, she said WSF must be accountable to the citizens and needs to become sustainable financially.
Rounding out her top three priorities, she said education should be fully funded, as is “the state’s paramount duty.”
“Basic education should not only include reading, writing and arithmetic, it should include computer technology,” she said. “I mean we’re in the 21st century. Our children need to be computer literate.”
A well-rounded education should also include the arts and physical education, she said.
Appleton has lived in Poulsbo for 30 years. She currently serves as vice-chair of the House State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee and is a member of the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and Health Care and Human Services Appropriations committees.
