Arm-chair critics love to bash our legislators. As if Washington State’s billion-dollar revenue shortfall is an isolated phenomenon they caused. But it suits some partisan agendas to ignore the reality that most other states face equally large shortfalls.

The economic mess handed to us by predatory bankers and Wall Street gamesters affected “red” and “blue” states alike.

Our legislators are stuck with the thankless and painful job of cutting more than a billion dollars from our budget while struggling to minimize harm to education, health care and essential services.

Voters added to our woes by choosing to give up some $300,000 in state and local revenues so they could have cheaper booze.  Unfortunately, our initiative process allows deep-pocket special interests to hijack our legislative process. Costco reportedly spent $22 million to smother opposition.

But it’s much easier to blame our legislators than it is to blame those who were richly rewarded for wrecking our economy.   Armchair critics should stop believing all the partisan distortions they read on the web.

Gene Bullock
Poulsbo