Letters to the Editor

To the editor,

I am concerned about the conflicting messages we as small business owners are receiving from our government leaders.

I thought small (Ma & Pa) businesses were viewed favorably by most Americans. Some of the policies that have been put forth lately will have a significant negative impact on small businesses and small towns.

1. Low Carbon Fuel Standard: If this legislation passes it will raise the price of fuel for everyone and eventually raise the price of everything for everyone. All this with no guarantee of improving our climate. Small businesses cannot absorb increased operation costs as easily as large corporations. This will lead to more consolidation as small businesses are forced to close and the big boys gobble up their market share. Small businesses are the foundation of our middle class and for that reason we are essential to maintaining a middle class in America.

2. Mandatory Overtime Pay for Agricultural Workers (and possibly retroactive): If this legislation passes, we will see the same result. Small farmers will not be able to absorb the increased labor expense and will be forced out of business and be replaced by large corporate farms. The rally cry that we have been hearing for years is that “Big Ag” is bad and that small farms are preferred. But that is another topic of discussion.

3. Removing the Four Lower Snake River Dams: This is in direct conflict with the Low Carbon Fuel Standard that is currently being pushed through Congress. Removing these dams will require using much more carbon intensive transportation methods to move crops from Eastern Washington and Idaho to Portland for export.

I know that Governor Inslee is passionate about climate change and now during his “Magic Moment” with democratic control of all three branches of government he seems determined to push this agenda through without consideration of the extreme negative effect it will have on our small businesses, small towns, and the state population as a whole.

David and Dianne McKinley

Dayton, Wash.