History, politics, people of Oly WA

Hey Heather (from Washington CAN): bite me!

Because you can’t tell the difference between a town and the state legislature:

Hey Olympia, hands off the $

Dear Rhenda,

President Obama signed the federal stimulus plan to help states and their residents rebound from the current recession. Funding for health care is a significant part of the package. Washington State’s share is expected to be $2.06 billion over the next two years.

However, there is danger that lawmakers in Olympia will take the money with one hand, but then turn around and still make deep cuts to the health care safety-net with the other. That’s just wrong.

Email your legislators to demand that they use this new federal health care funding to stop cuts to the health care safety-net.

We agree with President Obama when he said, “These funds are intended to go directly toward helping struggling Americans keep their health coverage.” Now more than ever, we can not afford to weaken our health care safety-net programs such as the Basic Health Plan.

This past Sunday, the Tacoma News Tribune ran a guest editorial outlining the need to ensure federal dollars from the economic stimulus go to strengthen our state health care programs. Take a minute to read it now, www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/othervoices/story/642058.html then email your lawmakers.

Wanna have an even bigger impact? Please join us next Wednesday, March 11 in Olympia to speak directly to your legislators about the need to strengthen our health care programs. This is your last opportunity to register, so sign-up today!

Thank you for all of your support!

~the Washington CAN team

Hat tip to dear ol’Rhenda Strub, because she cc’d me on her response:

Olympia has no control over the money. Olympia is a city struggling to make ends meet just like every other city in the state. If you have a gripe with the legislature, please say so and stop batting our name around to make your point. Most of the legislators are from up there where you are. Why not say “Hey Seattle, hands off the $”

Rhenda Iris Strub
Olympia City Councilmember

I honestly couldn’t argue with Heather’s actual point, but to make that point on the back of a lazy use of language, she can bite me.

And, yes: an elected official has bought into my crazy pet peeve.

4 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    I’ve lived in Missouri, Illinois, South Carolina, California, North Dakota, Texas and South Dakota. It was not until I came to Washington that I heard the name of the state capital used as shorthand for the legislature. Nobody in South Dakota, for instance, ever said “Tell Pierre to increase education funding.” Nobody back home in Missouri gets all irate with Jefferson City (though we called it Jeff City). The first time I heard “Tell Olympia we won’t stand for…” I said to my husband “What has Olympia done to annoy these people?” Then I realized they meant the legislature. Everytime I hear it I get annoyed with whoever is using it. So, you see, I didn’t “buy into” your pet peeve. It has been a peeve of mine, though I guess I haven’t really petted it much. Now we have each other. One more and we can form a club!

  2. Rob Richards

    I guess I’ve never really thought about it this way. I can’t join your club though, my peeve card is full!

  3. TeddyBlogger

    At least in Western NC we refer to Raleigh, the city, as the legislature, so dumb me, I thought everyone did it. Duh!

  4. TeddyBlogger

    At least in Western NC we refer to Raleigh, the city, as the legislature, so dumb me, I thought everyone did it. Duh!

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