Spokane7
65°
September 29, 2010 in Opinion
Editorial: Ormsby has handle on what’s best for district
The race for 3rd District, Position 2 legislative seat pits incumbent Rep. Timm Ormsby, a Democrat, against political newcomer Morgan Oyler, a Republican.
In many ways, Ormsby, 51, is a reflection of this hardscrabble district. He does not have a college degree. He worked as a cement finisher for 17 years before becoming the business representative for the Northeastern Washington-Northern Idaho Building and Construction Trades Council. Similarly, he was appointed to the Legislature in 2003 and has worked his way up Democratic leadership, where he is now vice chairman of the House Capital Budget Committee and the Agriculture and Resources Committee.
The different path he has taken is one he advocates in education, too. Not every student wants to go to college, but there is still a lot that schools can do for them. Ormsby has been a strong proponent of the kind of technical education that keeps these students engaged in school and headed toward well-paying, blue-collar jobs that are vital to the community’s economy.
He wants to ensure that this path is protected, so that school remains meaningful for these children.
His perch on the Capital Budget Committee can mean the financing of important projects for Spokane. He is committed to building out the Riverpoint campus, which is critical to this community’s future. But he correctly notes that projects could come to a standstill if operating costs from other areas of the budget cannot be secured, or the state bumps up against its debt limit.
In the seven years he has been in public office, Ormsby has demonstrated an impressive transformation from legislative newcomer to well-informed lawmaker.
Oyler, 27, is from Los Angeles and comes to Spokane via Gonzaga University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in history. Since then, he has worked at group homes for at-risk kids. He is not a typical Republican candidate, which is probably why he was not endorsed by the county’s GOP organization. He is fine with the state’s “everything but marriage” law, which extends equal rights to same-sex couples. He supports reproductive rights.
On the budget front, he lines up with most Republican legislators. He says government needs to be shrunk and that new taxes should not be raised to close the looming budget hole.
However, he does not have the requisite experience as a leader, nor the knowledge displayed by Ormsby to address the difficult challenges that lie ahead. He shows promise as a future officeholder but is not ready to dislodge an experienced, qualified lawmaker.
The voters’ best choice in this race is Ormsby.
To respond online, click on Opinion under the Topics menu at www.spokesman.com.
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crfritscher on September 29 at 1:03 p.m.
Sorry, Spokesman Review, but Timm Ormsby is not the best choice as the one to fill the seat he currently holds. Granted he has more legislative experience than Oyler and that is the problem. He is part of the establishment that ran the State budget from 24 billion to over 33 billion dollars in just 4 years, 4 years, and into a huge, huge deficit. It’s time for the citizens to take back control of our State Government and we start by kicking out the good old boys and getting new blood that will quit the maddening spending spree. If we don’t, we”ll be getting a huge increase in the sales tax come January, 2011, along with as many new taxes as they dare throw at us. Oh yes, it is time to dump Ormsby.
mmspowaus on September 30 at 3:30 p.m.
TIM Ormsby voted in favor of SB 5599 which effectively takes away Washington States voters right to vote for president of the United States.
Although leftwing lemmings will try to spin his support of SB 5599 or accuse me of being a partisan (I’m an independent who in the past has supported both local DNC and GOP campaigns), they can not answer this point:
If SB 5599 is such great legislation, Why didn’t Ormsby advertise his sponsorship of SB 5599 in his election material?
For his sponsorship of SB 5599, Tim Ormsby deserves never to be in public office ever again…the legislation is just that bad…
IF his opponent does not work to reverse SB 5599, then vote him out when he is up for election..
By holding our elected officials accountable for awful legislation, we will get better government…
Restore the vote!!!
Let Washington State make it’s own choice for president of the USA in 2012!!!