Flynn Attacks Nethercutt Over Jobs, Promises

Carpenters union executive Tommy Flynn on Tuesday held a fund-raiser at the Ridpath Hotel for his campaign to unseat Republican incumbent George Nethercutt from the U.S. House of Representatives.

Flynn told 25 boisterous supporters it was time to “put George in retirement and make him live up to his promises.”

Flynn and fellow Democrat Tom Keefe, an attorney, are vying for the chance to challenge Nethercutt.

The pair want to win back the 5th District seat, which Nethercutt has controlled since 1994 when he beat Democratic speaker of the House Tom Foley. At the time, Nethercutt promised not to seek a fourth term. He has since changed his mind.

Flynn blasted Nethercutt for letting Eastern Washington’s economy creep along while the rest of the nation moves like a rocket.

“Eastern Washington’s economy only grew nine-tenths of one percent last year,” Flynn said.

“That’s deplorable.”

Better educational opportunities in the district would help lure more high-tech companies to the area, Flynn said, promising to make education a focus of his campaign.

Flynn had big plans for federal budget surpluses, saying they should be used to help pay off the national debt, deal with reforms in Medicare and help seniors get affordable prescription medicines.

Having campaigned around eastern Washington for the past six months, Flynn’s heard a lot about the difficulty many people in rural areas have in getting health care coverage.

“Health care should be a basic right for all people, not for an elect few,” he said.