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Murray had better things to do
In disagreement to Ms. Gordon’s premise (Letters, July 8), I offer the following:
Given: Ms. Gordon was in Washington, D.C., and had the opportunity to visit Sen. Patty Murray’s office as part of a tour group.
Given: Sen. Murray cut short the anticipated amount of time that was normally allotted to greeting tour groups.
Disputed: By cutting short the time allotment, Sen. Murray was failing to “remember the people she serves.”
Unknown: Number of Washington state residents that were part of the tour group.
Additional fact: 2009 estimated population of Washington state was 6,664,195.
Additional fact: The core job function of a senator is to propose, evaluate, negotiate, amend and vote on legislation.
Additional fact: In the last several weeks there have been major pieces of legislation held in the Senate.
Additional fact: Many of those legislative pieces would have direct impact upon the residents of Washington state.
Additional fact: The Senate was to take a break after July 4, and some legislation was time-critical.
Counter opinion: It seems probable that the senator prioritized her time, working on legislation that she believed could improve the lives of those she represents.
Conclusion: It appears as though Sen. Murray was performing the job she was hired to do.
Travis Nelson
Spokane