Our economy has experienced the greatest downturn since the Great Depression. Jobs have been lost. Tax revenues have plummeted. State and local government budgets cut to bare bones. Funding for courts, law enforcement and our schools compromised.

Mike Baumgartner offers no solutions with his “cut taxes and spending” rhetoric. He offers no details on what he’ll cut further and how this will stimulate the economy. We cannot just bury our heads in the sand and claim slashing taxes will somehow make things better. I know firsthand that continued cuts to our courts and law enforcement will be devastating to our community.

Despite a bad economy, I want a leader, like Chris Marr, who is right in the middle of it all and fighting for Spokane. More cuts will be necessary and hard choices will need to be made, but this is not a reason to stop fighting for what’s important to Spokane, like the north-south freeway, a vibrant medical community and public school system, and growing local aerospace and green energy technologies. We need to keep building Spokane’s economy and creating good-paying jobs for our families.

That’s why I’m supporting Chris Marr. I urge you to do the same.

Jim Sweetser

Spokane