Rural Issues Listening Tour stopping here

To The Eagle:

On March 15, 6-8 p.m. everyone is invited to be at the Skamokawa Grange to help identify common concerns we have in our county that we want the state level government to work on. This is a bipartisan effort, sponsored by both the Republican and Democrat county party chairs. The Listening Tour team is led by Don Schwerin, Chair of the state Democrat Party Rural and Ag Caucus. In short, many of our concerns are different from Eastern Washington rural county concerns and these folks want to hear our concerns so we can all work on them together.

Based on the comments during the forums before the recent elections, we are expecting four main areas of comments: mitigation of consequences of statewide decisions forced on us by urban counties, environmental concerns, small business concerns, local industry concerns. If you have a concern that doesn’t fit neatly into one of those categories, bring it also! If you can’t make it Friday night, please pick up, complete, and return a survey at Maria’s or the Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to the formal event, we are starting with a “dessert potluck” - bring something to share by 6:15 if you like. The Listening Tour will begin at 6:30.

This is a “listening tour” not a “speaking tour,” not a “solutions tour” – these state folks are coming to become informed on concerns and issues of a small west-side rural county (us), not to tell us how to solve them. From our Forums last fall we know that folks in our county from different political parties have much in common. Our task here is not to vent against individuals or parties, but rather to share issues. If our visitors are pushed to answer any questions, they will briefly answer then return to listening.

If you have any questions please contact Joel McEntire, Wahkiakum County Republican Chair or Dave Zabel, Wahkiakum County Democrat Chair.

Ron Wright

Cathlamet