I found the Dec. 9 Reporter article concerning Rep. Mark Ericks asking for constituent input on the state budget mystifying.

As president of the Northshore Education Association, representing the 1,200 certificated teachers of the Northshore School District, we have been asking to meet with Rep. Ericks for the past four months. Not one of our invitations was accepted nor did the Northshore Education Association get any reply. Now at the 12th hour, as the legislature is posed to go back into session to slash the state budget even further, Rep. Ericks wants to hear from constituents.

As vice chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Ericks should want as much information as possible to make informed decisions concerning further cuts to education in our state. This does not appear to be the case. Rather than meet face to face to discuss the effects of budget cuts to education in the last legislative session or the prospects for the upcoming session, Rep. Ericks wants us to simply e-mail him our opinions.

As a resident of Bothell, my opinion is that we need a representative that is willing to meet with constituents face to face rather than hide behind a computer screen. We need leadership in Olympia that is willing to discuss revenue enhancement rather than an all-cuts budget!

Tim Brittell

President Northshore

Education Association