Politicians are expected to make a pitch to the audience they’re addressing, but at the recent breakfast meeting of the Gig Harbor Chamber I heard some pretty disturbing things from Jan Angel, a Republican candidate running for state representative.

Speaking to a group composed mostly of local business leaders, Jan Angel said that the answer to the economic and financial problems we are facing is to reduce regulation.

Excuse me, but isn’t that exactly the approach that created the mess we’re in?

Deregulation and reduced government oversight have allowed investment firms to run wild, beginning with Enron and leading up to the recent collapse of firms like Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and WaMu.

Now President Bush, with only a few months left in office, wants taxpayers to fund a $700 billion bailout for the Wall Street fat-cats who created this mess.

Is that the kind of solution Jan Angel has in mind?

Angel also said that we need to do something about the B&O tax paid by businesses in our state, even though she admits that it’s a major source of revenue for our state.

Unfortunately, the kind of changes she has in mind would mean increasing our state’s other major sources of revenue – sales taxes and property taxes – which are regressive taxes paid directly by Washington families.

Republicans have been cutting regulation and shifting the tax burden away from businesses and onto families for years, and it’s ruining our country.

No thanks, Jan.

MONICA FAULK

Fox Island