The balance between furthering the needs of the 23rd District and working as a team player on the state level is a precarious one at best. But even as things are shaking up in Olympia, we feel two candidates who have already been working hard for the taxpayers of North Kitsap deserve another go in office.

Members of the North Kitsap Herald citizens advisory board agreed that Bev Woods (R-Poulsbo) has done very well for the 23rd District in Position 2, taking a much-needed stance in favor of privatized passenger-only ferries and improved transportation on the local level. She views our ferries for what they are — a vital link to the east side. Just as I-90 is a vital link between Western and Eastern Washington, and despite recent Washington State Ferries’ problems, Woods has done everything she can to strengthen this chain.

Terry Ducheane (D-Tracyton) is pretty much an “unknown” and other than his strong pro-education/anti-WASL stance and the fact that he feels corporate America is calling the shots for government, he hasn’t offered much of a platform to speak of. He was the only candidate who missed North Kitsap’s forum earlier this week, board members pointed out, and hasn’t done much, if any, campaigning in this neck of the woods. Why would North End voters support someone as state representative who isn’t representing himself in the North End?

Woods, on the other hand, knows the people here and has done an excellent job speaking up for them since taking office in 2000. She has worked diligently on state transportation committees as well as the capital budget committee to ensure good decisions were made.

While there are points of Phil Rockefeller’s (D-Bainbridge Island) campaign we don’t see eye to eye on, we feel he is the most qualified to serve the 23rd as our Senator. He’s climbed the ladder and earned the spot.

Rockefeller has a proven record as strong environmentalist and, following a Point Wells catastrophe which marred pristine shoreline in Indianola, was instrumental in passing a bill that commits the state to “zero oil spills.”

Members of the citizens advisory board described their experiences with Rockefeller as very positive and noted that he “doesn’t talk down to people” and shares a “worker’s point of view.”

The board was somewhat divided on his stance on creating a state income tax, raised serious questions about the validity of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) — which some called a “blue ribbon committee” — and was against his recent advocation for lawsuits versus the state.

But they also overwhelmingly agreed he would continue to be very effective for the 23rd District. Rockefeller has proven himself accessible and responsive to the needs of area citizens.

While some board members said Doug Kitchens (R-Bremerton) might have more business savvy in some cases, the majority agreed that Rockefeller’s past work on existing connections as a representative made him the natural choice to succeed Betty Sheldon as the 23rd’s senator.