MedicalNeed
New Member
Roberts works for creative change
Rep. Mary Helen Roberts serves the 21st District of Washington. As our incumbent, with three terms under her belt, she has accomplished a number of the things she's wanted to, but there are still a number of issues she wants to tackle in Olympia.
Among her priorities, she talks of children and their education. And budget problems will be affecting everything.
"I'm hoping to do the best I can to keep things from being horrible," Roberts said. "I put a high priority on things that will affect children and education."
"Horrible" being the almost inevitable cuts in state funding that will surely come during the next legislative session.
"I don't think anything will get new money," she said. "Everything will be on the table. I want to be able to keep as much money in the classroom as I can."
Education may be high on Roberts' list, but she's not too happy with the state Board of Education. She wants to see more local control.
"The Washington State Board of Education isn't in tune with the diversity of our students," Roberts said. "They aren't in tune with the diversity of opportunities available to students post high school."
Roberts notes that community colleges and unions both teach skills to the specific needs of many students, but she thinks that way of thinking could be expanded to other students.
"I think there are some kids we're pushing out," she said.
Roberts also knows there isn't a pot of gold just waiting to be spent on new education projects, but she's not the type to give up.
"This session will afford some different conversations," she said. "When you don't have much money, you have to be careful with what you have."
She also thinks we need to work harder to keep kids in school, and keep them interested in school, rather than try to deal with the problem afterward.
"We've set things on a schedule for kids," she said. "Some get behind and then they can't catch up. They lose their peer group, and then their reason for staying (in school) begins to disappear."
Roberts' interests in education go beyond the classroom.
"We need to make more efforts to expand education in prisons," she said. "I can see more efforts by inmates to accept education."
Roberts also feels drugs need to be high on the list of discussion items.
"We need to ask, do we need to incarcerate this person, and for this long?" Roberts said. "This has chewed up a bunch of people and broke up a lot of families.
"At Monroe, 50 percent of the inmates have children. We're causing a lot of problems. It puts the family into poverty."
I support the efforts to decriminalize marijuana," she said. "The public attitude about drugs is mostly affected by inaccurate media reports. The two most dangerous drugs are alcohol and cigarettes.
"Without worrying about marijuana, the police could use their time better on more violent crimes."
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed:420 MAGAZINE
Source:mukilteobeacon.com
Contact: Contact Us :: Mukilteo Beacon News
Copyright: 2010 mukilteobeacon.com
Website:City/government :: Mukilteo Beacon News
Roberts is ready to think outside the box on a number of issues, in order to save money or enable the job to get done better.
Both are good reasons. Should she win reelction, let's hope she can find others in the Legislature who feel as she does.
Rep. Mary Helen Roberts serves the 21st District of Washington. As our incumbent, with three terms under her belt, she has accomplished a number of the things she's wanted to, but there are still a number of issues she wants to tackle in Olympia.
Among her priorities, she talks of children and their education. And budget problems will be affecting everything.
"I'm hoping to do the best I can to keep things from being horrible," Roberts said. "I put a high priority on things that will affect children and education."
"Horrible" being the almost inevitable cuts in state funding that will surely come during the next legislative session.
"I don't think anything will get new money," she said. "Everything will be on the table. I want to be able to keep as much money in the classroom as I can."
Education may be high on Roberts' list, but she's not too happy with the state Board of Education. She wants to see more local control.
"The Washington State Board of Education isn't in tune with the diversity of our students," Roberts said. "They aren't in tune with the diversity of opportunities available to students post high school."
Roberts notes that community colleges and unions both teach skills to the specific needs of many students, but she thinks that way of thinking could be expanded to other students.
"I think there are some kids we're pushing out," she said.
Roberts also knows there isn't a pot of gold just waiting to be spent on new education projects, but she's not the type to give up.
"This session will afford some different conversations," she said. "When you don't have much money, you have to be careful with what you have."
She also thinks we need to work harder to keep kids in school, and keep them interested in school, rather than try to deal with the problem afterward.
"We've set things on a schedule for kids," she said. "Some get behind and then they can't catch up. They lose their peer group, and then their reason for staying (in school) begins to disappear."
Roberts' interests in education go beyond the classroom.
"We need to make more efforts to expand education in prisons," she said. "I can see more efforts by inmates to accept education."
Roberts also feels drugs need to be high on the list of discussion items.
"We need to ask, do we need to incarcerate this person, and for this long?" Roberts said. "This has chewed up a bunch of people and broke up a lot of families.
"At Monroe, 50 percent of the inmates have children. We're causing a lot of problems. It puts the family into poverty."
I support the efforts to decriminalize marijuana," she said. "The public attitude about drugs is mostly affected by inaccurate media reports. The two most dangerous drugs are alcohol and cigarettes.
"Without worrying about marijuana, the police could use their time better on more violent crimes."
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed:420 MAGAZINE
Source:mukilteobeacon.com
Contact: Contact Us :: Mukilteo Beacon News
Copyright: 2010 mukilteobeacon.com
Website:City/government :: Mukilteo Beacon News
Roberts is ready to think outside the box on a number of issues, in order to save money or enable the job to get done better.
Both are good reasons. Should she win reelction, let's hope she can find others in the Legislature who feel as she does.
