The Rivers influence: promise your constituents nothing.

It's a problem when candidates think constituents... or prospective constituents... are stupid.

in 2012, for example, Sen. Ann Rivers laid out, in some detail, certain aspects of what she would or would not so as a senator.

In 2016, her web site fails to mention one specific thing she plans on doing.

Nothing.

No vision.  No plan.  A lot of words that mean nothing.

So, I go over to Lynda Wilson's web page, and what do I see?

The exact... same... thing.

Here, for example, is the entirety of Wilson's take on transportation:

Our infrastructure and transportation system is essential for the economic and social health of our region.  Freight mobility, traffic congestion relief, and safety should be our top priority.

Improving our transportation corridors, particularly across the Columbia River, will be our biggest challenge and our greatest opportunity to improve the livability and economic vitality of our community.

OK.  Swell.
This utterly worthless spiel contains.... what?

Nothing.

No plan.  No priority.  No vision.  No ideas.  No initiatives to solve our cross river transportation issues.

These words are the very antithesis of the phrase "glittering generalities."

Besides acknowledging the problem exists, my Spaniel has offered the exact same amount of planning to solve it.

Nothing.

This sort of thing has become endemic because candidates are frequently too much of a coward to say, with any specificity, how THEY would address the issues... how THEY would solve those problems.

And that goes directly to their cowardice.

They are afraid.  They are afraid that if they float a plan, their opponents will criticize it. 

But mostly, they are afraid that if they make a promise... they will be held accountable for it.

Like Rivers is facing accountability for lying to us about her gas tax/tab fee positions and betrayal.

Imagine, if you will, how much different her life... and mine, as far as that goes... would be if she had just kept her word.

She would still be the GOP rising star instead of the sinking ship.

She would be known as a woman of honor instead of a RINO of a sell out who lied to us to get elected and who cannot be believed because SHE wants to do what SHE wants to do... regardless of what those of us in her district want her to do.

And that is just sad.

I don't support Wilson, either, as far as that goes: she abandoned Liz Pike during the county chair race, helping to stuff my idiotic brother-in-law down our throats... Mr. 39% Boldt.

Since the state GOP-controlled senate proved itself worthless the past two years, it makes no difference to me if the GOP controls it or not.

After all... what's the worst that can happen... the largest gas tax increase in the history of this state?