Most elected representatives are scrutinized and challenged on a daily basis. Not so in the 33rd Legislative District.

But important issues can no longer be avoided.

As a resident voter in the 33rd District, I want to "smoke out" our three elected representatives and get real answers.

The Democratic organization have won handily in this district for the past 22 years, but I believe that no one political philosophy should own this area.

Mr. Upthegrove, Ms. Schual-Berke, and Ms. Keiser as self-proclaimed independent populists have been given a pass. Their positions on voter-approved initiatives, which would lower taxes and limit the growth of government (i.e., initiatives 695, 722, 747 and 776, Referendum 51, and current ballot measures I-900 and I-912), should be public knowledge.

Today, there are more that 450,000 federal, state and local public employees in Washington. Is that your constituency, or is it the rest of us?

The American Center for Voting Rights ranks Seattle behind Philadelphia and Milwaukee in voter fraud.

Why, Ms. Berke, do you oppose re-registering voters? And Mr. Upthegrove thinks that an all mail-in voting system can truly correct the corrupt 2004 elections.

After the 2004 election, the Times/News can no longer limit their political coverage to ingratiating "ribbon-cutting" ceremonies for incumbents and avoid a healthy public debate in a free society.

The electorate will decide the winners and losers this year and again in 2006; the question is: how will you report the issues?

Bob Ross

Normandy Park