Is it no longer possible for people to disagree with public policies and legislative enactments without resorting to personal attacks on policymakers and lawmakers?

In a Reporter letter to the editor, dated Nov. 1, Trent Latta, the chair of the 45th Legislative Democrats, made disparaging comments about Sen. Andy Hill that were intended to discredit Sen. Hill’s legislative accomplishments. While Mr. Latta’s remarks may appeal to some partisan activists in the 45th Legislative District, they are certain to turn off voters who are looking for bipartisan solutions to pressing problems in our state (e.g., growing the economy and jobs, reining in increases in state spending and taxes and improving our educational system).

Those who pay attention to political news from Olympia know that Sen. Hill has made important contributions in his first term in the Senate and as a member of the Committees on Ways and Means and Early Learning and K12 Education. As the lead budget negotiator for the Senate, he succeeded in putting together a budget that met the four-year balanced budget requirement, prioritized funding for K-12 and early education, froze tuition increases for higher education, matched spending increases to natural growth in revenues and rejected calls for new non-education expenditures and tax increases of more than a billion dollars. His persistence, pragmatism and commitment to bipartisan cooperation produced a budget that was approved overwhelmingly by the House and Senate and signed by the governor.

Mr. Latta criticized Sen. Hill’s articles in the Redmond Reporter and other local newspapers as “short on facts” and “heavy on catchy phrases.” I’m sure he’s aware that the senator’s website provides detailed information about the budget, education policy and other issues that are of interest to all Washingtonians. For those who are interested, the “Legislative Budget Notes for the 2013-15 Biennium-2013 Supplemental” and “A Guide to the Washington State’s Budget Process” are also available online at www.leg.wa.gov/.

We who live in the 45th Legislative District are indeed fortunate to have Sen. Andy Hill and other members of the bipartisan Majority Coalition representing our interests in Olympia.

Susan J. Friedman, Redmond