Mercer Island and Washington state are both extremely fortunate to have Judy Clibborn in the legislature.

The recent barrage of attacks on and criticism of Judy Clibborn is unwarranted. Clibborn has the courage to tell constituents things the constituents do not want to hear … but need to hear.

I strongly disagree with those who claim that Clibborn should advocate solely for Mercer Island interests. Clibborn is the chair of the Transportation Committee for the entire state. She would be remiss in her responsibilities if she were to take blind-loyalty, Mercer-Island-first-last-and-only position(s) … and the state Legislature would be as dysfunctional as is the U.S. Congress. She is tasked with finding solutions to multifaceted and very complex problems. I commend her willingness and ability to confront the totality of the problem(s) head-on.

Judy Clibborn a dedicated public servant. She is smart, perceptive, a quick study, accessible and even-handed. She has her head screwed on straight. She deserves greater respect. She could easily conclude, “Do I need to put up with this BS?” and avoid all the headaches and the nonsense. We don’t want that to happen. Mercer Island and Washington state need Judy Clibborn and more like her in Olympia.

Tim Wettack