Letter: Facts aren’t political

Brian Kendall addresses responses to his recent letter to the editor

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

In the responses to my recent letter about LEOFF 1, some readers assumed I was defending the Legislature’s decision to transfer surplus funds. I was not. All I did was challenge the misinformation in Nancy Churchill’s column so readers could start with accurate facts.

People can disagree about whether the transfer was a good idea. That is a policy debate. But we cannot have a useful discussion if the starting point is false claims about the plan being “ended,” pensions being “taken,” or billions being “skimmed.” None of those statements were true and correcting them is not a political act, it is a civic one.

Several responses repeated the idea that the state “took money that wasn’t theirs.” The LEOFF 1 surplus exists because of state contributions and state managed investments. That surplus has never been part of any individual retiree’s earned benefit. The plan remains funded at roughly 110%, and every promised benefit to every retiree and surviving spouse is secure.

The emotional reactions to my letter do not change those facts. What they do show is how easily misinformation can take hold when it goes unchallenged. My intention was simply to set the record straight so people can form their own opinions based on accurate information, not fear based rhetoric.

We can disagree about policy. But we should at least agree that the conversation ought to begin with the truth.

Brian Kendall
Republic