Ridgefield resident R. Myles Dickason attempts to get Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez to address an important issue
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
I am an emergency physician who served in Gaza in August, 2024. For over one year, I have repeatedly requested a 15 minute, in person meeting with Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez to share my firsthand experience of the humanitarian catastrophe paid for by Southwest Washington’s tax dollars. I have attended her fundraisers and made requests by email, video, and in person — I even offered to fly to Washington, DC to meet with her there. Despite my multiple requests her campaign has explicitly and repeatedly refused to meet with me.
This matters. Our Southwest Washington tax dollars, approved by Rep. Gluesenkamp-Perez as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, are being used to fund the starvation of children. Even the Israeli physician organization B’Tselem has described the actions of the Israeli state and military as genocide. Rep. Gluesenkamp-Perez’s votes to send $17.9 billion dollars of American tax-payer money to a foreign government are troubling enough; however, it is even more disturbing when we understand that she has accepted over $190,000 from the pro-Israeli lobbying group American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Indeed, AIPAC is the number one largest donor to her campaign!
As constituents of Rep. Gluesenkamp-Perez’s district we deserve transparency, moral leadership, and votes aligned with the funding priorities of Southwest Washingtonians—schools for our children, jobs for our workers, and infrastructure to support economic growth. If the congresswoman will not reject money from foreign interests and stop funding foreign militaries that starve children to death, then those of us who believe in decency, justice, and domestic economic priorities should reconsider supporting her campaign — financially and at the ballot box. I urge her to take this moment to lead, to stand against genocide, and to ensure our tax dollars are invested locally—where they belong.
Sincerely,
R. Myles Dickason, MD
Ridgefield/Clark County
Also read:
- Opinion: The income tax passed the House – what’s next?
Washington House approved a new tax despite bipartisan opposition; business leaders and residents signal economic impact and looming legal fights. - Opinion: Washington’s fight for liberty
Conservative columnist Nancy Churchill argues that despite the passage of a new 9.9% state income tax, signs of shifting political momentum in Washington state give reason for hope and continued action. - Opinion: Brandi Kruse and I are feeling discouraged but we’re planning to continue advocating for political change. Will you?
Clark County Today Editor Ken Vance reflects on a discouraging week in Washington state politics, echoing Brandi Kruse’s frustrations over Democrats’ state income tax victory and local decisions on transit and ICE while urging conservatives not to give up on advocating for political change. - Opinion: ‘My thoughts on yesterday’s tragic state income tax’
Leslie Lewallen argues Democrats passed an unconstitutional “millionaires tax” on March 10, 2026, rejected more than 70 Republican amendments, and set Washington on a path she says will harm jobs, schools, and families statewide. - Opinion: Starbucks founder flees the new NW tax hell
Lars Larson argues that Howard and Sheri Schultz are leaving the Pacific Northwest for Miami following Washington’s new millionaires tax and rapid state budget growth in Oregon and Washington.
