On Friday, June 24, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision on Dobbs v. Jackson, overturning Row v. Wade. Immediately after the verdict, the King County Executive released a statement christening Dobbs “the Court’s sinister decision”, an “anti-American and dangerous decision”, and the domain of “right-wing zealots”.

Comments from him of this sort are unfortunately no longer surprising, and reflect a dearth of leadership as he demonizes both the Supreme Court and a large portion of the constituency he has been elected to serve. The King County Executive is trying to score political points by creating division, when more than ever we need leaders who can unite us and pull this country together.

The King County Executive’s political pandering has cheapened life in King County. Under his administration, drug use and overdoses have increased dramatically, homelessness is at a crisis level, crime is rampant, and inflation is outpacing the already incredible national average. Every time I drive to work between Enumclaw and SeaTac I see people high on drugs, camped in tents on the side of the road, begging for help – people are desperate and losing hope. This isn’t normal, and constitutes a massive failure of the county and state. Rhetoric may help win elections; but what we need are leaders who can do the hard work of building consensus on effective solutions to complex problems.

The Enumclaw City Council has a history of regional leadership, and standing up for common sense and community in difficult times. People in Enumclaw should know their voices are heard, and they have space to speak their honestly held convictions on how to best build a strong, caring community.

Personally, I strongly support the Dobbs decision: I value each life from beginning to end, and disagree that its inception can be defined by an arbitrary line drawn by a court. While you may not agree with my conclusion, your perspective will never be a basis for me to summarily dismiss you. I seek to respect and faithfully represent all my constituents, and from what I have seen, that is also the goal of my fellow Council members. By doing so, we will build a healthy and resilient town. Despite the King County Executive’s best efforts to divide us, community and hope will continue to thrive in Enumclaw.

The opinions of herein are my own and do not necessarily reflect the Enumclaw City Council as a whole.

Chris Gruner

Enumclaw