Like most Americans, I will be looking for someone that I can trust and who has integrity, to truly represent the people by listening to do what we want come this fall, and not to continue to raise taxes. Do we know of anyone?

Like many others in previous weeks, I too am frustrated with politics at all levels. Keeping this letter short, I would like to write about Washington state, King County and the City of Federal Way.

How can I, or anyone for that matter, vote for anyone who supported Gov. Christine Gregoire during the process of rejecting the vote of the people by rescinding the tax limiting initiative that we the people approved several years ago? How can we vote for anyone who approved the new band aid budget, while asking us to balance our own family budgets? And, of course how can we vote for anyone who placed a tax on bottled water? Next will be the air that we breathe. The government needs to find a long-term fix to the budget shortfalls and stop increasing taxes as a quick fix.

Why must governments always hide their unfortunate acts? How many times have you gone to pay for something and found a hidden tax? You expected to pay a 9.5 percent or 9.6 percent, only find there is a 10 percent-plus tax on the item you are purchasing. Try renting a car in this county. Now, King County wants to bury a tax on restaurant tabs. Why can’t all taxes be up front? This is 2010. The bottom line should be the bottom line.

Knowing that the City of Federal Way is faced with a deficit next year, why is the council not making cuts this year? Why do we have several council members running for mayor, not doing something this year while on the council, rather than waiting until the campaign trail so that they can state “I’ll do this next year.” The concept for mayor could have been a good idea when we had the funds, but as most of our households have done, city government needs to trim the fat. We, the citizens of Federal Way, simply cannot afford this expense right now. Nor can our city afford to be in the real estate investment business.

The government is good at repealing the vote of the people, so we the people should take a stand and repeal the mayor election for 2010, since this is an expense that is not necessary at this time and would help our city to balance its budget. I support having an elected mayor, just not this year.

In closing, I am looking for someone I can trust to truly do what we the people want and who has the integrity to follow through. I am voting for no incumbents unless they can prove that they are truly voting for the people. So far this has not been the case.

Marv Hoffman, Federal Way