Editor,

I just had to write in regarding the article “U.S. Rep. Larsen outlines 2014 agenda” in the Jan. 29 edition of The Record.

Larsen touched on his key objectives like raising the minimum wage and how “the United States must invest in transportation infrastructure and education to create jobs and grow the economy in the long run.”

I couldn’t agree more.

These asides were the preliminary political verbiage to keep democratic-leaning voters voting for Larsen. The real meat of the article was in the balance of his “agenda” which included his real passion, the military machine, and to this he was candid. Referring to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, Larsen said, “things are in a good place” for the base. More planes and Growler squadrons, etc.

“It’s all good news for the North End (of Whidbey)” Larsen said, to which I would add, brace yourself Whidbey Island and environs for the deafening sound of freedom.

I had the opportunity to ask Congressman Larsen this question once: “In America today education is being cut, funds to repair our infrastructure are cut, food, heat and housing assistance for the poorest Americans is being cut; in America when citizens take to the streets to protest being robbed by “banksters” the police come out in full force to beat and brutalize these citizens so they’ll get off the streets and out of the news; veteran services are being cut yet as a country we spend about a trillion dollars a year on “defense” so what I would like to know is what, precisely, are we defending?”

To this Larsen said, “well this guy in North Korea is crazy so we have to watch out for the area … and … uh … this is just too complex a question to handle here right now.”

That is not an answer Mr. Larsen, that is a dodge.

I thought that my question was simple and earnest yet it elicited a “political tap dance” around it and in the second congressional district we call this representation.

DAN FREEMAN

Clinton