Without stable, adequate funding, Washington State lacks the capacity to fulfill critical functions like:

- Responding to and detecting bioterrorism threats like anthrax, smallpox and plague

- Responding and detecting the very real and catastrophic threat of pandemic flu and West Nile Virus

- Inspection and testing of community water sources

- Air quality testing

- Septic system inspections to avoid sewer contamination in our communities

- Restaurant inspections and food safety training for restaurant workers to prevent food borne illness

- Tobacco prevention

- Community health education to prevent chronic disease and injury

- Containment of growing diseases like drug-resistant tuberculosis

- Family assistance for low and middle-income members of our community who need pre-natal care, formula, well baby check-ups, immunizations and nutrition assistance

- Mental illness resource coordination

- We learned from the effects of Hurricane Katrina, that the federal government is not prepared or equipped to respond to state emergencies. We must be prepared to help ourselves and we are not prepared

- The health of our communities depends on an adequately funded public health system. Please remind prospective and current legislators about the critical need to fully fund public health.