EDITORS NOTE — Letters to the editor pertaining to the upcoming recall election on May 7, the Delta County Board of Commissioners or related topics are no longer being accepted until after the May 7 recall election. The following letter was received before the April 25 letter deadline.

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EDITOR:

So, I popped some corn, chilled some beers and watched the Forum on the county commissioner recall. Should have brewed coffee instead. The moderators mentioned there were a large number of questions submitted, true, I know of 30 individual and specific examples which were probing, forward looking and would bring out such properties as leadership, understanding of economics and concepts for the future. How did the moderators choose questions? What criteria were used – why were these criteria not included in their notices of the forum? Opens up the possibility for bias. The questions rehashed past issues, were vague and open-ended with no possibility for follow up or clarification. I wish I had an opportunity to ask the challengers to explain how they would pay for certain higher salaries they all proposed (taxes?). The rules prevented candidates from questioning each other on specific points. OK, one candidate admitted she had no idea as to how to answer one of the questions. Questions regarding housing, tourism, parks, meeting decorum (all challengers simply said – regarding meeting disruption – “ignore them” – cop out!) were met with a lack of vision with the exception of the incumbents who cited their positive progress in these issues.

I found the most telling difference between the incumbents and challengers could be graphed on a “learning curve”. It became obvious from the answers incumbents were far ahead in knowledge and “deliverables” regarding the operation of the county. Those seeking to replace them were struggling to put forth specific plans and visions other than “something needs to change”. But I have no faith their “change” would benefit the county.

In counseling students on finding a job I would tell them “it is like a car – your resume is the rearview mirrors… says where you’ve been. Your cover letter is the windshield and tells someone where you plan to go. Your resume has to convince your employer that you and they have common goals and you can reach them.” I saw little evidence that the challenger’s pasts (both stated there and recalled from previous public statements and demonstrations) are in search of a “windshield”. In fact, I still have seen no public statements from those seeking to be the new representatives for Districts Three and Five (pig-in-a-poke anyone?). The jobs they are seeking deal specifically with communication, motivation and leadership. I saw no examples from their communications to motivate me to give them positions of leadership. One candidate admitted she was proud to have made a major contribution to the recall effort (costing the county money to which we all made a contribution without the right to vote – taxation without representation? Proud of that?).

I cannot vote in this election, but remember, the outcome effects all of Delta County. A change in composition of the commission would likely lead to higher taxation funding woke activities. Please consider your vote and think of the impact on the county as a whole, not just your district.

Michael A. Glass

Nahma