||| FROM BOB PHALAN |||
After taking the time to research our two candidates for the County Commissioner seat, talking to supporters from each side, reading position statements, and most importantly, closely following local issues, two things are very clear. Ms. Wolf is a really nice person with good intentions and some good ideas.
While our incumbent, Mr. Hughes, has neither done everything perfectly nor made everyone happy. However, he has handled many difficult situations very well. Understanding the past, dealing with current issues, and invested in its future, there is little doubt that this third generation Orcas resident cares deeply for our island.
That all said, experience matters more than any of it. Navigating the very tricky waters that exist in government is not a job we should hand to someone with no experience in the field. I look forward to more involvement from Ms. Wolf in the future but my family and I are voting for Rick Hughes to continue the work he has done on vital programs in the county. Our environment, our affordable housing needs, our small businesses (my family has two), our ferry system, our waste management system, our senior citizens and more have all benefited from Rick’s expertise and hard work.
Please join us in re-electing Rick Hughes to our county council.
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Well & succinctly said BOB – I agree wholeheartedly.
Rick Hughes and his 8 years of ‘real world experience’ matter more than ever going forward.
So do we just re-elect the incumbents until they die or they decide not to run?
People talk a lot about experience when it comes to elections, and experience does speak a lot when it comes to politics. However, having seen Rick Hughes in action for the past 8 years; No! Having bought Rick’s “I’ll be your champion,” and voting for him twice before, but now being able to clearly see thru the veil and seeing the direction that he continues to lead us has been a bad experience… experience with an agenda in politics is a bad formula for any community’s long-term well-being.
Honesty and transparency in government, and the future growth of our communities in relation to tourism are the most meaningful things to me in this election. As SJC continues down a path towards the gentrification of our island communities under the current tourism growth paradigm I have, over time, become increasingly concerned about not only whether I can afford to continue living here, but, (and like Colorado), whether I even want to continue living here.
Moving here from the Telluride area almost 30 years ago has prepped me with the for-knowledge of the direction that we’re going, and I’m now witnessing an all to familiar scene play out here just as I did in SW Colorado years ago. Once it’s gone it’s gone forever folks…. you can never get it back. When our growth scenario continues to be one that ensures the degradation of the very attributes that caused us to want to move here in the first place, ensuring that we will become just another tourist facade, while our leaders continue to say, “Look over here, don’t look over there,” I say it’s time for us to re-set our priorities and to change Orcas Island’s leadership.
If you want tourism, vacation rentals, and growth without limits… vote for Rick. If you want to reduce our dependence on tourism, and wish to change the direction we’re headed… vote for Cindy Wolf.