||| FROM JAMIE STEPHENS |||
District Three deserves a Councilmember who District Three voters chose. That’s Katherine Bryant Ingman. Between Katherine and Jennifer Swanson, primary voters of District Three voted 61% to 39% for Katherine. There are differences between the two candidates.
A graduate of Leadership San Juans, she is a leader that gets things done. Issues that affect us all are bigger on the more populated islands. She knows what islands comprise her district. Her opponent repeated emphatically the wrong mix of islands, including Blakely, at the League of Women Voters (LWV) primary forum on Lopez in July. Katherine understands the County budget dilemma and the union contract. This contrasts with statements Jennifer made at the forums about the budget and union contract, which I found were misleading and mostly wrong.
She understands what it takes for average workers and families to make it in the county. When she moved to Lopez, she struggled to find a rental and afford it. She took this experience and later helped get the first six affordable rentals for workers to Lopez Island for Housing Lopez. Her opponent got donations to provide one house on Shaw for a teacher and said at the October 12 LWV forum that people seeking affordable rentals should get their credit score up.
Advocacy is another area where they differ. Although the County has no direct role in our educational system, Katherine believes that the Council should be a part of a coalition to advocate for children and families in Olympia, especially on education funding. Her opponent does not.
It is important that we have working family members at the table discussing and voting on the policies that define our county. Please mark your ballot for Katherine Bryant Ingman for San Juan County Council.
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This Council race has been energetic, informative and as usual in a small complex place waged by residents who by any realistic measure are only basically qualified for the very difficult job at hand. In rapidly changing times. Some would say an existential era has opened of our own making. Uncontested elected positions are a sad statement and all too common now. The only highly qualified candidates are those who run again but are now rejected in seeking a new face, a lesser experience in legislation and administration I suppose in order to find a gem in the rough. Lately one term councilors are the way things go in 24/7 leadership role where public expectations are all over the map. Anyone who steps up to the glare, criticisms, intense schedule and unrealistic expectations is to be commended by us all.
Having said that, I trust that someone of far more knowledge than I, like Jamie or others who have direct experience and have endorsed both candidates somewhat equally, can explain this notion that there are now three districts of islands with one councilor each but anyone, no matter how qualified or likely to be successful, MUST live on one of the main 3 islands to in order to effectively participate as a district leader in county leadership. I think such thinking is oddly parochial and ultimately self-defeating.
Most of our truly knotty issues are county-wide with various ramifications of non-decisions or decisions rippling about the archipelago and are seldom large island/large population specific. In that vein I would remind that the US senate is composed of two seats per state regardless of immense differences in population. Our current system mirrors this in a way as the 3 (conglomerate) districts are vastly different in population and economic complexity and tax base. Unfair on it”s face that Lopez (district 3) is equal to SJI but that is how we choose to roll.
As an informed voter, who pays close attention and is very concerned about the future of this place and it’s residents, I have one opinion and one vote and will cast that vote for Jennifer Swanson who I consider to be more mature, more broadly experienced, far less starry-eyed , by temperment a careful listener and pragmatist and overall more likely to start to work with her two other seatmates to untangle some of our mess from day one. And yes, I find the hail-mary, invited endorsements of ex Gov Inslee and wife in our local non-partisan race to be an unfortunate overreach (kinda slimy) by the otherwise masterful campaign work to remake and elect a smart, likeable young woman into a new age savior of the realm.
I ask all county voters (unless you have already drunk the friendly self-promoting cool-aid on Lopez) to carefully consider our best bet for turning the outgoing economic tide and righting the listing ship of this place; Jennifer Swanson.
Hey Steve, you do realize Gov Inslee lives on Lopez these days, right? He knows Katherine as part of the local scene. It is telling that your candidate’s campaign must use ageism to minimize KBI’s achievements. Is she starry eyed because she faced COVID and fed 600 people a week? I’d say that’s a darned practical response to a real problem.
I’m sure that Mr. & Mrs, Inslee appreciate having this information broadcast countywide – so much for a peaceful retirement.
Of course the irony is that they too are faced with ferry disruptions resulting from the previous administrations procurement and staffing decisions – karma.
“And so it goes” – Billy Pilgrim