Election 2008

Endorsing Larry Cooney

Governments in Bainbridge, Kitsap and Olympia are in varying degrees of meltdown and befuddlement. Truth be told, our 23rd Legislative delegation of Appleton, Rolfes and Rockefeller chart toward more abysmal finances and clouded vision.

This delegation has delivered on wild-eyed extravaganzas on global warming, missing ferry boats and new taxes.

Twenty third legislative delegation candidate Larry Cooney is a shining star on our political horizon. Cooney has vast experience managing private enterprises dedicated to helping people at the human-service level. Larry Cooney knows what it is to raise money, to make budget and to serve loyally the people government often allows to fall between the cracks due to wasteful and inefficient government.

It is time to break the cycle of returning tired and inattentive elected leaders to a job they clearly can’t or won’t do. Ms. Appleton has been on the public payroll for far too long. Elect Larry Cooney as a proven leader who is a prophet calling for fiscal responsibility and a truly caring government. Cooney equals positive change.

Crosby J. Olsen

Bainbridge Island

Endorsing Appleton

Sherry Appleton has worked tirelessly for Washington’s children. One of her priorities is to make health care available for every child in Washington State, and we’re covering more children every year. Sherry knows that healthy children are better equipped to succeed socially as well as scholastically. She is also a champion of early childhood education in the public school system, and knows this is especially important in disadvantaged areas.

Her attitude that healthy children given good early learning opportunities will grow into healthy adults who are better prepared to earn a living wage for their families, is an attitude I share.

That’s why I’m voting for Sherry Appleton.

Sandra Bullock

Poulsbo

Garrido’s no good for Kitsap

Newcomers to Kitsap County, beware! A friendly looking lady presenting herself as a community volunteer who supports education, job creation, and transportation was removed from office eight years ago by the voters and she has repeatedly tried – but failed – to get her job back.

Charlotte Garrido is her name and gridlock is her game. Her four years as county commissioner in the late 1990s brought malaise, inaction, and endless studies.

Employers took their businesses to other areas while Kitsap County residents lost good job opportunities.

Safety projects to improve our roads were sidelined while Charlotte created land-use catastrophes.

Kitsap County is facing serious budgetary shortfalls. The last person we want to navigate us through tough financial waters is Charlotte Garrido, who as a South Kitsap Parks commissioner, helped drive the district into bankruptcy and dissolution.

Richard A. Brown

Port Orchard

Garrido is good for Kitsap

The Kitsap Commissioner’s race for District 2 parallels state and national GOP for dirty tricks.

For Republicans these races are about power and promoting Republican ideology.

Local GOP campaign techniques are now modeled on Karl Rove and George Bush’s bag of dirty tricks.

We expected the GOP scandalous dirty tricks would eventually trickle down to the lowest common denominators, just not so soon.

In the face of national GOP failures, local Republicans like Tim Matthes want us to believe they have the answers, that they’re different.

They’re not.

Using a letter-writing campaign, Matthes’ minions have very little truth to say. The GOP distracts, distorts, and destroys enemies with lies and deceptions.

Republican sympathizers like Richard Brown demonstrated in his letter to the Port Orchard Independent (Oct. 15) that he has mastered these techniques.

Brown said Garrido caused the economy to dive and businesses to leave, apparently in droves, during her time as ccommissioner (1997 – 2000). Yet, with these incompetent and false claims he did not give a single source.

In truth, during Garrido’s term Kitsapians experienced an average income increase of almost $5,000 (2000 Census, US Census Bureau), and unemployment dropped from 6.8 to 5.0 percent (Kitsap County’s Web site).

We need that kind of performance.

We need Charlotte Garrido, a proven leader who gets things done.

Michael Arnold

Bremerton