When it comes right down to it, the North Kitsap Herald feels state and national politics take a back seat to local elections in terms of having an immediate day-to-day impact on our lives.
The Herald’s Advisory Board — and for those of you wondering about these folks, tune in to this spot next week — talked long and hard on four candidates who are either taking a stab at or cutting back into the tough meat that is county commissioner politics. As a result of these discussions, the past eight years, countless meetings, decisions on local issues and numerous speaking engagements, the Herald endorses Chris Endresen and Jan Angel in their re-election bids.
Endresen is an excellent politician and knows how to get things done. Members of the board were split on her performance but even those who disagreed with her politics described her as “very smart,” “polished” and someone who “does her homework.” She’s been an excellent steward of the land and worked with countless groups to keep Kitsap green.
On the flip side, they also identified with Scott Henden’s blue collar position, focus on the budget and his ongoing commitment to the community as a small businessman and Little League supporter. Some board members also voiced concerns as to whether Endresen was equitable when appointing residents she may not see eye to eye with to county committees. If this is so, we sincerely hope that Endresen changes this practice during the next four years.
Meanwhile, “Endresen — the truth” fliers are circulating around as a malicious effort by her detractors to mar what has been a fairly clean campaign on both sides. The unsigned fliers’ character assassination tactics are reminiscent of the hate-filled tripe on fireendresen.com.
While Henden is certainly a successful businessman, we feel his presence in the county seat would unbalance the courthouse too much in favor of development on many levels. During the candidates forum in Hansville, he reiterated that although the county had made some substantial purchases of green space, not much of it had been converted to active use. The idea that Kitsap County only benefits from active use opportunities is absurd enough but Henden’s making the statement at a forum in the heart of the Hansville Greenways Trails isn’t what we’d call smart politics.
On the same note but hitting a different key, Angel, despite her push to bring NASCAR to Kitsap — something that even her biggest supporters on the board were shaking their heads at — has proven to be an excellent student of Kitsap’s needs. Her strive for a balance between business growth and the environment is apparent as well. While backing small and large business growth, she has tackled tough issues concerning green space purchases and most recently, the revitalization of Gorst’s salmon estuaries. Members of the board agreed that Angel didn’t tow the Republican party line. This might miff some, but we think its an indicator that she is able to work outside the box in an attempt to find a common ground that best benefits all facets of Kitsap County life.
Charlotte Garrido, members pointed out, has a propensity to get stuck in the public process of issues and while we like her “green” background, seems to have difficulty balancing needed growth with the environment. (Angel has done a good job of doing just this.) Garrido opponents feel that she was one of the primary reasons Port Orchard missed out on a shopping complex which ended up landing just across the county border in Gig Harbor and has been profiting from Kitsap County consumers’ wallets ever since.
So the key to Kitsap County continues to be balance and we feel Angel and Endresen are our best bets at striking it. The two have worked very hard for residents here and we feel they deserve four more years in office.
