With reluctance, I will attempt to bring some balance to The Columbian blog, “All Politics is Local,” posted online Sept. 6 by Erik Hidle. Hidle refers to Commissioner David Madore posting my 400-word letter to The Reflector on Facebook. My letter was a response to many weeks listening to Commissioner Steve Stuart assault Madore repeatedly for nothing more than wanting to understand his job. He was always asking lots of questions, coming up with new ideas; Hidle calls that “stirring up the drama pot.”
I believe this annoyed Stuart considerably. Basically, he wanted to shut Madore up, anyway he could, even with humiliation, showing a lack of leadership abilities and civility. Madore sought to know the facts before voting, trying to figure out the system and do his best. Commissioner Tom Mielke seemed quite embarrassed by the whole thing, behaving like a gentleman, trying to mediate, but was no match for the force of Stuart’s words and attitude.
This experience gave me an appreciation of Madore, the man, seeing him under duress, weathering the attacks with grace and perseverance. My husband, friend and I, viewing this performance, were impressed with his control by never striking back in kind. That is the way we saw it and that is the way I reported it.
Pauline Warren
Vancouver
