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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Letter: Candidates: Show transparency

By Beth Erickson, RIDGEFIELD
Published: October 19, 2017, 6:00am

In the Nov. 7 general election Clark County voters’ pamphlet, 18 candidates provided no biographical information, photo or statement as to why they’re seeking office.

Those candidates are running for one town council: Yacolt; four school districts: La Center, Mt. Pleasant, Woodland and Green Mountain; two fire districts: 10 and 13; three cemetery districts: 1, 4 and 5; and four Woodland Swimming Pool and Recreation District positions: 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Perhaps they did not submit information because most are unopposed. Perhaps they think local residents already know them, so there’s no need to get word out beyond the city limits. This ignores the hundreds of new residents coming into their areas through annexation or relocation. These new voters need to know more about candidates than their names, phone numbers and email addresses — the only information most did provide.

This lack of transparency diminishes democracy and, among other things, provides no clue about how fiscally knowledgeable or responsible these candidates might be, if elected, when faced with million-dollar-plus budgets. They are asking voters to trust them. Why should we? We don’t even know who they are.

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