In the last several months, the future of our county has seen the influx of influential monetary considerations. These individuals and corporations have chosen to support certain points of view. Money is the ultimate symbol of free speech and the ulterior motive for those investments. With those dollars comes the fear mongering of “losing your voice,” “downtown dictatorship” and “community values.”
The back-door contributions to the Stewart-Pridemore race smack of influence peddling. Energy company contributions to certain local individuals is not trivial to the long-term future of our riverfront. Distribution of signs regarding a “blast zone” and the signs’ sudden disappearance from 39th Street appear to be a limiting of free speech. Isn’t this an example of “losing our voice”? Isn’t the number of experienced, professional individuals who have left county government an example of “downtown dictatorship”? Why do certain leaders refuse to acknowledge questions about their motives? We should have “faith” in their decisions when those decisions do not seem to be anything more than self-serving?
Faith and trust in our leaders has been misused. Power and greed are different forms of drug abuse. The entire country deserves better.
Randolph A. Cate
Vancouver
