November election: forward or backward

 

The November election will decide whether Sammamish moves forward or backward. With the departure of long serving council members Mark Cross and Michelle Petitti, the political faction that has created a city bureaucracy, but not a city, is breaking up.

Voters have a choice between candidates such as Vance, Ramiro Valderrama and Nancy Whitten who represent the old guard trying to hold on to power, and newer candidates James Wasnick, Jesse Bornfreund and Kathy Richardson who are open minded, practical and ready to move the city forward.

Why is Whitten running for a third term? Does she have anything new to offer? Will she continue dragging council meetings past 11 p.m. with her long-winded, confused speeches and tangential questions? After eight years, a wiser person would gracefully depart. Not Nancy Whitten.

Vote for Richardson.

Tom Vance is unquestionably an establishment candidate. He was appointed to the planning commission to ensure that City Council policies were not questioned. His loss to John Curley in the last election indicated voters wanted change. A vote for Vance is a vote for old ideas and a tired vision. We need new talent.

Vote for Bornfreund.

Valderrama is trying hard to appear to be a new voice, but actually is another establishment candidate. Bob Brady, Kathy Huckabay and others of the old guard back him. He pours out political jargon and his lack of specifics and openness is a concern. Is he an independent candidate or the old guard's trusted heir?

I was involved with the Citizens For Sammamish from the beginning when it was truly an independent, critical voice for citizen concerns. Valderrama has turned it into an establishment platform. Make no mistake, Valderrama is a new voice for old policies.

Vote for Wasnick.

This is a do-or-die election. Sammamish needs to move forward. We need city leaders who are visionary not reactionary. We need council members who respect the past not stuck in the past. We need council members who are open minded and pragmatic.

Vote for Wasnick, Bornfreund, and Richardson. Vote for openness, independence, decisive action. Vote to move Sammamish forward.

John Galvin, Sammamish

Galvin ran unsuccessfully for Position 4 in the Primary election.

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