Letters

Election

Neighbors has the business experience

I read with interest your candicdate endorsements. I find it astonishing that the Democratic candidate that received your endorsement is young and experienced only as a legislator. There doesn’t appear to be any information on any real world work experience – not as an employer or an employee.

The Republican who won your nod has served on a City Council for 12 years, and somehow that makes him more qualified to manage a county’s government than a proven, highly successful business person. His opponent started her business from scratch and built it into a nationally acclaimed company whose sole focus is finding jobs for Snohomish County residents.

Betty Neighbors does have experience – as a leader, a business owner who has met payrolls, lived and worked within a budget and put people to work, and managed to survive some pretty tough times.

It appears that the media prefers to endorse people whom, by their very backgrounds, promise that the county would be run in the same old way. Snohomish County is one of the largest businesses in this state. We should start electing leaders who have the qualifications and experience to run government as a business.

Keep in mind that this is not a race for a county council seat. We are hiring this person to set the tone, and manage our county on a daily basis. We are not hiring another legislator. Many of us prefer a person with strong business credentials to just another politician in the position of the chief Executive Officer of our county. That person should be Betty Neighbors.

MARY KAY VOSS

Mill Creek City Council

Earling has protected county on transit

Having worked with Dave Earling on the Edmonds City Council, I know he’s the kind of tough, experienced leader who will fight for Snohomish County’s interests as County Executive.

I also know that he is the only candidate who has the knowledge and expertise to deal with the transportation issues currently facing Snohomish County.

After reading Evan Smith’s Aug. 29 column referencing Dave Earling and Sound Transit, I felt compelled to write and set the record straight:

Not one dime of our local (Snohomish County) taxes go toward light rail. Rather, the cost of light rail, for good or for ill, will be borne by the taxpayers of Seattle. (Mr. Smith’s lack of understanding of these issues is perhaps understandable, given that even other candidates for County Executive have demonstrated a similar lack of knowledge on transit issues.)

Dave Earling has stood up to light rail advocates in King County, when their views threatened the viability of projects that would benefit Snohomish County. He changed how Sound Transit did business, and backed the programs that Snohomish County residents care about, such as commuter bus service and freeway ramp improvements that reduce congestion.

Mr. Smith correctly noted that the Snohomish County Executive will automatically serve on the Sound Transit Board. That is just one more reason that I support Dave Earling, the most qualified candidate to handle the complex task of serving as CEO of Snohomish County.

Dave is a leader on local and regional issues. As president of the Edmonds City Council, Dave has fought to make government live within its means, to find efficient transportation solutions, to work with businesses to create jobs, and to make public safety a priority. That’s why I’m proud to be supporting Dave Earling for Snohomish County Executive.

DEANNA DAWSON

Edmonds City Council member

Quigley reaches out to diverse population

I have lived in Snohomish County for 27 years and have been active in civic and political affairs in our community for most of that time. I have eagerly awaited the emergence of a public official with the guts to openly interact with Snohomish County’s diverse ethnic and racial populations as equal members of our society. I believe I have found such a person – Kevin Quigley, Candidate for Snohomish County Executive.

Over the course of the County Executive race I have watched him make every effort to reach out to minority communities in Snohomish County. I’ve observed Quigley’s meetings with the Korean community and others. And when Quigley doorbelled my neighborhood he told me that he has also reached out to the Muslim community and spoken at their Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace mosques.

This isn’t a matter of being “politically correct.” Quigley is reaching out to all minorities because he truly understands they are part of our community and need to be heard and understood as equal members of our society.

I’m impressed because none of these communities represent a big or organized voting bloc. And today, reaching out to the Muslim community takes political courage. For me, someone who shows that type of commitment and courage is a fresh change in politics and exactly what I would like to see in county government.

LUIS MOSCOSO

Mountlake Terrace

Earling has the best experience for job

It has been my pleasure to know and work with the two leading Republican candidates for Snohomish County Executive for many years. Both are honorable people who care deeply about the future of Snohomish County. However, in mid-September I will be casting my vote for Dave Earling because I believe he has exhibited the kind of reasoned leadership Snohomish County will need in the coming years.

I’ve watched Dave effectively manage regional relationships while aggressively pursuing fiscal accountability to voter-approved projects such as Sound Transit. This, coupled with his ability to tactfully work with a variety of people from all sides of the political spectrum is exactly what our county will need as we continue to move past our current economic and budgetary woes.

If Dave’s primary opponent were running for the state legislature, I would eagerly support her. However, when it comes to the central leadership role for our county, I want a proven leader who has demonstrated a commitment to fiscal responsibility while maintaining our quality of life. I want a leader who is putting forward a real plan for our future and has the skill, knowledge, and necessary relationships to fulfill that plan. Dave Earling has earned my vote.

RENEE RADCLIFF

Lynnwood