We the Concerned Citizens of Aberdeen do not support The Daily World’s endorsement of Mayor Eric Larson for re-election.
We believe his leadership style is not the mayor we the people were led to believe in four years ago. His youth and inexperience level has demonstrated and shown a liability and detriment to our community’s future. His micro-managing tactics of governance can be very dangerous. The recent actions taken in the South Michigan street property acquisition for example is a demonstration of failing to openly communicate with his authoritative audience (city council), shows he is not the man we as a community need for mayor in the next four years.
We speak confidently when we say this community feels there is no place for that type of government in Aberdeen.
A statement in the editorial board endorsement was pretty shocking to us in that you stated “the public opposition probably tipped the council balance.” Having been there, the understating statement by the editorial board tells me they are not in touch with ground-up taxpayer opinion.
The live-audience of voters that were there in defiance of this community’s leadership inequities was a strong demonstration of how all of us felt. It further reminds us we have the wrong person in the mayor’s chair. Yes, we agree he is bright, forward thinking, however he does not have our confidence in the importance of parliamentary procedure and it’s legal positives!
The endorsement letter mentions a considerable amount of “if’s” concerning on-going projects, i.e. Aberdeen Historical Museum, Historical Seaport Society, North Side Levee Project, Gateway Center all of which can and will happen in due course time with a full time mayor. However, raw resource revenue — jobs was missing. When we lost the Hoquiam pulp mill we (Grays Harbor Community) lost a major raw resource provider, which directly impacted small businesses, the medical community and caused an exodus of some of our citizens to look for jobs elsewhere. Pete Schave fully understands this issue, and to the point of being way out front on the needs of this community, now and in the future. He is “slow” to move because he is a true representative from the people and for the people. Fiscal constraint is one of the many positive attributes that come with Mr. Schave. We the Concerned Citizens of Aberdeen are encouraging fellow citizens to vote for Pete Schave, Mayor for Aberdeen.
Al Smith, Chairman
Jim Sannes, Vice President
Debi Peraccini, Secretary
Chris Kennedy, Treasurer
Patricia Deakin
Dave Deakin
