[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a Letter to the Editor, written and submitted by a verified Burien resident. It represents the opinion of the author, and does not necessarily reflect the views of South King Media or its staff.]
Last night, October 7, I attended the League of Women voters public Candidate Forum in the Burien Library. I always look forward to these events because of the Leagues long history of its non-partisan commitment to fostering public information by inviting ALL the candidates running for Burien City Council to participate. I’m grateful to the League for their professional and fair way of supporting the democratic process of a public forum. It provided 8 candidates the opportunity to share their background, their primary concerns and priorities and to answer questions from the public. It was very interesting and I thank all those candidates who attended for their thoughtful replies, their passion for public service and their commitment to being present at this event.
WHO DID SHOW UP: Sam Mendez, Jessica Ivey, Hugo Garcia, Rocco DeVito and Sara Moore.
I cannot overstate my disappointment when I discovered only 5 of the 8 candidates showed up.
WHO DID NOT SHOW UP: Stephanie Mora, Marie Barbon and Claudio Fernandez.
The League requested that if any of the candidates were unable to attend they could send someone in their place and or provide a written statement that would be read on the behalf of the candidate. NONE replied. Not even a thank-you to a group dedicated to providing voters with a first hand opportunity to better know and understand each candidate.
When I asked about their NO SHOW reason I was told that it was “too partisan” and they therefore refused to participate. WHAT? THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTES IS KNOWN FOR BEING ABSOLUTELY NON-PARTISAN and their history demonstrates that over and over. Check out all the Candidate Forums they have hosted in our area from Board of Education to state races.
I am left with no conclusion except they preferred NOT attend a public forum because they did not want to. Well, fair enough. I’m only left to wonder why. Their excuse about partisanship rings hollow and does not square with any facts. I guess they must believe that their public participation and discussion about their candidacy does not include public appearances. That makes me wonder why they are seeking a public office. I’m sorry the 3 candidates missed an opportunity for all of us to hear from them and learn about them.
Unfortunately, I’m uncomfortable voting for any candidate who does not believe in the value of public participation and is unwilling to share their priorities with Burien residents. We do want to hear from all of you. We do want you to be present. Reading a web site or a political flyer is not the same as showing up in person to respond to your constituents.
Thank you to the 5 who did show up. Sorry 3 who chose not to show up.
– Sally Nelson
Former Mayor/Burien City Council
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