Politics & Government

Letter to the Editor: Thompson "Only Reasonable Candidate" for LFP Mayor

Ros Bird says Thompson, "listens and knows how to bring people together for creative solutions."

To the Editor:

Having read all of the campaign literature that has come in the last two days, it is even more clear to me that Dwight Thompson is the only reasonable candidate for Mayor of Lake Forest Park.

One of Mary Jane Goss’s goals states: “Clean up the ongoing financial problems, without attributing blame.”  Yet in the paragraph above she puts full blame for the financial dilemmas on her opponent. 

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Mary Jane continues to spread the LFP Gov Watch misleading and inflammatory line that last year’s Prop 1 would have doubled City property taxes.  First of all, Prop 1 was a question to the citizens.  Second, it would have raised City taxes by 38% which has never equaled double.  It was a question.  The answer was NO. The Council listened.  They not only did not raise additional taxes, they did not take the 1% increase they already had permission to take by law. They cut expenses and balanced the biennial budget.

Another Goss goal: “Create a culture in City Hall that welcomes broader resident participation and provides a higher level of overall satisfaction”  There have always been many ways for residents to be involved through commissions, talking in person with staff, Mayor and Council members, or speaking at Council meetings during public comment.  I have attended dozens of Council meetings over the last 20 years and know that citizens are listened to.  However, it is sometimes hard to listen when the voices are yelling.

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Commission positions have often been unfilled even when the Town Crier was sent to every household and repeatedly called for participation.  And as a member of the Community Services Commission I can assure you that there is a broad range of opinions and lively discussions before recommendations are made. It is always energizing to volunteer with other engaged citizens.

Mary Jane Goss is the only candidate who does not support Third Place Commons.  She is the only candidate who does not support the Farmers Market. She is the only candidate who would rather cut out the core of our quality of life rather than look for more diversified revenue streams such as modestly enhancing the business base for additional sales tax revenue. 

Dwight Thompson is smart, articulate and thoughtful. He listens and knows how to bring people together for creative solutions. I hope you will join me in voting for Dwight Thompson for Mayor.

Ros Bird

Lake Forest Park


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