09/15/2005: "Open Letter To Rick Larsen"

Dear Representative Larsen,

I was very upset to open the paper yesterday and see your advertisement for Jamie Stephens for county commissioner of San Juan County (Subject Story) . I can only imagine that you are not aware of the divisiveness of the current election and your part to further divide citizens and Democrats. I feel it was very inappropriate of you to make such an endorsement. As a supporter and voter of your own campaigns and a supporter of Bob Myhr, I was offended by your endorsement which I believe was ill conceived and lacking in the necessary understanding of the complexity of the current situation.

I am sure that Jamie Stephens' campaign people approached you and asked for your support and painted a picture that all Democrats must stick together for the good of the party. In reality the democratic process was almost aborted until the choice of who would serve as San Juan County's next commissioner was put to the voters. This is true democracy.

Bob Myhr, who you probably have not spoken to on this matter, is far more qualified to serve as commissioner. If this were not apparent to the Stephens campaign, then I can only assume that they would not be reaching far and wide to try and get endorsements to bolster their campaign.

I feel very offended that you allowed yourself to be manipulated in this way and have offended all of the Myhr supporters who are most likely (or were until now), supporters of you. Your actions will lead to further divide San Juan County Democrats at a time when we need to be pulling together. I believe that the responsible action would have been to support the democratic process and to keep yourself out of an election that you had no place stepping into.

I hope in the future you will get the facts before making such a decision and I believe you owe it to San Juan County voters to apologize for your actions.

Leave the decision to the voters - that is how democracy works.

Sincerely,

Liz Scranton
Lopez, WA 98261