To the Editor:
Concerning your article in the October 20th issue about the Webb Property Owners Association’s political endorsements:
After determining that only half the supervisor candidates could make it to the WPOA’s regular meeting, the WPOA’s board really dropped the ball.
They could have had more than one meeting in order to accommodate the candidates’ respective schedules.
Alternatively, if the WPOA board members couldn’t spare the time for this, they could have asked for the candidates to submit written responses to their questions, or could have arranged for the individual candidates to record their answers, so that all board members could review all the candidates’ responses.
If, for some reason, the WPOA board rejected these alternatives, they could have simply refrained from making any endorsement.
(If the board didn’t even consider these alternatives, then it is apparently in dire need of some new blood!)
Instead, the board decided to make an endorsement based on clearly insufficient information gathered from just two of the candidates.
We are appalled by this decision, and hope that anyone reading the board’s endorsement realizes just how worthless it is.
Ironically, candidate Stuart deCamp, whose suggestion to meet with the board inspired this whole process, was one of the candidates capriciously excluded by their manifestly unfair procedure.
While we don’t know Mr. deCamp personally, our impression from seeing all the candidates at the forum held at View, and having read about all of them in the local press, is that Mr. deCamp is clearly the best-qualified candidate for the job.
We became full-time residents and business owners here less than two years ago.
While we’re still learning about local issues, we have a broad perspective, having been politically involved in several other communities before moving here.
For whatever it’s worth, our enthusiasm for Stuart deCamp involves a carefully-considered analysis of the candidates—both their backgrounds and their respective positions on issues.
This stands in sharp contrast to the WPOA’s endorsement based on limited information from just two of the candidates.
We encourage all voters to make their choices based on a fair consideration of all the candidates, as we have done.
Ray and Andi Smith, Old Forge
