The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Dear Editor:

Leadership is about vision, commitment, hard work and working with others to achieve a common goal. If you’re not committed, what’s the point?

The Columbia County Commission and the Dayton City Council have both passed resolutions to place a proposition on the November 2022 ballot to create a Joint Metropolitan Park District (MPD) for the primary purpose of maintaining and operating a community swimming pool in Dayton.

Should the voters approve the formation of the District, five candidates (Dianne McKinley, Lisa Naylor, Carol Anderson, Marjory Lowe and Ted Lowe) have all FULLY COMMITTED to establish the District and to serve as commissioners for the MPD.

Of the five, McKinley, Naylor and Anderson have been driving forces promoting and supporting the pool effort. Without their willingness and sacrifices to promote, research, write grants to fund facility assessment, conceptual design ideas, conduct community information forums and focus groups – there’d be no park district to discuss, let alone even vote on in November.

I recently received a very glitzy, glossy, two sided, full color, laminated, heavy card stock mailer which was mailed to voters through-out Columbia County. Considering production quality and mailing costs, it was not an inexpensive communications piece.

So voters, consider the following:

Commitment: Unfortunately, glitz doesn’t get you much in the way of results. Vote for candidates who are fully committed to establishing the MPD. Vote for candidates who have put in the work and demonstrated their service to this project. Think about a breakfast of ham & eggs. Who’s more committed: the pig or the chicken? The pig is all in!

Leadership: For one to say he/she wants to serve as an MPD commissioner, but doesn’t make a clear unqualified commitment and statement of support for the establishment of the District is, frankly, disingenuous!

In the Book of Revelation chapter 3:15 (NIV), it is written: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!” In other words: Fish or cut bait! You don’t get it both ways.

Columbia County Voters: If you want a pool and the kind of commitment and responsible leadership that will work for ALL OF US, vote for candidates: McKinley, Naylor, Anderson, Lowe and Lowe. They’re “all in”.

Jim Su’euga,

Dayton, Wash.