THE INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE

RUNNING FOR OR RUNNING FROM?

Submitted to Shelton Blog by Katherine Price Mason County Progressive

Mason County had an unusual experience in the 2010 election, when Jerry Lingle won his seat on the Board of County Commissioners for District 3.

While Jerry was not my candidate, he was perhaps the only true independent candidate I have ever seen in Mason County. Mason County is the poorer for Jerry's passing because his interests were often citizen-based. While he saw the value of business and industry to our County, he recognized the citizens as being the larger part of the community. Mason County, to Jerry, was not just his friends and acquaintances in business and industry, but his friends and acquaintances who were citizens.

Jerry was becoming a very good County Commissioner, trying to perfect the difficult act of balancing industry's interests with the health and welfare of Mason County's citizens. One suspects that Jerry worked so hard he compromised his health in his effort to be the best Commissioner he could be, and our County is poorer for his passing.

Fast forward to election 2012.

There are more independent candidates than ever running... but what are they running from? Mostly, they are running from the toxic Republican brand. How can we tell? Simple, listen to them speak.

The new independent, who is running from the now toxic brand of their former party, continues to use the tried and true lure to get your vote: "Lower taxes and less regulation on business and industry".

What the voter must ask him or herself when deciding whether these candidates have citizen interest or corporate interest at the heart of their campaign is:

How does lowering taxes on business, and reducing or removing regulation on industry, help me and my family?

How does lowering taxes, thus reducing revenue, improve the quality of life in my community?

How does removing or reducing regulation, most designed to protect the health of me and mine, improve the health of my community?

How will Mason County be made better by less revenue from and less regulation on polluting industry?

Listen to the candidates who are running as independent and non-partisan or "no party". Their only independence and non-party-affiliation is a deep fear of being tarred by the now toxic Republican brush.

Mason County has the opportunity to elect some candidates for the Board of County Commissioners who want both business and industry and the citizens of the County to prosper. They just do not want one to prosper at the expense of the other. If you would have candidates who will continue the work of Jerry Lingle, who will consider both the needs of business and industry and the health of our community and its citizens, beware the candidate who has an "I" or a "NP" after his or her name. These are your Republican candidates, who are running away from their now toxic brand.

If you would see our County move forward with leadership that balances the needs of business and the needs of it's citizens, listen carefully to the promises of the independent candidates... they sound so much like the tried and true brand of the Republican party: Lower taxes, less regulation. Consider how this mantra has served Mason County, and our country for that matter, and "use wisely your power of choice".

Graphic: www.dcpoliticalreport.com