Dear Trust Islanders:
I am hoping – now that Rick has asked you not to endorse him – that you might give me a shot. Sure, I’m a little hurt that you didn’t consider me in the first place. At least the Democrats sent me a questionnaire seeking my opinions. But you guys? Nada. Nothing. No meeting. Not even a phone call. But I am open-minded. I’m hoping you are too. Like your name says, it’s about trust.
To that end, here are some things I’d like you to consider before you send out your next postcard:
• The quality of leadership is the ability to make informed, tough decisions. Decisions that may not be popular but are fair and transparent. Decisions based on hearing different points of view. Here’s an example: I made a decision to accept the endorsement of San Juan County’s Democratic party. I did this early. And in the face of criticism, I stuck to my decision. Do I always agree with the Dems? No. Will they control my decisions in county government? Absolutely not. But in the last week of the campaign, I will not cast that endorsement aside.
• I am a strong manager. County employees are frustrated. Many feel undervalued. Citizens are frustrated. They feel their needs are undervalued too. We need to solve this dichotomy on both ends. Probably nowhere will this be more needed than in the planning and permitting department.
• I have a long track record of finishing what I start. If I say I will do something, I will see it through to the end.
• Earlier in this campaign, I was accused of being a socialist or communist. For the record, I am neither. And BTW, neither of those parties endorsed me either.
I could add a bunch of other things here – about my ability to manage a multi-million dollar budget, about my love of this place and its people, about my commitment to ensure that all voices at the table are heard– but in the end it really is about trust. People want to trust our county government.
A lot of folks have been wondering what I would do if I win. The one thing I guarantee is that each day I will work as hard as I can to create a county government deserving of your trust.
If you’d like to talk about any of this further – please email me: info@lisabyers.org
Your friend – Lisa Byers
P.S. – if Trust Islanders could “Like” me on Facebook, that would be awesome!
