Culwell Is Committed to All Citizens Turner Attended All Forums

Dear Editor,

I'm happy to hear my ballot will soon arrive. It has been interesting watching how all of the candidates have handled their campaigns. It's great insight. One very important race has shown two different types of campaigning. Incumbant, Rea Culwell has been making a strong argument for her case to be re-elected Columbia County Prosecutor. She uses facts, figures, public records and a stellar list of endorsements to bolster her bid. She has informed the public about her and her oppponent's records, in public, through mailings, ads, while doorbelling and on her website. She has answered questions from voters with the kind of detail and honesty needed in the office of Prosecutor. There have been many logical letters written to you, the editor, in her support. Rea Culwell, along with all other Prosecutors in the State have passed the Washington State bar exam. She sites her experience, effectiveness and excellent financial record with the county. I do not believe that the voters of Columbia County will find a more dedicated individual than Rea Culwell. Her commitment to all the citizens, both those that she protects and those that she prosecutes, will not be duplicated, that dedication comes from within the individual. I am voting for Rea Culwell, Columbia County Prosecutor, she has proven results, and has kept up with the changes in WA State law.

Sincerely,

Mike Jeffers Dear Editor,

I will admit that after the primary election in August, I was unsure which candidate would make a better sheriff. Would it be the one whose opponents painted him as a budget busting outsider or the one whose perpetual injuries have kept him from working for the last two years? I decided to put the campaign rhetoric aside and look at public interactions during the campaign.

In the course of my research, I counted nine opportunities (including the KUJ radio interviews and the Union-Bulletin editorial board interview) for the candidates to engage the public and answer questions. Only one candidate attended every one of these events. Sheriff Turner took the time to engage the public, answer questions, and lay out his platform. He showed commitment to the public's interest in this election and demonstrated that their attendance at the various events was not a wasted effort. All this while continuing to carry out his duties as Sheriff and conducting his quarterly roundtable forums within the various communities of our county.

Tom Cooper attended four of the nine events. He often cited not preferring to be recorded by his opponents' supporters as a reason for not attending. He completely dismissed the community of Burbank by skipping the Friends of the Burbank Library Forum and chose not to attend a Lions Club forum in Waitsburg during the week of October 13, forcing the Lions Club to cancel the event and effectively dismissing that community. He chose not to attend the Rotary Club Forum and the Tea Party Forum in Walla Walla. When the Union-Bulletin refused to change their editorial board interview policy, Tom Cooper elected not to attend. Oddly, the Union-Bulletin chose to give a lukewarm endorsement to Tom Cooper based on a perception that trust has been broken between the Sheriff's Office and citizens and nothing relating to what Tom Cooper would do to improve the Sheriff's Office.

Respect goes both ways Mr. Cooper and you have elected to disregard large portions of the county's residents by refusing to address their questions. I cannot trust an official who puts in 44% effort addressing the public. And if you cannot handle being recorded by an opponent's supporters, how will you handle the small portion of our county who continually monitor every aspect of law enforcement in an effort to misrepresent and discredit them? Todd B. Sedam Walla Walla