To the Editor:
People keep asking me, so I decided to simply publish my recommendations for City Council.
First, please consider returning Ellen Smith to Council. Ms. Smith has the qualities of openness, responsiveness, and inviolate ethics that everyone hopes for in elected representatives. In addition, she does her homework better than any of the rest of us. She keeps abreast of what is going on in town and among the many entities which influence the townÂ’’s well-being. She avoids hurting anyone’s feelings if possible but will stand firm for what she believes is in the citizen’sÂ’ best interest. Her research always helps expand my understanding of issues.
Next, I would like the chance to work with Trina Baughn. This lady also brings diligence and integrity to the table even while challenging “”the way weÂ’’ve always done it”” thinking. She asks for and pursues facts upon which to make decisions. When we differ in economic or social philosophy, I have always found her willing to listen and even eager to find workable common ground. She inspires me to work harder to be well-informed. In addition, Trina brings a maturity of thoughtfulness belied by her youth and an understanding of the interests of young adults and families here.
All the candidates have their strengths and weaknesses, and I will do my best to work well with whomever you choose. Thank you for considering my view.
Anne Garcia Garland
Oak Ridge City Council member
Onslow West says
This letter was printed in this past Tuesday’s edition of The Oak Ridger and now it has appeared here, so Garcia Garland has done a pretty thorough job of “publishing†her “recommendations†(endorsements) for the city council election. (One can only wonder why – “When people keep asking†– it was not enough to just tell them then and there. I don’t think anyone actually said, “Whom do you recommend for city council? You can best answer by responding through the news media.â€)
Everyone is entitled to share his or her voting recommendations, of course, but it is very unusual for a sitting council member to endorse candidates in an ostensibly non-partisan contest. There are certainly practical reasons for not doing such a thing. For example, Hope and Hensley – the two councilmembers standing for re-election who Garcia Garland has not recommended – could rightly regard this publication as evidence that she regards them as lacking in “openness†and “responsiveness†and without “inviolate ethics.†There are apparently no good words for them beyond the generic, and pitifully simplistic acknowledgement that “all the candidates have their strengths and weaknesses.†I think it may be fortunate for Garland if vindictiveness is not a weakness of either Hope or Hensley. I’m thankful that I did not vote early, as Garland’s endorsement is certainly making me reconsider my support _for_ Smith.
I was particularly amused by Garland’s accolades for Baughn. In one sentence she amalgamates a series of buzzwords and fashionable phrases: “diligence,†“integrity,†bringing those abstractions “to the table,†all the while “challenging ‘the way we’ve always done it.’†(Be steady, my heart – I feel a swoon coming.) The final sentence is the piece de resistance: “Trina brings a maturity of thoughtfulness belied by her youth and an understanding of the interests of young adults and families here.†Though I am unable to parse that sentence – nor accede to its veracity – I can nonetheless admire its campy eloquence. I like the tension between the seemingly oppositional “maturity†and “youth,†given that most of us consider the ages from 40 to 65 as those of middle age rather than those of youth. Perhaps Garland’s intent was to point out that Baughn was simply younger than herself and not actually younger than approximately 50% of the population of Oak Ridge.
Finally, I feel compelled to note that Garland has shorted us a recommendation. There are three council seats up for election and she has endorsed only two candidates. Why might this be? Well, I have heard from multiple independent sources that one candidate – I won’t name names but will instead simply identify her as candidate “B†– is asking her supporters to vote for her alone. I suppose voting for two others runs the risk of diluting the effectiveness of that one most-important vote. This approach to electioneering brings to mind the adages, “Adversity does not build character, it reveals it,†and “Actions speak louder than words.â€