Who is the true independent voice best able to represent Clallam County as commissioner?
Clearly, it’s Ron Richards, who has consistently distinguished himself by standing up for the people in the face of powerful vested interests.
Richards stood up to Commissioners Jim McEntire and Bill Peach when they tried diverting $500,000 from the county Opportunity Fund to balloon the staff budget for the private Clallam Economic Development Council.
In the face of Richards’ activism, McEntire and Peach relented, and the fund remained as it always had been, dedicated to county infrastructure.
Richards was willing to stand up to Democratic Party regulars in spearheading the local Bernie Sanders campaign, a campaign founded on the principle that the people, not special interests, should control our governance.
That campaign was wildly successful here.
Richards led the watchdog effort to seek accountability and transparency from the U.S. Navy in its bid to dramatically increase training flights over our local wilderness areas while sidestepping a full public process.
Richards and his opponent, Randy Johnson, both call climate change a serious problem that must be addressed, but only Richards is willing to support taxing carbon to reflect the damage it causes and to lower its use.
His opponent ducks the issue and criticizes the I-732 state carbon tax initiative, trying to pass the buck onto other countries and demonstrating a “business as usual” attitude and lack of moral courage.
Don’t be fooled by slick ads.
For a truly independent voice on the side of the people, it’s Ron Richards hands down.
Ed Chadd,
Port Angeles