Assembly Opening
Dear Editor: I strongly support the Assembly decision to solicit letters of interest from community members to replace Dave Miller, rather than appointing the first runner up, Richard Wein. I believe there are compelling reasons for the Assembly to choose someone other than Richard Wein.
The pattern of election results represents a vote of confidence for the current Assembly. Indeed, faced with two mayoral candidates from among current elected officials, many voters, including myself, supported Steven Eisenbeisz in order to retain Kevin Mosher – and his views and demeanor – on the Assembly. Had we been voting for three seats, it is quite possible that an additional candidate whose goals aligned with the current Assembly and majority of voters would have run and won.
In the absence of such a candidate, the third-place winner cannot be interpreted as the community’s choice. As a former Assembly member and frequent speaker under citizens to be heard, Richard Wein’s political views and style are well known. It is thus noteworthy that he garnered the support of fewer than 39% of voters*, and received nearly 300 fewer votes than the second-place candidate, Thor Christianson. Significantly, Sitka overwhelmingly passed Prop 2, which winning candidates Chris Ystad and Thor Christianson both strongly supported. Richard Wein opposed it. Is it surprising that he was rejected by over 61% of voters?
There is no intrinsic value in having an Assembly member who opposes measures and policies supported by the majority of the community. Instead, we should replace Mr. Miller with an individual equally committed to the common good, who considers multiple solutions, and works well with colleagues to address the formidable challenges we face as a community. And who does so humbly and succinctly.
Cindy Litman, Sitka
