Neal for commissioner
Dear Editor:
Okanogan County is choosing a new commissioner this election. Although for the primary, the two candidates were chosen by only north county voters, for the general election we all vote and the new commissioner works for all of us. Jon Neal is running for this position. He has been a very popular mayor of Oroville for the past six years and has served for 20 years in public service in Okanogan County. While mayor, Jon rebuilt the police department to one of the best in the county. He serves on the TranGO board, is chair of the Okanogan County Council of Governments and serves as a volunteer firefighter. All this while running his very busy auto body repair business and raising a family!
Jon is a great listener. He believes in hearing from all citizens, regardless of their views. In this time of partisan division that is refreshing to me. Jon sees the need for less-populated places in the county, like the Methow Valley to have a voice. While I believe Jon and I would have different views on some issues, I am confident he will listen and do the best job he can for the county as a whole. This is why I am supporting him in our upcoming election.
Vote Jon Neal for county commissioner.
Janice Dickinson
Winthrop
Best PUD choice
Dear Editor:
I’d encourage any Okanogan County voter reading this letter to vote for Joseph Enzensperger for PUD commissioner by Tuesday, Nov. 8.
I’ve known Joseph since the late1970s and have appreciated his many actions on the part of the community, environment and open government as well as his unusual intelligence and meticulous research on PUD expenditures. In addition, I can attest to his consistently high level of personal integrity, honesty and kindness both in personal and business relationships.
Joseph is the type of individual we need representing us in every aspect of government during these “unusual” times.
For several years, Joseph conducted a one person letter-writing campaign exposing the enormous financial burden Enloe Dam had been to the public and the lack of wisdom being shown by the commissioners in their pursuit of even further expenditures to re-energize the dam.
As one of three PUD commissioners, Joseph will continue to avoid such forms of unnecessary spending, reducing the burden of rate-payers; in addition, by pursuing funding for such common-sense items as roof-top solar for rate-payers by local contractors, he will make progress in reducing petroleum dependence while meeting the needs of families who increasingly struggle to supply energy to the family home. With his meticulous approach to financial data, I have every confidence that Joseph will take advantage of any available governmental or private programs to make such technologies available.
Isabelle Spohn
Twisp
Enzensberger for PUD
Dear Editor:
We, the Okanogan County Public Utility District ratepayers, finally have a chance to vote for a PUD commissioner who is actually concerned about us and the future of the PUD: Joseph Enzensberger.
A central focus of this election has been the tens of millions of dollars already wasted to keep the useless Enloe Dam in place, as well as the latest proposal to waste even more money and time on doing yet another study. Wasting our money seems to be the never-ending routine of the current commissioners. Many of us remember examples going back for years.
We haven’t had a truly responsible commissioner since Don Johnson. He always gave us the truth about what was going on, when the other commissioners tried to hide or to confuse the public. The idea of speaking truth to the ratepayers so enraged the other commissioners that they voted to prohibit him from publicly criticizing commission decisions! Thankfully, Don ignored them. Nonetheless, he eventually was worn down fighting against a majority that cared nothing for the public or transparency in PUD decisions.
In this election, we have a choice between same-old, same-old secrecy and waste, and someone like Don Johnson. Joseph Enzensperger wants a responsive and responsible PUD. He is knowledgeable and concerned with the future. If you think that matters, please vote for Joseph.
Randy Brook
Twisp
