Richland letter writers have a lot say about upcoming election | Opinion
Qualities needed for school board
In seeking a prospective school board member, the qualities and characteristics should be, or in a stronger sense, shall be, honesty, open mindedness, respect for and devotion to the rule of law, willingness to work productively with each other and the superintendent, ability to make compromises and take others’ viewpoints into consideration, and of course, above all, keep the students’ safety and quality of learning paramount.
There should not be any need or requirement for the candidate to gain the endorsement of any political party, nor should there be any political bias of same in conducting school board affairs, or intention to promote political agendas. Likewise, there should be no demonizing of students and family lifestyle choices, or attempts to put forth policies that seek to suppress lifestyle choices or cultural learning opportunities.
David P. Sisk, Richland
Maier working to update city codes
Did you know that thanks to Kurt Maier, candidate for Richland City Council Position 6, if you have an overdue library book, you won’t be issued a citation or be arrested. That is because Kurt Maier spearheaded the effort through his leadership on the Richland Library Board to decriminalize overdue books.
Did you know until recently the staff at the Richland Public Library could not lock the library doors even in the event of an emergency such as an active shooter. Kurt Maier spent much of his tenure on the Richland Public Library Board working to remedy that problem.
Kurt is passionate about updating the Richland Municipal Code to bring it into alignment with current needs. He is focused on revising outdated codes that hamper the city’s ability to address problems such as the rising cost of housing and an increasing homeless population.
His thoughtful analysis of issues, his solutions-based approach to tackling problems, and his commitment to community service make him the ideal candidate for City Council. Kurt Maier is a leader who will listen. Please join us in voting for Kurt Maier for Richland City Council.
Karen A. and Kenneth A. Buxton, Richland
3 reasons to boot 3 off school board
I support the recall of Richland School Board members Semi Bird, Audra Byrd and Kari Williams because I believe:
▪ Public officials should demonstrate prudence in their actions. The rushed vote to make masks optional in the Richland schools demonstrated none. These three blindsided other board members, the administrators and other employees, as well as the parents and students of the district. That is not good governance.
▪ Public officials should uphold their oath of office and the rule of law. These three chose to disobey the laws of Washington. Private citizens may choose to engage in civil disobedience when they don’t agree with a law; Bird, Byrd and Williams tried to use a government body (the school district) to protest a legal statewide mandate, violating the Open Public Meetings Act in the process.
▪ Public officials should be fiscally responsible. They have made it clear they also want the taxpayers to pay for the legal fees they incurred fighting the recall efforts.
For these reasons, I am voting Yes on each of the recall measures.
Benita L. Brown, Richland
These 3 will stop Richland drama
Do you want the drama of the Richland School Board to stop? Me, too! That’s why I’m voting for Chelsie Beck, Jill Oldson and Katrina Waters. Let’s get things back to normal. Just remember B.O.W. on this ballot and again in November, and we won’t be bothered by ridiculous headlines about our school board going forward.
Barbara Chen, Richlalnd
