Editor,

Janet St. Clair demonstrated that she is well prepared to be our Island County commissioner. At the Oak Harbor forum Thursday, she impressed the crowd with her knowledge, experience and commitment. Her history, in both her family and her profession, has prepared her to be our highly effective commissioner.

Janet is a forward thinker. She understands that our commissioner needs to be prepared, capable of devoting time and energy to her constituents, and willing to discuss issues with all factions of our community. Janet is prepared, committed and highly capable.

Unlike her opponent, Janet has worked with the needs of seniors, mental health and homeless population. She understands that older people in Island County have trouble finding services that will help them stay in their homes as they reach their last decades.

Her opponent made the comment that, if you plan to retire here, you need to be prepared. That is not a community-centric idea. Everyone who has had an aging family member knows the needs of that individual need to be met by people and services within the community. This attitude alone makes her opponent questionable for the position of commissioner in Island County, the county in Washington state that has the oldest population compared to all the other counties in our state.

I am voting for Janet St. Clair because she has proven management skills, because she has the professional background in community services and understands the interconnections among people, organizations and government. I am also voting for St. Clair because she took the pledge of civility through Civility First, an organization of people with differing ideas united to advance ideas and promote understanding of differences among us.

Join me in voting for Janet St. Clair for Island County commissioner.

Jane Jaehning

Oak Harbor