Editor,

I read Sandra Kuykendall’s letter in the July 18 Whidbey News-Times with great interest. To try to redo history is a very slippery road.

Her statement that her replacement ruined the financial status of Island Transit doe not pass the smell test for many reasons.

I wonder if Sandra has conveniently forgotten that, in 2009, her husband, Chuck, retired from IT and was given $35,000 in sick/vacation leave pay? A few months after that generous payout, he was hired back.

When the transit board asked Martha why, she said something along the lines that she could not find another person who could rake leaves as well as Chuck.

When I went over the 2009 and 2010 financial reports, I could not find a column that Sandra’s retirement payout came under.

When I asked for that information, I was told that Island Transit would provide the figure. I am still waiting.

Sandra conveniently seems to have forgotten that, at the 2009 levy meeting she chaired, she stated that, if the levy did not pass, services would be severely cut due to lack of funds.

So a reasonable person might think that the funds were being overspent prior to Sandra’s retirement.

Other reasonable thinking people might think that, after the levy passed, Island Transit might be frugal with the new bounty, but that was not to be.

Martha’s first comment after the levy passed was, “I cannot wait for the money to roll in so we can expand.”

In other words, frugal went out the window and the unofficial motto for Martha and the inner circle was let the good times roll.

Martha, Chuck, Sandra and other members of the inner circle made out. In some cases, they are still making out.

Is that being frugal with taxpayer money, Sandra, or sour grapes?

Jim Pace

Oak Harbor