It is not so difficult to look at the mayoral candidates and select the one that will lead us out of the development quagmire our past good old boy/girl leadership has put us into. The biggest problem is getting the voters to look up the Public Disclosure Commission report on campaign contributions for an enlightening education. Just knowing who is bought and paid for by the business money in this town will provide the reader with the direction they will go in if they are elected.

Jim Slowik, used car salesman, is the most highly bought and paid for candidate. His contributions read like a Who’s Who of Oak Harbor’s business sector. The developers take the lead on this candidate and unhampered development will continue during his tenure. We are just finishing with three mayors who were beholding to the same contributors and look at the mess our city is in. Look the other way on this one, let him spend his money and go back to used cars.

Sue Karahalios is a retired school teacher, how many times does she have to remind us? Her affiliations during her tenure on the city council was one of “whatever the good old girls wanted she would vote for.” She voted for the expansion of the city limits, especially when they would encompass the mayor’s property. She supported the UGA that would have brought one more ugly strip mall to 31 acres of land south of the city. Why did she vote for it? The mayor owns a good portion of the land needed and Crider was involved to some degree also: the good old girls at their best. Another problem area is when her past voting history and some of her contributors will not allow her to be independent enough to benefit the city. You will get higher taxes and more ugly retailers with this one.

Paul Brewer is not accepting contributions. He wants to remain completely independent of the corruption that it brings. He has become upset when the good old girls, in particular Crider, try to keep him out of the picture because he won’t go along with their giveaways to the developers and increased taxes. He researches and makes his decisions based on that research. If a proposal is sound and beneficial to the city then he will vote for it. He is not antigrowth; he is against using the offices of city leadership to benefit those voted into office. Yes, he will be tough. He will be upset with those who want to step on the people of this city for the benefit of a few. Vote Paul in he will work for all of us and that is something we have needed in this city for too long. Imagine, honest, citizen oriented city government.

Donald Bettner

Oak Harbor