I opened my Saturday edition of the News-Times to find a flyer stuck inside, imploring me to vote for the “boy wonder” from La Conner for State Representative. This was the third such appeal for this “experienced” candidate to be placed in my paper. Although his signs, along with many others, clutter our road sides, fences and yards, I guess someone feels we need one last reminder that he’s running.

I’ve often wondered what kind of citizen could possibly be influenced by the size, number or content of election signs. If there are many who use them as a criteria for selecting their candidate, the Republic’s in real trouble.

The one real sign of democracy in action was the immediate reaction of voters to write in the name of the discharged county clerk on the primary ballot, thus assuring she would face her former boss for her position in November. Oh, that was sweet!

If only the same citizen action could have followed last year’s discharge of the police chief, who after 30 years of service was dismissed with the admonition that he should, “Do something else.” How that would have been even sweeter!

P.S. I’m returning the flyer.

R.A. Caylor

Oak Harbor