I read a poem by Amy Witt supporting Mary Engle for Island County Assessor. Please consider mine.

Mary Engle, assessor?

Not yet, she contends

Her signs say she is.

Will she make amends?

“Outstanding in her field”

Says her newspaper ad.

But when she’s in class

Why are her grades so bad?

Unable to meet standards

That she needs to advance

She instead runs for office

Her status to enhance.

I’ll cut the budget,

Fire supervisors, she claims,

We know knowledge and ability

Are not where she aims.

“A senior residential appraiser”

I am, says she,

But the Appraisal Institute

Would disagree!

With the picture on her sign

Whether a cow or a bull

Can her new Engle name

Give her the pull,

To defeat the incumbent

Who’s not worthy she attests

Because he’s unable

To help Mary pass tests?

Though Dave Mattens is ethical,

Kind, and controlled,

Though his methods are refreshing,

Productive and bold.

Though Dave saved us money

With efficiency galore

Though he captained a ship

On a mission to explore

Though he rules his office

With fairness and strength

Though Dave kept his promises

That he made at length,

Though he’s tops in his field

And elected to posts

And taxpayer meetings

He continually hosts,

Though he works hard each day

In the office and out

Can Mary beat Dave

With a cow and a shout?

The party you choose

In this race shouldn’t matter

Even if you make your

contented cow fatter.

If Mary fails tests

Because she won’t study

Because she’d rather hang out

With a friend or a buddy,

Dave’s a true leader,

Not a boss or a clerk.

He gets the job done;

He knows how to work.

I’ve worked in the office

For twenty-two years

Between the two choices

Dave gets my cheers.

Daniel Jones

Coupeville