THE KIND OF EXPERIENCE THAT COUNTS
My opponents have elective experience. Does that alone qualify them to be Snohomish County Executive? Is prior elective experience an absolute prerequisite? Is anyone who has not been previously elected to office thereby disqualified? Are there other kinds of experience and other factors which should be part of the calculation?
In my campaign I focus on changes which would improve the quality of life in our County. My opponents focus mostly on their elective experience. They are running image campaigns. I am running an issues campaign.
My opponents are nice people, however, they have not outlined anything remotely resembling my program. A political campaign should be about ideas and change. I offer ideas and change.
Back to the experience issue: The advantage my opponents claim is that they have had more elective and administrative experience than I have had. I maintain that I have other kinds of experience which are more important than elective experience. I have 36 years of experience in helping people and businesses extricate themselves from legal problems and avoid legal problems. For all but two of my 36 years as an attorney, I have run my own office, having up to 15 employees at a time.
And frankly, political experience can be hired.
I maintain that my experience as a lawyer would more valuable to our County than their elective experience. The job of the County Executive bristles with legal issues. Snohomish County has legal problems which need to be cleaned up and legal problems which need to be avoided. We need better loss prevention awareness. There are hold over problems from the administration of disgraced Aaron Reardon which have not been dealt with. And as I have outlined above, there are new laws which could be enacted which would better the lives of Snohomish County residents. Such work can best be achieved by a person with knowledge of the law.
I maintain that the County needs an experienced attorney in the top seat. I have spent my adult life studying the law. I have helped thousands of clients get out of legal trouble and avoid legal trouble. Because the work of a county executive involves so many legal issues, my opponents will be largely dependent on County legal staff for guidance. I will be less dependent on others for information about what can and cannot be done.
The chief talent of most politicians is that they are very good at working their way up the party ranks and assembling a majority in order to get elected. That does not mean that they know what to do after they are elected.
I am running an issues campaign. My opponents are running image campaigns.
Most politicians seem to believe that the way things have always been done is the way things should be done. A look at my opponents’ web sites and Facebook pages evinces no major proposals coming from them.
My opponents have experience in maintaining the status quo. If they are elected, things will coast along pretty much as they are. Is that the kind of experience you want?
I am the responsible progressive in this campaign. If either of my opponents is elected, the same old muddle will continue unchanged.
More later.
James at JamesDeal dot com
425-774-6611, 888-999-2022
