FREEDOM'S MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY

Since 1775, more than 651,000 Americans have died in battle to give all of the rest of us the right to vote in free elections. Here in Bountiful, we have a critical election happening today and tomorrow. If you have not yet voted, PLEASE DO SO by mailing in your ballot TODAY (ballots postmarked tomorrow will NOT be counted) – OR – go to the Bountiful Library TUESDAY in person. The future of Bountiful City – the quality and reliability of municipal services, our tax rates, the civility of our public discourse, the foresight of wise city governance – all of these are very much hanging in the balance. One of my favorite political ads from long ago featured an agitated radio voice spouting off a wacky rant about a weird issue, and then a calm voice came on with this thoughtful message: “Hmm – if HE’s voting, I need to make sure that I do, too!” There is a group of candidates running under the banner of “Better Bountiful,” and some of them, including their mayor candidate, think nothing of putting personal ambition ahead of accuracy and, well – political honesty. They were offended when the City Council decided not to build a new city hall that these people didn’t want anyway. Then they shifted gears to complain about the decision to take down the earthquake hazard that was Stoker School. What they don’t say is that it would have cost millions of dollars to bring the building up to code, and there was no one willing to invest that kind of money in the building. It makes no sense to architects and engineers to spend millions on a building that lacks a particular purpose. For good measure, they then suggested that the City Council disagreed with their opinions because of “corruption” and “conflicts of interest.” C’mon – this isn’t Chicago! So, this is an important election! As a general rule, people who will say “whatever it takes to win an election” are not the kind of wise and good people who serve the public well when the dust settles. I have learned a lot of great lessons working with Bountiful’s remarkable citizens and an excellent city council. I have a proven record of integrity, leadership, and stewardship that allows me to sleep straight in bed at night. If I thought that any of those running for mayor could do a better job than I can, I wouldn’t be running for re-election. I would very much appreciate your vote! Thank you!