Letters: Slert's work with development doesn't translate to supervisor

In the District 2 county supervisor race, we are being urged to vote for Martha McClure's opponent by real estate interests, with one letter writer proclaiming that he would "jump start development" here. Others point to his volunteer designs for the Veterans Monument as the reason to vote for him.

Yes, development is needed, and yes, the Veteran's Monument work indicates a good, concerned citizen, but these are not compelling arguments for me. The Board of Supervisors is not a development agency. It is responsible for making decisions concerning county issues that come before it, often complicated by restrictions placed by state law, county ordinances and guidelines in the five-year plan. It interacts with county commissions, agencies and departments on many levels. Staff research and recommendations have a bearing on its decisions, but knowledge of the issues, requiring time and effort on the part of the individual supervisor is very important. The stack of documents to be read through in preparation for meetings is not a thin stack.

Martha McClure's opponent wrote a harshly critical letter to the editor, slamming the renovation plans for the old Square Deal building. He was not very polite about it, and although he later retracted the criticism, if he had searched out the facts first, neither the criticism nor the retraction would have been necessary. I do not want my district's supervisor to be one who makes decisions on the basis of scanning the surface. Rather, I value the ability to look at issues in depth and see both present and future consequences. Martha McClure does do her homework. She reads those thick, dry but important documents. She cares. She does not take a surface-scan approach. I trust her to continue to put in the time and effort needed to make informed decisions, and I will vote for her for that and many other reasons.

Donna Thompson,

Crescent City