Letter: In praise of Wylie

EDITOR,
We hear that regard for our elected officials is at an all-time low. Frustrated by politicians who seem to care more for their special interests than their constituents, we have grown weary of national and state politics where intransigence is valued over collaboration and problem solving. In the midst of this malaise, I would like to tell you about my colleague and friend, George Wylie, who is running for Santa Cruz County supervisor, District 5.
I promise that the more you learn about George, the more faith you will have that our elected officials can be driven by honesty, civic responsibility, and hard work. George is currently my fellow trustee on the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District board. He worked tirelessly on the bond measure that has resulted in a state-of-the-art library and will soon produce a new performing arts center. He has served as a leader for other local school boards and was recently elected to represent our region on the statewide school board association. He works on several school district committees, offering his insight and assistance to make certain that all students in the district are meeting their highest academic potential. Moreover, in each and every one of our board deliberations, I have been very, very impressed by George’s thoughtful and wise decision-making.
As you probably already know, the position of school district trustee in the San Lorenzo Valley USD is not a formal job. We are paid a small monthly stipend (about $240) for our work, which makes George’s efforts all the more remarkable. Each of us on the board works hours and hours each month, in some cases on top of a “regular” job, but George has taken his commitment to a new level. As a retired airline pilot, why would George take on the extra work and headaches? I’ll tell you why: George is motivated only to serve his neighbors here in the San Lorenzo Valley and promulgate the ideals of democracy. His success on the school board has convinced me that George is ready take his service to the county board, and I encourage you to get to know him over the next several months. If you do, you’ll witness civic interest and responsibility in its purest form.
Kip Tellez, Felton, professor at University of California, Santa Cruz