Letter: Childish tactics undermine campaign

EDITOR,
The election for three seats on the Board of Directors of the Lompico Country Water District has become a contentious race. The three incumbents running for re-election, Bill Smallman, Rick Harrington and Lois Henry all support Lompico Water merging with San Lorenzo Valley Water District. They have adopted the phrase “stay the course” as their campaign slogan, promising to bring the decision to the community by means of a vote. The board cannot decide to merge with SLV Water District, although it can decide whether to proceed or not to bring it to a vote of the community. The candidates challenging the incumbents have all stated that they are against a merger, advocating that we should “keep local control.”  Fact is, SLV Water District is local. We live in San Lorenzo Valley.  What has prompted me to write this letter is continuous destruction of campaign signs.  Several have been removed or destroyed since they started going up. I personally witnessed someone associated with the challengers forcibly removing a “stay the course” sign from the “Welcome to Lompico” community board and destroying part of that community’s sign in the process. I can understand and accept that not everyone agrees with the incumbents’ platform; however, destruction of an opponent’s campaign sign is not only illegal, it’s poor sportsmanship. It appears to me that they cannot win a fair fight, so they must resort to sabotaging their opponents’ campaign. I think it’s rather childish and indicates a lack not only of character, but of integrity. Not someone I want controlling our water’s future. I say, let the facts speak for themselves, and the voters will decide whom they want to elect to the board.
Chris Frank, Lompico