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Don’t attack the messenger

Obviously Joyce Merkel (CK Reporter letters, Dec. 29) had no idea of the context of Jack Hamilton’s articles. They surely were not about the election, which she referred to in her sarcastic letter. Hamilton’s articles highlighted Bob Dietz’s assault on KAPO and the county’s requirement to have a balanced budget.

Attacking the messenger is denying the fact that the referenced junior county commissioner and DCD continue to reject property owner’s reasonable requests for zoning changes. With the stroke of a pen, Kitsap County has redefined rural lands, costing property owners hundreds of thousands in resale values.

What else can be expected in a state run by Democrats where a governor is elected by winning one out of three voter recounts? Or a junior county commissioner, who supposedly lived in Spartan conditions to support legal residency? Where else can a junior politician get away with the fraudulent action of falsifying his voter’s registration, which he admitted doing? Then to have the case thrown out of court as being political, when in fact it was illegal.

Yep, Joyce is right, the election is over, and unfortunately locally elected democrats are no longer required to be honest, have integrity or be of good character.

DEAN JENNIGES

Bremerton

Lary Coppola

A conflict of interest

Why is it that I have difficulty being convinced by anything Lary Coppola tells me he wants me to believe? I refer to his recent claim to be without conflict of interest as he remains on the Kitsap County Planning Commission while also serving as mayor of Port Orchard, and while continuing to write his column in the Kitsap Business Journal and his West Sound politics blog. No conflicts of interest?

I have serious misgivings about the civic dedication to his positions as a mayor and his continuing roles as a planning commissioner — perhaps chair. Why? Clearly, being mayor and planning commissioner can’t help but be in conflict from time to time. But what really interferes with my ability to suspend my disbelief is his published statement that he doesn’t intend to use his editorial commentaries “for anything other than to express my thoughts. Being my thoughts, they won’t reflect any official positions.”

Does anyone else remember his June 2004 Kitsap Sun column that consisted largely of an opinion piece issued in May of that year by the Building Industry Association of Washington?

As one who believes in intellectual integrity, I have reservations about someone who has served as the frontman for the BIAW and now claims no conflict of interest in his roles as mayor, commissioner, publisher and political columnist. Does he really think we are complete fools?

BOB DIETZ

Bremerton