LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Editorial shot the messenger

Published 4:11 pm Friday, November 7, 2014

Editor,

Island Transit is in deep doo-doo and Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson thinks that the stench of the board’s failures will go away by holding her nose and telling us everything smells like roses. Her attempt to mask the gravity of the situation by spraying political Febreze on the editorial pages of this newspaper is insulting, and our community deserves better.

Rather than assaulting us with disingenuous viewpoint articles designed to put a positive spin on a very serious problem, the board should be drafting heartfelt apologies to the:

• Taxpayers that will have to pay for Island Transit’s egregious financial mistakes

• Transit riders who have had their bus routes cut, and

• Transit employees who were terminated to reduce expenses.

Contrary to the South Whidbey Record’s opinion, I believe the transit board members should resign. Individually and collectively, the board has failed to provide adequate oversight of a multi-million dollar municipal corporation. Their failure has unnecessarily cost the taxpayers millions of dollars and destroyed the public’s trust in their ability to lead responsibly.

The community needs representatives that are not afraid to ask difficult questions, and demand answers. They also need a newspaper that can put aside its personal feelings about elected officials, and objectively assess a situation.

The South Whidbey Record’s shoot the messenger editorial this past Saturday lambasted the one board member who took decisive action to change the course at Island Transit. While Oak Harbor’s mayor may not be the most endearing politician, he had the guts to make necessary changes at Island Transit. Without his strong-arm tactics, Ms. Rose would still be in the driver’s seat and the board would continue to rubber stamp her every wish.

ALLISON TAPERT

Langley