To the editor:
In Wednesday’s Record, a letter from Ms. Goodfellow endorsing Phil Bakke for county commissioner ends with the statement that Helen Price Johnson would have a conflict of interest because of her husband’s building business.
I think Ms. Goodfellow needs to do a little more research than simply rely on the Bakke political rhetoric published by his own campaign.
Let’s look at the conflict of interests that Bakke has. Though he has denied being a friend of John Schisel, local builder and recipient of closed door favors from Bakke, John’s wife has sent several letters of endorsement where she says she worked alongside Phil for many years in government. One has to assume that from such a close working relationship, John Schisel is more than just an acquaintance.
Bakke was appointed to his position this past year by fellow Commissioner “Mac” McDowell. Mc Dowell’s wife has been in real estate for many years. You can’t drive down a street in the ritzier parts of Oak Harbor without seeing her smiling face on “for sale” signs.
As reported in the papers, Mac’s net worth in real estate is in the millions. Even considering a commissioners’ salary, the buying and selling of real estate is most likely the only means for Mac to have created such wealth.
In the recent Historical Review Committee controversy, Bakke put forth the name of Ted Clifton as the replacement for Paula Spina on the HRC.
Ted Clifton is a builder and also a board member of the Skagit Island County Builders Association, which is a local chapter for the Building Industry Association of Washington. The BIAW has been funneling funds into ultra-conservative right wing campaigns around the state and is now under investigation by the state’s Attorney General, a Republican.
Clifton sent out an e-mail announcing he was being appointed to the HRC. In his e-mail, he included a statement that Bakke wanted someone on the HRC who would “stand up to those other idiots.”
Needless to say, when that e-mail was given to Island County Commissioner John Dean, a vote of the appointment was postponed and Mac stepped in and found a new candidate for the position. Clearly, the e-mail publicly revealing Bakkes’ attitude toward the HRC was an embarrassment to Mac so he took over the matter.
And what about Mac’s appointment of Sheila Crider to the county auditor position? She also has a real estate license, she was Mac’s campaign manager and her husband is Charles Wayne Crider, the executive officer of the Skagit Island County Builders Association. Talk about a cozy little nest of relations and so many areas for “conflicts of interest.”
Helen Price Johnson is a breath of fresh air, she will air out our county’s cozy little smoke-filled back rooms of politics. If you want real open government and not the “Rat Pack” good ole’ boys network that caters to developers and puts up road blocks to preservation, then she’s the clear winner!
Lance D. Loomis
Crockett Farm
