To the editor:

If the 2007 car you bought were still in excellent condition and someone told you they thought the 2008 model was somehow better because it was “different,” would you scrap the current model and buy it based on their word?

If the landscaping in your yard that you’d spent 12 years fine-tuning was being touted as no longer in fashion because maybe someone else didn’t like it, would you tear it all up on the slim chance they might be right and maybe you didn’t trust your own judgment?

If you were told that your neighbor of 25 years who had spent many years working to improve the neighborhood was not pleasing everyone, would you suddenly decide that maybe you should move?

If the products in your usual store were somewhat comparable to those in a brand new store, but the new store was more expensive, the foundation was untested, and was not quite as fully stocked, would you suddenly change your shopping habits?

If you’d worked for 13 years gathering knowledge and forming valuable contacts that would benefit you and others into the future, would you suddenly throw away all your efforts and start over if someone else felt you should?

If your closet were full of clothes that fit and were up to date, would you suddenly toss them all out and go on a shopping spree that would set you back in both money and time and perhaps leave you not as satisfied afterall?

Well, there’s an old saying. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

In the current race for Island County Commissioner — District 1, Phil Bakke, the candidate who has already proven himself in that position and whose valuable experience and knowledge of 13-plus years working for your benefit in the county and state, with many valuable sources of information and respected contacts, is the one who is most prepared and deserving of your vote for four more years. Why would you throw all that away?

As Benjamin Franklin said: “An investment in knowledge always pays the best dividends.”

Edie Elerick

Oak Harbor