Editor,

Do you have a job in Island County, own a home, enjoy a variety of retail outlets, or just appreciate the stable local economy? If your answer is yes and you want them to remain economically safe you should be concerned with the County Commissioner’s race.

Candidate Karla Jacks described her Island County vision regarding the Navy in her April 2014 newsletter. She wrote she wanted alternatives to the Navy flying out of OLF Coupeville. The Navy has long said Outlying Field Coupeville is essential to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island remaining open and that it has to remain operational to adequately train carrier aircrews. If elected Karla would be the second (Helen Price Johnson is the other) commissioner who does not understand or care if OLF is essential.

Karla claimed in The Record she supports the Navy because an in-law was once in the Navy. However she also said she would not take a public position on OLF Coupeville remaining open now. Usually when a politician refuses to take a position pre-election, they intend to take the unpopular position after the election. If she really supported the Navy, the one entity that provides 88 percent of all economic activity within the county (according to the governor’s report on the Navy’s local impact) I am convinced she would have no problem publicly stating she supports keeping the Growlers flying at OLF Coupeville.

If you support the Navy, or have concerns what would happen to the local economy if the anti-Navy group in Coupeville that supports Ms. Jacks’ election is successful in closing down OLF Coupeville, the one issue Karla refuses to state her position on, then please join me in voting for Rick Hannold, the candidate that clearly states he supports OLF Coupeville. We cannot afford a majority commissioner board against the Navy.

MAC MACDOWELL

Oak Harbor