I know that you are no longer accepting election letters but I am still fuming over the Reagan Republican ad on page 12A of Sunday's CDA Press. Perhaps you can publish a last minute editorial comment to right the wrong impression the ad is meant to carry.

The implication that the Kootenai County Democrats are supporting candidates for NIC Trustee positions is meant to cast some sort of black cloud over Judy Meyer, Mic Armon and Dean Haagenson and appeal to the partisan leaning of Kootenai County voters.

First of all, Kootenai County Democrats would never consider endorsing in a non-partisan race. On the local Democratic Party web site, five candidates for NIC Trustee positions are highlighted because they attended the Democratic Club forum and responded to questions about the future of the college. These candidates included Gary Coffman, Fritz Wiedenhoff, Judy Meyer, Mic Armon and Dean Haagenson.

Reagan Republican candidates, Paul Mathews and Ron Nilson did not attend the forum or even bother to RSVP. Members of the Democratic Club were not given a chance to find out why the candidates are running and what they have to offer NIC and our community.

Secondly, inserting partisanship into the traditionally non-partisan selection of North Idaho College Trustees is inappropriate and has been a consistent strategy throughout the trustee campaign, forcing incumbents to raise and spend large amounts of money for an essentially volunteer job.

Thirdly, the inference that Democrat is a dirty and pejorative word that will determine the reader's vote is hardly fitting in a community trying to set standards where individuals of any color or creed are treated with respect,

Moreover, how can they use the word Democrat as a way to defame Dean Haagenson, who served as a Republican Representative in the Idaho State House of Representatives from 1983 to 1990? Dean and I ran against each other in 1982 and he won hands down, so I remember clearly that he was and is a Republican. And we served in the same legislature for four years and even cooperated on a few issues of importance to North Idaho. I have great respect for Dean, and I know this ad is not only misleading, but hurtful for someone who has served his party, our county and our state for many years.

These guys shouldn't get away with these wrongful tactics. Can you shed some last minute light? Sincerely,

Mary Lou Reed (Proud to be a Democrat)