There were a lot of empty seats at last Friday night’s Farm Bureau forum featuring candidates for mayor and city council. All were invited, but only four showed up, which speaks volumes about the respect the absentees have for the Sandpoint voters. What are they afraid of? Why was the forum an inconvenience to them?

Their absences reflect one of the main reasons the current city council is in need of a drastic makeover: they routinely ignore those with differing opinions, while the mayor refers to anyone championing small, unobtrusive government and low taxation as “extreme.”

Which begs the question: What would the candidates who elected to skip speaking with voters bring to the Sandpoint city council? The answer is: more of the same arrogant and dismissive attitude that now dominates that board.

So Sandpoint voters have a chance to elect to the council a woman who promises prioritization of residents and local businesses, both of whom have taken a back seat to beautification projects and fancy trash cans. Jacque Guinan has experience with managing large budgets, has operated a small business, understands the need to prioritize necessities like the ongoing sewage issue, downtown parking, and snow removal, and is dedicated to helping make Sandpoint the welcome and diverse town we all love.

For these reasons and more, I urge you to vote for Jacque Guinan on Nov. 5.

TODD BRADSHAW

Sagle