Letter: Your vote is your voice
What happens if Eagle County’s vote ceases to be our voice, and the will of the community isn’t reflected in the outcome of an election? Ballot issue 1A, which proposed extending the allowable number of commissioner terms from two to three, illustrates this plainly.
The ballot language used was misleading at best. To use the word “limit” when “extend” was intended, was deceptive. An attorney crafted this language, which assures that the word choice wasn’t accidental. So, intentionally deceptive.
Eagle County Commissioners approved this language, making them complicit in the intentional manipulation of our community’s vote, and subsequently, our voice, for their personal benefit.
If our county’s leaders are comfortable posing a ballot question that leads the community to accidentally extend their term limits by 50% using deceptive wording, then can we be assured that their primary goal is to serve and represent the best interests of our community? If their leadership doesn’t demonstrate the upmost integrity, what other decisions or policies are called into question for the general public?
If the commissioners really want to hear the voice of Eagle County, and whether we’d like to offer the opportunity for four more years of public service, they should ask clearly.
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I suggest this verbiage: “Commissioners are term-limited to two terms. Would you like to extend this to three terms?” With the opportunity to answer this very simple and direct question, we may find that the results look a lot like they did in 2010, the last time they asked.
George Washington said: “Without virtue, and without integrity, the finest talents and the most brilliant accomplishments can never gain the respect and conciliate the esteem, of the truly valuable part of mankind.”
Heather Bergquist
Gypsum
