[Summit] On the Recall Kevin Jackson Steering Committee Letter

[Annie Voss-Altman]

We received a disturbing letter in the mail today, as did, we assume, many others in Ward 3.  It was in a plain envelope and bore no return address.  When we opened it, we saw that it was a letter from the Recall Kevin Jackson Steering Committee, purporting to inform us of the Ward 3 candidates’ positions on the recall.  We are writing this letter to the community to object to the Committee’s decision to engage in politics in this manner.

First, despite the Committee’s claim that the candidates’ response to the recall is “indicative of their engagement in the Ward,” it is nothing of the kind. While the Steering Committee’s hard work admirably bore its fruit in the Spring, that work is now done, and the candidates’ positions on the recall are no longer relevant.  This letter rehashes an old vote without substantively engaging current concerns.

Second, asking the candidates how they voted on the recall is effectively creating a simplistic litmus test based on that vote (and tacitly violates the privacy right that attaches to the fundamental right to vote) without asking the candidates to substantively address the important issues the Jackson debacle raised – such as what they would do to fix the ethically broken system that resulted in the recall in the first place or prevent it from recurring.

Third, this election is about our shared future.  The house meetings, town hall forums, and personal visits that have been going on these past two to three months have emphasized the issues of concern to Ward 3: our schools, our community, public safety, affordable housing, and the overall quality of life in our city.  Asking about – and publishing – their opinions on Mr. Jackson’s recall offers little substance to us, the voters, and has the potential to negatively influence the tone and direction of the campaign. 

We applaud Ms. La Fortune’s decision not to respond to the Steering Committee’s request.  We also lament the Steering Committee’s decision to probe the candidates for this information in the first place, then use its time and resources to publish it in a mass mail out.  Given the many important issues at stake in this election regarding our future, we are sorry to see that the Steering Committee is still mired in our past.

Howard & Annie Voss-Altman
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