The Jan. 26 article in Wednesday’s News-Times was very revealing about Commissioner Kelly Emerson’s lack of intelligence and unwillingness to work with fellow commissioners. Island County does not need or deserve this kind of representation. Her attitude is unbelievably rude and absurd.

My advice to Paul Dziedzic: Run, don’t walk, to the nearest exit! The odds of Dziedzic getting our three county commissioners in a cooperative, meaningful retreat is about 6 million to one thanks to Emerson.

It is obvious from Kelly Emerson’s comments she has no intent of working with the other two commissioners to solve county problems. Her objection to the word “progressive” shows that she is not. Nor does she probably understand the meanings of many words that will crop up in commissioners’ meeting. This woman will never “break the ice” with the others and due to her narrow-minded, uncooperative attitude, we will all be affected negatively.

This is a great example of how the elected Tea Party candidates, here and in the other Washington, have no intention of doing what is truly best for all their constituents, but rather how they can destroy anything the Democrats have done to correct the mistakes made by the Bush Administration. Emerson’s flippant attitude, when she replies with “I thought you might be” to Helen Price Johnson’s dismay at her comment is definitely inappropriate.

If she doesn’t understand the purpose of the retreat and thinks it’s “your guys’ gig” and if she doesn’t “understand the budget” then she has been elected to a position she is incapable of fulfilling. If she is just attending the retreat and “going along and seeing how this one works out,” the retreat might as well be cancelled.

Maybe Dziedzic should just give back the $500 and skip this potential catfight. Even better, maybe Emerson, despite her lack of cooperation and foresight, will resign before the retreat and before she is recalled.

Jerry Mercer

Greenbank