How many houses a political candidate owns doesn’t matter much on the national stage where the issue gets more coverage than it deserves.
Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, received some negative attention for not knowing offhand how many houses he owns. Most of them came with his wealthy second wife, so he probably doesn’t care much about the details. And property ownership doesn’t matter a whit when the issues are national security, health care and the national debt.
At the county level, however, property ownership is important. Land use planning is, year after year, the most contentious issue of all in Island County. Most elected officials only own one house so when someone like Commissioner Mac McDowell owns nine, as the News-Times reported last week, it’s a useful piece of information for the voting public. Property ownership can influence decision making in zoning matters, and it’s possible to directly benefit financially from one’s own decisions.
McDowell, an Oak Harbor Republican, hasn’t been trying to hide anything. It’s generally been known over his 16 years in office that he invests in real estate and he was forthcoming when asked about the number of houses he owns. He’s never been a hypocrite on the issue. He stands for property rights and sees Oak Harbor’s future in terms of continued growth. He’s for growth and makes no excuses for it. He keeps getting elected by his Oak Harbor base despite the best efforts of Democrats to unseat him over the years. His challenger this year, Democrat Angie Homola, received 43 percent of the District 2 primary vote. Not real impressive, but with only about a 625-vote difference she still has a chance in the general election which will be conducted countywide.
Voters might see McDowell’s nine houses as a sign of business acumen and economic success, both of which are indicators that a candidate will make a good county commissioner. Others might see it as a sign that the candidate is too involved with the development community to be trusted to make unbiased decisions in the contentious area of land use planning.
Either way, the voters have an important piece of information to help them decide in November. That’s exactly how Washington’s public disclosure laws were supposed to work.
Show military our appreciation
Whidbey Island residents have a fun opportunity to show their appreciation for the military Saturday at Oak Harbor’s Windjammer Park.
The Navy League, Chamber of Commerce and city are teaming up for the annual Military Appreciation Picnic starting at noon Sept. 6. Members of the military and their families get to be the center of positive attention for the afternoon and will enjoy picnic fare for free. There will be plenty of fun things for the kids to do, capped off by the outdoor showing of The Bee Movie.
The cost for non-military people is only $5, so it’s a great opportunity to hang around our men and women in uniform and thank them for their service. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have required much from our local sailors and their families and they’ve performed their jobs splendidly. Beyond that, the Navy community provides hundreds of volunteers annually for a myriad of community projects and is always there when a flood or other emergency finds Northwest people needing help in a hurry. From plucking people off rooftops in flooded valleys to hoisting hapless hikers from mountain ridges, the Navy can always be counted on to save lives.
Planning for the event is well along but more community donations and assistance are always welcome. To lend a hand call the chamber office at 675-3755, or just show up Saturday at Windjammer Park.
