Dear editor,
Allen County Commissioner Tom Williams has posted on his political candidate Facebook page, and stated at the recent Allen County political candidate forum, that those candidates running for political office in Allen County shouldn’t place their yard signs on properly owned or managed by me or my family, or accept campaign contributions from us. He went so far as to say that if a candidate had a sign with us, that the candidate should remove the sign, and if they had accepted a campaign contribution from us, they should return it.
Now I’m not sure what the logic is behind Mr. Williams’ position, but I’m wondering why it’s limited to political yard signs and campaign contributions? After all, if he thinks its wrong, shouldn’t it always be wrong? Tom, should the Iola school system return the money we donated for the improvements to the high school football stadium, and the money we give every year for After Prom? Should the sensory park return the money we donated to help fund its existence? Should the dozens of groups and organizations that we donate to annually also return our donations? Perhaps Tom, you should initiate local legislation that prohibits Allen County and Iola from the receipt of any portion of the sales tax revenue our businesses generate, or any portion of the personal property tax our businesses generate through the sale of vehicles to Allen County residents, or the real property taxes we pay.
In the end it really doesn’t have anything to do with yard signs or campaign contributions. Mr. Williams doesn’t believe in yard signs, and he knows he’d never get a campaign contribution from me. No, I suspect it has more to do with the fact that he just doesn’t like me, because I have the audacity to challenge his authority, and to question and call him on things he’s said and done that I don’t agree with, and that are not beneficial to Allen County. The difference between Tom and I is when I have something to say about what someone has said or done, I address it with them directly. I don’t hide behind Facebook posts only seen by my friends, or editorials written by the puppet publisher Susan Lynn.
You may have called Iola home for three decades Tom, but my siblings and I were born and raised here. My children were also born and raised here, and most continue to live here and call Iola and Allen County home.
I would encourage others to continue or start making their voices heard by the people in public office that we elect. After all. elected officials are supposed to be serving the public’s interests, not engaging in self-serving actions and abusing the power we have vested in them. We, the residents and voting public of Allen County. Not the other way around.
Mitch Sigg,
Iola, Kan.
