An article in the Goldendale Sentinel last week. Open letter RE: SONGER FOR SHERIFF(R) I believe how a person runs their campaign for office indicates how they’ll function once elected. I am a public supporter of Bob Songer and have been since he was endorsed by the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) and Department of Emergency Management (DEM) employees union in November of 2013. The “Songer for Sheriff ” campaign has been open, transparent, and primarily positive focusing on Songer. It has not attacked Songer’s opponent on a personal level. His campaign addresses problems and talks of solutions to better the department. Songer stresses his experience, education and appropriately indicates that virtually every law enforcement officer and law enforcement related employee in the County, from the rank of Sergeant down, supports his candidacy. These people who work together regularly, and know both candidates, have shared their opinion that Songer is the right choice for Sheriff. This is a tough crowd in its own right. Having virtually unanimous support from these folks is unheard of in this County. They are a skeptical group with no qualms about telling each other what they think. In announcing their support, most of them relied on personal knowledge of Songer acquired through repetitive interaction with him over his thirteen years of service in Klickitat County. Songer addressed the KCSO & DEM employees union in July of 2013 and requested an endorsement of his candidacy for Sheriff. He was told at that time the union would consider all candidates for Sheriff, announced (he was the only one) and unannounced. He was told other candidates would be invited to address the union as well. A Goldendale Sentinel front page headline and story in September of 2013 invited any candidate, ”considering running” for Sheriff, to contact the union to discuss their candidacy. The union received no response. Even so, the union membership discussed and evaluated a number of potential candidates, including the Undersheriff, who was named to his position in the summer of 2013. The union had no need to endorse anyone. The union had not done so previously. The question for the union membership was should they endorse Songer. This was thoroughly discussed.The union took a secret ballot vote in late October of 2013. The union announced it’s overwhelming endorsement of Bob Songer and the reasons for that decision in their paid advertisement in the Goldendale and White Salmon papers in November of 2013. Nothing has changed among our members since that vote. Not one union member of the KCSO or DEM has suggested we change our mind or has indicated our vote to endorse Songer was a mistake, hasty, or should be reconsidered. We are not a bashful group. Among ourselves everyone has something to say. The present Undersheriff was an option for the employees of KCSO and the DEM Dispatchers when they voted 41-1 with one abstention to endorse Songer. Of course he was. It was clear to the union at the time that he was a likely candidate for Sheriff though unannounced. There was nothing personal against the Undersheriff in the vote for Songer, nor against any other potential candidate. The feeling expressed in discussions was that Bob Songer was the best qualified candidate based on his experience, his ability to work well with others, his professional expertise, and his management experience. He continues to have the support of the law enforcement community. He has the skills to make government work. He is knowledgeable about the complicated workings of a Sheriff’s Office. He articulates a vision that the employees of the KCSO can embrace. He represents fairness in the workplace, an opportunity for them to excel at their chosen profession, a chance to be included in discussions of the future of our department and the ability to have pride in an organization that strives to serve and protect. A copy of that endorsement has been published on the Songer for Sheriff website by Bob Songer. It is as true today as the day it was finalized in a group effort in November of last year. Tactics being used against Songer late in the campaign are easily seen through by the discerning public that make up the voters of Klickitat County. Support for Songer runs deep in the people that know him. Their kind words about him to others who don’t know him have been a great help to his candidacy. People have seen campaign nonsense in the past and know they see nothing of this in the Songer campaign. A recent reference to lawsuits involving Bob Songer is intended to be accusatory, as if being sued as a police officer is unusual. Unfortunately it’s not. It’s part of being an officer. Law enforcement officers know and accept this. Songer has 40 years of public service, doing the sometimes messy work of executing search warrants on peoples homes, making drug dealer arrests, investigating homicides and managing officers involved in these types of investigations. Routinely officers deliver “police services” to persons who are not always wanting to receive them. The reality of police work and the management of police officers reminds me of the Teddy Roosevelt quote about the “man in the arena,” marred by sweat and blood because there is no success without error and shortcoming. In my opinion, people are looking for leaders that avoid drama and game playing. In this age of diminishing resources and increased demand for service, citizens want people we elect to be positive, qualified, and work well with others to solve the problems confronting their community. In Bob Songer we have a unique opportunity to put into public office a well qualified, knowledgeable person, with the necessary skills to implement positive change for our Sheriff’s Office. As our endorsement of him says, “We trust Bob Songer to be the next Sheriff of Klickitat County, we think the citizens of Klickitat County should as well.” Sincerely, Robert A. Bianchi President / KCSO & DEM Employee’s Union / Paid for by Robert A. Bianchi
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 01:48:37 +0000
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