…because it’s up to us, the voters, who gets to wield public power on our behalf. This is a letter to the editor I submitted today to the Daily Post, the Daily Journal and the Pacifica Tribune. Haven’t heard back yet as to whether or not it will be published, so I thought I’d post it here.

---

Editor:

I have to laugh at some of the shenanigans Laura Parmer-Lohan is using to try and win the District 3 Board of Supervisors race.

I served with Parmer-Lohan on the San Carlos City Council for two years and know her and her priorities well. She is not a big supporter of ordinary people (her interest in raising our minimum wage was tepid to non-existent). As the pandemic ramped up, she routinely spoke about supporting business, and had to be reminded there were residents struggling who needed help, too.

But the most telling observation about Parmer-Lohan comes from one of her biggest supporters – and endorsers – who, after listing all the reasons she would win (including that whoever won San Carlos wins the District), paused, laughed, and told me “Of course, she’s not a very nice person.”

Whether that means anything to you as a voter is a personal matter. For me, if I can find a decisive, thoughtful, empathic candidate who is, however ambitious, also a nice person, to wield public power on my behalf, I go with them.

Which is why I whole-heartedly support Ray Mueller and voted for him.

Mark Olbert
Former Mayor, San Carlos

---

I offered to reveal the name of the endorser/supporter who made the quoted observation to me if any of the media outlets thought that was necessary.