PARTISAN: It's valuable info

Regarding your editorial on the non-partisanship of local elections.

You stressed that partisanship should not be used when selecting local representatives. I would like to present another point of view. If you present a liberal thinker and a conservative thinker with the same set of criteria for a given problem, in most cases you will find that they will come to completely different conclusions as to the cause, the effect, the solution, how important it is and how to fund it. Because it is a fundamental way that they think, their values seep into every decision they make.

Local representatives will set, promote and fund agendas that they believe in and make sense to them. Consciously or not, they will be furthering the agenda and interests of their particular political party. If you vote for them you are doing the same. And, since some local representatives use their position to seek higher office, you are supporting that agenda as well.

For these reasons, I think that a person’s political values are a very important consideration. Furthermore, it might be irresponsible for a newspaper to be urging voters to ignore relevant facts when voting. When I vote, I want to know as much about a candidate as I can. It is too late after they are elected and getting about their agenda.

WALTER LITMAN

Coeur d’Alene