<HTML><BODY STYLE="font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV>I *am* a member of the MCA, and none of the candidates we endorsed promised us that they would accept our oversight in future decision-making. (We also didn't ask.) We publically endorsed candidates whose stated positions reflected the vision of the organization. Their performance may affect our future endorsements, but that's the full extent of our influence, and I think you'll agree that it's not decisive--despite growing membership rolls, we haven't yet taken over the electorate. We have a war shoebox, though, and high hopes that someday it will grow up to be a war chest. We aren't making private deals. We aren't paying any of the candidates we endorsed for services rendered, either.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I also hope we can continue conversation without reducing the number and kind of voices being heard, or assuming that there are just two "sides" to be on. It's possible to be concerned about these issues, and even about whether Doug Wilson/Paul Kimmel/Tom Hudson and his "can-do" business partner Jerry Wallace are indeed making Moscow a better place, without being hateful, vulgar, intemperate, or dangerously obsessive. Of course, as Debbie has pointed out, people of good will can disagree. Our town ought to be big enough to hold a wide variety of views and their critics. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So why do I care? Because one of our county commissioners apparently promised to allow the elders of his church to oversee his decisions. To my mind, that's very different from an elected official making decisions based on her values and beliefs, which I would expect. It means that our commissioner consults the elders of his church on matters of public business and allows them to determine what his decision will be. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Will the sky fall because Paul Kimmel asks his church how he should vote? Probably not. There are two other commissioners, and as far as I can tell, their churches don't take such a . . . detailed interest in their members' public service. But I do think voters ought to know, and be given the opportunity to make an informed choice. There will certainly be plenty of folks who don't mind, or are pleased, to cast a vote for the elders of Christ Church for County Commissioner, and they'll likely get another chance. Others, given this insight, may look for another candidate.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Melynda Huskey</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>P.S. The Nasty Nine? The Nasty Nine? The most I can make it is the Egregious Eight . . . oh. I wasn't counting myself.</DIV></BODY></HTML><br clear=all><hr>Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : <a href='http://explorer.msn.com'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>