Barry Jacobson in Support of Bill Watson

Who’s the strongest candidate to fill the District 1 County Council seat? To find out, I attended the League of Women Voters forum at the Grange, where the five candidates each had their chance to state their positions and answer questions from the audience. I went looking for individuals who possessed intelligence, high ethical standards, a high degree of knowledge about the role, and compatibility with my beliefs as a voter and county resident. It was quickly obvious that three of the candidates displayed limited grasp of the issues and an inability to express their thoughts about them. Yet another candidate did not seem to have parlayed his experience and incumbency into an actual competent job performance or the capacity to explain himself.

Only Bill Watson stood out as somebody clearly qualified to serve as a member of the San Juan County Council. His comprehension of the issues was deep and broad. He had done his homework, interviewing county office-holders and administrators regarding issues of importance. His responses to questions were crisp, articulate, and direct, and apparently compelling even to the other contenders sitting alongside him at the table. On at least five occasions (I actually counted), whichever candidate followed Bill in answering an audience question opened their response by saying, “I agree with Bill”. This guy’s the real deal. I’m voting for Bill Watson.

Barry Jacobson, San Juan Island