Candidate for
Director; McKinleyville Community Services District

My most important endorsement comes from my neighborhood. Two years ago, I led a petition drive to make the application of herbicides to the Fischer Ranch a matter of history: Something we did once but no more. No more, "smelling it in living rooms" or sweeping up dead weasels and other small animals after the fact. One-hundred-sixty, and counting, people signed that petition. The process to amend the lease, on the Fischer Ranch, was draconian.

I promised the McKinleyville Community Service District board that I would be back. At the request of many in my neighborhood, I entered this year's campaign for a board seat ... I am back.

Our campaign is strictly volunteers. People are painting signs, walking neighborhoods, and calling others to come to the polls and vote. I am doing the same.

I see this campaign as being about the people who are backing me; not so much about me. I intend to work to the issues that concern us all and, when that work is done, I intend to step aside and let others lead us where they may.

For one thing, there are too many people with white hair on this board, including myself. I intend to work to bring in the younger folks, the new business owners and young family folk; these are the people who need to be making the decisions about what our community will become as we "build" out.

The McKinleyville of the future belongs to them. I've already enjoyed many wonderful years here, raised my family and now I'm watching my kids raise their kids. I would like to believe the future is bright and that my generation will leave our community in good hands. But, where are those hands? They are not at the board meetings. The younger folks are not learning the intricacies of managing our growth, where the streets will go, how much water and sewer are necessary, and what our town might look like in 20 years?
Hopefully, this campaign will bring some "sunlight" to a few issues that matter to us.

That the other candidates are being forced to run a campaign, instead of merely being rubber stamped for another four years, is a consequence of the hard work of many. It is too these "folks in the folding chairs" that I am indebted.

Grass roots democracy also happens to be one of the founding principles of the Green Party and, along with my work on public disclosure of poison, are two reasons the Green Party has also endorsed our campaign.

Perhaps you will endorse us as well, with your vote.

Thank you,

George A Wheeler