Editor,

Commissioner Johnson’s diatribe against another elected official was extremely inappropriate and unprofessional. I would hope that she has thought long and hard about her terrible mistake and will then apologize to both of the elected officials involved in this debacle, particularly Treasurer Ana Maria Nuñez.

What I find particularly troubling about this spectacle though is the distinct possibility that Commissioner Johnson’s outburst was motivated by nothing but raw partisanship. Looking at the political party affiliations of the players involved could well lead to the inevitable conclusion that Johnson is looking ahead to a future election cycle. Is she trying to help her political party gain one seat or retain another seat? If she apologizes publicly and sincerely (i.e, no fake apologies please) that will go far to dispel such a motivation on her part. If she refuses to apologize, then I for one will conclude that she is doing nothing but abusing her position as commissioner to advance her party’s political agenda.

By the way, the next time Johnson “orders” or “directs” or otherwise tries to “compel” another elected official to appear before her to answer to some charge that Johnson has decided on her own to lodge against that official, she should receive the royal raspberry salute in response. She acts without authority whenever she decides to put on her dictator hat and play Napoleon for a day, and she should be responded to in kind.

And before anyone starts accusing those individuals who are critical of Johnson’s actions as engaging in partisan muckraking, they need to actually watch the video of the meeting. If they do they will learn that Nuñez did her job. There was nothing incorrect about the tax statements that her office sent out. The software that she uses is the same software that is used by treasurers of all counties throughout the state. Johnson knew that before she dragged the treasurer into a public forum to flog her. So, if anyone has turned the issue into a political one, it is Johnson.

NELS KELSTROM

Clinton