Editor,
The Island County Republican Party headed by Tim Hazelo of Oak Harbor, a current candidate for county commissioner, voted last July to declare that “President Biden was not legitimately elected by the people of the United States.” Well neighbors, this is the Republican Party of today — not only locally but statewide and nationally too. The old Republican Party is dead.
With the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Republicans have publicly declared that they also intend to roll back marriage equality laws for LGBTQ people and to break down the constitutionally established wall separating church and state, delivering our nation into the hands of those who want a Christian-only nation. Additionally, Sen. Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate Republican leader, has stated he will cut Social Security and Medicare for the elderly if he gets back control of the Senate. He has dishonestly called these life-saving programs “entitlements,” inferring that they are unearned benefits equating them with welfare. Republicans will also continue to block safe and sane gun control measures, ignore climate change as well as continue to curtail minority voting rights like they already have in Texas, Georgia and Arizona.
Mr. Trump’s illegal attempts to alter the vote count in certain states and to block congressional certification of President Biden’s 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021 were stopped by a number of patriotic Republican secretaries of state, Vice President Mike Pence and a majority of assembled Republican and Democratic senators and congressmen who would not allow the peoples’ votes to be subverted. It is crystal clear that voting for any Republican lawmaker this November will give them the needed votes in the U.S. Congress and state Legislatures to continue their attacks on the laws, programs and democratic institutions that have protected our country and all our citizens for so long.
Tim Hazelo, running for Island County commissioner, called President Biden a “baby killer” on one of his YouTube postings I viewed. He believes we live, right now, under the tyranny of a “socialist” state where our rights are being continually taken away from us by Democrats. Calling it a denial of his rights and freedoms, he strongly and loudly opposed mask wearing during the COVID pandemic.
He was also a featured speaker at an October 2020 “Freedom of Worship Rally-Protest” in Freeland sponsored by the 3 Percenters, a loosely organized, anti-government movement. Members of this movement have been convicted of acts of violence and have been declared a terrorist organization by the Canadian Government. He also invited the Three Percenters to speak at his July 4th rally in Oak Harbor in 2020 when he ran and lost his bid for U.S. Congress.
You can imagine the mischief, chaos and public health problems Mr. Hazelo would cause if elected a county commissioner. Michael has worked with Commissioner Janet St. Clair on the County Lodging Advisory Tax Committee and found her to be dedicated to her work, fair in her treatment of others and wise in her instincts as a county leader. We urge you to vote for Janet St. Clair for county commissioner.
Michael Ferri & James Sherman
Coupeville
