PAC leader explains position on candidate

Editor's note: The following letter was addressed to Whitefish mayor Mike Jenson.

I read with interest your recent letter to the editor titled "We Don't Need This." I believe your intentions are sincere, but I believe they misrepresent me and my interests in this race so I thought I'd take this opportunity to clarify.

First, my opposition to city councilor Sweeney is based on a number of positions taken by him which I believe reflect his long-standing residence in the super-urban community of Dallas and his lack of understanding of how small towns like ours need to operate for success.

Notably, councilor Sweeney in his response to my mailer freely acknowledges being a partner in a law firm in Dallas and still owning property there, he acknowledges that his property tax bills go to Texas, and he acknowledges that he registered to vote here four years ago and gives money to Texas political candidates.

Second, I have been quite open about my opposition to councilor Sweeney — not because I find this position to be particularly comfortable or I'm trying to pick an argument. Rather, because I believe that operating out in the open is the honorable thing to do. Indeed, the lack of "openness' in Whitefish politics and is one of the reasons I am so committed to publicly participating in this race.

We have seen in the past year the following:

¥ A city council position given not to the man who actually ran for it (John Murdock) but to an attorney from Dallas (Frank Sweeney) who had to get his property annexed into the city in order to serve — in what appeared to be a back room deal of some sort.

¥ A budget that's up more than 50 percent and filled with gimmicky tricks to keep average citizens from a clear understanding of where our money's being spent.

¥ A $400,000 judgment against the city in the Walton case which isn't reflected anywhere in the budget.

¥ Experts kept off of city committees for unexplained reasons (e.g. Richard Atkinson and the Whitefish Convention and Visitors Bureau).

¥ A broken promise for a six-week trial in the downtown streetscape matter;

¥ The announcement of John Phelps' resignation kept under wraps for months for unexplained reasons.

¥ Costly regulations imposed on "doughnut" residents who can't vote for city councilors.

¥ An ongoing lawsuit against Flathead County that surrounds us on all sides, without regard for the consequences.

¥ Mrs. Spoonovers sued for an ice cream mural.

And, personally, I have been subject to a series of anonymous "dirty tricks' that would have made the Nixon White House proud — all for speaking out publicly.

So while you're busy criticizing me, why don't you ask Frank Sweeney if he encouraged any of these anonymous "dirty tricks," or if he just "let them happen"?

Whitefish needs leadership that operates in the open, not in the shadows. I'm sure we can both agree on that, Mr. Mayor.

Rick Blake lives in the Whitefish area.