Dear Editor:
Since early June, through a series of email exchanges, my campaign has engaged with Carefree Mayoral Candidate Sample to organize a debate to promote, as Mr. Sample wrote, “a definitive understanding of who each of us is and exactly what we envision for the future of our community.” Believing we were engaged in good faith negotiations, I was doing everything I could to work with Mr. Sample, though we had yet to come to agreement on many of the basic tenants of a debate including venue, ground rules, a moderator, and a date.
Last week Mr. Sample unilaterally announced in the local press a debate date and venue, and in response to my objection made a point to misrepresent a June 4 email where I had listed the parameters to be settled before a debate could occur. Apparently, our discussions were neither negotiations nor in good faith.
Venue: Mr. Sample announced the debate would occur in the Desert Foothills Library in Cave Creek. I believe a Carefree mayoral debate should take place in Carefree. As Mr. Sample was running to the press, my team had secured a Carefree church willing to serve as the venue. Please understand. I like Cave Creek. I have good working relationships with several Cave Creek Council members and will, as Mayor, continue to strengthen the relationship between our Towns. But it is only right that the Carefree mayoral debate take place in Carefree.
Ground Rules: While I advocated for accepted, typical debate ground rules and protocols that would assure a meaningful and respectful discussion of ideas and policy, Mr. Sample has called such standard practices “abnormal and excessive” and insisted upon his own format – no advanced planning to incorporate any specific topics of general interest to Carefree voters and all questions to be asked by audience members at the debate. This is an invitation for allies of a candidate to ask questions designed to embarrass one candidate or build up the other. Such a format could potentially devolve into a free for all. That is not who I am. Carefree voters deserve better than that.
Moderator: As Mr. Sample went to the press, neither side had identified a moderator. Had Mr. Sample been more patient, he would have learned of my engagement with the Cave Creek Unified School District to identify a non-Carefree resident, debate instructor to serve as a moderator that may have borne fruit and would likely have been acceptable to both sides.
While I cannot judge Mr. Samples motivations, I certainly see no evidence of true good faith negotiations. But if the goal was intimidation, no good Mayor should simply bow to intimidation and I certainly will not. This I know. Effective Carefree government requires collaboration amongst divergent views to arrive at solutions. There is no room for authoritarian announcements.
If Mr. Sample wishes to embark upon good faith negotiations, an appropriate first step would be for him to convince me that he is more committed to promoting “a definitive understanding of who each of us is and exactly what we envision for the future of our community” than scoring political points or trying to assert pressure through the press.
In the meantime, I will continue to talk to voters, explain my positions, and answer our citizens’ questions. As for my opponent, he is telling you exactly who he is. Believe him.
Best regards,
John Crane
Carefree Mayoral Candidate
