Hey Camas. Leslie Lewallen here and I’m running for Camas City Council.
Since I began my campaign back in May, I have always tried to be clear and thorough as to my position on the issues, and what I would do to change things in our beloved community. If you’ll look at my website leslieforcamas.com, you’ll find the most exhaustive collection of platform positions and on-the-record videos of any candidate running.
My unique experience as both a deputy prosecutor and Washington State supreme court law clerk has taught me to research thoroughly and dive deep into the issues in order to come up with real solutions. Camas deserves this type of detail-driven leadership, and we have paid the price over the last decade by trusting those who seemingly talk the talk, but don’t actually walk the walk.
It’s easy to act like you care about our community and the direction it has taken, by using words and phrases that I call BUZZWORD BINGO- words to make you appear to be working towards real solutions to real problems- when in fact you don’t really understand the problems at all, let alone solutions to them.
Experienced politicians spit them out smoothly, and often are not forced to drill down on what those words and phrases actually mean, or how they will create real solutions. They just smile and let them fly- words and phrases like “let’s study the problem,”or “Camas needs steady leadership, or “let’s come together as a community”.
Often these phrases are used in place of “let’s not rock the boat” or “i have no idea how to fix it so let’s do more of the same.” Using these words and phrases makes politicians feel good and protects them from the criticism and accountability that comes with taking a real position on an issue. But as Camasonians know, they offer no real solutions. Camas deserves better.
When did municipal leadership become a popularity contest? When did comprehension and competence get replaced by smiling faces reciting buzzwords? If you wonder why Camas must hire consultants to figure out what color to paint the sidewalks, perhaps the answer lies in the lack of actual capabilities of some of our current elected officials.
Is that why our City Council punts on the most important zoning issue we’ve faced in a decade? Lets a county hearing examiner approve a drug rehab facility next to our beloved elementary school?
Is that why it takes a lawsuit from citizens to finally stop a known source of pollution into Lacamas Lake?
Or a 90-10 bond defeat on the most ridiculous project ever proposed by our City Council?
Leadership doesn’t mean being popular. It means being prepared. Prepared to comprehend the issues because you know how. Prepared to challenge the status quo because you know you should. Prepared to face the electorate because you know you represent their true wishes. Buzzwords aren’t enough. Those who fail to dive deep on the record, do so because they are unprepared to answer. And that makes them unprepared to lead.
Visit my website at leslieforcamas.com, and discover why I am the clear choice to lead Camas on our next City Council. You can decide for yourself who is merely talking the talk, versus walking the walk.
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