Letter: Commitment makes a good mayor
To the editor, 
–The letters debating the qualifications of one mayoral candidate over another in Atascadero have stressed the experience or lack thereof in the contenders, Mayor Tom O’Malley and challengers Nick Mattson and Ann Ketcherside.
O’Malley brings his formal education, private sector business experience and his dozen or more years on the Atascadero City Council to the contest. He is well known by the public, totally committed to the city and has given literally thousands of hours in service to the community. He also has a strong record as a supporter of education with his wife Peggy a local school teacher of 30 years and an oldest son who is a credit to the O’Malley’s and the community. His son Trevor is a West Point graduate with two combat tours in Iraq, a rising star in the U.S. Army, not only as an Army Ranger but a Ranger Instructor, a leader among leaders of men in time of war and a genuine hero for our community to be proud of. His qualities are a direct reflection upon the character and integrity of his parents.
Most importantly, Mayor O’Malley brings skills of persuasion and consensus building, an essential quality for a mayor in a community where the mayor is one of five votes, not an autocrat who dictates the agenda and policies of the city. Most importantly, Mayor O’Malley is committed to the service of the people of Atascadero; he shows up for virtually everything, giving his support to local groups even at the cost of his business and family life.
By contrast, O’Malley’s challengers haven’t shown up at all to city council meetings since last summer. While experience counts, the most important quality for local public office is commitment to the job. That means reading voluminous, technical staff reports, attending multiple board and commission meetings outside the normal two nights per month for council meetings and being there for constituents. So far, the challengers to O’Malley haven’t demonstrated much interest in the issues before the city council nor have they met with city staff to attempt to understand pending challenges facing the city. Hopefully, if elected, they will show a little more commitment to the citizens of this city and challenges to local government than they have thus far demonstrated.
Al Fonzi
Atascadero
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