I recently attended the Southwest Washington Fair where I encountered a concerning situation that I believe the public should be aware of. As an elected official myself, I have always held our county leaders to the highest standards, expecting them to support and lead our community with integrity and respect for all.
At the fair, one of our Lewis County commissioners, Lindsey Pollock, had a booth promoting her reelection campaign. To my surprise, prominently displayed at her booth was a button featuring a cartoon depiction of herself created by a local artist. This artist, which I consider a left-wing activist and a former disgruntled county employee, has a history of not only criticizing elected officials — something I respect as part of our democratic process — but also attacking the very county employees whom Commissioner Pollock is supposed to lead.
As elected officials, we sign up for a level of public scrutiny and criticism. It comes with the job, and it is something we must accept as part of our responsibility to the community. However, our dedicated county employees did not sign up for the same level of public criticism. They work tirelessly to serve the public, often under challenging circumstances, and they deserve our respect and support — not to be the target of political activists who seek to denigrate them.
It is our job as elected officials to support and lead our staff, to foster an environment where they can perform their duties without fear of unwarranted attacks. Commissioner Pollock, as one of three county commissioners, has a responsibility to be a leader for all county employees. Yet, she has chosen to align herself with an activist who has made it a point to publicly disparage those she is supposed to lead. This is not just poor judgment; it is a failure to uphold the duties of her office.
I spoke with Commissioner Pollock directly about these buttons at the fair, expressing my concern. She acknowledged that she had not considered the potential negative impact these buttons could have on the county employees she leads. Our conversation led me to believe that she might consider removing them from her booth. However, to my dismay, I later learned that even after this discussion and her admission of the possible harm, she still chose to display the buttons in her booth.
This action raises serious questions about her leadership and her commitment to the welfare of our county employees. I find it deeply troubling that Commissioner Pollock would continue to support and promote the work of an individual who has shown such blatant disrespect for the people she is meant to lead.
I urge the voters of our county to carefully consider whether this is the kind of leadership we want for our community.
Kyle Markstrom
Centralia
