Letter to Auburn Reporter

On September 5, 2014, the Auburn Reporter carried a report on Page 4 under the headline, "Former Pacific mayor officially cleared of 'corruption' allegations." The article referred to Richard Hildreth, an electrician who served as mayor for eight years. Hildreth was quoted as saying  the claims were part of his opponent's negative campaigning and "deception of our citizens."

I responded to the report with the following letter to the editor:

Your Sept. 5 (2014) article about Richard Hildreth, the former Pacific Mayor, being "officially cleared of corruption allegations" drew my interest. Apparently the state auditor and king county prosecutor found no grounds for bringing charges against Mr. Hildreth.

Those findings don't change the obvious:

Mr. Hildreth's legacy was a city so politically weakened that the unbelieveable occurred. He was unseated by an unqualified write-in candidate who practically destroyed the city, and still managed to maintain very strong minority support when he was recalled.

If the word, "corruption" doesn't apply here, would you accept "decay?"

Robert Smith
Member, Pacific city council, 2002-2004
Publisher, speedtrapcity.blogspot.com