TCFC Response to Dan Olson's Letter to the Editor

July 2, 2009

Let’s clear up a couple of points concerning Mr. Dan Olson’s letter to the editor.  Mr. Olson states, “Kim Mattson was elected, James J. Simmons Jr. was not elected.”  The fact of the matter is James J. Simmons Jr. did not run for the supervisor position.  He did not run for supervisor in the primary election nor the general election.  He has also stated he would not seek the office if Kim Mattson is recalled.  There is no vendetta.  Never has been.  We never thought standing up for what is right would be considered a vendetta.

Mr. Olson also states, “The salaries (on the website) are completely inaccurate from what the township officials and employees actually make.”  We are happy to clear this matter up for Mr. Olson.  The salaries listed on the website are the “proposed salaries” from the “proposed budget.”  These are the salaries they tried to sneak through but were met with stiff opposition from the public once word leaked out in the community.  Our petition clearly states, “These wages could have taken effect if not for public outrage.”  This comes down to a character issue.  You can tell a lot about a person’s character on what they do when no one is looking.  If no one was looking, these wages could have become actual.

The final point of Mr. Olson’s letter is difficult to follow.  He states, “Also, take note of what petition is being signed, as all information will be made public.”  We guess you can take this two ways.  First of all, there is only one petition.  This is the petition approved for clarity by the Gogebic County Election Commission on June 16, 2009.  By law, we are not allowed to change anything.  Any petitions deviating from the original are invalid.  The second way to interpret Mr. Olson’s point is that any person who signs the petition will be exposed.  A reasonable person could view this as a “veiled threat.” 

We never expected Kim Mattson or her supporters to remain silent.  It has been our platform to keep the campaign focused on the facts.  If the recall issue makes it to the November ballot, the citizens will have an opportunity to determine if she possesses character and leadership qualities.  We believe there is enough reasonable doubt to give the voter a second look.