I’ve always liked David Couch. But I haven’t always agreed with him.

I like his firm handshake. I liked what I first took to be a straight shooter’s aim at telling the truth, despite the tug of convenient white lies that is such a part of being a politician.

I like Ryan Shultz, whom we met when he was a young volunteer on Couch’s campaign for supervisor. Shultz then became an exemplary aide to Couch. Shultz is a public servant who has worked tirelessly to serve the people of our region, even when he was thrown curves by that same political expediency that allowed his boss to sometimes bend the truth.

I doubt if many of you will remember that David Couch made campaign promises to the Mountain Communities that he did not keep. His political operative, Mark Salvaggio, worked to undo those promises.

Back in the day, previous District 4 Supervisor Ray Watson betrayed the Mountain Communities. First he agreed to sponsor a Mountain Communities Municipal Advisory Council (McMAC) to replace our independent Mountain Communities Town Council, but then double-crossed the voters. He removed the “independently elected” section from the new McMAC’s bylaws.

Instead, Watson appointed a council of his own cronies, rather than supporting an independent voice for our community.

The Mountain Communities Town Council had dissolved only so McMAC candidates’ names could be placed on the general election ballot, in accord with California’s government code. This was to assure fair elections for the McMAC.

But Watson killed the independence of the council. So the community boycotted it for four years. When Watson retired, Couch ran for his seat.

Couch and his opponent both promised the voters that they would restore the “independently elected McMAC.” But when he was elected, Couch and Salvaggio quietly swept that promise under the rug. Now the double-cross is against Couch.

I take no pleasure in that, but can’t help but wonder: Will the community take this opportunity to ask Zack Scrivner to restore that elected McMAC?

—Patric Hedlund, Editor

This is part of the April 6, 2018 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you.