Dear Editor:

Fran Betts, in a letter in Wednesday’s Times (“Keep Whitsitt’s voice”), argued that we ought to vote for Jacque Whitsitt as mayor of Basalt simply because her current council term is coming to an end.

While I respect Betts’ right to vote for whomever she pleases, I think her logic constitutes thin soup. It was the same logic that the Times used in its editorial backing Whitsitt, and it goes like this: We’ve got two good candidates. Why not keep Whitsitt around, and get Glenn in the bargain, since he’s still got two years left on his council term? Whitsitt has worked very hard over the years, and it ought to be her turn to run Basalt.

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The problem here is that this election isn’t about Whitsitt’s political career. It’s about the future of Basalt, and the person we elect ought to be the best person to lead us into that future. Our next mayor ought to have the experience, the record, the temperament and the consensus-building skills to do Basalt justice in this exciting time.

Glenn Rappaport is that candidate. We should elect our mayor based on each of their records, not on some accident of timing.

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Besides, Whitsitt is unlikely to bow out of politics anytime soon. Anyone who employs big-city political tactics like robo-calls with the gusto that Whitsitt has (my 14-year-old sister received one on her cellphone, and she can’t even vote!) seems likely to stay in the game for the foreseeable. Robo-calls, after all, seem better suited to running for Congress.

Glenn doesn’t want to run for Congress. He wants to be mayor of the little town that he loves. Let’s help him do it.

Vote Glenn on Tuesday, my friends!

Nelson Harvey

Carbondale