Fluoride Action Network

LETTER: Clallam commissioner hasn’t fulfilled his duty to the people

Source: Peninsula Daily News | August 25th, 2016 | By Jim Leskinovitch, member Olympic Medical Center board of commissioners

Mike Chapman has let politics, not facts, guide his decision-making.

Clallam County Commissioner Mike Chapman has not served the people of Clallam County well nor carried out his fiduciary responsibilities in many ways.

Inappropriately, he does not support the fluoridation of the Port Angeles water.

As a member of the county Board of Health, his duty is to support the surgeon general’s support of fluoridation of community water systems to improve the dental and medical health of communities.

Due to political pressure, he would rather deny all the children the easy and cost-effective way to get the benefits of fluoride.

The sirens of deceit and misrepresentation have become his guide posts.

Another fiasco occurred when Mr. Chapman said he was “offended” after Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols filed a civil lawsuit against the county Treasurer Selinda Barkhuis.

He said it was without the board of commissioners’ concurrence.

However, Mr. Chapman knew that his statement was wrong, yet he tried to blame Mr. Nichols to deflect political pressure from himself.

He was forced to be truthful, and the PDN’s April 24 headline read, “Clallam board to prosecutor: We apologize.”

To cloud the aforementioned debacle, Mr. Chapman used the financial committee to please the treasurer and abrogate a legal decision of the board — a waste of staff time.

Commissioners are there to lead, not follow.

Sadly, Mr. Chapman has flaws in judgment and has not fulfilled his fiduciary responsibilities.

Jim Leskinovitch,

Port Angeles

Leskinovitch is a member of the Olympic Medical Center board of commissioners.