Independent Editor,
We apologize to the voters who may have received robo calls from the support base of our current county clerk. She suggested we had some disgruntled personal agenda in our strong endorsement of her challenger, Caroline Wilson.
We have a combined 57 years as your county judges, and have observed much. Caroline has over 20 years experience in our court system. Now that we are retired, we are free to enter into these types of campaigns. We have no personal agenda, other than to help put integrity and respect back into our county clerk position. It is ironic that the candidate, who is claiming there is a smear campaign against her, is actually the one running the smear campaign (i.e. robo call attacks).
We both have been forthright and above board throughout this entire process. Both of our judicial legacies have been built upon our personal honesty, respect to our staff, and to the individuals who came before us in the courtroom. This kind of desperate robo attack, including leaving a fictitious group name, address, and wrong number to call, is about as low as a candidate can go.
We may as well point out Ms. Braid’s self-aggrandizing “accomplishments” in her ads and mailers. She touts being selected “Clerk of the Year” in 2014, by the Michigan Association of County Clerks (MACC). What she failed to mention is that a smaller group of county clerks within MACC makes that selection; no Shiawassee County residents were surveyed. In order to “rise” to an officer position, one is required to be away from their county’s office a great deal of the time (attending conferences, etc.). In the case of Ms. Braid, her time would have been better spent by doing her job right here in Shiawassee County. If you remember, she ended up botching the deadline last year for the Sheriff’s millage request to fund road patrol. Her failure to perform her job denied Shiawassee County residents a vote “yes” or “no” on an important safety issue. Now, it is our opportunity to say “yes” or “no” to another four-year term for Ms. Braid.
Vote for honesty and a needed change in this important office. Vote for Caroline Wilson in the Aug. 2 GOP primary.
Hon. Gerald D. Lostracco
35th Circuit Court, ret.
Hon. James R. Clatterbaugh
Probate/Family Court, ret.