The following statement is from William Gordon:
Some General Thoughts About The Election:
First, Mac McDowell, who funded much of the RCA and my campaign is one of the most highly ethical people I have ever met. His were the most honorable of intentions. He simply asked of me that if I were to get elected to be respectful, honest, and transparent in everything I did. This is all he ever asked of me. I have learned much from him, and will admire him for the rest of my life.
Second, too often my signs would disappear just as my opponent's signs would pop up across the street or somewhere nearby. I do not blame my opponent. But what I learned during this campaign is that there are unethical people who will do anything to win. Do they have no shame? Did their parent's not raise them better than that? Perhaps they believe that the means justify the end? You know who you are. What you did was dishonest and unnecessary. (This goes for what people said and did at candidate forums as well!) Our City deserves better. We need to be more respectful of each other and our differences.
Third, throughout this campaign there were many good people whose characters were smeared, and who were attacked relentlessly (some more than others). I'm not naive; I understand just how fierce the competitive battle of politics can be; however, many of these people are community leaders in every meaning of the word, people who have given so much of themselves to Richardson; volunteering, supporting their neighborhoods and youth; giving their time, money, and energy to schools, churches, and anyone who ever asked anything of them, including the City. Regardless of whether a candidate won or lost, the vilification has got to stop. Each of us is more than just a one-sided characterization of how the opposing side decided to paint us; we are people who support our community in many positive ways. The race for City Council is over. It's time bridges get built and relationships mended.
Fourth, I am respectful of both the Richardson Coalition (RC) and the Richardson Citizen's Alliance (RCA). There is a place for each in this community of ours. I like the RC, its focus on community heroes, leadership, and on all the positive things our City and its people do. We need this organization. But we also need an organization that keeps our City leaders honest and processes and information transparent so we can truly trust that fiduciary responsibilities are being met and that obligations are being upheld. But each of these organizations need to learn to play friendlier. Let's keep to facts, leave false allegations and personalities out of it, and try not to advertise our discourse and disagreements beyond the borders of our community.
Fifth, I would like to recognize the power and influence of our local blogs. Thank you Andrew Laska, Bill McCalpin, David Chenoweth, Destiny Herndon-DeLaRosa, Ian McCann, and Mark Steger, among others. Unless you've run a blog, you don't know how difficult and time consuming it can be. So many times I didn't agree with what you wrote or posted, but I certainly appreciate your commitment to our city and giving voice to people and opinions that would otherwise be lost without you.
In closing, my prayers are with our newly elected City Council. Just because you won and others lost, doesn't mean that the concerns and ideas of the losing candidates aren't without merit or worth exploring further.
Warmest Regards,
William Gordon
