An OPEN LETTER to St. Clairsville Mayor Kathryn Thalman:
As you were running for the mayor’s position in St. Clairsville, we distinctly heard you repeat one word every time.
“Transparency.”
You said there wasn’t enough transparency shared by the city’s leaders before you won elected office. You were concerned about the operation of the police department, the possible sale of the water department, and the lack of cooperation from Council members when constituents complained.
And here we are. It is very easy for adults to make a “kid’s mistake” on social media, but yours on Dec. 29 has resulted in what you said needed to go away – political division. Although you stated nothing when sharing an image of a statement about liberals, you alienated some residents with your apparent criticism.
Sure, 71.2 percent of Belmont County voters cast ballots (23.5K) for President Trump, but at least 9,138 did not. However, while exactly how many of those Biden voters live in St. Clairsville is unknown, those who do probably are disappointed with such a social media share and are not likely to vote for you again.
This kind of scar runs pretty deep these days, you see.
Most often, when children post a comment or an update on Facebook, they fail to realize possible repercussions and ultimate consequences OR simply do not care about those ramifications. We find it difficult to believe you wished to offend a single soul, but that’s what happened, and it should not be excused as “snowflake feelings.”
Instead of silence, which can be construed as a lack of transparency, realize you are the mayor of ALL of St. Clairsville citizens and apologize.
Sincerely,
Voters Everywhere
