Recall allegations are disingenuous

To the editor:

It was with great dismay that I read the recent article about the petition drive by some Sutton residents to recall Assemblyman Warren Keogh.

In the 1980s, I spent several years working with Warren at the Anchorage Fire Department. During his tenure there he was widely admired for his competency and integrity and made a great difference in the lives of many members of the public. It is therefore highly ironic that he is now being accused of deficiency in two of the strongest assets of his character.

The Warren Keogh I know is intensely curious about the world and it was inevitable that he would move on to another career. As I recall, during a period of layoffs, he adjusted his planned retirement date substantially in order to save the job of someone less senior. How many of us could honestly say we would do this?

Regardless of our political persuasion, we should all applaud honesty and superior ability in our public officials. This petition drive for recall is a thinly disguised political effort. The allegations are disingenuous at best and perhaps purposely deceitful. Haven’t we had enough of this in the political arena? I hope the voters in Sutton see these tactics for what they are and choose to settle the controversy in the only appropriate venue — the ballot box during the next regularly scheduled election.

For the record, this letter was unsolicited. I have spoken with Mr. Keogh perhaps once in the last 10 years. Taking a stand against injustice should be a moral imperative for all of us.

Stephen M. Joynt

Wasilla