Sammamish has been known for its dirty politicking since its incorporation. The first council race, in 1999, was a horrible example of low-ball tactics (and I am from Chicago, where this was routine).

The 2001 race wasn’t too bad and 2003 was better still. The races in 2005 and 2007 were pretty tame but the lies and name-calling returned in 2009. Today hit a new low, following the initial whispering campaign that began before the primary between John Galvin, Jim Wasnick and Ramiro Valderamma.

I reported right after the primary that the race between Wasnick and Valderamma was already shaping up to be the nastiest of this season. Today it hit a new low with a spurious attack in the Sammamish Review. Wasnick had been spreading this story and while the Review did not reveal how it came by the information, the obviously conclusion is that it came from Wasnick or his supporters directly or indirectly.

Valderamma’s son wrote this letter, an edited version of which also appeared in today’s Review. It speaks for itself.

This is a very hard letter for me to write, but I feel compelled to put an end to the actions of the Wasnick campaign against my family. For weeks, we have heard that Wasnick’s campaign has been calling supporters of my father to smear him, and today I learned that as a result, this story would now be reported in the press. So in place of the whispering campaign that has been launched, I would like to present the facts, since this story is in essence, about me.

In 2005, when I was 14, I got into a disagreement with my father. The result was that I foolishly reached out and punched my father. To try to calm the situation, my father held me to the floor until I was calmed. In the process, I bruised my ear and went to see the doctor, who reported the incident, as is standard procedure. It was investigated and found it to be without merit; a hearing confirmed this. This was a sad isolated incident in my family; it was not a big deal and one that I never dreamed would be made public for the political gain in a city council election.

My father has always been an active and positive force in my life. He motivated me to excel–in school, in sports and in leadership. He was there for me every step of the way–my biggest fan on the sidelines throughout years of soccer, my inspiration to study and excel in school, and he set an example to me of how important it is to serve. My father is a graduate of West Point, where the values of “Duty, honor and country” is our standard. My father instilled these core values into all of us. As a result, I am in my third year at West Point, and will graduate and serve my country in 2013 as an officer in the US Army.

It is a shame that Wasnick’s campaign has so little to offer the City of Sammamish that it appears that they would resort to trying to destroy the reputation of my father, who has given so much to the city. And if this is the way Mr. Wasnick conducts his campaign, I cannot imagine how he would conduct city affairs.

I am proud to be my Father’s son. I am proud of his work in Sammamish. I am proud of his campaign for City Council. I am proud to follow in his footsteps as a cadet at West Point. I urge you to support my father in the bid for City Council. He is a person of high standards, who will help the city to continue to excel, just as he has helped me to achieve my aspirations. 

Sincerely,

Daniel Valderrama