by Shawn Garza, Publisher

With elections being held tomorrow, I have thought long and hard about who EastWord should endorse or whether or not we should endorse anyone at all. The campaigns have been ugly, and the words and actions of many of the supporters of various candidates even uglier.

There have been so many accusations from so many sides of wrongdoing, dirty tricks and other horrible behavior that this publication has not even been able to investigate all of them. It is easy to see why the average person hates politics as even I, an admitted political junkie, have been disgusted by some of what I have seen.

(L to R) Sean Reed, wife Heather, daughter Sophie

But, as my mom used to say, “Keep your words sweet, because you never know when you’ll have to eat ’em.” Keeping that in mind, I have decided that EastWord will only endorse one candidate in one of the races taking place in Midwest City. That candidate is Sean Reed, who is running for City Council Ward 4. This is not to say that Reed’s opponent is somehow “not worthy” of EastWord’s endorsement; it only means that I do not know him. This is surely more my fault than his. I have, however, had the honor of knowing Sean Reed for more than 3 years and have had the pleasure of numerous conversations with him regarding his family, and the things happening in the City. He has cleared up some of my misconceptions about what I believed to be wrongdoing by individuals within the city government. He has always shot from the hip with me and helped me better understand some of what municipal government deals with on a daily basis. He is truly “in the know” on many issues, and his long history in his hometown gives him a unique feel for the pulse of the town.

Reed’s Tax Service is the oldest continuing business in MWC, and both Reed’s grandfather and father served as mayors here. He has earned the certification of Enrolled Agent, one of the highest honors available to tax preparers, and is, therefore, one of the only federally licensed tax practitioners who specialize in taxation and also has unlimited rights to represent taxpayers before the IRS. This is not an easy certification to earn. Reed has stayed in touch with the voters during his campaign and has vigorously knocked doors to introduce himself to the citizens. He has taken time to sit down with officials from all levels of city government and with citizens groups as well as union officials from the firefighters and police officers.

Reed has shown his dedication to Midwest City, and I believe he deserves the vote of residents in Ward 4 as a result.