There was a reason for Bob Gray's strong showing when he beat Wes Losser. Losser lost. He's avoided the tough work in this campaign, that is telling us what he would do that is positive. He has said that he would cut police wages to avoid a tax hike, that he would reduce police services and ensure that officers are not paid above the lowest-paid Salt Lake valley agency. Personally, as a teacher, I think that police officers in our community are overpaid. In the first several years of my career, my family qualified for food stamps and WIC. Newly hired police officers in South Salt Lake do not qualify for food stamps. Okay, Mr. Losser, I get that you've targeted overpaid police. Besides, we already pay for county deputies and the county mayor is cutting their pay. You can bet the legislature is secretly considering cutting teacher pay and benefits.

You also want to stop the Market place development. But what would you do in its place? This city needs economic revitalization. You haven't advanced a single affirmative, positive plan. It isn't enough to say how many backward steps you'd take.

I'm sad that a teacher would resent public safety employees earn a living wage. As difficult as my job is teaching junior high age students, I don't risk my life and safety every day to do it. (Only my mental health!) During the time Wes was mayor, many policemen and fire fighters left South Salt Lake for other municipalities as soon as they were finished training because of the low wages and their positions were not replaced. Since the wages have come up to match other municipalities, the exodus has stopped. I support the police and fireman of our city. Why does Wes always have to create a controversy that he has to come in anf fix?

I am quite concerned over the fact that Mr. Losser has not looked into the pay of public employee's in the city of South Salt Lake. First Mr. Losser for years these employee's were only getting a none to 1% cost of living raise. When the public employee's of South Salt Lake received their increase in pay, it was due to years of below state and national averages of their pay. They had sacraficed, the city was strong and vibrant, and their love for the city of South Salt Lake shown through. So Mr. Losser cut your wages by 17% and be like the dog catcher, the police men, water person and the firemen, get up at all hours of the night and see how that works for you!

Public Safety makes up the majority of the employees of South Salt Lake. Why in the world would Wes Losser not try to get these men and women on his side instead of constantly fighting them and tearing their moral down? He seems like a very negative man. His whole campaign is made up of taking two steps back. I haven't heard him make one campaign promise to do something for South Salt Lake's future. If I lived in South Salt Lake, he wouldn't have my vote!

I find it interesting that Wes claims he'll "Roll back the property-tax increase by cutting wages to public-safety workers" The property tax was a necessary evil to fund City operations that had been neglected by Wes during his administration. The public safety wages being just one of them. Why would Wes aim solely at the cops and firefighters? Sounds like planned retribution for not supporting him in the election.

Funny how the planned retribution that comes straight from him sounds just like the type of man that all of his critics claim him to be. I was not going to vote this year, but now, I am going to vote for Cherie Wood.

Wes just simply has too much baggage and seems to not understand how his poor attitude and petty grudges further divide our community, which is exactly what we DO NOT NEED!

Furthermore, Rolling back my property taxes gives me a whopping $18, but takes several hundred dollars away from the families of our public safety servants. I'd rather they kept it to feed their families. They are people just like you!

In keeping with a longstanding Deseret News policy of not publishing stories the day before or the day of the election, no comments will be posted on election stories Monday or Tuesday. The rationale for this policy being applied to comments is to prevent the last-minute dissemination of untrue allegations against a candidate that could influence voters.