Jim Berrios will make an excellent mayor in Kent. He has proven his commitment to the community through his years of service on the Kent School Board, and he has demonstrated management and business acuity through his proprietorship of the Golden Steer. And most importantly in this economy, he will be good for business in Kent. Look at the number of Realtors, contractors, and small business owners on his list of endorsements. If they didn't think Mr. Berrios would be good for their business, you can bet they would be backing the incumbent.

Moreover, Suzette Cooke is a lying, conniving player of Kent politics. She should be forced into retirement today. In 2008, Mayor Cooke (a former Republican state legislator) declined to endorse several Republicans making their own runs for the state house. Todd Gibson (opposing Tina Orwall), Tim Miller (opposing Pat Sullivan), and Mark Hargrove (opposing Geoff Simpson) were running in districts which cover part of Kent. Suzette declined to endorse all of them. She told them it would be inappropriate for her to make endorsements in state legislative races when the city would soon be seeking money from the state legislature. Fair enough.

But after explaining to Tim Miller why she could not endorse him, she proceeded to endorse his opponent Pat Sullivan, obviously disregarding her prior qualms about such a move.

Now, she is being supported by Reps. Tina Orwall and Geoff Simpson in her campaign for mayor. She is evidently collecting on the chits she earned by not endorsing their 2008 opponents, Todd Gibson (who did earn an endorsement from The Seattle Times) and Mark Hargrove (who finished with 47.5%, despite being outspent 7-to-1).

It is clear Suzette Cooke is no longer representing the best interests of the people of Kent. She has entrenched herself in the "politician's club," scratching the backs of her fellow politicians so that they will scratch hers.

It's time for a change, and Jim Berrios is the only candidate who can make that happen.