EDITORIAL:Election season in full swing

Some call it “the silly season,” but it’s democracy at work. Of course, we’re talking about election time, when hats of many stripes and colors are thrown into the ring, and the pros and cons of candidates and issues are vigorously debated.

Sometimes these debates can lead people to go a bit “over the top,” such as the recent letter-to-the-editor brouhaha in which someone — calling him or herself “George L. Dodgson” — tried to be overly clever and lampoon the entire process.

However, many in the community — especially those who take their politics seriously — weren’t laughing.

Indeed, the stakes are high in any election, and Laguna Beach has a propensity for drawing high-stakes players with big ambitions and big ideas. It’s that kind of town.

The provocative letter caused a bit of a ruckus and much finger-pointing and rumor-mongering as folks tried to figure out who penned the treatise, which was brilliantly written to offend just about everyone.

Now we have an apology offered from the “Dodgson” persona and it sounds sincere. The community should accept it and move on to Election Day, Nov. 7. The side show is over, and now it’s time to focus on the real issues that face the community.

The four candidates for City Council state their cases in this issue, and the five school board candidates had their say in the Oct. 20 issue.

It’s a marketplace of ideas, and the voters are the consumers. There are a lot of good products to choose from, and the trick is to be a wise shopper.