Our View: Hillsboro deserves a chance for harmony

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For the third election in a row, a strong majority of Hillsboro voters sent a message that they support Mayor Drew Hastings and his vision for the city.

In 2011, Hastings won a convincing victory in his first campaign, winning 62 percent of the vote. Two years later, voters gave the mayor a city council supportive of most of his initiatives. On Tuesday, nearly 60 percent of voters again sent the same message – they are generally happy with Hastings and his leadership of Hillsboro.

After three straight elections in four years, it’s time for all Hillsboro citizens to give Hastings the opportunity to carry out his plans to continue improving the city’s financial strength, clean up blighted properties, enhance the appearance of the uptown district, aggressively fight drugs and enhance law enforcement, improve the general infrastructure, and pursue other initiatives such as the completion of an uptown plaza.

By now, the message from most Hillsboro voters should be received by everyone, even by the mayor’s critics. Radio talker Rush Limbaugh was criticized a few years ago for saying that he hoped President Obama failed. While Limbaugh later said he was referring to the president’s policies, it is important to remember that opposition to a particular officeholder can be taken to such extremes that it eventually harms the very institution to which the official is attached.

Such is the case with Drew Hastings. Some of his critics can be so fierce and constant that their efforts to diminish him end up hurting Hillsboro and its people. Criticism of public officials is a right and even a responsibility when the criticism is warranted. But incessant griping just for griping’s sake negatively impacts not just Hastings, it drags the city down as a whole. How much better it would be to focus on putting the election behind us and working together for progress.

On Tuesday, a solid majority of Hillsboro voters decided that Drew Hastings had earned their approval and trust for a second term. We encourage everyone, regardless of which side of Tuesday’s election they were on, to respect the will of the voters and work together for the betterment of Hillsboro.

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