You may have read in your Oct. 1 paper a letter entitled: "D. M. mayor fires back against critic." In that letter, Mayor Sheckler has lost an opportunity to demonstrate the leadership qualities we so sorely need in Des Moines in these trying times.

His response to a constituent's letter ends with unnecessary personal attacks unrelated to the constituent's criticism. This is not acceptable behavior for public communications.

Additionally, blaming any single individual for economic problems in Des Moines deflects attention from the fact that we still haven't identified the true causes or found realistic workable solutions. Our citizens would be better served by a more honest analysis of issues in conjunction with an approach that rewards respectful teamwork over individual gamesmanship.

Everyone in Des Moines will gain if leadership can find a way to readjust its goals and methods. Let's get started.

Dan Sherman
Des Moines Councilmember