I was so disappointed Tuesday evening at the Mayoral Debate held between Cecil Yates and Ginny Dickey. Ginny Dickey appeared to read over 90 percent of the words she spoke when answering questions, making opening and closing remarks and engaging in dialogue with Cecil Yates.

First, I wonder whose words she read. There was no way to know if what she read to the packed audience were her thoughts, her positions and her ideas. Since almost everything she spoke appeared to be scripted before the debate, those words she read may well be the combined thoughts of whoever she is turning to for advice. Was the real Ginny Dickey on the platform or was a speech writer or group of advisors?

Secondly, she read her prepared statements so fast that it was very difficult to understand what she was reading. It was evident that she hadn’t practiced reading aloud. She tried to pack far too many words in the allotted time. There may have been some good thoughts in there but reading, and reading too fast, surely camouflaged her ideas. Maybe she will publish her prepared remarks so that the voters might know where she stands.

Thirdly, those few times that she departed from script, she acted very agitated. She didn’t speak directly to the gathered voters but rather moved her head and body toward the microphone and then away from it. The voters in the audience couldn’t hear her responses or ideas. It became clear that she much prefers to live “in the box” with prepared scripts, traditional ideas and tight controls. That may well not be the true Ginny, but that’s the one I saw standing on the debate platform Tuesday evening.

I support Cecil Yates for mayor of Fountain Hills.