To the editor:

As longtime St. Louis County residents, we have observed that those currently in control of county government, including County Executive Charlie Dooley and Councilman Steve Stenger, leave much to be desired in terms of good leadership and representation of the voters of south county.

Do you, as a south county resident, feel better off today than you were 10 years ago? We should be ashamed of the lack of leadership in both Dooley and Stenger, and the drip, drip, drip of scandal after scandal in St. Louis County.

But now we have a chance for a real change. Rep. Rick Stream, R-Kirkwood, a candidate for county executive, has provided both local and state leadership from his service on a local school board, to his service on behalf of charitable organizations, as a state representative, and as a member of the U.S. Navy. Rick Stream will work to clean up county government, eliminate waste and job-killing taxes, and work with businesses to attract much needed jobs to St. Louis County, so your children can remain here to start their own families.

Most importantly, Rick Stream will fight any city-county merger. It’s time for real leadership change in St. Louis County. We urge you to take a Republican ballot in the primary election on Aug. 5 — and vote for Rick Stream. Your future and the future of your children and grandchildren may depend on it.