I’m voting for Claudine Luchsinger for Town of Cochecton Supervisor because she is smart, well informed, committed to our area, and has a wealth of experience that she will bring to the job. She has solid, practical ideas for how to improve Cochecton’s economy and “put us on the map.”

What really impresses me about Claudine is that she is the only Cochecton candidate who is not afraid to publicly state an actual opinion on the subject of gas drilling by fracking. She believes the current process is dangerous and supports using zoning to protect our water, property values and way of life.

Our present supervisor insists that he is “neutral” on fracking. After all the information that has been circulated, the debates in our newspapers and countless examples of what can go wrong, how can anyone be “neutral?”

In his candidate statement, the current supervisor points to a committee he is establishing to advise the town board on fracking and zoning. It’s interesting that this committee is being formed now, in election season, and after the town has already adopted its revised comprehensive and zoning plans. Yet, when several residents previously suggested a similar committee, at a time when a committee’s input could have been meaningful, the suggestion fell on deaf ears. Similarly, when residents filled town meetings asking the board to adopt protective language in the plans, as Bethel and Tusten are doing, these requests also fell on deaf ears.

The main job of a town supervisor is to protect the health and welfare of all town residents, not to enable a few large landowners to “cash out,” leaving the rest of us to live with the mess. Luchsinger has the leadership qualities we need. She says what she means and we know where she stands, and I am proud to stand beside her.

Laurie McFadden

Cochecton, NY