A respected political commentator recently did a disservice to the cause of open government when he urged people to vote for an incumbent county legislator rather than her opponent, a woman with 13 years experience as an elected official of the Town of Lumberland. The commentator conjectured that being the longest-serving member of the county legislature made the incumbent the better candidate in this election. This argument is specious.

On December 31, Sullivan County will lose two pioneering legislators, Cindy Gieger and Cora Edwards. As new legislators, they were swept into office, pledging to reform the backroom political system that has long dominated county government. Together with likeminded legislators, they succeeded in opening government processes to the public, and in scrutinizing contracts and proposals to ensure that county residents got the best services at the lowest cost. They accomplished all this because their election gave them a majority on the board, enabling them to start breaking the strangle hold of the entrenched good-old-boy political system. To continue their legacy, an informed electorate must evaluate candidates based on the issues they support, not just mindlessly return incumbents to office. On September 10, vote for the candidate, incumbent or new, who you think will work best to deliver the kind of government you want.

Star D. Hesse

Narrowsburg, NY