Letters to the editor June 21

Posted 6/20/18

Vote in this important primary A note to my fellow Democrats and would-be-Democrats about the upcoming New York primary for 19th Congressional District candidates on Tuesday, June 26: We are …

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Letters to the editor June 21

Posted

Vote in this important primary

A note to my fellow Democrats and would-be-Democrats about the upcoming New York primary for 19th Congressional District candidates on Tuesday, June 26:

We are incredibly fortunate in having a rich field of excellent Democratic candidates running for Republican John Faso’s seat. If you believe our country can do better than it has been doing, can do better in fighting for what’s right and good and decent, please, please be sure to vote in this primary. Check out the candidates and chose the one you think is best (and most likely to win against Faso).

This is a superb group of caring, courageous, knowledgeable, upright people with progressive ideals that will surely be good for our country, much better than the ugly, hateful, hurtful and short-sighted ideas that abound these days. You can do something to make our country better than it is right now: you can vote.

It’s not hard. It’s a great privilege and a right that was hard-fought-for and hard-won by our forefathers (and mothers.) Don’t be a fool and let it slip by you. Help to make our country decent again. Personally I will be voting for Gareth Rhodes – just endorsed by the New York Times: “He offers the combination of intelligence, enthusiasm and empathy that is desperately needed in Washington today.” That’s my kinda guy!

Bottom line here:  Be sure to vote.

Joan Rosenfelt

Pond Eddy, NY

My choice: Brian Flynn

As many of you know, we have an important primary election coming up on June 26 (polls open from 12 noon to 9 p.m.). The Democratic primary will decide who is going to take on John Faso in November and flip this House seat so that Democrats can regain control of Congress, provide critical oversight of the White House, and unseat a Congressman that has voted to take away our healthcare, defund Planned Parenthood, and pollute our environment.

That’s why I am supporting Brian Flynn in the Democratic primary and encourage you to do the same. I believe he is the best candidate to take on John Faso this November and the most prepared to represent our district. Not only has he spent time in Sullivan County for campaign stops, but he and his campaign staff came and rallied for Fair Pay with our local Teamsters and have supported local Democrats. He has shown a deep understanding of the issues that matter here.

He’s a lifelong progressive Democrat, and has a long history of environmental activism, is the only one that has advocated for Medicare for All for more than a decade, and the only candidate that has created hundreds of good paying American jobs, many of them union. In fact, he’s a union member himself and will be only the fourth active union member in Congress.

He has also been to Washington as an advocate, and over the course of 20 years helped pass the Iran Libya Sanctions Act and airline safety regulations. Flynn knows how to get things done, and he doesn’t give up. He cannot just take on John Faso and win but will represent us and the needs of this district and Sullivan County.

You can learn more about Flynn at www.brianflynn.us and find your polling location at https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov If you have any questions about Brian and why I’m supporting him, feel free to reach out to me.

Anthony Cellini

Monticello, NY

Clegg’s ability to fight this battle

There are many reasons to vote for Dave Clegg in the Democratic Primary, and certainly, his decades-long record of fighting for civil and human rights is one of them (www.davecleggforcongress.com). But I want to focus on his strength, unique among all the candidates, in confronting John Faso.

Clegg has been a powerful litigator with an extensive pro bono caseload for the rights of people who have been harmed by large corporations. He has gone up against Walmart twice, on behalf of employees, and won. He sued a company in Kingston that was dumping toxic waste, and won. He has fought for clients’ rights against insurance companies and corporations. His skill and experience make him uniquely qualified to deal with Faso’s well-known ability to distort, misrepresent and evade. Clegg will be able to hold him accountable for the facts, and for the votes he has taken that have hurt the people of this district.  This is what he’s done for 41 years, and he’s good at it!

There is not room in this letter to enumerate Clegg’s positions on jobs, the environment, healthcare, campaign finance reform, taxes and all the rest, so please check out the link to his website to read more, and then join me on June 26 in voting for Dave Clegg.

Judy Balaban

Bethel, NY

A political junkie’s choice for NY19

As a political junkie, I’ve gone to six NY19 Democratic candidate forums to decide who will get my vote for Congress. All of the candidates are capable, bright and progressive, and any would do more for our district and the country than the Republican incumbent, so making a choice was truly a challenge. After weighing all the factors, I decided to support Brian Flynn.

I’m truly impressed by Flynn’s fresh, concrete, creative ideas and solutions for NY19—on infrastructure, clean energy, criminal justice reform, job training, etc.—and how well he knows the district. Flynn is a doer, the kind of person who sees a problem and does something about it. He worked on Medicare for All since 2004, founded the New York chapter of Environmental Entrepreneurs, and has walked the halls of Congress to get legislation passed.

Flynn is a proven job creator who has run, created and grown businesses. He’s a member and strong supporter of labor unions and is dedicated to moving the Democratic Party back to its roots: American workers. I’ve found him to be a great listener, open to ideas and concerns of voters; smart, dynamic, personable, good-humored and funny.

A lot is at stake in this election and in the country. We need a clear, strong winner in the June 26 Democratic primary, someone who can stand up to Faso and win the general election in November. Brian Flynn is that person; he gets my vote and I hope yours as well.

Judith Simon

Saugerties, NY

Vote for Dave Clegg

Many people think the greatest danger to our democracy is the overwhelming amount of money pouring into our campaigns. On a local level, we have seen John Faso’s lack of responsiveness to the citizens whom he represents, and his adamant refusal to take a stand against gun violence. No doubt, that stance is influenced by the money he has taken from the NRA and the Mercers.

Dave Clegg, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for NY19, understands clearly the relationship between money taken from special interests and decisions made in their favor. He sees that relationship in our healthcare system, with representatives beholden to insurance and pharmaceutical companies; in the energy sector, with representatives obligated to fossil fuel corporations, continuing to subsidize that industry despite the threats posed by climate change. Look at Trump’s cabinet, whose members are owned by the industries they are purported to regulate—and look at the results, in all sectors of our society.

For that reason, Dave Clegg is not taking any money from special interests. His position is that he will be beholden only to the citizens of NY19.

I am somewhat bewildered by all the buzz about which candidates have raised the most money. Why is this the metric that people use to judge a candidate, when they know what the end result will be? All seven candidates claim to support campaign finance reform, but their statements are general, some of them have taken in very big bucks, and one has even said that he’ll work for it, but not until he’s in office. Where have we heard that before? Dave Clegg is the most clear, the most specific in his understanding, and the most trustworthy to honor this commitment. Check out his website (www.davecleggforcongress.com) and vote for him on June 26.

Cissy Goldfarb

Monticello, NY

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