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Opinion: Cobb committed herself to life in North Country, says Canton resident

Posted 8/15/17

To the Editor: As my disappointment with the current legislative log jam in Washington D.C. was compounded by Representative Elise Stefanik’s unresponsiveness to constituents, I began considering …

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Opinion: Cobb committed herself to life in North Country, says Canton resident

Posted

To the Editor:

As my disappointment with the current legislative log jam in Washington D.C. was compounded by Representative Elise Stefanik’s unresponsiveness to constituents, I began considering other candidates running to represent NY 21.

I sought a candidate who would respond to my calls with more than generic e-mails and who was willing to meet constituents in public, unscripted forums.

Tedra Cobb is a 30-year North Country resident with government experience running to represent NY 21. She raised her family here and has had financial struggles, like many people in this area. When she had difficulty finding employment, she started her own small business, making her able to sympathize with the district’s small business owners.

She has committed herself to the North Country. She worked for rural hospitals and health care agencies and secured federal and state funding to provide screening and preventative follow-up care for hundreds of North Country residents. Ms. Cobb recognized what the current health care debate was about for NY 21: “It is about losing insurance and crippling families financially.

It is about getting access in our rural district to the lifesaving care we need every day. It is about keeping our healthcare system alive and the jobs that are supported by it.”

Ms. Cobb has a proven track record of legislative success and working with individuals across the political spectrum. In her time as a county legislator, she emphasized transparency and led the effort to pass the current St. Lawrence County ethics law and create the St. Lawrence County Board of Ethics.

Her commitment to the North Country and experience as a legislator means she has the political and community connections necessary to do what is best for NY21. She lives in the district and understands constituents’ needs; Ms. Cobb is not beholden to interest groups outside the district. As our representative, she will listen to her constituents and meet them face-to-face in public, where her statements will go on the record. Her honesty, experience, and connections in the community make her a candidate I hope others will consider as they look toward the 2018 election.

I’d encourage all readers to attend one of the many meet-n-greets scheduled by her campaign (dates are listed on her Facebook page). I am sure if you get a chance to talk with her, you will be as impressed as I am.

Jessica M. Prody

Canton