To the Editor:

My family has lived in St. Lawrence County for more than 40 years. I have participated in the privilege of voting for 47 years. People who have taken this for granted have got to wake up to the fact that we need people to represent us who live among us and know us. This is not Congresswoman Stefanik.

What does my family need, just like every other working family? Affordable health care, a good paying job and access to a good education to prepare us for the world.

I happen to believe that our community of fellow citizens are best served when we embrace these values and work together to build our futures. Stefanik voted to defund the Affordable Care Act (HR 3293), which left more than 64,000 residents of District 21 without health insurance. Stefanik voted to remove worker’s protections that have helped us for years in the Fair Labor Standard Act (HR 1180) and she has voted to gut protections for consumers (HR 10). Her absence from our district is obvious, except, of course, when she is running for re-election.

Perhaps more disconcerting is Stefanik’s campaign strategy of spinning half-truths about her opponent, Tedra Cobb, and using her large corporate and lobbyist funded war chest to widely broadcast this misinformation.

Shouting out “taxin’ Tedra” might be a cute sound bite to her media team, but when one digs a bit, you can see that Cobb’s legislative record is solid. Unlike the US Congress, our county legislature cannot spend more than it takes in. Ms. Cobb has worked under these principals and across party lines to do what is best for residents.

We need to be smarter than to fall for smear campaign name-calling. Ms. Cobb lives and works in the NY 21st and has attended neighborhood events over the past year all around the district to listen to us and to our concerns. Conversely, Ms. Stefanik shows up here from her home in D.C. on occasion to attend gala events and big donor fundraisers.

My conclusion? Time for a change in NY 21st on November 6. Let’s have some home grown representation. Your vote is your voice.

Valerie Johnson

Chippewa Bay