As chair of the Sullivan County Democratic Committee, I feel that I need to respond to the Forum letter from Michael Aron, chair of the Sullivan County Republican Committee, that was published in Saturday’s Valley News (“Absences a disservice to the constituents”).
Lee Oxenham has represented the Sullivan 1 district in the New Hampshire House for three terms with intelligence, honesty and honor. Perhaps her unassailable record as a proponent of civil rights, racial equity and environmental protections explains the renewed effort to throw mud at her record in the closing days of the campaign. Unable to find any legitimate area to attack, Republicans have resorted to distortion.
Up until this year, Oxenham missed two days on average per year (the lowest: one day; the highest: three) in the House chamber, where she has actively and effectively championed issues of concern to her constituents. This year would have been no different, except that she experienced a severe illness in mid-March. The Centers for Disease Control and prevention had to be consulted, and on March 10 she was given special authorization for a chest X-ray after normal hours to rule out pneumonia.
On March 12, concerns about the pandemic forced the House to conclude its work early, culminating in a single marathon session dealing with hundreds of bills. Not surprisingly, Oxenham was unable to attend — and would not have been permitted on the floor with her active respiratory symptoms.
The record of “absences” used in the Republican smear attack were largely run up by counting each roll-call vote missed during that single meeting. You judge whether the Valley News headline “Absences a disservice to the constituents” is merited.
Like her House colleagues Brian Sullivan and Linda Tanner, Lee Oxenham is committed to building stronger, more equitable and more resilient communities in New Hampshire that will attract new investment and provide expanded opportunities for our children and grandchildren.
Please vote for your proven District 1 and District 9 leadership team — Lee Oxenham, Brian Sullivan and Linda Tanner — on Nov. 3.
JUDITH KAUFMAN
Cornish
The writer is the chair of the Sullivan County Democratic Committee.
We all have the right to exercise our free will to support the candidates of our choice. It is also important to protect our democracy by ensuring a peaceful election and transition of power.
Unfortunately, political polarization, bitterness and rancor are dividing Americans in ways that threaten the future of our great nation.
I invite you to read and consider signing the Braver Angels “Hold America Together” letter (braverangels.org/hat) that begins: “At a moment of danger in this era of divisiveness, We the American People come together to speak for the Union. Some of us will vote for President Trump and others for Vice President Biden. But in this season of intense and legitimate partisanship, we the undersigned commit ourselves also to a higher partisanship — for the maintenance of our Union; for the importance of our shared civic life; and for those feelings of goodwill that Lincoln called the better angels of our nature.”
Braver Angels is a national citizens organization that unites red, blue and purple Americans in a working alliance to depolarize our country, embracing the core values of respect, humility, honesty and responsible citizenship. As a former state representative, I volunteered to serve as Northern New England coordinator, helping to promote dialogue and organize workshops that teach skills on how to listen to and better understand those with whom we disagree politically (including family members). The goal is not to change people’s views of issues, but to change their views of each other.
You can join us by become a member for only $12 at braverangels.org. One person at a time, we can build a movement to ensure that our great country holds together for many years to come.
DOUGLASS TESCHNER
Pike
Don’t let apathy, despair or dislike of your choices on the ballot keep you from voting on Nov. 3. Take the energy of hate or dislike for either or both candidates and turn it toward the ballot box. Former Vice President Joe Biden may not have been your choice as the Democratic candidate, but now we are faced with a choice between him and the incumbent. For me, the choice is clear.
If despair has made you apathetic about voting, consider the consequences of a loss for Biden, or even a close result, which likely would result in chaos and uncertainty for weeks or even months.
Our votes give us the power of choice — to give up on democracy and suffer the consequences or to fight for our fragile, imperfect democracy under a new president. Compromises and disappointments will occur under a Biden administration, but the struggle will be in the right direction, toward a more benevolent and compassionate democratic republic, albeit a still imperfect one.
Equally important are your votes for our U.S. and state senators and representatives to ensure that we will have functioning legislatures and administrations willing and able to work together.
The election is a week away. Time is short, but it’s not too late to make a decision to vote. Contact your city or town clerk, and the secretary of state’s voter division in New Hampshire at sos.nh.gov/elections/voters/elections-voting-division and in Vermont at sos.vermont.gov/elections/.
To those who have already voted or made your plan to vote in person on Nov. 3, thank you.
CAROL ROUGVIE
West Lebanon
Apparently the thieves who support President Donald Trump have expanded their efforts and are now stealing signs in Canaan, too.
Do you suppose they have any idea how badly this reflects on the Republican Party? Gone are the days of the honorable party I knew as a kid that sent fine, socially liberal but fiscally conservative people like Edward Brooke to the Senate.
It reminds me of a new name I thought of for the GOP recently: the “GOPOSH,” for the Grand Old Party of Shameless Hypocrites.
ALICE SCHORI
Canaan
Only one political party spends millions to stop people from voting: the Republican Party.
We’ve seen Republicans pass racist voter ID laws, close polling places, move polling places, create phony drop boxes, purge voters from the rolls, impose modern-day poll taxes, and even threaten to use law enforcement and local militia groups to scare Americans from fulfilling their civic duty.
The Economist reports that the 4.7 million residents of Harris County, Texas, which surrounds Houston and is about the size of Rhode Island, “will all have to converge on the same drop-box” — that’s one drop box — “if they wish to cast an absentee vote in person.”
Why did Texas’ Republican governor enact such an order? Well, Harris County residents are “majority non-white and urban,” so he’d rather their votes didn’t count.
The GOP shouldn’t get to rig the rules of the game so that only conservatives are able to vote — but that’s exactly what they’re trying to do, and they’re spending millions right now to effect that change. It’s up to all of us living here in Vermont and New Hampshire to make sure that Republican voter suppression tactics don’t work here, or anywhere, in the United States.
There is one easy action step you can take to send a message to Republican vote suppressors everywhere: Support and vote for Joe Biden for president.
PAUL REGAN
South Woodstock
In 2016, about four out of 10 eligible American voters didn’t vote. The primary reason for not voting in that election was a dislike of both candidates.
If you are an eligible voter who cannot align with either President Donald Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden, take a deep breath and consider the consequences of not voting. Look what we have in the White House. Reflect on what has happened and the condition of our democracy today. We are on the precipice. Not voting could easily allow the re-election of America’s first oligarchic autocrat.
Be very afraid — not of Biden, but of the absolute destruction of the democracy painstakingly created by our forefathers. No one is perfect, but choosing not to vote is to turn your back on any chance of recovering a balance of power and a respectable democratic republic.
JEAN GOLDSBOROUGH
Reading, Vt.
There seems to be a theme for New Hampshire Republicans: Recruit some well-funded individual from another state to run against New Hampshire’s congressional representatives. Is that all they can find, people from elsewhere?
Many of our neighbors have had vacation homes and, after falling in love with New Hampshire’s quality of life, decided to move here and become residents. But how many of these new neighbors have the vanity to decide that they know the people of New Hampshire so well — our hopes, needs, fears, struggles, dreams — that they can represent the whole state as a candidate for the U.S. Senate within two years of living here? This is what Corky Messner is basically asserting, that he knows best for New Hampshire residents.
We need a sane, knowledgeable Democrat and independent majority in the U.S. Senate that will show up in January ready to work hard to reverse the corruption, build up our trust, and repair the damage the Republican senators and the current president have wrought.
I, for one, am proud to vote for U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Please join me. She knows the Granite State and its people. She listens to us, works for us, and delivers for us. I’m eager to cheer her win so that she continues to have our backs in these very tumultuous times of racial injustice, COVID-19, economic distress and climate chaos.
SUSAN S. KAPLAN
Lebanon
The coronavirus pandemic has turned our lives upside down, with members of our communities out of work and everyone concerned about the safety of their loved ones. Luckily, in New Hampshire, we have leaders who are focused on taking this challenge head on. That’s exactly what U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster has done in Congress. Kuster helped to bring more than $4.2 billion to our state to support small businesses and struggling families.
I was proud that she called for large Paycheck Protection Program loans to be public to prevent fraud and abuse in the COVID-19 recovery. She’s still fighting to get relief to those most in need. As we recover from this pandemic, we’ll need leaders who put New Hampshire first, and that’s why I’m voting for Annie Kuster for reelection.
BRITTNEY JOYCE
Hanover
We are running to represent the city of Claremont in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Three of us are political veterans; one is a newcomer. All four of us are committed to serving the best interests of Claremont’s citizens. We may not always agree on every issue, but we all believe in putting our community and state before our party.
Together, we will work for policies that support Claremonters — like improving health care, funding K-12 education equitably and reducing regressive property taxes. We will back legislation that protects our precious environment by combating pollution, reducing solid waste and promoting production of cleaner energy. Finally, we pledge to uphold the democratic principle that we are all equal — and to oppose discrimination on any basis — for every Granite Stater.
If these principles are important to you, help us get to Concord. Whether you plan to vote absentee or in person on Nov. 3, please mark our names where they appear on your ballot. Thank you.
JOHN CLOUTIER, ANDREW O’HEARNE, GARY MERCHANT and LIZA DRAPER
Claremont
The writers are candidates for, respectively, the Sullivan 10 district, representing Claremont citywide; the Sullivan 3 district, representing Ward 1; the Sullivan 4 district, representing Ward 2; and the Sullivan 5 district, representing Ward 3.
Please vote for Sue Gottling for New Hampshire state representative from Sunapee and Croyden.
She supports common-sense protections for Granite Staters against gun violence. Her opponent sides with Gov. Chris Sununu’s opposition to any meaningful legislation, such as background checks, prohibiting guns in schools, and red flag legislation.
She also holds sensible views as far as tax money being spent on our public schools rather than using this money for private and religious schools. Her opponent is in favor of this unconstitutional use of taxes.
Your vote for Sue Gottling is a vote for moderate, reasonable leadership.
DENISE and BOB STANLEY
Sunapee
I am writing to wholeheartedly support Ed Rajsteter for state representative for the Grafton 15 district representing the towns of Bath, Benton, Easton, Haverhill, Landaff, Orford, Piermont and Warren.
I first met him through his work with the Grafton County Drug Court, where he donated significant time and effort to enhance the county’s program by providing privately raised funding for incentives for participants. He went on to volunteer with and serve as president of the Friends of the New Hampshire Drug Courts, the first-in-the-nation statewide nonprofit drug court support organization that grew directly from his work in Grafton County.
Add to that his work as the former executive director of Headrest, a nonprofit residential treatment and recovery support organization in Lebanon, and I feel confident in saying that Ed Rajsteter is the candidate who is best-suited to serve in the next Legislature as it addresses the state’s opioid crisis and to work on the county delegation as we address local criminal justice issues.
He also has 40 years of experience in the financial services industry and has the knowledge and skills to represent us well in Concord and in the county delegation as we deal with financial demands that challenge the budgeting process.
His exceptional organizational and financial skills are only part of the reason why I fully support his candidacy. I am also impressed by his “people skills.” He truly cares for the citizens of Grafton County. I have no doubt that his priority will be representing those citizens, and not a political party.
As I watched him with Drug Court participants, judges and county staff, I couldn’t help but notice that he treats everyone with equal respect and dignity. He listens carefully and respectfully to diverse opinions and weighs facts before making a decision. He is well-spoken, compassionate and hardworking. I could not ask for a better representative in Concord, I look forward to working with him on county issues, and I ask the residents of the Grafton 15 district to join me in voting for Ed Rajsteter for state representative.
LINDA D. LAUER
Bath, N.H.
The writer serves as Grafton County commissioner for District 2.
We are going to be contemplating President Donald Trump for a long time; a bitter flower born of bitter soil.
Former Vice President Joe Biden may not be the president we need, but his election would suggest we desire sweeter soil.
BEN BRADLEY
Thetford