To the Editor:
After review of the candidates’ backgrounds I am choosing to vote for Emily Bjornberg as our next State Senator. I need to know my elected representative has the brain power to think on her feet, the intellectual curiosity to dig deeply into issues, the personal skills to listen to and interact with a wide range of people, the leadership skills to influence legislation on issues relevant to our area, and the heart to care.
Emily has real-life experience volunteering and caring for others including aiding the sick in South Africa and working to engage local young people in community service and social justice. She has real-life experience supporting veterans, including her own husband, who served with the Connecticut National Guard in Iraq.
Emily also has real-life experience as a mother who knows that quality education and protecting children from toxins are important issues if we care about future generations. She has real-life experience working on behalf of our local environment. And she has real-life experience with business deeply rooted in the community. Her family’s business has helped people get where they need to go for generations, from wagon wheels to automobiles, and now Emily is dedicated to helping our constituents go where they want to go…whether they dream of education, a good job , a clean forest for hiking, or a comfortable retirement.
At one of the debates Emily’s opponent decided to attend, our sitting senator said “anyone who is running on social issues doesn’t have anything important to run on.” He also refused to participate in local debates where he was not provided with questions in advance.
I served on local boards of education for 10 years and know first-hand that balancing budgets with the needs of all of our citizens is difficult. No decision can be made without considering the impact on all constituents. This requires analysis and showing up for community dialogues. “Social issues” do not exist separately from financial issues.
Emily Bjornberg has the maturity, intellectual capacity, and diplomatic skills to make a difference for our region. She will represent us well and will show up on behalf of all of us. That’s why she is getting my vote.
Sincerely,
Lynne Pease,
Chester.