Letter to the Editor:

Patty Ritchie has a strong history of advocacy for us here in the North Country. As St. Lawrence County (SLC) Clerk she led the 2010 fight to overturn Albany's attempt to force motorists to purchase new license plates. She won that fight.

Downstate car dealers used to pay people to wait in long lines at DMV offices in the New York City region to process vehicle registrations Patty's idea to contact downstate auto dealers and offer them the opportunity to get vehicle registrations processed in SLC in a very timely manner was innovative and smart. Her idea has brought millions of dollars into the county from downstate.

After Patty was elected as our New York Senator she went to Albany to work effectively for all of us. Her strong advocacy for the North Country continues as she represents constituents of the 48th Senate District.

A simple example of her proactive advocacy is the e-mail outreach she made today to thousands of her constituents concerning Hurricane Sandy. Her office was sure to send out the emergency contact numbers for Oswego, Jefferson, and St. Lawrence Counties as well as contact information for National Grid, the NYS Hurricane Sandy Helpline, and the NYS Alert system.

Patty will continue to work with both sides of the aisle and Governor Cuomo. Please re-elect Patty Ritchie to keep our great representation in Albany.

Nancy W. Foster, Louisville