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Opinion: Vote for legislator who can fulfill all responsibility of job, says Massena man

Posted 9/29/20

To the Editor: The Democratic candidate for Potsdam’s St. Lawrence County Legislature District 10 seat says if elected she will abstain and not participate in votes and discussions about the …

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Opinion: Vote for legislator who can fulfill all responsibility of job, says Massena man

Posted

To the Editor:

The Democratic candidate for Potsdam’s St. Lawrence County Legislature District 10 seat says if elected she will abstain and not participate in votes and discussions about the County’s Department of Social Services where her husband, David Haggard, works.

Legally, that’s a wise decision, as her conflict of interest is blatant and obvious.

After all, well over 50 percent of the County’s budget is dedicated to Social Services. Additionally, most of the County’s several hundred employees work in this department.

However, for the voters and residents of District 10, it seems that Mrs. Haggard’s decision means she will only be able to fulfill a portion of her responsibilities should she be elected.

Thankfully, those voters have another choice on Election Day.

I recently met Brenda Spurbeck, a candidate for District 10, who can be found on the Republican, Conservative and Independent lines of the ballot.

Brenda is bright, capable, well-educated and professional.

She understands the important role of government in our lives, but she also knows that too much government can be costly, inefficient and interfere in people’s business.

Ms. Spurbeck’s 25 years of experience as a healthcare professional on several levels has demonstrated her ability to cooperate and collaborate with her colleagues for the best possible outcomes.

Her interest lies in serving District 10 by listening to constituents, improving roads and bridges, and ensuring Potsdam gets its fair share of sales tax distribution.

So, the choice in District 10 is clear: you can vote for the candidate who is forced to sit out of many discussions and votes that will impact you because her husband receives salary and benefits from St. Lawrence County taxpayers or; you can choose to vote for Brenda Spurbeck to ensure that you are fully represented in the major discussions and votes that will affect you and your families for years to come.

If I were you, I’d want Brenda Spurbeck to be my fully represented voice. I would choose her as my Legislator.

Joseph Gray

Massena