I can’t be the only person in the Upper Valley who’s sick of all those political TV ads that are dumped on us every two years. These PACs, super PACs, candidates, political parties and black money groups obviously have millions of dollars to waste on this useless publicity. These people must be thinking that we have to see the same advertisement 30 times a night on five different networks to absorb their messages.
Here are some campaign ideas to consider:
■ Since this assault on the airwaves is expensive, inefficient and boring, I would suggest that our state legislatures require these people to donate an equal amount of money to charities, betterment projects or mainstream programs in the states in which they advertise. would then be able to show us that they truly care about the public good and not just about their own selfish interests. If they don’t want to, that’s okay too, because then we can watch the football game at night without being bothered by that bullshit!
■Does anyone really believe that almost all voters haven’t already decided for a long time who they will vote for? Those people who say they haven’t made up their mind obviously haven’t been paying attention and probably shouldn’t be allowed to vote anyway! Most people knew two years ago how they would vote in this election. Hence my belief that this is a horrible waste of our time and a horrible waste of someone’s money.
■ Please adopt state laws that will require all such advertisements to be vetted before they are allowed to run. They are full of spurious claims as well as outright lies in many cases. I want all voters to do their own research on the records of these candidates and not rely on this kind of deception.
I realize I’m probably howling at the moon here, but no change will happen unless someone talks about it.
Thomas L Franklin
White River Junction
Support for Charlene Lovett
As a state representative, I have been deeply alarmed by what I have seen come out of Concord over the past two years. Efforts to undermine New Hampshire’s public education system and attacks on reproductive rights have been the focus of extreme elements in the New Hampshire legislature. It is because of these initiatives and many other worrisome ones that I am supporting Charlene Lovett for State Senate from Senate District 8.
Charlene has decades of public service, as a school board member, state representative, city councilman, mayor and 22-year-old Army veteran, which prepared her to be a state senator for the 20 SD8 communities, including mine. Sunapee community. As mayor of Claremont, Charlene became alarmed at the number of lead poisoning children each year, which impacted their ability to learn. She took the initiative and led a collaborative effort to prevent lead poisoning in children. This helped the city of Claremont win the EPA’s Children’s Health Environmental Merit Award and Sullivan County was the first county in the state to receive a HUD Lead Hazard Mitigation grant.
Charlene is also a strong advocate for reproductive rights. Charlene believes that these are personal and private health care decisions that should be made by those affected and their health care providers, not the government. She also understands firsthand the importance and challenge of providing health care to rural areas from her tenure as Chair of the Valley Regional Hospital Board of Directors.
Decisions made in Concord affect us locally, and Charlene’s experience in local government will make her a more informed and thoughtful legislator. Please join me in voting for Charlene Lovett as the next State Senator for Senate District 8.
Sue Gottling, NH State Representative
Sunapee
Vote Ricci for assistant judge
We want to take a moment to introduce our good friend Michael Ricci, the independent candidate, for re-election as Associate Judge of Windsor County. We support Michael and ask that you give him some consideration when filling out your 2022 ballot.
You may not have given this office much attention, but it is vitally important to our justice system. Associate judges do vital work in our family and civil courts, covering a range of topics such as domestic violence, divorce, division of property and parental rights, among others. Decisions made by a presiding judge and assistant judge can affect lives for years. Their positions must be balanced and considered when deciding cases. They also manage court business.
Michael was appointed Associate Justice to fill a vacancy in September 2021, he is now seeking a second term. In this role, Michael demonstrated the necessary integrity, judgment and judicial character, and applied his extensive experience in managing the Court’s affairs. Michael, a local resident for over 40 years, has held managerial and financial positions at the Norman Williams Library, the Windham Northeast Supervisory Union and Dartmouth College.
He has a genuine interest in public service and in those 40 years he has served our community as an Associate Justice, Justice of the Peace, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Woodstock, Member of the Board of Directors of Dartmouth Hillel , advisor to Tucker Foundation Scholars and the Dartmouth Environmental Conservation Organization, Chairman of the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He also volunteers at the library, school district and with young athletes.
We hope we have piqued your interest in Michael and how his skills align with the duties of the Assistant Judge. Voting is our most important civic duty, remember to vote and be sure to check both sides of your ballot.
Alessandro Iuppa and Anne Valentine
Windsor West
