To The Editor:

One of the themes espoused by some of Mr. Bolinsky’s supporters in their recent letters to the editor goes something like this: “Democrats have not changed the Educational Cost Sharing Formula in 13 years and they’ve been the party in power throughout, so how would it help to elect a Democrat to a seat that’s been filled by a Republican for seven terms.” That may not sound unreasonable, but here’s the problem with that hypothesis: At local, state, and federal levels, Democrats do not walk lock step with each other by default, nor do they, by default, support the Democratic party leaders. I submit that this is exactly what we want from our elected officials, whether Democrat or Republican! Governing is hard work. Representing constituents is hard work. Elected officials need to do the unglamorous work of digging deeply into issues by reading the full text of current and proposed legislation. They need to spend countless hours listening to the people they seek to represent, to glean what they need to know to competently represent those who voted for them, and those who did not. And they need to be willing to disagree with their party when they think they should.

Like candidates, voters have to work hard. We have to determine which candidate will pursue this approach to governing. We have to go beyond one-liners and sound-bytes. This takes time. It takes tenacity. Voters who want to elect the person who will represent them best need to read from a variety of sources, talk with the candidates and attend meetings.

I’ve stood with Michelle Embree Ku as she’s participated in local events. I’ve noticed a few things about her: She listens more than she talks. She has real conversations with people. She speaks in detail when she’s studied issues, and she’s not afraid to say things like, “I need to learn more about…”.

Democracy takes hard work. I know Michelle is willing to work hard. I know she’s willing to agree with her party when it makes sense for Newtown, and I know that she’s willing to disagree when it doesn’t. That’s why I’m voting for her, and I encourage every Newtown voter to do the same.

Rob Polley

Sandy Hook