With the 2018 state and federal elections looming in the not-too-distant future, it isn’t too early to take a look at the record of a sitting state senator, namely Heather Somers, who represents Groton and on up the northeast corridor of Connecticut. Sen. Somers has done a remarkable job in so many ways during her term. She has made herself accessible in ways almost unheard of by conducting regular rotating coffee hours around her district and reaching out to constituents in need or just with questions about the future of our befuddled state. Somers has strong views (not all of which I agree with) but is not uncompromising or ideologically-driven like so many other candidates for public office today. She believes in the desperate need for state fiscal responsibility and for slashing unnecessary government expenditures and departments. She wisely points out that various proposed solutions to the budget crisis have serious ramifications. Sen. Somers also helped to save the Medicaid-Medicare insurance program for the disabled and elderly after the veto of the governor nearly killed it permanently. Her hard work, compassion and due diligence deserve recognition. Any prospective candidate who attempts to denigrate her for her political leanings should take a careful look at his/her own campaign.
Peter Wilson, Groton