In Tuesday’s election, Brownsberger is the clear choice
A letter of support for the Belmont state Rep. seeking to become state Senator.
Tuesday’s state Senate primary will, in effect, choose Steve Tolman’s successor as the state Senator representing Belmont, Watertown, and parts of Cambridge and Allston-Brighton. Absent a huge write-in campaign for the general election in January, one of the four Democratic primary contenders will be the new state Senator for the 2nd Suffolk and Middlesex District.
I encourage all Patch readers to go to the polls, between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., and vote for the candidate they support. (Of course, Belmont voters always have to remind themselves when an election happens on a Tuesday instead of our municipal elections on a Monday!)
I’ve known Will Brownsberger, as a friend and as a public official, for many years. While I respect the other candidates in this race, Will is the clear choice for this important position.
He is intelligent—but, even more important, he listens carefully and respectfully to all points of view, genuinely taking in everyone’s concerns as he makes decisions. He is independent—the only “special interest” I’ve ever seen him represent is the long-term best interests of his constituents. He is forward-looking—as concerned about the sustainability of public education and pension commitments as he is about the environment. He is responsive—whether contacted by cell phone, email, or through his office, he gets back to people who want to talk to him.
And he works incredibly hard, particularly in two essential aspects of public service: transparency and communication. Regarding the former, he led the fight to eliminate quiet favoritism by requiring that all contracts for House business be put out for public bids, and he was instrumental in putting all state spending online in the new “Open Checkbook” program.
Meanwhile, I have never seen an elected official whose website (willbrownsberger.com) is a more open and accessible forum for any concern of any constituent he represents. Additionally, it contains lengthy and well-researched position papers on issues that Will has made his top priorities (including education, fiscal responsibility, clean energy, and transparency). Whether “posting” their own concerns or commenting on Will’s, the people he represents have truly interactive communication with him.
It’s often said that the most useful predictor of how someone will perform in the future is how they have performed in the past. On this basis, Will Brownsberger will be a superlative state Senator. His personal qualities, his previous accomplishments, and his vision for our common future are a combination that makes him a compelling choice next Tuesday.
Scott Stratford
Alexander Avenue
(Scott Stratford has been a Town Meeting Member since 1995, served on the Belmont School Committee from 1996 to 2008, and is currently a member of the Ad Hoc Town Meeting Communications Committee.)
Belmont_Conservative
4:46 pm on Monday, December 12, 2011
I am a proud conservative who will be voting for Brownsberger. If nothing else, Mr. Will understands the grave situation surrounding our public pension/health care costs and is trying to do something about it.
In my opinion one of the other candidates is a clear Marxist socialist who has no new ideas other than the same old 'soak the rich' class warfare, which has zero chance of ever creating a job.
Another candidate actually has some qualities I like, but he lost my vote immediately when he linked arms with Elizabeth Warren. She's another hopeless soul who has no idea what makes an economy work. Additionally, the affiliation of this candidate with the big unions makes him a definite "no". He has no appreciation for the dire state of our public pension and health care costs. For that, he loses my vote.