Letters to editor of legislature, city races

Dupont voice for schools

I am a retired teacher in Kentucky and have heard Carolyn Dupont speak about her passion for fairness in public education. She is an educator who knows that needed resources should be provided for all Kentucky public school children, not just wealthier districts. I am voting for Dupont in the 22nd District Kentucky Senate race against Tom Buford.

Although Buford did vote against the so-called “sewer/pension bill” this year, during his 27-year tenure in the state Senate he, and many of his colleagues, have voted for bills that have steadily robbed the public pension fund. He has consistently voted for charter school expansion (except in 2017) and has voted for both versions of the draconian 2018 budget bill.

Dupont, an experienced and passionate teacher and advocate for public education, will represent a strong voice for students and teachers in the Senate.

Reynolds energetic

The infectious enthusiasm and energy of 11th District council candidate Jennifer Reynolds is exactly what we need to build on the accomplishments of retiring Council Member Peggy Henson.

As I have followed Reynolds’ primary and now general election campaigns, I have witnessed a smart and caring candidate already adept at building bridges in our neighborhoods through her years of work as community outreach director at Bluegrass Youth Ballet.

Reynolds’ vow to dedicate her full-time energies to serving our district underscores her understanding of the effort required to address the complex issues confronting the 11th District and all of Lexington as we seek to balance growth and neighborhood preservation in the coming years.

Gray welcome candidate

I support Democrat Denise Gray for the 28th District state Senate seat. The district encompasses parts of Fayette County as well as all of Clark and Montgomery Counties. Gray will bring a progressive voice to Frankfort and will work hard to represent all constituents, not just wealthy donors and special interests. With her background in education and law, she has the knowledge to affect positive change in our commonwealth.

She will support public schools and public employees as well as the private sector by providing economic development. State government should be representative of the people to ensure all constituents are valued. The current state Senate has only four out of 38 seats held by women (10 percent); hardly representative of the commonwealth with its population of roughly 50 percent women. It is perhaps no surprise that the past legislature has worked to curb or restrict women’s access to health care.

Gorton has a plan

One of the most important races on the ballot in Lexington will be for mayor. We have two choices, Linda Gorton and Ronnie Bastin.

As a longtime Lexington resident, one of the most important issues for our family is safety. I looked at Lexington’s crime rate and discovered that according to CityRating.com, in 2016 “the city violent crime rate in Lexington was higher than the violent crime rate in Kentucky by 46.12 percent and the city property crime rate in Lexington was higher than the property crime rate in Kentucky by 87.61 percent.”

The choice seems simple: Do I vote for Ronnie Bastin, the former chief of police and public-safety commissioner for the past decade, or for Linda Gorton, who has a common-sense approach to the opioid crisis which is fueling the growing crime rate? Both are good people, but my vote is for Gorton.