A response to Maurice Charlat's letter of Oct 6: One's ability to govern effectively isn't based on time lived in the county, though living here for more than two years does give one a clear understanding of what the needs of the entire District 25 are.
The Republican candidate opposing Michelle Stennett for the state Senate showed his ignorance of the issues outside of Ketchum-Sun Valley when he blew off Michelle's question (during the recent Pizza and Politics debate) about how he would work with the rural agricultural and dairy communities in the southern district. Blaine County is only one of four counties your candidate hopes to represent, and he should smarten up on the character and needs of those other counties.
It's clear your candidate has a beef with the city of Ketchum. If he wants to tackle these issues, he should run for City Council or mayor. Saying Michelle doesn't have governmental experience or a business background shows he hasn't done his homework. Those who worked with Michelle in the last legislative session, on both sides of the aisle, say she is well qualified, well informed on the issues facing District 25 and has friends and admirers in both parties.
The letters your candidate has distributed contain false information about Michelle's voting record. If a man does not tell the truth during his candidacy, what kind of a state senator are we led to believe he will be? And publicly, your candidate said Michelle is only running on her family name, with her credentials in question. This statement is not only insulting to a fine woman and her deceased husband, but an insult to the entire community, which loves and respects them both.
Your candidate's credentials aren't in question, it's his integrity. Integrity goes a long way in this part of the country and your candidate appears to have a deficit in that department.
I invite all those who care about the entire District 25 to vote on Nov. 2 for Michelle Stennett for state Senator.
Margaret Macdonald Stewart
Ketchum
