Many months ago “Amanda Webster – New for 62” came across my Facebook page. Along with it was a picture of, to this grandmother’s eyes, a very young woman. She was a Democrat so I read on.
In that early list of issues Amanda cited, stability for young families, education, sensible legalization of marijuana, affordable health benefits, economic and environmental issues. All very necessary issues given that our incumbent has pretty much not shown up in our neighborhoods to ask how his constituents feel about any of it.
What I found missing was any mention about needs for Senior Citizens. Given the fact that half of the 62nd District will be over 50 years old by 2020 (with me firmly in that category) I decided to contact this young woman. I was not expecting much. She was, after all, a millennial.
What I got back (within an hour) was an invitation to sit and talk together about the needs of seniors. A few days later Amanda and I talked for three hours about the financial and emotional challenges of being and caring for elders. We talked about the difficulty of medical and social services advocacy during crises, the “crap shoot” element of choosing the most helpful medical insurance plan and even the difficulty of old people safely crossing busy state roads to get their mail. We talked about much, much more.
At the end of our conversation Amanda said there was so much more she needed to know about senior lives and needs. Within a week she had set up The District 62 Senior Advisory Committee and put senior needs in the top three elements of her campaign priorities, along with economic and educational needs.
This is my personal story. I have never worked for a candidate before (although I vote any time I can, the first time for Lyndon Johnson). Amanda is as active, interested, thoughtful and clear on all the issues confronting her district. Most of these issues have been ignored or voted against by our current state representative.
When Amanda is elected this Nov. 6, expect to see changes in our state legislation. Expect to have a representative who will listen to our problems. Expect that she will work to make our lives better in the areas we need: fiscal responsibility and economic revival; advocacy for those who have worked all their lives, put into the system, and feel forgotten; affordable education and health care for all of us; sensible gun safety laws; coexistent expansion and success for business and farming and much more.
Bring Amanda Webster YOUR issue. She listens. In fact, she and her campaign volunteers (and I’m one of them) have knocked on thousands of our doors ASKING about our needs.
Most importantly—VOTE for her on Nov 6.