By Nancy Spagnoli, Victor
Thank you for giving Ravalli County voters an opportunity to learn about our candidates for the upcoming election through your letters to the editor pages.
My parents were both long standing Republicans and were dedicated to their civic duty to always vote and to vote responsibly. They did their homework and learned about the individual candidates before heading to the voting booth. They did not always agree on the best candidate, so consequently, they did not always vote alike. In spite of being registered Republicans, they voted on the basis of the individual, not on the basis of party.
If my parents were here to read the Q&A between Laura Merrill and Ron Marshall, I believe they would agree on the best candidate for House District 87. It is clear that Laura Merrill took the time to respond to the questions in a thoughtful and in depth manner, giving voters specific ideas and proposals. In my perspective, and with all due respect, Ron Marshall seems to be oversimplifying the issues and the inherent complexities of working with people from all walks of life in order to legislate. This becomes especially apparent when asked about the importance of working with the opposing party to get legislation passed. While Laura Merrill responds with humility and wisdom, highlighting the importance of listening to others with differing ideas and finding common ground, Ron Marshall oversimplifies by indicating that good legislation should not be that hard to do.
This November, I will follow the example set by my parents and vote for the individual rather than the party. My vote for House District 87 will be going to Laura Merrill.