House reps providing valuable updates

We like this editorial by the Meredith News and here’s why. Finally, local representatives that actually keep the very people that they represent informed, without making them spend countless hours researching the happenings in Concord. It’s too bad that this is not happening in our town of Moultonboro. We would like the same here, as well as in Tuftenboro and Wolfeboro that are represented by our own Betsey Patten. We would like to encourage her to do the same for the good folks that elected her.

Fall may not officially be here for a couple more weeks, but with schools starting this week and Labor Day weekend right in front of us, it’s about time to say goodbye to summer. As cooler weather approaches, so will the return of news from the State House, courtesy of our local state representatives. What we’ve seen in the past year from reps like Kate Miller in Meredith, Bill Johnson in Gilford and Belmont, and Liz Merry in Sanbornton is not only willingness, but an eagerness to provide constituents with the lowdown on House debates and votes through their local newspapers. Before the summer break, Johnson had been regularly submitting capsules of pertinent information regarding what he saw happening in the House of Representatives. This has accomplished a couple of things: first, it has made state news more accessible, particularly because Johnson writes in layman’s terms and with a bit of color, so readers aren’t wading through the typical political jargon. Second, Johnson gives us insight into the whys and hows of the House voting process, candidly noting the reasons behind his decisions while acknowledging the other point of view as well. For Meredith, Miller has regularly submitted letters to the editor to keep her constituents informed. Although her district doesn’t cover Moultonboro, Sandwich or Center Harbor, what Miller has to say is pertinent to all of our Meredith News readers. Like Johnson, she provides updates of the goings on in the House and continuously invite conversation from her constituents. Merry has done the same for Tilton and Sanbornton with her letters and updates. At Salmon Press, we’re grateful that our towns’ representatives are readily providing vital statewide information to our readers, because while we pride ourselves on bringing readers news at the most local level, we also recognize the importance of knowing what’s happening at the state level, that the impact of House and Senate votes are often widely felt by the residents of our towns. The downside to being a truly local, weekly paper is that we don’t have the resources to report on state affairs ourselves – we’re busy attending local board meetings – and have to rely on outside sources to gather that information. Until this past year, our papers didn’t have a single state representative from any of the districts we cover actively sending us news we can use. Now, true to their campaign word, reps like Miller, Johnson and Merry are channeling such vital information through us. We hope their updates continue in the coming year, and that you appreciate reading them as much as we do.