September 30, 2010—The Beacon
As a Selectmen, I have known Jen Benson personally for the past year and a half. I have found her to be a dedicated public servant. She has spent hours wrestling with the problems that face Acton (and other towns). I will often bump into Jen at Boy Scout Courts of Honor for Eagle Scouts or at some other civic function and she makes meaningful contributions. She demonstrates political courage involving herself in tough, unpopular issues. She illustrated that fact when she showed up at our Selectmen's meeting to weigh in on a sex offender bylaw we were considering.
Jen has always worked closely with Selectmen and the town manager to accomplish what we need at the state level. Several letters have cited Jen's legislative contributions over the past few weeks. I had to testify at the capitol and I found her helpful and supportive of our efforts in Acton.
Much has been made of Jen's voting record on various issues. I think it disingenuous when someone who has never held any elected office holds up someone's voting record to question. Many of the votes that come before the Legislature are complex and have far-reaching effect. One has to always be conscious of the "law of unintended consequence" when voting on any issue of substance.
One of the first things that I discovered upon getting elected was that my business background did not help as much as I thought it would. I found that many things can't be done due to constraints of the law. And often common sense issues to the average person are much more complex when you're trying to deal with changing state law. Jen's opponent works for a Fortune 50 company - hardly small business, which is the true engine of economic recovery and jobs. How is it that he purports to be an expert on small business needs? Serving our town well is hardly a part-time job. Jen's full-time commitment, community savvy and political acumen make her the candidate of choice.
There has been much ado across the nation about removing people from office, replacing them with "someone new" who can "get the job done." I think Benson has gotten the job done! With tough fiscal times ahead, we need someone like Benson in office. Please join me in voting for her on Nov. 2.
Mike Gowing, Selectman
Acton
