Gene Young: Varney has too many no-shows at important meetings to represent us

To The Daily Sun,

It's always fun to explain to folks "from away" how Yankees have been practicing a pretty direct form of democracy at the local level. They seem amazed to learn that in New England, the voters come together at town meeting or deliberative session and make the decisions that guide the town for the next year. The experience gained locally makes voters much more understanding of the responsibility that is delegated to the elected representatives that we send to Concord and Washington to exercise our power.

Which brings us to Peter Varney, who has been elected to represent us in the New Hampshire General Court and on the Belknap County Delegation. If representing us means attending the legislative sessions, serving on committees, gathering information, and voting for the interests of Alton, then Peter Varney has failed us miserably. He has attended one of five County Delegation meetings this year, and has failed to vote 44% of the time at General Court. He serves on no committees in Concord, and has sponsored no legislation. And when it came time to saving Gunstock jobs and the local economy on Aug. 1, he was, yet again, nowhere to be found.

To stand for election as a legislator in New Hampshire is to commit fully to do the work to the best of one's ability. Peter Varney clearly is not up to the task. It's time to elect a more responsible candidate to represent us in Alton and Barnstead.

Gene Young

Alton