Hillary Seeger: Supporting Joe Kenney, not Luz Bay, for executive council

To The Daily Sun,

A recent letter supporting Luz Bay for executive council made claims about Councilor Joe Kenney that shouldn’t go unanswered.

First, Joe never voted to block women’s reproductive rights. The executive council doesn’t make laws. That’s the Legislature’s job. The council approves contracts and appointments, and voting no on a contract is not taking away anyone’s rights.

Second, the claim that he blocked food benefits for children. There’s no public record of that vote. Joe has voted against a few federal “grants” that came with a lot of strings attached, but none of those votes were about taking food away from kids.

Third, the suggestion that Joe lacks compassion and integrity. I know Joe. He’s a decorated combat veteran of three wars, with deployments in the Persian Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan, and he enlisted before becoming an officer. As councilor, he’s a constant link between his constituents and state government, and he puts more miles on his car in an average week than any other elected official does in a month. I don’t know anyone with more integrity or more compassion.

Readers should disagree with someone all they like. But telling lies and half-truths and hurling insults at hard-working, honorable people is just wrong.

I’ll be voting for Joe Kenney. We already saw what happened without him: nothing got done in the two years Mike Cryans held the seat.

Hillary Seeger

Alexandria