Willette defends husband
To the editor:
As the wife of someone in a political office, I am realistic enough to know you can’t please everyone. It is with this in mind that I usually take things like Samantha White’s article, “Don’t Be Fooled By Willette”, with a “grain of salt”. However, I feel compelled to respond this time. Ms. White is very concerned with “roll call” and I would just like to point out a few things to her.
When one runs for political office, the reality of the situation never fully sets in until the wheels are in motion. My husband decided to run for office and was fortunate to gain the support of enough people to send him to the Statehouse. Now, ideally, a typical job starts at a specified time in the morning, and quitting time is at another specified time later in the day. What they don’t tell you in the unspoken rule book is that there is no hard and fast times you are on the clock as representative for your district and often times your family has to take a back seat.
With this being said, I’d like to know where Ms. White was with her attendance book when my husband missed important family events because he couldn’t make it back to Presque Isle in time to be with us. And where was she with that attendance book last spring as I went to the many senior year functions alone to support our middle child in her last year of high school, a time when these soon-to-be grads hang on to because they know the world as they know it will soon change. These are special, memorable times my family can never get back, but we do not begrudge any of that lost time. We all love knowing that he is making a difference for people who need his help.
At my house it is not surprising that we often have to put our plans on hold while my husband is on the phone speaking with people who are having a hard time and just want someone to take their problems seriously. Nor do we turn people away from our door — whether the legislature is in session or not. He loves to chat with people and getting through Walmart can sometimes be challenging, but he never turns a deaf ear. And don’t even get me started on how much business he’s lost due to his absence at his real estate office — income that supports our family.
As this election nears, we go into it with the knowledge that should he win, he will again, be missing most of the senior events of our last child, as she finishes her high school career and heads off to college. He will also miss out on most of the planning for the wedding of our son. Again, times and events you can never get back, but for all of us it is worth it. The intrinsic value is worth much more than the approximate $2.50 and hour he gets paid. Although not a subject I’m always comfortable with, I did some math … hours spent on the job, divided by money taken in … you get the picture. Perhaps he can’t solve all the problems that come his way, but it’s not for lack of effort or time. I am very proud of my husband and the job he has done for our district.
I realize that Ms. White is only trying to support her friend, my husband’s opponent, but maybe she should get a better understanding of what the job actually entails before sending items to print of which she is not fully aware.
Presque Isle
