Letter: Howe listens to both sides

To the Editor:

Soon the voters of Senate District 21 will select various government representatives and leaders, including their state senator for the next four years.

As a retired educator, with 35 years as a teacher, high school principal, and district superintendent, I believe that

no one should “automatically” reject or vote for any candidate for political office due to a particular organization’s endorsement of that candidate. Rather, every voter, and specifically every educator, should consider all issues and each candidate and exert independence and individualism while voting for the best candidate.

As a teacher and principal in the Chokio-Alberta School District from 1975 until 1987, I was one of John Howe’s teachers for several classes. It was obvious even then that John would be successful in life, as he was an independent thinker, a goal setter, and an achiever.

Since then I have had occasional conversations with John, before and after his election to the Minnesota Senate, and he has each time talked about the importance of, and gratitude for, the public school teachers who helped him achieve his success in life. He continues to support Minnesota’s dedicated educators, and he deserves the support of educators.

Senator Howe listens to all sides of an issue and shows respect for those expressing their viewpoints, even when those viewpoints differ from his. He works with members of all political parties to get legislative work done, and he is not afraid to propose for consideration new and different ideas to solve Minnesota’s problems.

We need more legislators with the independent spirit of Howe, and I encourage the voters of Minnesota Senate District 21 to re-elect Sen. John Howe.

Ron Paggen

Hutchinson, Minn.

Tags: opinion, letters