Dear Editor,
It is disturbing to me that my opponent's campaign strategy is one that relies on smear tactics and juvenile diversions during a time when we should be talking about serious issues concerning the residents of the 72nd District.
Over 800 people in the 72nd District have been affected by the Medicaid cuts enacted in 2005 by the Republican majority. One of my ailing neighbors no longer has access to a hospital bed and much needed medical care.
At the end of the 2006 legislative session, Republican leadership members in the Missouri House of Representatives blocked a final vote on an important Senate bill that would have restored Medicaid coverage for some disabled workers and created a health care technology fund.
During my first term, I co-sponsored a bill that would have raised the minimum wage, which in Missouri has been stuck at $5.15 per hour since 1997, while gasoline prices and housing costs have dramatically increased.
We can build support for such issues only if we have an active discussion, which requires participation among both the residents of the 72nd District and the candidates for state representative of the district.
As I have walked door-to-door throughout the district, I have found that many people are concerned about these issues and many others, such as quality public education for all students in the district, parental involvement in making sure that their sons and daughters get a good education, and programs that aid families in sending their children to college.
People in the district have also expressed interest in my desire to provide access to health care for seniors who may not know of all their options as they face the possibility of entering into a nursing home.
These are important issues that affect the daily lives of people in the district, yet my opponent's campaign would rather talk about my beautiful heritage and spread lies and innuendos about me.
The 72nd District deserves someone who will respect one of the most diverse communities in the state of Missouri. We should focus and capitalize on this dynamic diversity rather than try to make people fear our differences.
St. Louis Cardinals' star Albert Pujols is an American citizen with African blood who was born in the Dominican Republican. To what group of people does Mr. Pujols "belong"?
To attack me or any other African-American for not being "black enough" is an ignorant and pathetic attempt to get votes. And to think that people in the district would be inclined not to vote for me based on an untrue and ignorant comment is a misjudgment of the character of the district's residents and an insult to the intelligence of those living in the district.
The kind of campaign my opponent is running is a tremendous disservice to the people of the 72nd District. In making a decision on who will represent their interests, they deserve a real debate on the issues that affect them, not baseless jargon and propaganda.
Maria Chappelle-NadalState RepresentativeDistrict 72July 11, 2006 |
