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Health & Fitness

Rep Garcia Neglects Constituents… Again

It seems that some of our elected officials in Concord and have become disconnected with the residents and constituents of the greater Salem are; mainly Marilinda Garcia. Today HB 1366, calling for a single high end casino to be built in the state was killed on the House floor, 173-144. Rockingham Park in Salem, being the most likely of the locations proposed to accept the bid would see 3,000 jobs added to our local economy (“N.H. House Rejects Casino Bill,” The Eagle-Tribune [North Andover, MA], 5/23/13).

Rep. Ken Wyler from Kingston proposed an amendment that would add almost $400,000 in addition to the revenue already promised to Salem each year, totaling upwards of $105 million for the state. This money would have gone to improving our local schools and infrastructure, avoiding the need to increase taxes like the gas tax to repair our roads and bridges.

You would think that with a bill so vital to Southern New Hampshire our own Salem Rep. Marilinda Garcia would want to take part in the debate. However Representative Garcia did not even cast a vote. Rep. Garcia-let alone speak on the bill.

Representative Garcia was in Concord today. In fact, she voted on other pieces of legislation. But as the most crucial piece of legislation for her constituency died on the floor she was recorded as an unexcused absence.

Why wasn't she there? Perhaps she got on an early flight and headed back DC to spend a few extra days bumping elbows with her new Washington big wig friends. Is this the kind of leadership and representation we deserve? How can we trust her to go represent us in Washington when she won’t fight for us here at home? I think she owes all of us some answers.

Ed Declerq
Town Planning Board Member, Salem, NH

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