Two people more or fewer in a room isn’t reason enough to take down a good elected official just trying to do his best in these trying times.
I like Assemblyman Felix Rivera. I’ve watched him as he has attended various community meetings, giving of his personal time and his sincere effort to make our town a better place. He sat on several boards, such as the Public Transit Advisory Board and the Anchorage Youth Court. These aren’t boards you sit on for fun and profit. They require hard-working dedicated board members who have a genuine devotion to helping solve difficult problems.
He, unlike many of we ordinary citizens, put himself out there and ran for an Assembly seat knowing the nastiness and backlash most public figures face. He won, and did such a good job, he was elected to a second term. He earned his votes by taking care of business: He looked out for property tax payers when the state slashed revenue sharing; he struggled with the homelessness issues plaguing the city; he supported the People Mover expansion of bus routes. He consistently votes to back up small businesses and encourages young people to stand up for themselves. These are not easy positions to take, but Assemblyman Rivera ably represented not only his district, but the whole city with creative, and sometimes, beyond that tired-old-box thinking.
I see a young, energized and intelligent man. I see a kind and warm individual, who cares enough about his community to take on some of its toughest problems. He’s quite unlike our local minority of perpetually discontented extremists, who would rather mount a recall than work in partnership to make Anchorage a better place to live. I trust Assemblyman Rivera’s value as human being and an elected official will be upheld.
— Penelope Goforth
Anchorage
Have something on your mind? Send to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Letters under 200 words have the best chance of being published. Writers should disclose any personal or professional connections with the subjects of their letters. Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length.