To the editor:
By electing Democrat Cindy Reinert, a retired attorney, to the Indiana House of Representatives in District 58 (Northern Johnson County area) you will be putting a crusader in the Legislature.
Cindy’s opponent, Woody Burton, has held this seat for 30 years! Woody is a nice guy, but you couldn’t call him a crusader. He was instrumental in putting "In God We Trust" on Indiana license plates, but otherwise has accomplished little except to be a guaranteed vote for whatever the Republicans come up with.
During his 30-years in the General Assembly, Woody has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from businesses, organizations and lobbyists, most of whom had an interest in specific legislation. If you are okay with that, you probably don’t need to read the rest of this letter.
Cindy Reinert believes that legislators should not be available for purchase. She will never take corporate PAC money and she will not accept gifts from lobbyists. She will represent her constituents, not special interests.
Cindy believes that Indiana public schools need more funding. She thinks that teachers are woefully underpaid and schools do too much standardized testing. She has a Facebook page called Teachers for Cindy with nearly 300 members who agree with her. Cindy will be a crusader for public education in the Indiana Legislature.
Cindy believes we must work for a cleaner environment. She strongly supports If It Was Your Child, a Johnson County organization that has called national attention to local pollution that may be linked with an unusual number of children diagnosed with rare forms of cancer. According to US News and World Report, Indiana ranks 48th out of 50 states in pollution health risks. Cindy will be a crusader for the environment.
Cindy believes we need to do a better job of bringing quality healthcare to all our citizens, including long-term treatment for opioid addiction. Indiana ranks 40th out of 50 in healthcare quality and 41st out of 50 in infant mortality. Cindy will be a crusader for quality, affordable healthcare.
The Republican Supermajority in the Indiana General Assembly has been in total control since 2011. During that time, Indiana has fallen in every category that matters.
In 2010, Indiana’s overall quality of life was 21st out of 50. In 2015 we dropped to 39th. This year, we are 46th out of 50 states! Only four other states rate lower than Indiana in quality of life.
Cindy believes we can do better. If you want to help Indiana become healthier, cleaner and better educated, with a higher quality of life, you need a crusader in the General Assembly. You need Cindy Reinert!
Margaret McGovern
Greenwood
