Grafton County candidate

I am asking for your support to become your next Grafton County Commissioner from District 3. I have been a Plymouth resident since 1997 where my husband and I had the privilege of raising our children. I believe I am well qualified to serve you in this job. Please read to the bottom of the ballot to cast your vote for me.

I grew up in a large family in Western New York State and my parents instilled in all of us the value of community service. I was elected to the Plymouth Elementary School Board for four terms, serving for 12 years. I volunteered with many community organizations and have been on the board of several. I am currently on the board of the Plymouth Area Community Closet.

I’ve been a nurse for 42 years, including serving our region for the past 20 years as a family nurse practitioner.

I believe my decades in health care provide me with a deep understanding of the issues that affect the Grafton County Nursing Home and Correctional Facility. Furthermore, I believe the budgetary experience I gained as a school board member will be an asset in county management. While on the school board, my focus was to provide an excellent education to our children, investing where needed and saving where possible. My goal was, and is, to be a good steward of your tax dollars.

I respectfully ask for your vote on Nov. 5.

Katie Hedberg

Plymouth, N.H.

The 17 towns of Grafton County Commission District 3 include Canaan, Dorchester, Grafton and Orange.

A threat to Social Security

Anyone who is a MAGA Republican/Trump supporter and who hopes to have an earned benefit from their participation in the Social Security program should look first at the record of the past Trump administration and the MAGA Republican proposals for Social Security should they gain power again Nov. 5.

Trump and the MAGA Republicans want you to believe that the federal government’s deficit and debt problems are rooted in the costs of “entitlement” programs, particularly Social Security. But the Social Security program contributes essentially nothing to the federal budget beyond marginal administrative costs. Social Security benefits are paid entirely from payments into trust funds by wage earners and their employers. Even after about 2033 the program will continue to pay out an estimated 75% to 80% of the current level of benefits, even if Congress makes no adjustments to the funding and/or benefit structure of the program.

MAGA people say nothing about a bloated trillion-dollar - plus defense budget or subsidies that benefit mostly wealthy farmers and prosperous corporations.

Republicans and Trump have a clear record in this matter. Trump issued a Social Security payroll tax cut executive order which, had it become permanent, would have starved the Social Security program of revenue. In each of its budget proposals, the Trump administration proposed significant cuts to Social Security.

A putative future Trump administration includes no proposal to close the emerging funding gap in Social Security benefits. Proposals actually made to date include reduction in or elimination of cost-of-living adjustments and a raising of full retirement benefit beyond age 67.

At the same time, in the face of growing annual budget deficits, MAGA Republicans do not plan to rescind the $2 trillion otherwise unpaid for (allegedly “temporary”) Trump tax cut of 2017, which benefited mostly the wealthy and corporations, and is due to expire in 2025.

Voter (taxpayer, Social Security beneficiary) beware!

Boris G. von York

Springfield, Vt.

Beware of social media

With election day coming closer and closer, I wanted to share some advice with my Upper Valley neighbors of both Democratic and Republican affiliation who are users of social media.

Please do not share any social media posts blindly. Any time you see a post presented as fact that you agree with, you should pause to think: Is it possible that I am being manipulated? What does the person posting this have to gain?

Always take the time to research anything purported to be fact. Do not allow yourself to be exploited for someone else’s purposes.

Barry Wenig

Lebanon