BRATTLEBORO — I offer my enthusiastic support for Elizabeth McLoughlin's bid for re-election to the Brattleboro Selectboard.
I've lived and worked in the Brattleboro area for my entire adult life and I love our community. As a clinical psychologist, I am particularly concerned about the degree of trauma and emotional vulnerability underpinning most - if not all - of the social problems we face, including homelessness, substance abuse, domestic and community violence, climate change, and crime.
These are all complex issues without simple fixes. My dear friend Liz McLoughlin has the smarts, experience, big-picture understanding, and tenacity to grapple with multifaceted solutions.
For example, she supports having a fully staffed police force along with increased mental health and substance abuse treatment funding to take on crime response, prevention, and restorative justice. She has some interesting and innovative ideas to address our housing shortage, with a focus on improving both the quantity and quality of affordable places to live. She's committed to plans that are environmentally sustainable and just. Her campaign slogan is correct: she is Pragmatic, Optimistic, and Wise (POW)!
It's great that Liz has already served as clerk, vice chair, and chair of the Selectboard. This means that, on day one, she'll be able to roll up her sleeves and get to work for us. She understands the budget process and the importance of collaboration.
You won't find another candidate so capable of staying focused on larger goals while simultaneously attending to little details, nor will you find one so invested in continuing the essential work to weave back together the torn fabric of our beloved town and help the people of Brattleboro feel safer and more connected.
We need compassionate, informed leadership, perhaps now more than ever. If re-elected, Liz will keep working tirelessly for us all, and I can't wait to vote for her again.