Opinion Give Bleau a Chance

In the aftermath of Tuesday's final count of absentee and affidavit ballots in the Town of Wright's too close to call Supervisor race between Democrat Karl Remmers and Republican Amber Bleau, which Mrs. Bleau won by just five votes, the response by some individuals to the Republican's victory was disappointing to say the least.

Ranging from allegations of being a replica of former Supervisor William Goblet, who's passing earlier this year led Mrs. Bleau to assume leadership as Deputy Supervisor, to concerns over her participation in a tri-party advertisement that together formed the county's Conservative Party faction, residents ranging from readers of the Schoharie News to county officials have expressed skepticism and worries over her election to the county board.

These worries are nothing new. We have been hearing them for weeks now at the Schoharie News, but after interviewing Mrs. Bleau two days before the election and reviewing her record of service in the Town of Wright, we believe them to be exaggerated and would ask everyone to give the Supervisor-elect a chance to do her job before casting final judgment.

The election is nothing more then an educated guess as to who we think will do the better job in office, particularly between two non-incumbents as such was the case in this situation, with our guess either being proven to be accurate or inaccurate by their actions in said office.

Mrs. Bleau's focus is primarily on the growth of Wright by improving public services and expanding business in the town of fifteen hundred plus citizens, a job she is well prepared for because of tenure on the town board and her de facto leadership position since early 2013, while she also eases into her equally important role of representing her neighbors on a county-wide level in the currently fluid state of affairs of Schoharie politics.

With that said, could we please give the Supervisor-elect an opportunity to prove herself before casting the first stone and disregarding her leadership experience and qualities just because of her inclusion in an political advertisement that she was invited to join and did so in good faith? Obviously, the reasonable answer would be yes... Only time can vindicate or ostracize the voters of Wright for their decision on November 5th.