Letter: Hamilton - I'm not 'afraid' to debate

• Hamilton

Ryan McGaughey/Daily Globe District 22B Rep. Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, visits with constituents during a coffee event at Ecumen-Meadows in Worthington.

Talk about it

In response to Mr. Robert Emary’s letter to the editor, dated Oct. 2, 2012, that accused me of being “afraid” to debate my opponent, nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, one of the best parts of campaigning is the debates. It gives me an opportunity to interact with my constituents, hear what advice they have for me, share with them some of my thoughts, and draw a distinct comparison between my opponent and me. This year I’ve attended a number of forums to discuss the issues with my opponent — Sept. 5 we were at a forum debating environmental issues, Sept. 20 we attended a forum about energy, and on Sept. 26th we debated education at an event at Worthington High School.

We also have a debate scheduled for Oct. 18 to debate health care, and on Oct. 24 the Worthington Chamber of Commerce is hosting a forum that allows the public to discuss a wide variety of topics that I encourage everyone to attend. It provides you a venue to ask the candidates questions and hear the differences between the various candidates. I ask the readers to be involved so they can vote for the candidate they believe will best represent their interests.

I believe I’ve found a balance between “holding my ground” as I fight for rural Minnesota while still being approachable. I’ve proven that I can work with people on all sides of an issue and bring people together. It’s amazing what a person can learn if they simply listen.

In closing I would like to thank Mr. Emary for submitting the letter to the editor — he’s been kind of quiet this year. Mr. Emary, your accusations are wrong, but I’m glad to see you are still politically involved.

Tags: opinion, letters, hamilton, minnesota, politics, legislature