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I write this in support of the candidacy of Jeff Ettinger who I believe is the person who can most effectively represent the voters and population of the First District in the House of Representatives.

For years, now far past, I often worked with legislators on the state and national level to effect change in the legislation and regulations for programs I led. I always viewed the purpose of a legislator as the person who would effectively communicate the interests and goals of those they serve and then influence other legislators to create positive solutions. This requires careful listening and collaboration with others to insure the goals match those of your constituents.

There are many competing interests in any group of constituents in a legislative district. To represent all those interests to other legislators and leaders in the government requires a person with experience and skills in communicating and persuasion. I compare that process to taking a picture with your camera (phone). To gather and display all the color, shape, and items in the picture, you need to have a very capable lens. The elected representative becomes the collector and lens. The better the lens, the more effective is the result of the picture.

Each legislator needs to have a sense of their own values. But! The responsibility of a legislator is to focus their efforts on the culmination of the interests and goals of ALL the constituent’s they serve. I believe Jeff is the person who can do that aggressively, and with honor.

Walter A. Baldus

Austin, MN