Letter to the Editor: Mastic Park Civic Association Meeting

If you’re running to represent the people of the 3rd Assembly District, showing up should mean more than getting your turn at the microphone.

At the recent Mastic Park Civic Association meeting on the traffic problems facing Mastic, Shirley and Mastic Beach, Assembly candidate Josh Slaughter made some political comments, and then left before much of the community discussion took place.

Residents packed the meeting to talk about solutions to their daily traffic nightmare. We came looking for answers and, just as importantly, for elected officials and candidates to listen.

Slaughter wants voters to send him to Albany to represent this community. If that’s the case, he should have stayed and heard what residents had to say.

Anyone can stand in front of a crowd and give a speech. Representation also means sitting in the audience, listening to people describe their problems and learning firsthand what they expect their government to do about them.

The residents who stayed at that meeting deserved the attention of anyone seeking to represent them. Campaigning isn’t just about being seen. Sometimes it’s about staying in your seat and listening.