To the editor:

We are fortunate to live in this northern New York region. Yes, these are difficult times, and we have problems. But ours are not overwhelming.

From Cape Vincent to Saratoga Springs and Rouses Point to the Tug Hill Plateau, the diversity of our communities and environment makes this a great place and provides many opportunities to make it better. The key to protecting our assets and building a brighter future? Good leadership at all levels: local, state and national.

In the current congressional campaign we have one candidate who doesn’t live here but is well connected politically and has been empowered by distant donors of great wealth. These distant donors know little if anything about our region. Their answer to problems is rooted in a political ideology that puts money and the pursuit of wealth above everything else.

We have another candidate who is not politically connected to distant, wealthy donors. She is local and has a better understanding of our needs. Her problem-solving style is to work at the grassroots. She has raised more money locally than her well-connected rival, which says a lot. There is no doubt that she will fight for our region, favoring unbiased policies and programs that address critical issues such as public education, health care, Social Security, climate change and environmental protection. Can we expect the same from her rival, whose political power comes from wealthy, distant donors?

Vote for Tedra Cobb on Nov. 6.

Richard Grover

Canton