Letters to the editor | Friday, Feb. 14, 2020: Celebrate those who love you on Valentine’s Day

Everyone is special on Valentine’s

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a sad day if you’re single. The world wouldn’t be the same without you, all of you.

This Valentine’s Day, celebrate those who love you, including your pets. Be the most positive, loving person you can to all that day, and every day. Sharing a smile and any act of kindness is always a plus in living a happy healthier life.

Rees has what a judge needs

I am so glad to support The Bee’s wise decision to endorse Annette Rees for Superior Court judge.

From 2011 to 2018, I represented my family at the hearings and trial of Mark Mesiti for the abuse and murder of Alycia, his 14-year-old daughter and my great niece. Over those years, I witnessed firsthand Annette’s integrity and work ethic. She was always meticulously prepared, never causing delays. Her focus was on uncovering the truth, and in spite of the many challenges and obstacles she faced, she never resorted to what was self-serving or politically expedient. Her knowledge of and respect for the law was always evident; she was vigilant about maintaining the rights of the defendant and of victims. When we had questions, she was patient, clear, precise, and compassionate.

Annette’s integrity, experience, courtroom skill, and temperament make her a perfect choice for judge.

Condit will look out for us

The Modesto Bee Editorial Board chose a business-as-usual candidate for District 5 Supervisor. Our community deserves someone who supports our community and got to know us long before he ran for office and that candidate is Channce Condit.

We need new people like him to represent our community. He has spent many years in the community getting to know what our needs are and trying to find solutions to make our lives better. One point of great importance is the need of curbs, gutters and sidewalks. Our family has been paying taxes for 72 years and we still do not have that basic neighborhood amenity that many residents take for granted. He wants to change how we in unincorporated areas are left out of the budget when it comes to improvements to infrastructure. Channce’s fresh approach to not take what you do not need — he chose to not accept city of Ceres insurance and has his own coverage — saves taxpayers money because that is the right thing to do.

We voted for Channce Condit, Supervisor District 5 because he will work for us.

Harder keeps his promises

In these difficult times, there is solace in knowing our congressman, Josh Harder, continues to fight for us, as he promised during his campaign.

He promised action and pushed eight bills and amendments through the House, including:

• The School to Career Pathways Act which provides student apprenticeships, internships and other real-world experience opportunities, beginning in elementary school.

• The Making Education Affordable and Accessible Act which expands funding for dual-enrollment in college for high-school students.

He promised to be the most accessible representative and was able to hold 18 town halls for more than 1,700 constituents. By contrast, his predecessor avoided them altogether. He promised to represent everyone, regardless of political orientation. His predecessor focused on the few that would vote for him. Harder said funding for local infrastructure was urgent and secured over $20 million in funding.

Harder is just starting. He clearly deserves the opportunity to continue. One certainty is no matter what your political orientation, you never want to go backward. Josh Harder brought us to a point where we can already see a better future shaping up. Harder is the clear choice on March 3.

This story was originally published February 14, 2020 at 11:01 AM with the headline "Letters to the editor | Friday, Feb. 14, 2020: Celebrate those who love you on Valentine’s Day."